Areas of Learning

|Area |Extending learning and development | |Quiet/reading area |The quiet area allows children to develop their understanding of the written word; they learn that words convey meaning and that| | |this is mirrored by the pictures that are in the books. | |They develop interaction with others through the use of books and listening | | |They learn to share and co-operate | | |They learn concentration and self control | | |They learn about the world around them, concepts, ideas and morals | | |They learn to take care of possessions | |Small world |The children learn to role play and to share and take turns with others | | |They learn social interaction and effective communication | | |The learn tolerance and understand of other people’s ideas and beliefs | | |The develop their fine motor skills | | |They learn about the world in which they all live | |Role play |The children learn to role play, to pretend and to accept other’s as part of that pretence | | |They learn to socialise, to share toys and ideas | | |They develop their imagination | | |The imitate talk and behaviour | | They learn to dress themselves | | |The develop their ability to take on a role and develop it | | |They share and take turns | | |They mark make | | |They mimic and copy | |Mark making |In mark making they learn to use different mediums to create marks | | |They develop their fine motor skills | | |They extend their language | | |They make decisions, take turns and share | | |They develop an understanding of the written word and learn that words convey meaning | | |The improve their manual dexterity and hand eye co-ordination | | |They develop their understanding of topics and show pride in their achievements They learn to write, draw and recognise colour | | |They develop control and concentration | |Maths/ICT |In this area they learn more/less | | |They will develop problem solving and logic | | |The children will learn to communicate and develop the use of mat hematical language | | |They will learn hand eye-co-ordination, fine and gross motor skills | | |They will develop their understanding of number, counting and it’s symbolic representation | | |They will compare, contrast, match and sort (using various criterion) | |They will develop and awareness of computer and mouse control | | |They will learn to share and take turns | |Craft |The children will use a variety of different mediums to create | | |They will develop fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination | | |They will learn about colour, pattern and texture | | |The will use their imagination and draw upon their understanding of the world in which they live. | |The children develop their creative awareness and independence | | |They will use imagination and problem solving | | |The will develop their social skills, communication and co-operative skills | | |The will begin to develop self-expression , confidence and creative flair | |Outside |The children will under stand the environment, learning about weather and the world in which they live | | |They will develop their spatial awareness /gross motor skills | | |The will explore their manipulative skills/sense of balance/agility skills/risk taking | | |The will develop their spatial awareness/fine manipulative/gross motor skills | | |They will develop their hand-eye and foot-eye co-ordination/ locomotive skills | | |They will develop social skills, turn taking, sharing and creativity | | |They will develop their language and communication skills | |They will develop their confidence and awareness of their own capabilities as well as pushing themselves a little more to learn | | |new skills | Whilst the children are learning through their play and through all the skills and areas above we will monitor and support them in order to help them develop in the right way. We will encourage good behaviour and discourage negative behaviour. We will give the children confidence to develop their skill set, confidence and capabilities. We keep a continual record of their achievements so that we can monitor their progress and highlight and areas for special consideration. In this way we will engender high levels of expectation and achievement.

History and Origin of the Ancient Olympic Games Essay

The ancient Olympic games represent a part of Ancient Greek history that the world continues to celebrate today. Every four years world nations gather at a specific site to compete in the Olympic games. This coming together of world nations symbolizes a time of peace and unity among the world. With every victory came honor, glory and pride for the winning athlete and their country. The history and origin of the Olympic games includes religious celebrations, mythical stories as well all embracing Greece’s’ love and respect of pure athleticism. This paper will discuss the history and origin of the ancient Olympic games. It will elaborate upon the fact that the history and origin of the Olympic games include religious celebrations, mythical stories as well as embrace Greece’s love and respect of pure athleticism. Establishment of Games in Olympia The Olympic games pertain to a key event on the international level, which features winter, and summer sports and invites thousands of athletes for the purpose of participation in various competitions. The Olympic games are acknowledged as the leading competition of sports globally, in which there are over 200 nations as participants[1]. The Ancient Olympic games were established in Olympia in 776 BC, creating an institution that would continue throughout the world for thousands of years. Initially, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, the ancient Olympic games got their origin in Olympia, Greece. Many studies give an account of the ancient Olympics, which, according to their observation, were held in Greece approximately 3,000 years back. Though they were very ancient in origin, they started being considered and called as â€Å"classical games† already by the end of the 6th century BC. By that time, there were three sporting festivals, which had gained remarkable significance as well as  popularity. They included: the Nemean Games at Nemea; the Pythian games, held at Delphi; and the Isthmian Games, which were held near Corinth. Later, there were various similar festivals, which took place in around 150 cities, including Odessus, Alexandria, Rome, Antioch, and Naples. There have been various legends and myths connected with the background and origin of the ancient Olympic games. They are a mirror image of the Greek civilization’s mythic-religious nature. For instance, in the ancient Greece, it was a tradition and religious binding that all the festivals and celebrations were to be performed in honor of a particular divinity. Thus, these Olympic games and related festivals were conducted under the patronage of the Greek leader of the pantheon of gods, Zeus. It is said that the Olympia was marked by Zeus as his revered zone through bolt of thunder, which he flung on Mount Olympus from his throne. It is said that to mark that divine spot, a stunning altar of Zeus was created at Olympia, which is situated in the North from his spectacular temple. Then, there is another very remarkable myth regarding the Olympics with reference to the Hercules, the greatest Greek hero. It is said that in order to get freedom from the slavery to King Eurystheos of Argos, the hero had to complete twelve labors. Once, the Hercules was done with it, he celebrated the success by making a clearing in the orchard, laying out the borders of the Altis, and establishing the Olympic games in honor of Zeus. He determined the distance for the race in a special way: for six hundred times, he placed one foot in front of the other[2]. Establishment of the Olympic Calendar The Greeks had a different calendar for holding the Olympic games. They observed that 99 lunar months made eight solar years. Therefore, they established a new calendar, which was known as the octaeteris and was around 99 lunar months. They arranged the calendar in such a way that there were eight years in which each of the five years contained twelve months and the rest three years comprised of 13 months. The extra three months were inserted in the 3rd, 5th, and 8th years. It was believed by the Greek historians that the Greeks kept the 8-year calendar when the Olympic games were invented in the 776 BC. Later, the two four-year periods were measured as the octaeteris: one of the 50 months and one of 49 months; and they made  these 4-year periods known as the â€Å"Olympiads†[3]. These four years’ periods exist today as well, and in the month of February, after every four years, a leap day is added up and the Olympics are conducted. Thus, the Olympic games are held according to the Olympic Calendar based on a four year Olympiad. Sacred Truce The truce carries the meaning â€Å"the break of hostilities† and â€Å"the holding of hands† in the Greek language. It had begun in the form of a month-long â€Å"Holy Treaty† between King Lykourgos of Sparta, King Iphitor of Elis, and King Kleosthenes of Pisa in 824 BC. A bronze discus had the terms of this truce carved upon it, and it was kept in Altis, in the Temple of Hera at Olympia. The Truce was mainly meant to deliver peace and harmony all across Greece. It covered the following clauses: âž ¢ Armies and weapons were not permitted to enter Elis; âž ¢ The hostile areas were safe for travelling of the attendees whose city-state was at war; âž ¢ There was no permission for the death penalties. Before the beginning of the Olympic festivals, the news of the truce was spread through the three news bearers, decorated with garland of olive, and staff carriers, who went to every city of Greece. It was the duty of the herald to confirm the festival’s date in order to invite the residents to participate and attend as well as to proclaim the truce of Olympic. Thus, they were known as the â€Å"truce-bearers† (spondophoroi) and the permanent legal advisors to the Eleans and official warrantors of the truce. The sacred truce played an important role in the Olympics. Before the truce, the mainland Greece region was disturbed by the unrest and civil wars. However, after the safety was guaranteed to the people by â€Å"sacred truce,† the ancient Olympic games got popularity and became a source of unity and peace amongst the people of Greece. Athletes in the Olympic games Until the 1970s, the Olympic athletes were not permitted to accept any sort of prizes or endorsements, and no professionals were permitted to enter into the competition of Olympic games. The professional athletes were thought to have undue gain over the participants who played the games as their hobby. The victor in the ancient Olympic was given first prize when the competition  ended. The herald announced the name of the winner, and, a Greek Judge, Hellanodikis, would put a palm branch in his hands, and the audience threw flowers at him and cheered him. In order to symbolize victory, red ribbons were tied on his hands and head.4 On the last day when the games completed, an official award ceremony would be conducted, at the prominent foyer at Zeus’ temple. The Olympic winner’s name, with his father and homeland’s name would be announced loudly. The Hellanodikis would then, place the holy wreaths of olive tree, or kotinos, on the head of the winner5. In the ancient Olympic games, the participants were all the free male citizens of Greece, irrespective of their social status. Diagoras, a member of a royal family from Rhodes; Polymnistor, a shepherd; Orsippos, Alexander I, son of Amyndas and King of Macedonia; a general from Megara; and Democritus, a philosopher, all participated in the Olympics. The only people not allowed to participate in the ancient Olympics were the married women. 4 †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012, 5 †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012 However, those women who were single were permitted to attend and watch the competition. The goddess of fertility, priestess of Demeter, was permitted an honored place next to the altar of Stadium. Athletic Events Divisions divided between men and boys would divide athletic events. According to the writings of Pausanias, the first Olympic event was the foot race. The victor was Coroebus.6 This initial foot race was known as the stadion. The athletes would sprint for one stade or the length of the stadium. 7 Fourteen festivals later the double foot race was added. This race was known as a two-stade race or two lengths of the stadium. Long distance races were added ranging from seven to twenty-four stades. 8 Another stade event involved athletes running between two and four stades wearing full military armor. This armor weighed about fifty – sixty pounds. The Pentathlon would be added as well. The Pentathlon included five different events. The events included discus, javelin, jumping, running and wrestling. This event is still included in todays Olympic games. Chariot racing would be one of the equestrian events the ancient Greeks included in the games. There were two and four horse chariot races. According to Plato, the â€Å"folk with the battered ears† (Plato) described the athletes who participated in the sport of boxing. 9 6. Pausanias, 5.1-15 7. perseus.tufts.edu/edu 8.Pausanias, 5.1-15 9. perseus.tufts.edu/edu Rome and the Eventual End of the Olympic games The family memorial monument of the Philip II of Macedonia was being constructed at Olympia, and his son, Alexander the Great, witnessed the completion. Philip II and his offspring attributed a huge importance to Olympia. They offered financial help and gifts to the Olympia and were a source of inspiration for the other rich donors, who started doing the same. When the Classical period was near its end, the attitude towards the Games started to diminish, which also reflected the eventual downfall in ancient Greece’s history.10 Where once Zeus was worshipped, winners now placed their coronets at the foot of their benefactor god; and where once all the triumph and success was credited to the help of the deities, now it was ruled and commanded by the athletes in the glory of their personal achievements and successes. The religious importance of the Olympic games begun to decline, and it became more of a world-premiere athletic contest than a religious festival. This era focused mainly on athletes instead of the divine spirits, and it was clear in the construction of facilities at Olympia. It was between the 1st and 3rd centuries that more facilities to assist the athletes were built, which included the development to the athletes’ baths, a â€Å"palaistra,† a big practice gym for the track competitors, and a stadium sort of place to help the athletes train and practice for the jumping and combat events. In the earlier years of the 2nd century BC, there begun the Roman intervention in Hellenic affairs, and they end up directly imposing rules on Macedonia and Greece and ending the independence of Greece in 146 BC. Thus, it was the end of the religious Olympics and the fall of Greece.It was the end of Greece, the beginning of the Roman period, and the beginning of the end of the Olympic games. 10. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Olympics/olympics.html Reinstatement of the Olympic games The short renaissance of the ancient Olympic games was marked by the  political stability and economic and cultural revival of the Roman occupation. However, the games were no longer holy festivals; they turned into gladiator contests, which were extremely bloody and violent. Later, these games were also acknowledged as â€Å"international† under the wide-ranging coverage of the Roman citizenship and were then appreciated and enjoyed by many regions including Egypt. Royal benefaction contributed to the improvement in the location of Olympia, and it befitted that of a Roman showpiece. Comprehensive repairs and modifications were made to the temple of Zeus; many other buildings were also modified according to the new construction trends. Moreover, athletic facilities and new monuments were also dedicated for the holding of Olympic games. Conclusion The ancient Olympic games were rich in culture and traditions. The origin of the Olympic games has enthralled and fascinated many students, historians, and archeologists in their quest to uncover the mysteries behind them. Throughout time, the ancient Olympic games have survived wars and natural disasters, they were briefly abolished but brought back to life, and now it is a worldwide-celebrated tradition. Bibliography 1. †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012. http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games 2. Olympic-Legacy. Myths &Legends:http://www.pe04.com/olympic/olympia/legends_o.php 3. Pausanias, http://www.theoi.com/Text/Pausanias5A.html#7 4. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/index.html 5. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Olympics/olympics.html 6. Vaughan, Valerie. The Origin of the Olympics: Ancient Calendars and the Race Against

Mergers and Joint Mergers Essay

The following paragraphs will discuss week four’s readings that covered vertical mergers, horizontal mergers, conglomerates, and joint ventures. Companies use mergers and joint ventures to increase profitability and efficiency. The following paper will go over the three alliances as well as a joint venture and how it differs from the mergers. Each business arrangement is used to attempt an improvement for the company, the important thing to remember is which will be most beneficial and why. A horizontal merger occurs when two competing companies in the same market joins together to become one firm or one identity. The two companies could have an influence on the competitive market if the companies have a large percentage of that market. The result of the two companies combine will be an increased advantage over their competitors. If the two groups are joining together are small businesses, they could have little to no advantage over their competitors in the market. For example, if two unknown mobile cellular companies merge to increase their services and products, the affect on the existing market could be minimal. If two well-known mobile providers such as â€Å"Apple and Samsung† combine in the market of mobile cellular phones and different accessories, it would give them an advantage over their competitors because of their popularity. The companies have a larger impact on the market at this time with the latest IPhone and Samsung Galaxy.  Therefore; a competitor has a large percentage in the market would decrease barriers of entry for new competitors. A vertical merger occurs when two companies that are next to each other on the supply-chain decide to become one entity and use it as a way to gain a competitive advantage within the marketplace. For instance, a manufacturer merging with a supplier of essential components or raw materials or with a distributor or retailer that sells its products. The goal of vertical mergers is to improve efficiency or reduce costs. Vertical mergers can help to secure access to critical supplies and help to reduce overall costs by eliminating the costs of finding suppliers, negotiating deals, and paying full market prices. It can improve efficiency by synchronizing production and supply between the two groups and ensuring that supplies are available when you need them. A vertical merger can help deal with competitors by making it difficult for competitors to obtain vital supplies, therefore, weakening existing competitors and increasing barriers to the entry of new competitors. Let’s take a look at the technology advancement implemented for the creation of a new iPhone. Apple will merge with the suppliers and distributors for the benefit of having the production accessible for the company when manufacturing and distributing the product. In the world of business, there are times when companies can merge in order to expand their operations in other markets, and possibly lower the risk of the company by doing so. Combining activities, which in turn, will increase their efficiency, can eliminate redundancy between the two organizations. At times, this merger can involve corporations that offer entirely different services or products. These types of mergers are referred to as conglomerate mergers. A conglomerate is â€Å"a corporation that is made up of a number of different, seemingly unrelated activities. In a conglomerate, one company owns a controlling stake in a number of smaller companies, which conduct business separately. Each of a conglomerate’s subsidiary companies runs independently of the other business divisions, but the subsidiaries’ management reports to senior management at the parent company.† (investopedia.com). Some examples of conglomerate mergers viewed between Proctor & Gamble and Gillette, Walt Disney and the American Broadcasting  Company, and ITT, Avis Rent-a-Car, Sheraton Hotels and Continental Baking. To the typical consumer, mergers like the ones listed above do not make sense, but it the world of business; there are positive benefits for all parties involved. Unlike a merger, a joint venture does not require dissolution of their original business or change the organizational structure, but rather two business entities join forces to undertake a single project or aspect of business. The only similarity between the two is that they both include two business entities joining together. A joint merger is a short-term partnership in which the persons jointly undertake a transaction for mutual profit as well as each person contributes assets and share risks. Joint ventures can also be used by companies to gain entrance into foreign markets. Microsoft entered into a joint venture with NBC to create MSNBC. The two companies ventured to bring business news to the television and online. While the two are joins as one for MSNBC, Microsoft and NBC have their companies. Microsoft has their business market in online products and technology. NBC has their television broadcasting network. The two businesses do not affect each other. The two companies maintain ownership of the entity. When two or more companies agree to combine into one entity, it will be referred to as a horizontal, vertical, or conglomerate merger. On the other hand, when two or more businesses enter into a joint venture for a specific object will not incorporate the companies as one. The companies will be able to work together for the new entity, but their overall concept of their business will remain the same. Meaning the companies can perform their business separately from the joint venture. References: Joint venture, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/joint_venture Mergers vs. Joint Ventures: What’s the Difference? (2012). Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/office/entrepreneurs/articles/82448.aspx Kim, E. (2012), CNNMoney: Retrieved by http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/16/technology/microsoft-nbc-split/index.htm Scilly, M. (2014), Houston Chronicle: Difference between Mergers and Joint Ventures, Retrieved from:www.smallbusiness.chron.com

Smith & Falmouth Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Smith & Falmouth Online - Essay Example This report describes the current culture at Smith & Falmouth as well as various controls for organizational performance. In addition, recommendations to better enhance the business are proposed. At Smith & Falmouth, it is a team-oriented organization which relies on various professional and technical expertise to accomplish sizeable projects mandated at the strategic level. As a team leader, the Chief Operational Officer acts as the project leader, dictating the activities of various colleagues (at similar levels in the management hierarchy) and subordinate peers. This team-oriented philosophy consists of a leader who directs the activities of the group, demanding compliance and routine reporting on project activities. However, the transformational leadership style, according to two specific organizational theorists, involves a leader who also uses actions which are â€Å"visionary, values-based, emotional, intellectually-stimulating, and charismatic† (Antonakis and Hooijberg, 2008: 2). Having a project team leader who can be both the authoritarian and the inspirational leader provides a clear job description for the project leader and demands that the individual in this leadership role maintains the correct balance of personality to accomplish group unity and performance. This is very much a top-down organizational hierarchy where managers of the same level or business status cooperate via means of special projects, typical of many companies today, requiring transformational leadership. Transformational leaders should be more well-versed in psychological theory, as they often have to assess the self-worth of various staff individuals to determine how to involve the individual in group activities and to commit to organizational goals (Avolio and Bass, 2002). The Chief Operations Officer is continuously praised for their dedication to the project and their ability to coordinate group activities

Managing a Diverse Workforce in Organizations Essay

Managing a Diverse Workforce in Organizations - Essay Example A diverse workforce also includes people with both physical and mental disabilities, immigrants and people with varying lifestyles. For a diverse workforce to function effectively, the human resource has to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of a diverse workforce. The human resource professional must also be in a position to manage a diverse workforce. In future, diversity will tend to increase with many organizations realizing its benefits. Organizations that enforce immediate action and develop a diverse workforce may experience its benefits. However, there are associated challenges as well. Development and implementation of workplace diversity are important factors that determine organization’s success and competitiveness. There are multiple benefits associated with developing and handling a diverse workforce. A diverse workforce increases the organization’s adaptability to the market. A company handling a diverse workforce has a better chance of solvi ng problems in service and allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds introduce individual talents and experiences to the organization that ensures increased flexibility in adapting to fluctuations in both the market and customer demands. A diverse workforce increases the level of productivity for the organization (Bedi, Pooman, and Ekanshi, 2014). Development and implementation of workplace diversity are important factors that determine organization’s success and competitiveness.

Aristotle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Aristotle - Research Paper Example However, others have agreed with both theories stating that nature provides the individuals with these traits while nurture serves to mould and develop these traits through maturity and learning. The influence of heredity and the environment is however evident as in many individuals. The genetic make of an individual is derived from his parents and this is due to heredity. This has a lot of influence on the behavior of an individual as these traits have been reported by researchers to influence intelligence, personality, sexual orientation and aggression (Ceci & Williams, 123). These traits are encoded in an individual’s DNA and hence are inherited by the offspring’s. Physical appearances of various individuals like color of the skin, eye, and height among other things have confirmed this and hence there is a possibility that nature plays a very important role in influencing the way we behave. For example if fraternal twins that are reared under the same conditions will never behave the same way as they posses’ different traits from their parents. Nurture on the other hand is also very important in determining our behaviors as these traits are just in the body but they have to be developed in order to fully come up and influence the behavior of an individual. ... This is only possible when such individuals practice how to be intelligent and creative and the type of the environment in which they are also contributes a lot. It is said then he was ‘’nurtured’’ by certain people (Ceci & Williams, 134). An example here is to consider identical twins brought up under different conditions will never behave like each other. The persistent of nature vs. nurture debate has continued long time for several centuries due to certain underlying issues. One of the most important characteristics of this issue is that there are several issues that are knitted together by ambiguity and also uncertainty into an issue that is very difficult to solve (Ceci & Williams, 147). This makes the people in the debate unable to put their focus in one or a single defined meaningful question. Another issue rises from genetic language itself we need to differentiate the meaning of nature and nurture and what most scientists call contributions of the two terms. Sometimes the difference is that nature is about what is inside while nurture is what we acquire from the environments that we interact with. Contributions here means that the impact of either nature or nurture on the behaviors of individuals. The controversy here is that some people believe that what is inborn contribute or determines what an individual will be. Nature bases its argument from the genes while nurture argument is based on environment (Ceci & Williams 137). There is need therefore two define very well the meaning of gene and environment as they are the key issues in this argument. We need to understand what the gene does and what the environment does as far as behavior is concerned. These two issues are the central of this debate. Aristotle’s argument in the

Should the tax laws be reformed to encourage saving(pro and con) Essay

Should the tax laws be reformed to encourage saving(pro and con) - Essay Example When similar activities are subjected to different tax treatments, households and businesses respond to the tax code rather than the underlying economic fundamentals. Economic efficiency is increased by broadening of the tax base and lowering of the tax rates. The costs of distortions caused by high tax rates will be reduced. These are approximately proportional to the square of the tax rate. Also, a simpler tax code would reduce the considerable resources which are presently devoted to complying with current tax laws; and the freed-up resources could be used for more productive purposes. Another important principle is that some predictability in the tax code would facilitate better forward-looking economic decision-making by households and businesses. (Greenspan, Allan: Chairman 2005) The tax code includes many incentives intended to increase savings to finance retirement, health care, higher education, and so on. These savings incentives, which exempt some income from tax, have moved the current tax system in the direction of a consumption base. Researchers have raised questions about how much if any, net new savings they stimulate. (21st Century Challenges†¦p.73). If designing a tax system from scratch, one based on consumption rather than income, would be better for promoting economic growth. A consumtion tax is likely to encourage saving and capital formation. The retail sales tax, value added taxes, the personal consumption tax and the flat tax are all types of consumption taxes. They vary in their collection points and structure. In future it will become increasingly important for the nation to boost resources available, through greater national saving and enhanced incentives for participation in the labor force. The tax system has the potential to con tribute importantly to those goals, and so at the very least tax reform should not hinder the achievement of those objectives. Importantly, fundamental, thorough tax reform include difficult choices

ADVANCED PRICING TECHNIQUES Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ADVANCED PRICING TECHNIQUES - Assignment Example US has an absolute advantage in ______________Chemicals____________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). e. China has a comparative advantage in ________ both apparel and chemicals __________________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). US has a comparative advantage in __________ neither apparel nor chemicals ________________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). g. Compared to the initial optimal product combinations D and S, world output of chemicals is ________smaller________ (smaller, greater) by __18___ tons of chemicals and world output of apparel is ________greater________ (smaller, greater) by __28___ 1000 units of apparel. i. Based on the actual terms of trade in previous part of this question, US can now choose four 1000 units of apparel and ___1.5___ tons of chemicals and China can now choose six tons of chemicals and ___1.5___ 1000 units of apparel. Specialization and trade between the two nations has ______decreased________ (decreased, increased) the standard of living in US and has ________Increased______ (decreased, increased) the standard of living in

Can there be peace in the Middle East based on the history of the area Research Paper

Can there be peace in the Middle East based on the history of the area - Research Paper Example Can peace ever be established there? There are initiatives under way, but the history of the region has shown that peace is elusive and fragile. There is always hope for a lasting agreement, and the world watches and waits for that moment to arrive. This paper discusses the events of the past, the problems, the initiatives, and the hope. Peace Plan for the Middle East Hot Bed of History The Middle East encompasses Western Asia and North Africa. It is arid and hot. Sometimes called the Near East, it has many rivers and irrigation channels to feed its agriculture. Its Persian Gulf contains one of the world’s most important assets: crude oil deposits. It has historically been a hot bed of political and religious turmoil. The origins of that turmoil include a crowded geography, differing political philosophies, economic pressures, and perhaps most importantly, division over religious claims to an area which has provided the historical origins of three leading world religions: Isla m, Judaism and Christianity. All three claim Jerusalem and surrounding â€Å"Holy Land† (modern Palestine) as home to their religious heritage. Culture of Combat The primary combatants for the Holy Land today are the Arabs and Israelis. But it wasn’t always that way. ... A century later, the Islamic leader, Saladin, who had Egypt under his control, led Islam in a holy war (â€Å"jihad)† against Christians, recapturing Jerusalem in 1187. So the area is known for its years of strife. But it was the Israel community which became the latter day opposition for the Arabs, and today’s conflict has become the focal point of Middle East politics and mutual aggression. Modern Day Conflict Today, the Jews and Arabs recognize that they are both losing this battle which has recently escalated between them. As Goldschmidt pointed out, things got hot during World War I. He said, â€Å"The duration and intensity of what we now call the Arab-Israeli conflict were due to the rise of nationalism in modern times" (Goldschmidt, 1999, p.231). Strangely enough, there is evidence that these two long-time adversaries have plans to try once again for peace in the region. That is a first step toward stability in an area that has rarely experienced it throughout all of history. Plan for improvement in relations Krause and Van Evera (2009) suggest several actions which could improve relations between the U.S. and the Middle East. Two-way dialogue with respect for the traditions of the Muslim world should replace one-way oratory. The use of facts over hyperbole and propaganda will better guide discussion. The dialogue should be conducted in an air of peace and desire for mutual understanding, without the background of conflict generated primarily by al-Qaeda around the world. The United States should confront and contest al-Qaeda at every opportunity and perhaps seek the assistance of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) which could apply pressure to combative governments. Initiatives begun Conflict in the Middle East in recent years has focused on the

MGT CHECKPOINT W3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT CHECKPOINT W3 - Essay Example For the format, I would want to take each objective at a time and give a list of things Kim is planning to do, that will make that goal achievable. For example, one of the departmental goals is to increase sales by 10% this fiscal year, what actions would Kim take to give the company 10% increase in sales. If I were Kim, I would use the following framework. First, determine the action framework. Here, questions like, what must be done, why must it be done, when should it be done, who should do it, where should it be done and how should it be done are answered. Secondly, a brilliant plan must have a contingency plan or a back up, which gets the supervisor prepared if something goes wrong. Thirdly, in his plan to achieve objectives, a supervisor must be in line with the existing policies, procedures, rules of a company. The last issue and most remarkable thing for consideration in planning are budgeting, where the initial proposal of a budget is vested on a supervisor. I do not think that Kim’s initial reaction to the planning process is unusual. Planning process is a complex subject, and without proper guidelines, one may not perform well. Kim despite working in this company for seven years as a sales specialist was not familiar with the planning

Families of color creating harmony and optical illusions Essay Example for Free

Families of color creating harmony and optical illusions Essay Modern television production, music videos and movies rely on influential power of colors to capture and hold an audience. Glowing spell bounding colors perceived by bright sunlight originated with advanced study of basic art concepts. In the 1600s, Newton invented the famous color wheel, providing the standard guideline for combining colors creating a multicolored pleasant visual appeal, beginning with three basic colors. The color wheel breaks color down by category, forming families of color. As long as the colors on the color wheel form grey shades when mixed together, they are considered to belong to the same family. This is what is meant by family of colors. The categories of colors are identified as primary, secondary or tertiary, complementary, split complementary, analogue, and triad. Primary colors on the color wheel consists of only three colors; red, blue and yellow. From these three basic colors, all other color combinations are created. Secondary colors are mixed primary colors. For example, mixing two primary colors, red and blue, makes secondary purple. Hue is defined the way color is seen or two colored visual effects. Hues are two toned colors, red-green and blue-yellow are most commonly used. Complimentary colors are directly opposite of each other on the color wheel. Analogue colors are a combination of any three colors as long as they are next to each other on the color wheel. Triad colors are equally distant colors. Once the artists understands thoroughly how to coordinate colors using the color wheel, then optical illusions and harmony can be formed. Color harmony is a combination of colors complimenting each other to create a pleasant visual image, or a complete picture. To understand how the color wheel may be used to create harmony, the wheel breaks the harmony down ever further than the basic colors in a chart called a histogram. â€Å"Harmonic colors hold a specific relationship by their position within a color space. † (King, 2002). Monochromatic (a small slice of the color wheel of adjacent hues), Complementary (two-color scheme on opposite sides), Split complementary, split, and four-tone chord. (King 2002) Hue histogram is a diagram showing which colors belong to the same family, and which colors contrasts. After the color specialists decide on a specific, chosen colors are mixed determining what degrees the cells are tinted. Colored cells shades and colors are called pixel value. This is most time consuming, part of the image making process, but also the most significant process contributing to the visual appeal. Making the process easier and more thorough is the hue histogram. Hue histogram uses alphabetical angels; i I V l T Y X N. http://www. websiteoptimization. com/speed/tweak/color-harmony/ This histogram is used to create harmony and create optical illusion image. Color harmony is used to create a picture, optical illusions uses color to make the picture appear as a moving image. In Victor Vasarely, optical illusion image the Orion C, he used shapes and contours with color. The colors may have belonged to the same family of colors, but many of these were not hues, or laying next to each other. In the center, he used light blue next to light pink. He used wide range of colors far apart on the histogram but all belonging to the same family of colors. Normally, black and white are not considered colors, only shades. He used plenty white to give the illusions of squares moving into each other. In the Orion C, the viewer can look at one square, and before they know it, they find themselves looking at another square. http://www. artinthepicture. com/artists/Victor_Vasarely/ In Bearden J Moods, Music and Life image, the artist used color harmony. The ranges selected from the color wheel where colors very close together or next to each other, called hues. Of course not all of the colors used where hues, but they did not range more than 3 shades apart. Colors were selected to distinguish the difference of the objects. http://www. nga. gov/education/classroom/bearden/musli1. shtm Hue histograms are used by color technicians providing lifelike and mood enhancing images, videos and movies. When using the hue histogram, it is important to realize the alphabetical angles can move. The V on the color gram can move to cover different shades, but the size of the angel cannot be widened to include more colors. If the artists is to create harmony, they must follow the rules. Sometimes contrasting images are desired instead of harmony. For the image to have a pleasant visual appeal, color rules still apply. Contrast would use the T-shape. Even in complex images, everything starts with three basic colors, using the wheel. In the 1600s, Newton invented the famous color wheel, providing the standard guideline for combining colors creating a multicolored pleasant visual appeal, beginning with three basic colors. References The art of Romare Bearden, A resource for teachers; http://www. nga. gov/education/classroom/bearden/musli1. shtm Art in the picture; Victor_Vasraely; http://www. artinthepicture. com/artists/Victor_Vasarely/ King, 2002, Automated Color Harmony Tools, http://www. websiteoptimization. com/speed/tweak/color-harmony/

Togetherness In Baghdad Essay Example for Free

Togetherness In Baghdad Essay The article seems to say that elections in Iraq do not seem to be working as an envisioned long term plan of the Americans to sway Iraq’s government into a democratic form. What seems to come out of the argument is that the arrival of the Americans can be questioned as either intervention for justice or plain meddling. Intervention for justice and democracy has been America’s greatest alibi to test their new weapons and missile guidance technology, while plain meddling can be related to the monopoly of the gate valves of Iraq’s oil wells. To Americans, it could be a win-win situation, while to people of the 3rd world, it is a lose-lose situation. The author also seems to be beating around the bush from another very strategic issue: oil prices. (China’s oil bill in 2005 was estimated to be US$ 2.0 trillion). The article relates that the Iraquis are not playing the role they are supposed to take since Saddam’s removal. It is like â€Å"God helps those who help themselves†, bad as it may seem as America may be playing the God role. In the meantime, Iraq people seem to be straddling along until someone makes a move that would be global in impact awareness, from there they can decide their moves on whether the Americans were right or wrong in coming there. So, just like for Vietnam, the story goes that American intervention at the start will work, but not in the long run. There is no formula for free- flowing acceptance of America’s intervention. I think the author is biased in favor of American intervention, but is hidden between the lines. (What is real is that the Yuan, China’s currency, did not devaluate, even as their oil bill rose.) Long term plans of the U.S. are â€Å"colored† and towards bringing back U.S. economy to high brisk and China seems to be an emerging threat for substitutes for U.S. products. This is just one aspect, and there have been many other strategies, especially in bringing profits to U.S. agriculture. In short, the U.S. may turn around its own economy at the expense of the economies of other nations, but this is hard to prove. Lastly, there is a time constraint for the Americans to establish democracy in Iraq, and if democracy does not work there and, in order for the time constraint to be extended, issues on human rights, togetherness, supply of aid, etc†¦, may always be the focus and blow-ups of articles in U.S. press. The U.S. press alone is monopolized by U.S. satellites. So, where are the issues leading to? The mightiest and strongest nation in the world (the U.S.) could have made a mistake about Saddam (although at this time he has been tried and convicted to death). Let us all close our eyes and try to imagine that such a mistake can be put aside, look at the other issues, and move forward. That’s life.

Study of Hydrodynamic Forces on Multiple Cylinders in Waves

Study of Hydrodynamic Forces on Multiple Cylinders in Waves Introduction In the recent years, there have been increase in demand of production in the offshore industry. The wide market scale of offshore structure business in oil and gas production attracts interest for investors. Offshore structures are stationary structures located in the marine environment for production of natural resources such as wind turbine for generating electricity, FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offload) for crude oil extraction and drilling for drillships. These offshore structures can be either fixed or freely floating. Floating offshore structures/platforms will be using mooring system or dynamic positioning method to float and hold its position in place. Many challenges are faced to withstand the position of the offshore structures due to seakeeping and wave load problems. As technology advance over the years, new implications and investigations are being carried out for offshore structures to to deal with seakeeping and wave load problems. The implication of hydrodynamic force acting on an offshore structure became important due to various wave loads and interactions might affect the results of hydrodynamic forces greatly. The hydrodynamic forces determine how structures float with varying wave frequencies, wave height and etc. Large offshore structures such as semi-submersibles, offshore wind turbines and SPAR are often being investigated to improve their efficiencies by changing their shapes or dimensions. Large offshore cylindrical structures would affect hydrodynamic results due to their wave diffraction and radiation forces. Therefore, in this literature review, investigations of hydrodynamic forces on multiple cylinders are being studied. In order to understand how the hydrodynamic results vary, floating bodies with varying distance are being placed in ideal fluid, where hydrodynamic interactions will cause the influence by the scattered waves and the wave load will differ greatly by the presence of the neighbouring cylinders. Thus, to obtain accurate results, these hydrodynamic interactions are investigated from theoretical predictions, software simulation analysis and model testing. The development of computer with memory capacity and computational speed increases with the advance in technology. The use of these software simulation analysis helps to analyse the wave interactions between multiple floating bodies in an ideal fluid. The software is dependant on the development of hydrodynamic theories. By using linear wave potential theory, the diffraction and radiation forces could be calculated. Hydrodynamic Interaction phenomena Studies of hydrodynamic interactions of multiple bodies have been on going over the past few decades. Hydrodynamic interaction created are due to wave actions the presence of neighbouring structures. A free floating body may experience six DOF (Degree of Freedom) due to surrounding condition, where three are translations (Surge, sway and heave) and three are rotations (Roll, pitch and yaw). Vertical and longitudinal motions are the primary motions which are often experience by offshore structures.[1] The interaction phenomena is due to diffraction and radiation forces acting on the structures and forces created by the structures. The velocity components and the motion of each body can be obtain by the integration of equation of motion. The interaction phenomena between two or more floating structures plays important role on the performance of floating structure systems. It depends on the sepetration distance between the floating bodies and also on the direction of flow with respect to the centerline of two floating bodies.[2] This phenomena can be investigated by using both theoretical and experimentally(Model Test). For experimental, using a full scale model tests are desirable but there are limitations due to controlled conditions and the high cost of production. Therefore, the need of associated computation tools for analysing these hydrodynamic forces to attain fast and accurate results. The complexity of multiple bodies solution increases with the amount of elements.(Research_3) Thus, the use of numerical method is highly recommended in this studies. http://www.ias.ac.in/sadhana/Pdf2004Dec/Pe1236.pdf [1] http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a254627.pdf [2] Potential Theory The knowledge of motion and wave induced forces of offshore mainly involves the structural design and its operation. Offshore structures in sea environment usually encounter environmental loads such as gravity, waves, wind and current. These are the basic information needed to evaluate the interaction of structures through the use of potential theory.(G. Moe, 1996) Potential theory can use to find out the general aspect of fluid flow problems in conjunction with Laplace equation. To satisfy the solution of the Laplace equations, boundary conditions of the fluid are set. Hydrodynamic forces in waves consist of radiation and diffraction forces where velocity potential is the key component to satisfy the Laplace equation. Radiation and Diffraction Problem Hydrodynamic forces is made up of diffraction and radiation forces. These forces includes the 6 degree of freedom that arises from the interaction of linear waves against any floating structure. In addition, these forces will provide information of hydrodynamic properties of floating structures, such as damping coefficient,added mass and wave excitation forces. The fluid must be assumed to be inviscid, incompressible and irrotational. Currently, there have been numerous theoretical and numerical studies on these problems. As the technology advances, researchers have obtained significant results on the phenomena, which made the study for these problems, such as structure and wave interactions, stability of floating structures aon going research. Diffraction Force Diffraction force is the pressure forces acting around the each structure, but due to multiple bodies and interaction of several bodies, the scattering will affect the results of incident wave. For free surface problems with the Laplace equation as the governing equation, a first order or a second-order boundary condition can be obtain using a linearized free surface boundary condition Radiation Force Boundary Conditions Governing Equation The motion response of a structure will cause the fluid to oscillate, hence creating pressure fields in the fluid. In order to capture the motion response and the surrounding pressure fields, velocity potential will be imposed. In addition, there are boundary conditions critition to be met. Drag forces are not being considered in the radiation and diffraction problems as it only occurs in slender body phenomena. With the assumption of having the structure placing in an ideal fluid with zero forward speed. In an ideal fluid condition, the fluid is irrotational and incompressible. The radiation condition should also be satisfied as it is to ensure that the waves propagate away from the structure. From the potential flow theory, it is made known that the velocity potential must satisfy the Laplace equations. Thus, the 3 boundary conditions mention below must be satisfied. Body surface The normal component of the fluid velocity is equal to the normal component of the heave force velocity Seafloor The normal component of the fluid velocity equal to zero Water surface The fluid pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure and fluid particles will always remain on the free-surface. Pressure will be constant across the free surface. These equations mention below will show the governing equation imposed on radiation and diffraction problems.(Page 44) The velocity potential, along each component(x, y and z) satisfies the Laplace equation in the fluid domain, The free-surface condition, Boundary condition on the sea floor, Boundary condition on body surface, Where k is depends on the motion (six DOF) that the body surface is expose to and nis the unit vector normal to the body surface. Solving Boundary Value Problem The boundary conditions are all set in conjunction with velocity potential. The expression of linear hydrodynamic forces is derived from direct integration of the fluid pressure over the boundary of a body. By using the Green’s theorem, part of the forces can be obtained with the solving the scattering potential. Defining the field point at any point and the source point for circulation, rotation and vorticity, the Green funtion will be presented in the form, Where Equation 7 expresses the source potential as a summation of a source in the finite fluid and an image source above the free surface condition where . This shows that there will at . Equation 8 expresses the source potential is a summation of a source in infinite fluid and an image sink above free surface when . This satisfy the free surface condition where velocity potential equal zero on . Therefore, the solution of the velocity potential for a problem (e.g. force heave) can be written as This source function is given for infinite water depth problem where is called the Green function. By using the Bernoulli’s equation, the total pressure could be fully derived with the use of velocity potential and the body motion amplitudes. Therefore, linear forces and moments are obtain from, We can consider component potentials such that the summation of hydrodynamic forces and moments are Where it is split into two components: the wave excitation force due to diffraction and forces due to radiation force(In terms of added mass and damping coefficients). Given we want to find the force at mode j. The linear forces, also known as the first order wave excitation force, the force for mode j is denote as From Green’s theorem, applying it to and a component of the radiation potential, we have It is show that those integrals on the seabed, over the free surface and at the far field disappeared due to the boundary conditions for and on these surfaces. Therefore, upon substituting the equation of boundary conditions, the Haskind relation follows in the form of By using the equation of motion, the diffraction and radiation problem will be solved. Calculation of Hydrodynamic forces The boundary value problem is solve, therefore the forces and moments can be evaluate. Panel method is use to solve the boundary value problem which is based on potential theory. Assumptions such that the wave amplitudes of the fluid is small as compared to the cross-sectional dimensions of the body are made. The panelling of the structure is done by plane quadrilateral elements in three dimensional problems. http://www.academia.edu/6937922/Computation_of_Ship_Hydrodynamic_Interaction_Forces_in_Restricted_Waters_using_Potential_Theory The solution procedure can be generalized to any modes of motion, where added mass and damping matrix could be found. Solving the diffraction problem can be done by using the boundary condition (equation 5) where is the incident wave potential. From these solutions, we are able to derive the wave excitation loads such as wave excitation forces (surge, sway, heave) and wave excitation moments (roll, pitch, yaw). Therefore, solving the equation of motion and calculating the flow details such as hydrodynamic forces, by using the expression for velocity potential in terms of a three-dimensional source distribution. Past Researches Overview WAMIT Wamit software is a diffraction/radiation panel program developed to analyse the linear interaction of surface waves with several different types of submerged and floating structures. For this analysis of interaction, WAMIT uses a three-dimensional panel method and also following some theoretical method. By using this software, it can help to define the conditions of the interactions such as, finite or infinite water depth, structures location on the free surface, mounted on the seabed or submerged and whether the structures are fixed or freely floating with the motion of six degree of freedom. The fluid flow is assumed to be ideal and time harmonic. WAMIT is able to deal with both first order and linearize analysis which includes second order forces. WAMIT is able to focus on the hydrodynamic interaction of multiple body with any restriction of condition of fluid environment. The use of integral equation obtained by Green’s theorem will help solve the diffraction and radiation velocity potentials on the body wetted surface. WAMIT will be able to evaluate the following quantities: Hydrostatic coefficients Added-mass and damping coefficients for all modes Wave excitation forces and moments using the Haskind relations, or directly by pressure integration from the solutions of diffraction or scattering problems. Motion amplitudes and phases for a freely floating body Forces restraining a body which is freely floating in some but not all modes Hydrodynamic pressure and fluid velocity on the body surface/fluid domain Free-surface elevation All component of the drift force and moment by momentum integration over a control surface Horizontal drift forces and mean yaw moment by momentum integration in the field All components of the drift force and moment by local pressure integration over body surface Drift force and moment in bidirectional waves Theoretical Method The method use by WAMIT will be a panel program designed to solve boundary-value problem for the interaction of waves phenomena with the pre-defining the bodies in finite or infinite water depth. Viscosity will not be considered. The time harmonic solutions are being solved for a given steady state incident wave field which is assumed to be represented by a superposition of a particular frequency components in the absence of the body. The boundary value problem will be used in conjunction with the integral equation using Green’s theorem. These integral equation will be solved by panel method for the unknown velocity potential or strength source of the body surface. These integral equations of theoretical method could be found in .

The Catiline Conspiracy Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sallust, Cicero and the Catiline Conspiracy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the histories of Sallust and the orations of Cicero can be considered literary works, to a degree. The War With Catiline, by Sallust and The First Speech Against Lucius Sergius Catilina, by Cicero, both contain excellent examples of writings from the age of the great Roman Empire. Although both are fantastic pieces depicting a time of tragedy, the Catiline Conspiracy against Rome, and they both think Catiline as evil, the two are also different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sallust was an obscure historical writer from the first century BCE. In The War With Catiline, he tells of the conspiracy of Catiline and his plan to bring about civil war in Rome and over power the Senate. Sallust depicts this historical event very fairly and with a seemingly unbiased attitude, although he was not involved in any way with or against the conspirators. It was said that in this period of time things had been going very well, â€Å"†¦Our country had grown great through toil and the practice of justice, when great kings had been vanquished in war, savage tribes and mighty peoples subdued by force of arms, when Carthage, the rival of Rome’s sway, had perished root and branch, and all seas and lands were open†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This time of absolute supremacy gave way to a generation of Romans who were greedy and power hungry. Sallust viewed this...

Cable and Internet Networks Essay -- AOL DSL Internet Connection Essay

Cable and Internet Networks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In most cases cable or DSL companies such as Comcast or DirectPC are just a single type of Internet connection company. But sometimes companies acquire these one-connection companies to make their companies bigger and better such as AOL buying Time Warner. As these companies get bigger and start to offer more types of connections they also start to have more security conflicts. AOL’s software for its dial up connection has a firewall built in to it, the firewall protects it users from hackers and unwanted programs from running. And the software works almost perfectly for keeping unwanted people or programs out, but the only catch is you have use their software. Road Runner, which is now part of AOL, is a cable company, which only provides high-speed Internet access, not full proof security. This problem leaves you open for hackers that are randomly barraging Internet connected PC’s with â€Å"pings† or â€Å"port scans†, probing to fin d unprotected PCs. Once found, a hacker can compromise your PC with a dangerous Internet threat such as a Trojan horse, spyware or even a malicious worm (Zone Labs).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since AOL doesn’t provide any type of firewall or hacker protection while you have a cable connection with them they do suggest certain types of firewall software to buy. For single end users they suggest you use firewall software like Norton’s Personal Firewall, which costs around $49.95, or NetBarrier 2.0 if you own a Macintosh. Both of these software packages include basic features for a single end user, for instance the ability to delete your cookies and the ability to set up filters or rules to a computer. For network users AOL suggest that you use firewall software such as ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 which costs $49.95 for a one-user license and goes up from there. ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 not only provides cookie control, pop-up ad control but also provides email protection and it can suspend 46 different file types. Unlike other personal firewalls, ZoneAlarm Pro includes Program Control to protect against known and unknown threats. With ZoneAlarm Pro, you can control the ability to specify which programs are trusted to access the Internet, by monitoring all outbound traffic. You can also block and make your computer invisible on the internet-â€Å"if you can’t be seen, you can’t be hacked† (Zone Labs). Another type of software that they sugge... ... cases like if you have nothing on your system now, but the only sure, secure way to know that your computer is going to be safe from hackers, when your on the network or working on your computer at home is to turn it off when your done with it. Works Cited Cable Modem and Mac Security Information. SercureMac.com 28 April 2002 Connections and Protections. SercureMac.com 28 April 2002 Current version of VisNetic Firewall is 1.03. C&C Software. 27 April 2002 How Do You Make a Open Network Trustworthy. SyGate.com 27 April 2002 Macintosh OS X Security. SercureMac.com 28 April 2002 Macintosh OS X Security 2. SercureMac.com 28 April 2002 Macintosh OS X Security 3. SercureMac.com 28 April 2002 Zone Alarm 3.0. Zone Labs 28 April 2002

Daniel Millers Material Cultures: Why Some Things Matter Essay example

In the introduction to Material Cultures: Why Some Things Matter, Daniel Miller describes the book as part of the second stage of the development of material culture studies. The first stage was the recognition by writers such as Appadurai and Bourdieu as well as Miller that material culture is important and worthy of study. The second stage is the argument made in this book: that it is crucial to focus on "the diversity of material worlds" without reducing these material worlds to symbols for "real" social processes nor cloistering them in sub-studies of like objects. That things matter has already been ascertained; this books intends to investigate "why some things matter" more than others and in particular contexts. Miller claims a focus on objects themselves that does not however "fetishize" :What we may regard as unique to our approach is that we remain focused upon the object that is being investigated but within a tradition that prevents any simple fetishization of material form. Indeed we feel that it is precisely those studies that quickly move the focus from object to society in their fear of fetishism and their apparent embarrassment at being, as it were, caught gazing at mere objects, that retain the negative consequences of the term ‘fetishism.’ It is for them that Coke is merely a material symbol, banners stand in a simple moment of representation or radio becomes mere text to be analyzed. In such analysis the myriad diversity of artefacts can easily become reduced to generic forms such as ‘text’, ‘art’, or ‘semiotic.’ In such approaches it is not only the objects that remain fetishized but also, as Latour (1993) has argued with resp ect to the fetishism within debates about science, it is the idea of ‘society’ as ... ...usic is a good example. Besides the aural experience of listening to music, there is the physical experience of the bass vibrating your body; that feeling is directly related to the nature of the medium by which you are listening. The stereo with four foot speakers or the kitchen radio are things that matter too. CDs come into one’s possession bearing, besides music, artistic cover art, printed lyrics, and the thanks to families and deities by the musicians involved. Things are polyvalent, and things are made up of other things and attached in literal and figurative ways to still other things. And I think it is worth gazing a bit more intently at those objects and all their physical, sensual attributes. That fear of objects does not seem to be entirely gone; there is still a tendency to switch rapidly to the social and symbolic valences of those sensual experiences.

New Belgium Case Analysis

Introduction The New Belgium Brewing Company is one of the top three craft beer breweries in the nation. It has experienced solid growth from its original entry as a niche marketer to a brand that is now distributed across the country. Much of New Belgium’s success is a result of a well-developed positioning strategy that promotes the company’s culture as much as its product. Not coincidentally, New Belgium’s target market chooses brands like Fat Tire because of both the company’s culture and its product.Our evaluation of the two New Belgium cases indicates that the craft beer industry remains an attractive investment for the company, particularly because of its specific capabilities and resources. The cases also suggest that a conservative growth outlook has the greatest probability of maintaining an acceptable level of profitability without sacrificing the company’s mission and core values.Finally, New Belgium’s positioning, particularly as it’s exemplified by the Fat Tire campaign, is a sustainable one for both current and future brands, though deliberate adaptations will be necessary as New Belgium expands into new markets SWOT Analysis Strengths (New Belgium)| Weaknesses (New Belgium)| High-quality beer, award-winning beers| Association with a single line of beer- Fat Tire| 7th Largest brewery in the nation, 3rd largest craft brewery| Increased pressure on maintaining company culture as a result of company growth| Strong growth with est. ales of over $100B and sales of over 700K barrels of beer| Continued reliance on natural gas and fossil fuels- non-renewable resources| $10M advertising budget for Fat Tire campaign| No follow-up of successful Fat-Tire ad campaign| Collaboration with Elysian Brewing Company| Increasing distribution distances| Customer Loyalty| Competition from craft brewers and craft beers from traditional brewers| Effective word-of-mouth advertising| Smaller advertising budget ($10M) than c ompetition (Sam Adams $35M)| Strong product association (Fat Tire Brewery)| One of the founders no longer with NBB| Social media presence: Facebook (300K; $50. M monetization), Twitter (100K), Pandora, Instagram, Beer Stream, YouTube| Customer blow back if environmental and social responsibility not as advertised| TV advertising differentiated from traditional breweries| Incompatibility between social responsibility and promotion of alcohol consumption| Clear market segmentation| Increased expense associated with sustainability efforts| Strong brand positioning| | Distribution in 29 states and DC| |Performance advantage of ethically and socially responsible companies| | Triple Bottom Line: economic, social, and environmental focus drives strategy| | Brand manifesto co-developed by Dr. Holt| | Clear mission, core values, and beliefs| | Long-standing commitment to sustainability| | â€Å"Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines†| | Awards for environmental achievement | | Admission of flaws in sustainability claims| |Dedication to socially responsible initiatives, corporate charity and philanthropy| | Event sponsorship to promote environmental responsibility| | Generous employee benefits that reflect company culture| | Awards for business ethics and work-place environment| | Grant-supported new plant in NC| | Opportunities (Craft Beer Industry)| Threats (Craft Beer Industry)| 16. 4 percent growth in craft beer industry| 2 percent decrease in total beer consumption| Fastest growing segment of US alcoholic beverage market w/>100 percent growth from 1999-2011| Accounts for only 5. percent of US beer market| Differentiation from traditional breweries| Competition from traditional and other craft breweries| Low cost per viewer TV advertising | Social stigma of alcohol consumption| Growth of social media as inexpensive source of advertising| Beer can become a commodity in a poor economy, decreasing demand for craft beers| Customer loyalty| Increased differentiation ef forts required to stand apart from traditional breweries| More immune to an economic downturn than traditional beers| |New Belgium and the Craft Beer Industry New Belgium Brewing Company is relatively small compared to the traditional breweries such as Anheuser Busch and Coors, though they are still the seventh-largest brewery in the nation. New Belgium is, however, the third-largest craft brewery in the nation, with estimated sales of over $100 million, equaling approximately 700,000 barrels of beer per year. An analysis of the craft beer industry as a whole suggests that there is continued growth potential for New Belgium.Exhibit 5. 1 of the New Belgium Brewing (B) case shows that craft beer is the fastest growing segment of the U. S. alcoholic beverage market, with an increase in market share of over 100 percent from 1999-2011. It is also an industry whose customers tend to be extremely loyal, making them less likely to view craft beer as a commodity. Consequently, craft beer has a higher probability of being immune to competition from inferior goods and substitutes.This is particularly applicable to New Belgium’s target market of â€Å"beer connoisseurs† that appreciate the high quality and taste of craft beer and who include â€Å"executives, lawyers, and accountants† with the continued ability to pay higher prices for craft beer, enabling the craft beer industry to achieve gross margins of up to 30 percent (Clark & Rogler, 2013). Four other strengths of New Belgium indicate continued growth in the craft beer industry. First, studies have shown that companies who sincerely promote ethical, social, and environmental responsibility outperform those on the S&P 500.New Belgium has been such a company from the very start. Second, they have exploited social media as an inexpensive advertising platform, with their Facebook presence alone accounting for over $50 million in annual sales. Third, New Belgium has shown that they can succeed in tr aditional television advertising as well with their Fat Tire campaign that produced an extremely successful positioning strategy resulting in significant sales increases. Fourth, New Belgium continues to look for ways to innovate, like their partnership with Elysian Brewing Company that could lead to greater efficiency and support new product development.New Belgium is a company that has received awards for their beer, for their ethics, for their employee care, and for their stewardship of the environment, all the while maintaining strong financial growth and market share. There is nothing to suggest that New Belgium cannot continue to succeed in the craft beer industry. New Belgium’s Growth Outlook New Belgium’s success to date in the industry has been a result of a conservative approach to growing their business- a â€Å"go slow to go fast† strategy. We believe it should continue to be conservative in its outlook on growth.New Belgium Brewing is a growing comp any, best exemplified by plans to open a second brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, in order to reach new markets on the east coast. This expansion, however, is creating pressure on the company’s commitment to sustainability. Even though the new plant will reduce the fuel necessary for east coast distribution, it still will result in an increase in the overall use of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources from current levels, not just with transportation but with production as well. In addition, the increased production will necessarily mean an increase in environmental waste by-products.An aggressive outlook on growth with a mindset of â€Å"grow, grow, grow† would further jeopardize the company’s ability to maintain sustainability efforts, which would not be consistent with New Belgium’s way of operating. New Belgium Brewing embraces a â€Å"triple bottom line† approach to business that factors economic, social, and environmental consideratio ns into its business strategy rather than simply looking at the bottom line. We believe that this has been critical in developing a strong brand preference through customer trust.New Belgium’s own study indicates the â€Å"39 percent of beer consumers will make extra efforts to buy from and support sustainable companies,† while outside studies suggest that a significant number of consumers support businesses that demonstrate sustainable practices. Going â€Å"fast† with an aggressive growth outlook would likely alienate New Belgium’s customer base and would violate every one of New Belgium’s Sustainable Branding Strategy principles, from â€Å"walk before talk† (living up to sustainability claims) to â€Å"make ripples† (convincing the customer that advertisements promote the brand and the culture behind it).In addition, an aggressive growth outlook would be contrary to some of New Belgium’s core values and beliefs, particularl y those that address environmental stewardship and commitment to trust through fulfilling promises. No one should doubt that New Belgium is in the business to â€Å"operate a profitable brewery† as its mission statement makes clear, but not at the expense of the other two bottom lines. For New Belgium Brewing Company, slow and steady leads the way. Fat Tire Positioning As noted above, New Belgium’s positioning of its Fat Tire brand was a success.Clancy (2001) defines positioning as â€Å"the message a company wants to imprint on the minds of customer and prospects about its product†¦and how it differs from and offers something better than competitors† (p. 1). In the case of Fat Tire, its positioning mirrored the company’s culture â€Å"where a highly creative activity†¦is pursued for the intrinsic value of doing it, as well as perfromed in a balanced manner with nature. † The message was about pursuing one’s interests (folly) but n ot in a way that reflect’s self-interest alone.It’s a message about recycling (restoring the bike), about caring for the environment (riding instead of driving), about relationships (the road biker and the tinkerer riding uphill together), and about the simple joy of simple things. It’s about good beer made by a literally â€Å"good† company. Compare this approach with the positioning of the largest craft brewer, Sam Adams, whose ads have â€Å"morphed into television spots that [look] more and more like the position of America’s Big Three brewers. The Fat Tire ad, on the other hand, cleary demonstrates that New Belgium is different than it’s competitors in the culture behind the beer, and that’s what New Belgium is after- the market who not only wants high quality, excellent craft beer but who also wants to be associated with a high quality company behind it. The Fat Tire campaign produced increased sales of 37 percent in test marke ts, and New Belgium’s sales force was able to leverage this success by convincing transactional customers to promote New Belgium’s secondary brands, increasing these sales by over 50 percent (Holt & Cameron, 2010).Given the results of the Fat Tire campaign, we recommend a continuation of the current positioning. Through Fat Tire, New Belgium has been able to differentiate itself in the craft beer industry by producing strong products that are well received by their target customers who are, or who see themselves as, smart, creative, athletic, environmentally conscious, and socially engaged. Target Markets The target consumer customer marketing strategy for the Fat Tire campaign focuses on the market concentration approach of selecting a single market segment and then identifying shared segmentation factors.For example, the campaign targets â€Å"high-end† (psychographic, behavioral) male beer drinkers ages 25-44 (demographic) who are mostly white-collar professi onals (demographic) who vacation in Colorado (geographic) for a taste of the mountain lifestyle (psychographic). This market longs for the life of the tinkerer (psychographic) but believe that they are unable to sacrifice their current circumstances in order to obtain it (psychographic). They can, however, make a connection to that life and to others in similar situations (psychographic, association/affinity) by drinking Fat Tire (behavioral).The transactional customer, on the other hand, is likely to be the local liquor store or grocer rather than supermarket or large retail discount center. For one, such distributors are more apt to carry craft beers because of their higher price and lower sales volume. More importantly, it is more probable that they are susceptible to local demands to carry New Belgium beers, the kind that result from the example noted by the case where a local Minnesota liquor store sold 400 cases of Fat Tire with the first hour of opening.Recommendations for th e Future Looking toward the future, the cases note that New Belgium has no plans to undertake another major television ad campaign similar to Fat Tire. We recommend that they reconsider this position, particularly as they move into the east coast market and open their Asheville brewery. Taking a pure aggregation approach by replicating current strategy there will probably not produce the success to which New Belgium has become accustomed.Having recently studied the early failures of Disney in Europe due to a lack of adaptation, we suggest a television ad campaign modeled after a listening tour, perhaps where the tinkerer and his single-speed bike tours the Carolinas, finding compatriots along the way. The tagline could be, â€Å"Beer is our folly. What’s yours? † The television ads would promote contact with New Belgium via social media, and local events would be sponsored to share New Belgium beer and culture with the east coast market, as well as to learn more about their new target market.Based upon what New Belgium learns, we also recommend developing a new craft beer specifically for the east coast market, fulfilling the transformational innovation activities of the Innovation Ambition Matrix (Limacher, 2012). We envision this campaign then developing television spots that show the tinkerer traveling through locations from the Maine coast to the Key West, with quick images of him restoring old junked treasures that represent the follies he previously learned about- a wooden canoe, an Appalachian fiddle, or an antique Penn ocean reel- all the while promoting New Belgium’s new brand.In addition to television ads, New Belgium would continue its established strategy of permission marketing using social media, which they have clearly established as having a strong correlation with annual sales. We project that if New Belgium follows this Sustainable Branding Strategy with an emphasis on adaptations to the new market, it will achieve succes s similar to the results from the Fat Tire campaign. Conclusion New Belgium is poised for significant growth because of the way that it has differentiated the company from other craft brewers.Despite a smaller advertising budget that larger competitors like Sam Adams, New Belgium has leveraged its advertising resources into developing a position that is distinctly different, which has created strong brand appeal among its target market. If New Belgium can maintain its original principles as it grows, we see a high likelihood that profits will follow. New Belgium’s â€Å"single speed† is absolutely the right vehicle to transport the company into the future. References Clancy, K. 2001). Whatever happened to positioning: Recent Copernicus study confirms the dissappearance of positioning. Copernicus. Clark, C. , & Rogler, J. (2013, March 8). Personal Interview. (M. Holcomb, Interviewer) Holt, D. , & Cameron, D. (2010). Cultural Strategy: Using Innovative Ideologies to Buil d Breakthrough Brands. New York: Oxford University Press. Limacher, R. (2012, May 25). Framework of the week – 81 -innovation ambition matrix. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from strategyhub. net:

Human Resources – Knowledge Workers

Human Resources Management Coursework – Manjeet Singh – 7637434 The Question: â€Å"Examine the claim that the management of knowledge workers requires the development of human resource practises that are more suited to the particular characteristics of these workers and their jobs† Introduction The term â€Å"knowledge worker† was first used by Peter Drucker in â€Å"Landmarks of Tomorrow† in 1959.A knowledge worker is someone who specialises in a specific field as they possess certain knowledge which has been accrued through specific courses or experience in relevant activities, they usually have some sort of accreditation or documentation to certify that they have accrued this knowledge. They are typically well educated, and with the application of their knowledge it aids them to solve problems for an organisation and it is through problem solving that value is added for the organisation.As well as problem solving, knowledge workers are also invo lved in innovation, re-engineering, training etc. although there are certain tasks which would require knowledge workers with specific specialities. Knowledge workers are seen as a crucial asset as with application of their knowledge it can determine the success and reputation of the organisation. â€Å"The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment. The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity. (Drucker, 1999, P135) This quote highlights the fact that we are moving away from the traditional mentality that wealth was based on the amount of resources an organisation held in its possession, and more towards how we handle knowledge workers and attain this knowledge. Knowledge workers attract higher banded salaries, with enhanced levels of autonomy in comparison to the normal employee. As a result the turnover of Knowledge workers is typically high, because they are aware of the fact that the knowledge that they possess is of great need and importance to the organisation.In many cases the knowledge that these workers have allows the organisation to establish a competitive advantage over their rivals, which is why they are willing to pay the generous salary of these workers. If the workers are not kept happy, then it is easy for them to just move to a different organisation or hold back on the knowledge that they provide for the company. In addition, as the levels of autonomy are high this means that here is an element of self-government, and they have a high amount of freedom, for example they can work from home, this then decreases the amount of control that a firm has over a knowledge worker. Within this report I wish to discuss the different factors that would result in the need for different HR practices for knowledge workers. I will then also highlight which characteristics these workers possess that sets them apart from their co lleagues at the organisation where they work and how the characteristics affect the HR practices.As these workers are of such importance to the organisation, they try their best to keep these workers at the organisation and as their job description differs vastly in comparison to the typical employees, this highlights the need for adaptation in the HR practices that are implemented by the firm as typical employees can be replaced rather easily, through the normal recruitment procedures, however, with knowledge workers, they add value for the organisation, thus, changes would have to be made to keep them happy at the organisation, whilst performing at an acceptable level.What are the benefits a Knowledge Worker receives? The main technique where we can identify a knowledge worker is by highlighting the benefits that they receive in comparison to normal workers. According to Lowendahl (1997), these workers are offered high remuneration and substantial autonomy, this simply means that there is no one overlooking them constantly and they are highly paid in comparison to others. Knell (2000) & Pink (2002), also describe these workers as â€Å"free workers†, this would mean that for them there is a lot more choice as to what they can do.As they hold all the knowledge which is valuable, it usually means that these workers are a lot less reliant on the organisation that employs him. In addition to this, it is because these workers have access to knowledge and it is them that control it, this then enables them to control the flow of the knowledge, this would mean that they need to be kept happy in order to make sure that the flow of information is suffice and of value to the company. As a result of this, knowledge workers are also offered a lot more freedom in comparison to other workers. As described above, Knowledge workers are offered many benefits due to how aluable they are to the organisation, however, there are challenges that are then forced on HR with t he benefits that they offer to these workers. I will now describe these below and show examples of changes and alterations that have been made either for the attracting, motivating or retention of knowledge workers. HRM challenges as an effect of these Knowledge Workers As Knowledge workers are offered such attractive advantages due to the nature of their work, this impacts the normal practices that are in place by HRM. Therefore, managing these Knowledge workers can be challenging for HRM.These include: Firstly, we can look at the work organisation; this has a major impact on the motivation and productivity of the knowledge worker. If the environment and the organisation is structured in a way that the knowledge worker doesn’t like then this could have a high negative effect on the company, as they need environments where they are comfortable and more importantly a place that offers them new challenges. Another challenge is the constantly changing psychological contract, thi s is where there are unwritten obligations and expectations that are out of the written contract of the knowledge worker.The firm should not expect too much of the worker and likewise the worker should not expect too much from the firm, hence the need for contracts to get an understanding of the needs. Thirdly, if the knowledge workers have more than one employer, it is difficult to ensure that these knowledge workers stay loyal. The factor of opportunism can arise here as the knowledge worker would not take into consideration how them leaving or not being productive, can affect the company, instead they will just focus on the benefits that they can take advantage of.Due to the autonomy that is offered to these workers, monitoring the productivity and motivating the workers is difficult for the organisation. These workers also have varied desires as some of them go for the more short-term incentives, like money and freedom of work, or some tend to focus on building their career, and it is a must for them to work with well recognised clients. One of the biggest challenges that they face is the challenge of retaining these workers as turnover of these workers is significantly high in comparison to other workers.So it is critical that the HR department devise correct and well suited practices to make sure that these workers are content. The management of the knowledge is important because the knowledge is held by the workers and it is important to make sure that the flow of this knowledge is not restricted by any other factors that can be controlled or altered by the firm. The knowledge that they have also needs to be up to date as out-dated knowledge would not add maximum value for the organisation.Defining who owns the knowledge at question is also a challenge for the organisation as there are always boundaries which are often unclear and vague, they would need to know this so that they can clearly see how much knowledge the worker can dedicate to the firm. Als o as a result of the worker having the knowledge with them, there is also always the threat of them going away and setting up their own firms and as they typically work with clients directly, they could take the clients with them to their own firm.As all these challenges to HRM have been described and highlighted I believe it also reveals the need for the differentiated HR practices for these workers as they vary massively to normal workers. Different contexts and organisations The dependency between the knowledge workers and the organisation also varies largely to normal workers as the firm itself is a lot more dependent on the knowledge workers. (Swart and Kinnie, 2003) suggest that this is because of knowledge workers changing the typical trend of the firm owning all the knowledge.In addition, the work process also differs making the firm more dependent on the workers. An example of this is where the knowledge is at the core of the company so that would mean the knowledge worker would usually be the main source of this knowledge. The knowledge worker is at the centre of the business but this is collaborated with the reputation of the firm and working closely with the worker to main a strong relationship which is strategically vital in that particular type of industry.As a result of this type of relationship and strategic collaboration, this would mean that both parties involved would be highly dependent on each other as the firm would not have the knowledge they require to do business as the knowledge is with the workers but the worker would need the resources, brand reputation and the clients that the firm has. Pink (2002) describes this as â€Å"substantial interdependency† as they are both reliant on each other. The only way this dependency can be reduced is by using knowledge management and outlining boundaries and expectations from both parties.It is important to look after these workers, as if the workers leave then the value created will also leave with them. It is also difficult within this type of industry to determine how much the knowledge worker did or is needed to add value as it is tacit knowledge, which is hard to measure. Knowledge work also influences the network of the organisation as in traditional employment, there is usually a hierarchy which is implemented and all who are involved in this will adhere and follow this hierarchy (Williamson, 1975).However, with knowledge work hierarchies won’t work due to the power differences that will be incurred as a result of the hierarchy. With knowledge work it is all about being in the correct networks and building a portfolio of careers (Castells, 2000). This gives them the freedom to go out and expand their knowledge base and they can progress within their career at their own will. It is the responsibility of the organisation to provide the workers with clients that are well recognised to keep them happy and motivated, as it would challenge them more and allow them to utilise their knowledge to their maximum potential.This is very good for the knowledge worker, however it poses a threat to the firm as they can potentially, take the clients with them if they were to leave because they could have formed a strong bond due to the high level of autonomy that they are granted, thus meaning that the organisation won’t know how close they are. For this reason it is important to evaluate the level of autonomy that is offered to these workers, they would need enough to keep the workers motivated but not too much where the workers can get too close with clients and cause problems for the organisation.Another factor which highlighted by Horwitz (2003), was how the ownership of the firm (foreign or local) affects the practices and the attraction of these knowledge workers, this shows that the culture of the firm has a major impact on the motivation and attraction of these workers. â€Å"Foreign versus local ownership appears, therefore, to re flect differences in certain types of HR practices such as using headhunters and advertising media to recruit and select knowledge workers† (Horwitz, 2003).This shows us that the differing organisations from different cultures use approaches to which they think is best, and there is not a universal, â€Å"one fits all† approach which can be used globally. In addition to this they also found that â€Å"both wholly owned foreign and local firms found a fun and informal work environment more highly or fairly effective† (Horwitz, 2003), this shows us that the workers take a preference to an environment which is more informal and again changing from the conventional hierarchical approach.An example is when Horwitz (2003), describes how there are certain cultural requirements or standards within Singapore (where they did their study), for example they have large respect for the hierarchy and everybody seems to know their positions. This would affect the knowledge worke rs in the sense that if there is a major emphasis on hierarchies within the organisation, it may push them towards multi-national companies with different cultures.Also, if a firm is international, this attracts knowledge workers as it allows them to travel and experiment different cultures, whilst working for the same firm, this also builds on their experience and makes them a more valuable worker. Figure 1: Proposed schema for attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers Source: Frank M. Horwitz. (2003). Finders, Keepers? Attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers. Human Resource Management Journal. 13 (4), 23-44. HR practicesFigure 1 shows a schema which proposed for attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers, I believe that the elements that have been taken into consideration within the schema are critical and the schema is accurate, however, Horwitz (2003), says himself that it needs further hypotheses testing to make sure its accurate. In addi tion to this, it does not take into account anything about differing industries as for each industry, they found that different things motivated or attracted the knowledge workers, this is crucial as it again highlights that there cannot just simply be one standard approach or practice across all industries.According to Kinnear and Sutherland (2000), some researchers have found HR practices which they believe are vital for retention of knowledge workers and decrease the turnover of these workers. However, how could this be possible when there are so many factors that affect the different requirements of these workers and the HR practices required to accommodate these workers? The nature of work is exceedingly different, although there may be tensions between the two types of worker simply because, the knowledge workers are granted such high benefits and salaries.Again as per Figure 1, we can see that there is no consideration of normal workers, this implies further that these practi ces should be altered and suited for the knowledge workers. With altered practices it also shows that there is a possibility that it could affect the current employees’ chances of progression to get to the level of knowledge workers as the firm would invest so much into the recruitment of these knowledge workers, they would expect to find people that already have the knowledge and don’t require the training to work, simply just to settle in to the culture of the organisation.On the other hand, Frost (2002), goes on to also talk about how employers can distinguish between the two types of workers and thus, supports the claim that HR practices need to be different for the types of workers and this will allow them to both be happy and progress accordingly.In addition to this, Despres and Hiltrop (1995), state â€Å"traditional approaches to work remuneration and reward are no longer appropriate in a post-industrial knowledge economy† (Horwitz, 2003) this further re inforces the idea that new and fresh approaches are needed for knowledge workers and the industries need to move away from this old fashioned mentality as the industries are evolving more and more towards knowledge based organisations.A key thing that Horwitz (2003) found was that the most popular HR practices implemented by the organisations were not always the most effective, this can be questioned as the study was in Singapore, but I believe that it just simply reinforces that the culture of each country and organisation varies and thus would affect the wants and needs in HR practices from the knowledge workers. In addition to this, they say â€Å"There is increasing evidence that particular organisations are beginning to acknowledge that distinctive HR practices lead to better knowledge worker performance. (Horwitz, 2003) this again shows the link between altered practices for these workers has a positive impact on the work and the morale of the workers. The design of the job w as stated as being high important as part of the satisfaction of the knowledge workers, as if it designed correctly, then this can have a positive impact on the morale, productivity and behaviour of the knowledge worker (Thompson and Heron, 2002). This again shows the importance of different practices for these types of jobs and not to just let them have a monotonous job style like the normal employees. ConclusionIn conclusion, I agree with the initial claim that HR practices should be altered for knowledge workers. I have discovered the real sheer importance of these workers to organisations and how they add value to organisations, for this reason I believe the benefits that are afforded for them are fair and deserved and although they do require some changes which organisations are not accustomed to, for example, losing hierarchies, partnership style working, allowing them to work from home and other challenges the pose to HR, there are certain ways to attract, retain and motivate them.They also can be risky for a firm, with the ambiguity of their tasks and lack of control from the organisation, but if the firm can keep them happy and monitor in a suitable way, then the worker would be kept happy. Knowledge based companies especially should recognise the importance of tailoring HR practices for these workers, as they are what would give them the competitive advantage, they are also characterised as being innovative and this is key to any firm.Finally, I believe that these workers will shape the industry in the coming years, so firms should invest into finding the best HR practices which suit their own culture and organisations based also on their industry. References Castells, M. (2000). The rise of the network society: rise of the network society. Oxford, Blackwell. Despres, C. and Hiltrop, J. M. (1995), â€Å"Human resource management in the knowledge age: current practice and perspectives on the future†, Employee Relations, Vol. 17 No 1, pp. 9-23. Drucker (1999). Managing Oneself,† Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Frost, M (2002) `Managing knowledge workers’. HR Magazine, May, 47: 5, 124-126 Horwitz, F, 2003. Finders, Keepers? Attracting, Motivating and Retaining knowledge workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 13/4, 23-44. Knell, J (2000) Most Wanted: The quiet birth of the free worker. Futures reports Kinnear and Sutherland (2000) `Determinants of organisational commitment amongst knowledge workers. ’ South African Journal of Business Management, 32: 2, 106-111.Lowendahl (1997) Strategic Management of Professional Service Firms Pink, D. H. (2002). Free agent nation: the future of working for yourself. New York, Warner Books. Swart, J. & Kinnie, N. (2003) knowledge-intensive firms: the influence of the client on HR systems. HRMJ, 13 (3) 37-55 Thompson, M. and Heron, P. (2002). `The employment relationship and knowledge creation: evidence from R&D based high technology firms. ’ EURAM Conference, Stockholm (May), 1-10. Williamson, Oliver (1975), Markets and hierarchies, analysis and antitrust implications Word Count : 3,242 including references