Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement Concerns

Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement Concerns Free Online Research Papers As the Baby Boomer generation continues to grow older, their concerns have shifted to their health, money and retirement. The days of wondering where their next vacation should be and whether their bonus check will be as much as they deserve are passing. Today, Baby Boomer issues are mostly about concerns with maintaining their health and having enough money to live comfortably through their years. As people grow older, they often experience problems with their health. Their bodies grow more fragile and susceptible to diseases. Many people 50 years of age and older are reporting health problems that were not experienced by people in their same age group long ago. This problem is created by rising health care costs. As the Boomer generation begins to require more medical care, the cost of that medical care continues to increase. Health issues and their ability to cope with them and find the proper medical support is a major concern for Baby Boomers. Along with rising health care costs, Baby Boomers also worry about money and retirement. During the last couple years of their careers before retiring, people usually enjoy salaries and bonuses that are larger than at any other point in their career. As a result, money is rarely a major concern. However, many people fail to save that money. Instead, they spend it on vacations, their families and in the pursuit of living fun lives. This can lead to a rude awakening when they retire. Because they have not saved much money during their career, a lot of people discover that they do not have enough money to live comfortably during their retirement years. When they retire, they no longer earn a salary. They no longer receive bonus checks. Instead, they are forced to live off the income that can be generated by the investments they have made throughout their lives. Unfortunately, many have not invested any money that can generate this income. Other Baby Boomer issues complicate this money problem. People live longer lives today. When a Baby Boomer retires, he can expect to live many years in retirement. In the past, a 65-year old man could expect to live 10 years in retirement before passing away. The financial requirements of living comfortably for these 10 years were manageable. Today, people use a life expectancy of 90 to 95 years. That is, when a person retires at 65 years of age, he can expect to live up to 30 years in retirement. With dwindling health, rising health care costs and a lack of savings to generate income, the financial requirements of living 30 years in retirement are out of reach for many people. These health, money and retirement concerns will grow as more of the Baby Boomer generation moves into retirement. Some will choose to work part-time jobs to keep active, stay healthy and generate supplemental income. Others will require the aid of family and friends. Still others may require more help than is available to them. As the Baby Boomer issues are beginning to emerge the Boomers will experience the issues that have been quietly gaining momentum for years, their health, money and retirement concerns will continue to grow. Research Papers on Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement ConcernsTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic EngineeringQuebec and CanadaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPETSTEL analysis of India

The Mosque Essays

The Mosque Essays The Mosque Essay The Mosque Essay The mosque is the Muslim place of worship, which in Arabic is refered to as the Masjid this means place of prostration because Muslims bow low to God when praying. Mosques can be set up anywhere you place a prayer mat and kneel down to prostrate yourself and pray to Allah. It does not necessarily need to be a building but it is necessary to go to a mosque during festival times as it helps the Muslim community to join together and become closer. Another distinctive feature of a mosque is the Islamic symbol of the moon and star. This represents how the light of the moon and stars guide men through the desert, which links in with the idea that, the moon and stars guide Muslims through life. Male Muslims will prayer five times a day in the mosque, female Muslims do not need to attend the mosque to prayer as much as it is seen as their duty to hold and keep the house together so they often pray at home. The Friday prayer in the mosque, called the jumah is the most important. ALL MALE Muslims in the area will try and join together for that prayer. It shows Muslims uniting themselves throughout the world. Most mosques have one or more slender towers called minarets. In Arab villages, a man would stand on the balcony at the top facing Mecca and call to the other Muslims to prayer. He is called a Muezzin but nowadays in Arab villages, a recording or a loudspeaker will be used instead. Most mosques have a dome on the outside which is important in hotter countries because it allows the air to flow around the building more easily. But its main purpose in this country is to make the voice louder when someone is speaking and it also becomes a distinctive feature of the mosque. To Muslims the shape of the dome represents God and the eternity of life. It also shows the significance of Allah compared to the size of us as it represents Allah creator of the universe looking down on us. In the mosque that we visited there was no dome or minaret because it was a converted hotel this also means that the call to prayer (adhan) was made within the mosque and was loud enough to be heard no matter where you were in the mosque. Every Mosque must have somewhere for Muslims to wash themselves before going to pray. Big mosques perhaps in other countries may have a large open-air pool or water fountain. But in this country and in the smaller mosques there tends to be small bathroom facilities and sometimes there is a cloakroom. Muslims must always have somewhere to put their shoes because they have to take them off before entering the mosque to stop dirt and dust entering the holy building. On our visit to Bournemouth mosque we noticed that there was a small room to put your shoes and coat pegs to put any belongings on before entering the mosque. In the mosque there were two separate wudu areas, one for the woman and one for the men. Each Muslim must perform the ritual washings before praying so that they are clean when they are praying to Allah. The significance of them being clean on the outside symbolises them being clean on the inside as they have the right intent or niyyah to pray to Allah Below are some of the ritual washings all Muslims must perform: Inside the mosque it is very bare, there are no seats (except for medical reasons when the person will sit on a small stool and perform the prayer movements mentally rather than physically) and people either pray on their own mats or on the carpet provided. It does not necessarily matter if all the prayer movements are perfect because it is the intention (niyyah) to prayer that counts. Muslims will devote their time and focus completely on Allah, which is the intention of prayer. Muslims have nothing to distract them from their prayer but at Bournemouth Mosque there were two Medallions which helped Muslims to focus on their prayer. The medallions remind them that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah . As well as ritual communal prayer Muslims also perform a personal prayer which is called the dua and can be recited before or after the ritual communal prayer. Muhammad had stopped people praying to idols because he was afraid that people may go back to worship them. This is called idolatry or Shirk in Islam and is the greatest sin to all Muslims as they believe that Allah can forgive all sins except shirk. This is why there are no paintings or statues in the mosque. Muslims are not allowed to draw animals or people because they believe that only God can create them. Mosque walls may be decorated with patterns some are mosacis others are words written in calligraphy, which are usually passages taken from the Quran. This applied to Bournemouth Mosque, as there was an embroided calligraphy pattern that was made from real gold thread(probably to represent the significance and value of the writing) and was taken from the doorway of the Kabah. This specific piece of tapestry is called Kiswah and is very sacred to Muslims it also contained the first few passages from the Quran and it contained some of the 99 names of Allah. It is also situated in the holy city of Mecca where no non-Muslims are allowed especially in Ramadan. As well as this there were many pictures of the holy mosque in Median which is Known as the Prophets Mosque and has a great value to Muslims as it was where the seal of the prophets Muhammad (pbuh) was born, lived and died (in Medina). In some Mosques there are geometric paintings or designs on the walls they are significant to Muslims as the patterns within them have significant meanings. The patterns are based on a circle which represents the eternity of Allah because the patterns nd circles will go on forever and ever. The prayer hall is the most important part of the mosque and there is not usually much to see apart from a lot of space that is essential for large numbers of Muslims to come and perform their prayers with all the movements. The prayer hall can also be used for many other different purposes like funeral services and a coumintey centre but it is never used for weddings even at the rear occasions when the wedding takes place in the mosque. When Muslims lay down their mats to prayer they lay them down so that they point towards Kaba in Mecca. Each of the prayer movement has a significant meaning and all are a very important part of the routine. Below are the sequence of the movements and the meaning which Muslims must perform when the pray. The direction in which they face is called the qiblah and they always know where to face as there is an alcove on the wall which is called the Mihrab. The Mirhab doesnt just point to Mecca but it also helps to make the imams voice who leads the prayer louder. He will usually face it with his back towards the rest of the Muslims who are worshipping Allah Also in the mosque there is the mimbar which is a set of three stairs to raise the person who is preaching at that point which is usually the imam. The mimbar is only used when the imam is preaching at the jumah. In addition to the main features of the mosque there is also a charity box in which Muslims can donate any amount of money to the mosque. They do not have to donate money all the time but at least once a year, as giving 2. 5% of your annual wage to charity is one of the 5 pillars of Islam that all Muslims must try to complete. The Islamic word for the charity box is Zakah and it means exactly what it says. Overall the prayer hall is probably the most important part of the mosque. In addition to this there is the community room which is used for socialising and getting to know each other and a classroom to educate the young Muslims so that they can teach them the right what to follow there religion etc. In the community room there is also a copy of the Quran which is the direct word of Allah and the hadith which contains the teachings and examples of Muhammad these are the two Islamic holy books. many mosques these books will be kept on the highest shelf but it is not essential. However it is essential to wash yourself before picking up the book and it must be treated with a lot of respect so nothing should ever be placed on top of it. The Mosque is usually set out something like the following: On the right there is the mimbar it has three steps and the Iman will stand on the second. The main reason for thi s is that it is a tradition which Muslims like to follow In this picture there are two microphones at different heights, one for standing prayer positions and one for the e very low prayer positions which in Islam are called Salah. Finally in the Mosque there is a prayer clock to indicate what times the prayers are done as it they change throughout the year according to the sightings of the moon and the times of dawn and dusk. Most mosques will have a board but in Bournemouth mosque they had brought a digital clock in order to make it easier and more understandable when reading and changing the times.

Strategic Analysis of Zara Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Analysis of Zara Inc - Essay Example Research indicates these factors include intensive competitive rivalry, buyer power with consumers, and even threats of substitute products that can drive pricing lower. Research has also indicated much negative publicity for Zara, something requiring addressing by Zara executives in order to improve and sustain a quality brand reputation in its international markets. Though Zara is able to effectively create some barriers, such as new market entrants and by removing buying power by limiting outsourced supplier presence, Zara still requires more emphasis on understanding market characteristics effectively to provide relevant products and gain more brand loyalty. Recommendations for business improvement have been identified as conducting more intensive market research, more emphasis on the promotional function and utilisation of interactive marketing, decentralisation of certain business functions along the value chain, and building more self-owned manufacturing and supply capacity in order to gain competitive advantage. 1.0 Industry analysis Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) provide knowledge of contingency theory, a strategic model that indicates as circumstances in the market or industry change, the organisation’s structure must also be changed in order to adapt and stay relevant. Zara is a prime example of a business that understands the market characteristics and capabilities of major rivals, creating contingency strategies in order to respond (quickly) to changing market and industry dynamics. This is accomplished, of course, through maintaining a stance in which Zara executives routinely scan the external environment to identify threats and opportunities that could contribute to a better market position. Thompson, Gamble and Strickland (2005) offer the Five Forces Model proposed by Michael Porter identifying five competitive threats that are industry-related that will either enhance or disturb maintaining profitability and competitive advantage. The most intensive industry concern for Zara is threat of substitutes in its operating markets. H&M, Gap Inc. and Benetton offer similar fashion merchandise that is focused on either youth markets with a trends-focused set of buying characteristics or mass markets that are attracted to fashionable styles at affordable prices. Macro-economic theory indicates that threat of substitutes becomes a legitimate concern when the demand for the product has been affected by price changes associated with substitute products (Boyes and Melvin 2007). For Zara, substitute products include clothing sold at resale shops, such as with the emerging trend for retro-style fashions. In this environment, clothing is sold at a nominal price, but still offering consumers products that are deemed fashionable. The ability of consumers to procure merchandise and fashion accessories from a variety of lower-cost sales facilities has the ability to affect demand for Zara’s merchandise. Thus, Zara must be aware of alternative procurement

Social Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Relations - Essay Example Many people tend to be aggressive for one reason or another. The result of one's character is highly characterized by roles one plays, and mutual interactions of motivation and the motion which lies at the heart of autonomy adaptation and social interaction in both biological and artificial agents (Kenny D, 1994). They also have a powerful and wide range in influence on many aspects of cognition and action even though one's role is often considered complimentary. This is concerned by external and internal factors involved in the establishment of one's behaviour where emotion is the core determiner of behaviour among the critical factors (Kenny D, 1994). Within societies, an individual learns not only on his own but also through interaction with other people surrounding him/her. This brings about the issue of social intelligence an essential tool in communication through conservations (Brown J, 1991). Social aggregation has a strong genetic basis where it is mainly as a result of environmental influences (Brown J, 1991). Specifically, teachers and peers indicate an extent to which a participating child exhibits social aggressive behaviors, such as trying to make others hate one another or the degree of influence to make others like one another, or saying bad things and spreading nasty rumours (Brown J, 1991). Empirical evidence for an effect of workplace psychological control on an individual is sometimes not visible but studies have shown that negative parenting behaviours such as lack of responsiveness and coercion are linked to one's ego (Perloff R, 2003). People who have socially aggressive friends tend to be aggressive themselves (Perloff R, 2003). This contributes to much social stratification where people tend to group themselves in terms of character and behaviour. This makes them share a habit in common. For workers today, the stress associated with trying to blend the responsibilities of paid work with responsibilities of family and personal life has become an increasingly visible issue (Perloff R, 2003). This is because more and more workers continue reporting on how their lives have become frenzy as they struggle with the unrelenting demands of work and personality (Perloff R, 2003). The significance of being free of bias brings about independence freedom of thought and democracy, where one is not intimidated (Kenny D, 1994). It creates integrative minds, where a person acts without being told, and thinks that he is right (Kenny D, 1994). There is an increasing demand for those who practice initiative because the reward is two fold, one it helps one improve his financial status and also develops strength in his/her personal attributes. In conclusion, social psychology principles plays a critical component in enabling individuals interact, as well as personal relationship. It creates the spirit of mutual interrelationship between people whereby, the participants share information, therefore enhancing clear understanding of our surroundings. Reference Brown, J. David. (1991). "Preprofessional Socialization and Identity Transformation: The Case of the Professional Experience". Journal of Contemporary Ethnography Perloff, R. M. (2003).

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay The American international group has a history that dates back to 1919. The company was started when Cornelius Vander Starr established an insurance agency in shanghai the capital city of china. Starr was the first person from the western to sell insurance policies to the Chinese. Starr sold policies until the company which is the current AIG left china in 1949. In the same year the companys headquarter was moved to New York in United States from where it expanded through venturing into other markets in the parts of Latin America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. In 1962 the management of the company moved from Starr to Maurice Greenberg who diverted its concentration from personal insurance sales to high margin corporate coverage where he eliminated agents by bringing in independent brokers whom he used in selling insurance polices. This strategy helped the company to price insurance depending on its probable return even at times when there were reduced sales of certain products and for a long period and still incur very little extra expenses. After Greenberg took over the management of the company it sooner went public in 1969. Starting from 2005 the company was caught up in a series of frauds that were investigated by the justice department of U.S., the office of attorney general in new state and the securities exchange commission. The then CEO Greenberg was suspended and replaced by Martin Sullivan in Feb. 2005. In June 2008 some financial losses were disclosed which led to the fall of AIG share price in the stock market. This resulted to resignation of Sullivan who was then replaced by another CEO Edward Liddy in sep. same year. American international group is the biggest underwriter of industrial and commercial insurance. The financial scandals of 2008 led to great losses to the company which made it suffer a liquidity crisis as its credit rating was downgraded. AIG it a globally recognized insurance company with branches in different parts of the world. Its vision is to be the leader in innovative mortgage solutions while its mission is to be the mortgage insurer of choice through: professional and dedicated staff, entrepreneurial leadership, disciplined risk taking, customer satisfaction, and through solutions to facilitate Canadian homeownership. The companys global benefits network has lately introduced the AIG atlas as one of its strategies. This atlas is a basically a range of products meant to assist in meeting the unique benefit needs of the employees. This will then enhance the utility of the capability of the companys employees in over 100 countries hence be able to provide the best services as well as cost effective solutions to its customers all over the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The unique benefits to the employees will include medical insurance, life insurance and long term disability insurance. The company al so intends to provide full time services through charge-free phone number as well as management and monitoring of emergency medical cases. Strategies of AIG The company is one of the leading international insurance and financial organizations. It has partnered with several business groups including CRM, which is the number one credit management solutions provider in Europe. This partnership has enabled the company to provide better customer satisfaction and hence improving its sales of insurance policies while accomplishing efficiency gains. Currently, American international group operates in more than 130 countries while its member companies serve institutional, commercial, as well as individual customers through the widest property, life, and casualty of any insurer in the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The company is thus going through a period of drastic reviews of its of the processes and structure in all its centres so as to maximize and establish its B2C customer management. By making use of its resources more effectively the company aims to improve the efficiency of CRM and provide the best responsive customer care. Having partnered with other outsourcers, AIG realized the importance of outsourcing partners with whom they can combine the breadth of experience by providing well managed and high quality services. In 2002 AIG and finalized a business strategy with Transom with outlined a number of challenges such as developing organizational skills to secure maximum profitability and customer satisfaction. The company also had to act according to the desired outcomes for improved organization, quality and management as well as provide cost effective high quality and fulfilment solutions (AIG Group Management Division 2009). Following the deal between the two companies Transcom began to handle the inbound customer care service on behalf of AIG. Transcom then enhanced the quality of services by dealing with the mistakes in the existing program of AIG. Leveraging its long experience and first class technology, Transcom has been able to strengthen and expand the CRM activities of AIG through addition of telemarketing campaigns. Transcom has also succeeded in bolstering AIGs customer revenue and base through contacting its potential customers and presenting them with persuasive offers to coverage commerce. The general improvement in the quality of service of AIG has come from the enormous improvement in customer relations which has in turn strengthened AIGs image as a professional organization. All this was possible since Transcom kept within the service level boundaries as well as constant customer contact (AIG Group Management Division 2009) Organizational Behavior Analysis Organizational behavior analysis is an evaluation of the way individual work in an organization. The organization does not need to be a business institution like the American international group but can also be a religious institution. The ultimate goal of organizational behaviour analysis is to understand in a better way the relationships between individuals in an organization, the relationship of the employees and the organization and the organizations relationship with the rest of the society (Harigopal 2006). This information is then used by the management of organizations to increase the efficiency and productivity of and achieve the goals and objectives of the institution as a whole. According to Harigopal (2006), by gaining and understanding this knowledge the employee are able to realize the contributions of their individual efforts to the bigger image of the organization. The progress and success of every organization rests on the philosophy of management as well as on its vision, goals and values. These factors then drive the organizational culture that is made up of the social environment, formal and informal organization. The culture then influences the type of communication, leadership and group dynamics within the institution. The employees or workers in the institution then take these aspects as the quality of their work life and therefore they determine their rate or degree of motivation. The ultimate results of these will be individual satisfaction, performance, personal growth and the general development of the organization. Organizations are undergoing exceptional radical change in all systems of operation ranging from decision making to global competitive pressures and technology to acquisitions and mergers(Harigopal 2006). Organizations have therefore to respond quickly and effectively while remaining flexible and transforming themselves for the new world of work. Organizational behavior is therefore written with these changes and it explains through what leaders and managers need to know about organizations as they struggle to bring productivity and success in them. Organizational behavior and leadership development is institution wide responsibility that stretches across all functions and departments. Culture is described as the conventional behavior in a given society that includes beliefs, knowledge, customs and practices. Although it rarely finds its way into the conscious mind, it often affects the behavior of human beings within a given society or organization. Employees in an organization like the AIG usually depend on its culture since its culture gives them stability, understanding, security and the ability to react to a given situation. Organizational culture creates a number of concepts, situations and strategies that affect every level of planning in any institution. Understanding the operation of culture and organizational structure and the machinery that it runs behind the scenes helps the employees to organize and strengthen the effective cultures and remove the bad ones thus establishing and environment that promotes success within the institution. According to leadership theorists, diminishing and weakening of an organization together with the employees resistance to change is usually caused by ineffective leadership (Harigopal 2006). For instance the American international group underwent financial crisis in 2008 as a result of poor leadership. The bad culture of impunity that had been developed in the company led to corruption and mismanagement of funds as well and some other unscrupulous deals. Strong leadership and organizational culture are necessary for long term success in every corporation. However some institutions may show signs of success for a long time even without a strong organizational culture but when the culture starts to erode, the big organizations take only a short period of time to collapse. Strong leadership is necessary for a strong organizational culture although the reverse is also true. Without strong leadership to maintain everything running, a strong organizational culture will only dull and eventually erode. Practising business people and theorists have found out that organizational culture and leadership are tightly intertwined. Leaders require having a clear understanding of the impact and identity of the organization culture so as to determine the kind of adjustments and management systems needed within the organization as well as have the right styles of effectively communicating their visions to rest of the institution. The study of the operation of organizational culture and organizational structure makes the practical study of organizational culture and structure implications important. In all organizations from government groups to sport teams, the study of the impact of culture and structure on the general picture of an organization shows a better way of making an entity work. Good organizational structure ensures balanced distribution of responsibilities among the top management of groups as well as among the workers (Harigopal 2006 p.102). This has shown that good organizational structure with excellent personnel that ensure all are focused at the same goal, works well than excellent but conflicted personnel. Organization structure generally deals with the culture set up. It deals with the working of the management, the specific responsibilities of the supervisors, and the manner in which a complaint is passed through the ranks. Organizational structure ensures that. Managing change in organizations A significant change in an organization occurs when the overall strategy of an organization are changed for success, or when an organization adds or removes a major section or practice or when there is a change in the operation nature. Organizations develop by undergoing through significant changes at different points in their progress. Successful organizational change is usually very difficult to achieve thus it usually calls for skilful leadership in change management. In work organizations there are different approaches in guiding change whereby some are structured, planned and explicit while others are more unfolding, organic and implicit. These approaches work in different styles. Some work from the future to the present for instance when an organization develops a vision to be achieved in the future and then lays down strategies on how to acquire that vision. Some other approaches will work from the present to the future. In this approach the organization will identify its current problems issues and goals and then lay down strategies on how to deal with those priorities and how to achieve them (Harigopal 2006 p.97). The variation in the type of strategies used depends on the culture of an organization or on the leadership style of the managers. When starting from the present to the future the organization looks at its past in relation to the present and then looks at the present in relation to the future and then evaluate whether it can still go on with its activities just like it has been doing. For an organization doing business in this fast changing and advancing environment, doing thins like has been doing before may not help it compete fairly with others in the industry (Harigopal 2006 p.98). Even doing the same thing harder or even fine tuning it may sometimes make no difference. What organizations need to do keep doing things different as the changing business environment demands. In the daily operation of organizations the structures, methods, processes and technologies that were appropriate in the earlier market conditions may not be applicable in the current or future conditions. This implies that organizations may be forced to reset themselves on different assumptions and business prospects that are in accordance to customer focus, innovativeness, competitive intelligence, and competency base. For the best results in a change effort, the change agents should first of all have a comprehensive understanding of the context of the change effort such as the right strategies needed and the kind of results expected. This means that the change managers should have a clear understanding of the basic structures and systems in an organization as well as their typical terms and roles (Harigopal 2006 p.98). The leadership style and management systems of an organization in relation to its culture are also necessary. Change management encompasses thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation of necessary strategies. Before a change is initiated and during the change process the change leaders should conduct extensive consultations with the people affected by the change and also involve them in the change process. The managers should also find ways of aligning the aims of the business with the needs of their people. The managers should check if the people affected agree with or at least understand the need for change and that they have a chance to decide or give views on how the change should be managed. The sensitive aspects of the change management should be handled through face to face communication so as to convey meaning and understanding. According to Harigopal (2006), managing change therefore demand establishing different management structures, like the interim structure to deal with the business of the business, the transition management structure to smoothen the change process and a structure to stream line the new state of the organization (p.95). Before starting the change process, an organization should be clear on its purpose, direction and vision as well as have a clear analysis of its prevailing strengths and weaknesses in relation to opportunities and threats. The dynaminism of business environment will then determine what should be changed and the required pace of change. Impact of technology on business According to (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009), business today is inextricably entangled with technology starting from the smallest business to International Corporation with a number of monolithic applications of legacy. In todays world one cannot be in successful business activities and fail to come across the issues of technology. This is because the way business processes are carried out today is very different from the way they were being carried out 30 years ago. Technological advancements have occurred in several areas from communication, stock market, travel i.e. by air, land and water and technology has also evolved around our lives. Information technology has revolutionised the systems of business operation around the world. Local business have now gone international as a consequence of simple website information technology that than enabled them to advertise internationally (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009). Information technology (IT) has helped in customer service where big organizations like Microsoft and American international group attend to needs of their customers through online services like email and chart. Internal and external networking in organizations has improved business operations around the world. Through networking staffs and clients in organizations can effectively get in touch with their leaders for feedback and updates on progress and extensions. Communication within firms as well as between firms has really bloomed with the current developments in technology. Business between organizations has even become easier and more effective. For instance the American international group has been able to work with other organizations and improve its services due to improved IT and communication. However due to high technology computer systems in organisations todays business calls for extensive and careful planning. This planning can be done on organised pattern, with formats schedules and Gantt charts. Due to improved computer systems huge data bases can now be managed and stored on network and back up drives for future records. Accessibility of stored data and files has also become easy with the discovery of a series of shared folders and password keys. According to HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert (2009) Cash transactions are easily made hence reducing delay which then gives liquidity to business and makes the overall processes i n business faster. Information technology has enabled the businesses to put up an easier and effective coordination with their suppliers. This then has enabled them to benefit from production economics when they operate with the large specialized suppliers. Furthermore the drastic reduction of in the IT cost as well as the reduced risk of transaction in explicit coordination has been it possible for extensive application of explicit coordination with the suppliers. The resulting economized transactions and other factors thus enable a long term business partnership with a smaller set of suppliers According to Johnson Redmon Mawhinney (2001), communication is an essential part of any organization regardless of its operation size. It helps in building public relations via effective interpersonal relations and enhancing teamwork for high performance. Effective communication basically entails relaying messages in a clear and precise manner making it easy to be understood without altering the message being conveyed. Communication is composed of a couple of stages: sender as the source of communication, encoding involves the sender internalizing the message, channel of communication, decoding is relaying the message to the receiver. Receiver in this case is the intended recipient of the message and the reaction/feedback of the receiver completes the cycle. The effectiveness of the communication depends on both the degree of attention from both the listener and the recipient of the message. For effective communication one strives to reduce the mistakes likely to occur at every stage of communication discussed above. Encoding involves synthesizing the information to be communicated. The precision and ease with which you communicate will depend on the level at which you internalize the message (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Special attention should be placed on the critical issues, the likely mistaken assumption the communication might generate and the missing information. One should understand well the message he wants to convey, project the likely impact and reaction it will be getting then relay it at the best time possible Wrong interpretations or assumptions may result to communication breakdown. Communication breakdown slows the implementation of ideas and creates stumbling blocks for the path towards the success of an institution. Both the sender and conveyer of the information should have the same understanding of the information. Well conveyed message helps th e listeners understand your thoughts, your perspective on a certain idea. Channels of communication vary from electronic communication electronic communication (fax, internet, video conferencing) face to face, telephone, mails, reports, memo and notices. Choosing an appropriate channel adds value to the information being relayed since each channel has its advantages and weaknesses. Decoding of the message by the listener also requires skill. One should be keen in order to note things like the mood of the sender the feelings in the message and its relevance. Poor decoding which mostly arises from lack of deep understanding of the issue at hand limits the importance of the message. Feedback by the receivers both verbal and non verbal helps in assessing how effective the communication was received. Upon failures it might be important to repeat the message. Circumstances at which you relay your information has impact on the communication. Many organizations like AIG have maintained success and goals achievement due to use of effective communication methods which have enabled participation of all employees towards accomplishing common goals. Removing mistakes from all the stages of communication is very important. The message should be organized, summarized and with minimum or no errors at all. Recent studies point out that communication skill both written and spoken is the biggest factor in isolation that is used in determining managers of cooperation. This is a major boost on the ability to relate well with your subjects and respect you. Poor communication skills will lead stand in the way of career progression as it leads to poor coordination of ideas. Conclusion In todays world, whether an organization is a profiting or non-profit making, it very important that the organization motivates and utilizes its talent. Understanding the organizational behaviour is a major factor for increased opportunity and chances of success in the business world (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). On the other comprehensively understanding the organizations culture ensures continued growth in a diverse manner. In order to attract talents and high quality skills into an organization there is need for a culture of open communication and diversity. Once the institution has the best culture it needs in its activities then it can improve its efficiency and have more widespread viewpoints from which it can learn from hence expanding its systems and operations. However there should be good care to ensure that the organizational culture and structure are in accordance or compatible with the strategic goals of the organization. In todays fast moving global world fro business, organizations need to quickly learn their threats and opportunities and adapt to them. The rate at which an organization learns these factors, affects the speed and efficiency at which the organization handles these opportunities and threats. Effective communication is also a very important factor in the productivity and success of every organization (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Communication can either be formal or informal which are both used in all institutions whether directly or indirectly. Formal channels of communication in organizations usually follow the chain of command which is usually from top to bottom. On the other hand the informal channel tends to be more open and spontaneous. Gossip is some form of informal communication. The informal communication is a very effective method of communication and its mostly used by small companies. Investments aimed at increasing the level of explicit harmonization with the outside agents has resulted in enhanced risk to organizations. This has traditionally made organizations to avoid this increased risk by under investing in coordination. However information technology has been found to have the ability of reducing coordination cost without increasing the associated risk of transactions resulting in more outsourcing and less vertically integrated firms. Lower relationship specificity of IT investments and better capability of monitoring, means that organizations can safely invest in information technology. This will then enhance coordination between firms than in traditional investments. The rate and importance of organizational change has not slowed in the past years but it has actually been improving. The continued rapid technological innovations are bringing in changes in organizational processes and systems. The faster growth in internet has enabled much easier and faster access to information and knowledge which has then changed the way people operate businesses. The expectations of employees in their movement from one organization to another have also increased hence necessitating more and more organizational changes so as to meet the current market demand. American international group is a constantly changing organization due to the changing customer demands among other factors. According to AIG Group Management Division (2009), the rate of change portrayed a good culture of AIG that does not show resistance to change in the organization. Although the company experienced some hard times in 2005, its culture of good change enabled it to come out of the crisis. Organizational change has seen the abolition of some of the international market barriers which has then helped many organizations like AIG to venture into partnership with foreign institutions thus improving its market and services. This therefore illustrates the importance of constant organizational change. In spite the importance or organizational change not all the undertaken changes that deliver the expected benefits to the organization. This is the reason why any change in an organization should be carried out through the right procedures. Strong leadership qualities for the managers are also necessary for successful organizational change (Harigopal 2006). Failure for organizational change to deliver is usually brought by reasons such as absence of a change agent with qualifications or the change agent being too junior in an institution. Lack of support by the senior management and their committed executive should be available in any organization. Poor definition of organization objectives and diverse dimensional solutions helps in building confidence in the involved participants hence enabling them to take part in every process of the change. Failed organizational change initiatives do a lot of harm to the employees both in their spirit and strength which creates more difficulty in the accomplishment of the consecutive change initiatives. Actually todays managers face a great challenge in managing change. In order to ensure success therefore all managers are required to understand their organization together with their real needs. According to Harigopal (2006), the change leaders should also understand that bringing positive change in any organization is primarily about changing the employees behaviour in certain ways. Leadership, and powerful management skills like visioning, planning, prioritizing, giving feedback and rewarding are key issues in the success of any organization.

Solutions, Dilutions and molarity calculations

Why is a conical flask, rather than a beaker, used in the experiment? – To allow easy mixing of solutions by swirling. 2. Why is the funnel removed from the burette after adding the acid solution? – so that the drops from the funnel will not fall into the burette. 3. In using a burette, why is it important to (a) rinse it with a little of the solution it is going to contain? – to remove any residual water and so avoid dilution of the acid solution when it is poured into the burette. (b) to clamp it vertically? – to enable the liquid level to be read correctly. ) to have the part below the tap full? – to ensure that the actual volume of liquid delivered into the flask is read correctly. 4. Give one reason for carrying out the following procedures during the titration. (i) The sides of the conical flask were washed down with deionised water? – To ensure that all of the acid added from the burette can react with the base. (ii) The conical flask was frequently swirled or shaken? – To ensure complete mixing of the reactants. 5. Why is a rough titration carried out? – To find the approximate end point.This nformation enables the subsequent titrations to be carried out more quickly. 6. Why is more than one accurate titration carried out? – To minimise error by getting accurate readings within 0. 1-3 cm of each other. 7. Explain why hydrochloric acid is not used as a primary standard? – The exact concentration of any hydrochloric acid solution is not known, unless it is prepared from standard ampoules. Laboratory grade hydrochloric acid is not sufficiently pure. 8. Can any of the following be used as primary standards: NaOH, H2S04, HN03? Explain your answer.A primary standard should be available in a highly pure state and stable. None of these substances are available pure because: (a) NaOH readily absorbs water and carbon dioxide from the air. (b) Concentrated H2S04 readily absorbs water from the ai r. (c)HN03 breaks down releasing N02 gas. 9. If you used only 10cm3 of sodium carbonate solution in the conical flask, calculate how much acid would be required to neutralise it. x 10-3 moles Na2C03 10cm3 Na 2CO 3 solution used at concentration of 0. 1 M 1 2 x 10-3 moles HCL required Concentration of HCL is 0. M 1000 x 2 x 10-3 / 0. 23crn3 required = 10. 5crn fi13. 10. Describe briefly how a pure dry sample of sodium chloride could be obtained having carried out the titration? – Using the information provided by the titration results, add Just enough hydrochloric acid to exactly neutralise 25cm 3 of sodium carbonate. The indicator should not be added. Gently heat the solution until all the water has evaporated to dryness. A sample of sodium chloride will remain in the beaker. Solutions, Dilutions and molarity calculations By AbigailHerbert

Allegory or Reflective Metamorphic Essay on What Ways I am a Prisoner

Waking up in the morning is may be the easiest part of my day. Going through the whole day, every day of my life is the hardest. This is the life of a prisoner, but I am not the typical behind-the-bars crook; I am a prisoner of my own life, with just a peephole as my only chance of escape. It’s not that I hate my life or people around me, it’s just that, I think I could be more than what I am today, that continuing this kid of life that I have is like wasting precious sands of the hour glass.This is not some wild imagination, not just some long shot hope, for I am now creating away out of this prison, making the peephole wider, so that my body could go through. I am currently employed full time, living a life with my family of three kids, one is 8 years old, another 2 years old, and the youngest is just 10 months old. I can say that I can go by everyday with what I do for a living, but still, there are some things missing in my life. I can feel it – even though I can’t see it, I know that it does exist.That’s the point where I realized that I am living my life in prison. Something is hindering me from freedom, from fully discovering myself and my potentials. Even though I have a happy family, it is like its being overshadowed by that desire to break free from prison. A life in prison for me is a typical day doing the same things over and over again. I wake up; spend a little time with my beloved family, and eventually spending the biggest chunk of my day at the work place. Sometimes, I ask myself, does everyone feel like this.Am I supposed to be doing the same things over and over again, spending my time alone, away from my family in order to make some money? I kept asking this question for so many times, but still, the answer just won’t pop in my head. What do I need to do? I feel like I am behind the cold steel bars, locked up away from the real world, forced to live a life under a routine, doing the same things over and over again for so many days. Not a day was different, with no means of escape, no way to fight for my way out.I was living a life of a free man struggling to be freed from an unknown prison which only he knows about it. By the end of the day, I am exhausted, drained to the bones. I can’t spend more time with my family because I have to sleep in order to wake up early for tomorrow’s work. I wanted to spend more time with them, but I can’t; I think this is a consequence of being a prisoner (Anonymous). You can’t decide on the things you really want to do. You have to go by the routine, or else you’ll suffer. For me, suffering is hard because it will not be felt by me alone.It will also affect my family, my loved ones, because they depend on me for sustenance so that they could grow into healthy, normal, free people. I think about them so much, and then I realize that I can’t stop now. I shouldn’t be selfish; if I only think about my self, then my family will suffer. I think a lot, maybe this is what prisoners do with their spare time. Unfortunately, thinking a lot also has its consequences. It keeps me from falling asleep, which is very bad in my case. You see, sleeping has been the only luxury that a prisoner can enjoy.He can be at peace with himself and with his surroundings. He is at ease, blissfully resting the night through, wishing that it would be longer so that his tired body will regain its energy to the fullest. It also gives the prisoner something that he could hold on to for a while, something that he could really treasure. Being in prison you learn to value sleeping because it is where his dreams are made. Dreams for me come in different forms. It could be about the things that make me happy, or be about my family’s happy moments.Sometimes, it could bring about nightmares, but I’ve learned that if you live a life of a prisoner, you learn not to fear these nightmares. Sleeping is only about dreams, and these dreams not only bring about happiness, it can also give you a little bit of hope, and maybe a glimpse of what lies ahead in the future. There was one time when I dreamt about my life, about being a prisoner (Brians). It gave me a clear view of what my real problem was, the reason I became a prisoner in my own life. It was because of my lack of education which has brought me behind bars.It gave me a clear mental picture of what it’s like if had finished schooling. I could be someone else, be someone better. I could have a chance in landing a better job, and possibly a better life. I can make the most of what I do, and I can make my family happier. It wasn’t just a dream because it showed me the way. It is reality – I can make everything real. Everything is possible, as long as I believe that I can. Armed with the dream of finishing school, I packed up everything I need. It would require all of my wits, my confidence and my willingness to p ursue this dream. Luckily, I have everything I need with me.That’s why I took the step which I know would take me out of this prison. Through the small peephole of my dream, I will make a larger hole, in which I can pass through and be free from this prison. It was the lack of education that has kept me well behind bars. It’s now my time to escape. Works Cited: Anonymous. â€Å"Prison Vs. Work†. 2007. September 15 2007. . Brians, Paul. â€Å"Plato: The Allegory of the Cave, from the Republic†. 1998. September 15 2007. .