American Liberty: From Past to Present

Liberty is a concept that is commonly used by the average American in his daily affairs. A lexical definition of liberty states that it refers to the freedom to believe or act without the restriction of an unnecessary force. As far as the individual is concerned, liberty is the capacity of a person to act according to his will. But do we really know the history of America’s liberty? Do we really understand the historical events that have shaped the liberty that we know of and enjoy in these contemporary times?In this paper, I will be examining the roots of American liberty from the founding era to the modern debates surrounding the concept of liberty. I will also be looking into the proponents of liberty and those who have shared a significant role in defining and upholding liberty as we know it today. The Founding Era Hundreds of years before today, America was an entirely different place. Long before the creation of the Constitution, different European countries have already established their own settlements across America. The Spaniards and the French were among the early colonizers until the time of the British.During the rule of the British Empire, severe shortage in human labor resulted to enslavement and indentured servitude of the natives. In the years that followed, conflicts broke-out between the Native Americans and the English settlers. It should be noted, however, that Virginia already had black indentured servants in 1619 after being settled by Englishmen in 1607 (â€Å"Virginia Records Timeline: 1553-1743,† http://memory. loc. gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjvatm3. html), thereby suggesting that the attainment of genuine liberty from the colonizers is yet to be realized.It is perhaps during the time when the English pilgrims came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 and established their colonies that the concept of liberty came about, not the least in the context of the pre-Constitution history of America. As Mark Sargent w rites in his article â€Å"The Conservative Covenant: The Rise of the Mayflower Compact in American Myth,† some of the passengers in the Mayflower ship â€Å"who were not travelling to the New World for religious reasons would insist upon complete freedom when they stepped ashore† since the New World is already â€Å"outside the territory covered in their patent from the [British] crown† (Sargent, p.236). After the Seven Years War between the British forces and the alliance of French and American Indian forces in 1763, the British Empire enforced a series of taxes on the Americans so as to cover a portion of the cost for defending the colony. Since the Americans considered themselves as subjects of the King, they understood that they had the same rights to that of the King’s subjects living in Great Britain.However, the Sugar Act, Currency Act—both passed in 1764—the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Act of 1767, to name a few, compelled the Americans to take drastic measures to send the message to the British Empire that they were being treated as though they were less than the King’s subjects in Great Britain (Jensen, p. 186). Moreover, the taxes were enforced despite the lack of representation of the American colonists in the Westminster Parliament.One of the famous protests taken by the Americans is the Boston Tea Party in 1773 where numerous crates containing tea that belonged to the British East India Company were destroyed aboard ships in Boston Harbor. As a result, the British government passed a series of acts popularly known as the Intolerable Acts in 1774, further fanning the growing oppression felt by the American colonists. Eventually, the American Revolution ensued beginning in as early as 1775 when British forces confiscated arms and arrested revolutionaries in Concord, thereby sparking the first hostilities after the Intolerable Acts were passed (Jensen, p.434). From 1775 to 1783, the colonies tha t formed their own independent states fought as one as the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Lasting for roughly eight years, the American Revolutionary War ended in the ratification of the Treaty of Paris which formally recognized the Independence of America from the British Empire. Between these years, the colonies underwent several changes which constitute part of the developments toward the framing of the Constitution (Bobrick, p. 88).One of these changes is the shift towards the acceptance of notable republican ideals, such as liberty and inalienable rights as core values, among several members of the colonies. Moreover, the republican ideals of the time saw corruption as the greatest of all threats to liberty. In essence, the concept of liberty during the founding era revolves around the liberation of the American colonies from the British Empire and the growing oppression it gave to the colonists through taxation burdens and a series of repressive acts.For the American colo nists, liberty meant the severing of its ties from the British government and the creation of its own independent nation recognized by other countries. The writing and ratification of the Constitution On the fourth of July in 1776, the second Continental Congress signed and officially adopted the United States Declaration of Independence which established the separation of the thirteen American colonies—the colonies which were at war with Great Britain from 1775—from the British Empire.Although others say that the founding moment of America is not on July 4 but two days earlier (Groom, http://independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/books/review/the-fourth-of-july-and-the-founding-of-america-by-peter-de-bolla-455878. html), it remains a fact that there came a point in time when America finally declared its independence. The evolution of American political theory—especially that which is concerned with liberty—can be better understood during the confrontatio n over the writing and the ratification of the Constitution.In fact, the Declaration asserts that people have unalienable rights which include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Articles of Confederation served as the constitution which governed the thirteen states as part of its alliance called the â€Å"United States of America†. After being ratified in 1781, the â€Å"United States of America† was brought as a political union under a confederate government in order to defend better the liberties of the people and of each state. Meaning, each state retained its independence and sovereignty despite being politically held together as part of the union.However, the Articles were not without opposition and criticisms from several notable political thinkers of the time. For example, James Madison saw several main flaws in the Articles of Confederation that were alarming, or threatened the very existence and purpose of the Articles first and foremost. For one, Madison was concerned about the dangers posed by the divided republics or â€Å"factions† given that their interest may stand in conflict to the interests of others. Madison argues in The Federalist, specifically in â€Å"Federalist No.10,† that in order to guard the citizens from the dangers posed by these individuals who have contradicting interests, a large republic should be created, a republic that will safeguard the citizens from the possible harms brought by other states. It is likewise important to note that the union is not a homogenous group of citizens with the same political inclinations. Madison also argues that for the government to become effective it needs to be a hybrid of a national and a federal constitution.The government should be balanced in the sense that it should be federal in some aspects and republican in others instead of giving more weight to each separate state over the larger republic. In his â€Å"Federalist No. 39,† Madison prop oses and describes a republic government guided by three fundamental principles: the derivation of the government’s legitimate power through the consent of the people, representatives elected as administrators in the government, and a limitation on the length of the terms of service rendered by the representatives (Kobylka and Carter, p.191). Madison also pointed out in â€Å"Federalist No. 51† that there should be checks and balances in the government, specifically among the judicial, legislative and the executive branches. The judiciary, therefore, is at par with the other two inasmuch as each of the other two are at par with one another. Giving one of the three more powers disables the other two to check if that branch is still functioning within its perimeters.As a result, the more powerful branch becomes a partisan branch which consequently creates dangers to the liberties of the people. Another important part of the evolution of American political theory is the c ontention raised by Patrick Henry. In a letter sent to Robert Pleasants in January 18, 1773, Patrick Henry sees the relationship between the new government and the institution of slavery as a contradiction precisely because while the new government is said to be founded on liberty, there the evil that is slavery persisted under the new government.During those times, slavery was not yet abolished and that the new government was unable to meet the challenge of living up to its roles and foundations by failing to address the institution of slavery and demolishing it altogether. Moreover, Henry understood the efforts of secession from the hands of England were a matter of freedom or slavery, which can also be looked upon as a question of either a freedom from or a continuation of tax slavery from the British.While Madison was part of the â€Å"Federalists† who were supporting the ratification of the Constitution, the â€Å"Anti-Federalists† apparently argued against its ra tification. It was Patrick Henry who led the group in criticizing the contents of the proposed Constitution. For instance, Henry argued that the phrase â€Å"We the People† in the Preamble of the Constitution was misleading primarily because it was not necessarily the people who agreed and created the proposed Constitution but the representatives of each participating state.Thus, Henry argues that the Preamble should instead read as â€Å"We the States† which in turn delegated power to the union. Another argument of the Anti-Federalists is the claim that the central government and, therefore, the central power might result to a revival of the monarchic type of rule reminiscent of the British Empire which the Patriots fought. The fear is that, by delegating a considerable amount of power to the central government, the liberties of the individual states and the people are weakened as a result.Nevertheless, the Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 and later rati fied in each of the state conventions held. The anti-federalists share a significant role in strengthening some of the points of the Constitution through the succeeding amendments. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are popularly known as the Bill of Rights; it is largely influenced by the arguments of the anti-federalists. For the most part, the Bill of Rights aimed to guarantee that Congress shall not create laws which stand against the rights and liberties of the citizens of the nation.In effect, the Bill of Rights limits the power of the federal government in order to secure the liberties of the people in the United States. In â€Å"Federalist No. 84,† Alexander Hamilton argues against the Bill of Rights for the reason that the American citizens will not have to necessarily surrender their rights as a result of the ratification of the Constitution and, thus, the protection of the rights through the Bill is unnecessary. Moreover, Hamilton also argues that creatin g a Bill of Rights would effectively limit the rights of the people since those that are not listed in the Bill will not be considered as rights.In response to the argument, the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution was introduced and ratified later on. The amendment specifically states that the rights of the people are not to be limited to those which are listed in the Constitution. As it can be observed, the time before and during the ratification of the Constitution and the succeeding amendments made reflect how the people at the time sought to protect the liberties that they have realized and gained after the American Revolution and the defeat of the British Empire.Moreover, the debates at that time revolved around the issue of what to do with the liberties gained and how to secure them for the coming generations. One side—the Anti-Federalists—argues that the central government weakens the independence and sovereignty of the states as well as the rights and liberties of the people. The other side—the Federalists—argues that the Constitution will help preserve and strengthen the Union. Modern debates In the years that followed, debates over the interpretation of the Constitution, the role of the government and the place of the individual in American society have escalated.In his essay â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† (popularly known as â€Å"Civil Disobedience†) first published in 1849, Henry David Thoreau asserts that the people should not simply remain passive and allow the government to be an agent of injustice. Much of Thoreau’s political beliefs eventually follow that same philosophy. In his work Walden published in 1854, Thoreau attempts to live a life of solitude in a cabin, away from the reaches of the society. In one of his days in Walden, Thoreau was arrested for the charge of not paying his taxes. His defense was that he refuses to pay federal taxes to a government that tolerates slavery.In ess ence, the fact that Thoreau decided to stay in solitude for approximately two years (although the contents of Walden was made to appear as though all the events happened within just a year) signifies his decision not to conform to the dictates of the society. On the contrary, Thoreau lived a life of liberty, free to do anything that he chooses without the institutions of society restraining him. The same sentiment—non-conformity or disobedience to the dictates of the society, especially the government—echoes through in Thoreau’s other work, which is â€Å"Civil Disobedience†.Thoreau asserts that â€Å"the only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think [is] right† (Thoreau, http://sniggle. net/Experiment/index. php? entry=rtcg#p04). That passage, along with the rest of â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and its theme in general, implies that people have an inherent liberty, which is the liberty to do any time what the y think is right. Taken altogether in the context of the concept of liberty, Thoreau seems to suggest that people ought to disobey a government that oppresses other people since each individual has inalienable rights that nobody can take away, not even the government.In the face of oppression such as slavery (which was still very much a part of America within twenty years after the ratification of the original Constitution since the issue of slavery was a very delicate and contentious matter during the Philadelphia Convention), Thoreau even suggested that Abolitionists should not only confine themselves with the mere thought of abolishing slavery but resisting the instructions of the government such as paying taxes.Thus, as a reading of Thoreau’s works would suggest, to have liberty is to act upon crucial issues instead of passively allowing contentious actions of the government to thrive and continue. I cannot help but think that Thoreau’s concept of liberty is someth ing that is absolute, which I also take to mean as confined only within one’s disposition instead of being limited by the government. Moreover, since Thoreau suggests that liberty is doing any time what one thinks is right an individual should first know if what he or she thinks is indeed right instead of being wrong.Charles Madison notes that Thoreau was heavily concerned with the â€Å"ever pressing problem of how one might earn a living and remain free† (Madison, p. 110). I cannot help but begin to think that Thoreau attempts at embodying and enacting his individualistic beliefs. As Leigh Kathryn Jenco argues, â€Å"The theory and practice of democracy fundamentally conflict with Thoreau’s conviction in moral autonomy and conscientious action† (Jenco, p.355); democracy is essentially the rule of the majority which consequently ignores the decisions of the minority. However, I think that much of Thoreau’s thoughts were heavily influenced by the c ircumstances during his time. His aversion towards the imposed taxation policy of the government stems from the fact that the government at that time still tolerates slavery which is directly against an individual’s liberty.Thoreau’s insight on the perceived conflict between the liberties being upheld by the Constitution and the actual state of the government during his time points us to the ideal that the people are sovereign because the people is the ultimate source of power of the government. If it is indeed the case that the Constitution upholds the rights of individuals including the right to liberty, it seems appropriate to consider as well why slavery at that time was not immediately abolished entirely especially at the time when the Constitution was ratified.In fact, it was only in 1865 under the Thirteenth Amendment—about 80 years after the original Constitution was adopted—when slavery was legally abolished and when Congress was given the power to finally enforce abolition. During the time when slavery was not yet abolished and immediately after the original Constitution was ratified, it can be said that not all citizens living in America were given full liberties. Several people were still laboring as slaves to their American masters.That is perhaps an often neglected piece of history that undermines the spirit of creating a Constitution and a government that will uphold the rights of the people. The pre-American Revolutionary war, the founding era, the ratification of the original Constitution, the creation of the Bill of Rights and the other succeeding amendments to the Constitution—all these stand as testimonies to the evolution of American political thought. The concept of liberty has played an important role in the development of the federal government and the Constitution.Although the history of American political thought might reveal that the attainment of liberty through the years has never been a smooth jo urney, contemporary America has reaped a large amount of benefits from the sacrifices and ideas of the Founding Fathers and all the people who lived and died during those times. Some might even argue that liberty is yet to be truly attained in today’s American society. But if liberty is yet to be attained in practice, how is it possible that people are given the right to air their grievances before the government?How is it possible that people have the liberty to do as they please so long as what they do does not conflict with what is legal? In any case, the present American Constitution guarantees the liberty of the people and that there are institutions which seek to promote and guard that important right. Had it been the case that the early Americans swallowed everything that the British Empire throw in their way and that the Founding Fathers abandoned the creation and amendment of the Constitution, the United States of America would not have been the land of the free and the home of the brave.Works Cited Bobrick, Benson. Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War. 1st ed. New York, NY: Atheneum, 2004. Groom, Nick. â€Å"The Fourth of July and the Founding of America, by Peter De Bolla†. 2007. Independent. Co. Uk. October 16 2008. . Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist, on the New Constitution. 1787. October 18, 2008 . Jenco, Leigh Kathryn. â€Å"Thoreau’s Critique of Democracy. † The Review of Politics 65. 3 (2003): 355-81. Jensen, Merrill. The Founding of a Nation: A History of the American Revolution 1763-1776. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, 2004. Kobylka, Joseph F. , and Bradley Kent Carter. â€Å"Madison, The Federalist, & the Constitutional Order: Human Nature & Institutional Structure. † Polity 20.2 (1987): 190-208. Madison, Charles. â€Å"Henry David Thoreau: Transcendental Individualist. † Ethics 54. 2 (1944): 110-23. Sargent, Mark L. â€Å"The Conservative Covenant: The Rise of the Mayflower Compact in American Myth. † The New England Quarterly 61. 2 (1988): 233-51. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government†. 1849. October 18 2008. . â€Å"Virginia Records Timeline: 1553-1743†. The Library of Congress. October 17 2008. .

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Man has always sort ways of dealing with conflicts and disputes among members of the society in a just and fair manner. Alternative dispute resolution is one among the conflict resolution methods which have gained much acceptance from the public in the recent years.The process involves any form of dispute resolution technique that does not follow the legal judicial process provisions of the law (Maclaury, 2005). It is however worth noting that due to the increasing acceptance of alternative dispute resolution by legal professions, some legal courts allow for its use before a case is tried.Such are viable measures in ensuring equitable justice in resolving disputes between parties. They also provide an efficient and highly cost effective way of resolving disputes. To be realized here is the fact that, of all the existing types of alternative dispute resolution methods, none is applicable to victims of capital crimes (Mareschal, 2002). The author of this paper gives a discussion on alt ernative dispute resolution, its history and the different forms or methods it takes.The author also takes a look on the alternative dispute options as accepted in the modern society and how they have influenced the process of executing equitable justice between disputing parties. History of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) The history of alternative dispute resolution is as old as the history of man (Mackie, 2001). Disagreements have always existed among people in the society. However, the modern history of ADR in the American society is evidently marked with the 1960s political and civil conflicts (Banks, 2008).Such conflicts led to the implementation of human rights laws thus giving the people legal provisions for compensation on ill treatment. This was found to increase the number of legal suits in our courts of justice, a factor which led to the popular appreciation of meditation and arbitration as viable ways of resolving dispute. This did not only ensure justice but much reduced the case load in the court system. Alternative dispute resolution techniques There are mainly four type of ADR. First is negotiation.This technique of conflict resolution involves only the type disputing parties voluntarily seeking a solution to their dispute (New York State Unified Court System, 2009). Mediation is another form of dispute resolution technique which mainly involves a third party who chairs the resolution process. It is however to be noted here that the mediator might suggest a solution to the dispute but does not have the legal/moral authority to impose it to the parties. This method is commonly used in resolving civil and ethnic conflicts within a nation or conflicts between nations.The third method of alternative dispute resolution is the collaborative law. This technique is characterized by the fact that it involves attorneys representing the disputing parties (Mareschal, 2002). The legal professionals are tied by the contractual terms signed with their c lients and thus are always acting in the interests of their respective party. Arbitration is another commonly used technique of ADR. This form of resolution process is differentiated from negotiation in that it involves a third party.Another difference of arbitration from other forms of ADR is that the third party imposes a resolution to the problem. It is due to this reason that such a technique is usually used if the disputing parties had allowed for such in their contract (Maclaury, 2005). Due to the unfairness that could arise from such imposed resolutions, it is a common provision for parties to appeal in the courts of justice. It should however be noted that there are other forms of ADR such as case evaluation, which involves evaluation of the positions of the parties by a third party.The evaluator then gives an assessment of the possible decision that could be made in the law courts. Such evaluations by a legal expert are made to influence the parties in resolving to settle t he case outside the law courts. It is still to be noted that family conferences are another ADR technique as it strengthens the mutual relationships between family members thus reducing incidences of ill-treatment among them (Banks, 2008). Courts or individual parties can select a neutral party who contacts a fact searching investigation on the dispute.This technique is mainly applied in resolving intellectual property disputes. Lastly, ADR can take a form in which an organization selects a third party who oversees the resolution of its disputes with complaints. Changes and options provided in ADR Traditional ADR techniques involved the constant physical involvement of the parties in resolution process. It has however been evident that most modern ADR techniques like meditation and arbitration allow for the founding of a resolution by the third party in the absence of the disputing parties (Banks, 2008). Another change in ADR is seen in arbitration.Traditional arbitrations involved a member of the governing authority as the third party who imposes the resolution to the dispute (Center for Democracy and Governance, 1998). However, this has changed in that modern arbitration process has a neutral commercial vendor as the third party. This party should not have strong social or political influence in the process. This avoids imposition of unfair resolutions to the disputing parties. Another change of ADR techniques in the modern society is the legal provisions for appeal by the parties in the event of failure to resolve the dispute outside courtrooms.It is however to be noted that, following the legal provisions for ADR, rules and regulations have been developed thus making the process more reliable. It is due to this reason that such dispute resolution techniques are gaining much acceptance in the public domain. Courts have evidently employed such techniques as neutral fact finding in seeking to identify the underlying facts behind the dispute. Such testimonies have a great impact in ensuring fair and just judgments in our courts. ADR has a number of options. The first is the fact that the two parties involve in the resolution process on voluntary basis (Maclaury, 2005).Even arbitration requires for a legal binding provision on the contract signing to be executed. Another option is that the parties are free to agree or disagree on the disputed matter and can seek judicial justices as an appeal. It is however to be noted that ADR resolution once agreed upon by the two parties are legally binding and violation by any party is subject to the law. Conclusion ADR has been one way of settling disputes between parties in a contract agreement. This is also applied in disputes involving neglect of a legal responsibility by one party over another.It is however to be realized that such dispute resolution techniques have gained much acceptance in the community due to the increasing respect for human rights space in the modern society. This has also be en attributed to the fact that ADR has been legally recognized by our judicial systems. References Banks, S. (2008). ADR and Litigation Involving Social Problems. Fordham Urban Law Journal, 35, 71-97. Center for Democracy and Governance. (1998). Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners’ Guide. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www. usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/publications/pdfs/pnacb895. pdf Mackie, K. (2001). A Handbook of Dispute Resolution; ADR in Action. New York: Routledge. Maclaury, J. (2005). Alternative Dispute Resolution. Monthly Labor Review, 128, 46-137. Mareschal, P. (2002). Introduction: New Frontiers in Alternative Dispute Resolution. International Journal of Public Administration, 25, 67-101. New York State Unified Court System (2009). Alternative Dispute Resolution. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www. courts. state. ny. us/ip/adr/What_Is_ADR. shtml Alternative Dispute Resolution Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a mean used or applied by the parties who wish to settle their disputes or differences outside courtroom. When a learning team decides to resolve disputes, disagreements or differences among learning team members, it can use optional ADR clause.The clause is normally used when the matter is not resolved through negotiation and is recommended to the team by the Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR). Some of the disputes subjected to ADR are: Personal confrontation, dispute over goals, disagreement over methods, means and routines, dispute expected as health interaction etc.Disputes arise when team members think only of themselves, compete with one another, criticize teammates and blame someone else for wrongdoing. Dispute is endemic in organizational life and research shows that â€Å"conflict can often be a means by which teams learn to work together effectively.† (Charles, 2001)The provisions necessary for ADR to occur  Ã‚  Ã‚   includ es: If a team member expresses dissatisfaction with the recommendation of the team, if a member expresses dissatisfaction with a decision made by the team, if a member is dissatisfied with teams' determination to solve a dispute, then they may submit the entire dispute to the ADR clause. Though ADR helps the parties to settle the disputes, for the process to work effectively then;Team members must agree to work with dispute that affect interpersonal relationships of the team and accept the dispute as it exists. Members should progressively learn how to discuss issues vigorously, handle each member and engage in arguments without feeling as if they are personally attacked.They should emphasize on dialogue between the members, avoid gossip and make sure not to expose team discussions outside.   The public policy reasons for enforcing the clause should be good.The ADR clause must go much further than coming up with a simple agreement to negotiate.The intention of the members should b e mutual and the litigation should be treated as the last alternative.   ADR need to be applied as the last resort when the team fails to reach an agreement to settle their differences.ReferencesCharles A. Cooper, (2001) Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Guide. New York: Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company.Nancy F. Atlas, (2000) Alternative Dispute Resolution. New York: American Bar Association.

Marketing concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing concept - Essay Example This means they should be given the room to understand what the product/service shall bring for them more than anything else. The marketing concept aims to pinpoint the needs of the target consumers and addresses the same whilst meeting their very needs through the purchase of the product/service and its ultimate usage. If there is no selling of the product, there would be no association of the need with the target audience and hence marketing might not be needed at all. Thus marketing concept looks to solve the problems in which the consumers are tied up and even when there is no problem at all – just to satisfy one’s desires – they are asked to purchase a product/service so as to have a better standing within a particular social circle or society. In other words, this encompasses the basis of self-esteem needs if not anything else (Varey 2001). Successful examples of marketing include the campaigns that have been launched by Coca Cola all over the globe. The pr oduct exists within the minds of the target audiences but even then the company has to market it on a consistent basis (Marco, 2001). This is for the fact that Coca Cola exists and it wants to make a mark on the consumers’ minds at every possible instance.

Political Science 1 Introduction to Government Research Paper

Political Science 1 Introduction to Government - Research Paper Example Depending with the states laws, an official is allowed to run for re-election once the term is over. In the United States, system of government is categorized as the representative democracy; American citizens do not directly make any government decisions. This is because they elect officials to govern their affairs. It is common for most elections to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the November in the year they happen, however, elections for public offices may be held any time depending on the state law (Trent, pp 36-194). After the American constitution was written in 1787, it indicated that every state had the mandate to determine who could vote in elections, African-Americans and women were denied their voting rights. Nevertheless, in 1870 the 15th amendment was passed that allowed male African Americans to vote, in 1920, the 19th amendments was enacted which allowed women to vote, the next November saw millions of American women voting in presidential elections for the first time. Nevertheless, the election of the president and the vice president of the United States remains an indirect vote, in this process the citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the US Electoral College these people are the ones who are constitutionally mandated to directly elect the president and his vice president. The presidential elections are organised to occur quadrennial where the count starts from 1792 on the Election Day Tuesday between November 2 and eighth. These dates are made to coincide with various oth er federal states and local races (Trent, pp 36-194). The electro process in the United States is highly regulated by a combination of the federal and state laws. Each state is allocated a number of Electoral College electors whom are made to be equal to the number of its senators and representatives in the U.S congress. Connectively, in Washington D.C the number of electors is equal to the number held by

BMW automobiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BMW automobiles - Essay Example Introduction: During the 1990’s BMW had managed to established itself as one of the most profitable automobile manufacturer in the world. Ranking right after the BIG 5 in the automobile industry i.e. General Motors ,Ford , DaimlerChrysler , Toyota and Volkswagen. Originally Aero-space engine manufacturer the BMW had somehow manage to position itself amongst the top luxurious and stylish automobile producer competing with the top car producers in the world. BMW by 2000 through its class and elegance made itself actually what it claimed , ‘The ultimate driving machine.’ A style icon BMW had three brands operating under the group name , BMW which was the last contributor to the sales of automobile , MINI a remake and rebuilt version of the famous English style icon and the Rolls Royce. In the mid of 90’s the BMW group acquired the UK owned Rover. This take over did not prove a successful one at all as it brought a lot of financial damages to the group along wi th that defaming the face of the group. Along with this the size of the company and range of cars also became an issue. To tackle this issue Rover was sold. Quandt family’ the major share holder of the group applied pressure on the group to stop over 900million Euro worth of yearly losses caused by Rover. As a result the CEO resigned and a New CEO was appointed. The new CEO faced a tough situation where threat of Quandt family disposing of its share will leave the group open for Acquisition though the group was fair in size in comparison with Big 5. In 2002 Helmut Panke a nuclear physicist took the post of CEO and decided to turn the wheels by choosing aggressive approach so as to increase market share and become market leader. Factors Effecting Market There were various factors effecting the automobile marketing causing the autmobile manufactures to make a shift if strategies. The economies had been hit by recession effecting buying power of customers. Hence they’ll g o for cheaper options. To stay in the market BMW has to Reduce cost but reducing cost mean earning less marginal profits which previously was quite easy to earn. Environmental concerns: Global warming and greenhouse gases are increasing day by day, BMW cars are on petrol which is a contributor to green house gas. Geopolitical tensions: The war in the middle east and the disturbance in the rich Arab world which would be high contributors to BMW sales globally. BMW group has to look for ways to compensate for these sales. Fuel consumption and efficiency: The war in the middle east lead to fluctuations and dramatic increase in oil prices hence making the gas consumption uneconomical for most engines . Purchases in the asian markets for automobiles increased: The economy depressed in the USA and European markets where BMW sales were high but an increase in sales in Asian countries was observed. Porters 5 Forces Model 1) Competitive Rivalry The competition would grow tough as the focus w ill be on Asian markets with their already being rivals there eg Honda, Toyota, Suzuki etc Though they don’t match BMW on the class and elegance scale but these makers are much less expensive then BMW. 2) Power of suppliers There wont be no significant change but there will be more suppliers willing to negotiate terms as productions have been slowed down or cut down. 3) Power of buyers The customers will become powerful as few of them will be buyers

Chemistry Assignment - Heat, Fire, Bohl model, Hydrogen Essay

Chemistry Assignment - Heat, Fire, Bohl model, Hydrogen - Essay Example The evidence that Bohr's model works is in the fact that, the moon is able to move around its orbital without crashing to the continent like Australia and it is also supported by Millikan's Oil Drop experiment that explains how an atom can exist only in definite amounts of quanta, hence "stationary states." Bohr calculated an equation that gives simplistic values for the radii or energy level shell at which the electrons could orbit in a "stationary state" where there is neither emissions nor absorptions of energies explained by the discontinuous transition between the different energy level shells. On the other hand, multi-electron elements have more electrons and more energy levels. . Hence when electrons are excited can move from one energy level to another: either higher or lower and in the process energy is given out. Therefore, electrons are many hence energy relationships cannot be done directly or not "solved".(Nelkon, p188)

Functional Perspective on group Making Theory and Cultural approach to Research Paper

Functional Perspective on group Making Theory and Cultural approach to organization - Research Paper Example They have to begin by analyzing the problem they are facing and identifying its causes. There could be various problems and they have to be identified. The next step is to set specific goals that can be measured using various metrics. The board also has to identify some viable alternatives to enable the company achieve the goals they have set. Throughout the process, feedback has to be given on each of the steps and included in the next step to come up with an optimal solution. The theory is quite simplistic failing to take into account various environmental factors that affect the decisions made by the group. These factors could be internal or external to the group responsible for making the decision. Communication between the group members and with other entities outside of the group has a big role to play. The environment and circumstances surrounding the decision being made also have a great impact that the parties involved will feel. The GM board could face challenges from external environment such as legislations passed by congress on various matters affecting the motor vehicle industry. The company’s internal organization is an internal factor that affects the decisions made. The cultural approach to organizations was a theory put across by Clifford James Geertz. The theory is based on the main idea of organizations having their own unique cultures. This culture influences the meaning that the individuals pin on various things in their lives. Image, climate and character are the main factors that contribute towards the formation of a company’s corporate culture. The culture takes on an almost human perspective (Griffin 273). The theory mainly advocates for switching from systems approach to corporate culture to a more human approach. An example of application of the theory is in a bank. The employees of a specific bank have to keep the reputation that the bank is known for. One of the most important things in the industry is the quality of

Does competition affect social preferences in the context of a Essay

Does competition affect social preferences in the context of a bargaining game Discuss - Essay Example Economics approach on these social preferences assumes that people are rationale and prioritize their personal interests before those of the other people. On the other hand, bargaining games are defined as a situation whereby at least two or more players are required to get into a consensus concerning how to share a given amount of goods, money, opportunities, or any other resource that might be of common interest (Wilkinson and Klaes,   2008, p22). In bargaining games, both parties try their level best to get the most favorable deal by getting into a fair agreement with the other party. Bargaining in labor unions, directors’ negotiation for wage increase as well as dispute between two communities or parties over distribution of a certain resources, territories among other elements are good examples of bargaining games (Wilkinson and Klaes,   2008, p23). To explain how competition affects social preferences, the writer will first focus on the Ultimate Game model. Ultimatum Game (UG) refers to a popular test that is used to analyze specific bargaining behaviors. It is a test of self-interested model that involves two players interacting to decide how to share a given amount of money. The game is commonly applied in economic experiments and the condition behind the game is that the two players must not be familiar with each other and that the game must be played only once between these two particular players. In this case, one of the players becomes the proposer while the other one becomes the responder. Both the required to share a given amount of money with the proposer being the main determinant of the mode of division to be used. The responder is given an option of either accepting the proposer’s offer or declining it, in case the offer is accepted, both get the amount shared according to how the proposer had made the offer, if the respondent declines it, both parties walk away with nothing

SHORT BIOGRAPHY HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SHORT BIOGRAPHY HISTORY - Essay Example Furthermore, living near the borders must have accentuated his â€Å"difference† from the dominant white class. Nevertheless, it could be that because of his difference that he enjoyed life from another perspective. In â€Å"The Secret Lion,† Rà ­os shows that human nature and nature nurtured his intellectual, social, and emotional development as a biracial adolescent. Human nature’s tendency to seek for freedom and opportunity dominated Rà ­os’ teenage life. When he and his friend Sergio found a â€Å"cannonball,† they called it a â€Å"lion† (Rà ­os par. 1). The title says it is a secret lion, because they told no one of this â€Å"treasure† that they found. This lion represents freedom and opportunities. It allowed Alberto and Sergio the freedom to own something no one can take away from them. Being twelve years old, they know that adults will only confiscate their discovery. Rà ­os says: â€Å"That’s the way it works with little kids†¦Junior high kids too† (6). Adults are shown as thieves of innocent happiness. It is up to Alberto to use his human nature to protect what he thinks is his. So they take this cannon ball and hide it and never tell anyone about it, especially adults. The â€Å"lion† also stands for something mystically strong and perfect. Having this ball in their poss ession gives them the opportunity to feel something â€Å"perfect† in their lives. It is round and therefore â€Å"perfect and it spreads perfection to its beholders (5). It is â€Å"heavy† and they feel its importance. If they have something important, then they too are important. They do not have to feel smaller, as some minorities do in dominant white cultures. They can be round and perfect; they can be special like this lion. When Alberto says that this ball changed them, he implies that it made them â€Å"roar† (1). They have found a symbol of empowerment. A cannon ball explodes. It has inert power that is waiting to be released. Alberto must have felt this lion is him

Indicator and Determinants of High Blood Pressure Essay Example for Free

Indicator and Determinants of High Blood Pressure Essay This paper implements the indicators and determinants of high blood pressure in men. Many studies have measure the effect of Hypertension among men of different ethnical and socio-economic backgrounds. Socioeconomic is one major determinant which influences high blood pressure in men. High blood pressure is a major illness in the human population, especially among men. High blood is normally called a â€Å"silent killer† due to the fact that there little to no symptoms. Fifty to fifty-eight million people suffer from hypertension with the increasing population being African Americans (John, n. . ). Steven was a 55 year old African American male that came into the hospital with complaints of a severe headache. Patients had no prior history of hypertension but blood pressure was taken with the result of 180/101. Patient states that he has a family history of cardiovascular diseases. Mother and Father suffered from hypertension as a result of obesity. Steven has worked for the United States Postal Service for 30 years and is under a lot of stress due to work. He is a chronic smoker and drink on occasions. The first medical professional that saw Steven was the ER doctor who cared for the patient and in returned referred Steven for follow up care with his PCP (Primary Care Physician). Before Steven saw his PCP the ER (Emergency Room) Doctor prescribes him Amlodipine 10mg 2 xs daily. The team that delivered care for Steven’s hypertension was as follow: * Dr. Ogalvie- PCP (Primary Care Physician) -Which his role is to, determines the best care for Steven and his hypertension. Provide a manage care plan and to make use of specialists and make referral that co- inside with Steven treatments. Nancy Bracey-Nurse Practitioner- The role of the Nurse Practitioner is to work as support to the Doctor when he is unable to make patients appointment or if he is in an emergency surgery. The Nurse Practitioner sometime plays a vital role in Steven treatments. She is able to help in Steven treatment, which includes ordering tests, conducting physicals, and ordering medicines. * Beth Anderson- RN- Registered nurses treat and educate patients in a clinical setting, keeping records of medical histories and performing diagnostics. Most RN work with patients and their families to teach them how to manage cardiovascular disease, educate them on dietary and other measures of minimizing heart risk and help patients with postoperative rehabilitation. * Lisa Coleman – Dietitian- The primary role of a Dietitian is to promote healthy and holistic healthcare. Steven dietitian educating him on good healthy eating habits. She also explained to him that exercising most important in keeping his blood pressure down. She also put him on a 1200 calorie diet to follow as part of his managed care plan. Data has shown and been a proven fact that hypertension is very prevalent in men, especially African American men. Many indicators can relate to hypertension such as socioeconomic statuses like where one live, employed or unemployed or a family base support system can all be factors. In Steven case some of the indicator were glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity (SABPA, (2012). All of these symptoms can be a target for organ damage. Steven also deals with anthropometric indicators which according to Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"The partial correlation coefficient was used to quantify the association between all anthropometric indicators with hypertension. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the influence of all anthropometric indicators on the variance of systolic and diastolic blood pressure†. Rahimi, (2012) states â€Å"Adult male population of Fars province had a high prevalence of hypertension, overweight and obesity which can be handled through healthy diet and physical exercises†. Steven dietitian stresses the important of holistic healthcare such as healthy eating habits and exercising on a regular basis. Other indicator was the problems of sexual dysfunction that Steven suffered in his marriage. Steven stated that he was unable to perform with his wife due to the high blood pressure medicine that he was taken. Rahimi, (2012) state â€Å"Thus sex, education, and for the most part, race were not independently associated with a failure to be aware or to enter treatment’. Rahimi, (2012) says â€Å"Sex and the number of antihypertensive drug days were independently associated with blood pressure control†. According to Steven physician Steven was also put on an enhancement drug to help with sexual dysfunction. According to Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"Vigorous public efforts led by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program and embraced by physicians’ groups and the pharmaceutical industry has steadily improved blood pressure outcomes in the past 20 years†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"To this point, however, overall increases in control have largely been driven by increases in awareness and entry into treatment among people with hypertension†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"Despite great technical advances, specifically the development of a wide range of new antihypertensive drugs and drug classes the process of care available in the community has not changed to any great extent and treatment itself remains highly inefficient†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"As an asymptomatic, chronic illness, hypertension does not pose a problem of diagnosis or cure, but rather the challenge of daily vigilance and ongoing commitment to treatment†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"For most people such as Steven with high blood pressure periodical visits to the physicians office simply do not produce the desired outcome†. As a result of data Steven were treated and educated on manage control through medication, diet and exercise. The disparities of socioeconomic are due to his poor health outcome. The key to controlled hypertension is patient follow-up, a managed care plan and patient education. In Steven treatment plan the impact of the team base approach is to effectively promote a managed care plan that is efficient in regulating Steven hypertension. The main key is to educate Steven on a post treatment plan and follow-ups care. One analysis of Steven resource and saving would be that Steven partake in his company wellness program which in returned will save and give him an incentive on his current insurance plan. Lastly the advantage of a team base approach in Steven case would be that each individual on Steven medical team would strategically come up with alternative plans of action and a plan of care that will effectively help in the treatment of Steven hypertension. Each medical professional on Steven team will play an active role in the quality of care for Steven. Again the key component is to stabilize Steven high blood pressure through healthy eating habits and exercise. The scope of team base approach is logically come up with a solution in helping Steven sustain life through longevity of the hypertensive care plan that is put in place

Literature Review of Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom

Literature Review of Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom 2.5 Why Knowledge management is so important? Knowledge as a resource causes huge misunderstanding for economists, because unlike the physical commodities, it is the only resource which increased returns as it is used rather than reduced or diminished over time (Clarke, T. 2001). Knowledge may be costly to generate but there is modest cost to diffusion. Massa, S. Testa, S. (2008) believed that the determinants of success of organizations, and nationwide economies as a total, is ever more dependent upon their efficiency in assembling and utilizing knowledge. Accordingly to Malhotra, Y. (2000) knowledge has turn into a key production factor; though the monetary accounts are still leading by conventional factors of production, including buildings and machinery. The idea of knowledge flowing to where it is most needed is the critical point and it should not flow only from the top down, but flow in all ways in an organization, (Davenport, T. Prusak, L. 2000). Davidson, C. Voss, P. (2004), Lin, L. Kwok, L. (2006) claimed that know ledge is no longer a source of power; it is knowledge sharing that counts in the knowledge economy but author like Kakabadse, N. et al., (2003), viewed knowledge itself is power. Creation and codification of knowledge do not necessarily lead to performance improvement or value creation. Value is generated only when knowledge is allocated all the way through in an organization and linked where it is needed (Chena, C Huang, J. 2007). It is not sufficient to have smart people in the organization. Instead, the key is to create systems that tap into the knowledge, experiences, and creativity of your staff, your customers, your suppliers, and even your competitors. Knowledge strategy needs to be concerned with the quality of information, not the quantity; and with the timeliness of information delivery, not its speed. Smart systems are excellent but smart people are superior. Despres, C. Chauvel, D. (1999) identified that knowledge management occurs on three ends: the individual, the team and the organizational. 2.6 Framework for knowledge approaches Knowledge management is linked to diverse business fields and it has always been entrenched in the individual behavior. It is not all about creating an index or register that detains the whole thing that anyone ever knew. Collison, C. Parcell, G. (2004) suggested that it is about maintaining track of those who know the procedure, techniques and fostering the culture and technology that will get them talking. It is challenging to understand the nature of knowledge and the way it is managed. Also the management approaches towards knowledge management is varied. Knowledge can be created from re-describing and re-labeling the past knowledge, it also created from connecting people (the relationships) and connecting technologies (networks). This might be flexible social or stiff technical networks. These discussions vibrate with the managerial paradox of developing organizational performance via rigid or free control systems and this was interpreted in the following model adopted from Arm istead, C. Meakins, M. (2002) for describing four approaches to knowledge management stand on whether it is in an organizational or an individual context, and whether knowledge management is imposed or empowered by managerial approaches. Armistead, C. Meakins, M. (2002) Figure No: 2.3 Framework for knowledge approaches Imposition is linked with bureaucracy, structured and controlled systems and attempts to codify all aspects of knowledge. It might expect such perceptions to be more inclined to explicit rather than tacit knowledge. In contrast, Empowerment recognized the potential in the social and individual for knowledge creation and sharing, in which the tacit as much as the explicit aspect of knowledge is engaged. The authors considered that managers are likely to be concerned with knowledge at an individual and organization level and with particular approaches to managing knowledge. Consequently they proposed a managerial framework which uses the constructs of imposed and empowered as one axis and the individual and the organization as the other. Prescribed recommends a official approach to knowledge and its management at an  organizational level. It might see technology set up widely to detain, store up and  guard knowledge. Compliance means individual engage in knowledge activities through contract and  regulation. Resources are distributed via prescribed performance management  processes. Adaptive engages with the informal within the social fabric of the organization in  the logic of communities of practice and the self-management of teams. Self-determination supports individuals to get responsibility for their part to  learning in the knowledge creation and sharing processes. From the above management paradox of how the knowledge is manage at an organizational and individual context. There is another well known model, called SECI or knowledge spiral model. The model did not only described that how the knowledge is managed but it also explained the overall knowledge creation process. 2.7 SECI Model In 1995, (Nonaka, I. Takeuchi, H. 1995) introduced their SECI model, which stands for Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization. The purpose of this model is to offer an understanding of how organizations create knowledge and formalize organization processes which are mostly tacit in nature. It further provides an understanding of knowledge sharing, its management and application at an organizational level. According to Nonaka, I. Takeuchi, H. (1995) knowledge is formed from the interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. These four knowledge conversion processes interconnected by moving from tacit to explicit knowledge as it moves from socialization to internalization then return to socialization to shape a spiral model of knowledge creation. Hiscock, J. (2004) stated that the first generation earlier to 1995, completely dependent on technologies in their daily task often known technocratic, but this is the second generation of knowledge management, whe re knowledge exchange is illustrated as a spiral a thing to be managed and something which can be made explicit. As the purpose of this research it is to look at the barriers to knowledge management thus the only focal point from this model is to observe overall knowledge creation process. Nonaka, I. Takeuchi, H. (1995) discussed that how tacit and explicit knowledge interrelate to successfully create knowledge in an organization via four conversion processes: 2.7.1 Socialization tacit to tacit Socialization is the process through which tacit knowledge is passed to others; it is directly related to the group processes and organizational culture. Tacit knowledge is often attained through sharing experiences, observations and the processes that arises without formal discussions and using language for instance face to face interaction. Interviewing and focus groups techniques are also creating tacit knowledge amongst people. 2.7.2 Externalization tacit to explicit Externalization of tacit knowledge is the conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit. As tacit knowledge is embedded in the peoples mind and that is externalize or express by sharing of paradigms, metaphors and concepts through formal discussions. Nonaka, I Takeuchi, H. (1995) declared that we have conceptualized an image; we generally tend to express it in language. Externalization is developing notions which facilitate tacit knowledge to communicate. Redesign of existing information can escort to new knowledge in the shape of written statements. Wakefield, R. (2006) argued that when knowledge is externalized and turn into explicit it is in fact converted back into information or data. Both have values, but this cannot be out until the data and information is internalized again to form knowledge that is used for some productive purposes. 2.7.3 Combination explicit to explicit Combination is a process of systemizing concept into a knowledge system, at this level explicit knowledge merged with written reports and other strategic documents through formal discussions (i.e. meetings, documents etc.). This process includes gathering significant knowledge then sorting, editing and distributing it, which allows knowledge sharing within organization. Formal education and training are also comprise in this type of knowledge conversion. 2.7.4 Internalization explicit to tacit Internalization is a mechanism of altering explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge. It is achieved through individual expression and learning by doing. Once the explicit knowledge shared with individuals to internalize what they have experienced and then their understanding becomes tacit knowledge in the form of shared intellectual models or technological know-how which further become a valuable asset for the organization. For example: customer complaint are recorded and then read by other team members. 2.8 key components and its related barriers to Knowledge Management DuPlessis, M. (2008) point out that knowledge management is a holistic solution integrating mixture of perspectives: people, process, technology and culture perspectives and every single one should hold equal influence. According to Gillingham, H. Roberts, B. (2006), people, process and technology (soft and hard aspects) reveals the most essential features engaged in capturing, disseminating and sharing knowledge. These elements require to be balanced to guarantee that the complete benefits of knowledge sharing are exploited. Of course, people, process, and technology (PPT) are intertwined and no organizations get very far benefits without having a basic competency in all. But the tougher challenge in knowledge management is how to built PPT into an organization. Collison, C. Parcell, G. (2004) suggested that involving people who knows, and the behaviors to ask, listen and share, some processes to make things easier for sharing, validation, distillation, and a familiar, reliable te chnology infrastructure to facilitate sharing. Knowledge management is all concerning the integration of people, process, technology but strategy and structure too (Armistead, C. Meakins, M. 2002). According to Quinn, F. (2008) the development of knowledge managements exposes many issues that firms claim to have solved completely. The issues for example related to business benefits, people and culture, technology and process. These issues reflect all the main areas of concern in a knowledge environment and can be produce the barriers or road block to achieving the corporate success that most of would wish to inhabit. 2.8.1 People The biggest misunderstanding that the Information Technology (IT) leaders composed is that the knowledge management is all about technology. Gillingham, H. Robert, B. (2006) confirmed that people are the most central and complex element in knowledge management. It is a people who create and share knowledge, Since, (tacit) knowledge is set aside in the individuals the most essential thing for knowledge management is the system to allow the conceal knowledge within an individual be spread to others in order for them to share, exploit, and then alter it into (explicit) knowledge within an organization (Yeh, Y. et al., 2006). Knowledge management helps us do what we do better and its connect information and people, and people and people. Call, D. (2005) suggested that people are not being able to gain knowledge in a minutes and hours but they learn over days or weeks and one of challenge is to detained knowledge from what people said and did as part of their everyday job and to build it reachable to rest in an organization. According to Gundry, J. Metes, G. (1996) people behaviors is often manipulated by their beliefs, values, attitudes, and the organization culture. Influencing what people believe should direct to changes in values, attitudes and behavior in which knowledge is shared behavior. Gillingham H. Robert, B. (2006) stated that it is complicated to get people to do things in a different way because people can simply fall back on defensive routines. A state of willingness require from individuals to get people to modify the way that they do things, it is central to manage those who are willing to create and share their knowledge (Yeh, Y. et al., 2006). According to the Abell, A. and Oxbrow, N. (2001) people ask numbers of question in organization towards knowledge management for example: What is in knowledge for me? How does it make my job easier? What appreciation will I get for sharing my knowledge? Etc. It is important to identify what knowledge peo ple need and what knowledge people already possess and how to link people and knowledge process. In any system where information or knowledge is accessible, there must be adequate security to ensure that only appropriate people are able to see what knowledge is held and by whom, in that case confidentiality is the barrier to crafting a knowledge sharing culture in the organization (DuPlessis, M. 2008). But from the organizational point of view, one can comprehend that it is in national interest that the particular knowledge stays confidential. In other word the right information and knowledge should distributed to the right people at the right time and right place. For example in defense sectors and utilities provider such as countries like South Africa where they have one and only major energy provider, their key knowledge and information would be exceptionally secret hence it should be strongly managed (Sutton, S. Leech, S. 2002). Employee often does not know what is the concept of knowledge management their perception about knowledge as resources in not clear as capital assets resources. In the view of McCann, J. Buckner, M. (2004) people do not include knowledge into their work process to make final products and services and even do not feel responsible for sharing their own knowledge with colleagues. Kols, A. (2004) submitted that people do not even realize that they have knowledge worth sharing. Employees viewed knowledge management as an additional job, processes and formal channel of communications which is not incorporated into their daily working environment (DuPlessis, M. 2008). Another potential factor; employed turnover, where experienced employees transferred, promoted, retired, or fired from the organization, both their tacit and explicit knowledge may be lost unless the organization makes a concerted effort to assure that it is shared. Knowledge management setup and implementations requires sufficient time which is often claimed constraint. Time can be a difficult area or barrier, where employees are considered on the hourly basis, for example; accountants, lawyers, solicitors and engineers. For them, time is wealth and it is hard to modify the view that knowledge management be able to make them work smarter and quicker, even if they do expend some time on it upfront (DuPlessis, M. 2008). When the organization was steady and developing smoothly, it would be feasible for people to take extra time and effort to get involved in such knowledge management activities. Once the circumstances changed, these practices would be easily gone down because they were peripheral to business operations (Lin, L. Kwok, L. 2006). 2.8.2 Process Armistead, C. Meakins, M. (2002) declared that knowledge management is a process rather than an asset, and hence to facilitate maximize its value an organization must have to form an environment that facilitates the flow of knowledge. The argument between technology and people is about the ways of managing knowledge processes. Barnes, P. (2007), Probst et al., (2000) categorizes knowledge management in six core processes; knowledge identification, knowledge acquisition, knowledge expansion, knowledge sharing or distribution, knowledge exploitation and knowledge preservation. In order to share knowledge, one requires tools or processes: Expert locater systems, communities of practice (formal and informal), distance learning information-sharing tools, emergent expertise, storytelling, knowledge repositories, conferences/workshops/ seminars, e-learning applications and virtual communities are some of the methods organizations can use to disseminate knowledge. Abell, A. Oxbrow, N. (200 1) believed that people make process work, often through informal steps- how can these be formalized and how to build communities around business processes. Process must learn how to achieve the commitment of people to the learning process and how to integrate knowledge creation and utilization into business process. Processes need technology support- how to integrate business benefits and technology capability, it also require formal and informal communication between employees. Lack of communication, non-standardized processes and information systems and not knowing where to get knowledge. Gillingham, H. Roberts, B. (2006) stated that location and distance (geographical, legal, cultural and lingual) to access of vast organization knowledge can be a bottleneck Informal communication outlook as just chitchat or chatty activity, managers do not see the advantage of (tacit) knowledge process or transfer from one employee to another hence often employees are restricted to engage in discussing projects or ideas at meeting places such as near to water coolers or coffee machines (Webb, S. 1998). However organization confusion over the focus of the initiative often creates barriers to knowledge management: information or knowledge management; knowledge management or learning organization; which should lead human resources (HR) or information technology (IT). However there is danger in attempting to identify and collect everything available. According to Giannetto, K. Wheeler, A. (2000) if too much detail is gathered, it is impossible to distinguish what might be of value to employees and it will become a huge unmanageable, bureaucratic nightmare Organizations focus on collection not connection and attempt to capture all organization knowledge in repositories, often creating electronic bucket in place of physical filing cabinets also misunderstand the difference between tacit and explicit knowledge and treat it in the same way. 2.8.3 Technology The role of technology is significant; it is ultimately a facilitator of human knowledge in the organization. Technology or IS does not hold tacit knowledge, as it is held in the human brain (Rock, S. 1998), although it is transfer medium of tacit into explicit knowledge to some extend because tacit knowledge alters with each new experience and technology should be updated frequently. Armistead, C. Meakins, M. (2002) affirmed that information technology can enable speedy search, access and retrieval of information, and can support collaboration and communication between organizational members. In real meaning, it can undoubtedly play a variety of roles to support an organizations knowledge management processes. Technologies and knowledge management are strongly tied, because both assist the circulation of structured knowledge vertically and horizontally in the organization. (Yeh, Y. et al., 2006) argued that technology plays following roles in knowledge management: acquiring knowledge; classify, store, index, and tie knowledge related digital items; search and identify related content; and flexibly communicate the content based on the different utilization backgrounds. Knowledge management classifications are broadly defined technologies which improve and enable knowledge generation, codification and transfer. Peoples experiences and interpretations that add value, transforms into knowledge by using technologies. Knowledge management (technology) tools for instance: e-mail, document systems, groupware, the internet, intranet and video conferencing are all knowledge collaboration tools which can be use for gathering, organizing and sharing knowledge in the organizations (Gillingham, H. Roberts, B. 2006). Not everyone is computer literate and that sort of illiteracy become a cause which brake knowledge management processes also people finds that working with complex systems is not easy (DuPlessis, M. 2006). Sometimes it is more challenging for the organization to get people trained to using the KM tools (technologies) to facilitate knowledge sharing and retention. Holland, J. Johanson, U. 2003) recognized that organization consideration towards technological costs sometimes restrain in respect of installing knowledge management softwares and hardwares. Perhaps both are very expensive in terms of getting licenses for every member in a large organization. Since knowledge is an intangible asset, it is more complex for organization to calculate return on investment in hard form (cash), therefore step back from any initiative; however Collison, C Parcell, G. (2001) believed that knowledge benefits can be defined in qualitative and quantitative measures. Another barriers occur when technology is not up to date with the business processes as well as with the improvements in the technological world then knowledge and information might become rapidly old-fashioned and if maintenance and back-ups is not done regularly, knowledge can be vanished in a catastrophe situation, which is not only costly but also irretrievable. The advance type of communications for example; intranet if organizations only rely on this then it will be a huge barrier to the exchange of tacit knowledge. Davenport, T Prusak, L. (2000) suggest that knowledge sharing events happen when people connect via communities of practice and in person meetings. 2.8.4 Culture Chen, C. Huang, J. (2007) described organizational culture as shared value, beliefs, and work atmospheres that could have considerable impacts on the behaviors of employees. According to Yeh, Y. et al., (2006) culture is the combination of value, core belief, behavior model, and emblem. Culture is normally reflected in the form of organizations corporate structure, management and leadership style, learning from experience, norms, and practices, trust, rewards and recognition, networks and community of practices etc (DeLong, DW. Fahey, L. 2004, Al-Hawamdeh, S. 2003). Culture can play a role for organizational learning and every organizations culture is an independent entity different than any other organization. Alavi, M. Leidner, D. (2001) suggested that it is significant to comprehend that knowledge management is not as much of technical problem, but it is more of cultural problem. Culture is not only intangible and illusive, but it can also be observed at multiple levels in an o rganization. Trust and honesty are elements of culture sometime not clearly visible, Davenport, T. Prusak, L. (2000) confirmed that without these elements knowledge management would not function properly between individuals. Employees ask many questions themselves for instance; if I share knowledge will others misuse it, can I belief the knowledge that others created (Abell, A. Oxbrow, N. 2001). Another familiar barrier point out by Kols, A. (2004) knowledge as a source of power or authority and therefore hoarding it, similarly organizations are naturally unwilling to share their skills and know-how with rivals. Employees possibly will not willing to share their knowledge because they might lose control/power, they spotlight on continued existence in the organization rather than willingness to share knowledge (Clegg, S. Palmer, G. 1996). The following Chinese sayings depicting this philosophy with influences from such widespread beliefs, knowledge sharing becomes more complex. A good mastery of a single skill ensures a lifetime employment (Lin, L. Kwok, L. 2006). Internal divisions are general obstacle. Each department, field office, service delivery site, or project team tends to focus on its own problems, have limited contact with outsiders, and unaware of what other subdivisions are doing. Davenport, T. Prusak, L. (2000) stated that employee often assumes that the people in top of organizational hierarchy have greater knowledge and expertise and this difference amongst individual may be seen as a barrier. Employees on different hierarchical or designations frequently struggle to share knowledge between these levels, as they feel they may have much or more knowledge on a particular subject but not consulted or totally ignored because of their position in organization. Furthermore Webb, S. (1998) revealed that managers often try to avoid consult subordinates because they might fear for losing face. If skills are greatly diverse within professional areas and/or within ranks, it might obstruct the tools and practice through the knowledge is s hared between levels. Organization consists of multiple genders and seeking assistance from same gender whether the person is helpful or not is normal cause and may be a barrier. Bartram, S. (2005) stated that women in managerial position often seen as one of the cultural barrier. Also assorted age makes a differentiation at the point of exchanging knowledge. Webb S. (1998) believed that employees are unwilling to share knowledge if the future economic growth of organization is unstable and they strive to secure their position by retention of tacit knowledge as power. The overall organization instability may spoil social networks and reduce flow of knowledge from one corner to another in an organization (Lesser, E. Prusak, L. 2001). Management emphasis on individual rather than team, disincentive to knowledge sharing, competition between employees, motivational limitations, lack of acknowledging for the supplier of knowledge, sub-standard physical layout of work space, and fewer management commitments could be a constraint for knowledge sharing environment (Chase, R. 1997). 2.9 How the barriers of knowledge management can be managed? Knowledge management is a lengthy and iterative process and its related benefits realized over a period of time. There are no rapid fix solutions to counter these barriers. However to overcome these barriers an organizations require to undertake essential approaches and actions. According to Du Plessis, M. (2008) knowledge management barriers directly line up with organizational, national and personnel culture. Top and senior managements can play a significant role for instance by raising the awareness of knowledge management activities and its benefits into work place (Birkinshaw, J. 2001). At any level of knowledge management it is compulsory to make sure that employees trained on the basis of knowledge management, once the knew the insights of knowledge management they are enough able to see how its adds value into their routine jobs and how organization can create social and intangible capital. However if employees ignore or do not understand the notion of knowledge management th en they will not be capable to leverage it completely, even though organizations have elegant knowledge management plans and systems. Flexibilities between departments could span knowledge sharing boundaries. Employees should not reserve by position in a hierarchy and retain by resources. Davenport, T. Prusak, L. (2000) stated that the components of knowledge management: people, process and technology must be uniformly supplied in terms of time and money. The most powerful force in knowledge management is people because they can able to change their environment so trust in people is an extraordinary phenomenon in managing people and their knowledge. Milton, N. (nd) described two other ways to manage knowledge called connect and collect, however these terms are vastly similar to the Nonaka, I. Takeuchi, H. SECI model (see section 2.7). The S mean Socialization and it begins through the connecting people into social networks where they can able to talk, to share dialogues with other people where the other three boxes named Externalization, Combination and Internalization is all about revolving tacit knowledge into explicit into tacit knowledge. For example knowledge is documented, recorded into knowledge system or knowledge repository in an organized way thus the othe rs can access it. Organizational culture should abide for mistakes by recognizing and gratifying innovative errors, also there should be no fear of losing position from not knowing the entire thing (Gillingham, H. Robert, B. 2006). In the view of Barnes, P. (2007), decentralize structure gives opportunities to know where the decisive knowledge is located and able to make more accurate decisions. Incentive and reward systems not only influence members to support knowledge management activities but it also encourage their willingness to take part in the creation and sharing knowledge (Yeh, Y. et al., 2006). Lack of trust alters into culture of trust and confidence get by face to face interactions; its not only the way of transferring tacit knowledge between individuals but it allows to evaluating the trustworthiness of both the giver and the receiver. Use of technology in knowledge management stipulates user training and members should have skills available other than technical ones such as interpersonal skills. According to the Abell, A. Oxbrow, N. (2001) technologies should not be the driver and substitute of social interactions; neither should it be a barrier. 2.10 Summary Every organizations is a knowledge based and they possesses particular knowledge in various forms such as in human capital, structure capital, intellectual capital etc. and the issue of knowledge management is essential because organization lives in uncertain world. The above literature has been identified potential barriers to knowledge management which was categorized into organizational culture, people perceptions, ineffective processes and obsolete technologies. There is no cause to believe that those barriers will not impact on knowledge sharing to a more or fewer extent within an organization and between personnel. However the rationale of this study was not to classify an extensive organizational barrier profile but the principle was merely to recognize a set of commonly studied barriers in knowledge management which can be apparent in various means across an organization. When organizations managed and implement knowledge in a logical and structure way it can add value to bot h the employees and organizations effectiveness. The literature review also fascinated that knowledge management is a social activity or relies on social models, even though sharing of knowledge can be possible from technologies but recipient and sender of knowledge are still humans. Organizational culture, employees perceptions and their characteristics, sources of knowledge creation and the context in which knowledge is shared are key consideration in knowledge management.

My Escape from Slavery :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

I live on a car lot. My front yard is gravel and asphalt with intermittent splotches of eternally black oil unyielding to any cleaning agent natural or otherwise. Our house is built on the lot right beside iron train tracks. And of course there is the constant image of old cars lined up in rows, not junky just old. It's embarrassing to live under these conditions, but I wouldn't change the situation at all. My family moved onto the car lot when I was in seventh grade. My father had been in the used car business for only about five years. As an adult my father had switched jobs more often than most middle class parents are accustomed. Before taking on the title of a car salesman, he had held a well-paying state department position in which he trained the unemployed so they could find work. However, he claims that by the end his job had become more about paper work and less about people. You see, my dad is a businessman, or at least prides himself as one. People are his game. He saw the car business as the perfect profession to utilize his gifts that were so shamefully being wasted at his old job. Those first years of his being a car salesman, however, I almost never saw my dad. I would get up and be off to school before he awoke, and I would be asleep or at least in bed before he was able to drag his exhausted and overworked body in the front door and collapse in the bed. Often he would be unable to eat dinner until he slept for a couple hours. I can still remember a few times seeing him sitting on the couch at 2 o'clock in the morning in his pajamas eating cottage cheese and peaches and watching Headline News. Needless to say, my father grew tired of living such an existence. Sure, he was supporting his family, but I'm certain he felt horrible about his lack of time with his children. This case is of course what led to my father's suggestion that we move into the building next to his office on the lot. This "house" was actually just another office building with a kitchen. Furthermore this car lot had been erected in the same location as all the other dealerships in our community: downtown.

The Evolution of Skin Tanning Essay -- Sociology Essays Research Paper

The Evolution of Skin Tanning One of Catherine’s insatiable obsessions in Ernest Hemingway’s The Garden of Eden is to darken her skin color. She accomplishes this by sun tanning at every opportunity possible, and naturally, her skin turns many shades darker. Catherine’s skin tanning fixation at the time the story takes place coincides with the premiere of skin tanning as a stylish and chic fashionable pursuit. Traditionally, tanned skin was undesirable to the public. Prior to the industrial revolution, most manual labor was done outside under the sun where such constant exposure resulted in darker skin. Consequently, because manual labor was a staple of the lower classes, tanned skinned also became associated with the destitute and unprosperous (BBC). Not only was dark skin undesirable, but people craved for pale skin. The relaxed elite wanted to show that they stayed indoors because of the needlessness to be outside in the sun doing any type of work of their own. Thus, pale skin became linked with the wealthy and high class (The Tanning Taboo). This lead to practices by the elite such as covering most of their body when they went swimming and carrying around parasols to shade themselves from the sun (Sun and Clouds). The desire for paleness dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who would use lead paints and chalk to make their faces white and colorless as possibl e (Tanning). In 18th century France and Elizabethan England, royalty would go to such lengths as powdering their faces with toxins to get a pale hue on their faces (The Tanning Taboo). Until the 20th century, nobody desired bronzed skin in Europe or America. A few events lead to the change in the public’s feelings toward tanned ski... ...f Tanning† California Tan Heliotherapy. 14 November 2002. http://www.californiatan.com/tanbasic/history_of_tan.ehtm - A website about tanning history from the 1920s to present. Rutherford, Kim. â€Å"The Tanning Taboo† September 2001. The Nemours Foundation. 14 November 2002. - The Nemours Foundation’s site aimed at informing kids about sun safety. â€Å"Sun and Clouds - The Sun in History† The Chemical Heritage Foundation. 14 November 2002. http://www.chemheritage.org/EducationalServices/pharm/chemo/readings/tsih.htm> - The Chemical Heritage Foundation’s site about the human/sun relationship. â€Å"Tanning† Cool Nurse. 14 November 2002. < http://www.coolnurse.com/tanning.htm> ‑ The Cool Nurse website about safe tanning that also reveals the development of the tan.

How Community based schools work :: essays papers

How Community based schools work Community schools are partnerships between public and private organizations. The school becomes a hub for the community. These schools not only teach students but also provide access to services families needs. â€Å"It’s integration of academics and services leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities† (Blank, Heifets, Shah, & Nissani, 2004, p. 155). Community based schools use partnerships to build community consensus and carryout programs that would normally not be available to the community. For example, community schools provide a clothing closet, emergency food, counseling, and limited health care for families (Blank et al., 2004). In contrast, public schools work towards educating students, provide services such as school lunch programs, access to a school nurse and special education programs. To illustrate the differences between Community Based Schools and Public Schools, I will use St Paul, Minnesota and Harford County, Maryland as an example. Saint Paul, Minnesota currently has three community base schools. In 2001, the total student enrollment in St. Paul, Minnesota was 45,011 (The Minneapolis Foundation, 2005). The demographic break down is as follows. St. Paul, Minnesota is as follows: 901 American Indian/Alaskan Native, 13,953 Asian/Pacific Islander, 10,802 African American, 14,854 Caucasian, and 4,501 Hispanic. Note: the Minneapolis Foundation cited demographics as a percentage. These percentages were converted to whole numbers for comparison purpose. There were 40,200 pupils enrollment in Harford County public schools for 2004 (Maryland Report Card, Harford County 2004). The demographic breakdown in Harford County public schools is as follows: 215 American Indian/Alaskan Native, 925 Asian/Pacific Islander, 6,571 African American, 31,402 Caucasian and 1,087 Hispanic (Maryland Report Card, Harford County 2004). Note: since schools rarely give individual demographic numbers, county public school demographics were used. While the fiscal years are different, the student population is comparable in size. â€Å"The demographic population of community schools are much the same as public schools since community schools are enhanced public schools and do not turn any students away based on ability† (Official, Coalition for Community schools, personal communication, April 26, 2005). Community schools are funded in several ways. Many community schools receive grants from philanthropic organization such as Carnegie Corp., Charles Stewart Mott foundation, and Knowledge Works to name a few. Additional funding is provided by the Department of Education. On average, the department gives schools $250,000 in funds to support the No Child Left behind (NCLB) act.

A Preview Of The Twentieth Century Essay

History tells us so much that the essence of humanity would be of a void nature without it. We can safely say that history is the collective experience of humanity itself. Thus, a distortion made upon history is irreverence to our collective experience. If one distorts history, he/she changes humanity’s life story. There is a need to preserve history as it happened. From history we learn lessons and avoid doing things that lead us to our own destruction. Take for example the two world wars that happened, if a third world war happens, then we, humanity, did not learn and care at all about our own history. History distortions commonly happen in the ideological and political arena. These distortions kill human lives. Conflicts that happen in the Europe and the Middle East as well as in America are caused by differences on the way people view religion and faith. Infamous of these are bombings caused by Muslim fundamentalists. Hence, history should be taught as it happened. History should be taught with clarity and vividness. People are intelligent enough to discern between the good and bad events that happened. Respect given for each other’s perspective and ideology should be encouraged to avoid conflicts. An integration of history arriving at the closest description of events as they happen should be done taking into consideration the differences in the religious and political beliefs of different races. Research should be done in order to correct the mistakes made on writing history. Yet, the most important of these is respect. If people cannot agree on a particular issue of history, then their only option is to respect its other’s views. There is no other alternative, they must respect each other. History is what we are. If we distort our perception of history, we change our very lives’ meaning.

Loneliness in Of Mice And Men Essay

John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice And Men in 1937. The story is about two men called George and Lennie. They travelled together from ranch to ranch looking for a job. Lennie is a big and he is dumb. They had travelled together for a long time. The story Of Mice and Men is set in 1930s America. At this time there was a depression in America. Unemployment was high, so people would move from ranch to ranch looking for work. Candy, Crooks and Curleys Wife are the loneliest people on the ranch. Curley’s wife is possibly the loneliest of the characters, as she is the only woman on the ranch and the men are all afraid to talk to her. This shows she must have a really lonely life. Curley’s wife only flirts with the workers because it is the only way she knows to get her attention. The reason Curleys wife wanted to speak to Lennie in chapter five is that she doesn’t have anyone to talk to. She tells Lennie this, saying â€Å"You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody† Candy is an old man with only one arm. He had an old dog but he let Carlson kill it. Candy was very attached to his old dog, as he had been with the dog since it was a pup, he was his only friend. He feels guilty that he let a stranger kill it. Candy is afraid that he will be sacked when he is no longer any use. He knows that he will have nowhere to go when he gets fired, so when he hears George and Lennie talking about getting their own place, asks them to take him with them, and offers them enough money so that at the end of the month they will be able to afford to buy the place. After his dog’s death, Candy seems desperate to leave the ranch. To make George and Lennie sure that he wants the place he tells them â€Å"I will make a will and leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, because I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing†. Crooks is a black man with a crooked back. He is the only black man on the ranch and is not allowed in the bunkroom because of his colour. Crooks knows that black people are thought of as such, as when Curleys wife tells him that if he tells the boss to ban her from the barn she would get him hung, he simply replies yes mamma. Crooks spends his time alone reading and is a fairly knowledgeable person, as he owns a copy of the California civil code for 1905. He also plays horseshoes until dark, but is not allowed into the bunkhouse to play cards, as the others claim he stinks. He is nasty to Lennie at first, as he thought Lennie shouldn’t be in his room, as he is banned from the bunkhouse. When he finds out Lennie is harmless however, he lets him stay for some company. He hasn’t really spoken to anyone for a long time, and is eager for Lennie’s company. He shows this when he claims books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near him and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ a guy goes nits if he ain’t got anybody. He wants to join in with George, Lennie and Candy to get the place as he is discriminated against at the ranch. I don’t think loneliness is a problem to George and Lennie, as, like Lennie loves saying to George, I’ve got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you George says about ranchers that travel alone, guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family, they don’t belong no place’s One of the things that binds George and Lennie together is that they share a common dream, to buy their own land, and live off of the fatta the land The fact that they travel together makes them believe that one day they will really get enough money together to do this, and they nearly had the chance. The reason loneliness was such a problem in 1930s America is that no one ever settled anywhere long enough to make any ties or get to know anyone.

A Comparative Study of Two Shampoo Brands Based on General Consumer-Related Qualities

A blind comparison of two brand-name shampoos was performed using two selected subjects that have been pre-determined to be willing to participate in the study.   The brand-name shampoos included in this investigation were ClairolTM Herbal Essences and Tresemmà © TM.Each shampoo brand was used daily by the participant for an entire week.   Overall evaluation of each shampoo brand was performed through the completion of a questionnaire.Shampoo quality scores were determined to be higher for Clairol TM Herbal Essences than for Tresemmà © TM.   In addition, the participants’ response rate to the Clairol TM was faster than Tresemmà ©TM, suggesting the Clairol TM Herbal Essences is a better shampoo brand.IntroductionHair quality and appearance has long been considered as a major factor in personal appearance.   In both men and women, several aspects of hair maintenance are given substantial attention, including style, color, shampoo, conditioner, treatments and accessori es such as gels, spritzes and sprays.There is a continuous increase in the number of brands of shampoos, and the consumer is generally overwhelmed and confused with which brand or even type of shampoo would be most beneficial to their personal hair care needs.Such settings warrant the comparative study of specific brands and types of shampoos for the benefit and understanding of the public consumer (Rapaport, 1981; Rigopoulous et al., 2007).This study aims to compare two shampoo brands that are commonly found in the local pharmacy or grocery, and determine which brand provides a greater hair improvement as well as better hair maintenance.Materials and methodsTwo brand-name shampoos were selected for inclusion in this comparative investigation:   Clairol TM Herbal Essences and Tresemmà © TM.   Two subjects who previously gave their consent to participate in this investigation were given an unlabeled bottle of shampoo that contained either Clairol TM Herbal Essences or Tresemmà ©TM.Such blind setting was designed to avoid bias among the participants.   The subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire (Appendix A) upon handing out the shampoo, and were also asked to use the shampoo daily for an entire week.At the end of the week, the participants were asked to complete a second questionnaire (Appendix B).   Each question had an equivalent score of 10 points and the total score of 100 points can be calculated for each brand of shampoo.ResultsEvaluation of responses of each participant was evaluated and the total score was determined for each brand-name shampoo.   Clairol TM Herbal Essences received a higher total score than Tresemmà ©TM, suggesting that Clairol TM Herbal Essences was a better brand-name shampoo to the consumer based on the shampoo qualitites enumerated in the questionnaire.It was also determined that ClairolTM Herbal Essences showed a faster improvement rate than Tresemmà ©TM, wherein the participants hair quality improved upon on e application of the shampoo.DiscussionHair maintenance has been an important factor in the personal hygiene of every individual (Trueb and the Swiss Trichology Study Group, 2001).   Several factors have been determined to play key roles in successful hair maintenance, including haircuts and styling, washing and conditioning, as well as hair dying and curling (Trueb, 2007).There are currently a huge number of shampoo brands out in the market, and the consumer is generally overwhelmed and confused in terms of choice of the best brand for their personal use.   This study aimed to compare two brands of shampoos that are commonly sold at local pharmacies and groceries.Using a blind study of brand-name shampoos and two participants, we were able to compare the qualities of Clairol TM Herbal Essences and Tresemmà ©TM, including consumer satisfaction, sudsing and hair softness.It has been shown that ClairolTM Herbal Essences remains to be a consumer’s choice, based on the total overall score shown in the evaluation of the questionnaire completed by the participants after one week of usage of the shampoo.This study has also shows that it is possible to compare a specific brand of shampoo with another brand using a short-term exposure treatment.   However, the study also shows some limitations because the study population is very small and the treatment time was too short.This investigative tool may serve as a model for future large-scale and prolonged-treatment investigations.ReferencesRapaport M (1981):   A randomized, controlled clinical trial of four anti-dandruff shampoos.   J. Int. Med. Res. 9(2):152-6.Rigopoulos D, Gregoriou S, Kontochristopoulos G, Ifantides A, Katsambas A.Mycoses (2007): Flutrimazole shampoo 1% versus ketoconazole shampoo 2% in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor. A randomised double-blind comparative trial. Mycoses   50(3):193-5.Trà ¼eb RM (2007):   Shampoos: ingredients, efficacy and adverse effects.   J. Dtsch. D ermatol. Ges. 5(5):356-65.Trà ¼eb RM and the Swiss Trichology Study Group (2001):   The value of hair cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.   Dermatology  Ã‚   202(4):275-82.