Monday, December 30, 2019

Why el agua instead of la agua

Both agua and à ¡guila, which mean water and eagle, respectively, are feminine nouns. Yet we say el agua and el à ¡guila, making exceptions to the rule that la is used with feminine nouns. The reason has to do with pronunciation — la agua would sound the same as lagua and might be confusing. But language is seldom logical, so dont try substituting el for la whenever a word that starts with a- follows. Learn more...

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Effects Of Alcohol On Alcohol Consumption - 1373 Words

Throughout the years, there have been massive debates and arguments whether or not alcohol should be prohibited. In most countries, at a certain age, adults are allowed to purchase alcohol without being limited to certain choices. However, with the rise of alcoholic products, there are concerns for public health and safety. Many people argue that restrictions should be placed on alcohol consumption. To begin with, there are several factors that involve in alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between alcohol consumption and crime. As alcohol intake increases, crime increases as well. In fact, it has been found that the more violent a crime is, the greater the likelihood that alcohol has been involved. Researchers have found that adults who were convicted at the time were either drinking or under the influence. However, there is not enough evidence that drinking alcohol necessarily causes a person to commit to a crime. Additional factors, such as s leep deprivation, psychological disorders, and physical conditions, may play an important role. Furthermore, rates of violent behavior and use of alcohol and other drugs are higher in adolescent boys than adolescent girls (â€Å"American Journal of Public Health†). Alcohol affects the cognitive part of the brain, leading to inappropriate behaviors, causing criminal acts. In addition, alcohol is a factor in 40% of all violent crimes today (â€Å"Alcohol and Crime†). Because of this factor, people shouldShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Alcohol On The Consumption Of Alcohol1288 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol consumption is highly prominent around the world and Australia. Most Australians have consumed alcohol at some point of time in their lives. Most individuals doing so at a level that is acceptable and does not lead to any ill health or injury. There is, however, an issue with the misuse and abuse of alcohol in Australia across all age groups. This paper will discuss the use of alcohol in Australia broadly before focusing on the consumption of alcohol in the 16-29 year old age group. ThisRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol On The Consumption Of Alcohol1950 Words   |  8 PagesThere are a multitude of aspects to consider as to why an individual would be dependent on the consumption of alcohol. One being the living environment of an individual has an effect on alcohol abuse according to the studies found, McCaul et al (2009) talks about this theme and goes on to say that the more licensed alcohol establishment’s in one particular area means it’s more likely for someone to drink on a regular basis as it’s not out of their way. Another reason may be the individual’s emotionalRead MoreAlcohol Consumption : The Effects Of Alcohol On The Body1312 Words   |  6 Pages Alcohol Consumption: The Effects of Alcohol on the Body Thamara Jean-Jacques Professor: Nina Walker Biology 115 October 17, 2015 Lithonia Campus Abstract Drinking alcohol for a period of time or even binge drinking cause harm your heart. Alcohol increases the risk for heart attack, strokes, and hypertension. In 2013, a total of 71,713 people died of liver disease the ages ranged from 12 and older. Alcohol has also been known to affect the pancreas, large amounts of alcohol can confuseRead MoreAdverse Effect Of Alcohol Consumption1321 Words   |  6 PagesThe Adverse Effect of Alcohol Consumption In Whiting S. Albert’s article â€Å"Alcohol Use Is Harmful† he stated that alcohol is a chemical that contains hydrogen and carbon. Whiting stated further that the active ingredient of alcohol is ethyl alcohol, which is also known as ethanol. Alcohol is one of the few things that human being consume that do not need digestion. Alcohol appears the bloodstream immediately, thus, its intoxicating effects are felt instantly (1). â€Å"High levels of mortality, morbidityRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On Alcohol Consumption2606 Words   |  11 PagesThe effects of stress on alcohol consumption since the start of nursing school Alcohol is chemically described as â€Å"a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel.† Humans have been making and consuming alcohol for at least 11,000 years (Brice, 2012). Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, thought to enhance the action of GABA in the brain, an inhibitory transmitterRead MoreEffects Of Alcohol Consumption On The Uk1630 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol consumption in the UK has a clear tradition of having moderate and heavy drinking as seen in Plant and Plant s (2006) analysis of trends in alcohol consumption. It is also notable that most concerns about levels of alcohol consumption is directed particularly towards young people which most consider to be a link to crime and anti-social behaviour. As a result, there is no denying that a stigma has been attached to young people and alcohol. In the UK, general consumption is o n a rise. DataRead MoreThe Effects of Alcohol Consumption on College Students1227 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ The Effects of Alcohol Consumption on College Students On a weekly basis, college students consume more alcohol to fit in with their peers. Prior research has shown how alcohol consumption can lead to negative effects. Typically, college students ignore the negative effects of consuming alcohol, in order to have a good time. College students are the point in their life where they are searching for new and exciting ways to fit inRead MoreThe Effects Of Heavy Alcohol Consumption On Heart Disease1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe negative effects of heavy alcohol consumption have been studied extensively, but recent studies have noted that moderate alcohol consumption correlate to positive health effects. However, the methods of comparing a group of moderate drinkers to a group of abstainers in these studies and the resulting observations have been criticized. Critics claim that comparing abstainers with moderate drinkers lead to biased observations that favor the moderate drinkers to appear to have a lower risk of coronaryRead MoreAlcohol Con sumption Of Ethanol Effects On Human Beings1608 Words   |  7 Pages Alcohol is one of the most consumed substances in the entire world. â€Å"In 2013, 86.8 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their life time† (NIAAA, n.d.). Alcohol is the result of fermented ethanol. Ethanol is a, â€Å"chemically and aromatic compound containing a hydroxyl group† (Foster Marriott, 2006). The raw consumption of ethanol can have devastating effects on human beings, which is why it has to go through the process of fermentation. The fermentationRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Gender And Mate Selection2017 Words   |  9 Pagesand individual consumes alcohol? This age old question has been studies over the past decades to understand the consequences of alcohol consumption, gender and mate selection. In their research, Abbeele et al. aimed to explore the relationship of alcohol consumption and rating of attractiveness. The participants consisted of heterosexual social alcohol consumers that conducted an attractiveness-rating task. It was discovered that individuals that consumed low doses of alcohol were perceived as more

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Stereotypes Race and People Free Essays

Can everything said these days be believed? Today’s social media is highly affected by both language and how a message is sent whilst using the language. There are a handful of different aspects that affect social media as a whole; popular culture, stereotypes, textual bias and language presented in speeches and campaigns. Language can be used to explain a message but how the language is used in a context can define whether or not the message is portrayed clearly or if it is portrayed poorly. We will write a custom essay sample on Stereotypes: Race and People or any similar topic only for you Order Now What you are about to hear may affect how you interpret language used by today’s media as well as today’s society. If you don’t know what it is let me explain for a bit: Stereotyping is the act of presenting a person or group in a certain way, through simplified and biased media, for example all asians like rice. This phrase states that the whole asian population, wherever in the world they may be, like rice. For an asian like myself I would think: â€Å" oh that isn’t exactly true since asian are also people who have different like and dislikes†. Now this is where stereotyping causes harm between different ethnic groups, for example the the phrase; â€Å"all black people steal things†. This phrase clearly states that all African and African American people like to steal things and this phrase was made up because of the fact that maybe once or twice in history a man dressed in black or an African American or African man was accused of stealing something therefore this stereotype is supposedly applicable towards the whole black population around the world. As one might see stereotyping can cause great disputes between different ethnicities as well as break ties between specific ones. Stereotyping is very popular social media ( tv shows, news, internet, etc. ). How the news dictates a certain story about an ethnic can in turn either make create trust between people or start wars between them. For example, not everyone who is Muslim wants to bomb gigantic pieces of architecture but due to certain events, such as the bombing of the twin towers of the world trade center on September 11, 2011, people have come to believe that all Muslims have bad intentions. How we interpret the news may affect social relations between the people we know. What have I learned from the constant language change and all these messages from different cultures, world leaders, and speeches? Well one thing is that: * What we say always has a hidden meaning. There is never a message without a hidden meaning to itself. * Secondly, people will never forget what you will say, meaning you must be very careful with the words you use and in what manner you say your message because it can be misunderstood. * Finally, always remember that the freedom of speech does not mean that one is free to say whatever they please but to convey their opinions by talking to one another. * Kiko Garcia Comments: XXkikomysterXX says: I totally I agree with what you’re saying, I mean people shouldn’t be judge from what has been stereotyped against them. I mean I’m asian, but I don’t like rice that much. I have had a stranger come up to me one time and asked me if I knew kung-fu or any kind of martial art, I told him that I didn’t and he just simply said: â€Å"well I thought all Asians were good at some kind of martial art†. This insulted me a bit in the sense that some stereotypes make other people believe that Asians are being expected of something great. Kikoman345 says: Tss you guys are a bunch of little girls! Why would you take something like â€Å"oh you should be good at maths† so seriously, I mean I’m asian I’m not good at math but I don’t complain about what other people think about me. I only think about myself and what would benefit me. Kikodaman says: Kikoman345, I kinda I agree with you in the sense of self importance but at the same time it’s also quite good to understand why stereotyping starts in the first place, it’s because of other people from another ethnicities don’t know the culture other than their own. I see the importance in this and I believe that if people from other ethnicities would be more open to other cultures they would come to understand the values and morals of that certain ethnic group. Kiko Garcia: Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts, a bit odd how we all have almost the same name though, but anyway I agree with you all. I understand that everyone is a different person but some people can’t be forced into understanding another culture just because of one certain stereotype but for other people they don’t really mind finding out about a new culture to them, which I find very good. Yet, as kikodaman said it is also important that the individual that are being stereotype only think about the good stereotypes that they hear, but at the same time being an open person would never hurt anyone at all. Rationale: I wanted to show my knowledge in stereotyping but be able to explain it in a more popular way for today’s culture, therefore I thought about writing a blog entry. In this entry I explain what stereotyping is and how it affects people, as seen in the â€Å"comments†. I thought about how news gets spread around us quite fast and then I thought why, the answer was the internet. The internet is used very frequently for communication, work, games, etc. but most importantly to spread news. My aim for this blog entry was to enlighten those who stereotype other people for their skin color, accent or even their ethnicity, and those who are less informed today are the young teenagers. These teenagers spend a handful of time on social media sites such as facebook, twitter, etc. so I thought writing a blog entry would make them understand more about stereotyping and its consequences. How to cite Stereotypes: Race and People, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Dickenz in the hood Essay Example For Students

Dickenz in the hood Essay When you rip your heart out of your chest in the Fichandler Theatre at Arena Stage, you dont just yank it out and drop it on the bedespecially if you are the ghost of Jacob Marley and youve been dead for seven years, and its Christmas Eve. And even though the stage directions only say, Marley takes his heart out and shows it to Scrooge, you have to pull it out with a flourish. Show it to the Arena, says actor Henry Strozier, holding the koosh-ball heart and brandishing it to the four walls of the rehearsal hall. Strozier has logged 11 years with Washington, D.C.s premiere theatre-in-the-round and has landed the role of Marley in Cornerstone Theater Companys brand-new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, running through January 2. He knows what to do with a heart at Arena Stage. But that doesnt stop 11-year-old DVaughn Spencer from making a gruesome suggestion. You should get some of that goopy stuff from a toy store red and let it run through your fingers, he says with authority. Director Bill Rauch approves with a grin. This may be the 10-billionth adaptation of Charles Dickenss well-worn tale of skinflint Ebenezer Scrooges encounter with a pack of ghosts on the night before Christmasbut this one is unlike any that went before, not only because it is set in 1993 in the southeast Washington neighborhood of Anacostia, but because A Community Carol is a unique collaboration of people from that struggling neighborhood, from the highly polished Arena Stage, and from Cornerstone, the distinctively populist company that specializes in bringing live productions to theatre-less communities around the country. This production is unusual, even for Cornerstone. Its the first time the Los Angeles-based traveling company has forged a partnership with a major resident theatre, enlisting its seasoned professionals as collaborators and basking in its long-respected footlights. On this Veterans Day weekend, two weeks before opening night, about half of A Community Carols 35-member cast gathers in the productions rehearsal hall, a warehouse room on the ground floor of a parking garage across the street from the theatre in Washingtons upscale southwest waterfront neighborhood. Strozier, who has just wound up a critically acclaimed performance as Malvolio in Arenas production of Twelfth Night, swaps quips with Al Freeman Jr., the Emmy-winning soap-opera star who left the cast of One Life to Live in 1988 to become a theatre professor at Howard University and is now starring as Ebenezer Scrooge, a black businessman who has walled himself away from the needs of his community. They are being coached by Rauch, who founded Cornerstone in 1986 with like-minded cohorts from Harvard, from which he graduated two years earlier. We kicked around the idea of starting our own company that would interact with the community and work with nontraditional casts, Rauch says. We thought it was not only a great thing to do, but that it would help us develop more deeply as artists, pushing us in new directions. In tandem with Harvard history graduate Alison Carey (who contributed to the writing of A Community Carol and is playing minor characters in the show), Rauch launched the venture with an interracial production of Our Town in Newport News, Va., then moved on to hammer out a Wild West version of Hamlet in the tiny town of Marmarth in North Dakota (and helped launch a community theatre there after the Marmarth Hamlet closed). Perhaps the most dramatic project came in the winter of 1988: In Port Gibson, Miss., where segregation survived in earnest, the company reworked Romeo and Juliet as the story of a racial feud, casting a white company member as Juliet and a black local high school student as Romeo. The story of that production caught the eyes of Hollywood producers and has been sold to Steven Spielbergs Amblin Entertainment for a possible film production in late 1994. Cornerstones accomplishments notwithstanding, it took some fast talking to convince the board of directors of the 43-year-old Arena Stage, and some of its company members, to undertake a production where half the cast has little or no acting experience and to offer it as a regular part of Arenas subscription series. There were a lot of areas of resistance, recalls artistic director Douglas C. Wager, a 19-year veteran of Arena who assumed leadership of the company after founder Zelda Fichandler retired in 1991. (Wager knew Rauch from the latters mid-80s stint as assistant to Peter Sellars, then producer of the ill-fated American National Theater at the Kennedy Center.) There were very healthy, aggressive discussions about whether or not Arena should be involved in it. Is it really wise to have 15 non-professionals in the cast? What would it be like playing in a scene with them? Whats my role as an artist, when normally I work with the director and other actors? What is the aesthetic standard? There was a lot of apprehension, but a lot of excitement and interest as well, Wager says. Commedia dell"arte EssayIt was Rauch who pushed for A Christmas Carol, Maslon says. Arena had always avoided the holiday war-horse, but the chance to update it and make it relevant to the 1990s was consistent with Arenas mission. The collaborating companies enlisted the talents of Edward P. Jones, a native Washingtonian whose collection of D.C.-based short stories, Lost in the City, won the PEN/Hemingway Award for best first work of fiction. He, Carey, Rauch and Maslon came up with the plays final draftif something that changes constantly during rehearsal can truly be called final. The main charge was to keep the script as close to Dickenss original work as possible and to update the images and references for a 1993 setting. The biggest hurdle was how to keep the narrative voice and Dickenss moral vision, Maslon says. We knew we didnt want some guy in an armchair too boring. Instead, Rauch came up with a device similar to the Greek chorus policemen, construction workers, firemen, fast-food workers and the like would comment on the plays development through Keck and Maslons songs. Updating the story to 1993 involved some ingenious writing. Tiny Tim is now T.T., confined to a wheelchair after being caught in crossfire out on the street. Marleys ghost first appears to Scrooge by way of the TV set. Bob Cratchit becomes a minor character, displaced by Penny Cratchit, Ebenezers underpaid secretary. And the riotous party thrown by Fezziwig (Scrooges old boss) takes place just after World War II, when Washington, still a very segregated city, was confronting the hypocrisy of sending so many blacks off to war then discriminating against them at home, a practice that becomes depressingly apparent when the racially mixed party gradually breaks up into two separate groups. Once the dance numbers were identified, Sabrina Peck who runs her own dance company in New York and has been with Cornerstone since an early production in Dinwiddie, Va. was called in to choreograph the production. I can already see the change in these kids, she says, running them through a rap number in the Old Vat Room, a cabaret-style theatre in Arenas basement. She has also been working with two deaf children who joined the production only recently. Shes impressed with the way the other children pitched in to help. Cornerstone is my first priority, says Peck, who is committed to the mission of marrying theatre to community, but is rewarded personally by the way Rauch gives her creative breathing space. Im able to talk with him about emotions; we can sit down and work out a scene. Its a constant dialogue Bill and I have: Whats the mood, the intention, whats the form? Wager concedes that Rauch has a curious way of operating. He has a sense of clarity and focus, but he surrounds himself with incredible chaos, Wager observes. Still, he remains decisive and creative. Some of that chaos is apparent in the first runthrough of the entire play. Rauch has pushed the schedule ahead, since it is a weekendthe biggest problem with the production so far is getting people who have jobs and school work to come together at the same time. The young folks attention spans keep blurring out of focus. The rehearsal hall feels so crowded it seems that the walls are closing in. But there are good omens. A late addition to the show is a rousing rap number, a brilliant substitute for some wooden lines that youngsters would never deliver well. Nicola Tyler and Teeko Parron lead the kids through the song and bring down the house. When the ensemble takes the stage for the final number, the musicians begin to tune up when someone in the wings reminds everyone to face the imaginary audience. So they turn in a rough kind of unison to face the beige concrete walls, raise up their voices and sing God Bless Us, Everyone in rousing gospel style. As opening night approaches, you can almost hear an audience clapping.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Management

Dissertation Objectives The working title of the proposed study is ‘Management-Employee Misalignment Performance implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry.’Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The general aim of the proposed study will be to critically evaluate how the U.S. steel manufacturing industries can benefit, productively, by aligning their overall management and business strategies to the needs and expectations of employees working in the sector, hence maintain competitive advantage. The following will form the specific objectives: Critically evaluate the sources of management-employee misalignment within the industry; Critically evaluate the performance implications occasioned by management-employee misalignme nt within the industry; Critically evaluate the industry’s best practices in encouraging and maintaining management-employee alignment to boost performance and profitability; and Analyze and report on probable alternatives that could by used in the U.S. steel production industry to effectively link management strategies to employee needs and expectations from a human resource perspective. The proposed study will be guided by the following research questions: What organizational methodologies can stakeholders in the U.S. steel production industry use to effectively align management strategies to the current needs and expectations of employees? What are the broad implications of using organizational frameworks that contribute to management-employment misalignment in the U.S. steel production industry? What are the perceived and real benefits of introducing a framework that will enhance management-employee alignment in the U.S. steel production industry? Methodology The propo sed study will employ a quantitative research design to critically evaluate the performance implications of management-employee misalignment in the U.S. steel production industry. As Hopkins (2000) observes, most quantitative studies are principally concerned with evaluating the correlation between independent and dependent variables, and are either descriptive or experimental. In this regard, a quantitative study will best serve the interests of the proposed study by offering a workable framework through which management-employee misalignment can be correlated to performance implications. The proposed study will be descriptive in nature because subjects earmarked for the study will be measured once (Sekaran, 2006). Primary data will be collected using self-administered questionnaires in a survey approach since the researcher is primarily interested in descriptive assessment of the relationship between management-employee misalignments on the one hand and performance implications on the other. In this perspective, a pilot study will be carried out before the commencement of the research to validate the items included in the questionnaire schedule as well as ensure that they will effectively answer the key research questions. It is imperative to note that the questionnaires will be administered using online protocols.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondary data for the proposed study will be gathered by means of undertaking a critical review of related literature on the underlying theories and concepts of organizational alignment, the role of human resource departments in ensuring employees needs and demands are positively aligned to management and organizational outcomes, and performance implications triggered by management-employee misalignment. The data collected will then be used to compare the research findings with other previous studies in the field with a view to developing plausible alternatives and recommendations that could be used in the 21st century to form a value-added linkage between management strategies and employee concerns. Patzer (2005) observes that secondary data by way of undertaking a review of current literature does not only avail to the researcher a re-established degree of validity and reliability to the issues under investigation, but it also provides a framework through which the gathered primary data can be objectively ascertained and recommendations made. The population for the proposed study will comprise employees and managers from five steel production companies that will be selected during the piloting stage. The sample, however, will comprise five management-level professionals and 20 employees in each of the five companies, implying that the total sample for the study will comprise 25 management-level professionals and 100 employees. It is imperative to note that management professi onals will be sampled using purposive sampling technique, while the researcher intends to use the human resource departments in each of the selected companies to sample employees using convenience sampling approach. According to Sekaran, participants in a purposive sample are selected based on their deeper understanding of the phenomena under study (in this case, management strategies and how the relate to employee concerns), while subjects in a convenient sample are included in the research framework by virtue of being in the right position at the right time. Quantitative data intended to answer the key research objectives and questions will be collected from the selected companies using two sets of online self-administered questionnaires – one for managers and the other for employees.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lewis-Beck Bryman (2004) observes that administering questionnaires online does not only ensure anonymity and respondent acceptability, but also saves costs and affords the researcher the opportunity to collect huge volumes of data using a flexible design. Questionnaires, on their part, are cost-effective and can be administered with ease, not mentioning that they are effective when the researcher wants to gather confidential data from the subjects (Sekaran, 2006). Feasibility To execute the proposed study, academic resources intended to complete the review of literature will be sourced from scholarly databases, including Academic Search Premier, MasterFILE Premier, and Business Source Premier Databases, among others. The subjects earmarked for this particular study are reasonably likely to be willing to take part in the process since the researcher will take ample time to explain to them the nature and purpose of the study, not mentioning that the researcher will discuss with them their rights, especially the right to informed consent, right to disengage from the research process, right to withhold confidential information, and the right to privacy. These disclosures will most definitely reinforce the subjects’ willingness to participate in the study. In addition, the proposed study will employ an expanded, all-inclusive time-scale (3 months after commencement) to ensure that all elements within the research framework are sufficiently covered. Relation with Existing Published Work The concept of alignment has in recent decades gained an important position in the broad field of strategic management. Venkatraman et al (1989) cited in Schniederjans Cao (2009) had implicitly underlined the significance of aligning business and management preferences with the broader strategies of the organization. Available strategic management literature denotes the importance of aligning business and management strategies with the strengths found within the organization as well as the opportunities and threats prevalent in the external environment (Dubrovski, 2009; Anisomova, 2010; Schniederjans Cao, 2009).Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Indeed, alignment of strategies from a holistic perspective is assumed to be a positive contributor to organizational and business performance, and many studies as demonstrated by Schniederjans Cao (2009) have been conducted to reveal the association between alignment and business performance. To offer a brief contextual background, the proposed study will limit itself to evaluating management-employee misalignment within the U.S. steel production industry. The steel production industry operates under the manufacturing sector, and employment opportunities within the industry continue to diminish despite expanding steel production, in part, due to widespread adoption of more efficient and cost-effective technologies (WorldSteel, 2008). However, the proposed study aims to go past the technical aspects attributed to the diminishing workforce within the industry to evaluate if management concerns, specifically management-employee misalignment, have a role to play and the performance im plications of such a possibility. The steel manufacturing industry, as is the case in other industries, is affected by a multiplicity of internal and external vagrancies, including management-employee misalignment (Tarigan, 2005). The proposed study will therefore seek to assess to what extent this particular variable affects performance within the U.S. steel production industry. According to Schniederjans Cao (2009), â€Å"†¦research on alignment in the operations strategy literature can be classified under two categories: internal fit and external fit† (p. 2536). While citing Skinner’s (1974) definition, the authors’ postulates that internal fit refers to the consistency among organizations tasks, strategies, policies and practices, while external fit focuses on the need for aligning organization-wide strategy with business and corporate stratagems. A manufacturing strategy, for instance, must be consistently aligned with an organization’s busines s strategy for such an organization to make headway in the ever competitive business environment witnessed in the 21st century. But while the study of alignment of business priorities and organizational strategy in the manufacturing sector and its relationship with performance has currently become the focus of much scholarly attention (Tarigan, 2005), few studies have attempted to look at the alignment between business priorities and other functional areas such as human resources, hence the need to undertake the proposed study. An ever increasing number of researchers and practitioners postulate that optimal benefit will accumulate if there is a fit between environmental factors and strategy in diverse contextual modes. Boyer McDermott (1999) cited in Tarigan (2005) found that lack of alignment within the various scopes of the organization has significant effects on performance. Indeed, Tarigan (2005) observes that â€Å"†¦strategy must not only be well-fitted to its competit ive priorities but it also must be communicated and widely understood throughout the manufacturing organization† (p. 586). His view is ingeniously shared by Christiansen Higgs (2008), who argues that the appropriateness of an organization’s strategy must be evaluated under the lens of its fit or congruence with both the environmental and contextual contingencies facing the organization. Boyer and McDermott (1999) cited in Tarigan (2005) posited that strategic consensus aimed at aligning critical organizational and business processes can only be achieved when diverse levels of employees within an organization reaches a well thought out agreement on what is most essential for the organization to succeed. This implies that employees form a critical component in the alignment debate and should be involved at all levels to trigger sustained performance. However, Kennedy (2004) argues that some management strategies found in many firms either ignore or half-heartedly embrace employee needs and broader HR initiatives, especially in training and development, compensation and benefits, performance and appraisal, staff planning, retention, and other challenges prevalent in today’s marketplace. The proposed study, therefore, will seek to come up with alternatives and best practices that can be used by organizations in general and steel production companies in particular to bring employees onboard while formulating critical management strategies and priorities. Such information will inarguably consolidate management-employee alignment. In his study on how ‘business strategy and HR strategy can impact performance’, Tarigan (2005) hypothesizes that the level of alignment of HR strategy and business strategy will obviously have a direct impact on organizational outcomes. Companies, especially those operating in the manufacturing sector, are consistently faced with a myriad of challenges, including overcapacity, low profit margins and intense competition (Nickerson Silverman, 2003). Khatri et al (n.d.) notes that to effectively compete in the face of such and many other challenges, organizations need to be more attuned to their employee relationships and discover options of creating employee satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. One of the ways that this can be achieved, according to Kennedy (2004), is by aligning management strategies and priorities to employee needs, expectations, demands and value prepositions. However, Dubrovski (2009) counteracts that many managers, instead of striving to find a common ground that is essential to involve employees in critical decision making processes especially in issues concerning their own interests, continue to make management mistakes that cause further misalignment of organizational goals and objectives. The proposed study will therefore also aim to extend on the current knowledge of how such management mistakes can be prevented to enhance management-employee alignment and b oost performance. According to Macaleer Jones (2003), organization development professionals and theorists have for a long time â€Å"†¦maintained that improvement in business performance is directly tied to good human resource planning and closely linking this plan to strategic objectives† (p. 15). Failure to align the two, as observed by Tumwesigye (2010), only leads to employee turnover, which unfortunately bears direct and indirect costs such as recruitment and selection costs, lost productivity, reduction in morale among remaining staff, costs associated with training and orienting new members of staff, and work overload, among others. Rand (1999) add to the discussion by suggesting that most organizations fail to perform because management does not have an effective capacity to run and control the business, including aligning human resource strategies to the overall business strategy. The above assertions adds propensity for the need to undertake the proposed stud y so as to come with viable ways which can be ingeniously used to align management practices to the needs and expectations of employees from a human resource perspective. Justification for Selecting the Topic This particular study, more than anything else, will seek to offer tenable alternatives that companies operating in the steel production industry can use to align management practices with the needs, demands and expectations of their employees. In addition, Tarigan (2005) observes that few studies have ever focussed on strategy alignment and reinforcement in a manufacturing setting. In this perspective, the proposed study will go a long way to extend on the current knowledge, especially on how management mistakes can be prevented with an aim to not only enhance management-employee alignment, but to also boost productivity. The current competitive business environment demands organizations to do everything within their reach so as to remain profitable while maintaining a competi tive advantage (Thompson Heron, 2005). Facilitating management-employee alignment is certainly one of the choices that organizations have in ensuring that they remain competitive. The reasons stated above informed the justification to select this particular topic. List of References Anisomova, T (2010). Corporate Brand: The Company-Customer Misalignment and its Performance Implications. Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 17, Issue 7, pp 488-503. Christiansen, L.C., Higgs, M (2008). How the Alignment of Business Strategy and HR Strategy can Impact Performance: A Practical Insight for Managers. Journal of General Management, Vol. 33, Issue 4, pp 13-33. Dubrovski, D (2009). Management Mistakes as Causes of Corporate Crises: Managerial Implications for Countries for Countries in Transition. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, Vol. 20, Issue 1, pp. 39-59. Hopkins, W.G (2000). Quantitative Research Design. Web. Kennedy, E (2004). Bridging the Gap between Company and Employees. Women in Business, Vol. 56, Issue 3, pp. 10-15. Khatri, N., Budwar, P., Fern, C.T (n.d.). Employee Turnover: Bad Attitude or Poor Management? Web. Lewis-Beck, M.S.., Bryman, A (2004). The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Sciences Research Methods, Volume 3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Macaleer, B., Shannon, J (2003). Does HR Planning improve Business Performance? Industrial Management, Vol. 45, Issue 1, pp 15-29. Nickerson, J.A., Silverman, B.S (2003). Why Firms want to Organize Efficiently and what keeps them from doing so: Inappropriate Governance, Performance and Adaptation in a Deregulated Industry. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48, Issue 3, pp 433-465. Patzer, G.L (1995). Using Secondary Data in Marketing Research: United Sates and Worldwide. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Rand, T (1999). Why Businesses Fail: An Organizational Perspective. Emergence, Vol. 1, Issue 4, pp 97- 114. Schniederjans, M., Cao, Q (2009). Alignment of Operations Strategy, Informatio n Strategic Orientation, and Performance: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 47, Issue 10, pp. 2535-2563. Sekaran, U (2006). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. Bombay: Wiley-India. Tarigan, R (2005). An Evaluation of the Relationship between Alignment of Strategic Priorities and Manufacturing Performance. International Journal of Management, Vol. 22, Issue 4, pp 586-597. Thompson, M., Heron, P (2005). Management Capability and High Performance Work Organization. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16, Issue 6, pp 1029-1048. Tumwesigye, G (2010). The relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and Turnover Intentions in a Developing Country: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment. African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 4, Issue 6, pp 942-952. WorldSteel Association. (2008). Working in the Steel Industry. Web. This dissertation on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry was written and submitted by user Kailyn Phillips to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Italian Diacritical Accent Marks

Italian Diacritical Accent Marks Segni diacritici. Punti diacritici. Segnaccento (or segno daccento, or accento scritto). However you refer to them in Italian, accent marks (also referred to as diacritical marks) are added or attached to a letter to distinguish it from another of similar form, to give it a particular phonetic value, or to indicate stress. Note that in this discussion, the term accent does not refer to the pronunciation characteristic of a given region or geographical location (for example, a Neapolitan accent or Venetian accent) but rather to orthographic marks. The Big Four in Accent Marks In Italian ortografia (spelling) there are four accent marks: accento acuto (acute accent) [ ´] accento grave (grave accent) [] accento circonflesso (circumflex accent) [ˆ] dieresi (diaresis) [ ¨] In contemporary Italian, the acute and grave accents are the most commonly encountered. The circumflex accent is rare and the diaresis (also referred to as an umlaut) is usually only found in poetic or literary texts. Italian accent marks can be divided into three categories: mandatory, optional, and incorrect. Required accent marks are those that, if not used, constitute a spelling error; facultative accent marks are those a writer uses to avoid ambiguity of meaning or reading; wrong accent marks are those that are written without any purpose and, even in the best of cases, only serve to weigh down the text. When Accent Marks Are Needed In Italian, the accent mark is obligatory: With all words of two or more syllables that end with a vowel that is stressed: libert, perchà ©, finà ¬, abbandonà ², laggià ¹ (the word ventitrà © also requires an accent);With monosyllables ending in two vowels, of which the second has a truncated sound: chià ¹, cià ², dià ¨, gi, già ¹, pià ¨, pià ¹, puà ², sci. One exception to this rule are the words qui and qua;With the following monosyllables in order to distinguish them from other monosyllables of identical spelling, which have a different meaning when unaccented: - chà ©, in the sense of poichà ©, perchà ©, causal conjunction (Andiamo chà © si fa tardi) to distinguish it from the conjunction or pronoun che (Sapevo che eri malato, Can che abbaia non morde); - d, the present indicative of dare (Non mi d retta) to distinguish it from the preposition da, and from da’, the imperative form of dare (Viene da Roma, Da’ retta, non partire); - dà ¬, when meaning day (Lavora tutto il dà ¬) to distinguish it from the preposition di (È l’ora di alzarsi) and di’, the imperative form of dire (Di’ che ti piace); - à ¨, verb (â€Å"Non à ¨ vero†) to distinguish it from the conjunction e (Io e lui); - l, adverb of place (È andato l) to distinguish it from the article, pronoun, or musical note la (Dammi la penna, La vidi, Dare il la all’orchestra); - là ¬, adverb of place (Guarda là ¬ dentro) to distinguish it from the pronoun li (Li ho visti); - nà ©, conjunction (Nà © io nà © Mario) to distinguish it from the pronoun or adverb ne (Ne ho visti parecchi, Me ne vado subito, Ne vengo proprio ora); - sà ©, stressed personal pronoun (Lo prese con sà ©) to distinguish it from the unstressed pronoun se or the conjunction se (Se ne prese la met, Se lo sapesse); - sà ¬, adverb of afirmation or to express the sentiment cosà ¬ (Sà ¬, vengo, Sà ¬ bello e sà ¬ caro) to distinguish it from the pronoun si (Si à ¨ ucciso); - tà ¨, plant and drink (Piantagione di tà ¨, Una tazza di tà ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ) to distinguish it from te (closed sound) pronoun (Vengo con te). When Accents Are Optional The accent mark is optional: With a, that is, stressed on the third-to-last syllable, so as not to be confused with the identically spelled word that is pronounced with the accent on the penultimate syllable. For example, nà ¨ttare and nettare, cà ³mpito and compito, sà ºbito and subito, cpitano and capitano, bitino and abitino, ltero and altero, mbito and ambito, uguri and auguri, bcino and bacino, circà ¹ito and circuito, frà ºstino and frustino, intà ºito and intuito, malà ¨dico and maledico, mà ¨ndico and mendico, nà ²cciolo and nocciolo, rà ¨tina and retina, rà ºbino and rubino, sà ©guito and seguito, và ­ola and viola, vità ¹peri and vituperi.When it signals the vocal stress on words ending in -io, -à ­a, -à ­i, -à ­e, such as fruscà ­o, tarsà ­a, fruscà ­i, tarsà ­e, as well as lavorà ­o, leccornà ­a, gridà ­o, albagà ­a, godà ­o, brillà ­o, codardà ­a, and many other instances. A more important reason is when the term, with a different pronunciation, would change meaning, for example: balà ­a and balia, bacà ­o and bacio, gorgheggà ­o and gorgheggio, regà ­a and regia. Then there are those optional accents that might be referred to as phonic because they signal the correct pronunciation of the vowels e and o within a word; an open e or o has one meaning while a closed e or o has another: fà ³ro (hole, opening), fà ²ro (piazza, square); tà ©ma (fear, dread), tà ¨ma (theme, topic); mà ¨ta (ending, conclusion), mà ©ta (dung, excrement); cà ²lto (from the verb cogliere), cà ³lto (educated, learned, cultured); rà ²cca (fortress), rà ³cca, (spinning tool). But beware: these phonetic accents are beneficial only if the speaker understands the difference between the acute and grave accent; otherwise disregard the accent mark, since it is not mandatory. When Accents Are Wrong The accent mark is wrong: First and foremost, when it is incorrect: there should be no accent on the words qui and qua, according to the exception noted;and when it is completely useless. It is a mistake to write dieci anni f, accenting the verbal form fa, which would never be confused with the musical note fa; as it would be a mistake to write non lo sà ² or cosà ¬ non v accenting without reason so and va.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Musical Texture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Musical Texture - Assignment Example In listening to the â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† from YouTube, the texture seems very different than what is in the textbook. In the very beginning of the work the singers are singing in a homophonic way, During these lyrics â€Å"for Lord God omnipotent reigneth† it is done in strictly, monophonic texture the first time it is sung. This gives the strength and emphasizes this particular section. The texture in the version from within the textbook lists this as monophonic. The second time that this sung, it is very clearly done in monophonic texture which is visible on the score as much as heard in the music. The third time it is sung in the textbook, it is clearly in polyphonic as it is sung in contrast with the lyric â€Å"Hallelujah†. This is the same in the version on YouTube which occurs in a long section that almost sounds similar to canon. The YouTube version is the same as the text for â€Å"The Kingdom of this world becomes. The lyrics â€Å"King of Kings a nd Lord of Lords† is repeatedly monophonic until it begins to turn into a polyphonic section that includes other lyrics as well, which is similar to the textbook version. The monophonic portions of the score appear on one line, while the homophonic portions appear separated into multiple lines on the monophonic YouTube score. In this example, both methods are used in order to show the use of different instrumentation. In other words, when the chorus is in polyphonic mode, they get one line, but when multiple instruments are used to create this sound they are on different lines.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Black suffrage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Black suffrage - Essay Example Stanton served as the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Elizabeth worked closely with Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass (a former slave), her husband Henry Stanton and cousin Gerrit Smith. Lucretia Mott (1840) she was a great admirer of feminist, she was so angry when she couldn't see Mott speak because women were supposed to sit away from the view of men and for this reason Elizabeth Drafted a declaration of Sentiments Elizabeth Cady Stanton ones said, "The prejudice against color, of which we hear so much, is no stronger than that against sex. It is produced by the same cause, and manifested very much in the same way". Men have made women submit to law in which women have no voice, men have deprived women their rights as citizens, women rights to property have been deprived and that men have the monopoly to nearly all the profitable employments. Elizabeth can therefore be seen as a woman who has pioneered in the fight against women oppression. Although she fought for women rights to vote she died 20 years before women were granted this rights. She was an intelligent courageous and hardworking woman in that she dared give a speech in front of the committee of judiciary of the United States. Elizabeth died in October 26, 1902. Frederick Douglass served as a marshal of the District of Columbia and as consul general to the republic of Hai

Monday, November 18, 2019

PC Spec word project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PC Spec word project - Essay Example Having considered the requirements of the Director, it is proposed to buy high end computers that have separate graphics and memory cards from the motherboard. Standard office computer utilizes the embedded GPU and RAM which is not adequate to perform video and graphics editing. Also, softwares such as Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Premiere have system requirements that necessitate computers with high end specs. If the company have the budget to buy branded computers that meets the following requirement such as Dell Precision T3610 series, then it should go ahead and purchase those. If the company however is strapped on cash, it can assemble its own computer by buying the parts that can perform the tasks required by the Director. Manage and protect the system, data, and information while working on the Internet including scanning all incoming emails, email attachments, and files downloaded from Web-based sources; firewall, virus and spyware (security) protection; and checking websites for phishing and fraudulent activities. Audio Editing Software Review 2014 | Best Sound Editing Software | Audio Editor Software - TopTenREVIEWS. (n.d.).  TopTenREVIEWS. Retrieved June 21, 2014, from

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Information Systems In Manufacturing Industry Information Technology Essay

The Information Systems In Manufacturing Industry Information Technology Essay In our time like many organizations manufacturing industry is basically depended of their information systems. Industries which engage in producing and processing items using machines, tools and labors are referred as manufacturing industries. The overall procedure of industry can be divided into three phases namely design, procurement and produce. Information systems plays a major role to coordinate activities within manufacturing industry, between manufacturing industry along the production chain and between manufacturing industry and outside organizations such as financial organizations. Hence information systems can connect manufacturing industry, their customers, suppliers and service providers. In order to operate better in rapidly changing and competitive market information systems should be integrated. When considering the procedures of manufacturing industry they should be coordinated at many levels. Engineers should design products according to a standard in which the industry can sell and manufacture the product at competitive price. Marketing department should sell the products that are manufactured in the firm. The production staff builds reliable products using tools and skills. Material staff should make sure that the enough materials are on hand to ensure smooth production. Information systems coordinate these groups increase competitive advantages and workflow. The framework for information systems in manufacturing industry is shown below. This framework is applied to many levels of the manufacturing industry. The environment refers external factors such as the level of competition, technical innovation, labor market tightness and continuity of investment which can be affected on managers and technical staff in the selection of the technology. The organization is the manufacturing industry, including the variables of organization size, inter-unit conflict, scope and diversity etc. The technology includes the people, equipment, techniques and management practices that consists variables between organization and its environment. The outcomes are consequences from use of technology, including product delivery times, production delays, innovation frequency, the degree of managerial control over product design and production etc. Information systems in manufacturing industry Transactional Processing System (TPS) These systems are used to collect, store, modifies and retrieves data transactions of manufacturing industry. The success of industry depends on the reliable processing of transactions to ensure that customer orders are met on time, and that partners and suppliers are paid and can make payment. Executive Support System These systems help senior managers to make strategic decision by providing analyzed and summarized internal and external information of the industry. ESS typically involves lots of data analysis and modeling tools such as what-if analysis to help strategic decision-making. Material Resource Planning (MRP) This is an integrated information system used by businesses. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) evolved from early Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) systems by including the integration of additional data, such as employee and financial needs. The system is designed to centralize, integrate and process information for effective decision making in scheduling, design engineering, inventory management and cost control in manufacturing. Enterprise Resource Planning System ERP system refers a particular set of technologies which seep into the whole industry and outline the way business works at many levels. ERP are setting up majority of manufacturing operations. These systems consist of functions such as accounting, customer order fulfillment, manufacturing, materials management, human resources and financial systems and offer close integration among these functions. By using ERP systems industry can increase quality and efficiency, decrease costs, get decision support and get enterprise agility. Manufacturing Strategy The successfulness of manufacturing industry is depended on produce quality products than competitors by combining organizational skills and technological ability. Manufacturing strategy should be implemented to achieve competitive advantages. Manufacturing strategy consists of a pattern of decision relating to the structure and the infrastructure of the industry. Product scope, process technology, manufacturing alliance and production competence are related with the decision of structure. Product scope refers to the types and range of products such as end product complexity, variety of end products and individual products volume. Process technology consists of equipments and methods which are used for manufacturing. Manufacturing alliances refers to kind of services, materials and systems provide through internal operations. Production competence refers to the strength of the manufacturer which is based on the product scope, process technology and manufacturing alliance. Management polices and systems which determine how the structure is managed are referred by infrastructure. Manufacturing administration, process and skills specify infrastructure. Manufacturing administration including organizations roles, structure and reporting relationships including human resource polices, quality management system, production planning and inventory control systems, new product development process, organization structure and design etc. process refers to the articulation of workflows and related information flows to carry out the manufacturing activities. Information flows coordinate conversion steps, material flows and provide feedback to improve industry procedures, process technology and operating characteristics. Skills refer to the industrys and individuals capability to execute the key operations to support a manufacturing strategy. Industrys operation can be improved by coordinating manufacturing administration, process and skills. Information System Strategy Equivalent to manufacturing strategy, information system strategy can also be conceptualized in terms of structure and infrastructure. Structural decision consist of three dimensions namely system competencies, technology scope and information system alliance. System competencies are often emphasized by an industry in designing and operating its information technology by adding values to products and services. The main components are costs of information processing, flexibility to provide different kind of information and capability to provide specified information. The types and range of information systems and capabilities available in the industry such as expert systems, robots, and local area networks are known as technology scope. The choices of structural mechanisms available to industry to gain the required information technology capabilities are referred as information technology alliance. On the other hand similar to infrastructure of manufacturing strategy, information systems strategy includes information technology architecture which includes computing, communication, data and applications. Process includes system development process, maintenance process, and system monitoring and control process. Skills deal with knowledge and capabilities which require to effectively managing the information systems strategic infrastructure of the industry. Strategic alignment To achieve maximum benefits from information systems, manufacturing strategy should be aligned with Information system strategy. The strategic alignment model can be used to align these strategies. This model is based on strategic integration and functional integration. There are four domains including business strategy, organization infrastructure and process, information technology strategy and information system infrastructure and process. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/fig/0460020403006.png Manufacturing Information systems strategic role When considering manufacturing strategy alone, it can play at least four major roles in the industry competitive strategy including minimize manufacturing negative strategy, achieve parity with competitors, provide credible support to the business strategy and follow a manufacturing-based business strategy. Corresponded with these roles, there are also four roles to influence information technology for better manufacturing performance namely technology defense, technology implementation, strategy implementation and strategy sustenance. Technology defense involves information technology application to the manufacturing industry infrastructure. The purpose of implementing information technology is to reduce or avoid negative elements in industry process and managerial procedures. Information technology is relied upon to provide detailed measurements and ensure that manufacturing is does not get too off track. Technology implementation reflects the usage of information technology strategy structure to influence key dimensions of manufacturing strategy structure.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Taoism and Western Moral Philosophy Essay -- Kant, Mill, and Lao Tzu

Taoism presents a moral philosophy that at first seems very different from most western moral philosophies which, though very different, usually understand morality as a set of restraints on behavior or a common set of principles (common virtues). Western moral philosophy, in general, emphasizes constraining behavior that stems from desire. Taosim's emphasis is dealing directly with controlling ones desire by eliminating them. Taoism and western moral philosophy deal with desire but Taoism deals with it directly and western morality often only tries to stem the effect of desire. Both systems see in man that he does not naturally desire the good and true or the Way. Desire is the root of evil. Only when we desire something bad do we act bad. Thus, as in western moral philosophy, we can provide an incentive to not act on ones desire or, as in the case of Taoism, desire can be eliminated. The result of both moral systems is the same--moral behavior. Both systems of morality try to encou rage man to act better than he naturally is. Whether you call it the Way, the Ten Commandments, or the categorical imperative they deal with the same thing. Man's inherent state is fallen, whether he has fallen from grace or lost his Way, all great societies have realized that man is in need of help. This is true for Black Elk who was given a vision to help man and Socrates who felt that man needed to be saved from his own ignorance. Moral systems, by their very nature, have observed and concluded that when man is left to fulfill his individual desires, without respect to others and the greater good, nothing good can come from it. All societies have functioned around this principle from the beginning of civilization. Further, unlike many other moral ph... ...nctions about what need and want mean and are thereby able to relate it properly to the texts of the mentioned philosophers. These distinctions have allowed us to understand how need and want bear on Kant, Mill, and Lao Tzu's moral philosophy and how, under these moral guidelines, we should behave. References Kant, Immanuel. 1993. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, On a Supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns, 3rd Edition. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Mill, John Stuart. 1979. Utilitarianism. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Lao Tzu. 1983. The Way of Life . New York, New York: Mentor, Penguin Group Confucius. 1989. The Analects of Confucius. New York: Vintage Books a Division of Random House, Inc. George Orwell. 1946. Politics and the English Language . Found on WWW. Taoism and Western Moral Philosophy Essay -- Kant, Mill, and Lao Tzu Taoism presents a moral philosophy that at first seems very different from most western moral philosophies which, though very different, usually understand morality as a set of restraints on behavior or a common set of principles (common virtues). Western moral philosophy, in general, emphasizes constraining behavior that stems from desire. Taosim's emphasis is dealing directly with controlling ones desire by eliminating them. Taoism and western moral philosophy deal with desire but Taoism deals with it directly and western morality often only tries to stem the effect of desire. Both systems see in man that he does not naturally desire the good and true or the Way. Desire is the root of evil. Only when we desire something bad do we act bad. Thus, as in western moral philosophy, we can provide an incentive to not act on ones desire or, as in the case of Taoism, desire can be eliminated. The result of both moral systems is the same--moral behavior. Both systems of morality try to encou rage man to act better than he naturally is. Whether you call it the Way, the Ten Commandments, or the categorical imperative they deal with the same thing. Man's inherent state is fallen, whether he has fallen from grace or lost his Way, all great societies have realized that man is in need of help. This is true for Black Elk who was given a vision to help man and Socrates who felt that man needed to be saved from his own ignorance. Moral systems, by their very nature, have observed and concluded that when man is left to fulfill his individual desires, without respect to others and the greater good, nothing good can come from it. All societies have functioned around this principle from the beginning of civilization. Further, unlike many other moral ph... ...nctions about what need and want mean and are thereby able to relate it properly to the texts of the mentioned philosophers. These distinctions have allowed us to understand how need and want bear on Kant, Mill, and Lao Tzu's moral philosophy and how, under these moral guidelines, we should behave. References Kant, Immanuel. 1993. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, On a Supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns, 3rd Edition. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Mill, John Stuart. 1979. Utilitarianism. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Lao Tzu. 1983. The Way of Life . New York, New York: Mentor, Penguin Group Confucius. 1989. The Analects of Confucius. New York: Vintage Books a Division of Random House, Inc. George Orwell. 1946. Politics and the English Language . Found on WWW.