Saturday, October 5, 2019
Islam in the modern world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1
Islam in the modern world - Essay Example In the words of Groff & Smoker (1996), ââ¬Å"fundamentalism or religious extremism or fanaticism--when religions claim their version of religion is the only one--are seen as an extreme form of the socially-learned aspect of religion and one not conducive to creating world peaceâ⬠. In most of the instances, these religious teachings are observed to be quite traditional and introduced in the early centuries. Since then, these religions have been strongly influenced with the inclusion of various modern thinking in the daily lifestyle of human beings as well as revolutions which at times deliberately contradicted the initially developed religious beliefs (Ahmad & Reifeld, 2004). From a materialistic point of view, it can be affirmed that with changes taking place amid the human society in the due course of action, religious beliefs have been and is most likely to be contradicted repeatedly (Calma & Gershevitch, 2009). Contradictions in Islam were also quite apparent in its chronolo gical practices. It has often been argued that during the introductory phase of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism faced various disadvantageous dilemmas in comparison to Islamism. However, with the passing time, Islamism has been repeatedly contradicted with regards to the religious definition that it provides for human rights and equality, especially in relation to gender (Hitchens, 2009; Abdel-Latif, 2008). The so called ongoing Egyptian Revolution of 2011-12 can also be argued on with regards to the contradictory beliefs currently existing in relation to the implications of Islamism (Gad, 2011). The below discussion will thereby be focused on the contradictions currently witnessed in Islamism in the plight of the recent Egyptian Revolution of 2011. The Egyptian Revolution 2011-12 The recent Egyptian Revolution of 2011 is witnessed from various perspectives by the worldwide experts, analysts and critiques. While a few of the experts view the revolution as the aftermath of the conti nuous social and economic failings. Corruption, brutality witnessed to be practiced by the law enforcers majorly including the police, unjust implementations of political prohibitions restricting the human rights to vote freely, inflationary rates, stagnant unemployment and also the practice of inequality in terms of religion, sex and wealth distribution as well (Meguid & et. al., 2011). Others view the revolution as a new opening towards a broader concept of Islamism with the virtues of greater democracy and equality within the population introduced by the hands of the youth (Engdahl, 2011; Wahba, 2011). However, it is worth mentioning that the revolution did not take place with Islamism as its primary reason. The revolution was actually caused due to the ongoing economic, social as well as political malpractices within the economy under the veil of Islamism, to a certain extent. As stated by Claret (2011), ââ¬Å"in a country like Egypt where nothing is conceivable without Islam o r eastern Christianity...â⬠The early as well as the current research based on the political, economic and social processes within Egypt along with other Middle Eastern nations have often claimed religion to be in the position of a vanguard in relation to the unjust functioning of political leaders, police and other social leaders (Claret, 2011). As a matter of fact, Egypt is known to be one of the strongest believers of Islam and is thus known
Friday, October 4, 2019
GM Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
GM Research - Essay Example Research studies also show that this plant is capable of preventing lipid accumulation in the body thereby helping in weight loss. Natural Garcinia has a certain concentration of the active chemical. However, with the accelerating percentage of people turning towards Garcinia for easy weight loss has been the main focus of genetic engineers. The rind of the fruit was used to make medicinal extracts. Genetic engineers have modified the plant such that the active chemical is now produced in the rind as well as in the endosperm (pulp) of the fruit Trials were conducted on animals (rabbits). No serious condition was noticed in animal trials. Mild ocular irritation occurred when the extract was given in the right eye (Ohia et al,2002), however no literature so far suggest that the extract causes any health problems in humans. Traditionally the agriculture industry has been the best supporter and beneficiary from innovative technology. Interbreeding and natural selection of plant traits have been a common method to grow naturally modified crops for better yield and plant characters. However, the same technique in the laboratory has been developed paving way for the much debated genetically modified crops. Genetically modified crops are not only important to science and researchers but are of immense importance to the farmers as well. The growth projection of GMOââ¬â¢s is directly proportional to the profits of farmers growing the GMOââ¬â¢s. Contrary to the most common perception that growth of genetically modied organisms or plants are anti-democratic in nature, studies and surveys have established that growing these GMOââ¬â¢s are in fact much more beneficial than growing the ordinary forms of the same crop or plants.â⬠In countries where farmers are allowed to grow GM crops, they increasingl y choose to do so. In 2010, 15.4 million farmers in 29 countries cultivated GM cropsâ⬠(James,2010). Growing Garcinia Cambogia will
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Speech Ladies and Gentlemen Essay Example for Free
Speech Ladies and Gentlemen Essay Thank you all for coming here today. As I come here today, I will explain to you the current state of the United States macro economy. In this press conference, we will be discussing some of the questions and concerns. Afterwards, if there are any more questions, we will answer them then. Macroeconomics can be simply explained as stating it is the way that the economy is examined. It helps us understand how a part of the economy grows and why sometimes it does not. It can also give us reason of fluctuations, and what indicators cause the performance in our economy. What are the effects of having a surplus of imports in the U.S. One thing I would like to discuss is the surplus. A surplus is when we as a nation are importing more than we are exporting. At any time the United States has a surplus of any manufactured goods, it loses its value. This can make it where the good have to be sold, where there is no money that can be made from it. For an example, in the car industry, if there is an abundance of cars being imported it does not help us. Importing too many cars from other countries does not help the cars manufactures being built. The consumers are happy because the cars will sold for less, but our businesses will suffer the loss of money. How does international trade affect the countries GDP, domestic markets and university students? First we need to have a little understanding of how GDP affects a country. Gross Domestic Product is the value of all goods and services produced by a country in a given period of time (About.com). It adds another component to our GDP. The United States is only a small amount of consumers. If we traded only within ourselves we would not have a large customer base. This is where international trade helps us. It helps us increase our export and increase or competitiveness in the open market. We import more than we export, which lowers our GDP which affects are domestic markets because we continue to purchase more outside of our country. This affects a student who goes into business and has to worry about the strong contenders that are overseas. How does the government choices in regards to tariffs and quotas affect international trade? It is imperative to know that tariffs and quotas are set to inspire the government to determine the amount they will import and export and the taxes they will collect so that the goods or services are not thrown out. Tariffs are also a way of controlling the trade, so they play an extremely important role in international dealings. They do this by lowering or raising the tariffs. For example, if a government of a wealthy country wanted to promote trade with a country that is not as developed, it could lower its tariffs on the import for that country. This would make businesses want to trade with that country because the cost of importing would be cheaper. The same goes for quotas when there is a set number on certain things that can be imported. What are foreign exchange rates and how are they determined? Foreign exchange rates are defined as the value of two or more countries currency against each other. For example, when you purchase an import from another country, they have their rate for the U.S. rate. Japan can purchase our dollar for 91 cents. The rate does not stay the same for very long. It is determined by the foreign exchange market where currency is continuously being bought and sold. Why doesnââ¬â¢t the U.S. simply restrict all goods coming in from China? Why canââ¬â¢t the U.S. just minimize the amount of imports coming in from all countries? At this time, our economy needs help. Therefore we cannot restrict certain countries imports, nor can we restrict China imports. As everyday consumers, we are always requiring or wanting services from other countries. Our first thought is how fast I can get it. For example, other countries usually get products before they are released to the United States. Therefore, to satisfy these needs from the other countries, the government has to allow for an easy trade, which allows us to earn revenue on the taxes on the imports, which helps our economy. That is key to our success. Thank you, for your cooperation, I will now be willing to answer any remaining questions for further details. References About.com. 2013. Definition of GDP. Retrieved from economic.about.com on February 10, 2013.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
PESTEL Analysis of John Lewis and Oxfam
PESTEL Analysis of John Lewis and Oxfam Unit 1 Exploring Business Activity Assignment 3 D2 D2: evaluate how future changes in economic political, legal and social factors, may impact on the strategy of a specified organisation. John Lewis Political The political factor has impacted John Lewis enormously. New laws bring limits on what they can do and what is legal to do. There are a few major laws that have affected John Lewis more than others: Sales of good act 1979, goods must be: To a satisfying standard Made to work for the purpose known by the seller As described This law makes sure that John Lewis produces goods to a satisfying standard and that they actually work for the purpose that the seller knows. All products must be as described making the marketing job harder as they must not be biased. Trade descriptions act 1968, good must be correctly described including: The way they were made or processed What they are made of Their fitness for purpose This is similar to the sales of goods act and ensures the customer that the items are correctly described. Data protection act 1998, the information collected by marketers must be: Obtained fairly and lawfully Used only for the purposes stated during collection Adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the intended use Accurate and where necessary kept up to date Not kept for longer than necessary Protected from unauthorised use Available for inspection and correction by the individual Subject to procedures to prevent unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage to personal data Protected from transfer to an area outside the European Economic Area (EEA), unless adequate protection exists for that data in the area A quite recent and very important act, the data protection act, makes sure that John Lewis do not exchange personal data collected from customers in order to gain money from niche market lists. What has John Lewis done to face the impact? John Lewis has done a lot of things to face the impact politics have had on them. The sale of good act has made John Lewis train their staff a lot more when they market their product to the public. They try not be biased and over exaggerate what the product really does. This way the public arent being lied to or deceived. John Lewis have had to adapt their descriptions on packaging so that it clearly states what it does so that there is no grey areas left when the buyer purchases the product. This is also the same reasons for the trade descriptions act. With the data protections act John Lewis have had to edit their websites and say, whenÃâà a customer puts their email address in to receive monthly news letters, that they wont pass the information on to other businesses thus preventing spam mail. All information gathered from any primary or secondary research is kept to just John Lewis and its partnerships (Waitrose). Environmental Environmental factors are new and are fast growing with the rise of Copenhagen. Everyone is talking about how to cut emissions and carry out activities in an eco friendly way. A carbon footprintis a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc. There is more pressure than ever for john lewis to reduce its carbon footprint. They have made small changes over the years, such as recyclable paper and energy efficient cars but they hope to make more changes in the future like powering a department off of solar panels. What has John Lewis done to face the impact? John Lewis has done a lot to face the environmental impact of green house gases. We actively promote responsible and sustainable methods of agriculture, animal husbandry and biodiversity and have taken on suppliers that offer eco friendly products. These products include; energy-saving washing machines, kettles and showers. The major change that has happened is the eco friendly cars that are more energy efficient. Social There are many social factors that have affected John Lewis but the main factor is the trend of fashion. Massive boom in fashion has paid John Lewis well with a lot of people shopping at their store for branded items; this includes anything from clothing to kitchen appliances. What has John Lewis done to face the impact? In response to the high fashion trend of all young to middle aged people, John Lewis have increased their stock line and invested in more branded items such as Ralph Lauren. They have also had to employ more staff on clothing departments in many stores due to the high demand of products and constant need for clothes to be out on stock on time. Technological The massive advancements in technology mean a lot of changes to John Lewis. Since they started in the 1800s they have experienced the introduction of the internet. The internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. With the power of the internet John Lewis have been able to sell products online, message customers electronically and send out advertisements on the web. In the past month a faster broadband has been released of 50mb, this gives john lewis the power of ultimate speed and efficiency when trying to function online. The introduction of the chip and pin makes it easier for customers to pay for items and prevents them from having to carry loose change around. It makes John Lewis process faster. What has John Lewis done to face the impact? John Lewis has really grasped the impact of technology and has set up a massive online website from which customers can register an account, order products, post feedback, give advice to fellow customers and speak to other people on a forum about almost anything in general. They have online chat installed on their website for better means of customer service and also have a computerised robot that helps answer frequently answered questions. In order to do all of this John Lewis have had to employ a huge IT team in order to set up all the networks, host servers and maintain the standard of the website and servers. Any faults or glitches are reported to this team and dealt with immediately. The use of chip and pin has also been executed well by John Lewis. They have chip and pin on every single checkout to provide a better, more efficient and faster process. Customers have had to adapt to the new technology also and there are fliers created by John Lewis on how to use the chip and pin instead of cash or loose change.Ãâà Suppliers of John Lewis have also been affected as they now receive their orders of products online rather than on the phone, it means that they dont have to be on the phone all day and can just check their website for orders come in overnight. Oxfam Political The political factor has impacted Oxfam enormously. New laws bring limits on what they can do and what is legal to do. There are a few major laws that have affected Oxfam more than others: Sales of good act 1979, goods must be: To a satisfying standard Made to work for the purpose known by the seller As described Trade descriptions act 1968, good must be correctly described including: The way they were made or processed What they are made of Their fitness for purpose This means Oxfam have to describe their operations accurately and not defy the people who donate for the operation to function. What has Oxfam done to face the impact? In order to face the impact of political change Oxfam have trained their staff to describe products and operation goals accurately and not to lie or be at all biased. Environmental Environmental factors are new and are fast growing with the rise of Copenhagen. Everyone is talking about how to cut emissions and carry out activities in an eco friendly way. A carbon footprintis a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc. There is more pressure than ever for Oxfam to reduce its carbon footprint. They have made small changes over the years, such as recyclable paper and energy efficient cars but they hope to make more changes in the future like powering a department off of solar panels. What has Oxfam done to face the impact? Marks Spencer and Oxfam have joined forces to launch the MS and Oxfam Clothes Exchange, the biggest programme in the UK to encourage consumers to recycle their clothes. The Exchange is designed to both raise money for Oxfams work to tackle poverty and injustice and to reduce the one million tonnes of clothing sent by the public to landfill in the UK each year. Oxfam have also started a campaign called Green Grannies in which a granny, Barbara Walmsley, reveals tips on how to save on everyday products. She displays tips on how to make the most of stale bread, mend old clothes and find new use for unused clothes. Social There are many social factors that have affected John Lewis but the main factor is the trend of fashion. A lot of people have felt the pressure in the past to have to donate to charities because they feel selfish keeping all their money to themselves. As other people do it, it increases the pressure for more people to donate as it makes them think about if they are being selfish. What has Oxfam done to face the impact? Oxfam has had to re-invest money in ad-campaigns persuading even more people to donate and to raise a lot of awareness for operations that might not always hit the news. Technological The massive advancements in technology mean a lot of changes to Oxfam. Since they started in the 1800s they have experienced the introduction of the internet. The internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. With the power of the internet Oxfam have been able to receive donations online, message customers electronically and send out advertisements on the web. In the past month a faster broadband has been released of 50mb, this gives Oxfam the power of ultimate speed and efficiency when trying to function online. What has Oxfam done to face the impact? Oxfam have faced the impact of technology by keeping up with the times and creating an online website with all the news and details. They have also launched big marketing campaigns via advertisements on the internet; these are displayed on well known sites such as facebook and youtube. Oxfam have also built massive databases with details of all the volunteers and have put it all on electronically. Reference: http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/Display.aspx?MasterId=896114ba-7ef6-4d94-970c-fcde19b39799NavigationId=1626
Warnings in Shakespeares Sonnet 95 Essay -- Sonnet essays
Warnings in Shakespeare's Sonnet 95 Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã William Shakespeare is the master of subtle humor and sexual puns.Ã In his "Sonnet 95," a poem to a blond young man, both are seen while pointing out a couple of realities about sexual sin.Ã He speaks directly to a young man whose physical beauty compensates for his lack of sexual morality.Ã Ã Ã Shakespeare would like for this young man to realize that his handsomeness is the sole aspect of his person that prevents absolute disapproval of his behavior in other people, and he also wants him to be aware of the ultimate consequences of his actions.Ã Through a clever use of diction, imagery, and meter in a typical Shakespearian format, Shakespeare warns his young friend of the risks involved with the overindulgence of sexual activity. Ã In the first quatrain, Shakespeare presents the young man to the readers by contrasting his beauty and his character.Ã He tells the young man that he renders "shame" (1) "sweet and lovely" (1).Ã That is, he is much too handsome to be overshadowed by his questionable conduct.Ã His "shame" may not be a dominant trait, but it does sneak around behind the scenes "like a canker" (2).Ã A canker is a nasty internal ulceration, or growth; it is a flaw that cannot be seen in an otherwise beautiful object, such as a "fragrant rose" (2).Ã This flaw in the young man, sexual vice, may "spot" (3), or taint his image later on in his life, as he is still "budding" (3); he is still young, and there is plenty of time for his reputation to be completely damaged by his sexual impropriety.Ã This young man is indeed beautiful and he is lucky to have such "swee... ...re slyly and jovially slips in the idea that if the young man is careless, he will spend his allowance of energy before his time comes; that is to say, he will become sexually impotent.Ã This image is brilliantly conjured up with the picture of a dull knife that will cut no more after years of its owner using it as a hatchet.Ã The simple lightness of his joke is expressed through the simple evenness of the iambic pentameter throughout the couplet, and its straightforwardness adds to the wryness of the humor. Ã Works Cited Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 95." The Norton Anthology of English Literature.Ã Eds. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. Seventh ed. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 2000. 1:1041-42. Ã Works Consulted Oxford English Dictionary. Eds. James A. H. Murray, et. al.Ã Oxford, 1961. Warnings in Shakespeare's Sonnet 95 Essay -- Sonnet essays Warnings in Shakespeare's Sonnet 95 Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã William Shakespeare is the master of subtle humor and sexual puns.Ã In his "Sonnet 95," a poem to a blond young man, both are seen while pointing out a couple of realities about sexual sin.Ã He speaks directly to a young man whose physical beauty compensates for his lack of sexual morality.Ã Ã Ã Shakespeare would like for this young man to realize that his handsomeness is the sole aspect of his person that prevents absolute disapproval of his behavior in other people, and he also wants him to be aware of the ultimate consequences of his actions.Ã Through a clever use of diction, imagery, and meter in a typical Shakespearian format, Shakespeare warns his young friend of the risks involved with the overindulgence of sexual activity. Ã In the first quatrain, Shakespeare presents the young man to the readers by contrasting his beauty and his character.Ã He tells the young man that he renders "shame" (1) "sweet and lovely" (1).Ã That is, he is much too handsome to be overshadowed by his questionable conduct.Ã His "shame" may not be a dominant trait, but it does sneak around behind the scenes "like a canker" (2).Ã A canker is a nasty internal ulceration, or growth; it is a flaw that cannot be seen in an otherwise beautiful object, such as a "fragrant rose" (2).Ã This flaw in the young man, sexual vice, may "spot" (3), or taint his image later on in his life, as he is still "budding" (3); he is still young, and there is plenty of time for his reputation to be completely damaged by his sexual impropriety.Ã This young man is indeed beautiful and he is lucky to have such "swee... ...re slyly and jovially slips in the idea that if the young man is careless, he will spend his allowance of energy before his time comes; that is to say, he will become sexually impotent.Ã This image is brilliantly conjured up with the picture of a dull knife that will cut no more after years of its owner using it as a hatchet.Ã The simple lightness of his joke is expressed through the simple evenness of the iambic pentameter throughout the couplet, and its straightforwardness adds to the wryness of the humor. Ã Works Cited Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 95." The Norton Anthology of English Literature.Ã Eds. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. Seventh ed. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 2000. 1:1041-42. Ã Works Consulted Oxford English Dictionary. Eds. James A. H. Murray, et. al.Ã Oxford, 1961.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Insy 3270 Week 2 Chapter 2 Case on Case Essay
1. Describe the global economy forces that pushed creativity to move up the value chain. Creativity is one of the top five wholesale suppliers to national craft chains in the United States with 500 employees and for office and warehouse locations in California and one in Hong Kong. Studies are showing that the company creativity has proven to outsource the manufacturing across Asia. Creativity is also found strong business models that are capable of dealing with the current growing globalization and economy hardships. This model helps creativity save money, downsize, and purchase crafting material directly from the Asian manufacturers. The company creativity uses a software from IBM called Cognos eight business intelligence suit. This software identifies high-value products that cannot be manufactured by low-cost overseas competitors. Cognos also determines which customers segments are most profitable. 2. What information did creativity use to boost his profits and remain solvent? Creativity use the Cognos software and smarter software, smart forecast programs, to determine the need for more design oriented, fashion oriented products. With this software creativity set for two shift his focus to fashion-based craft products. Creativity learn that if they shift its focus to fashion-based crafts the company can make up for the business that they loss in dealing with low costs crafting material market. Critical thinking question 1. what role does communication play in creating saving for a multi-brand company like creative? Communication was a strong factor in building a company like creative. Communication Further the company in their futuristic goals. The communication improvements that creativity set for their company helps safeguard against duplications of efforts. Strong communication decreases accounting errors. Strong communication help decrease call center, weblogs, external sources, and sales rep errors. 2. What lesson does creative story provide for U.S. businesses? What does this forecast for the global marketplace in general? The story that the company creative really demonstrates how a business can transcend into a corporation. The short goals that creative set, the strategy plan that the company used are really strong tactics that any entrepreneur should take into consideration of using. Downsizing and shifting their focus on low costs, fashion-based, and high demand customer consumer product products really gave created a strong leverage nationally. Case 2 Discussion questions 1. What social and economic forces are causing the media industry to redefine its business model? Social economy factors in todayââ¬â¢s networking systems are being redefined because of short end transitions. Lots of advertising companies has accredited the Internet to be a powerful marketing tool. The Internet has proven to be a powerful marketing force that many small businesses are now turning to for digital media. 2. What changes are those in the media industry making to adapt to their financial challenges? A few companies has resulted to layoffs, and replacing those employees with outsourced services from other companies. Critical thinking questions 1. What risk to quality, if any, do media companies face when outsourcing editing and content creation to overseas countries? Cuts, are the acute risks to quality. Layoffs can cause quality towards the organization. Cutting expenses downsizing on ingredients and material is another form of quality reduction. Media companies are now Outsourcing editorial services and content creation. This form of outsourcing helps distinguish themselves from other companies. 2. How does the centralized and outsourcing services and the media industry compared to centralizing and outsourcing and other businesses? Outsourcing involves contracting with outside professional services to meet specific business needs. Studies have shown that simple solutions like centralizing and outsourcing operations to make up for lost revenue helps media industries as well as other small businesses. Centralizing and outsourcing services in the media industry involves a transition between advertising from public marketing to the Internet. Other small businesses are also using the same transition from newspaper, television advertisement to digital media. .
Managing Diversity in the Workforce
Abstract Having the need to live in a world of diverse culture, business companies deal with the hardship of dealing with the differences of the workforces in their organization. Is this a problem that cannot be solved? Recent studies show that this problem could actually be turned into a solution that the company could use towards its success. How? This is what is going to be discussed in the paper to follow. The possibilities of turning a diverse workforce into a unified organization would be introduced in this research in an aim to prove that managing a diverse workforce is more of a challenging opportunity than that of an irreversible business dilemma. Outline Introduction Introduces the subject to be talked about in a historical basis What is Diversity? Deals with the definition of diversity as a word to describe social differences and as a word that affects business activities. Getting along with Diversity A compilation of suggestion from business experts that have mastered the art of managing diverse workforces Conclusion The authorââ¬â¢s opinion on the topic being discussed based from the researches that have been posted in the paper. Managing Diversity in the Workforce Introduction HAVE you ever heard stories of a race of people who had no mouth and therefore could neither eat nor drink? They were said to survive by smelling, mostly apples. A bad odor would kill them. There were also tales of a West African people who had gold to trade. A Portuguese shipââ¬â¢s captain of the time reported: ââ¬Å"Two hundred leagues beyond [the] kingdom of [Mali], one finds a country the inhabitants of which have the heads and teeth of dogs and tails like dogs. These are the Blacks who refuse to enter into conversation because they do not wish to see other men.â⬠Those were some of the strange ideas that were held many years ago, before the age of travel and discovery. Such stories were taken seriously for centuries. Nevertheless, as explorers charted the planet, they found no mouth less apple smellers, no dog-headed people. Today there remains little mystery about those who live beyond our borders. The world has become a global village. Television brings foreign lands and peoples into our living rooms. Air travel makes it possible to visit those lands within hours; millions of people do so each year. Others are on the move for economic or political reasons. States a report of the United Nations Population Fund: ââ¬Å"On a scale unknown in historyââ¬âand certain to growââ¬âpeople around the world are uprooting themselves and migrating in search of a better life.â⬠About 100 million people live outside the country in which they were born. Increasingly there is economic interdependency among nations. A global communications network, like a gigantic central nervous system, links every nation of theà earth. As ideas, information, and technology are exchanged, cultures merge and adapt to one another. Throughout the world, people dress more alike than ever before. Cities of the world share much in commonââ¬âpolice, luxury hotels, traffic, stores, banks, pollution. Thus, as the peoples of the world come together, we witness what some describe as an emerging world culture. Nevertheless, while peoples and cultures intermingle, clearly not all see one another as brothers. ââ¬Å"Everyoneââ¬â¢s quick to blame the alien,â⬠wrote a Greek playwright over 2,000 years ago. Sadly, the same is true today. The evidence is no farther away than newspaper reports of bigotry, hatred of foreigners, ââ¬Å"ethnic cleansing,â⬠racial strife, religious riots, massacre of civilians, killing fields, rape camps, torture, or genocide. Of course, most of us can do little or nothing to change the course of ethnic conflicts. We may not even be directly affected by them. For many of us, however, problems come from a lack of communication with the foreigners with whom we come into contactââ¬âneighbors, workmates, or schoolmates. Does it not seem odd that people of differing ethnic groups so often find it difficult to trust and appreciate one another? After all, ours is a planet of enormous diversity, endless variety. Most of us appreciate the rich variety of food, music, and color as well as the many kinds of plants, birds, and animals. Somehow, appreciation of variety does not always carry over to people who do not think and act in the same way that we do. Instead of looking at the positive aspects of diversity among peoples, many tend to focus on the differences and make them a point of contention. à Certainly, living in a world that is governed with diversity, it could be expected that in the workplace, diversity itself is also present and thus cannot be avoided. Many workers refer to this hardship as the common source of many conflicts within the working area. Hence, the performance of the employees is then directly affected. Impossible as it may have seemed, diversity within the workplace has still been referred to by many modern business enthusiasts such as John Riddle in his book ââ¬Å"Business Managementâ⬠. How could this be possible? Before knowing the preferred solution of experts towards the said problem, it is important to take notice of what is really meant by being diverse, and how does it really affect the entire performance of the workforce. What is Diversity? Diversity, when referred to in business terms may mean a lot of things. An organizationââ¬â¢s workforce may be referred to as diverse for many reasons as well. Diversity may occur because of the differences of opinion because of the differences in personality, in age, in educational attainment, in status in life and even in culture. Mostly, as observed on different business companies, the main reason of such diversity is the existence of a much distinct group of races making up a single workforce for a company. How could all these happen? As mentioned in the introduction, many people have already transferred from place to place and a lot of those people, the so-called immigrants, have already decided to stay and work on the foreign lands they have gone to. Hence, the main effect of this social move on achieving success on other places, the employment ofà the multicultural population has been the resort to supporting the lives of the said immigrants. Hence, the workforce of every company making up the business industries are at times having the same worries on how to face the challenge of dealing with and managing people who are widely different from each other. Getting along with Diversity As mentioned earlier, management of a diverse workforce has been one of the biggest problems that concern the human resources department of any type of company present in the business industries. Hence, it is just reasonable to say that at some points, some management teams may find it a difficult task as well. However, the author, John riddle says otherwise. According to him, ââ¬Å"these are all factors of management that should be considered by good managers even before entering an organizationâ⬠(113). Hence, this definitely means that avoiding diversity in the workforce may be impossible but giving a resolution to it is not that impossible. After all, there is still a common ground among the working force of each company no matter how diverse they may be it is that they are humans, which makes them capable of being dealt with and managed well. In this regard, John Riddle has suggested several points of consideration when dealing with such business problems. In general terms, he summarized the ways by which a good manager could handle the difficulties of dealing with a diverse workforce. The said suggestions are as follows: Concentrate on the strengths of the employees. When a manager discovers the tasks where the employees usually excel in, they should be assigned to them as they are expected to be more productive on those fields of the job. Understand the abilities and the potential of each employee present in the organization. These potential assets of the employees could as well be used by the company itself in aiming for the goals that it has set up for the future. Allow communication lines t be open at all times. It is very important for managers to be good listeners. The ability of hearing what the employees want form the company as well as to how they could be of bigger help to the organization could be used as a resource of ideas for the company as well. Make the employees feel that they too have a sense of authority in the company. However, this type of authority should not overstep that of the administrationââ¬â¢s. It should be clear that this authority could only be exercised at specific times and places when it is permitted. This may often refer to an ââ¬Ëopen doorââ¬â¢ policy that deals with an easier type of agreement between the employees, which could give them a chance to affect how the organization is being managed. They are then allowed to give suggestions; however, no suggestions are implemented unless approved by the administration. Make sure that all employees understand the business goals and objectives. It should always be remembered that a well-informed employee, whether young or old, is a productive employee. A manager should always remember that he is supervising people with feelings who are valuable members of the organization, hence, treating them with great respect at all times no matter what culture they come from is one of the most important virtue any manager could post as an example for his colleagues. Treating everyone fairly and sensitively is the key to creating a fine working environment. It should be remembered that because of the different clutters of the people, they all have different preferences; they have different personal obligations and other more. Considering the fact that dealing with multicultural workforce also involve dealing with their differences of belief, a manager could as well consider fairness at all times to be able to set a common ground for everyone else in the organization. Keep everyone else busy and going all the time. Feeling oneââ¬â¢s worth is usually measured on the things they are able to do for the organization in a day. In this manner, it could be said that regardless of oneââ¬â¢s difference from the others, being able to do something for the company and being of worth to the organization makes an employee feel that even though there are differences, he still belongs to the organization he is working for. Keep employees informed of the ins and outs of the organization. Keeping employees in the dark when some changes within the organization arise may give them the notion that they are not given importance by the administration of the company. Acknowledge the employeesââ¬â¢ efforts, years of work, talent, creativity and good job attributes. Doing so would help everyone else strive for the best while they are working in the company. It could be noticed that the suggestions listed in here are general. Putting these suggestions into good use have mostly caused several companies to achieve unity beyond diversity in their own much diverse workforces. Hence, as Jones commented in his book ââ¬Å"Contemporary Managementâ⬠, ââ¬Å"diversity is a normal part of modern management. Being globally distinct, it could not be avoided that dealing with different people everyday is a challenge to the modern managers todayâ⬠(180). Conclusion The certainties of dealing with diverse people in the workforce are around ninety-nine percent. Considering that we are living in a culturally diverse society, it could be argued that a diverse workforce is indeed a challenge to many business managers today. However, at first, this fact may seem a big problem, on the other hand, if the managers are able to see the common ground of everyone else, which is being human, the said managers would recognize the possibility of making diversity a source of further progress for the company. Mixing up the talents and the abilities of the employees for the goal of the organization would surely help the company reach its peak potential. BIBLIOGRAPHY Riddle, John. (2001). Business Management. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts. Adams, Bob. (2000). Managing people: Lead your staff to peak performance. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts. Hiam, Alexander. (2001). Motivating and rewarding Employees: New and better ways to inspire your people. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts. Martinez, Esdras. (1998). Buisness Managements theories and practice. Rex books Publishing. Manila, Philippines. Jones, Gareth R. (2004). Contemporary Management. Irwin/McGraw-Hill; 4th edition. à à à à à Ã
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