Friday, December 27, 2019

Sri Lanka Genocide - 848 Words

The island of Sri Lanka, situated in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of India, is an exquisitely beautiful and spiritual place. Torture, rape and random killings have been perpetrated by the military and pro-government paramilitaries. Underpinning this war has been Western military aid and political support. This reflects Sri Lankas strategic significance, but also that the military, political and theocratic elites that rule Sri Lanka maintain Western domination of the economy that still follows the colonial export-oriented model (FRONTLINE). The Tamils of South India frequently invaded Sri Lanka. They wished to control the islands wealth and people. However, at the times Tamil involvement in the island was equally the†¦show more content†¦Concern today was Walter Kà ¤lin, the Secretary-Generals Representative for the Human Rights of Displaced Persons, who said the LTTE is preventing civilians from leaving the area and placing military installations close to them, wh ile the Government, for its part, has been using heavy weapons such as mortars there in recent days.This combination of factors must have resulted in unacceptably high numbers of civilian casualties. Mr. Kà ¤lin also expressed his concern over the dire living conditions in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) who escaped the conflict, with the influx of an additional 110,000 people during the last 10 days of April posing further challenges for the Government and its humanitarian partners (UN expert). More than 64,000 people have been killed here in ethnic strife over the past twenty years. Human-rights organizations estimate that the Tigers have killed 8,000 fellow Tamils considered to be traitors to the rebel cause. Human-rights organizations estimate that the Tigers have killed 8,000 fellow Tamils considered to be traitors to the rebel cause (FRONTLINE). The representative said to call on the LTTE to let the remaining civilians go and both sides to agree to humanitarian pauses for that purpose as well as to allow humanitarian access to bring in much-needed food andShow MoreRelatedThe Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam1165 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Sri Lanka Genocide, crimes against humanity were committed against the Tamlins by the Sri Lankans. Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian ocean, located south-east of India. The original name of the island is the Democratic Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had their own language. â€Å"In 1956, the Official Language Act was enacted† (Mitchell, pg. 2). This act made the Sinhalese language the 1st language that 74% of the peopl e on the island spoke. The different languages caused many issues on the islandRead MoreThe Rwandan Genocide Of Rwanda941 Words   |  4 PagesStarting on April 6, 1994, Hutus started butchering the Tutsis in the African nation of Rwanda. Lasting 100 days, the Rwandan Genocide left approximately 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu sympathizers dead. To understand this act horrible against the Tutsi population, one most be aware of key historical factors that lead to increase in tension between the Tutsi and Hutu. At the point when Rwanda was initially settled, the general population who lived there raised cows. The general population who claimed theRead MoreSri Lanka Conflict Resolution Case Study1660 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The conflicts that plagued Sri Lanka for twenty-seven years of civil war can be traced back to the time when the country was decolonized by Britain. Although the conflict in Sri Lanka is ethnic in essence, the evolution of the conflict over that extended period of time added layers of grievances that resulted in intractability. This paper will try to identify some of the most important sources of conflict before and during the civil war in Sri Lanka. These sources will then be defined usingRead MoreThe Music Of The Pop Music Scene1181 Words   |  5 Pagesthan just make music, Arulpragasam wanted to make a statement that would be impacted politically, socially, and culturally. She sings about third world countries and issues, specifically Sri Lanka in her album Arular. Arulpragasam drew from the discrimination she experienced while hiding with her family during the Sri Lankan Civil War and the horror of the massacre of the Tamil people. Arular, pushes important notions about a third world that has no voice in a first world indie music platform. ArulpragasamRead MoreCultural Memory, The Mgr Murder Trial5316 Words   |  22 PagesCultural Memory and the Sri Lankan Civil War in Shobaskthi’s short story, â€Å"The MGR Murder Trial† By Dr Preetha Vasan . Abstract : This paper looks at the intersection of cultural memory, war and literary narrative in the specific context of the civil wars that raged Sri Lanka. It would consider the dynamics of cultural memory of an ethnic minority group during a civil war. To achieve this , the paper would attempt a close study of Shobasakthi , the Tamil Eelam writer’s titular short story â€Å"TheRead MoreHow Media Affects Society Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagescase of the Tamil war in Sri Lanka. The tone in which it is presented such as the recently reported cases of Tamil protest on the streets of downtown Toronto and finally in the manner it chooses to target certain audiences, such as the case of Victoria George-Pazzano in Mexico. The media affects society through the facts it chooses to reveal. The media can choose to mention certain things and not to mention certain things. As seen in the recent Tamil war in Sri Lanka all mainstream media outletsRead MoreCanada s Immigration Act And System1229 Words   |  5 PagesCanada as early as the 1960s, coming as independent immigrants. â€Å"The vast majority, however, arrived in Canada after 1983 in the aftermath of the 1983 Colombo riots in Sri Lanka.† In 1983, the Canadian government took Tamils into Canada under humanitarian and compassionate consideration. At the same time, a visa requirement was imposed on Sri Lankans, making it very difficult to get here legally. In 1986, Minister s permits were granted to some refugees allowing them to remain in Canada. Today TamilsRead MoreRole of Management Consultant2414 Words   |  10 PagesThe role of Management Consultancy in a fast changing and volatile business environment in Sri Lanka vis a vis its interfa ce with rest of the world Continuous Assessment - Essay (Individual Assignment) MCP 2258 – Management Consultancy Skills MBA in Human Resource Management Batch II - Semester III Course Director : Prof. Sudatta Ranasinghe - Professor of Management Mr. S A D Senanayake Head, The Department of Management Studies Dr. Udan Fernando, Senior Lecturers, Resource Person : Gamini HettiarachchiRead MoreInternational Relations : The Domestic And The International1241 Words   |  5 Pagesfavor of human rights, whether the violations are committed by their homeland government, or a third agent is violating the rights of their kin. The Armenian community, again, is representative in its efforts towards the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Diasporic communities also often hold a vested interest in immigration policy, as it determines whether their friends, family and compatriots may be able to come into the country. The military and security of the homeland are also a flagship causeRead MoreThe Humanitarian Genocide1103 Words   |  5 Pagesto help others in times of tragedy and chaos; however, there are limitations on the force of compassion. During recent and historical genocide s, many outsiders’ universes of obligation have narrowed due to social and political factors, turning them into bystanders of ethnic crisis. Similarly, the world was unresponsive to the ethnic eradication of Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. For twenty-six years, tens of thousands of helpless Tamils suffered as human shields for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Essay American Slavery - 938 Words

American Slavery 1619-1877 Book Report History 1050 6/18/2013 Introduction â€Å"American Slavery, 1619-1877† by Peter Kolchin gives an overview of the practice of slavery in America between 1619 and 1877. From the origins of slavery in the colonial period to the road to its abolition, the book explores the characteristics of slave culture as well as the racial mind-sets and development of the old South’s social structures. This paper is divided in two sections. The first section observes the author’s vivid presentation of the slave-master psyche and relationship from the 17th to 19th century America. The second section examines the author’s choice of method in narration - how, apart from quoting statistics,†¦show more content†¦Kolchin narrates tales of hardship and provides a condemning opinion of slavery. At the same time, however, he focuses on the facts of daily living of slaves in America. Furthermore, Kolchin delves deeply into the oddly fascinating dynamics of the slave-master relationship, which allows incidents such as a master whipping his slave for working sluggishly and then the evening of the same day, gathering all of the slaves for a bible reading session. A person who provides basic needs for others but forces them to provide him free labor in return is evaluated repeatedly in the book with interesting outcomes. However, the author likewise presents a slave owner who had minimal impact on slaves’ lives outside of the workday, one who allowed the slaves to have social and religious celebrations of their own choosing, and viewed the slaves as not just property, but humans. The irony of this is that slave owners saw no wrong in what they were doing, regardless of how they treated their respective slaves. Slavery, as an institution, was from the perspective of the slave owners, justified. Kolchin describes that, in response, slaves were overtly resistive to their predicament at times, while others provided less obvious resistance in the form of slow work, feigning illness, and even sabotage. In addition, Kolchin gives the readers the catalysts for the events in the history of slavery. Economic,Show MoreRelatedAmerican Slavery, American Freedom Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesEdmund S. Morgan’s famous novel American Slavery, American Freedom was published by Norton in 1975, and since then has been a compelling scholarship in which he portrays how the first stages of America began to develop and prosper. Within his researched narrative, Morgan displays the question of how society with the influence of the leaders of the American Revolution, could ha ve grown so devoted to human freedom while at the same time conformed to a system of labor that fully revoked human dignityRead MoreAmerican Slavery1079 Words   |  5 Pagespopulation increased. Planters turned to African slaves to replace the white servants, in this manner elevated the status of poor whites. There were three structural changes: the decline of opportunity, the beginnings of natural increase, and the rise of slavery. By 1680 tobacco prices declined so much that planters earned barely enough income to recover their costs of production, and tobacco prices went below that level. But in 1740 the tobacco prices began to rise, however not having the tobacco boomRead MoreJustification of American Slavery2267 Words   |  10 Pagesearly 1600s, the majority of Indentured Servants were Native Americans. However, due to the increasing death toll of the Native American people as an result of European diseases. As a result, the percentage of indentured servants slowly shifted towards the African community as time progressed. At the time, colonialist had no problem justifying indentured servants into slavery. There were five major methods in justifying slavery. One of these methods was a biblical justification, referringRead MoreSlavery And The American Revolution2902 Words   |  12 PagesThat is the reason behind me choosing my topic on slavery in that era because it is such a wide and important topic with so much relevance and importance to creating the U.S. that we live in today not only building the foundation but creating the melting pot that the U.S. prides itself on. Within the body of this essay we will discussing many important topics on slavery including the Haitian Revolution, Brazil being the last country to abolish slavery, showing the difference between women and men slavesRead MoreSlavery And The American Dream1393 Words   |  6 PagesSlaves they are products of a lost mind and irresponsible love. Now when I say a slave I am not talking about someone who is the property of someone else that must obey his or her every command. I am talking about the slavery of the m ind that has run like wild fire among the black community. However sad it may be, our own kind are making their children into slaves. There are few things that have had such an impact on making slaves as the topics that I am about to mention. Which all will take placeRead MoreAmerican Slavery in 1600s 2755 Words   |  11 PagesAmerican Slavery Slavery became an established activity in America by 1600’s. The slaves were mostly to provide free and cheap labor. Apart from America, slavery was practiced in other parts of the world throughout history, and in fact it can be traced back to the time of the ancient civilization. With industrial revolution especially with the rise of sugar plantations, the slaves were used to grow sugar in the periods from 1100. This intensified between 1400 and 1500 when Portugal and Spain venturedRead MoreSlavery And Circuses : The Development Of Race And American Slavery Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesSlavery and Circuses: The Development of Race and American Slavery as a Result of Fabricated Class Divisions Imposed by the Jamestown Elite The rise of slavery in mid-seventeenth century Jamestown brought forth a new system of economic and political organization that reinforced not only the older class divisions, but also reinvigorated the already existent, but limited racial divide. From the beginning, the Virginia Company was incorporated on a disastrous union of these two forces. The failure toRead MoreAmerican Slavery Essay983 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery, especially in America, has been an age old topic of riveting discussions. Specialist and other researchers have been digging around for countless years looking for answers to the many questions that such an activity provided. They have looked into the economics of slavery, slave demography, slave culture, slave treatment, and slave-owner ideology (p. ix). Despite slavery being a global issue, the main focus is always on American slavery. Peter Kolchin effectively illustrates in his bookRead MoreSlavery : The African American Slavery2189 Words   |  9 PagesA PUSH - Steiker Period 6 Slavery 1775 - 1830 â€Å"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves, † said George Gordon Byron. Though slavery has never had a universal definition, one might describe it as the dependent labour by one person performed to another who is not of his or her family. It was thought to have come about after a dramatic labour shortage in particular areas or countries. In America, slavery has always been a highly debatedRead MoreSlavery And The Making Of American Capitalism1153 Words   |  5 PagesJose Arciga Robert Dean History 110 11.10.15 Essay Prompt The Half Has Never Been Told :Slavery and the making of American Capitalism Back when America was being shaped, tobacco was the main slave produced trade in the colonies. Plantations all across the south had a majority of the slaves from Africa brought here on ships. Forced to work for their slave owners. Tobacco wasn t the only booming business. Cotton soon came into the picture, the north was a more industrial economy, while the south

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Global Changes Sustainable Built Environment

Question: Discuss about the Global Changes for Sustainable Built Environment. Answer: Introduction: Doing well by doing good should be the motto of everyone (Falck and Heblich, 2007).A sustainable profile of a company not only enhances its market reputation but also helps in improving the financial prospects of the company (Goldstein, 2010). Eagle Valley Health Foods wants to change its companys work profile to be more sustainable. The findings on the companys working states that: Work Place- The work place of the company needs to follow the sustainable methods and that are reuse, recycle, and reduce. It is important that the whole work process starting from the raw materials suppliers to the end-user should be well processed. The company is not taking any measures to reduce the waste produced by the work operations (Arif and Syal, 2013). Packaging- the company is using packaging made from polypropylene that is a product made from thermoplastic. Plastic in any ways is harmful to the environment. This packaging is not appropriate for the food products (Jolink and Niesten, 2013). Water Usage- 70 % of the companys production is based on the water. No measures are taken to reduce the water usage in the company. The water taxes have increased in the last two years which makes it very costly (Fish, 2016). Discussion Sustainability not only brings profits to the company but also increases the reputation of the company in the customers eyes (Lawn, 2008). The companys work processes need to be changed and all the new processes should be designed by keeping in mind the three main components of sustainability, and they are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Another part where the company lacks behind in sustainability process is the usage of the packaging material (Warshawsky, 2015). The company is using polypropylene for the packaging purpose which is made from thermoplastic material. Plastic is a material that cannot be decomposed by nature and if decomposed mechanically, then it release harmful gases (Mort, 2010). If the company changes its packaging material, then the company will become more sustainable. The companys 70% operations are based on water usage, and the company is not taking any measure to reduce its usage. As the prices of water are also increasing, therefore, it is not even cost-efficient . The company needs to work on the following findings to improve the sustainability of the company (Oke, 2015). Recommendations Some recommendations that can help in improving the sustainability of the company is: - Packaging- The requirements that make a particular packaging of the product more sustainable are as follows:- Packaging of the products should be cost effective as well as functional throughout the value chain. It should be resource and energy efficient packaging A packaging that could be cycled or recycled easily termed to be more sustainable. The packaging material should be environment-friendly that means it should be non-toxic (Gronman et al., 2012). Water Usage- Following steps could be taken by the company to reduce the usage of the water in the production process:- Using vacuuming, sweeping, and high-pressure trigger nozzle hoses for cleaning rather than water Identifying the processes where water could be reused or recycled A maintenance program needs to be setup that will check any leakage or blockage. Rain water harvesting system could be installed The existing water fixtures could be changed with more water efficient fixtures (Kraft, 2009). Work Place- Sustainability can be brought by making few changes in the work place through the following processes:- Rights steps need to be taken by the company at the right time to improve the performance of the business mainly focusing the areas of increasing the water, materials efficiency, energy, and reducing waste. Eagle Valley Health Foods needs to engage its retailers, suppliers, and all of its service providers and work on improving the sustainability from the starting of the supply chain. All the steps decided to be taken to bring sustainability in the company need to be monitored, evaluated, and bring continued improvement as required (Food SA Zero Waste SA, 2014). Conclusion Sustainability is a process which every business likes to initiate in their work-process to leave a positive effect on the environment. The company works out various processes that can help in increasing sustainability of the operations as it is not only cost effective but environment-friendly too, which attract customers. It concludes that, if Eagle Valley Health Food Company initiates the above-given processes of sustainability, then it will help the company to become more sustainable. References Arif, M. and Syal, M. (2013). Addressing Global Changes for a Sustainable Built Environment: Implementing Sustainable Construction.Construction Innovation, 13(3). Falck, O. and Heblich, S. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good.Business Horizons, 50(3), pp.247-254. Fish, L. (2016). Recommendations for Implementing Sustainability in New Product Development for Supply Chain Management.The BRC Academy Journal of Business, 6(1), pp.57-88. Food SA, and Zero Waste SA, (2014).Your Guide to Sustainable Business of Food. 1st ed. [ebook] South Australia: Government of South Australia. Available at: https://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/upload/resource-centre/publications/food-waste/zwsa%20sustainable%20food%20guide.pdf [Accessed 14 Nov. 2016]. Goldstein, D. (2010). Save More, Spill Less.Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 3(3), pp.135-136. Gronman, K., Soukka, R., Jarvi-Kaariainen, T., Katajajuuri, J., Kuisma, M., Koivupuro, H., Ollila, M., Pitkanen, M., Miettinen, O., Silvenius, F., Thun, R., Wessman, H. and Linnanen, L. (2012). Framework for Sustainable Food Packaging Design.Packaging Techno

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Managing Conflict in People in Organizations

Abstract Organizations are made up of individuals with different beliefs, values and interests. The interactions among members of the organization often lead to disagreements on acceptable beliefs, norms, values or strategies. Thus, conflicts occur when individuals disagree on acceptable values, interests and beliefs (Gala and Garoupa, 2002, pp. 41-65).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Conflict in People in Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conflicts have both positive and negative influences on organizations. Hence, conflict management focuses on minimizing the negative effects of conflict and improving its positive effects. The sources of conflicts include cultural differences, organizational structure and the personality orientations of the employees. It is important to correctly identify the sources of conflicts within an organization in order to enhance conflict management. Cultural conf licts can be reduced by promoting tolerance to cultural differences. Reviewing the organizational structure can help in identifying and resolving conflicts arising within the organization. Finally, counseling and enhancing job characteristics can help in minimizing personal conflicts. Managing Conflict in People in Organizations Introduction Organizational conflict is â€Å"a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interest between people working together†. Conflict comprises different human affective states which include but not limited to anxiety, resistance, antagonistic interaction, as well as, hostility. Conflict develops in an environment where at least two individuals interact. Conflicts can be functional or dysfunctional. Functional conflicts are normally beneficial to the organization. For instance, it can enable the organization to identify important problems that need urgent solutions. Additionally, functional conflicts pr ovide information that facilitates consideration or reconsideration of decisions that affect various stakeholders in an organization. Dysfunctional conflicts, on the other hand, have negative effects to the organization. In most cases, dysfunctional conflicts encourage hostilities, weaken group cohesion and divert energies. Conflict management focuses on reducing the negative effects of dysfunctional conflicts. It attempts to promote organizational learning, as well as, group outcomes such as employees’ performance. Conflicts emerge from different sources with an organization. Thus, effective conflict management requires an â€Å"in-depth understanding of the nature and sources of conflicts within the organization†. This paper focuses on the sources of conflicts within organizations. The difficulties faced by managers in reducing conflicts will be highlighted. Additionally, recommendations for reducing conflict and its negative effects will be suggested.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cultural Conflicts Culture refers to â€Å"shared attributes, values, goals and practices that characterize an institution, organization or a group†. People tend to hold different values, beliefs and attitudes in different parts of the world. Thus, culture varies from region to region. Cultural conflicts normally develop when members of a multicultural workforce can not tolerate each others culture. Intolerance to cultural differences can cause interpersonal and intergroup conflicts. It can also cause conflicts with groups in an organization. Cultural conflicts occur under the following circumstances. First cultural conflicts can occur when members of the organization hold different values. People perceive the world according to their cultural orientations. Thus, the beliefs of a worker can conflict with those of her co-workers. Workers who can not a ccept opposing views will, thus, have trouble in working with colleagues. For instance, workers and labor unions in America believe in negotiations as a way of solving organizational problems or conflicts. However, in Asia, most organizational problems are solved through a top-down decision making approach. Thus, conflict is likely to arise between American and Asian workers regarding the approach to solving an organizational problem. Second, cultural conflicts can result from non-correspondence of behavior. The business culture in a given country determines the accepted level of employees’ effort, accountability, and leadership style. Thus, the behavior of employees will be based on their culture. For instance, leadership in Japan is associated with the male gender. Consequently, Japanese who can not tolerate cultural differences will find it difficult to obey a female leader. Finally, cultural conflicts are caused by poor communication. People from different cultures normal ly speak different languages. Hence, conflicts arise if the language or communication channel used in the organization does not promote understanding among the employees. Difficulties in Minimizing Cultural Conflicts Lack of a clear understanding of cultural differences is the main challenge in minimizing cultural conflicts. A manager will not be able to identify and solve cultural conflicts if she does not understand the cultures of the employees. Learning the cultures of most employees is usually difficult since it involves a lot of time and commitment which most managers do not have.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Conflict in People in Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Language barriers within the organization can prevent employees from channeling their grievances to the management. In some cases, language barriers limit the management’s ability to implement decisions that are me ant to solve organizational conflicts. For example, a manager can decide to promote teamwork in order to enhance group cohesion. However, teamwork can be interpreted differently in different cultures, thereby limiting the chances of promoting team cohesion. Incompatibility of staff expectations and the organization’s priorities is also an impediment in the process of cultural conflict resolution. In this context, the employees might not accept the approach used by the organization to manage cultural conflicts. In such circumstances, the conflict between the employees is likely to continue instead of reducing. Finally, managers might not be aware of the best strategies to solve cultural conflicts. The use of an inappropriate approach to conflict resolution can create new conflicts or worsen the existing conflicts in an organization. Addressing Cultural Conflicts Cultural conflicts can be managed effectively through a multi-dimensional approach. First, the concerned manager sho uld attempt to learn and understand the cultures of his employees or team members. This can be achieved through culture immersion, as well as, learning new languages. Cross-cultural competency will enable the manager to understand the employees from their cultural perspectives. Hence, the manager will be able to develop organizational policies that take into account employees’ cultural make-up in order to avoid conflicts. Second, cultural conflicts can be reduced through staff training and development. In a multicultural workforce, the employees must be trained on the business cultures associated with the organization and its subsidiaries. For example, cohesion in a multinational corporation with its headquarters in America and subsidiaries in India and China can benefit from cross-cultural training. In this case, the employees in America will be trained on the business culture in India and China. The employees from China and India, on the other hand, will be trained on the b usiness culture in America. Additionally, the training should be backed up with mentorship programs that promote teamwork and tolerance to diversity. Third, cultural conflicts can be managed by adopting a cross-cultural communication policy or strategy. The strategy should define the most suitable language and communication channels to convey important messages within the organization (Kornberger and Pitsis, 2011, pp. 306-319). Additionally, the objectives of the communication strategy should enhance cultural tolerance and teamwork among employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, adopting appropriate human resource management policies can help in reducing cultural conflicts. Employee selection process should be based on a predetermined criterion that defines the desired personality attributes in the workforce (Bambacas and Patrickson, 2009, pp. 109-120). This will help in selecting the right employees who can tolerate cultural differences. Performance appraisal and remuneration policies should take into account the cultural make-up of employees in order to promote acceptance. In conclusion, managing cultural conflicts should be a teamwork that involves managers, employees and outside experts. Teamwork will enable the organization to identify several solutions and select the best alternative to manage cultural conflicts. Organizational Structure Conflict can arise from the organizational structure of a firm. Organizational structure refers to the activities such as coordinating production, supervising employees and allocating tasks; which are meant t o achieve the objectives of the firm. Organizational structure can lead to conflicts under the following circumstances. First, conflicts can arise if there is ambiguity in the organizational structure. Ambiguity in the purpose, as well as, the objectives of the organization can lead to divergent views on the best strategy to be pursued. When the objectives of the organization are not clearly defined, each manager might have a different opinion on the best strategy to be pursued. Thus, there will be conflict of opinion at the management level. In some cases, the members of the organization may have the same objective, but different views on the best approach to achieve the objectives. Second, role conflicts can arise if decision rights, task allocation and reporting relationships are not clearly defined (Leluch, Banthan and Kasouf, 2011, pp. 1082-1088). Decision rights define the authorities entrusted with the task of making important decisions in the organization. Conflict over the legitimacy of decisions can arise if there is no consensus on the individuals allowed to make certain decisions. Role conflict arises when the job descriptions do not clearly specify the tasks allocated to each employee. Thus, employees and their supervisors may disagree on what they are supposed to do or not do. Finally, conflict can arise due to scarcity of resources (Shanon and Gent, 2011, pp. 124-144). Some departments or groups in the organization are likely to receive more resources than others if the resource allocation policies do not promote equity. Inequality in resource allocation normally results into competition among members of the organization. Competition for scare resources can degenerate into hostility and confrontations. Additionally, competition for supremacy can result into conflicts. For example, two employees competing for promotion can resort to unorthodox means such as blackmail in order to outshine each other (Shanon and Gent, 2011, pp. 124-144). Difficulti es in Minimizing Conflicts Caused by Organizational Structure Reviewing the organizational structure of a firm in order to identify the sources of conflict is usually very difficult. For example, reviewing the structure of a multinational corporation will require a lot of time and financial resources. Financially distressed organizations might not have the resources to devote to reviewing their structures. Thus, identifying sources of conflicts and appropriate solutions becomes difficult. In small firms, the organizational structure can be easily reviewed and the sources of conflicts identified. However, the managers may disagree on how to restructure the organization in order to reduce conflicts. Besides, the managers may lack the competence or skills required to restructure the organization. Finally, restructuring an organization involves significant changes in the organization’s processes. Most employees tend to fear change, especially, if such changes are likely to affect their work or roles within the organization. Consequently, restructuring the firm in order to eliminate sources of conflicts can, possibly, meet resistance from employees. Strategies for Minimizing Organizational Conflicts A review of the organizational structure should be done in order to identify the sources of conflicts (Hoogervrost, Koopman and Flier, 2004, pp. 288-311). Surveys, interviews, as well as, focus group discussions can be used to identify the sources of conflicts with the firm’s structure. Alternatively, best practice can be used to predict sources of conflicts with the organization. In this case, the management will use predetermined standards to assess the effectiveness of the organization’s structure. The following recommendations can, thus, be used to reduce conflicts arising from the structure of the firm. Ambiguity in the organizational structure can be eliminated by demarcating departments according to their objectives. Mutual dependence among d epartments should be promoted through appropriate teamwork policies. Role conflicts can be reduced by accurately delineating and allocating responsibilities according to employees’ capabilities and qualifications. The tasks assigned to the employees should match their skills and competencies (Clare and Danislovic, 2010, pp. 3-27). Additionally, the human resources policies should clearly define the reporting structure and decision rights in the organization. Conflicts over scare resources can be addressed by enhancing employees’ satisfaction. The resource and power distribution policy should encourage equity and fairness. Employees should be rewarded according to their efforts and contribution towards achievement of the organization’s goals. Additionally, functional conflicts can be achieved by encouraging every employee to express his opinion concerning the effectiveness of the organizational structure. Personal Conflict Personal conflicts refer â€Å"to an in dividual’s inner workings and personality problems†. Since personal conflict occurs at the individual level, it can also be referred to as intrapersonal conflict. Personal conflict occur when a person experiences difficulties when making a decision due to uncertainty. In this context, personal conflict can take three forms which include the following. First, a person can experience an approach-approach conflict. This occurs when an individual is expected to make a choice between two equally attractive options. For example, a manager can be in an approach-approach conflict if he has to select one of two equally profitable investments. Second, a person can experience an approach-avoidance conflict. In this case, the individual has to make a decision concerning a situation with both positive and negative aspects (Gala and Garoupa, 2002, pp. 41-65).This means that the individual experiences the same degree of attraction, as well as, repulsion towards competing goals. For ex ample, a manager is in an approach-avoidance conflict if he has to dismiss a high performing but rude sales executive. In this case, dismissing the sales executive has both negative and positive effects to the organization. Finally, an employee can experience avoidance-avoidance conflict (Gala and Garoupa, 2002, pp. 41-65). In this case, the individual has to choose between competing alternatives. However, both alternatives have negative consequences. For example, a manager can experience an avoidance-avoidance conflict if he has to choose between resigning and accepting a demotion. Personal conflicts can also occur when an employee decides to pursue interests (personal goals and objectives) that are incompatible with those of the organization. In conclusion, personal conflicts can be attributed to personality orientation, goal incongruence and the expected level of performance. Difficulties in Minimizing Personal Conflicts Detecting personal conflicts is challenging due to the diff iculty associated with predicting or understanding the personality of an employee. In most cases, self-reports are used to collect information about employees’ personality orientations. However, the inaccuracy of self-reports limits the usefulness of the information collected using them. Assessing an employee’s capability during recruitment is usually very difficult due to the subjective nature of the process. An employee can be assigned too high or too low targets if his or her capability is not correctly gauged. In such circumstances, the management will not be able to understand the source of conflict that is facing the employee. A person can also experience personal conflicts due to his or her personal problems. However, personal problems can not be understood by the management if such problems are not shared. Additionally, some employees tend to shy off from sharing their problems for fear of being rejected by their colleagues. Thus, the management will not be in a position to minimize the personal conflicts facing the employee. Strategies for Managing Personal Conflicts Counseling can be used when personal conflicts lead to frustrations and inefficiencies among employees. Counseling is an important method of dealing with personal conflicts since it enables the counselor to understand the personality and personal problems of the employee. Managers can be trained to offer basic counseling services to their employees, thereby eliminating the need to hire a professional counselor. Personal conflicts can also be minimized by enhancing the job characteristics. For instance, employees entrusted with the role of making decisions should be trained on a variety of skills that will enable them to make the right decisions or choices. Employees who can not work without supervision should not be entrusted with tasks or jobs that provide great autonomy. This is because such employees may fail to make the right decisions or they may use the freedom provide d by their jobs to fulfill their personal interests. Other job characteristics that should be enhanced include task identity, and task significance. Enhancing these characteristics will help in avoiding role conflicts and promote employee satisfaction. Conclusion Conflicts occur when there is perceived or actual incompatibility of values, needs and interests among members of an organization. Conflicts have both positive and negative effects in organizations. The negative effects of conflict include poor team cohesion, hostility among members of an organization and reduced productivity. Consequently, conflict management focuses on reducing the negative effects of conflicts (Gala and Garoupa, 2002, pp. 41-65). Sources of conflicts include organizational structure, cultural differences and personality orientation of employees. Understanding the cultures of employees is the main difficulty experienced by managers in their attempt to reduce cultural conflicts. Difficulty in understanding the personality orientation of employees limits the chances of reducing personal conflicts. Conflict management begins with identification of the sources of conflict. Appropriate strategies are then formulated to minimize the conflicts as discussed above. References Bambacas, M., and Patrickson, M., 2009. Assessment of Communication Skills in Manager Selection: Some Evidence from Australia. Journal of Management Development 28(2), pp.109-120. Clare, J., and Danislovic, V., 2010. Conflict Management and Peace Science 29(1), pp.3-27. Dreu, D., 2008. Conflict in Organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill. Gala, J., and Garoupa, N. 2002. A Theory of International Conflict Management. Public Choice 110(1), pp.41-65. Gent, S., 2010. Decision Control and the Pursuit of Binding Conflict Management: Choosing the Ties and Bind. Economics of Knowledge 20(4), pp.2-12. Hoogervrost, J., Koopman, P., and Flier, H., 2004. Impact of Communication in Organizations: the Impact of Culture, Structure and Man agement Practices and Employee Behavior. Journal of Management Psychology 19(3), pp.288-311. Johanios, K., 2010. How does Democratic Accountability Shape International Cooperation. Journal of Conflict Resolution 34(2), pp.28-55. Kornberger, C., and Pitsis, M., 2011. Managing and Organizations: an Introduction to Thoery and Practice. London: Sage. Leluch, K., Banthan, J., and Kasouf, C., 2011. The Role of Trust in Buyer-Seller Conflict Management. Journal of Business Research 64(10), pp.1082-1088. Majur, K., 2010. Positive Organizational Culture as a New trend in Cross-Cultural Management. Journal of Positive Management 1(2), pp.65-74. McCalman, J., 2009. Lateral Hierarchy: The Case of Cross-Cultural Management Teams. European Management Journal 14(5), pp.509-517. Pathak, M., 2011. Managing Organizational Conflict. Journal of Conflict Resolution 55(5), pp.710-734. Shanon, M., and Gent, S., 2011. Bias and the Effectiveness of Third-Party Conflict Managment Mechanisms. Conflict Managem ent and Peace Science 28(2), pp.124-144. Shimoni, B., 2011. The Representation of Culture in Interactions and Cross Culture Management. Journal of International Management 17(1), pp.30-41. Usanier, J., 2011. Lenguage as a Resource to Access Cross-Cultural Equivalence in Quantitative Management Research. Journal of World Business 46(3), pp.314-319. This essay on Managing Conflict in People in Organizations was written and submitted by user Giant Man 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.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

4 Actionable Tips to Boost Your Websites Referral Traffic

There are a lot of ways to encourage people to visit your website. You can use  search engines, paid ads, and of course, referrals. However, all these methods require you to put in some work if you want to see success, and thats particularly true when it comes to referral traffic.Aside from publishing quality content, there are a lot of ways you can drive more traffic from other places around the web. In most cases, these involve doing a little outreach, such as by looking for guest posting opportunities. However, the rewards are well worth the effort involved.In this article, well briefly talk about what referral traffic is in case youre not familiar with the term. Then well teach you four ways to bring in as much of it as possible. Lets get to work! In a nutshell, referral traffic is the visitors who reach your website without going through a search engine (or typing in your URL directly). Essentially, they came from a link somewhere else, which could be another website, social m edia, email, etc.  The main takeaway here is that referrals can be just as important as organic traffic, which is why you should care about encouraging them.Your guide to bringing in more referral traffic (4 key techniques)Like off-page  Search Engine Optimization (SEO), getting more referral traffic is all about outreach. Of course, if you want other sites to link to yours, youll first need to focus on creating the best content you can. After that, the following four techniques should help you drive as much referral traffic as possible.1. Look for guest posting opportunitiesIf you take a look at your favorite blogs, youll probably notice that a lot of them feature guest writers from time to time. Guest posting is a time-honored practice, where you strike a deal to publish your original content on someone elses site.In some cases, guest posters get paid for their work. Others do it to build up their portfolios, or just to get the opportunity to link back to their websites. There s usually a tacit agreement with guest posts that you can link to your own website or social media accounts, as long as you dont abuse that privilege.This makes guest posts an excellent way to encourage referral traffic, as youll be driving visitors from other key sites back to your own content. Plus, guest posting also enables you to make a name for yourself within your niche.How to find guest post opportunitiesThe best way to find guest posting opportunities is to check out the blogs you already follow. If they accept submissions, theyll often have a dedicated Write for Us page.You can also simply go through a search engine, where its easy to find lists of sites that accept guest post submissions:Once youve identified at least a few sites that permit guest posts, you can also check out which writers are the most prolific there. A quick reverse-image search for their headshots can often reveal other blogs where theyve posted, which may also accept guest submissions:Guest posting ca n be a powerful tool. Just remember that you also need to keep your own blog updated, so dont try to take on too many extra articles at once!2. Comment on blog posts and sites within your nicheOne of the hallmarks of popular blogs is that theyll get lots of comments on most of their posts. Once you get to that point, youll know youve made it too. However, you can also use those blogs popularity to your advantage while youre still growing yours.If you like to look through blog comments, youve probably seen many that look like this:As you might imagine, these kinds of comments are meant to piggyback on the original posts popularity to get some referral traffic.The method from the screenshot isnt usually the best approach because a lot of sites treat these comments as spam. So unless your link is super relevant, dont go for the direct link.A better way is to add your link to your name, which WordPress lets you do by default. A common strategy is to comment as your blog name. Or, for a more personal touch, you can include both your real name  and your blog name like this:John ThemeIsleYoull see this approach a lot:3. Ask influencers to link to your blog postsWithin almost every niche, there are a few people at the top who get a lot of attention because of their authority on the subject.With some luck and hard work, you can also make it to the top of your niche. However, while youre working on that, getting a shoutout from someone who is already well-established can be a significant boon to your website. The problem is that theres minimal motivation for those established influencers to share content from up-and-coming websites.This means that youll need to build a relationship first, which you can do in several ways:Submit guest posts to the influencers website often.Share their content with your own followers via social media or your website.Leave insightful comments on their posts (only when you have something to contribute to the conversation).To put it anoth er way, your goal should be to get on the influencers radar. Some people recommend asking influencers directly to share your content. However, thats usually not as successful unless your website is already well established. After all, the more high profile someone is within your niche, the more likely it is that they receive dozens of such requests weekly (or even daily).As for how to identify influencers within your niche, its all about keeping up with your competitors. Find out what the most popular sites and blogs are in your field, and keep track of who publishes great content often. Usually, these people will also have a large social media following, so theyre easy to identify.4. Be active on social media platformsIf you want people to share your content on social media, it needs to be engaging, and  you need to be active on the platforms you want to target. For most blogs, Facebook and Twitter are the obvious choices. Instagram can be important too, especially if your conten t is more visually-oriented.Once you know what social media platforms your followers use, youll want to figure out when the best time is to share your content there. For example, if you post content at 1pm on Facebook, its more likely to get shares, but clicks seem to max out around 3pm.Knowing  when  to share your content is only half the battle, however. For it to do well, youll want to use featured images that catch the viewers attention, and  craft engaging headlines. If you can get the hang of these three vectors (timing, visual appeal, and strong titles), your content is likely to do well on social media.Finally, remember to take some time to answer any questions your audience might have on social media platforms (something you should also be doing on your own site). That way, youll build a rapport with your followers, and it wont seem like youre just using social media to get more referral traffic.To learn more, check out our post on building a social media strategy.Con clusionA lot of people think that  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the only thing they have to worry about when it comes to getting more traffic. However, referral traffic can be just as important for driving people to your site. The more work you do to bring in referral traffic, the more your name will grow within your niche, so its a win-win situation.To recap, here are four simple ways to maximize your referral traffic:Look for guest posting opportunities.Comment on blog posts and sites within your niche.Ask influencers to link to your blog posts.Be active on social media platforms.Do you have any questions about how to get more referral traffic for your website? Lets talk about them in the comments section below! Here are 4 ways to start getting more referral traffic to your #website

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Basic Vocabulary Youll Need to Go Shopping in France

Basic Vocabulary You'll Need to Go Shopping in France If you are shopping in France, youll need to know the lingo. You could just stick with one shop or market, go in, pay and get out. But most of us do more than that in our search for the right product and the best bargain. You need to be able to read signs so that youre choosing the right shop, getting the best quality, ferreting out authentic bargains and speak intelligently with salespeople. Keep in mind that France (and most of Europe) may have megastores, but most people still shop at their local small shops in order to find the freshest, highest-quality products. So dont discount the words for specialty stores; you will need to know them. Shopping Vocabulary une à ©picerie  Ã‚  small grocery storele marchà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  farmers marketle supermarchà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  supermarketun hypermarchà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  superstore, giant supermarketla boucherie  Ã‚  butcher shopla boulangerie  Ã‚  bakeryla charcuterie  Ã‚  pork butchers shop and delicatessenla confiserie  Ã‚  candy storela crà ©merie, la laiterie  Ã‚  dairy  shopla fromagerie  Ã‚  cheese shople magasin de fruits et là ©gumes  Ã‚  greengrocerle marchand de vins  Ã‚  wine shopla pà ¢tisserie  Ã‚  pastry shopla poissonnerie  Ã‚  fish storela banque  Ã‚  bankla blanchisserie  Ã‚  laundryla  laverie automatique   laundromatla droguerie  Ã‚  drugstore / hardware storele grand magasin  Ã‚  department storele kiosque  Ã‚  newsstandle magasin de confection  femme/homme/enfants clothing store  for women, men, children;  magasin de và ªtements  Ã‚  clothing store in generalla pharmacie  Ã‚  pharmacyla poste  Ã‚  post officele pressing  Ã‚  dry cleanerla q uincaillerie  Ã‚  hardware storele tabac  Ã‚  tobacco shopfaire les courses  Ã‚  to do the  shopping [for essentials];  aller faire les courses to go shoppingfaire du shopping  Ã‚  to go shopping, to shop [for specific items such as shoes];  partir faire les magasins to go on a shopping trip/expedition les soldes the sales; faire les soldes to shop the salesclient /  personne qui faire ses courses shopperà ªtre accro au shopping   to be a shopaholiccher  (chà ¨re) expensive; coà »ter cher   to be expensive  a bargain une affaire; a good bargain une bonne affaire;  bargain prices prix avantageuxmarchander to bargain, to haggle;  negocier, traiter avec quelquun to bargain with someoneheures  douverture business / shop hours  Ã‚  Ã‚   Expressions Related to Shopping Bon marchà ©:  can be translated as either inexpensive or cheap. Bon marchà ©Ã‚  can be both positive, indicating a reasonable price, and negative, insulting the products quality. Bon rapport qualità ©-prix:  The French expression  un bon rapport qualità ©-prix, sometimes written  un bon rapport qualità © / prix, indicates that the price of some product or service (a bottle of wine, car, restaurant, hotel) is more than fair. Youll often see it or a variation in reviews and promotional materials.  To talk about a better value, you can make the comparative or superlative form of bon, as in: un meilleur rapport qualità ©-prix   better valuele meilleur rapport qualità ©-prix  Ã‚  best value To say that something is not a good value, you can either negate the sentence or use an antonym: Ce nest pas un bon rapport qualità ©-prix. /  Ã‚  Il na pas un bon rapport qualità ©-prix.   Its not a good valueun mauvais rapport qualità ©-prix   poor valuele pire rapport qualità ©-prix   worst value While less common, its also possible to use a different adjective altogether, such as un rapport qualità ©-prix incroyable   amazing valueun rapport qualità ©-prix intà ©ressant   good valueun faible rapport qualità ©-prix   poor value Cest cadeau: is a casual, informal expression meaning  Its free. Its inexpensive. The underlying meaning is that  youre getting something extra that you werent expecting, like a freebie. It can be from a store, a boutique or a friend doing you a favor. It doesnt necessarily involve money. Note that Cest un cadeau with the article is a simple non-idiomatic, declarative sentence that means It is a gift. Noà «l malin: The informal French expression  Noà «l malin  refers to Christmas.  Malin means  something thats  shrewd or cunning. But this expression isn’t describing Christmas or the sales, but rather the consumer- the cunning consumer who is far too smart to pass up these amazing bargains. At least that’s the idea. When a store says  Noà «l malin, what they’re really saying is  Noà «l (pour le) malin (Christmas for the clever.) For example, Offres Noà «l malin Christmas offers [for the savvy shopper]   TTC: is an acronym that appears on receipts and it refers to the grand total that you owe for a given purchase. The initials TTC stand for  toutes taxes comprises  (all taxes included). TTC lets you know what you will actually be paying for a product or service. Most prices are quoted as TTC, but not all, so its essential to pay attention to the fine print. The opposite of  TTC  is  HT, which stands for  hors taxe; this is  the base price before the addition of the European Union-mandated  TVA  (value-added tax), which stands at 20 percent in France for most goods and services.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Compare and contrast the views of authorities as part of building an Essay

Compare and contrast the views of authorities as part of building an analysis of the work of postmodern practitioners - Essay Example The main idea behind ‘postmodernism’ is that it criticizes the basic notions of modernism. Lyon’s (1999) study shows that postmodernism was a movement which was aimed at the rejection of the concepts, introduced in the Modernist era. Postmodernist works were different from the Modernist ones in many ways. According to Smart (1993), postmodernist works included mostly ironic comments on modernism. This was done through applied decoration. The modernists had previously based a lot of their works on science and rationality was something that was very essential to them. For the post modernists, however, the rational was something that was quite dehumanizing. Postmodernism sought ideas that could not be explained by the realm of science and rationality. Modernism had also focused mainly on the universality of things. According to Smart (1993), postmodernism, as a resistance to this notion, concentrated more on the individuality of people. Creative expression and individualistic ideas were preferred and favored over universalistic ones. It was an approach that was quite different because people were judged due to their own capabilities. Postmodernists also had a keen interest in the rejection of the traditional norms that had been prevalent after the modernist Era. For example, through their works, the postmodernists criticized the generally held concepts of beauty and taste as Sparke (2004) relates. Rather than considering beauty of a person they judged people by their talents. Further, Postmodernists focused on the use of different materials and new mediums so to increase diversity. Now that the paper has given a brief overview of the postmodernist era, it is important to consider the works of two postmodernist practitioners, namely Robert Venturi and Charles Jencks. First the paper discusses the works of Robert Venturi. Robert Venturi was an American postmodern