Business Capstone and Analysis Of Skills †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Capstone and Analysis Of Skills. Answer: Introduction The following report presents a detail analysis of skills, values, interest, career goals and other attributes. In the report, I have reflected on my skills, experiences, career objectives to improve my skill of critical thinking. I am reflecting on these personal traits so that I could use them later in the future business context. I could develop my skills of decision-making, problem solving and conflict resolutions. I am pursuing graduate in human resource management. I have always been so keen to find out the ways of managing people. In my school days, I used to be the class monitor and I played the role of managing other students in the class. From then, I have found special interest of managing people. I have realized that by improving my communication skills I could effectively convince and manage people. I aspire to become a leader in organization or in a business and to make it happen I am trying to enhance skills that I need to accomplish my objectives. Thus, to achieve my goals and objectives, I have chosenhuman resource management (HRM) as my career path. The following repot starts with providing a detail analysis of my personal goals, values, attitudes, interests and other attributes. Likewise, the report goes forward providing an intensive analysis of personal attributes and skills. Eventually, I have demonstrated how these attributes are linked to my chosen career path. Personal goals, values and attitudes, interests as found from self-assessment or life experience Personal goals- As I like to communicate with people and understand their thought-process, I realized that I could do a better job in managing people. I always wanted to develop my career in human resource management. I want to become a leader; thereby, I developed the following goals and working on them. To create new and innovative ideas for human resource management To develop a unique management style that contribute to healthy workplace culture To utilize the workforce to the fullest while working in an organization My focus is on development of new ideas for managing people, as I have observed the need of change in HRM. For decades, I have observed the organizations using conventional human resourcemanagement strategies like democratic leadership, open management style, employee motivation and I studied them for whole years. However, the entire process seems to be a system that works like a machine. Nonetheless, I want to do or create something that considers the opinions of each individual and I want to develop a culture of work where all become aware of their self-contribution to the work they perform. Thereby, I developed the above-mentioned goals and I believe that like evolution of technology, the practice of managing people can also be evolved. Personal values and attitudes As put forward by Flynn and Black (2011), when the things that one could do and the way the individual behaves to match the values, life becomes good and content. However, when the activities do not align with the personal values that is when the problem arise. I have listed my values in the following based on the top values, experience of happiness, pride and fulfillment. My personal values are fairness, faith, positivity, reliability, compassion, cooperation and diversity. Positivity- This comes above all values that I mentioned. Positivity is required in the first place to accomplish any objective. I believe that if an individual wants to achieve something valuable he/she needs to be positive about it such as positive thought, positive hope and the positive way of working on the objective. There could be situation where the individuals might have set their goals in terms of self development and here if the individuals do not have the confidence about the things that they are going to do, might not be successful with the effort. If the negativity comes in, or the individuals indulge the negativity in the work process, they might not observe the success. Being positive helps to increase the hope and put more effort on the work process. Faith- Certainly, having faith on the work or objective is another value that helps to achieve the goals. Faith is required when I am working with the people and here I am supposed to have faith in my people. Moreover, I believe that if I do not have faith on something or somebody, I might not be able to do the things or make people do them. For example, while working in an organization as a human resource manager, I definitely need to put trust in my people. When one individual does have faith on another, the others start doing the same. Fairness- This value is widely related to the goals that I have presented above. Especially, in human resource management, fairness is a strong aspect that needs to be maintained. Fairness in work culture and fairness in managing people should be positively maintained to achieve the goals. Any sort of biased practice should be avoided in the people management. For example, when the HRM department develops a wage structure, the employees might have problems with the process. Thus, it is better to maintain the fairness in the wage structure to avoid any disparity. Reliability- The reliability is referred to action of engaging people or supporting their ideas. Sometimes, the leaders are observed to be autocratic by nature, they do not rely on their subordinates. However, I am strongly opposed to this idea or practice where others are not valued or considered. According to me, managing people is about understanding them, respecting them, and giving importance to their opinions. As an individual or a human resource manager, I would definitely rely on others. I believe that I could enhance my quality of work by taking ideas from others and listening to them. Compassion- Compassion also remains as the crucial thing to nurture while managing people in a particular setting. Instead of following a systematic procedure, it is better to follow a manual culture where an individual comes up and express their concern. Hence, listener should give attention to the concern and together the solutions should be developed. Cooperation- The cooperative nature always helps to accomplish any objective or work. Especially, when a manager of HR works with other people to lead them towards the desired direction, he/she should be cooperative. This means the problem can arise, which is certain but the leader should help to resolve the issues effectively instead of leaving it to the subordinates. Diversity- The diversity is a fundamental thing in people management. It is not possible to manage people focusing on one single culture or background. People come from different cultural background and to work together, it is necessary to respect those cultural and values. Diversity helps to shape the world with positive things. Self-interests According to (), interest is referred to a concern for ones own advantages and wellbeing. This means an individual could show interest in things that benefit them. I could positively do the things that I am interested to. When it comes to human resource management, the interest remains in the development of workforce to create a better place to work. I believe that interest should not be related to individual advantages and benefits; it is rather related to the interest of the organizational setting. Personal attributes and skills Hence, I relate my personal attributes and skills to the work the work I do. If I play the role of a human resource manager, I will embed my values and beliefs with the skills I have. I have listed the following skills that I must use to achieve my goals and objectives. Communication skills- Communication is one of the significant skills that a human resource manager needs to have to manage people. I believe that in any management style or organizational culture, the communication network should clear. I believe that regular interaction with people helps to understand them better. For example, when I was doing my final year project in high school, I was the head of my group and we were assigned with the job of collecting data regarding the residential population. Hence, our job was to conduct a survey among the families in a community near our school. My responsibility was to assign people with the types of work, collect updates from them, and collect feedback from the supervisor. However due to poor communication skills, I could not manage the group members. The group members showed a consistent reluctance towards the work and we failed the project. This incident helped me to understand the importance of communication skills in people management. Problem solving skills- Problem solving skill is required to lead the operation in human resource management. I believe that while managing people issues may arise and hence, a leader or the manager should resolve the issue keeping a balance in the workflow. Once I observed an incident in my school days when we were working laboratory room and suddenly there was a power cut. All operation in the laboratory work was stopped and then our supervisor arrived and requested us to wait for a while. Our supervisor communicated with electric control department and asked for an immediate solution. Hence, I realized how work issues could be resolved with problem solving skills. Decision making skills- The decision-making skill is always required in human resource management. I have observed that human resource manager often face the issues such as excessive absenteeism of workers, large workforce but limited physical resource; in such context, the human resource manager must have to take the decision of increasing the capacity of physical resource. Conflict-handling- In an organization, where a large number of people are working, the conflict among the people could arise. I have this skill of managing conflict. With a rationale judgment, I could resolve the issues and keep a strong balance in the workflow. Personal attributes Loyalty- I believe that loyalty is something that I need to gain because loyalty does not come if I do not have a positive characteristics or attitude. I could gain loyalty of people by maintaining fairness in the judgment or action that I will apply based on the situation. Helpful- I have observed that helpful nature of people helps to create or broaden the communication network. I have always been compassionate about the issues people face. Being helpful towards others make it easy for me to understand others. Trustworthy- It is certain that in order to gain the trust of others, it is necessary to make myself trustworthy. I could do this by conducting my duties and responsibilities fairly as a manager. Demonstrating how the above points align with the selected career path identifying the areas for further development and for career progression The above-discussed points are related to aspects of human resource management. The fundamental aspects of human resource management is staffing, managing the functions, fulfilling the needs of people for the sake of organizational benefits. In the above discussion I have mentioned about the decision-making and problem-solving skills as recruiting people in an organization is not the only duty that a human resource manager performs. In order to manage the entire workforce, it is necessary to have such skills by which the operation can be handled. In the beginning of the report, I have discussed about my goals, where I have mentioned the importance of creating new ideas for human resource management because I believe that following a traditional idea might not work in such dynamic environment where changes are certain. I felt the urge of bringing the changes in the human resource strategies to deal with the new challenges. My personal values that I have discussed above are related to my selected career path human resource management, as fairness, faith, positivity, cooperation these values are required to become an appropriate leader or manager. The positivity helps in conducting any difficult task related to people management. Likewise, if I become cooperative towards the others in a project, I could easily receive help from others. However, I have found that I need to develop my communication skills, as there are several situations where I could not interact with people in a proper way. I observed that I need to put more effort in my communication skills. Likewise, I have also found that need enhance my problem solving skills. It is certain that I have to face many situations where issues arise. Without proper knowledge, I will not able to handle the situation. Conclusion In order to achieve the goals that I have set, it is necessary to focus on the sub-factors related to the goals. I have understood that new ideas of strategies of human resources cannot be developed, if we do not consider the values, attributes, ethics and other characteristics. Human resource management is all about the people; thereby, the things that are related to people should also be considered. References Boer, D., Fischer, R. (2013). How and when do personal values guide our attitudes and sociality? Explaining cross-cultural variability in attitudevalue linkages. Evans, L., Maio, G. R., Corner, A., Hodgetts, C. J., Ahmed, S., Hahn, U. (2013). Self-interest and pro-environmental behaviour.Nature Climate Change,3(2), 122. Flynn, S. V., Black, L. L. (2011). An Emergent Theory of Altruism and Self?Interest.Journal of Counseling Development,89(4), 459-469. Gursoy, D., Chi, C. G. Q., Karadag, E. (2013). Generational differences in work values and attitudes among frontline and service contact employees.International Journal of Hospitality Management,32, 40-48. Ives, C. D., Kendal, D. (2013). Values and attitudes of the urban public towards peri-urban agricultural land.Land Use Policy,34, 80-90.

Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises

Question: Discuss about the Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises. Answer: Introduction: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabias banking sector enjoys a substantial potential growth opportunity regarding micro and small enterprises. The economy of KSA contributes over 90 percent of all the registered enterprises besides sixty percent of the total employment. These figures are drawn from the latest report released by the Aljazira Capital. The report indicates that micro and small enterprises occupy a strategic and central place or position in the development strategy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saddi Soueid, 2011). The KSAs economy currently undergoes lower prices of oil. Accordingly, the significance of the contribution of the micro and small enterprises to GDP has is becoming clearer. The best approach to undertaking this is through boosting the micro and small enterprises sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Stone Badawy, 2011). There is, therefore, a substantial potential that micro and small enterprises give to the banking sector in Saudi Arabia. The prospects for the growing credit extension to micro and small enterprises sector remains a significant aspect of the economy (Dakkak, 2011). This would the first glance seems to be good (Dakkak, 2011). In contrast to the context in several advanced economies whereby the banks are shifting from over-leveraged positions, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias lending institutions enjoy a firm capital sufficiency (Zamberi Ahmad, 2011). These institutions also enjoy liquidity ratios that theoretically position them in the best position for lending crossways the whole spectrum of the micro and small enterprises sector without the erosion of the respective balance sheet qualities. Nonetheless, despite the auspicious essential aspect of the micro and small enterprises proportion, the lending to this sector stays obstinately subdued. Whereas the formulation of the micro and small enterprises lending map for the MENA area is complexed by the fluctuating definitions as well as reporting standards, the Flagship Report 2011by the Union of the Arab Banks alongside World Bank discovered that just two percent of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias entire lending was directed to micro and small enterprises sector in 2011 (Yousuf Danish Lawton Smith, 2012). Despite the above figure being relatives low, it might always be the anticipation in the small, corporate-predominated economies like Qatar whereby the micro and small enterprises contributes merely ten percent of the aggregate loan book. However, this is a surprising result for the KSA that has toured further down the road of the diversification of the economy compared to some of its hydrocarbon-rich neighborhoods (Yousuf Danish Lawton Smith, 2012). Even though the lending volumes stay modest crossways most of the MENA area, based on the report, with even vast economies including Egypt manifesting low degrees (at merely five percent ), economies like Tunisia (fifteen percent), Morocco (twenty-four percent) and Lebanon (sixteen percent) indicate the potential for micro and small enterprises sector lending in this region of the globe. Nevertheless, salient hurdles have been identified to account for such low levels despite the potentiality of the micro and small enterprises sector to the banking sector. These challenges must be addressed and negotiated by the banks before any probability of a substantial uptick in micro and small enterprises lending (Yousuf Danish Lawton Smith, 2012). The small enterprises have been defined by the Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI) as those firms with between five and nineteen workers and with an annual turnover of between 1.3 million dollars and 6.7 million dollars. Firms that have more than twenty workers alongside a turnover of between 6.7 million dollars and 33.3 million dollars are regarded by the CDSI as medium-sized businesses. A great proportion of the financial infrastructure that underpins lending to micro and small enterprises is a comparative novice and barely just emerging from a time of insufficiency. Hence banks with customized micro and small enterprises management skills remain scarce sometimes and shall, therefore, continue presenting a human resource challenge in the short-run (Al Saleh, 2012). This challenge is further reflected within the micro and small enterprises sector themselves whereby the management of cash alongside skills in accounting frequently fall short of the needs of the banks that assess them as potential customers (Al Saleh, 2012). The financial transparency, however, improving, remains a major concern, and the absence of collateral within the micro and small enterprises sector remains a major threat to the slow loan book growth. Together, these factors are essential in giving a detailed explanation to the micro and small enterprises funding disparity which has stayed a characteristic of the KSAs banking landscape for years (Al Saleh, 2012). For a quite a good number of lending institutions, there has been historically little incentives for capital investment as well as manpower in the search of the comparatively modest returns provided by the micro and small enterprises facilities where large-tickets transactions or deals with companies have offered easy as well as consistent revenue (Yousuf Danish Lawton Smith, 2012). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabias banks hence has embraced a conservative position or stance to micro and small enterprises lending. Whereas it remains a usual practice for lenders who finance big contractors to assess their sub-contractors automatically as potential customers, in cases where such a connection is absence, make these banks to be reluctant or hesitant in credit extension. The significant of the micro and small enterprises roles remains a strategic imperative in developing the KSAs economy thereby making the challenge in their financing a nationwide concern. The micro and small enterprises Loan Guarantee Programme has subsequently become the principal mechanisms by which the KSAs government seeks to enhance the lending to the micro and small enterprises. What this means of funding is commonly regarded as the Kafalah programme established by the Ministry of Finance back in 2006 in collaboration with the domestic banks specifically to allow micro and small enterprises to enhance their efficiency as well as enlarge their respective operations. It has also increased the number of micro and small enterprises and allowed them to absorb the surplus liquidity of the banking sector. It has also been channeled to micro and small enterprises sector as well as familiarize micro and small enterprises owners with the process of baking alongside advantages of banking. It has also increased the participation of the micro and small enterprises as well as provided new employment opportunities to the people of KSA through the increased number of the micro and small enterprises. The Kafalah schemes operation has remained encouraging regarding its performance. For example, by the 3rd quarter of 2014, it had guaranteed a loan of 10,118, for a sum value of SR4.9 billion (1.3 billion dollars). This scheme has a had a consistent growth year-on-year where it began by helping thirty-six enterprises in the year 2006, and by 2013, the scheme was helping over 1000 micro and small enterprises on a yearly basis (Al Saleh, 2012). The scheme has also managed to secure the cooperation of the banking sector. Of the twelve domestically registered lending institutions, ten have made use of this guarantee in their respective extension of credit to micro and small enterprises, with National Commercial Bank, Arab National Bank, Riyad Bank, Arab National Bank as well as Al Rajhi Bank contributing to over eighty percent of the whole (Al Saleh, 2012). There is a further positive sentiment attached to this scheme. The Kafalah scheme has precisely played an essential role in providing the credit to the micro and small enterprises sector. However, in the run-run, it will be more desirable to have a more proactive approach by banks to give the best solution to the above-identified funding disparity. However, clear indications including an alteration in the attitude is taking shape (Al Saleh, 2012). The micro and small enterprises scheme success has permitted banks to enlarge their exposure to what is viewed as an increasingly attractive sector by the industry. Moreover, the increasing competition in the banking sector alongside the changed economic backdrop which is prevalence in the wake of the global economic crises have both acted to shift sentiment circumventing micro and small enterprises credit into more positive territory. The entire KSAs lenders currently uphold committed and dedicated micro and small enterprises departments even though their respective strategic approach has differed. For example, Saudi Hollandi, have created micro and small enterprises units as a component of their respective retail operations (Nasr Rostom, 2013). Whereas some have decided to position them within their corporate divisions. Nevertheless, crossways the banking industry, a common recognition of the days of downscaling corporate instruments as well as applying them to micro and small enterprises lending or extending retail-oriented commodities into micro and small enterprises sector, are outdated exist. KSAs banks have started the deployment of micro and small enterprises-specific commodities, and whereas extending credit to the micro and small enterprises sector, stays problematic, certain segments with the capability of being financed via cash-flow basis like suppliers that serve contractors on enormous projects, have proved helpful. Significantly, banks are further beginning to go beyond the Kafalah scheme to undertake this business. The banking sector is currently in the midst of enlarging their micro and small enterprises operations (Nasr Rostom, 2013). For the big micro and small enterprises financial model lending has remained fine, however, the banking industry has established a scorecard system that is used in their ten micro and small enterprises units nationally. Banks currently examine the micro and small enterprises banks statements behavior, business, the duration in the region as well as commodity offered to lend totally on a standalone basis from Kafalah, even though banks still give support to the Kafalah Scheme (Nasr Rostom, 2013). The above hand-on strategy employed by the KSAs banking sector has allowed banks to extend credit in hitherto underserved regions. This move denotes a substantial step forward from where the Kafalah guarantees were the chief factor in the process (Dakkak, 2011). The Banque Saudi Fransi created its micro and small enterprises until late 2013 and had observed a double-digit growth with regards to its lending to micro and small enterprises sector due to its more forensic strategy to evaluate risks particularly by character (Nasr Rostom, 2013). Going forward, in the presence of a modest micro and small enterprises lending level which the banking sector is presently exhibiting, a clear considerable distance to travel before the KSA economys smaller enterprises might be said to be effectively served (Dakkak, 2011). The start-ups, as well as firms that have rudimentary accounting procedures, stay locked out of the market despite the fact that the nascent private equity sector is starting to show interest in the former (Nasr Rostom, 2013). A concern that sustained depreciation of the prices of oil shall have an impact on the payment of the government to contractors over the future years may reduce the inclination of banks to lending past their comfort zone of chief contractors as well as well-established suppliers (Otsuki, 2012). Nevertheless, the green shoots of a micro and small enterprise lending platform are precisely visible, as well as banks have commenced showing their interest in the sector by developing the micro and small enterprises infrastructure alongside skills (Dakkak, 2011). Contribution to Employment and GDP The KSAs micro and small enterprises contribute about 33% to the Gross Domestic Product. The micro and small enterprises comprise approximately 25% of the workforce. The bigger proportion of the micro and small enterprises labor force in KSA comprises of migrant laborers (Nasr Rostom, 2013). In the year 2010, the root problem facing the micro and small enterprises besides the KSAs economy at large were rightfully attributed to the immensity of the oil as well as the public sectors that are the chief drivers for the economic operations (Nasr Rostom, 2013). The global contribution of the micro and small enterprises is a disproportionately enormous share of the novice job opportunities, specifically in such economies that have shown a firm employment record (Nasr Pearce, 2012). The micro and small enterprises labor intensity have been shown by the World Banks papers to be four to five times higher for the small enterprises (Nasr Rostom, 2013). The 9th five-year plan of the KSA has missed again its most essential target: a reduction in unemployment thereby rendering the economic planning an unproductive operation. As reflected in the recent plan, the unemployment would be declined from 10.5% in 2010 to 5% by 2013 whereas the unemployment as per the 2013 survey stood at 11.7% (Loayza Wada, 2010). The support for micro and small business is needed to assist in restructuring the big enterprises. This will be done by streamlining manufacturing complications. The micro and small business will be able to curb the monopoly of big enterprises and provide them complementary services besides absorbing the altering modern economy (Gopinath Upadhyay, 2012). The micro and small business will also generate significant gains by establishing a skilled industrial base as well as industries alongside developing a well-prepared service segment capable of contributing to the Gross Domestic Product via value-addition framework (Nasr Rostom, 2013). The KSA-wide mechanism or strategy for micro and small business is required based on one institution responsible as well as accountable to be in place (Nasr Rostom, 2013). The KSAs government should commence this with a single definition for what comprises micro and small business than the current four different definitions that are quite confusing. Moreover, about seven institutions are engaged in micro and small business financing besides the banks that run without any coordination (Dakkak, 2011). The lack of efficient as well as effective supervisory agency accounts for the worsening the challenge as closely seventy-four percent of micro and small business falling within the segments of trade besides construction. Such sectors have reduced value-addition rates as well as establish few opportunities for jobs in KSA (Crals Vereeck, 2015). Another major challenge that affects micro and small business is access to financing. In KSA, lending to micro and small business as a proportion of the entire loans pegs at 3% whereas in other emerging economies it is on average near to twenty percent as well as in advanced economies beyond twenty-five percent (Asad Sadi Henderson, 2011). The micro and small enterprises face lengthy bureaucratic processes and procedures besides licensing which is a huge challenge for micro and small enterprises. There is a need to alter the cycle of the labor market by shifting it away from its reliance on the low-paid expatriate labor force (Dakkak, 2011). The KSA government should educate the prospective micro and small enterprises owners via the Small Business Bureau on such areas as basic accounting, marketing, management as well as financial planning skills (Al Saleh, 2012). The KSA government also needs to mandate that twenty percent of its contracts go to the micro and small enterprises (Dakkak, 2011). The Supreme Economic Council of KSA should re-configure the micro and small enterprises sector. References Al Saleh, A. (2012). Exploring Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises in Saudi Arabia. In RIBM Doctoral Symposium on Strategies for SMEs in Saudi Arabia, 14th-15th March. Asad Sadi, M., Henderson, J. C. (2011). Franchising and small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in industrializing economies: A Saudi Arabian perspective. Journal of Management Development, 30(4), 402-412. Crals, E., Vereeck, L. (2015). The affordability of sustainable entrepreneurship certification for SMEs. The International Journal of Sustainable Development World Ecology, 12(2), 173-183. Dakkak, N. (2011). Obstacles towards curriculum reform in the Middle East: Using Jordan and the UAE as case studies. Policy brief, Dubai School of Government. Gopinath, M., Upadhyay, M. P. (2012). Human capital, technology, and specialization: a comparison of developed and developing countries. Journal of Economics, 75(2), 161-179. Loayza, N., Wada, T. (2010). Informal Labor in the Middle East and North Africa: Basic Measures and Determinants. Washington, DC: World Bank. Nasr, S., Pearce, D. (2012). SMES for job creation in the Arab world: SME access to financial services. Washington DC: World Bank. Nasr, S., Rostom, A. M. (2013). SME contributions to employment, job creation, and growth in the Arab world. Job Creation, and Growth in the Arab World (October 1, 2013). Otsuki, M. (2012). SMEs supporting systems in Saudi Arabia. speech, October, 15. Saddi, J., Soueid, R. (2011). Accelerating entrepreneurship in the Arab world. In The Forum of Young Global Leaders, World Economic Forum, and Booz Company. Retrieved from https://www3. weforum. org/docs/WEF_YGL_AcceleratingEntrepreneurshipArabWorld_Report_. Stone, A., Badawy, L. T. (2011). SME INNOVATORS AND GAZELLES IN MENA?EDUCATE, TRAIN, CERTIFY, COMPETE!. Small, 5, 19. Yousuf Danish, A., Lawton Smith, H. (2012). Female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia: opportunities and challenges. International journal of gender and entrepreneurship, 4(3), 216-235. Zamberi Ahmad, S. (2011). Evidence of the characteristics of women entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An empirical investigation. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 3(2), 123-143.

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong free essay sample

Close your eyes and imagine a backdrop of densely packed trees in shades of olive and emerald green, a military supply helicopter on the helipad, blades swooshing around stirring up dust, and out steps a beautiful, young, blonde girl. Right in the middle of war-torn Vietnam, at the Tra Bong outpost, Mary Anne Bell arrives at the request of her boyfriend. When first reading â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† by Tim O’Brien, one might believe it is a love story turned sour, but on closer inspection, it is apparent that this story is about much more than that. This story is about the loss of innocence, personal evolution, and the attempt to define one’s self. A bit tired and out-of-place, a young Mary Anne steps off a helicopter and into Nam. A war is raging beyond the concertina wire, and she is oblivious to the enormous magnitude of the situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mary Anne is a naive, barely 17 year old girl. She is cheerful, wide-eyed, and inquisitive all rolled up into one bundle. She is fresh out of high school with no life experience and no idea of how the world works; how it can tilt and sour one’s perspective. In the beginning, Mary Anne is very fascinated by the country, the culture, and the people. She sees Nam through untainted curious eyes, wanting to experience the customs and feel the culture. She probes the soldiers at the outpost with many questions and listens intently to their answers, consuming all the information given. She learns about claymore mines, trip wires, how to assemble and disassemble an M-16 machine gun, as well as how to cook over a can of Sterno. Like a sponge, she soaks up all the knowledge. She even learns the language; her thought is to take advantage of her situation and learn as much as possible while in Nam. Believing that the locals are safe, ordinary people, Mary Ann wants to venture to a close-by village to interact with them. This shows just how wet behind the ears she is; Mary Anne does not see the threat or danger in heractions, â€Å"It did not impress her that the VC owned the place† (OBrien 214). Some of the other soldiers were impressed with her courage, but not so much with her intelligence. The NCO of the outpost, Eddie Diamond described her best as â€Å"D-cup guts, trainer bra brains† (OBrien 215). However, Eddie knew that eventually she would learn the cold, hard truth like everyone else, and it would change her forever. Rat Riley, one of the medics at the outpost and new friend of Mary Anne’s, makes a direct comparison between her, him, and others, â€Å"†¦like you and me. A girl that’s the only difference† he declared, â€Å"†¦when we first got here all of us we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick† (OBrien 215). Mary Anne would learn as well, she would lose the innocence that came with ignorance of the truth. The change was slow and murky to the untrained eye, but there it was, the progression from a pure untainted soul to one that had fallen into a dark abyss. It started with small things, the lack of emotion when dealing with injured soldiers, all the blood and guts. Not being the least bit frightened or put off by what she was seeing, Mary Anne would jump right into the middle of all the gore. â€Å"In times of action her face took on a sudden new composure, almost serene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (OBrien 217). A new and different person was immerging; the young, innocent, bubbly, wideeyed girl was disappearing. There were other subtle changes showing how Mary Anne was becoming one of the guys. Just like the men, she cut her beautiful blonde hair short and wrapped her head in an army issue green bandanna to blend in. Gone were the small things that made her Mary Anne-her make-up, taking care of her fingernails, jewelry, and â€Å"hygiene became a matter of small consequence† (OBrien 216). It was, by pure design of nature, she had to adapt to the environment to survive. The softness as well as her exuberance were gone and replaced by rigidity and indifference. She no longer engages in activates with the others, instead; she stares intently into the dark jungle with a look of contentment on her face. Nam was claiming her, sucking her into the abyss. Mary Anne starts going out on patrol in the jungle with the â€Å"Greenies†, the Green Beret soldiers. Eventually, she becomes so comfortable with her surroundings that she ventures out on her own. Mary Anne makes the final transition; the innocent girl disappears within the new person she has become. She is now a war-born soldier. Now, there is no trace of the young girl who stepped out of the helicopter and into Nam for the first time. The girl joined the zoo† Mary Anne became just another animal in the vast Nam jungle (OBrien 221). The naive, innocent girl was gone; she vanished into the shadows. Mary Anne found her true self and was perfectly at peace. The wilderness succeeded in drawing her in, changing her, and making her part of the earth. Mary Anne wants â€Å"†¦to eat this place. Vietnam. I want to swallow the whole country-the dirt, the death-I just want to eat it and have it there inside me† she adds â€Å"I get scared sometimes-lots of times-but it’s not bad. You know? I feel close to myself† (OBrien 223). Perhaps for Mary Anne, she found something that was lurking deep inside her prior to arriving in Nam. Maybe Nam just expedited digging that part of her out. Mary Anne was alive, full of electricity, â€Å"perfectly at peace with herself† she explains â€Å"because I know exactly who I am† (OBrien 223). â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† shows us all that no one can survive a war and walk away unscathed by it. One can never return the same person that went over to another country on a mission that involved killing. Rat Riley describes it best, â€Å"you come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it’s never the same† (OBrien 225). This story is not about Mary Anne Bell, but about what she embodies. She personifies all the young, inexperienced boys that went to Vietnam and their stories. Mary Anne represents the loss of purity in the many young men that went by choice or by force to a foreign land. Nam devoured their souls transforming them forever, as if the very country cried out for a piece of them as payment for damages rendered. Nam claimed its price of those that trampled on her soil. Some young men may have found their inner killer and like Mary Anne did in the end, they became content. But on the other hand, many others were forced to become something alien just to endure the war. These are the souls that returned tortured. Oh my soul that I should weep for I no longer close my eyes and find innocent sleep. These haunted souls look in a mirror and ask, â€Å"Who am I? † Perhaps on some days, they see a glimmer of the person they once were when they were young and innocent. Works Cited OBrien, Tim. Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong. World Views Classic and Contemporary Readings. Ed. Macy, et al Felty. 6th. Boston: Pearson, 2010. 210-226.

When Is Military Force Justified

When Is Military Force Justified Too Much, Too Often – the Giant Military State We Live In It’s a sad fact that this beautiful, magical world has become a military state. We just hear about it so much these days due to social media and the Internet. Because of greedy, immoral people, the assumed solution to today’s many problems, especially between countries, is war – killing, genocide, torture, violence, and suffering. It’s frightening how often a country relies on military force to defend its country’s major multi-billion dollar enterprises – like ones refining crude oil, and mining other valuable entities such as metals and gemstones. MLA ESSAY EXAMPLE WAR AS SEEN THROUGH THE MEDIA War as an Assumed Solution to Today’s Many Problems When exactly is military force justified? Is it ever justified? The answer lies, of course, in the eyes of the beholder. But when one considers the tumultuousness nature of today’s world, they eventually come to the realization that, yes, military force is often justified. The important question, however, is when it’s justified. Before answering this question and arguing for when exactly military force is justified, it’s important to consider what comprises â€Å"military force.†   It is when a country’s military, also known as its armed forces, has no other choice but to use deadly force and weapons to support the interest of the state and of its citizens – its main function. This means casting fire on the enemy, dropping bombs from planes, detonating nuclear warheads, even resorting to biological warfare. Military Force Is Justified When There Is an Impending Threat to One’s Borders So, when is military force justified? For one, when there is an impending threat to one’s borders. If a country is on the verge of being invaded, it has the right to use military force. When a country’s citizens are on the brink of being slaughtered, the country as a whole should be able to resort to military force. It comes down to defending one’s way of life, not lying down and dying. Fighting for one’s borders, freedom, safety, and happiness is surely one reason to use violence and weaponry as a means for peace, though it does sound like a contradiction. In World War II, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor – and rather than doing nothing, which would assuredly invite similar attacks and possible invasion, America went to war against the Axis Powers. The country came together and stood up for its right to freedom and happiness; it meant that no country would attack America and get away with it. This is one prime example of when military force is ju stified. Secondly, military force is also justified when a larger, wealthier and more powerful country or group of countries threatens invasion, invades or attacks a less powerful country. For example, in 2008, Russia attacked the former Soviet Republic Georgia. It was the typical David vs. Goliath scenario. Russia accused Georgia of foul play against the autonomous republic to the south, and sent in troops to negotiate â€Å"peace.† Instead, Russia got whatever it wanted, a buffer zone between Russia and the Middle East, in turn bullying the small country into submission. Military force was not justified on the part of Russia, but Georgian military forces surely had the right to defend its motherland. And Georgia was not a NATO country, like Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and many other countries with powerful armies that could have used military force to defend the weaker, less powerful and wealthy country of Georgia. This is a classic case of how military forc e should be enacted when it’s justified. A big, powerful country was bullying a small country that could not defend itself; therefore, it had the right to resort to military force. To conclude, military force is, unfortunately, a reality in today’s world. But the lines of what â€Å"justifies† it are quite blurry. What is wrong in one country’s eyes are righteous in another’s. That is the tragedy of our times. But as long as there is good in the world, as long as there are countries like the United States, France, Ukraine and Germany and others that stand for peace and Democracy, good will prevail over evil. Though not without too much bloodshed and hatred along the way. We can only hope and plan for the world with no war, though it is quite unlikely to happen anytime soon. We can be sure of that fact.

Analyzing Value Net for Omni Hotel & Resort Essay

Analyzing Value Net for Omni Hotel & Resort - Essay Example Customers that are satisfied with their experience are highly likely to tell their friends about it. A second way customers could add value to the firm is by becoming recurrent customers of the company. Rivals – The company faces competition from direct and indirect rivals. All four and five star hotels in Texas are direct competition of Omni Hotels. Homes that rent their facilities for short monthly contracts are an indirect competitor of the firm as well as condos. Three direct competitors of Omni Hotels in the Corpus Christ marketplace are Days Inn Beach, Radisson Hotel, and Knights Inn. The rivals of the company represent a threat to the business organization. Omni has over 50 hotels across the United States (Omnihotels, 2011). The Corpus Christi hotel can add value and turn this threat into an opportunity by forming marketing alliances with other competitors. All the registered hotels in Corpus Christi can form a cash pool to advertise the region to tourist inside and outside of the United States. Such an initiative would increase the total tourism money that the region receives which would benefit the entire hospitality industry. Suppliers – In the hospitality industry suppliers have little power over hotels. Hotel chains such as Omni enjoy several competitive advantages including power to buy in bulk and take advantage of economies of scale, high variety of supplier options, and greater brand value than their suppliers. Several key suppliers that Omni Hotel must emphasize include food suppliers, cleaning suppliers, and bathroom supplies. The food suppliers are instrumental toward the success of hotel operated restaurants. Tourists are willing to pay a premium prices as long as they receive superb service and quality food. The organization can add value in its supply acquisition by advertising to the customers that they can take for free any supplies in from the room such as

The UK Government is Increasing the Retirement Age Literature review

The UK Government is Increasing the Retirement Age - Literature review Example Therefore, increasing the retirement age will mean more advantage to the elderly employees in the UK construction industry, considering that employers are reluctant to offer employments positions to older workers. Age discrimination could worsen, considering the negative attitudes that exist with regards to performance of the aged. Negative attitudes claimed that Low performance of the aged has contributed largely to early retirement among employees (United Nations, 2009, p. 52). The negative attitudes with regards to low performance of the aged could be improved with good performance and contributions of the older employees who have for a long time been denied the opportunity to prove their efficiency at an old age. Employee Age Discrimination According to Lewis, Lewis, and Thornbory (2006, p. 160), older workers are discriminated against on the claims that at an old age, employees tend to have less physical strength and incapability to endure hard conditions in work environments su ch as the construction industry. More to this, the older employees are also discriminated on claims that their cognitive capacity is low compared to younger employees. However, eliminating age discrimination in the UK construction industry would be attracting, motivating, and retaining the aged staffs that are fit for leadership and motivation of the younger employees. More so, employers could gain much reputation as transparent and an equal opportunity employer for development of skills and empowerment to the members. Direct discrimination involves treating individual employee less favorably with regards to their perceived or actual age associated with the individuals where no legitimate aim is justified. Indirect discrimination occurs in situations where policies, procedures and practices that apply to all employees exist, but in specification to the individuals perceived to be old. These practices, procedures, and policies may include application requirements for a particular job that excludes a particular group of disadvantaged individuals, where no legitimate aim is justified. This practice amounts to violation of the law, since the UK legislations demand that employers should not discriminate against employees by their age and incase so, the case must be justifiable fact as a legitimate objective of the organization (Fineman, 2011, p. 59). Harassment implies situations where unwanted behavior towards the aged employees has the purpose and impact of violation of a person’s dignity with regards to intimidation, human degradation, hostility, and humiliation of employees. On the other hand, victimization refers to an unfair treatment brought forward as a complaint by an employee who is regarded to have been treated unfairly based on age. The threat and complaints of age discrimination in the construction industry seem to be rampant at an early age compared to other industries. The increase in the retirement age by the UK government may lead to increas ed case of discrimination against the aging employees. Older workers are often put under pressure by both employers and fellow young employees to retire against their wish (Adams and Beehr, 2003). The UK construction industry is faced by rampant age discrimination claims among employees who are entering their phases of prime

Anxiety interpretation

Anxiety interpretation Introduction Winning is the ultimate goal for performance success amongst elite athletes, and approaches to achieve a competitive edge and optimise sporting performances are eagerly sought after. Facilitative interpretation of anxiety symptoms to impending performance is one recognised attribute of individuals of a higher performance status, and empirical support substantiates this relationship (Jones, Hanton, Swain 1994; Jones Swain, 1995). One approach to attaining a more facilitative interpretation of anxiety is through using a combination of psychological skills (Hanton Jones, 1999a, 1999b; Thomas, Maynard, Hanton, 2007). Findings emphasise the role of cognitive restructuring strategies, such as goal-setting, to elicit positive interpretations. However, the debate over which psychological skills comprising multi-modal interventions are responsible for the favoured anxiety appraisals remains debatable (Fletcher Hanton, 2002). More specifically, recent advancements have identified individual psychological skills which promote positive competitive-anxiety responses (OBrien, Mellalieu, Hanton, 2009; Wadey Hanton, 2007, 2008), yet the mechanisms underlying how and why athletes interpret their anxiety levels as positive are still inconclusive. If athletes can develop their ability to perceive anxiety in a more positive manner, they are more likely to benefit from the accompanied performance advantage. Anxiety, traditionally believed to be a negative determinant of performance, has now become recognised as a stimulant (Jones Hanton, 1996). In response to this dual-anxiety response, Jones (1991) argued that the traditional measure of multi-dimensional anxiety, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) (Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, Smith, 1990), restricted the measurement of anxiety response to â€Å"intensity† levels only; (cited in Jones Swain 1995). In response, Jones and Swain (1992) developed the modified version of the CSAI-2 in which a directional scale was collaborated. This broadened the approach adopted to measure intensity and perception of symptoms which were believed to mark the presence of anxiety. In an attempt to explain anxiety interpretation differences, Jones (1995), proposed a model of control, whereby athletes anxiety interpretation was governed by the confidence in their ability to control behaviour and the environment in which to achieve their goals. The model explains that a more positive expectancy of goal attainment is resultant of perceived control and ability to cope, and this generates a more facilitative interpretation of anxiety. This concept of control stemmed from Carver and Scheier (1988) research, who proposed that an athletes interpretation relies on their belief of being able to cope with anxiety levels and having the competency to meet the demands of the task. A wealth of research has based findings on Jones (1995) theoretical framework, whereby positive expectancies of goal attainment and facilitative appraisals of anxiety are inextricably wedded (Jones Hanton, 1999a; Jones Hanton, 1996; Wadey Hanton, 2008). Findings reported by Vealey, Hayashi, Garner-Holman, GiacobbiVealey et al. (1998) reinforces the connectivity of the components within Jones model (1995), in that the perception of self-control has been identified as the second most important source of self-confidence for athletes. Sources of self-confidence are vast and well documented (for a review see Bandura 1977, 1986, 1997; Vealey et alVealey, Hayashi, Garner-Holman, Giacobbi, 1998), and the challenge is to now determine those behaviours which are most conducive to self-confidence increments. The importance of self-confidence has been well-documented, and as one of the most important attribute to athletes, it also discriminates between elite and non-elite performers (Feltz, 1988). Previous studies have suggested that self-confidence functions as a buffer to experiencing debilitative anxiety levels (Hanton, Mellalieu, Hall, 2004). Findings reveal that athletes with superior levels of self-confidence consistently reported positive directional interpretations of the experienced anxiety (Jones et al., 1994), which lends partial support to Jones model (1995). Qualitative research by Hanton et al. (2004) which limited the assessment of strategy use to self-talk, thought control and imagery suggested, suggested that self-confidence ultimately gave rise to a sense of control over athletes performance. Further, self-confidence appeared to override negative thoughts and encouraged coping expectances; thereby was akin to an internal reassurance mechanism. Hanton et al. (2004) results also reported that confidence levels were associated with increases in effort and motivation, which allowed a more facilitative perception. This endorsed Eysenck and Calvos (1992) processing efficiency theory (PET) which proposed that high levels of confidence prevented high levels of cognitive anxiety from impairing performance through promoting motivation and effort investment to ultimately increase concentration levels. Given that Bandura (1977) believes engaging in behaviour enhances the self-confidence in ones ability of that behaviour, it is plausible to suggest that engaging in effective self-control processes may enhance athletes perception of their ability to control. The ability to self-control or self-regulate comprises the capability to manage ones affect, behaviour and cognitions to attain goals, and is suggested to be most necessary when faced with challenges or habitual actions are disrupted (Karoly, 1993). According to Karoly, (1993) â€Å"self-regulation refers to those processes, internal and/or transactional, that enable an individual to guide his/her goal-directed activities over time and across changing circumstances (contexts)† (p. 25). This is an independent process, and therefore success is most likely to be attributed internally, which according to Weiner (1979) will provide a source of greater motivation and self-confidence. A central self-regulatory behaviour according to Bandura (1991) is goal-setting. Bandura proposes goal-setting guides individuals behaviours, cognitions and affects to attain their desired performance standards. In essence, goal-setting provides a self-referenced benchmark against current performance which promotes self-evaluative and positive adaptive behaviour. Goals have also been suggested to enhance athletes motivation, effort, concentration and self-confidence (Gould, 2006). These subsequent self-reactive responses may therefore be targeted to align current behaviour with desired outcomes and assist in enhancing performance. Upon attainment of goals, mastery and personal capabilities in sport-specific skills are defined and awareness of success is heightened. Evidently goals maximise individuals opportunities to experience self-satisfaction, and therefore can function as a prospective pre-determinant of self-confidence. According to Zimmerman (1999), consistent self-regulated learners will assign explicit process and outcome goals, and express elevated self-confidence levels. Given that performance accomplishment is the most superior source of self-efficacy to athletes (Bandura, 1997), this may explain and strengthen the intimacy that has been associated between goal-setting and self-confidence. Synergistically, athletes with greater self-confidence levels have been shown to set more challenging goals and express greater commitment to attaining these goals (Bandura, 1991; Locke Latham, 1990; Wood Bandura, 1989). Bandura (1991) endorses the role of self-confidence as an important element of self-regulation and this has been supported by previous research in sport (Kane, Marks, Zaccaro, Blair, 1996; Williams, Donovan, Dodge, 2000). In view of the relationships between self-control, self-confidence and anxiety interpretation; consideration of the self-regulatory processes which are encompassed within goal-setting may help to ‘unmuddy the waters regarding the prospective underlying mechanisms to anxiety appraisal. The goal-setting process is facilitated by self-monitoring, which is another sub-function of Banduras self-regulation theory (1991). Self-monitoring is in essence observing and surveying ones own performance and results (Zimmerman, 2006), and has been positively related to improved physical learning and performance (Martin Ashnel, 1995; Zimmerman Kitsantas, 1996). Self-monitoring stimulates athletes to self-evaluate and thereby recognise favourable patterns between effective psychological states and successful performance outcomes, which in-turn provides a sense of ‘self-insight. Furthermore, this may guide behavioural change if performance was impaired or encourage the behavioural repetition if performance was enhanced. Consequently, self-monitoring offers opportunities for self-evaluation towards goal attainment, which reflects its self-diagnostic function. Previously it has been shown that self-monitoring, especially if positive, serves as a source of self-confidence (Bouc hard-Bouchard, 1990; Zimmerman Schunk, 2001; Martin Anshel, 1995). Moreover, the self-monitoring capability of athletes, both individually (Kim, 1999) and as a team (Kim Cho, 1996), influences corresponding performance expectations and the belief of mastery (as cited in Bechenke, 2002). Anxiety interpretation is most likely to arise through self-evaluative behaviours. Self-evaluation allows the analysis of the behaviour and accompanied outcomes, and is a subsequent sub-function following self-monitoring. This allows the athlete to determine whether to repeat this behaviour, if self-evaluation was positive, or set in motion a state of corrective change to attain future self-satisfaction, if this judgement was unfavourable (Bandura, 1991). The self-belief in goal mastery proceeds to influence the evaluative and reactive reactions to goal accomplishment or failure. Those of greater self-confidence evaluate failure to reach their goals as a motivator to continue striving. Subsequently they react to reduce the incongruity, by investing more effort and adopting more strategies to enhance the likelihood of goal mastery (Bandura Cervone, 1986). Complementary to these findings, self-confident individuals are predominantly more proactive in their self-reactions to goal accomplishment (Bandura, 1991). That is, once their goal has been mastered, they raise the bar further by introducing another challenging goal, which functions to progress performance improvements. Furthermore, Carver and Scheier (1986, 1988, 1998) have examined the means by which self-confidence effects self-regulatory behaviours. Their research reveals that when progression to goal mastery is hindered and becomes difficult, those with greater self-confidence in coping will react to anxiety levels positively, with renewed effort and concentration to their aspirations (as cited in Hanton et al. (2004). Jones and Hanton (1996) examined competitive anxiety symptoms with regard to goal attainment expectancies prior to competition. Findings demonstrated that competitive swimmers with positive expectations of goal-attainment found their anxiety symptoms were more facilitative to performance, than athletes with negative or uncertain goal expectations. These findings reflect equivalent reports by Hanton and Jones (1999a). This is in align with Jones (1995) control model and re-iterates the beneficial responses to positive goal-expectancies, which may be underpinned by higher self-confidence levels and consequent positive anxiety appraisals. Therefore, appropriate goal-setting is also paramount to optimise athletes expectancies of goal attainment to favour positive anxiety interpretation. Bandura (1991) suggests that acknowledgement of performance progress, influences individuals forthcoming behaviour, stimulates further goal setting and evaluative responses; thus goal-setting is a stimulant for other behavioural responses and appears to be a pivotal facet of self-regulation. Therefore there appears to be an overlapping effect between self-regulatory processes and self-confidence, in particular the goal-setting process. The strong predictive effects between goal-setting and self-confidence lends reasons to propose that goal-setting may be the most dependable predictor of self-confidence amongst other self-regulatory processes; this as yet remains indefinite. Evidence lends support to the role of goal-setting and positive interpretations of anxiety. Wadey and Hanton (2008) and OBrien et al. (2009) endorse the beneficial competitive-anxiety response with gaol-setting interventions. Wadey and Hanton (2008) has hinted that self-confidence and associated effort, motivation, concentration and perceived control may play a role to explain the positive anxiety response and goal-setting, however the mediatory role of self-confidence is as yet unconfirmed. Although Jones explanatory model (1995) and aforementioned research endorse the role self-confidence and perception of self-control plays in anxiety appraisal, they fail to acknowledge, identify and explain which self-regulatory behaviours allow self-confidence to override debilitating interpretations and why this relationship exists. In review of the literature five key self-regulatory processes have emerged and were measured using the Self Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (SRSQ); goal-setting, regulatory-responses, self-monitoring, self-awareness and self-talk. This was the first study to use this questionnaire and assess self-regulation, as a holistic process and differentiate between the key processes. The sources of self-confidence have been extensively reported, yet the variances by which self-regulatory processes contribute to self-confidence have not been compared. This questionnaire will allow the specific sub-functions of self-regulation that may enhance self-confidence to be determined. Previous studies report that elite athletes self-regulate more than their non-elite counterparts (Cleary Zimmerman, 2001; Anshel Porter, 1996), which is not surprising considering elites superior use of psychological skills (Thomas, Murphy, Hardy 1999).,. Therefore the self-confidence derived from these skills is likely to vary, thus competitive level is an important variable to control in this study. The Finally, the role of goal-setting, conceptualised as a self-regulatory behaviour , as a regulatory behaviour on anxiety interpretation willcan be investigated, which extends Hanton et al., (2004) study by including goal-setting as a strategy. . In essence, this study serves to discover if engaging in goal-setting has an indirect effect on anxiety interpretation by enhancing self-confidence. Specifically, it proposes to discriminate which facets of self-regulation are utilised to foster self-confidence, and thereby potentially mediate the competitive anxiety response interpretation. It is hypothesised that goal-setting will be the superior predictor of self-confidence, which in turn will mediate the relationship between goal-setting behaviours and anxiety interpretation. It is expected that self-confidence will be a positive partial mediator of facilitative anxiety interpretation.