Major General Oliver O. Howard in the Civil War

Major General Oliver O. Howard in the Civil War Oliver O. Howard - Early Life Career: The son of Rowland and Eliza Howard, Oliver Otis Howard was born at Leeds, ME on November 3, 1830. Losing his father at age nine, Howard received a strong education at series of academies in Maine before electing to attend Bowdoin College. Graduating in 1850, he decided to pursue a military career and sought an appointment to the US Military Academy. Entering West Point that year, he proved a superior student and graduated fourth in a class of forty-six in 1854. Among his classmates were J.E.B. Stuart and Dorsey Pender. Commissioned as a second lieutenant, Howard moved through a series of ordnance assignments including time at Watervliet and Kennebec Arsenals. Marrying Elizabeth Waite in 1855, he received orders to take part in a campaign against the Seminoles in Florida two years later. Oliver O. Howard – The Civil War Begins: Though a religious man, while in Florida Howard experienced a deep conversion to evangelical Christianity. Promoted to first lieutenant that July, he returned to West Point as a mathematics instructor that fall. While there, he frequently considered leaving the service to enter the ministry. This decision continued to weigh on him, however as sectional tensions built and the Civil War neared, he resolved to defend the Union. With the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, Howard prepared to go to war. The following month, he took command of the 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment with the rank of colonel of volunteers. As the spring progressed, he rose to command the Third Brigade in Colonel Samuel P. Heintzelman’s Third Division in the Army of Northeastern Virginia. Taking part in the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, Howard’s brigade occupied Chinn Ridge but was driven off in confusion after being attacked by Confederate troops led by Colonels Jubal A. Early and Arnold Elzey . Oliver O. Howard – An Arm Lost: Promoted to brigadier general on September 3, Howard and his men joined Major General George B. McClellan’s newly-formed Army of the Potomac. Recognized for his devout religious beliefs, he soon earned the sobriquet â€Å"the Christian General† though this title was often used with a degree of sarcasm by his comrades. In the spring of 1862, his brigade moved south for the Peninsula Campaign. Serving in Brigadier General John Sedgwick’s division of Brigadier General Edwin Sumner’s II Corps, Howard joined McClellan’s slow advance towards Richmond. On June 1, he returned to combat when his men met the Confederates at the Battle of Seven Pines. As the fighting raged, Howard was hit twice in the right arm. Taken from the field, the injuries proved serious enough that the arm was amputated. Oliver O. Howard - A Rapid Rise: Recovering from his wounds, Howard missed the remainder of the fighting on the Peninsula as well as the defeat at Second Manassas. Returning to his brigade, he led it during the fighting at Antietam on September 17. Serving under Sedgwick, Howard took command of the division after his superior was badly wounded during an attack near the West Woods. In the fighting, the division sustained heavy losses as Sumner had ordered it into action without conducting proper reconnaissance. Promoted to major general in November, Howard retained command of the division. With Major General Ambrose Burnside’s ascent to command, the Army of the Potomac moved south to Fredericksburg. On December 13, Howard’s division took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg. A bloody disaster, the fighting saw the division make a failed assault on the Confederate defenses atop Marye’s Heights. Oliver O. Howard - XI Corps: In April 1863, Howard received an appointment to replace Major General Franz Sigel as commander of XI Corps. Largely comprised of German immigrants, the men of XI Corps immediately began lobbying for Sigel’s return as he too was an immigrant and had been a popular revolutionary in Germany. Imposing a high level of military and moral discipline, Howard quickly earned his new command’s resentment. In early May, Major General Joseph Hooker, who had replaced Burnside, attempted to swing around to the west of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s position at Fredericksburg. In the resulting Battle of Chancellorsville, Howard’s corps occupied the right flank of the Union line. Though advised that his right flank was in the air by Hooker, he took no action to anchor it on a natural obstacle or construct substantial defenses. On the evening of May 2, Major General Thomas â€Å"Stonewall† Jackson mounted a devastating flank attack which routed XI Corps and des tabilized the Union position. Though shattered, XI Corps mounted a fighting retreat that saw it lose around a quarter of its strength and Howard was conspicuous in his attempts to rally his men. Effectively spent as a fighting force, XI Corps did not play a meaningful role in the rest of the battle. Recovering from Chancellorsville, the corps marched north the following month in pursuit of Lee who intended to invade Pennsylvania. On July 1, XI Corps moved to the aid of Brigadier General John Buford’s Union cavalry and Major General John Reynolds I Corps which had become engaged in the opening phases of the Battle of Gettysburg. Approaching on the Baltimore Pike and Taneytown Road, Howard detached a division to guard the key heights of Cemetery Hill to the south of Gettysburg before deploying the rest of his men on I Corps’ right north of town. Attacked by Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell’s Second Corps, Howard’s men were overwhelmed and forced to fall back after one of his division commanders, Brigadier General Francis C. Barlow, blundered by moving his men out of position. As the Union line collapsed, XI Corps retreated back through town and assumed a defensive position on Cemetery Hill. As Reynolds had been killed early in the fighting, Howard served as the senior Union leader on the field until Major General Winfield S. Hancock arrived with orders from army commander Major General George G. Meade to take over. Despite Hancock’s written orders, Howard resisted ceding control of the battle. Remaining on the defensive for the remainder of the battle, XI Corps turned back Confederate attacks the next day. Though criticized for his corps’ performance, Howard later received the thanks of Congress for selected the ground on which the battle would be fought. Oliver O. Howard – Going West: On September 23, XI Corps and Major General Henry Slocum’s XII Corps were detached from the Army of the Potomac and set west to aid Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s efforts to relieve Major General William S. Rosecrans’ besieged Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga. Collectively led by Hooker, the two corps aided Grant in opening a supply line to Rosecrans’ men. In late November, XI Corps took part in the fighting around the city which culminated with General Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee being driven from Missionary Ridge and forced to retreat south. The following spring, Grant departed to take overall command of the Union war effort and leadership in the west passed to Major General William T. Sherman. Organizing his forces for a campaign against Atlanta, Sherman directed Howard to take over IV Corps in Major General George H. Thomas’ Army of the Cumberland. Moving south in May, Howard and his corps saw action at Picketts Mill on the 27th and Kennesaw Mountain a month later. As Shermans armies neared Atlanta, part of IV Corps took part in the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20. Two days later, Major General James B. McPherson, commander of the Army of the Tennessee, was killed at the Battle of Atlanta. With the loss of McPherson, Sherman directed Howard to take over the Army of the Tennessee. On July 28, he led his new command into battle at Ezra Church. In the fighting, his men turned back attacks by Lieutenant General John Bell Hood. In late August, Howard led the Army of the Tennessee at the Battle of Jonesboro which resulted in Hood being forced to abandon Atlanta. Reorganizing his forces that fall, Sherman retained Howard in his position and had the Army of the Tennessee serve as the right wing of his March to the Sea. Oliver O. Howard - Final Campaigns: Departing in mid-November, Shermans advance saw Howards men and Slocums Army of Georgia drive through the heart of Georgia, living off the land, and sweeping aside light enemy resistance. Reaching Savannah, Union forces captured the city on December 21. In the spring of 1865, Sherman pushed north into South Carolina with Slocum and Howards commands. After capturing Columbia, SC on February 17, the advance continued and Howard entered North Carolina in early March. On March 19, Slocum was attacked by General Joseph E. Johnston at the Battle of Bentonville. Turning, Howard brought his men to Slocums aid and the combined armies compelled Johnston to retreat. Pressing on, Howard and his men were present the following month when Sherman accepted Johnstons surrender at Bennett Place. Oliver O. Howard - Later Career: An ardent abolitionist before the war, Howard was appointed head of the Freedmens Bureau in May 1865. Charged with integrating freed slaves into society, he implemented a wide array of social programs including education, medical care, and food distribution. Backed by the Radical Republicans in Congress, he often clashed with President Andrew Johnson. During this time, he aided in the formation of Howard University in Washington, DC. In 1874, he assumed command of the Department of the Columbia with his headquarters in the Washington Territory. While out west, Howard took part in the Indian Wars and in 1877 mounted a campaign against the Nez Perce which resulted in the capture of Chief Joseph. Returning east in 1881, he briefly served as superintendent at West Point before taking command of the Department of the Platte in 1882. Belatedly presented with the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his actions at Seven Pines, Howard retired in 1894 after serving as commander of the Department of the East. Moving to Burlington, VT, he died on October 26, 1909 and was buried at Lake View Cemetery. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Oliver O. HowardNNDB: Oliver O. Howard Civil War: Oliver O. Howard

Assess the role of ella baker in the civil rights movement The WritePass Journal

Assess the role of ella baker in the civil rights movement Introduction Assess the role of ella baker in the civil rights movement IntroductionBibliographyRelated Introduction Men and their reputations are well known throughout the civil rights movement. McNair-Barnett conducted a study with interviewees from her research in to the movement and asked them who they considered to be the top ten important individual leaders in the movement. 81 individuals were names, 27.2 per cent were women compared to 72.8 per cent of men (McNair Barnett, 1993). It is clear that men were also more focused on in terms of the press and people in the movement. There are many different reasons that could possibly account for this. The women’s liberation movement did not begin in American until the late 1960’s; therefore it was hard for women to have a role in the civil rights movement as an established leader. Also, at the time of the movement, men would have had to lead due to gender bias’ at the time for he movement to have made progress and begin to generate change. As a product of time, men were at he forefront whilst women were more of than not behind the scenes. Typically, men tended to front organisations such as The Congress of Racial Equality and the Nation Association for The Advancement of Coloured People. Men in these roles often controlled meetings and made decisions over policies and movement strategies. Women however, were not in such high profile roles and tended to stay behind the scenes as found by Sacks study (Barnett, 1997). Women typically organised events, and worked in clerical and secretarial roles in order for the movement organisations to run as smoothly as possible. As a result, women have often not been given the recognition that they deserve. Ella Baker in particular has not been recognised for her tireless efforts throughout the civil rights movement. She has been described as â€Å"a largely unsung hero of the Civil Rights Freedom Movement who inspired and guided emerging leaders† (ellabakercenter.org). Baker also acquired the nickname ‘Fundi’ from her time as an activist. ‘Fundi’ is a Swahili word meaning a person who teaches a craft to the next generation (REF), giving a slight indication as to how important her role in the civil rights movement was. Ella Josephine baker was born on December 13th 1903, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She grew up listening to her grandmother’s experiences growing up on slave plantations. Ella Baker attended Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina and regularly challenged university policies that she thought were unfair, she graduated as class valedictorian in 1927. After graduating, Baker worked in editorial roles, particularly for the American West Indian News from 1928-1930 and the Negro National News in 1932. Baker had befriended George Schulyer, who founded the Young Negroes Cooperative League together with Baker in 1931, and became its national director (Mueller in Crawford, 1993). This led to her employment with New Deals Works Progress Association bringing people together through collective buying. It was during her time with New Deals Works Progress that Baker was exposed to newer radical ideas surrounding social change. (Ella baker quote in Mueller in Crawford about time in NY) In 1938 Baker joined the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and stressed the importance of young people and women in the organisation. However, it has been suggested that Baker was against the NAACP’s traditional strategy of appealing to the professional ranks in society to lead the masses (Elliot, 1996). Elliot believes that Ella Bakers philosophy was â€Å"power to the people† (Elliot, 1996). Baker believed that people had to help themselves in order to discover solutions to their problems, she believed that â€Å"oppressed people, whatever their level of formal education have the ability to understand and interpret the world around them, to see the world for what it is, and move to transform it† (www.ellabakercenter.org). by 1941, Baker had become an assistant field secretary of the NAACP. Whilst with the NAACP, baker helped to organise voter registration drives, and actively campaigned for school desegregation and was against police b rutality issues. In the late 1940’s Baker had become a field secretary for the New York Branch of the NAACP and had become â€Å"the NAACP’s most effective organiser† (www.blackpast.org). Ella Baker in an interview with Gerda Lerner, a historian, described her role in the NAACP; â€Å"you would deal with whatever the local problem was and on the basis of the needs of the people you would try to organise them in the NAACP† (Lerner, 1972, p.347). Baker worked well in the NAACP, hence her reputation. She believed that â€Å"you relationships to human beings was more important than your relationship to the amount of money you made† (Cantarow and Omally, p.60). It was perhaps this belief that made her such a central organiser within the NAACP, as she had a very down to earth view of the world and equality, and as a result, was able to work with all people from different walks of life when travelling through the south as a field secretary for the NAACP. Baker left her role as field secretary in 1946 to care for her niece in New York but remained a volunteer, she became its president in 1952 but resigned in 1953 to run for the New York City Council, but it was unsuccessful (Ransby, 2003, p.14). In 1955, Ella Baker, along with Bayard Rustin and Stanley Levison co founded the organisation ‘In Friendship’ to raise money to fight against Jim Crow laws in the south (Payne, 1989). However, it was not until 1957 when she became involved with another prominent organisation in the movement. Baker moved to Atlanta, to help organise the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King. Baker was the associate director of the SCLC (Elliot, 1996) and was involved with the day to day running of the organisation and the office. Ella Baker later became the SCLC’s Acting Executive Director. The Civil Rights Movement was a largely church based movement and as a result, Baker was never considered a legitimate leader, as she had not descended from clergy or church hierarchy; she was Acting Executive Director until a suitable leader was found. Mueller suggests, â€Å"her policy suggestions for greater emphasis on local organising and the inclusion of Women a nd youth were largely ignored† (Mueller in Crawford, 1993, p.62). Ella Baker was aware of this discrimination in the SCLC though when she was asked why she decided to leave the SCLC she replied; â€Å"in the first place, I had known, number one that there would never be any role for me in a leadership capacity with the SCLC. Why? First I’m a woman. Also, I’m not a minister† (Robnett, 1996). Female status in the movement was gained through acts of courage and positions of power were through community work or extraordinary activism, not through church hierarchy, the way men gained leadership was more often than not through church hierarchy in terms of the clergy. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that women weren’t aware of their positions as secondary to the roles of men. Victoria Gray recalls â€Å"there are just so few places where historically the black male could have any authority, if you will. That is not an accident, I assure you. Where that was possible the community supported that† (Robnett, 1997, p.41). Gray suggests that women supported men in positions of power, despite that often meaning that women would come secondary to them. Bernice Johnson Reagon claims â€Å"as an empowered human being I never experienced being held back† (Robnett, 1997, p.37). Whilst these women appear to be unaware of the gender bias at the time, there were women in the spotlight who were aware of the constraints of both race and gender. Dorothy Height, a well known woman in the movement, said the main downside to being a female leader amongst men, was that it was â€Å"sometimes hard for them to realise the importance of womenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s rights†(www.onlinenewshour.com) Martin Luther King Jr acknowledged â€Å"women, while capable of leadership, did not and should not exercise this ability by choice† (Robnett, 1996). It was difficult for women to hold positions of power during the movement, as women’s liberation had not yet begun. However, Dorothy Cotton an activist in the movement recalls; â€Å"Men were programmed to be chauvinistic, but we allowed it too, women deferred to their husbands† (Robnett, 1997, p.43), indicating that a separation of male and female roles in the movement was a product of the time. The post-war era continued the public and private sphere ideology; men and women had their separate roles in separate aspects of life. It is important to realise that men had found themselves in a position of power after so long of having no access to any form of power and therefore the chance to lead was an opportunity that was too good to turn down. Clyde Franklin believes a reason for this is that â€Å"in America, blac k males have only been ‘men’ for about twenty years† (Ling, YR. p.6). After the Greensboro Sit-Ins in 1960, where black members of society sat in segregated white areas in Woolworth stores across America, two months in to the sit-ins, they had spread to 54 cities in 9 states (www.sitins.org). By July 1960, Woolworth stores had agreed to integrate the lunch counter at the Greensboro store. It was after this that Baker realised people were determined to make a change, and called together 300 students for the South wide Student Leadership Conference on Non-violent Resistance to Segregation, which later changed it’s name to Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. Elliot suggests that students of the SNCC trusted Ella Baker because of instead of dictating policy she guided students to solutions (Elliot, 1996). This could, however, be due to her time spent at The Highlander Folk School. The Highlander Folk School was geared towards teaching African-Americans how to read in order to enable them to progress and to empower black communities to furthe r develop more local leaders. Mueller believed that is was Bakers aim to â€Å"help local leaders develop their own leadership potential† (Mueller in Crawford, 1993, p.58). In Bakers time with the SNCC, she had an active role in coordinating the nationwide freedom rides of 1961, where blacks were to ride busses in to southern states sat in areas of the public busses that had previously been reserved for white passengers (Carson). In 1964, Baker also helped to organise the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.   The party was not seated with delegation but held an influence over the Democratic Party to elect black leaders in Mississippi, which forced a rule change to allow women and minorities to sit as delegates at the Democratic National Convention (FIND REF). Whilst working with the SNCC Baker also worked o the staff of the Southern Conference Education Fund from 1962-1967, which aimed to bring black ad white people together to work for social justice. In her time on the staff of the SCEF, Baker took part in a speaker tour to reunite black and whites and co-hosted important meetings on the links of civil rights and civil liberties (Ransby, 2003). Ella Baker was a strong advocate of Participatory Democracy that was popular during the 1960’s. Participatory Democracy had three main aims focused on participation. The first was an appeal for the grass roots involvement of those in society over decisions that control their own lives. The next step is to minimize hierarchy and emphasis on expertise and professionalism as a basis for the election of a leader. The third main emphasis was to call for direct action as an answer to fear, alienation, and intellectual detachments. Mueller notes, â€Å"participatory democracy legitimized an active public voice† (Mueller in Crawford, 1993, p.52). Participatory democracy is evident in Bakers style of activism; particularly through the way in which she encouraged members of the SNCC to find solutions to their problems rather than to dictate the solutions to them. Baker believed that â€Å"the major job was getting people to understand that they had something in their power that they could use, and it could be used if they understood what was happening and how group actions count counter violence† (www.ellabakercenter.org) showing how focused she was on the grass roots involvement of people in the movement. Ella Bakers role in the Civil Rights Movement was essential. Her behind the scenes activism challenged and helped to change the society of America. By Helping to organise voter registration drives she enabled black people of America to have the right to vote in elections, and her role as field secretary of the NAACP helping southern states through the organisation to solve local issues in order to unite a front against national issues. Her co-founding of ‘In Friendship’ also geared towards those in the Jim Crow stricken states in the south where systematic segregation and racism was often stronger than in the northern states. Her organisation of the SNCC was groundbreaking; changing the way people though out solutions to their problems. It was perhaps her role in the SNCC where her strong advocacy for participatory democracy shines through, as she aimed to guide rather than dictate. Shyrlee Dallard sums up the effort of Ella Baker, writing â€Å"for Ella Baker, organisi ng was more than a job† (Dallard, 1990, p.6). Baker put her heart and soul in to organising events and organisations geared towards changing American society in to an equal society. The Ella Baker Center is dedicated to leading in the way that Ella Baker did, to encourage people to work towards professional opportunities in order to better themselves and their local communities through the running of various campaigns. The Heal the Streets Campaign trains people to act against violence in Oakland, Illinois. The center is dedicated towards the following of Ella Baker’s philosophy, ‘Power to The People†. Bibliography Cantarow, E. O’Mally, S. (1980) Moving the Mountain: Women working for Social Change. Old Westbury. Feminist Press. Dallard, S. (1990) Ella Baker: A Leader Behind The Scenes. New Jersey, Silver Burdett Press. Elliot, A. (1996) Ella Baker: Free Agent in the Civil Rights Movement. Journal of Black Studies Vol, 26. No.5. pp.593-603 [JSTOR] Lerner, G. (1972) Developing Community Leadership in Black Women in White America. Pantheon, New York. Ling, J.P. Monteith, S. (2004) Gender and The Cvil Rights Movement. Rutgers: University Press McNair-Barnett, B. (1993) Invisible Southern Black Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement: The Triple Constraints of Gender Race and Class. Gender and Society. Vol, 7. No.2 pp.162-182 Mueller, C. Ella Baker and the origins of ‘Participatory Democracy’ in Crawford, V. (1993) Women in the Civil Rights Movement Trailblazers and Torchbearers 1941-1965. Indiana University Press. Indiana. Payne, C. (1989) Ella Baker and Models of Social Change. Signs. Vol, 14. No.4. Ransby,   B. (2003) Ella Baker and The Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision. University of North Carolina Press. Robnett, B. (1996) African American Women in The Civil Rights Movement 1954-65 Gender Leadership and Micro Mobilisation. AJS Vol,1. No.6. pp.1661-1693 Robnett, B. (1997) 1st edn. How Long? How Long? African American Women in the Struggle for Civil Rights. Oxford. Oxford University Press. www.ellabakercenter.org [accessed april 10th 2011] www.sitins.com [accessed april 12th 2011] blackpast.org/?q=aah/baker-ella-1903-1986 sitins.com/timeline.shtml

Organizational Change Applications Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Change Applications Paper - Essay Example Amazon, with its advanced Information Technology, is required to give all the required books to its customers at its library. But brining change is not that easy job and most important part of this is to critically evaluate the Change Process or the Change Control (CC). This is the process used by a company to implement its desired and required changes in it. And also controlling the environmental impacts of this change within and outside of the company. This research paper will cover up almost all the basic concepts of Change and also cover up all the steps involved in Change Control and Procedures. This method will be applied to Amazon, the number one internet company, that have the best internet online library for its readers. With the help of suspicious procedure and planning, it is possible to reduce risks associated with changes thereby minimizing the likelihood of detrimental impacts on business operations(5 measure to minimize risk). Organization Change Management The definit ion of Change Management Change Management is defined as the process of controlling IT service changes in a manner that assures minimal disruption in service delivery and minimal degradation in service quality (Rigby, 2001). Change Control Process for Amazon Instantly changing IT requirement that is to be applied in libraries, is impacting a change in the online academic libraries, like Amazon, Google, Hawlett-Packard etc. A change is something that is completely unavoidable and it is one of the most adopted facts of life. To be changed, is a matter of human nature and the need of time in order to provide defined Service Level to the users and give them ultimate satisfaction. Amazon, with its advanced Information Technology, is required to give all the required books to its customers at its library (How to Make Better Decisions). To bring change, is to bring betterment and advancement for the maximize availability of products. But, at Amazon, we will maintain our standard along and with the adoption of new enabling technologies for our clients, whose mostly are students. Although this change will help us grow our business and bring positive feedback to us but, we surely will maintain a high level of internal security of the company (Amazon, 2012). Amazon – The introduction and need for change Amazon is a big name in the sale of books and stuff online, it is one of the most popular internet companies that was come into being in 1994 in Scattle, USA. at the time, it has more than 20 thousand people working with it and serveing the client with its online shopping and free shipment service. it has a braod range of offered products. Amazaon allows its users to give feedback at their portal that helps in brining change within the organization (Amazon, 2012). Mission of company ‘To leverage technology and the expertise of our invaluable employees to provide our customers with the best shopping experience on the Internet’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Vision of company ‘To be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Objective of company ‘Not to discount a small number of products for a limited period of time, but to offer low prices everyday and apply them broadly across our entire product range.’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Activities contribute in change management Five different activities are involved in change management that affects it on a larger level. These activities help a

Management Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Final Project - Essay Example The project showed the new shopping cart concepts that embedded the issues including shopping behavior, maneuverability, cost maintenance, and child safety. These concepts aimed at improving the management skills where both the business and the customers were the centers of interest (Kelly, 1999). As the business was reducing the loss of its fixed assets (the cart trolleys), the customer values and interest were also considered whereby despite the crewed developing in the shaping both the cost and customer safety were never compromised. Moreover, the show concentrated on the design process of the IDEO that reflected multidisciplinary team brainstormed, prototyped, and research the gathered the feedback from those who used the design. These applications deployed by the design indicated that good managerial skills that included teamwork as well as the incorporating the end users in the development and improvement of services and products (Kelly, 1999). Teamwork allows acquiring extensi ve knowledge and skills in design products and services that will meet the end users’ desire. Moreover, teamwork allows extensive innovation thereby increasing the production and sale of the intended service or product in the market line. Seeking for the views of customers within the intended product and service line is also an effective business management skill since it allows the business to design products and services that will meet the needs and wants of customers (Kelly, 1999). Notably, meeting the needs of customers within every product and service line often improves sales and profitability in the same sense (Kelly, 1999). Moreover, seeking and using feedback from the targeted customers is essential in that it is a means of improvement of services and products especially in areas that customers feel unsatisfied. It should be noted that the current business management skills are customer centered; the production of goods and services are to meet the needs of the custo mer. In this sense, the application of this design in businesses will improve businesses applying the same since they will be having an extended and elaborate market (Kelly, 1999). Additionally, every proper business management skill usually values the safety of its customer in line with production and service delivery and the IDEO’s design have ensured that child safety is a factor in their production and service delivery in the cart shopping. Another essential management skill demonstrated in case video clip, the continual improvement. Every business must give room for product and or service improvement. In the case of IDEO’s shopping cart design, the continual improvement is demonstrated where it is vivid that the design lacks some steel frame bottom and side to detect theft. However, it substituted plastic baskets thereby increasing shoppers’ flexibility and helped in protecting goods as well as providing a means of promoting the brand awareness (Kelly, 1999 ). The design also incorporated the auxiliary services that usually aim at maintaining customers to the services and products offered or acting as a means of customer attracting other customers to such news services and products. The dual child seat with a swing up tray provides a play surface and a secure spot for placing a bunch of carnations or cup of coffee. Additionally, seeking for the addition information through secondary research enable the IDEO shopping cart des

International Model United Nations Essay Example for Free

International Model United Nations Essay ‘Knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes. ’ Keeping this saying in mind, I Jaida, consider it an opportunity to express my intention of learning Business Administration- a subject that has thoroughly captivated my attention and curiosity, in the University. If you would ask me who Jaida is, I would say she is person who is happy to be alive, joyous, outgoing, loving and lovable. I have two elder brothers and love them immensely. I live in the city and do love the city life filled with noise, buildings and music. Simultaneously, I enjoy the quiet and calmness of nature/greenery. With a diversity within myself- my afraid of the darkness, my mood shifts and my unpredictability sometimes leave a question on my toughness which by far is accepted by me and I thus love my unpredictability and my contradictions. My winning the junior 1st Prize in the well renowned INJAZ Al-Arab competition as the ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ on a national level and making it to the regional competition in Morocco ignited my interest in the field of Business Administration. Since then there has been no turning back. Being self-motivated and self-driven with an intrinsic need to achieve a well-rounded education, I have surpassed my expectations. I have participated three years in a row in the Middle School and Junior Mathematics competitions and have outlived the competitive selection processes in the International Schools Mathematics Teachers Foundation (ISMTF). Being successful in maintaining a nearly perfect scholastic record, I was not only elected as a student council for five consecutive years (one year serving as the Treasurer), but was nominated this year as the Head Girl with majority of votes from the Senior Management Team. This nomination has been one of the most enriching experiences in my life as is has taught me the meaning of being a leader and has thus managed to make me a role model to the whole school, proving the fact that leaders are not born but made with experiences. Apart from this, I have been bestowed with various awards. Achieving the International Youth Award (IYA) at Gold Level was one of my proud moments. The hiking in the Grand Massif des Bagues, France (2010) for 9 days without much contact with the teachers/supervisors during the day was another learning experience for me. Camping in groups and climbing a total of 2km uphill in 2 and a half days, was physically very challenging, but a pursuer that I am, I never gave up. Playing the piano, since I was five is another important part of my identity that adds to my diversity. University therefore is my next milestone. I perceive that the setting in the University would help me identity various undiscovered potentials in me. I also have full confidence that my studying in the University would help me discover-with a greater specificity various disciplines; my contributions would positively impact others. With these experiences, life has taught me various lessons and the most important one was the lesson of coping with emotional damage and supporting the family at the time of loss. I lost my father last year. My father, who had never faced the need of any medical support, was diagnosed with lung cancer and after acute suffering passed away three months later. His death shook me emotionally and I was drained mentally. I felt cheated as I never got the chance to wish him ‘Goodbye’. Adding to this, was a number of debts that he left behind without our knowledge and today my mother works 12 hours a day to make ends meet. Despite this, I still love my father and terribly miss him. By the time I regained my emotional strength, which was five months later, my grandfather, whom I was very close to, passed away in his sleep without any prior notice. These encounters with reality, made me understand that nothing is permanent. All we have to do is not give up, strive hard and live life to the fullest extent. My participation in four local and international Model United Nations conferences including TIMUN (turkey international model united nations) and THIMUN (the Hague international model united nations), (2006-2010), my yearly piano recitals at the Opera House, my fund-raising for less fortunate cancer victims within our School Community and the building of a memorial garden in tribute to members of the School who have passed away, have taught me values such as hard work, determination, empathy, teamwork, and accountability. These experiences have helped me understand that diversity exist in every sphere of life and has demonstrated to me the importance of diversity and its acceptance. Today, I have a goal to reach and with good education as my weapon, I would like to achieve a good position in the society and in turn support my family. I consider myself as a creative person, sanctified with the capacity to understand the world deeply and I truly believe that my education in a university would quench my thirst for knowledge to a great extent.

Analysis of Birches by Robert Frost Essay -- Birches Robert Frost Poet

Analysis of Birches by Robert Frost In the poem Birches by Robert Frost, Frost portrays the images of a child growing to adulthood through the symbolism of aging birch trees. Through these images readers are able to see the reality of the real world compared to their carefree childhood. The image of life through tribulation is the main focal point of the poem and the second point of the poem is if one could revert back to the simpler times of childhood. The language of the poem is entirely arranged through images, although it contains some diction it lacks sound devices, metaphors, and similes compared to other published works by Frost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first half of the poems’ images are of life, coming of age, and death. The first three lines in the poem represent the image of childhood and adulthood. â€Å"When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.† Childhood is represented when the branches swing Frost thinks there is a boy swinging on them. Adulthood is represented by straighter darker trees because darker is a reference to older trees just by the nature of the color as compared to a birch tree which is white or light in color. â€Å"But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay. Ice storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning. After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel....

The Choices We Make

Poverty in the United States today has many faces. There’s the pleading face of a middle-aged man on a city street holding up a sign that says â€Å"Hungry, Need Help. † There’s the anxious face of a young child in a schoolroom somewhere, whose only real meal today will be a free school lunch. There’s the sad face of a single mother who doesn’t have enough money to buy clothes for her children. And there’s the frustrated face of a young man working at a minimum-wage job who can't afford to pay his rent. The sad thing is everyone knows someone like this. What are these people to do? What lengths should they go to be happy? Many times a person’s virtue is challenged. Especially when they are forced to choose between a basic human need or a particular ethical indiscretion. So the question is â€Å"What effects do poverty and the absence of opportunity have on individuals’ senses of virtue? † For one, a person who is poor may choose to steal to obtain a basic need such as food, shelter, or safety. Second, a person religion may be challenged when poor or in an extreme circumstance that may require a choice between following their way of believing or living. And finally, parent may do things and make sacrifices to make sure that their children are safe and cared for. Society looks upon people who commit crimes as bad seeds in a community. But, has anyone ever really looked at the person and wondered â€Å"what could make this individual so desperate that they would risk everything to steal $50 bucks out of a cash register, or a loaf of bread from a quick stop. † Don’t get me wrong. Not everyone that steals has a good reason, nor is it right. But if you looked deep into the life of the individual, do you see them? Really see them. Most of the time these people are poor, come from broken homes and sometimes do what they have to too survive. They live in poverty stricken â€Å"ghettos† or in poor communities that have no resources to help them. What are they to do? Ask yourself â€Å"Would you steal to feed yourself or your family? † It happens every day in every city. Most of these people have low paying jobs and struggle to make ends meet. They do what they can and ask for help just to be turned away. Where is the problem? Is it the person themselves? No! It’s the society around them. People do what they must to survive no matter what. It’s a basic instinct that kicks in and takes over. â€Å"Religion (even if â€Å"primitive) is generally assumed to be in some sense moral. † (Murdoch 740) People often take religion out of context and use it for their own good or the good of a specific cause. Some examples are Hitler and the Holocaust, or abortion. Hitler used god as a weapon wipe out the Jews. People that are for or against abortion and the laws surrounding it look to it as a moral and ethical dilemma. Let’s for a moment touch on this one; Let’s say that you are a pregnant teenager that had been brutally raped. You have a choice keep the baby, and the memory of the terrible act or abort the â€Å"fetus†. The trouble is your religion is in the way. What are you to do? Do you stick to your religion and the fear of what may happen in the next life or do you do what you feel would be a way out of a bad situation? This is where religion gets in the way of many dilemmas for people today. They have to make a choice. Keep it or don’t. For some the choice may come easy depending on how strongly you feel about your particular morality or virtue. Many people say â€Å"God never gives us more than we can handle. Is this true? Would you be able to handle this type of situation? Again that depends on the individual and their state of mind. In the end it all comes down to what they think and what the consequences of their action may be. They idea will be different for everyone, no matter what the circumstance. We cannot judge a person’s views if we do not understand them. The third and final question is How far would a parent go to keep their children safe and healthy? Many parents would say â€Å"I would give my life to keep my child safe†. This is not a fact that is being argued. What is being argued is if the parent would risk their ethical stand to protect a child. Parent’s today work so hard to make sure that their children have food and clothing and shelter. But what about the parent’s who do all of this and still are unable to provide for their families? What are the choices for them? They may steal, lie, cheat and sacrifice their own happiness to provide the same happiness to their families. Is this something that society should look upon in disgust? Or should society take a stand and help? For many years I have helped in an organization that does just this. We provide clothing food and gifts to underprivileged children every year at Christmas time to make sure that all are happy and joyous like all the other children whose parents can provide. Is this unfair to the happy child who has everything? One can argue that poor people deserve more, but in reality all parent rich or poor would do anything to ensure that their children are cared for no matter what the cost or consequence may be. â€Å"Duty may be easily performed without strain or reflection but may also prompt the well known experience of the frustration of desire together with a sense of necessity to act† (Murdoch 734) Each human has the free will and the right to choose the course of their own actions. When an individual takes responsibility for their conduct, they are ultimately acting as a rational being. Realizing that they have the ability to freely choose their actions and that no one else can force them to do something. With the freedom of choice also comes the responsibility for that decision. When an individual takes responsibility she has reached their highest state of reasoning: she has realized that not only is she free to make decisions, but also that their decisions have outcomes. By applying their free will, they are ultimately saying, â€Å"I choose to take this action, and I choose take responsibility for the consequence. † Morals depend on humans exercising their freedom of choice and acknowledging that their choices have significance. Reason allows us not to just behave instinctively or randomly, but to realize that our actions will have an outcome and to act accordingly to the end we wish to achieve. When an individual knows the result of their actions and willingly chooses to carry that behavior out, the individual freely accepts the consequences and thus takes responsibility for that end result. With all that being said, a person who is poor or pushed to a make a decision may or may not turn to religion and ethics. People are like robots and are programmed from childhood to believe or act in certain ways. They are sometimes torn by the morality of a decision and the virtues in which they believe. These choices are not easy and are not always the right ones but we are humans and we make mistakes. This is how we learn to survive and make things better for the next era. We can only take it one step at a time.

Lack of Security Essay

The Net has a very little security of information embedded and the companies using the Net are subjected to the risk of disclosing large proprietary information without their knowledge. Since the Net was originally designed for a free flow of communication there was no provision for any regulation or security at the time the idea of internet was conceived and put to use. But with the increased use of internet for marketing as well as for advertising there are lot of chances that the copyrights and other property rights are infringed by many computer hackers and pranksters. With the number of people accessing and using the net the chances of anyone go into the Net and meddle with the information and other contents though manipulation by using pirated software and other measures. Even though there are some basic measures that can be used to safeguard the information and to prevent the practice of manipulating such information they are considered as inadequate considering the volume of information that are being fed into the Net every hour. The other disturbing factor is that it is possible for unauthorized users to get into the internal computer systems of the systems and hack away any classified information about the company and its products/services. There is the danger of the copyright protection also put to jeopardy â€Å"when the creation of intellectual property and the upload of a host of information, transmission, access and use of content† is attempted. (Business Europe, 1995) For instance the issue of computer hackers meddling with the internal computer system had costed millions of dollars of business apart from losing the customers for Sheraton Hotels when the hackers booked every room in the hotel chain worldwide. (Seal, 1995) Another serious threat posed by the hackers is their ability to access the customers’ personal information like addresses and credit card numbers and misuse them. This menace had necessitated many software and high tech companies to invest millions of dollars to arrive at solutions to make the interactive shopping on the internet fully secured. ‘Firewall’ is one of such mechanisms that allow the genuine customers to do their shopping online but prevents the hackers from creating any problems. Firewall is one of the combinations of ‘security algorithms and router communication protocols’ that are put to use for the prevention of the tapping by the outsiders into the databases and websites of various corporate entities. (Sales and Marketing Management, 1995) Firewall acts as a buffer in between the internal networks and larger external networks. It is the usual practice of all large companies that advertise on the internet to have firewall in place to protect their internal database and other networks. (Pugh 1995) Encryption is another method used to provide security to the marketing through internet. Encryption can be described as the scrambling of digits and a coding that can be deciphered by the intended receiver of the information who will be able to retrieve the required information. ‘Mosaic’ is one of such encryption programs adopted by the Netscape Corporation for its software and is first of its kind. However even this program is not considered 100 percent safe with its own shortcomings. (Computer World 1994) Hence the companies are forewarned to protect themselves as well as their products and services against the infringement by hackers and other illegitimate users of the internet. It is crucially important that a well designed copyright warning notice appears on every screen, logos and slogans and the companies should also ensure that all of them are registered with the appropriate authorities to ensure protection. Even though it is easier and less expensive for the companies to advertise through Net, it requires a large investment for the customers to access and browse through the Net. If the customers want to have a continuous access to the Net it becomes important that they own a personal computer with appropriate internet connectivity. It involves high cost for the common users. The customers sometimes find it difficult to access the required information due to the fact that most of the modems – the equipment to provide the internet connectivity – are slow and do not allow the customers to use the Net efficiently. Also with the advancement in the technology relating to the visual media enables the companies to make their advertisement with advanced multimedia features. This requires the capacity and compatibility from the computer hardware and hence making the marketing proposals by internet beyond the reach of the common man. Since the marketing through the internet reaches all the age groups it becomes difficult for the managers to control the advertisements effectively. It may be noted that at least 50 percent of the users of the Net is below the age of 25 and the balance above 25 and the advertisements reach all of them invariably. Hence targeting a certain age group becomes difficult. Unlike the conventional methods used for advertising in the magazines and other print media or television the advertisement through internet cannot be measured precisely to aim a certain age group or class of customers. Since the nature of the Net is such that it is so broad and beyond comprehension it is difficult for the companies to really assess whom to target and how to advertise to reach the targeted audience. Further since there are a number of resources in the internet it is not possible for the users to see the advertisement for a certain product or the advertisements from a particular company unless they are prompted to do so. This necessitates a company to still use the conventional methods of advertising which have proved to be more proactive in addition to advertising through the Net. Applying the above advantages and disadvantages of marketing through internet in our instant study of the marketing of the Indian Punjabi music it can be inferred that though the advantages of internet marketing are helpful in furthering the sales of the music products, the disadvantages like file sharing and P2P swapping of music files act to the detriment of the sales growth. But the influence of internet is much large that the advantages resulting from the sales to a wider customer base over rules the disadvantages. This makes the record companies use more and more of the internet as a media of marketing to improve the sales of their products.

Homelessness In The United States

Homelessness In The United States Free Online Research Papers Just about everywhere you go to visit these days you will see a lot of homeless people. Usually they will not be a threat to you but sometimes they will harass people to get things from them that they want. Since this has been happening to a lot of people they are starting to get bad reputations. People will walk down the street and see others digging through trash or sleeping on park benches. When this happens they will usually start talking trash about them. The truth is that you can not judge people by what actions they need to take to survive in this world. No one knows what struggles they put up with everyday. Yes, it is true that some homeless people are just too lazy to try and get jobs. On the other hand some people have mental problems or health problems that restrict them from working. Some groups of people have come up with an idea to send them back to their families and have them stay there until they get back up on their feet. In a way this seems kind of pointless because if they wanted their families help then they most likely would of already moved back in with them to begin with. Some people will not go back home to their families because they want to prove that they can make it on their own even if they have to go through certain struggles. Police officers in some cities will crack down hard on the homeless people while others tend to look the other way. I think that if the police and other law makers in all cities work together to help we could have a chance at turning this unfortunate life style for people around. We don’t have to sit there and support them by giving them money for beer or other things they want but we could help find them jobs. Even if the jobs weren’t permanent just get them ones that will give them a type of income to slowly get back up on their feet. In conclusion, as long as we keep ignoring this situation or just waste time talking bad about these people nothing is going to change. Everyone needs to help by finding them options that they may be incapable of doing themselves. Maybe with a little patience and time we all can fight this horrible situation that no one deserves to be in. Research Papers on Homelessness In The United StatesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTwilight of the UAWThe Hockey GameStandardized TestingPETSTEL analysis of India

Tracking the Fangle in Newfangled

Tracking the Fangle in Newfangled Tracking the Fangle in Newfangled Tracking the Fangle in Newfangled By Maeve Maddox Until I saw the word fangled used humorously in a couple of blogs, Id never given any thought to the elements of newfangled. Can something be oldfangled, or just plain fangled? Come to find out, the fangled part of newfangled is a fossil from Old English. For those of you unfamiliar with the word, the meaning usually understood by newfangled is Newly or recently invented or existent, novel; gratuitously or objectionably modern or different from what one is used to. OED Ex. My grandmother refuses to use anything so newfangled as a cell phone. The word newfangled, with the sense of addicted to novelty/ready to grasp at new things, is first recorded about 1470. The sense lately come into fashion occurs in 1533. The Old English verb fon (to capture, seize, take) had the past participle form gefangen. Not only does this old verb give us the fangle in newfangled, it gives us the word fang. with the sense of sharp tooth. Makes sense: something with fangs can seize with them. NOTE: Another O.E. word, fengto, meant a catching- or grasping-tooth. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"36 Poetry TermsDozen: Singular or Plural?

Human Resource Management in International Organizations Essay

Human Resource Management in International Organizations - Essay Example In fact now a debate has started whether the concept of 'managing diversity; forms an alternative to 'equal opportunities' based on gender bias. In the UK, human resource practitioners and academics alike are becoming more aware of the emergence of managing diversity. There is now a view that, after twenty years of the ' stick' of legal compliance (which has achieved little), the 'carrot' of underpinning the business case for equal opportunities will perhaps achieve more (Dickens 1994). Thomas1 (2000) argues that, with the growing number of mergers and acquisitions, workforce diversity will become more of a priority for organizations and, therefore, in the future, people will become clearer on what diversity is and how to manage it. The business case for managing diversity therefore offers a way to operate equal opportunities as a strategic issue, a core value linked to organizational competitiveness (Dickens 1994). Diversity not only comes in the form of culture and values, but it also consists of several other visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as sex, race, age, background, culture, disability, personality and work-style. Harnessing these differences is bound to create a productive environment in which everybody feels valued, their talents are fully utilized and organizational goals are met. Therefore, the way to place this on the corporate agenda is to see the concepts as providing both tangible as well as intangible benefits, besides being socially and morally right. Considering these factors, the underlying philosophy of managing diversity tends to imply that an organization can gain massive competitive advantage, resulting in enhanced performance with the help of a satisfied human capital. It rests on the premise that the organization will be able to serve increasingly diverse customers, meet increasingly complex business and management problems by actively seeking and managing a diverse workforce (Stephenson and Lewis 1996; Cox 1991). In the era of globalization, when MNCs prefer to take advantage of multi-location facilities, lower costs of production, expertise from the world over, diversity is bound to be there at the workplace. It is for the organization to manage the diversity by recognizing, appreciating, valuing, encouraging and utilizing the unique talents and contributions of individuals from across a wider spectrum of society. But circumstances sometimes create peculiar conditions which brings to the fore the inherent weaknesses prevalent in our society. There are rules and regulations which provide broad guidelines for keeping a delicate balance in dealing with such matters so that mutual harmony is maintained amongst the workforce. The guiding principle behind this thought is that the world is a rich and diverse place, full of interesting cultures and people who should be treated with respect. Skirmishes arising out of 'discriminatory' behavior often result in tensions amongst colleagues. Though there are federal laws in place, but it is the human character and nature which has to

Corporate Governance in UK Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Governance in UK - Assignment Example The paper throws light on corporate managements that always work on corporate governance strategies so as to meet the increasingly changing market trends. The corporate governance policy also helps to manage the interrelationship between stakeholders and the organisation’s fundamental objectives which shape the way the firm operates. The top management is always eager to know whether its corporate governance policy is efficient enough to meet the shareholder values even though the management also focuses on impacts of the policy on the firm’s operational efficiency. Nowadays corporate governance frameworks specifically target internal check policies as a series of corporate failures in 2001 were ascribed to accounting fraud. In addition, corporate scandals of various forms throughout the last decade attainted public and political interest. Consequently, managements adopted more regulative approach towards the development and execution of corporate governance practices. As Laura points out, Continental Europe’s multi-stakeholder model specifically emphasises on the interests of workers, customers, managers, and suppliers whereas the Anglo-American corporate governance model values shareholder interests. However, every organisation takes into account the rights and privileges of its shareholders while framing its corporate governance policies. In addition, a corporate governance framework clearly states the roles and responsibilities of the board of directors, integrity and ethical standards of the organisation, and concerns of disclosure and transparency. It is observed that corporate governance practices vary from organisation to organisation and country to country. Corporate governance laws Corporate governance laws in UK clearly define rights, powers, and duties of directors, managers, and auditors, and the position of stakeholders including employees and communities in which companies operate. Since board of directors are the persons at the helm of affairs of a company, the corporate governance policies intent to establish a mechanism to ensure their accountability. According to Fairley (2010), the UK corporate governance law is â€Å"shareholder friendly† and it allows shareholders to enjoy their sole voting rights in the general meeting. Likewise, directors possess a series of basic rights including issue of resolutions and removal of board members. At the same time, directors have also a set of duties to be carried out toward their company. Directors are obliged to carry out their duties and responsibilities with competence, in good faith, and strong loyalty to the organisation. If the voting mechanisms seem to be inadequate to meet the interests of shareholders, directors’ rights may be questioned in a court of law. The UK Takeover Code protects the interests and rights of shareholders to a great extent and assists