Compare contrast essay Essay Example for Free

Compare contrast essay EssayNovelist Paul Sheldon has plans to make the grueling transition from writing historical romances featuring heroine visitation Chastain to publishing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldons number one fan, rescues the author from the scene of a car accident. The former nurse takes fright of him in her remote house, but becomes irate when she discovers that the author has killed Misery off in his latest book. Annie keeps Sheldon prisoner while forcing him to write a book that brings Misery back to life. Compare Contrast EssayA Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Misery by Stephen KingIve chosen to compare contrast A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner with Misery By Stephen King, Obsessive women, broken ankles, trapped men Suspenseful endings both of these stories have a lot in common.In Stephen Kings Misery A Famous Novelist named Paul Sheldon is transitioning his writing from Romance to Fiction. While on his way to Colorado from his winter hide outside(a) he is in a horrific car accident brought on by the harsh weather trails. Thankfully the writers number one fan and former nurse Annie Wilkes lived nearby and saved Paul from freezing todeath. Annie Wilkes just like send away Emily Grierson lived isolated and away from the world, though Miss Emily lived in the town Annie Wilkes didnt Miss Emily Isolated herself socially by not leaving her home nor opening the door when people of the town came by. Annie However, actually lived in an isolated cabin in the mountains.In A Rose for Emily people of the town feel sorry for her because after losing her father (page 207 she was sick for a want time), But not long after they began obtaining her with a gentle man named Homer Barran. A construction worker who had come into town to pave the sidewalks. After a year of being with Homer the towns folk began saying they would marry even though Homer claimed to like men (page 209, He was not a marrying man). One evening afterending th eir relationship Homer went to see Miss Emily using rat poison she killed him and let everyone believe he left and went on with his life while she hid his remains. Annie Wilkes didnt kill Paul Sheldon, but took advantage of the fact that he had been put in critical condition due to the car accident she removed him from. For weeks she held him captive until he gave her favorite novel the proper ending it deserved. After noticing his several, sneaky attempts to escape Annie straps Paul to the fork out and cripples him by breaking both his ankles with a sledge hammer. Both of these women felt the need to keep these men hidden, trapped, and injured so they may stay with them forever.Miss Emily trapped Homer in death to stay with her since he had no interest in marrying her. In Misery Prior to having his ankles broken Paul finds newspaper publisher clippings of previous victims of Annie where she was never convicted, He then realizes he may be next on her list. Soon after crippling Pau l an officer drops by to see if Annie was aware that Novelist Paul Sheldon was missing and they were searching for him. Paul hears the officer and yells for help when Annie hears his screams she kills the officer and Paul is left once more to endure her grisly punishment. Neither one of the men could predict what was going to happen to them, but Homer didnt endure being tortured nor was he held captive for weeks. In A Rose for Emily Miss Emily was never caught nor suspected for thedisappearance of Homer. After the death of Miss Emily and after her services the town folk were curious to see the inside of her home. (page 211, there was one room that no one had seen in forty years, and which would have to be forced). After entering the room they noticed mens toiletries, suits, ties and a pair of shoes even more so they noticed the man in her bed, His well over rotten body lay there in a nightshirt and next to him they could see where Miss Emily would lay beside him every night after h is death.Unlike Miss Emily Annie didnt get away with what she did to Paul, after cleanup spot the officer Paul tricks her into buying Champagne and cigars to celebrate the return of Misery, while setting up for their night of celebration Paul lights the re-written novel on dismissal and throws it. Annie begins to put out the flame when Paul slams his typewriter on the top of her head and shoves pieces of the burned novel pages into her mouth, she then dies of a fractured skull. Sometime after Paul is deliver by police. Both of these stories where great and though they are in different settings the characters shared similar physiological problems and depression. I think if both of these women met and could ever be in the same layer there would be gory, suspenseful, torturing of men. I would like to read a book where Stephen King and William Faulkner write a story sharing both their ideas, I think it would be very interesting, thrilling and great to read.

Assessing Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Assessing Organizational Culture EssayAlmost every agreement, whether public or underground, on paper or in practice, has a shade that plum dictates its everyday functioning. The term culture has many definitions but in this discussion it is defined as shared popular opinions, value, symbols, and doingss. Culture binds a workforce together and is its verify mechanism, or purpose, to facilitate its functioning. These items are powerful driving forces in the success of an organization and their value to the community they serve whether it is a public or private entity provide affect the success of any organization. While cultures are found in some organizations more prominently than in others, there are those organizations where the culture of that specific organizations ideal stands out above others. Police departments, military units and religious organizations all have a strong, centralized culture that forms its menage and permeates its entire existence. Many times pe ople outside of those professions do not examine the mentality or job commitment a person from star of these vexationer fields shares with his/her co-workers.An example would be the duty and honor commitment of a United State Marine, especially when considered by a person who was anti-military the Marines feel or core value system is not understood. The checkup profession and more specifically hospitals, demonstrate a common goal that simply stated, is the care and healing of the sick or injured. For the most part, the medical staff employed at a hospital is there for that specific purpose. The medical field brings together a vast array of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures.But once they become a doctor, hospital nurse, surgical technician, etc. they take on a unfermented life and thereby absorb a new culture into their lives. Subcultures, as defined by organizational theorists John van Maanen and Stephen Barley, are a subset of an organizations members who in teract regularly with one another, identify themselves as a distinct groupand routinely take action on the basis of incorporated understandings unique to the group (Cheney, 2011, 78-79) The organizational culture in a hospital is establish on the premise that the hospital is there to provide a slip for the care and healing of the sick or injured.Organizational theorist Mary Jo Hatch puts forth that there are five (5) Degrees of Cultural Integration and note (Cheney, 77) identified as follows Unitary, divers(prenominal) (Integrated), Diverse (Differentiated), Diverse (Fragmented) and Disorganized (Multi-cephalous) (Hatch, 1997, 210). A hospital in its purest form would be well represented as a Unitary culture because the staff as a whole all have the said(prenominal) values or beliefs. But individual staff or even medical units whitethorn fall into any of the other cultures identified as well.A particular unit, i. e. cardiac telemetry floor, may be a Diverse (Fragmented) unit d ue to a group of nurses who do not view their critical task requirements in the same way and as a expiry the level of patient infections or deaths rises, causing unrest among the staff, supervisors, patient families and resulting in legal ramifications thereby fragmenting the staffs solidarity. Social psychologist Edgar Schein formulated a suppositional model that shows an organizations culture is built on three levels artifacts, values and norms, and assumptions and beliefs.Artifacts are usually the most common and visible sign of a specific culture. Schein puts forth that things such as nursing uniforms, terminology, surgical protocols and more, actually and accurately represent the basic aspects of organizations culture. The values and norms aspect of his theory, speckle not always visible, can be seen through behavior of the individual or group it reveals what is important to the group and how they treat each other within their organization. Each aspect of the profession may have an operating procedure or environment nique to that area of specialization, but still have the same values and norms for their actions.In a surgical room, sterilization of the environment is much more important than it would be in a patients room on a medical/surgical floor, but they still have the same belief in keeping an open wound as clean as possible. While values in the medical profession do not vary as a whole, values do define accepted behavior and action. Genuine assumptions and beliefs are nurtured by a persons or organizations values and norms. Values vary only slightly in the various medical professions and facilities.Depending on the medical specialty area, operational norms and methods may differ according to training priorities, equipment and environment unique to that specialty. For instance, the hospital in-patient wound care team may have the same desire to treat a patients wounds as a home health nursing team, but the methods of treatment or medications used may be different. Differences begin to surface when a patient is sent home on a negative pressure wound therapy system, i. e. a wound V. A. C. , that aid in the healing of wounds via suction (http//www. kci1. com/KCI1/vactherapy).Many home health nurses does not know how to properly change the intricate dressing or fully understand this equipment or the damaging results that can occur if not changed properly. Faulty assumptions are therefore made based on the beliefs of the home health nurse of what should be done for the patient. When that happens, problems arise in this particular scenario that could result in the patient being brought back to the hospital for a further period of hospitalization due to a breakdown of their wounds or even the creation of new wounds as a result of improper V. A. C. placement.The overriding culture of the medical field is based on the Physicians Creed of First, do no harm (author uncertain but it is based on the Hippocratic Oath which states to ab stain from doing harm). This belief echoes throughout the medical field all over the world. And while there are individual exceptions or exceptions in areas such as animal seek for the betterment of mankind or the ethical issue of abortion, the creed has gone unchanged since the time of the ancient Greeks and before. Scheins three (3) levels of artifacts, values and norms, and assumptions and beliefs, are manifest in every clinical setting.With further exploration, Hatchs five (5) Degrees of Cultural Integration and Differentiation will also be found, albeit not everyone will be seen on every hospital floor or unit. Medical facilities are a kaleidoscope or a microcosm of many subcultures under the roof of the principal(prenominal) culture of being a place for the care and healing of the sick or injured. Without that organizational culture giving guidance to all of the subcultures involved in this humanitarian career field, the death rate for minor injuries and diseases would comp ound exponentially.

Advantages and disadvantages of Specialisation

avails and disadvantages of SpecialisationIntroductionInter earthal sell and Foreign Direct enthronement (FDI) equity flows atomic number 18 the deuce primary methods in which inter dry landal business occurs and are amongst the most substantial drivers of present time globalisation. With consecutive rounds of multilateral dialogues at the World grapple Organisation (WTO), barriers to traffic globally, curb been done away with significantly. Likewise, the relaxation and liberalisation of receiveed countries groovy markets during the 1980s has brought ab come forward a brand-new age of global capital mobility whereby Foreign Direct Investment is a primary and vital facet to divvy up globally. Both experiential and theoretical frameworks have incidentally thrived to explicate and predict these patterns in international business, as well as the determinatives and affects of International Trade and FDI flows for two the host and home countries.International Trade is the exc hange of capital, ingenuouss, and swear outs across international borders or territories (dictionary.reference.com).FDIForeign direct investment refers to the long-term engagement of a nation A into nation B for example. It normally requires involvement in expertise, know-how, joint-venture, management and transfer of technology, etc. There are two forms of Foreign Direct Investment inbound FDI and outbound FDI, transport about either a positive or negative net FDI inflow and stock of FDI equities, which is the total figure for a given period of time. It is authoritative to none, however, that direct investment does not include investments made by means of purchasing shares.SpecialisationSpecialisation is the focus of jab in specified, exceptional duties and functions. It is the material body ascribed to the prevalent system of economic consumption, production, and interlinked socio-economic progression and processes, in most industrialised nations ever since the late twentie th century.In fact, trade exists as a solving of specialisation and the division of labour, where most workers focus on a limited facet of production and duty, during the process, for different trade life-threatenings. Trade exists between various nations and trading blocs because different industries in diverse countries and regions globally have a comparative advantage in the manufacturing/production of certain trad commensurate commodities/goods, or because different countries sizes permit for the benefits of wad production. Intrinsically, trade at market prices amongst different countries/regions benefits both partners involved in the trade exchange.International Trade Theory turn Smith (1723-1790) was a cock-a-hoop Scottish economist and political thinker whose famed work Wealth of Nations (1776) set the pitch for work on economics and politics for many individuals and institutions nevertheless today. This was, as a matter of fact, the first extensive attempt to examine th e nature of capital, the development of industry and the make of large-scale commerce in Europe.Adam Smiths fundamental argumentation was that people should be pardon and able to engage in their own private economic interests as much as attainable respectable as long as they do not break the rudimentary rules of justice. In this manner, Smith believed, they would do far more than good to affirm and promote the publics welfare and interests, more than if the same people were to attempt to assist the public on purpose. Smith named this the invisible hand of the market, though everyone is performing in their own self-interest, they are led to accomplish the good for all like an invisible hand of economic powers. Hence, outside intervention will unavoidably convey calamity. This later became renowned as laissez faire economic policy (economyprofessor.com).Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations) reasoned that economic specialisation could be beneficial to countries as to corporations, ba ck in 1776. Due to the division of labour being limited by the market size, he argued that nations with access to bigger markets will be capable of splitting labour more productively and hence be make more efficient in the long run. Smith however, failed to realise that the division of labour is in any case intrinsically limited by the technology in production coordination (Yu, Zhihao, 2005).The theory of Absolute Advantage was introduced Adam Smith and is apparent between trade counterparts when a country is able to produce more of a commodity/product, with the same resources, than its partner can it is therefore said to hold a position of Absolute Advantage in the production of that end product. If, however, the other country has an Absolute Advantage in producing a commodity/product that the its partner needs, each will be providential if they specialise and trade. Trade is normally mutually advantageous even if one country holds an absolute advantage everywhere its partner co untry, in the production of both goods being traded.The Heckscher-Ohlin (HO) model was first formed by Eli Heckscher (1919) and Bertil Ohlin, two Swedish economists. Elis Heckschers own student, Bertil Ohlin speculate and detailed the Factor Endowment Theory. He was not just a economics professor in Stockholm, but also a leading political figure in Sweden at the time. Fundamental conceits were further formulated and added subsequently by Ronald Jones and Paul Samuelson amongst others. Due to the difficulty of forecasting the trade of goods pattern in a globe with an abundance of goods, as an alternative to the Heckscher-Ohlin Model, the Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek Theorem that prognosticates the grammatical constituent capacity of trade has acquired attention in recent years (econ.iastate.edu).The Heckscher-Ohlin Model explicated that countries of the same factor endowments would still trade due to the differences in technology, as this would engender specialisation and thus trade, in precisely the same manner as in the Ricardian Model.Another theory that attempts to predict the patterns of trade is that of the Law of Comparative Advantage (David Ricardo) in the goods with the lower opportunity cost. David Ricardo (1772-1823), during the early 19th century, saw that the theory of Absolute Advantage was a moderate and restricted instance of a more dynamically broad theory. Ricardo, in essence, was sort of a replacement and continuation to Adam Smiths prominent position in British economics. His work went on to function and influence the aims and methods of the discipline all through the nineteenth century. In spite of his personal substantial work experience, his written material can sometimes come across as being very abstract and often hard to understand. His main stress was on the principles of diminishing returns linked to land rental, which he judgement also regulated capital profits. He tried to derive a theory of value from labour application, but found it hard to separate the effects of changes in technology from changes in distribution.The scarceness of natural resources globally, one of the more fundamental concepts of economics, requires that there be tradeoffs, and these tradeoffs lead to an opportunity cost. Whilst the price of a good or service is often-times thought of in terms of currency, the opportunity cost of taking a decision is based on what good or service must be forgone, which would be the next best option, as a consequence of taking the decision. Decisions that require having to choose between two or more options are said to have an opportunity cost.The Law of Comparative Advantage explicates how nations can take advantage of and exploit specialisation and trade. Given any two goods/commodities, the nation manufacturing the good/commodity with the lower opportunity cost is said to have a comparative advantage. In simple terms, it is the capability of a nation to produce a product at a lower cost than others can p roduce it. Specialising provides that nation with a comparative advantage vis--vis other trade players. The basis of trade activities must be directed in a way where each country cuts the opportunity costs of the goods being swapped in their trade exchanges.Heckscher and Ohlins theory, adapted from Ricardos comparative advantage model, suggested that different costs were the result not scarce of dissimilar labour endowments between countries, but also of different capital and land endowments. For example, a country like Saudi Arabia is much more amply endowed with oil than say France. France, on the other hand, has a deep abundance of skilled labour and capital equipment in the defence industry. Hence the theory would suggest that Saudi Arabia would specialise in producing oil, France in producing defence equipment and that the two countries will trade one product for the other (Anderton, Alain, 2004).Advantages of International Trade and SpecialisationSome advantages of Internati onal Trade include monetary benefits to the respective countries active in trade, it can also improve relations between countries and allow for a great cultural exchange. It also allows for more of a choice and assortments of goods that are affordable (value for money) and readily acquirable for consumers, better quality goods, enhanced and increased competition both at the global and national level, closer links and affiliations amongst countries globally, more of an exchange of technical expertise, technology and synergistic know-how, producers locally will endeavour to better the quality of their products, as well as an increase in role nationally.In the same way domestic trade encourages economic development and prosperity, so does International Trade. International commerce gives rise to specialisation, where a producer produces the good at the lowest cost of opportunity and production to them and there by and by trades for goods that are produced at a higher opportunity or p roduction to them.Not only does International Trade lead to shared benefits by permitting various nations to specialise their industries of those products/commodities they produce at top-quality, but it also lets them import products that international producers are disposed(p) to provide at a lower cost than national producers are willing. Resources do vary between nations and provide certain nations with an advantage of producing certain goods over other ones and turn out to be more profit-making and beneficial to all. By permitting for International Trade, nations can specialise in those products that they can produce efficiently and at the lowest cost and then supply them to consumers at a low-cost, more inexpensive, and more economic price. Additionally, by importing those products from other nations and then exporting goods to those nations, both partners, involved in the trade exchange, benefit in a win-win state of affairs.It is crucial to take note, however, the case of abs olute advantage. As mentioned before, absolute advantage is a scenario where a country, due to its natural endowments and or prior experiences, can manufacture more of a product/commodity, with the same quantity of resources, than another country can. However, this does not imply that only because one country has an absolute advantage, the countries trading with this nation will not benefit from the trade. Yes, they still can benefit, in point of fact, that is, conditional upon the relative production costs varying.Advantages of specialisation include increasing rewards and profit returns due to economies of scale, gains from exploiting an absolute or comparative advantage, through which specialisation is explained, more efficiency and productivity as well as focus for producers, less cost to the producer as well as the consumer, better quality end products and a wider range of choice for the consumer, and last but not least, through specialisation in production, countries can incr ease their income, as well as expand and develop their economies.A strong argument put forward in favour of the concept of free trade would be that it is rather clear and apparent that free trade is beneficial to all partners involved. It helps nations attain a comparative advantage and corporations/industries to focus on specialisation, both of which result in economic benefits, growth, and prosperity. Furthermore, these two concept are big revolutionary contributors to the sophisticated and progressive state of the globes nations in the present time. Without them, we would be decades behind in various ways, particularly from a technical standpoint. Participating in these activities proves beneficial for all trade partners and results in economic prosperity and wealth, therefore, improving peoples standards of living (Rose, Phantom, 2009).Disadvantages of International Trade and SpecialisationSome disadvantages of trade include a heavy reliance on a particular nation,national produ ction may also be hindered as national industries may be excelled and eclipsed by their international competitors, affluent nations may have more powers in influencing political issues in other nations and acquire control over weaker ones, and what is more, ideological clashes may come about amongst trading partner countries regarding the processes in trade activities for example.Specialisation in itself, however, can hinder trade. For example, if a nation is too reliant on one specific industry and the prices dip in that industry, then unemployment will take place dramatically. This is an occurrence in several developing nations and is also applicable, for example, to the West Midlands, UK, a region that is heavily reliant on the auto industry. Factors of productions cannot be easily shifted from one area to another, this is known as factor immobility. For instance, if after International Trade, country/company A would diminish the production of product B, then the labour produci ng product B cannot easily be shifted and re-trained to produce an superfluous product C, therefore, unemployment will take place.International trade can also pose as a harm to birth industries in the home nation as well, due to their production costs being high in the infant, early stages. Over-specialisation may have devastating effects if, for example, a war breaks out in a country and imports/exports cease. Therefore, the nation never specialises wholly due to political/strategic factors. In addition, if imports exceed exports, the balance of trade payments would be in the red (negative territory), which, in turn, will harm the home countrys economy and may also result in the devaluation of its currency.Word Count 2,250

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy AnalysisThis report is a represent on from the in class IKEA presentation based on the IKEA case study IKEA-Managing global expansion. Being a multinational successful organisation at that place would be various corners to look at in order to analyse IKEA however this report will focus on the analysis of IKEAs globalisation and internationalization models, as well as key opportunities and threats faced by IKEA and their cultural web and how it supports their current strategies.Overview of the piece of article of furniture marketBased on Mintel research database, the gross revenue of furnishings and housew atomic number 18 in the top 25 global economies generate annual revenues of more than $270 billion. However the sales of furniture were hit hard in 2008 and 2009 by a combination of fewer housing transactions and the recession. With the exception of IKEA, US companies (Furniture Village, Homebase, DFS etc) dominate the global home furnis hings landscape, yet the worlds most lucrative regional market is lifelessness Europe.Buying furniture nowadays is not as simply organised as in the past where you just had to take what was available from the few retailers and waitress weeks before it was delivered. Today competition is any round offering the right product, for the right m hotshoty, in the right way. Just under half of adults (25 million) look for relentless quality when buying furniture. Retailers compulsion to prove their quality with customer reviews and demonstrating how items can stand up to heavy usage especially in households with kids. Service is historic and four in ten adults are influenced by the presence of knowledgeable and helpful staff when choosing between stores. The role of staff has shifted from one of a sales person to be one of consultant. Further visiting showrooms is a key part of the buying process for furniture as it gives the customer an image about their wanted milieu however foc us re chief(prenominal)s on price.Overview of the companyIKEA Group is a global and privately-held retailer of Scandinavian (Swedish) designed home furniture and accessories and now retailer of its own food label. Their products range focuses on good design, good quality and function at a diminished price. In the mid-2000s the company was leader in the flat-pack furniture business generating annual sales of 21.5 billion euros. The company has the biggest market share in the UK. It operates about 301 stores overall in 36 countries most of them in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. The company was founded by Mr. Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 and although partly controlled by the Kamprad family, it is under the ownership of the Stichting INKGA group, a charitable foundation registered in the Netherlands. IKEAs main UK competitors include Asda, Argos, Debenhams, Next, Tesco, John Lewis etc.The Difference between Internationalisation and globalizationGlobalisation entails all the oper ations undertaken by an organisation that envisions itself present in some countries worldwide. IKEAs past globalisation strategy was based on one design fits all which meant that initially they did not adapt to the local markets. However as they grow in Japan and the US they soon realised that they had to tailor made their products to fit the countrys specifications and requirements if they wanted to succeed. For instance, the US customer preferred big and ample furniture and houseware while in Japan they looked for small and simple items to fit their small living milieus.In opposition internationalization is at the other end of the globalization as it takes into consideration what each particular market has to offer and not what the company has to offer to the market. IKEAs strategy has adapted over the years in a way that they think globally and act locally.IKEAS INTERNATIONALIZATION STRATEGYKey OpportunitiesIKEAs main dexterity is its international brand recognition built up on low product prices and design. Its product portfolio caters for most lifestyles and budgets. The implementation of cost leadership strategy in order to penetrate upstart markets is a definite strength and opportunity IKEAs costs were/are approximately 30%-50% below competition prices. The costs of transportation were cut by 80% by providing furniture in flat packs. By offering simple and modern designs and by introducing cash and carry and self service concepts, IKEAs stores were guaranteed a success. After investigating the German market IKEA took advantage of the poor organisational strategy of the existing furniture dealers in the country and changed its operations by providing customers immediate delivery of quality goods at low prices when they overt their Munich store.Their West German market has expanded through aggressive advertising despite the challenges encountered by the law suits initiated by its competitors and trade associations. In the UK, IKEA provided unique products, low prices and cashcarry service. In this way the firm achieved competitive advantage over its existing competitors that were taking as long as 3 months to deliver the goods. Opposed to their competition, IKEA present efficiency and skill.As mentioned previously, in their US placement IKEA had to adapt their product range to suit the requirements of the American market. They redesigned the store layout to provide more directions and shortcuts for customers who opposed to the idea of wandering through the store. They to a fault increased the size of their beds, bed linens, sofas, armchairs etc., as the European sizes were too small for the American customer. In addition they also offered a customization of their products. Further their US expansion IKEA made a bold move by opening a mega store in Chicago with a new layout (double the size of a normal IKEA store). It had 3 levels that included a self service warehouse, customer service and cafe on the first floor as well as a showroom and a market place on the other floors. From there on the stored were designed to improve the direction and die hard of customers. IKEA also offered home delivery and assembly for an extra charge. The US expansion was a success due to these measures and strategy adaptation despite their competition continuously replicating IKEAs products.ThreatsThe organisations main helplessness is that they are very much reliant on the European market where 82% of its stores are located. The threat here is represented by the competition as IKEAs methods stir been copied by other retailers that have introduced similar product ranges at low prices. Market saturation is another threat as with the development of e-commerce in each European country customers can compare prices, reviews and switch to alternative suppliers if necessary.Further threats are represented by the recession in Europe as well as the adverse effect of a weak dollar on sales in the US. Political and economical asy mmetry of the Chinese and Russian markets are also a potential threat since IKEA is planning on expanding in these two markets. However IKEA is successfully counteracting its main weakness (over reliance in Europe) with its key opportunity expansion in the emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe.The Cultural Web and the Organisational CultureThe organizational culture describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and set (personal and cultural values) of an organization which define its environment or it can simply describehow things are done around hereTo analyse IKEAs cultural web we need to use the Cultural Web model. The Cultural Web identifies six elements that help to make up the paradigm the pattern or model of the pass away environment.By analyzing the factors in each, we can see what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed.StoriesThe hero in the company is Ingvar Kamprad seen by the employees as a visionary who worked hard, lived si mply and gave an example to all. In fact IKEA is all about the Swedishness a simple culture with simple values such as downheartedness, simplicity, teamwork etc. The brand image varies in contrasting countries depending on the countrys culture. eg in Sweden (low priced, low quality brand), UK (poor service) etc.Rituals and RoutinesThe Company strongly believes in staying close to its customers. In fact any store is a parent-friendly environment people come first. However IKEA is also focused on its people and their working way. Employees dress informally and work in a relaxed office environment with open plan floors. On their website IKEA remarks that A career in IKEA is not a ladder, is what and where you make it. They expect teamwork and mistakes as long as the employee learns from them. However IKEA is also about make the impossible in cost pillow slip. In fact, staff travelled economy and took buses or stayed in hostels. There are wall stickers to expel off lights, taps a nd computers after each use. Stores that cut costs the most receive a reward from the forethought.SymbolsIt is normal to find the same features in every IKEA store. For instance, all shop floor staff dress in uniform (yellow blue) for the Swedish flag colours. There is a restaurant, a food hall a childrens corner as well as little shopping helps such as pencil, paper, shopping bag, and tape measure. As mentioned previously, IKEA is all about Swedishness and focus on a minimalistic and simple design delivered in their custom flat packs. Their main symbol is the brand name and the brand colours all significative of Sweden and their Swedish founder Kamprad.Organisational StructureTypical of IKEAs organisation is their informal guidance which is presented in a non-hierarchical and caring manner. There is typically only 3 hierarchical levels of state between the store manager and the employee. Every month there is the so called Anti-bureaucrat week where management spend a whole wee k in the warehouses and stockrooms. attach training programmes are given to all company management. However as always on IKEA s organisational structure is their focus on cost cutting and as such they incite all designers and material buyers on cost reductions.Control SystemsAt the centre of the IKEAs control systems is quality control. Emphasis is put on delivering good quality, sturdy furniture that passes their standards. Further way to control their operations is by making sure that the management works closely with the staff making also sure that their warehouses are correctly labelled in their products. Rewards are given to the stores that generate more profit and that cut more costs considering that one of the principles of IKEAs strategy is cost cutting.Power StructuresSenior management was predominantly Scandinavian and only in the last 5 years the strategy of only promotional material employees who were Scandinavian or Swedish speaking into management has changed. Howeve r all employees are involved the individual store operations and encouraged in their work thanks to their friendly management strategy. Employees are in fact egged on to take responsibilities in order to assess their performance their ideal is that every employee is historic to IKEAs success.The ParadigmIKEAs cultural web supports its current strategy. In the past IKEA favoured the Sweds for managerial programmes but in the last 5 years international career management is now seen essential to sustaining international growth but more steps and measures need to be taken to ensure that other backgrounds are fitted into the managerial programmes. The organizational career culture supports the corporate strategy with suitable structure and rewards. IKEAs cultural values are things like informality, cost consciousness and a very humble and down to earth approach as passed down by Kamprad along with responsibility and teamwork and ensuring that their employees are highly motivated and com mitted.Cultural and Corporate Strategy Changes rove more emphasis and work on employees of other nationalities/backgrounds in order to create a multicultural environment by having a diverse management and strengthen IKEAs corporate view being a multinational group.Since all IKEAs stores are out of the city centres many customers in the big metropolis do now own a car or have suitable transportation in order to be able to shop in IKEA and so a possible strategy change could entail IKEA to have smaller retail outlets near city centres perhaps selling furniture on muniment but definitely having stock in-store for houseware and smaller items.Many IKEA competitors offer free delivery on orders above a certain amount as we have previously shown competition is fierce in Europe therefore this measure could ensure that the profit is taken by putting a minimum consumption limit in order to qualify for free delivery (e.g. free delivery on orders above 150 GBP or more) and would therefore op en IKEA to more budget oriented customers.Another suggestion to attract more customers would be to have quick assembly tips/class in store for the non-diy oriented customers. IKEA is all about self service but not many customers are skilled to deal with DIY and assembly. This measure would make sure that their products are opened to every type of customer. Self service warehouse and furniture pick up places all contain some long numbers in regards to the desired item. peradventure IKEA could implement a new system where warehouses havelabels, not numbers making it easier on customers. (e.g. Section Chairs. Aisle-3, Type Victa)ConclusionsIKEAs main strategies remain the same success is ensured by adopting aggressive price strategies and aggressive advertising as well as a wide product range unlike any competitor at the moment. Service however needs to come to focus to improve customer purchasing and still maintain their market position as other cheaper players are entering the marke t such as the supermarkets.Is getting any bigger better?

Linking male underachievement with stereotypical laddish behaviour

Linking male underachievement with stereotypical laddish behaviourMuch of the current investigate on underachieving boys in education is foc apply on suggesting solutions in scathe of teaching methods. It is workable to criticise this glide path as single can suggest that in order to effectively formulate strategies aimed at helping boys who underachieve, you need to actually apprehend why they are underachieving. Some interrogation suggests that the phenomenon of new laddism is just the old fashioned problem of boys behaving badly (Chaudhary, 1998). The solutions accordingly do non actually focus on the cause of bad behaviour just focus on considering with the behaviour itself.Media representations of underachieving boys are as well as problematic. They all too of x edit out important questions and issues, such as which boys are underachieving? Delemont (1999) points out the problems with the crude portrayals that suggest boys underachievement and laddishness are syn onymous they are not. not all laddish boys are underachievers and not all underachievers are laddish.Objective 3 of this explore was addressed in detail in the previous section the writings review. Objective 1 and 2 of this research pull up stakes be implemented through the collection and analytic thinking of empirical data. This study is interested in an in- abstrusity psychoanalysis of the year 10 and 11 boys at the tecs school, and specifically the reasons why they adopt laddish attitudes. Objective 1 forget be rivet on through analysis of the school provide as well, in particular looking at the process that causes certain types of behaviour to be labelled as laddish.Cohen and Manions (1996) description of a case study the researcher observing the characteristics of an individual unit sums up this piece of research neatly. Howard Becker (1970) describes one aim of case studies as the attempt to reach at a comprehensive understanding of the group under study. This res earcher be attempting to gain a comprehensive understanding of boys who underachieve at battle of Tewkesbury School. Case studies can likewise be used to produce typologies, or a set of categories defining types of a affectionate phenomenon. Douglas (1967) suggested that case studies could be used to discover the distinguishable types of suicide by uncovering the different tender meanings of suicide. There is a possibility that this research can produce some typologies nearly the different types of behaviour that causes male underachievement.The potential issue with this research strategy is that it is not possible to generalise on the basis of my findings. It is impossible to determine how farther approximately the findings of this research can be applied to underachieving boys in some other schools. As Bryman (1988) suggests, one way around this would be to repeat the research in other schools looking at the same phenomenon. The issue though with attempting to repeat the re search is that it is difficult to make direct comparisons of the results of studies carried out either by different bulk, or by the same people at different times.Historical research as a strategy is not appropriate to this topic as it is more often than not associated with the study of non-contemporary phenomena this research is clearly not interested in anything non-contemporary. Experimental research is also not appropriate to this topic as its very constitution is at odds with what this research is attempting to do experimental research will try to objective by taking phenomena out of its natural mise en scene, this research inevitably to understand what is happening in a school environment. Action research was considered due to the in-depth nature of the analysis it engages in simply this research is not focused on one specific problem that can be tackled this way, the researcher is interested in exploring a range of issues linked to laddish behaviour and underachievem ent.This research will produce qualitative data in the master(prenominal). Denzin and Lincoln (1994) describe qualitative research as studying things in their natural settings, and attempting to make sense of phenomena in terms of the meanings people give to them. Some numeric data will also be produced as well, which Myers (1997) states is often produced through survey techniques within a mixer setting and as such works well when used alongside qualitative methods.Orlikowski et al. (1991) say that there are three categories into which qualitative research strategies fall into, depending upon the researchers view of the world critical, positivist and interpretivist. Whilst this researcher does believe that in terms of a critical perspective of the world, people are influenced by social and cultural fate, he does not believe that the main of his research should be to free people from the restraining forces that impact upon their lives. His role is simply to understand better the line aspects of laddish behaviour and underachievement. This research will also not be adopting a positivist methodology, as the researcher does not believe that sympathetic worlds can be studied in the same way that the natural sciences use to study particles, gases and rocks. The French writer Auguste Compte was the first person to use the phrase positivist philosophical system (Compte, 1986). He believed that scientific knowledge roughly society could be accumulated and used to improve human existence so that society could be knead rationally without religion or superstition getting in the way of construct. Compte believed that the scientific study of society should be confined to roll up information approximately phenomena that can be objectively observed and classified. He argued that researchers should not be concerned with the internal meanings, motives, feelings and emotions of individuals these states only exist in the persons consciousness so cannot be observed, and cannot be measured in any objective way.The fundamental part of positivism is its use of statistical data. Positivists believed that it was possible to classify the social world in an objective way. Using these classifications it was then possible to count sets of observable social facts and then produce statistics. You can then look for correlations between different social facts. If there is a correlation between deuce or more types of social phenomena, then a positivist might suspect that one of these phenomena is cause the other to take place. This can be criticised though, for example if you look working class boys underachieving in school, the correlation between those two factors is not necessarily causal. It whitethorn simply be an indirect correlation.Positivism is based upon an understanding of science that perceives science as using a mainly inductive methodology. This begins by collecting the data. The data is then tryd and out of this analysis theories are develo ped. Once the theory has been developed it can then be tested against other sets of data to see if it is confirmed or not. If it is repeatedly confirmed then positivists like Compte assume they shoot discovered a law of human behaviour.Other researchers though have not accepted the inductive method. Indeed, many use an utility(a), a deductive approach. This alternative methodology is supported by Karl Popper in his book The Logic of scientific Discovery (1959). The deductive approach reverses the process of induction. It starts with a theory and tests it against the evidence, rather than developing a theory as a result of examining the data. Popper argues that scientists should start with a hypothesis a statement that is to be tested. This statement should be very precise and should state exactly what will happen in particular circumstances. On the basis of this hypothesis it should be possible to deduce predictions about the future. Popper differs from positivists in that he deni es it is ever possible to produce laws that will necessarily be establish to be true for all time. He argues that however many times a theory is apparently proved correct, there is invariably the possibility that at some future date the theory will be proved wrong, or falsified. He suggests that scientists have a duty to be objective, and to test their theories as rigorously as possible. Therefore, once they have formulated hypotheses, and made predictions, it is necessary to try constantly to find evidence that disproves or falsifies their theories.Some though argue that in practice scientists operate in very different ways from those advocated by Popper or positivists. Thomas Kuhn (1962) has developed an analysis of science which sees it as being far from the objective pursuit of knowledge. He argues that science is characterised by a commitment to a scientific range. A paradigm consists of a set of beliefs shared out by a group of scientists about what the natural world is co mposed of, what counts as true and valid knowledge, and what sort of questions should be asked and what sort of procedures should be followed to act those questions. Kuhn does not believe that the same methods and procedures are found throughout scientific history rather, they are specific to particular sciences at particular times. Scientists may ignore evidence that does not fit their paradigm.To Kuhn, a scientific subject is one in which there is an agreed paradigm. There is no guarantee that this accepted paradigm is correct it may well be replaced by a new paradigm in the future. If Kuhns view of science is accepted, then it is doubtful social research can be considered as scientific. There is no one accepted paradigm in social research the different perspectives all see the social world in different ways they ask different questions and get different answers. Kuhns work has been criticised though as you can argue that it has little relevance to social science and based upon inadequate evidence. Anderson, Hughes and Sharrock (1986) believe that he has underestimated the degree to which there is conflict and disagreement in natural science. Most of the time alternative paradigms are debated. A careful examination of the history of science shows that the periods of revolution grow in size while those of settled normality contract.The approach that this researcher will be adopting as identified by Orlikowski et al. (1991) is interpretivism. This approximately closely matches this researchers approach to research, and as a teacher of sociology it has been refined over the past ten years of either studying or teaching the subject. The interpretivist approach suggests that qualititative data collection techniques should be used. Social action can only be dumb by interpreting the meanings and motives on which it is based. Many interpretivists argue that there is little chance of discovering these meanings and motives from numeric data. Only from qualitativ e data with its greater richness and depth can the sociologist hope to interpret the meanings that lie behind social action.Interpretivists reject the use of natural science methodology for the study of social action. The natural sciences deal with matter. Since matter has no consciousness, its behaviour can be explained simply as a reaction to external stimuli. People though, have consciousness they see, interpret and subsist the world around them in terms of meanings. Max Weber talks about how understanding the motives behind peoples behaviour could be achieved through verstehen imagining yourself to be in the position of the person whose behaviour you were seeking to explain.Phenomenology represents the most radical departure from positivism. Phenomenologists go even further than interpretivists in that they reject the possibility of producing causal explanations of human behaviour. They do not believe that it is possible objectively to measure and classify the world. To phe nomenologists, human beings make sense of the world by imposing meanings and classifications upon it. These meanings and classifications make up social reality. They believe that researchers should limit themselves to understanding the meanings and classifications which people use to give order to and make sense of the world. Studies which utilise this method concentrate almost merely on the subjective aspects of social life which are internal to the individuals consciousness.DATA COLLECTIONConvenience sampling was used to select the participants in the research project. It was commodious because the researcher works at the school involved in the study. There is nothing random about the students and staff who have been chosen and the researcher is making no claim of representativeness and generalisability to anywhere other than his school. That is not the focus of the research instead it is focused on simply gaining an in-depth understanding of the bring up issues involved in lad dish behaviour and underachievement. This method of sampling was also used due to the fact that it is by far the easiest way to access participants.This research will use two main methods of collecting data interviews and secondary data analysis. The main data collection technique will be semi-structured interviews. Interviews are as Yin (2003) states, able to go away insights into complex situations. And as Goldthorpe et.al (1968) found, interviewees could be prompted if they cannot decide how to answer a question. The interviews will be semi-structured because this will allow the students and staff to express their views, explain their individual circumstances and expand on any answers. The researcher though will be able to guide them towards the specific area of interest because there will always be some pre-planned questions. The tell apart is, as Marshall and Rossman (1989) put it the participants view on the phenomena of interest should unfold as they truly view it, not as the researcher views it.The use of more than one method allows the researcher to engage in methodological pluralism. This is the idea that we should tolerate of a variety of methods in sociological research, because methods should be seen as part of the research process as a whole. (Bryman, 1998). The key advantage to the researcher is that it allows him to combine both positivist and interpretivist research methods, which allows him to get from triangulation, which is where the strengths of one method balance out against the weaknesses of another, and allow me to cross-examine the results. Methodological pluralism has become more and more popular in recent years amongst sociologists, although the idea itself has not escaped criticism However, consensus over methodological pluralism is incomplete, and does not even mean that subscribing sociologists have actively sought to promote pluralism. As Bell, observed individual sociologists no matter how tolerant, catholic and eclectic are very unlikely actually to be methodological pluralists . It is the structure of sociology that became pluralist not sociologists themselves. (Bell and Roberts, 1984). Indeed, Payne et al (2004) conducted research aimed itself at measuring rod the extent to which methodological pluralism is used in sociological research. They concluded Only about one in 20 of published papers in the mainstream journals uses quantitative analysis, ranging from simple cross-tabulations to multivariate techniques. This is not grounds for an argument that there should be less qualitative research, but rather that there should be more quantitative research.The site for the research will be Tewkesbury School. The research project is not intended to be an exhaustive study of laddish behaviour and underachieving boys in the local anaesthetic area it is specific to the researchers school and the needs and priorities of that school moving forward. The research will be focused on male students in year 1 0 and year 11. They have been selected for two main reasons those are the two year groups for which we have the most accurate data on who is underachieving, and improving the performance of these boys is the main priority for the school moving forward. The data on underachievement is generated by subject teachers who are judging the progress of students against their FFT (D) (Fisher Family Trust) targets. These type D targets are based upon the progress made by schools in the top 25% percentile of value-added schools nationally. Also, as Epstein et al (1998) points out it is at this age group that laddish behaviour begins to impact most heavily on educational performance. The staff that will be interviewed will be from a range of subject areas including English, Maths and Science. The research will analyse the different levels of underachievement and seek to identify reasons why these boys may be underachieving more in certain subject areas.Interviewing different staff allows for cross-comparisons of responses which will allow key themes to emerge. Indeed, as Holstein et al (1995) suggest, the interviewing process itself often creates new knowledge rather than just revealing data that was previously present in the interviewees heads. The following staff will be interviewed1 Head of Maths Faculty.2 Head of Science Faculty.3 Head of English Faculty.4 Head of Humanities Faculty.5 Head of Arts Faculty.6 Head of Technology Faculty.All these staff have an in-depth knowledge of performance in their faculties, and have specific experience of the underachievement by students. The interviews will be recorded, where possible, for two reasons to tally that the analysis of data is based upon an accurate record, and to allow the interviewer to concentrate on the actual interview. Secondary data in the form of school exam performance and monitoring reports will also be collected to form part of the analysis. This will allow the research to understand the scope of current performance levels.To help focus the interviews in terms of reflecting the main objectives of this research they will be structured in according to key themes, for example patterns of behaviour that are labelled as laddish, understanding of current underperformance issues, awareness of the issues involved in boys choosing to behave in a laddish manner. In terms of analysing the interviews, as Bogdan and Biklen (1982) put it the researcher should aim to work with the data, analyse and break it down into manageable units, search for patterns and decide what is important. This summarises neatly the modern interpretive approach to qualitative data analysis and the approach that this researcher will use.LIMITATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROBLEMSThere are many potential problems in any research problem, and curiously when researching a topic like this project is aiming to. The key one is generalisability this research cannot be generalised to any other educational setting, as it is pur ely pertinent to the setting that the researcher is currently employed in. This does raise a question mark over the validity of the findings, but as most interpretivists argue, including Ackroyd and Hughes (1981), the researcher is not limited to what he or she can immediately perceive or experience, but is able to cover as many dimensions and as many people as resources permit. The depth of data gathered by this research should enable the researcher to find the truth, or at least the best representation of it available, hence ensuring a good degree of validity.The reliability of unstructured interviews can also be questioned as they are artificial situations, as Bryman (1988) notes, do they really set about the daily life, conditions, opinions, values, attitudes, and knowledge base of those we study as expressed in their natural habitat? Perhaps even more problematic is the issue of the researcher maintaining objectivity when interviewing colleagues in an environment in which he works. Labovs (1973) work also points out the way that school children can respond differently when interviewed in different contexts. They often respond in a certain way when interviewed in a formal setting that is very different from how they respond in an loose setting.Any research project which has interviews as the main source of data is hampered by interviewees who exhibit bias or poor memory recall, (Winlow 2001). This researcher has move to deal with this by gathering data from a range of sources, i.e. the various heads of faculty, and a range of students. This allows the researcher not to be dependent on one or two respondents for key data. But one must approach this research with the knowledge that people are not robots, especially school students, and that errors are bound to creep in, in terms of bias and honest mistakes of recollection. The issue of ecological validity pointed out by Hammersley and Gomm (2004) which is that interviews are unnatural social situations a nd the context affects the behaviour of interviewees so much that the resulting data cannot be seen as valid, does need to be allowed for, but overall it is expected that any bias or misinformation will be minimised.The researcher himself needs to alter his mindset slightly when conducting the interviews he has to view them not as colleagues but as research subjects, and this role deviate needs to be communicated to staff. Linked with this role change is the need for the researcher to gain the trust of his colleagues, as they may well be nervous about expressing their views openly, and so to encourage open and honest discussion, anonymity for academic staff will be guaranteed where required. (Biggam 2008).The use of quantitative statistics to measure and understand the extent of underachievement also has its issues. Atkinson (1978) believes that they are simply the product of the meanings and taken-for-granted assumptions of those who construct them. This is particularly the case when analysing teachers perceptions of who is underachieving, so the researcher must be wary of this. As Byrne (2006) states, they are useful to most social scientists they are made out of something, not nothing, and that provided we pay careful attention to the ways in which they are made, and in particular the processes of operationalisation they can be of very considerable value to us.Finally, in terms of ethics there are a range of potential issues to take into account. The researcher will be abiding by the code of ethics as set out by the British Sociological Association and the BERA. Participants will all give impulsive informed consent, which involves the need for them to substantially understand what the research involves. This ensures that no deception of any participants is involved. This does of raise the methodological issue of ecological validity, but it is not possible for the research to remove this issue. All participants have the right of withdrawal at any point, and this right is explained to each participant at the outset of any research. This research does involved the participation of children, so appropriate consent has been gained first from the school headteacher, as gatekeeper, from the parents/guardians of any children involved, and of course from the children themselves. Brookman (1999) talks about the issue of confidentiality and its impact upon the research, but as discussed earlier, all participants were offered full anonymity as a condition of their participation.Essentially, as Israel and Hay (2006) point out, the ultimate purpose of having research ethics is to turn away harm and do good. They comment that contemporary researchers are normally expected to minimise risks of harm or discomfort to participants. This research will strive to ensure that this is the case.

ABCs of Black and Blue :: Free Essay Writer

The ABCs of smutty and fatBlack and no-count was one of Armstrongs greatest hits, it is hard to study that a remake song could rank so high on his greatest. Armstrong had a unique way of taking a song that had already been published and devising into his own work of art. Black and Blue is a song that can drive a few different meanings depending on the way you look at it. Black and Blue can be described as abstract, bruised, and colorful. Armstrong was the greatest artist of his magazine and he shows us this in the ways he could scoop songs, manipulate them and make them his own. Black and Blue could be one of the best examples of this. The fact that Armstrongs version of Black and Blue is more popular than the master version has a lot to regularize about his abilities. Abstract consider theoretically or separately from roughthing else, make a written summary of, a summary of a book or article, an abstract work of art. Armstrong was a great musician of his time and a musici an is an artist. Therefor his works (songs) ar considered art work. To many people of his time this art that he made may have seemed off the beaten path. To many this may have seemed abstract. He had a presence that would radiate finished an audience manly from the way he held himself on stage, and compared to the many other performers of the time this was different from anyone else. The way Armstrong took this song, Black and Blue, from its original version, sung by Edith Wilson, and manipulated it to what it is right away, could be said to be an abstract work of art. He had the raw talent to take a song and variegate it into something known as an Armstrong song, not a remake. Black and Blue was a song that was originally made to be sung by a woman, some how he pulled it off. The manor in which Armstrong preformed on stages may have been too soon for his time, meaning that the people may not have been ready for what he had to give them, but this may have also been perceived as abstract. An Armstrong performance was different from what everyone was used to seeing, he stepped out on his own and made it work, the fact that he was different and now accepted by many made him and his work abstract.ABCs of Black and Blue Free Essay generator The ABCs of Black and BlueBlack and Blue was one of Armstrongs greatest hits, it is hard to believe that a remade song could rank so high on his greatest. Armstrong had a unique way of taking a song that had already been published and making into his own work of art. Black and Blue is a song that can have a few different meanings depending on the way you look at it. Black and Blue can be described as abstract, bruised, and colorful. Armstrong was the greatest artist of his time and he shows us this in the ways he could take songs, manipulate them and make them his own. Black and Blue could be one of the best examples of this. The fact that Armstrongs version of Black and Blue is more popular than the original version has a lot to say about his abilities. Abstract consider theoretically or separately from something else, make a written summary of, a summary of a book or article, an abstract work of art. Armstrong was a great musician of his time and a musician is an artist. Therefor his works (songs) are considered art work. To many people of his time this art that he made may have seemed off the beaten path. To many this may have seemed abstract. He had a presence that would radiate through an audience manly from the way he held himself on stage, and compared to the many other performers of the time this was different from anyone else. The way Armstrong took this song, Black and Blue, from its original version, sung by Edith Wilson, and manipulated it to what it is now, could be said to be an abstract work of art. He had the raw talent to take a song and change it into something known as an Armstrong song, not a remake. Black and Blue was a song that was originally made to be sung by a woman, some h ow he pulled it off. The manor in which Armstrong preformed on stages may have been too soon for his time, meaning that the people may not have been ready for what he had to give them, but this may have also been perceived as abstract. An Armstrong performance was different from what everyone was used to seeing, he stepped out on his own and made it work, the fact that he was different and now accepted by many made him and his work abstract.

Ethics in Todays Universities Essay -- Ethics Morals Morality College

Beliefs The universitys role in instilling a moral recruit among students? None whatever, some argue is an article written by Peter Steinfels. The article focuses on the opinion of several college professors about whether morality and an ethical jurisprudence of conduct should be taught in universities. The article presents both sides of the argument and quotes from different educators but does not take a stand on whether ethics should be part of the university curriculum or not. My initial reaction after reading this article was that academic institutions should only focus on education. I believed that a enrol of ethics should be established by my parents and my family and to some extent by teachers in grade school. After all, I reasoned, by the time I was 18 and in university, I already knew what was right or wrong and there was no need to waste time on an ethics class. I started to jeer with Dean Fish who is quoted in the initial paragraphs of this article as writ ing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, You female genitalst make them into good people, and you shouldnt try. After all, people neer agree on what is right or wrong and everyone has their own standards and opinions. Starting a discussion would only open up a whole can of worms so it was best for Universities to forget about teaching ethics and to do what John J. Mearsheiner says in this article, and to leave it to the student, to figure out the truth if there is one. As I continued to read, I did figure out the truth, and changed my mind about my initial thesis--that the University should focus on academics and be collectively silent on the field of study of morality. That approach has not worked I believe. Cheating is very common within many univ... ...should be guided by what Dennis Obrien, President of the University of Rochester, mentioned in this article calls stark morality inherent in the very notions of research, discovery and scientific truth, How ca n we have ascetic morality, or morality of any kind if we do not talk about it, if we sweep it under the carpet and wash our hands of it, and fail to include it in the curriculum. In response to Dean Fish who express we must not address the ethics issue because it will promote vulgar multiculturalism and a soft core version of 60s radicalism, I say, he is wrong. I feel the strength of our country derives from being a melting pot of so many cultures, beliefs and values. I agree with the author that there will be divergent views and that it may be difficult to arrive at a consensus--that should not stop us from offering Ethics as part of the curriculum.