WordPress Sitemap How to Create One, Plus How It Helps With SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about tweaking your content so it’s more attractive to search engines like Google. However, you also need to make sure that Google can find your content in the first place. To help make sure Google indexes all of your content, you can create a WordPress sitemap.A sitemap is a simple file you can add to your website, which lists all of its pages, posts, and so on. It helps search engine bots understand what your content is all about and how it’s organized. You can generate one automatically in a few minutes, and the resulting SEO benefits are often significant.In this guide, we’ll briefly discuss how sitemaps work and why they’re important. Then we’ll show you several plugins you can use to create a WordPress sitemap right away. Let’s take a look! all of your content, you can provide the bots with an XML sitemap. This is an organized list of all the pages on your site:Offering search engine bots a sitem ap helps them to understand your content more quickly. It demonstrates the structure and hierarchy of your site, making it clear what pages are most important and which are interrelated. In addition, a sitemap ensures that the bots will actually see every page on your site.For these reasons, sitemaps can have a significant positive effect on the success of your SEO strategy. According to Google, sitemaps are most important for sites that are very large, don’t use many internal links, are new, or incorporate a lot of media. However, a sitemap can serve as a solid addition to any website – especially because it’s so easy to create one.How to add a WordPress sitemap to your website (using 3 plugins)If you’re building or running a WordPress website, creating a sitemap should be a priority. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for adding sitemaps – most of which involve plugins.In fact, so many SEO-focused plugins include sitemap functionality that y ou’ll want to be careful not to have more than one devoted to the task. If you end up with multiple sitemaps, you risk confusing the search engine bots.Before implementing one of the following solutions, therefore, you’ll want to check and see if any of your current plugins have already generated a sitemap for you. If not, or if you don’t have an installed SEO plugin yet, we recommend using one of the following options. They all produce essentially the same results.1. Yoast SEO Yoast SEO Author(s): Team YoastCurrent Version: 12.3Last Updated: October 15, 2019wordpress-seo.12.3.zip 98%Ratings 200,063,756Downloads WP 4.9+Requires Yoast SEO is a staple of many WordPress sites. Chances are you already know how it can help improve your content’s rankings. What you may not realize is that it also creates a sitemap to bolster your SEO even further.Once Yoast is installed on your site, you can navigate to SEO General and select the Features tab. There, y ou’ll find a setting called XML sitemaps:This option is activated by default. As long as it’s set to On, Yoast will generate a WordPress sitemap and keep it up-to-date for you. If you hover over the question mark icon, you can even see what the sitemap looks like.While most users can stop here, you are able to customize what appears in your sitemap if you wish. To do this, navigate to SEO Search Appearance and click on Content Types:If you select No for the option Show Posts in search results, posts will be removed from your sitemap. This also applies to the similar setting for Pages right below, as well as the corresponding options in the Taxonomies and Archives tabs.2. All in One SEO Pack All in One SEO Pack Author(s): Michael TorbertCurrent Version: 3.2.9Last Updated: September 26, 2019all-in-one-seo-pack.3.2.9.zip 88%Ratings 61,774,317Downloads WP 4.7+Requires Like Yoast, All in One SEO Pack is an incredibly popular SEO-focused plugin. It performs a lot of crucial tasks automatically, such as informing search engines about changes to your site, optimizing titles, generating tags, and creating a sitemap.With the plugin installed on your site, head to All in One SEO Feature Manager. Then, find the XML Sitemaps option:Just click on the box to activate the feature. That’s all you need to do to automatically generate a WordPress sitemap.You can also customize your sitemap, if you want to, in the new section labeled XML Sitemap (under All in One SEO):Here, you can decide what types of content will be included in your sitemap, schedule updates to it, and even add pages manually. You can also take a look at the results in the Sitemap Status section.3. XML Sitemap Google News Feeds XML Sitemap Google News Author(s): RavanHCurrent Version: 5.2.6Last Updated: October 9, 2019xml-sitemap-feed.5.2.6.zip 88%Ratings 1,667,697Downloads WP 4.6+Requires As we mentioned, plenty of SEO plugins besides Yoast and All in One SEO Pack inclu de sitemap functionality. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to add one of these tools to your site, you can create a WordPress sitemap using a dedicated plugin instead.XML Sitemap Google News Feeds is one of the better options, with excellent recent reviews and consistent updates. In addition to generating customizable sitemaps, it can also be used to create sitemaps  specifically designed for Google News content.After installing the plugin, visit Settings Reading in your dashboard. You’ll see an option to enable one or both types of sitemap:Select XML Sitemap, and click on Save Changes at the bottom of the screen. This will automatically generate your sitemap, which you can see by clicking on View next to the option you just enabled. In addition, you’ll find a number of settings you can use to include or exclude specific types of content from the sitemap:The default settings should suffice for most sites, but feel free to tweak them if you want. Just remember to hit Save Changes again when you’re done.How to get your WordPress sitemap noticed quicklyYou can simply create a WordPress sitemap, and the search engine bots will find it eventually. However, you can also speed up the process by submitting your new sitemap to Google Search Console.This works no matter what plugin you used above. Simply head to the Search Console home page, and add your website as a new property if you haven’t already. Then select the property and navigate to Crawl Sitemaps:Choose the Add/Test Sitemap button, paste in the link to your sitemap, and click on Submit. This should help Google find your sitemap quickly. You can revisit this page in a few hours to see whether your sitemap is now listed, which will let you know your submission was successful.If you want more detailed instructions, we have a whole article dedicated to Google Search Console and WordPress.ConclusionSome of your site’s most important features are the ones human visitors will never even see. Once you’ve created a WordPress sitemap, it will run quietly in the background, helping bots make sense of your content and improving your SEO results.What’s more, generating a WordPress sitemap is simple. You can do so using the following plugins:Yoast SEOAll in One SEO PackXML Sitemap Google News FeedsDo you have any questions about how to add a sitemap to WordPress? Ask away in the comments section below! How to create a #WordPress sitemap, plus how a sitemap boosts your site's #SEO

Polito 1 Chris Polito Paola Brown Eng102 25 March Essays - Family

Polito 1 Chris Polito Paola Brown Eng102 25 March Essays - Family Polito 1 Chris Polito Paola Brown Eng102 25 March 2008 Single Parent Struggle For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today's society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents? Does a young boy need a father figure around? Does the government provide help for single parents? What role do step-parents and step-siblings play? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. What people must understand is that properly raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family but should be more focused on the proce ss or values that are taught to these children as they learn to mature. Children of single parents can be just as progressive with emotional, social and behavioral skills as those with two parents. People claim that the only way for children to gain full emotional and behavioral skills is to be raised by both a mother and a father. When a topic such as this one has a broad amount of variables it is impossible to simply link these problems to only having one parent. In the article, "Single-parent families cause juvenile crime", author Robert L. Maginnis states, "Children from single-parent families are more likely to have behavior Polito 2 problems because they tend to lack economic security and adequate time with parents". The simple statement that raw criminals are products of single-parent adolescence is absurd. What this writer must understand is that it can be extremely difficult for one parent to raise a child by themselves for many reasons. A single-parent must work full time to be able to afford to provide for themselves and their child. They must also be able to still have time to offer an exuberant amount of emotional time for the well being of their child. However, even though this may seem impossible, it can be done. As this subject continues to be looked down on people must realize that single parents are becoming more common in today's world. Since 1995 the American family structure for children ages fourteen to eighteen consists of forty-two percent living in a first marriage family with both parents, twenty-two percent living in a second marriage step-family, twenty-one percent living in a single parent, divorced or separated family, six percent living in a single parent never married family and three percent living in a single parent widowed family. This is an extremely scary statistic considering that fiftyeight percent of children in America are living in a single parent family. This is a chilling percentage because it shows how little faith is put into a relationship before actually deciding to have children. Unfortunately not all single-parents take the time to perform the vital tasks needed to raise their children. Parents who think they would never be able to provide emotional stability for their children by themselves should have taken the time to think this through before deciding to become parents. Accidents may happen once in awhile but in most cases adults know what is at stake when planning to have a child. Plain and simple, if you're not ready, than don't do it. If you do decide to have this child Polito 3 and you love this child, then you can be a good parent. There are many ways to enhance the well being of your child if you simply apply yourselves as parents. Magginnis later states that, "Boys who do not have fathers as male role models suffer especially". While it is extremely important for a male child to have his father around, there are other ways of teaching a young boy the lessons he needs to become a man. I know from personal experience that what the author of this article is trying to convey is wrong.

Cigerate money in POW camp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cigerate money in POW camp - Essay Example Cigarettes qualified as money because it acted as a standard of deferred payment. Some buyers took commodities on credit with a promise of paying an agreed number of cigarettes in the future. Just like modern currency, cigarette money acted as a store of value so that buyers could keep their extra purchasing power for use when the Red Cross issue arrived. Traders accumulated cigarette money to help them purchase more stock when commodities arrived (Radford 5). The fact that cigarettes served both as money and as a smoke was a factor that led to the debasement of cigarette money. Buyers in the P.O.W camp savoured high quality cigarettes for smoking and only used those that were of low quality for trading. The method used in making different cigarette brands was another factor in the debasement of cigarette money. For example, machine-made cigarettes that were supplied by Red Cross could afford more than hand-rolled cigarettes. Lack of homogeneity in the worth of certain cigarettes led to the debasement of cigarette money. For example, some hand-rolled cigarettes were doubted for low quality and extreme thinness and some sellers would reject them. The cunningness of buyers in P.O.W camp to try to maximize on the few available cigarettes led them dismantling big machine-made cigarettes in order to make many smaller ones. Price fluctuations affected the stability of cigarette money and it would fall in value when prices went up (Radford 5). Like in modern economic times, a fall in the value of cigarette money was one of the factors that caused inflation in P.O.W camp. The decrease of the value of cigarette money led to inflation because some traders felt that they needed to charge more in order to realize meaningful profits. The anticipation and arrival of commodities in the P.O.W camp was another contributing factor for inflation. This manifested in price hikes when the day of the arrival of commodities

Unfair Terms in the Contracts and Exclusion of Liabilities Essay

Unfair Terms in the Contracts and Exclusion of Liabilities - Essay Example This may be due to the lack of a precise definition of the term ‘reasonableness’ under the provisions of the Act, the lack of which   that gave enormous freedom to the courts to decide on the reasonableness depending on the particular circumstances of the individual cases. Moreover the courts distinguished between the business transactions and the goods or services supplied to the consumers to decide on the reasonableness of the cases which enhanced the complexity of the issues arising from the operations of the Act. But it is certain that the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 considers the invalidation of the limitations and exclusions of the liabilities arising out of the operation of the standard written terms of business in case they are found to be unfair or unreasonable. This would leave the contractors facing an unlimited liability with respect to any issues arising during the course of construction process with the developers or the employers as the case may be. T he Court of Appeal has recognized the reasonableness of the claim for exclusion of the liability of an IT supplier in the case of Watford Electronics v Sanderson. In this case Lord Justice Chadwick observed that â€Å"where experienced businessmen representing substantial companies of equal bargaining power negotiate an agreement, they should be taken to be the best judges of the commercial fairness of that agreement. The court should in these circumstances be slow to intervene to substitute its own judgment.†Ã‚   Thus the decision of the Court of Appeal had acted.

Determine the distribution of shear force, bending moment and stress Essay

Determine the distribution of shear force, bending moment and stress due to bending in simply supported beams - Essay Example to Identify the measurements to be taken, they should be variables and they both should be able to be measured at the same time (the measurements should be as specific as possible to reduce variation and increase the chance of higher correlation). The third part is to make 50 to 100 pairs of the measurement, ensure that the measurements are as steady as possible so as they do not interfere with the final figures. The next step will be to plot the measured pairs on a scatter Diagram, plot them to give maximum visual spread points; this may involve using different scales and making the axes cross at non-zero value. The last step is that the diagram will be seen and it should be interpreted and action taken accordingly Sketch graphs of shear force and bending moment distribution and validation of calculations by alternative checking methods, plus analysis of safety factor for a chosen material, incorporating referenced additional data, are required for M/D criteria. The strength of a correlation is determined in various statistical angles. It is in this aspect that this Correlation, which is represented by the value that fall between, values of -1.00 to +1.00. If the value is 1 positive or negative it means it is a perfect correlation, this rarely occurs as it means that when the variables both change with the same magnitude, while a correlation of 0 means that there is no relationship between the two variables. A correlation of .8, .9 or even .7 is a strong correlation and it means that there is a great relationship between the scores of one variables and the other, while a correlation of .2 or .3 is a weak correlation meaning that there are some relationships between two variables a but it is a weak one. Q1: Select a standard rolled steel I-section for the simply supported beam shown in figure below. Select an appropriate factor of safety and material strength. Include references for all source information employed. The self-weight of the beam itself may be

An Inquiry Into Pigou And Welfare Economics Economics Essay

An Inquiry Into Pigou And Welfare Economics Economics Essay Arthur Cecil Pigou (1877-1959) was among the last in the long line of classical economists associated with the Cambridge School. Pigou first entered Kings College, Cambridge on a Minor Scholarship in History and Modern Languages (1896). Observing his palpable brilliance, Alfred Marshall and Henry Sidgwick together encouraged him to pour his academic vigour into the study of political economy (Collard, 1981). Although significantly influenced by Henry Sidgwick, Pigou was foremost Marshalls disciple and is often considered the embodiment and extension of Marshall himself (Walker, 1989). Like Marshall, Pigou was attracted to the practical value of economics and believed the main purpose of learning economics was to be able to see through the bogus economic arguments of politicians (Champernowne, 1959: 264); he believed economics to be an instrument for social betterment not intellectual gymnastics. The numerous works by Pigou cover various fields of economic thought. Pigous marked interest in how government policy could increase national well-being? is apparent throughout his work and led him to invented much of modern public finance especially arguments and rationale for government intervention in the economy (Pressman, 1999). Furthermore, his notable contribution, Economics of Welfare (1932) occupies a unique position in the history of economic thought and has earned him recognition as the father of modern welfare economics (Groenewegen, 2003). A study into Pigous writings on the economics of welfare requires one to be selective due to the wide-ranging scope of topics that may be covered; this paper will therefore concentrate on the theoretical backbone of Pigous work and aim to analyse different critiques of his theory of welfare in Section I. Section II will consider the foundations of and influences on Pigous work and explore criticisms of a lack of originality in his writ ings. Finally, in Section III, we will investigate the Pigous position on government intervention and analyse his suggested policy prescriptions. SECTION I Welfare economics is concerned to investigate the dominant influence through which the economic welfare of the world, or of a particular country, is likely to be increased. The hope of those who pursue it is to suggest lines of action or non-action on the part of the State or of private persons that might foster such influences (Pigou 1951: 287) Welfare economics is a normative subject, distinct from positive economics. Whilst the theoretical elements of positive economics provide theorems that can be tested, normative economics and the propositions of welfare economics have altogether a very different content (Graff, 1957: 2). The difference between normative and positive theory becomes apparent when we attempt to determine whether welfare actually increases or not; analysis of a positive theory requires testing of its conclusions which are clearly observable, conversely to test a normative theory of welfare one must look to test its assumptions rather than conclusions since welfare is not an observable quantity. Thus the assumptions attached to a normative theory must be carefully and thoroughly scrutinised and the credibility of a theory of welfare depends on how realistic and relevant its assumptions are (Graff, 1957: 3). This section will, in turn analyse the major assumptions made by Pigou for the development of his co ncepts of economic welfare and national dividend which are key to his theory. Economic Welfare Pigou defined economic welfare subjectively as quantities of satisfaction or states of consciousnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[with] psychic returns of satisfaction, (Pigou 1926: 10). Recognising that subsequent investigation into the causes that could affect welfare would be impracticable, he limits the scope of the inquiry to that part of social welfare that can be brought directly or indirectly into relation with the measuring-rod of money (Pigou 1926: 11). To justify the restrictions on his scope of elements compiling the social welfare he postulates that since a persons income is an observable money value, it could be inferred that, under certain conditions, people could enjoy a level of material welfare that could be purchased by their income (Mishan, 1969). The connection between increased income and the other elements of welfare is much harder to define therefore Pigou explicitly recognises that since economic welfare is only a part of welfare as a wholeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦so that a given change in economic welfare will seldom synchronise with an equal welfare as a whole (Pigou, 1926: 12). Thus, although a change in economic welfare may not measure the change in total welfare, it may always affect the change therefore Pigou concludes that economic welfare and total welfare are positively related (Durlauf and Blume, 2008). UTILITY DEBATE? Doesnt he assume something stupid about utility interpersonal utility or something? National Dividend The conception of the National Dividend is not an academic toy, but a practical instrument of great power designed for service in the concrete solution of social problems (Pigou, 1912: 493) In order to predict the effects of policies on material welfare at the aggregate level, an aggregate measure was required. Pigou identified the national dividend as the appropriate aggregate measure suggesting that economic causes act on the economic welfare of any country, not directly, but through the making and using of the objective counterpart of economic welfare which the economists call the national dividend (Pigou, 1926: 31). The national dividend is described as the flow of goods and services annually produced after maintaining capital intact and is a key concept for Pigous analyses of how policies or institutions affect economic welfare (Scott, 1984: 59). Pigou outlines the two criteria for detecting improvements in social welfare which reflect the importance of this key concept to his theory of welfare; firstly increases in the value of national dividend, provided the share for the poor is not thereby reduced, will result in an increase in social welfare. Secondly, transfe rs from the rich to the poor without any reduction in the national dividend will also yield higher social welfare (Pigou, 1926). Several critics have voiced opposition to Pigous definition of national dividend specifically on the issue of maintaining capital intact.  [1]  He states that if the quantity of every unit of a countrys capital stock remains unchanged over a certain period, then even is the money value has increased/decreased, the total capital stock has been exactly maintained. He argues that changes in the money value of the stock due to general price changes or changes in the rates of interest are irrelevant to the national dividend (Scott, 1984: 60). Only a decline in the physical quantity of capital has to be made good (or replaced) with new capital of the same value (provided the valuation is made when the deterioration actually takes place) and depreciation due to interest rates or price changes are irrelevant (Pigou, 1926: 46). The national income in any period is therefore the sum of consumption and gross investment minus that portion of gross investment necessary to maintain capital int act (Scott, 1984; Pigou, 1926). Myint (1948) highlights the inadequacies of transposing this concept of maintaining capital intact (which is essentially a physical level of analysis) to derive the value of capital from expected value of income yielded (essentially a subjective level of analysis) by merely making good the physical wear and tear (Myint, 1948: 174). He finds fault with the fact that depreciation (due to obsolescence  [2]  ) must be allowed for even if capital goods are in perfect condition. This issue also sparked a heated debate between Hayek (1941) and Pigou (1941) in which Hicks (1942) also intervened. Hayek attacked Pigou on this point stating, what is meant by maintaining capital intact [according to Pigou] consists in effect of the suggestion that for this purpose we should disregard obsolescence [whether it is due to foreseeable or unforeseeable causes] and require merely that such losses of value of the existing stock of capital goods be made good as are due to physical wear and tear (Haye k, 1941: 276). Hayek finds Pigous procedure neither useful theoretically nor in actual practice (Hayek, 1941: 276). The root of the disagreement lies in their different conceptions of depreciation; while Pigou maintains that only a decline in the present value of capital due to factors which affect the expected quantity is relevant whilst Hayek argues the the real problem of maintaining capital intact arises not after such losses have been made, but when the entrepreneur plans his investment (Hayek, 1941: thus a decline in expected quantity will count as depreciation regardless of whether it is due to factors affecting expected quantity or prices (Hill, 1999: 2). While Hayeks biting criticism seemingly undermines Pigous conception of national dividend, Scott (1984) contends both arguments are in fact sound and it is the purpose for which the definition is of critical importance; whilst Pigou was concerned with net social income, Hayek was referring essentially to individual people o r firms. READ HICKS ADDITION TO THE DEBATE AND ADD IN WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN PURPOSES FOR THE CONCEPT. SECTION II When a man sets out upon any course of inquiry, the object of his search may be either light or fruit either knowledge for its own sake or knowledge for the sake of good things to which it leads, (Pigou, 1926: 3) Pigou is widely considered the father of modern welfare economics and the basic concepts of early welfare theory are attributed to his work, Economics of Welfare (1926). However, there are commentators who speculate that no matter how innovative Pigou may have been, many of his major theoretical contributions to welfare analysis lacked originality and were based on pre-Marshallian concepts; ODonnell (1979) implies Henry Sidgwick is a major influence who is not attributed sufficient credit. ODonnell (1979) argues that as a firm follower of Marshall, Pigou utilised his marginal analyses of market processes. However, they differed on their beliefs in the ability of competitive markets and economic freedom to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty; Marshall was confident that competitive markets, left alone, would lead to efficient allocation and that government intervention would create so many disincentives that it may cause more harm than good (Walker, 1989). Conversely Pigou argued that fairness is only to be achieved through extensive government intervention. Moreover, when Pigou (1926, 1928) sought to formalise the problems of market failure and the appropriate government solutions, he turned to Sigdwicks earlier propositions on government intervention. More than half a century before Pigou, Sidgwick and J. S. Mill initiated the transition from the non-interventionist approach of the classical tradition to the more interventionist orientation that characterised neoclassical welfare theory and influenced Pigous theory of welfare (Medema, 2007). Subsequently it is argued that in defining welfare and the general qualifications for a welfare criterion (wherein the similarities between basic welfare considerations of Pigou and Sidgwick are obvious), Pigou is not original (ODonnell, 1979). He was, however, genuinely innovative in introducing the terms Marginal Social Net Product (MSNP) and Marginal Private Net Product (MPNP); although Sidgwick (1897) expressed similar conclusions about divergences between private and social benefits marginal considerations were not part of his analysis and his generalised concept was not as concise as Pigous (ODonnell, 1979). Therefore, whilst Pigous contribution to welfare economics is undeniable, he is criticised for developing what is essentially a synthesis of ideas and analyses from Marshall and Sidgwick. Yet, if we again invoke the purpose for his inquiry and his beliefs about the practical use of economics, the fruits of his contribution yielded an expansive literature on not only welfare economics but also public finance and environmental economics for which he is undeniably responsible; the purpose isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that the fabric of theory shall be a yielding garment, fitting the varied and complex reality of economic life as closely as is demanded by the criterion that the conclusions to which the theory leads shall be both useful and general (Young, 1913: 686). SECTION III The working of self-interest is generally beneficent, not because of some natural coincidence between the self-interest of each and the good of all, but because human institutions are arranged so as to compel self-interest to work in directions in which it will be beneficent (Cannan in Pigou, 1926: 130) We move now to the subject of government intervention in the economy. In his relatively unknown essay on State Action and Laissez-Faire Pigou stated the real question is not whether the State should act or not, but on what principles, in what degree and over what departments of economic life its action should be carried on (Pigou in Medema, 2009: 65). In Economics of Welfare (1926) Pigou controversially advocates the need for government intervention in the form of taxes and bounties to correct for market failures and our defective telescopic faculty. External Economies In Economics of Welfare (1926) Pigou originated the innovative theoretical distinction between social and private benefits and costs, illustrating how private production costs for a firm do not necessarily reflect total social costs of production. This analysis formed the basis for much of the analysis in modern environmental economics (Myint 1948). He states that when value of MSNP (marginal physical product of the factor as appropriated by the producer * market price of product) is greater than MSNP (total of products and services from employment of the additional factor no matter to whom they may accrue) external economies exist and the government must intervene in the market to ensure the industry contracts the optimum output may be reached and economic welfare may thus be maximised (Pigou, 1926). Coase what coase said economists have tended to overestimate the advantages of government intervention and that such intervention may not actually be desirable in certain situations? Monopolies Pigou says that monopolies are bad and that governments should intervene to make sure they dont overrun? Something like this? But people argue against that and say that this is not good and his assumptions are wrong! CONCLUSION General optimum and national dividend are major elements that constitute his theory of welfare. Section I National Dividend National Dividend and General Optimum National Dividend he outlines the national dividend which is defined as _______. Is very important because it is the measure he outlines as the aggregate indicator of welfare. Discussion Hayek criticised his conception of the national dividend because of his assumption of Maintaining capital intact stating that __________________ General Optimum and Criterion for welfare maximisation He says that anything that increases the national dividend, so long as it doesnt reduce the share going to the poor will increase total welfare and anything that increases the share of the poor so long as it doesnt affect the national dividend, will also increase welfare. Discussion Buchanan (http://www.heinonline.org.ezproxy.webfeat.lib.ed.ac.uk/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/jlecono2id=1size=2collection=journalsindex=journals/jlecono#126) outlines the difference between Pigous optimum and Paretos optimum ODonnell criticises Pigou for lack of originality, claiming that he has basically created a synthesis of Pre-Marshallian ideas and Marshallian analysis (the only thing original being his contribution of MSNP and MPNP). Myint criticises Pigou for trying to impose Marshalls physical analysis onto what should be a subjective level of analysis: since welfare theory, as argued by graff, is a normative theory. Section II External Effects Pigou basically says that private firms do not always take into account the Monopolies MONOPOLIES 6. I do not propose to say very much in this paper about the welfare economics of monopoly and imperfect competition, for this is altogether too large a subject to be capable of useful treat- ment on the scale here available. A very large part of the estab- lished theory of imperfect competition falls under the head of welfare economics, and it is actually much the strongest part of the theory which does so. Considered as a branch of positive economics, the theory of imperfect competition is even now not very convincing; the assumption that the individual producer has a clear idea of the demand curve confronting him has been justifiably questioned, and the presence of intractable elements of oligopoly in most markets has been justifiably suspected. When it is considered as a branch of welfare economics, the theory of imperfect competition has a much clearer status. Oligopoly and monopolistic competition fall into their places as reasons for the inequality between price and marginal c ost, whose consequences are then a most fertile field for study along welfare lines. It is perhaps rather to be regretted that modern theories of imperfect competition have not been cast more overtly into this form; for the general apparatus of welfare economics would have made it possible to state some of the most important pro- positions in a more guarded way than usual. Take, for example, the very important question of the optimum number of firms in an imperfectly competitive industry, which is so near the centre of modern discussion. Since (ex hypothesi) the different firms are producing products which are economicaly distinguishable, the question is one of those which falls under the heading of our third set of optimum conditions-the totl conditions; we have to ask whether a reduction in the number of products would be conducive to a movement towards the optimum. Suppose then that a particular firm is closed down. The loss involved im its cessation is measured by the compensati on which would have to be given to consumers to make up for their loss of the opportunity to consume the missing product, plus the compensation which would have to be given to producers to make up for the excess of their earnings in this use over what they could earn in other uses. The loss is therefore measured by Marshalls Surplus (Consumers Surplus 1 plus Producers Surplus). Under conditions of perfect competition, this loss is a net loss. For when the factors are transferred to other uses, they will have to be scattered about at the margins of those uses; and (since the earnings of a factor equal the value of its marginal product) the additional production made possible by the use of the factors in these new places is equal in value to the earnings of the factors (already accounted for). Under perfect competition, the marginal productivity law ensures that there is no producers surplus generated at the new margins; while, since the marginal unit of any commodity is worth no more than what is paid for it, there can be no consumers surplus either. Thus there is nothing to set against the initial loss; there cannot be a movement towards the optimum if the number of products is reduced. But if competition is imperfect, there is something to set on the other side. The earnings of a factor are now less than the value of its marginal product by an amount which varies with the degree of monopolistic exploitation; and therefore the increment to production which can be secured by using the factors at other margins is worth more than the earnings of the factors. There is a producers surplus, even at the margin, and this producers surplus may outweigh the initial loss. The general condition for a particular firm to be such that its existence is compatible with the optimum is that the sum of the consumers and producers surpluses generated by its activities must be greater than the producers surplus which would be generated by employing its factors (and exploiting them) elsewhere. The rule usually given is a special case of this general rule. If entry to the industry is free, price equals average cost, and the producers surplus generated by the firm as a whole can be neglected. If the products of the different firms are very cl ose substitutes, or merely distinguished by irrational pre- ferences, consumers surplus can perhaps be neglected as well. With these simplifications, the number of firms in an impe competitive industry is always excessive, so long as price is greater than marginal cost anywhere in the industry. (Or, if we can retain the identity of price with average cost, the number of firms is excessive until average cost is reduced to a minimum.) These, however, are simplifications; it is not always true that the number of firms in an imperfectly competitive industry is excessive, though very often it may be. Before recommending in practice a policy of shutting down redundant firms, we ought to be sure that the full condition is satisfied; and we ought to be very sure that the discarded factors will in fact be transferred to more productive uses. In a world where the most the economist can hope for is that he will be listened to occasionallY, that is not always so certain. In the absence of costs of movement the allocation of resources by competitive markets achieves universally equal marginal private net products. However, the production of ideal output requires equality of marginal social net products. Where private and social net products diverge, there is a prima facie case for reallocation of resources (Economics of welfare page 136) The Economics of Welfare Pigous major work, Wealth and Welfare (1912) and Economics of Welfare (1920), developed Alfred Marshalls concept of externalities (see Pigou, 1920), costs imposed or benefits conferred on others that are not taken into account by the person taking the action. Pigou attributed welfare gains to the greater marginal utility a dollar of income had for the poor compared to the rich; a transfer of income from rich to poor increased total utility that could also be defined as increased quality of life. Pigou also argued that welfare gains came from improving the quality of the work force through changes in the distribution of income or by improved working conditions. He argued that the existence of externalities was sufficient justification for government intervention. The reason was that if someone was creating a negative externality, such as pollution, he would engage in too much of the activity that generated the externality. Someone creating a positive externality, say, by educating himself and thus making himself more interesting to other people, would not invest enough in his education because he would not perceive the value to himself as being as great as the value to society. To discourage the activity that caused the negative externality, Pigou advocated a tax on the activity. To encourage the activity that created the positive externality, he advocated a subsidy. These are now called Pigovian (or Pigovian) taxes and subsidies. Let us now consider two excerpts that typify Pigous social policy, mentioned above: One person A, in the course of rendering some service, for which payments is made, to a second person B, incidentally also renders services or disservices to other personsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ of such sort that payment cannot be exacted from benefited parties or compensation enforced on behalf of the injured parties (Pigou 1932). It is possible for the State to remove the divergence [between private and social net product] through bounties and taxes (Pigou 1932). In the Economics of Welfare, Pigou says that his aim is to ascertain how far the free play of self-interest, acting under the existing legal system, tends to distribute the countrys resources in the way most favorable to the production of a large national dividend, and how far it is feasible for State action to improve upon natural tendencies. He starts by referring to optimistic followers of the classical economists who have argued that the value of production would be maximized if the government refrained from any interference in the economic system and the economic arrangements were those which came about naturally (Pigou 1932). Pigou goes on to say that if self-interest does promote economic welfare, it is because human institutions have been devised to make it so. He concludes: But even in the most advanced States there are failures and imperfections there are many obstacles that prevent a communitys resources from being distributed in the most efficient way. The study of these constitutes our present problem its purpose is essentially practical. It seeks to bring into clearer light some of the ways in which it now is, or eventually may become, feasible for governments to control the play of economic forces in such wise as to promote the economic welfare, and through that, the total welfare, of their citizens as a whole (Pigou 1932). Pigous thoughts are further elucidated: Some have argued that no State action is needed. But the system has performed as well as it has because of State action: Nonetheless, there are still imperfections. it might happen that costs are thrown upon people not directly concerned, through, say, uncompensated damage done to surrounding woods by sparks from railway engines. All such effects must be included-some of them will be positive, others negative elements-in reckoning up the social net product of the marginal increment of any volume of resources turned into any use or place (Pigou 1932) To illustrate this discussion further, let us consider an example: Suppose a paper mill was being planned on a certain river and an economist was given all facts about the river-in-question and told that a paper mill was to be sited so that it could discharge oxygen-consuming waste into the river. Suppose further that the economist was asked to analyze the situation, offer a policy for siting the mill, and comment on the practical aspects of adopting the policy proposal as a general rule. The first approach involves an externality analysis, where the paper mill pollutes the river, imposing an unwanted cost on society, a cost that does not enter the mill owners profit calculations. This is the problem of social cost. Following this line of inquiry, failure to consider the external cost leads to too much paper and too little environmental quality. This economist would be using an analytical framework developed by A. C. Pigou who would argue that pollution generates a social cost that should be dealt with by the central government. He would propose a system of taxes, bounties, and regulations for resolving the problem. Most likely, the economist using this framework would call for some form of effluent taxes or regulation to control the mills discharge. Pigous solution spoke of market failure and the need for a central authority to fine-tune markets so that the appropriate level of pollution would emerge. This approach called for collection of complicated and rapidly changing information, translating the information into a tax or regulation, and imposing the tax or rule on the polluter. In fact, modern environmental economics began with the work of Arthur Pigou, who developed the analysis of externalities. His name is attached to the traditional policy proposal, Pigouvian taxes on polluting activities, equal to the value of the damages. Coases alternative solution Pigous approach came under attack from Lionel Robbins and Frank Knight. The New Welfare Economics that arose in the late 1930s dispensed with much of Pigous analytical toolbox. Later, the Public Choice theorists rejected Pigous approach for its naive benevolent despot assumption. Finally, Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase demonstrated that efficient outcomes could be generated without government intervention when property rights are clearly defined. Coase presents his case in the article The Problem of Social Cost (1960). To explain this alternative let us continue with the paper mill example. There is a second approach likely taken. In this line of thinking the economist considers the paper mill and others who wish to consume or enjoy water quality as part of a competitive market where people bargain for the use of rights to scarce property. This analysis has nothing to do with polluters imposing cost on society, but everything to do with competing demands for use of an asset. If rights to the asset are defined and assigned to members of the river-basin community, then those planning to build the paper mill must bargain with the rightholders to determine just how much, if any, waste will discharge into the river. If the rights are held by the mill, then the existing communities along the river must bargain with the mill owner for rights to water quality. Again, bargaining determines the amount of discharge to the river. This approach relies on the work of Ronald Coase (1960). Using this framework, an economist might recommend a meeting of the mill owners and others who have access to the river. After organizing the parties, negotiations would ensue. If existing river users owned water-quality rights, the mill would have to buy the rights in order to discharge specified amounts of waste. If the mill had the right to pollute, existing river users would have to buy water quality from the mill, paying the mill to limit its discharges. In other words, Pigouvian taxes do embody the important principle that polluters should pay for the damages they inflict on society. But in both law and economics, a more conservative analysis has gained popularity. Legal scholar Ronald Coase argued that taxes and regulation might be unnecessary, since under some circumstances polluters and those harmed by pollution could engage in private negotiation to determine the appropriate compensation. While Pigous examples of externalities often involved simultaneous harms to large numbers of people, Coases examples tended to be localized, individual nuisances, where one persons behavior disturbed the immediate neighbors. The image of environmental externalities as localized nuisances serves to trivialize the real problems of widespread, collective threats to health and nature. Creative alternative readings of Coase have been suggested at times, but the dominant interpretation of his work has provided an intellectual basis for the retreat fr om regulation. Comparison of Pigous and Coases approaches Evidence of the record of Coases intellectual influence is seen in the count of citations to his 1960 article, which are shown in Yardley (1977). The citation data of Coases (1960) The Problem of Social Cost and Pigous (1932) The Economics of Welfare are superimposed on a count of Federal Register pages for the same years. The data mapping suggests several things. First, Pigous influence on academics seems to operate at a steady state. There is no evidence that Pigovians were responding to the growth of regulation occurring around them. The Coase citations indicate the reverse. References to his ideas seem to be a reaction to th

Goup Decision Making Essay -- Managing Management Business Essays

Group Decision Making Let?s define what is Group Decision Making, decisions made by committees, think tanks, teams and groups. They may include borrowers, lenders, producers, buyers, scientists and other experts, environmentalists, and real estate developers and so on. Decision making skills is one of the most important aspects of management. It involves personal and interpersonal skills, fact finding, logical thinking, creativity, analytical ability, sensitivity to others and assertiveness What are the key steps in making a decision? Whether decisions are straightforward or complex, a systematic approach will lead to success. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting objectives An objective is a specific step, a milestone, which enables you to accomplish a goal. Setting objectives involves a continuous process of research and decision-making. Knowledge of yourself and your unit is a vital starting point in setting objectives. Strategic planning takes place at the highest levels; other managers are involved with operational planning. The first step in operational planning is defining objectives - the result expected by the end of the budget (or other designated) cycle. Setting right objectives is critical for effective performance management. Such objectives as higher profits, shareholder value, and customer satisfaction may be admirable, but they don't tell managers what to do. They fail to specify priorities and focus. Such objectives don't map the journey ahead - the discovery of better value and solutions for the customer. The objectives must be focused on a result, not an activity, be consistent, be specific, be measurable, be related to time, be attain able. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Collecting information There are several ways to gather information. You can collect information from people, documents, performance data, and observation of events. Also, there are a number of methods for gathering information, including traditional measurement approaches such as tests and ratings, as well as more investigative procedures such as observation, interviews, case studies, and literature review. Each of the chapters in this handbook contains key criteria for the development and use of an effective technology infrastructure. If you employ these criteria as a guide, the first part of your evaluation will really be an audit in the sense that you will be looking retrospectively at the work ... ...sunderstood and sometimes resentful. Second, the minority members often feel that the voting has created two camps within the group and that these camps are now in a win-lose competition: The minority feels that their camp lost the first round, but that it is just a matter of time until it can regroup, pick up some support and win the next time a vote comes up. In other words, voting creates coalitions, and the preoccupation of the losing coalition is not how to implement what the majority wants, but how to win the next battle. If voting is to be used, the group must be sure that it has created a climate in which members feel they have had their day in court--and where all members feel obligated to go along with the majority decision. Summary Complicated issues often require the creation of a complex group and cooperation of the group's members to resolve the issues. In order to achieve consensus between members, the group should employ a facilitator and apply rules and guidelines of behavior. The chances that a diverse group can attain the goal of consensus are greatly increased when the group follows an established set of rules with the assistance of a facilitator.

Problem of Stereotype Essay

Stereotypes may lead ineffective communication when we communicate with strangers. Our stereotypes tend to be activated automatically when we categorize strangers and when we are not communicating mindfully (see von Hippel, Sekaquaptewa, & Vargas, 1995). We, therefore, unconsciously try to confirm our expectations when we communicate with strangers. Our stereotypes constrain strangers’ patterns of communication and engender stereotype-confirming communication. In other words, stereotypes create self-fulfilling prophecies. We tend to see behavior that confirms our expectations even when it is absent. We ignore disconfirming evidence when communicating on automatic pilot. When we communicate on automatic pilot, we do not cognitively process all the information about others that is available to us (Johnston & Macrae, 1994). Generally, the greater our cultural and linguistic knowledge, and the more our beliefs overlap with those of the strangers with whom we communicate, the less the likelihood there will be misunderstandings. To increase our accuracy in making prediction, we must try to understand which social identity is guiding strangers’ behavior in a particular situation. And to be effective in communication with strangers, we must keep our minds open and be mindful. Since stereotypes are a natural product of the communication process, they influence the way we process information. Stereotyping is the result of our tendency to overestimate the degree of association between group membership and psychological attributes. While there may be some association between group membership and psychological characteristics of members, it is much smaller than we assume when we communicate on automatic pilot. When we communicate on automatic pilot, we interpret incoming messages on the basis of the symbolic systems we learned as children. Besides, our processing of information is biased in the direction of maintaining the preexisting belief systems. We remember more favorable information about our ingroups and more unfavorable information about outgroups (Hewstone & Giles, 1986). So we tend to process information that is consistent with our stereotypes and our stereotypes

Developing Corporate Culture The WritePass Journal

Developing Corporate Culture Developing Corporate Culture Introduction:Literature review:1.1 Organisational culture and Organisational Objectives1.2 Organisational and National culture1.3 Analysing the corporate culture1.4 Organisational culture’s Impacts2.1 Climate of Organisation2.2 Ways to improve corporate climate2.3 Organisational Values3.1 Stakeholders of organisation3.2 Organisations communication strategies3.3 Communication Strategies: Conclusion:BibliographyRelated Introduction: Developing corporate culture’s study will provide a detailed understanding of the importance of the corporate culture in organisational success and the managerial skills to influence the achievement of the culture. The development of an appropriate culture is vital to the organisation’s success. It could be said that all the best policies, procedures and technologies are supported by a culture that reinforces consistently what the organisation is all about. This study will explore the work that has already been carried out to develop an understanding of both national and organisational culture dimensions. This understanding will allow them to consider how this affects their interaction with different stakeholders from different culture group. Although it is underpinned by an exploration of relevant theory, the intention is that the study will be applied to specific organisation and situation. A very important part of this study is stakeholders, any group or individual t hat can affect or affected by the achievement of organisational goals, such as managers, stockholders, work groups, suppliers, distributors and customers. This detailed study of DCC will provide essential knowledge of the subject. Literature review: 1.1 Organisational culture and Organisational Objectives Business objectives  are the ends that an organisation sets out to achieve. Organisational culture is the main aspect of any business to achieve these objectives. An organisation must create an effective culture and business plans to enable it to achieve these ends, thus plans and organisational culture are the means to the ends, to achieve the organisational goals. The  objectives and plans  that an organisation creates are determined by balancing the requirements of the various stakeholders in the organisation. The stakeholders are those individuals and groups that are affected by and have an interest in how the business is run and what it achieves. Every business has a range of  stakeholders. The objectives that a company establishes are based on blending the various interests of these stakeholder groupings. For example, an objective to be the market leaders will benefit all stakeholders because customers will receive high quality products, shareholders will receive high dividends, employees will receive good wages, and so on. (James L H and John P K, 1992) indicate that corporate culture is the biggest influence to the performance of the work force. It may sometimes inhibit long-term financial performance. It was suggested how managers can work at reversing such a trend. In particular, managers wasted little time and energy on people or products or plants that seemed to have little long-term potential, by creating systems that tracked non-financial data which were also sometimes able to demonstrate credible progress in even less time. Thus, the strength of cultures, their adaptability and their environmental fit as key predi ctor of their financial performance. (R Harrison H Stokes; 1992) clarifies that â€Å"Culture impacts most aspect of the organisational life, such as how decisions are made, who makes them, how rewards are distributed, who is promotes, how people are treated, how the organisation responds to its environment and so on.† All this different factors combined to create a successful and popular corporate culture for the organisation which will result in to the immense success in long term, in terms of both, financially and socially. The organisation will raise its status in the competition resulting financial gains and at the same time it will become popular amongst the employee which will allow them to create a very good social image. There are many different models of organisational culture is available. To name a few, Entrepreneurial structure and power culture, Bureaucratic structure and role culture, matrix structure and task culture, Independence structure and person culture etc. The best example is Johnson’s cultural web of organisational culture. The image shown here explains what the culture includes: This model is called the ‘cultural web’ though it looks like more of a flower than a web. The paradigm in the centre is the set of core beliefs. Let me clarify what is a paradigm. A paradigm is a constellation of concepts, values, perceptions and practices shared by a community, which forms a particular vision of reality that is the basis of the way a community organises itself.  (Capra 1997). This will take place from the multiplicity of conversations. It will maintain the unity of the culture. The ‘petals’ are the manifestations of culture which result from the influence of the paradigm. Almost all of the change programmes will concentrate on the petals; trying to effect the change by looking at structures, systems and processes. Initiatives usually have a limited success. A lot of energy and money is put into the change programme, with all the usual communication exercises, consultations, workshops etc. In the beginning things seem to be changing but gr adually the novelty and impetus wears off and the organisation0 settles back into something like its previous configuration. This will happen in the most of the cases because of a very simple reason that unless the paradigm at the heart of the culture is changed there will be no lasting change. Harrison and stock mentions that Culture impacts most aspect of the organisational life, such as how decisions are made, who makes them, how rewards are   distributed, who is promoted, how people are treated, how the environment respond to its environment and so on. It is very important to understand how this different aspects of the culture help to achieve the organisational objectives. Treating all employees equally will create a very healthy environment for work. A healthy environment means harmony and co-ordination in work, good level of communication and consistency in achieving the organisational targets. This is what an organisation would ideally want from the workforce. At this point, a very important topic is also related to the success of the organisational culture and that is the difference between organisational culture and national culture. 1.2 Organisational and National culture Based on the research of Dr. Geert Hofstede,(www.itapintl.com), there are differences between national and organizational cultures.   For global companies, it is important to understand both in order to impact organizational performance.  Our national culture relates to our deeply held values such as good vs. evil, normal vs. abnormal, safe vs. dangerous, and rational vs. irrational.  National cultural values are learned early, held deeply and change slowly over the course of generations as witnessed in all ages.  The organizational culture is comprised of broad guidelines, rooted in organizational practices learned on the job.  Experts agree that changing  organizational culture is difficult and takes time.   When two or more companies merge/integrate is how the underlying personal values of employees impact how they perceive the corporate culture change efforts.  People can learn to adapt to processes and priorities, and a person can be persuaded to follow the exemp lar behaviours of leaders in an organization.  But if these priorities and leadership traits go against the deeply held national cultural values of employees, corporate values processes and practices will be undermined.  What is appropriate in one national setting is wholly offensive in another.   What is rational in one national setting is wholly irrational in another.   And, corporate culture never trumps national culture.    1.3 Analysing the corporate culture British Airways is operating a highly effective bureaucratic structure and role culture. At British Airways the organisational culture is to constantly work towards creating an inclusive culture that understands and respects the individual differences of each employee. British Airways seek to deliver a service  which reflects and responds to the diverse range of customer needs with an aim to drive and integrate diversity into all aspects of the service to remain competitive. As a company  which operates globally, BA needs to attract and retain talented individuals to reflect the diversity of customer base. Employing a mix of people from diverse backgrounds leads to potential new ideas and innovation. BA’s strategy is driven through diversity champions representing departments across the airline and employee groups which meet regularly to discuss issues on religion, disability, flexible working, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Diversity issues are communicated to employees via corporate intranet site, diversity forums, diversity employee networks, company newspaper and in monthly newsletters. The organisational culture describes all the rules, practices, attitudes and beliefs of business and underpins the interactions of staff and customers. Organisational climate describes the morale and perceptions of the organisation and is quite subjective. At British Airways the current climate is not harmonious between the staff and the management. As a result the organisation is facing a lengthy unrest resulting in to the walkout of the staff which coasted company a whopping  £150 million. This dispute will be the biggest obstacle in company progress to achieve the organisational objectives. The main source to achieve any company target is the workforce. If the work force is not satisfied, they present a real threat of obstructing the progress of the company. (Mullins 2002) clearly described that Organisational climate is relating to the prevailing atmosphere surrounding the organisation, to the level of moral and the strength of feelings of belongings, care and goodwill amongst the members. Organisational climate is based on the perceptions of members towards organisations. Hence it is clearly noticeable that the current management at BA has failed to gain an edge over member’s perceptions. The work force is disputing from a long time and it is clearly obstructing the organisational goals. BA is committed to achieve highly professional goals through their different future commitments. The Colleagues at BA are engaging themselves to make British Airways a high performance workplace; by focusing to deliver consistent customer service; by developing and maintaining world-class partnerships with all key stakeholders, both internal and external; to create a performance-based culture. BA is also committed to an Operational efficiency by driving continuous improvement, short and long-term. This work is led by the Leadership team which involves and engages employee right across the organisation. But the current climate will definitely not allow these commitments to become realistic. Although recent improvements between union and management is showing some positive signs which is an indication of good times coming back to BA. There are many different departments in BA. At some level, the different departments operate with independence structure and person culture. As mentioned earlier, his structure is based on the individuals who are responsible for their work. For instance, the cleaning department, work on terminals. Although this department have a manager and supervisor but most of the staff knows their responsibilities and knows exactly how to perform them. They hardly need the information of everyday work as they are accustomed of it. Between the staff members, the power and influence are shared with strong individual values. This is also a very effective organisational culture. 1.4 Organisational culture’s Impacts The organisational culture combines the areas of different potential misunderstanding such as communications, management and negotiations. Moreover buyer behaviour, cultural shock, importance of developing cohesive culture in merged organisations is some of the different factors which clearly impacts on achievement of organisational objectives. Stewart mentioned that â€Å"in recent years attention has shifted from the effects of the organisation on work of people’s behaviour to how behaviour is influenced by the organisation culture. What are much more common today is the widespread recognitions that original change is not just, or even necessarily mainly, about changing the structure but often requires changing the culture too.† The impacts of organisational culture are many and varied depending on whether the company has a strong culture or a weak culture, but there are some generalities that apply. Most of the time some positive effects will occur no sooner a compan y makes a concerted effort to establish a strong positive organizational culture at the work place. Many workers are spending more and more time at work entirely depending on the job or company. The old axiom goes that a happy worker is a productive worker, and this is one of the effects of organizational culture. Workers want to enjoy work. They want to be interested in whatever is going on during their work span, or long term goals. Being part of something meaningful will make the worker enjoys which will change whole experience of work better. This will make them more productive. The effects of organisational culture should help providing such kind of settings. A strong organisation must be focusing on the environment it creates for its workers. This is because that will help encourage a more efficient and productive organisation. Focusing on building and sustaining organisational culture shows employees that they are considered an important part of the company. Such type of comp any generally has among the best response from its employees and thus will also have a much better chance of achieving its goals. There are five major reasons for wanting to create an appropriate and positive organisational culture for your company: A strong organisational culture will attract high level talent It will also help to keep the top level talent. It creates energy and momentum. A strong and successful organizational culture should alter the employees view of work. It will also help make everyone more efficient and successful. A strong organizational culture can breed success, and its importance should not be discounted. 2.1 Climate of Organisation British Airways is a very well-known organisation. It has been renowned for its organisational culture. BA provides the best opportunities to the staff members including many benefits and packages to enjoy. But from last few years it is experiencing workforce unrest. The main reason for that is there is a change within the management psyche at BA, driven by the chief executive. The new management team had taken some tough decisions which were not liked by the staff members. The management took away travel perks and also did not implement any increment for two years. These actions resulted highly unpopular and caused heavy colleague unrest. Thousands of staff took part in 22 days of walkouts last year, which cost BA  £150m. But now there are some positive developments. BA cabin crew voted this week to end 18 months of strife, which is sign of good times coming back to BA. The agreement includes a two-year pay deal and the return of travel perks for staff who took part in walkouts la st year. British Airways cabin crew voted on a peace deal that could end the airlines worst industrial dispute. The Unite trade union posted ballot papers to crew. It is with a letter from its general secretary recommending a vote in favour of the agreement 18 months after Unite opened its first strike ballot on the dispute. So far the only indication of support for the deal is approximate, after hundreds of crew attending a meeting at Heathrow airport this month backed a proposal to put the deal to a wider vote. BA is hoping for the best outcome of these positive talks and are keen to end this worst industrial dispute. Source: The Guardian 2.2 Ways to improve corporate climate There are many different factor included in organisational climate. Some key factors are flexibility, responsibility, standards, rewards, clarity, team commitment, management practise, efficiency and effectiveness. All these have a clear impact in creating a healthy climate for workforce. Organisational climate might need to change to adapt the current changes in the business. There are many different ways of improving the organisational climate. Sometimes it is important to recognise improve may mean change because a particular climate is no longer appropriate. It is very important to understand which climate is required, different management styles, effective communications and rationale and continual review. Generally a healthy organisational climate will contain the integration of organisational goals and personal goals. The most appropriate organisational structure based on socio-technical system. Mutual trust, consideration and support amount at different level of the organisat ion. An open discussion of conflicts with an attempt of avoiding confrontation. Managerial behaviour and styles of leadership appropriate to the particular work situations. Acceptance of the psychological contract between the individuals and the organisation. If any organisation contains all the above mentioned in their culture, the work climate will be at its best. 2.3 Organisational Values It is becoming increasingly important to growing numbers of organisations to let the individuals experience a sense of purpose at work and to work for an organisation that puts organisational values into practice. Personal values, which can be defined as â€Å"Underlying and relatively stable dispositions which organisations use to guide their actions and decisions and to help them make judgements about what is right and wrong† can only be the product of upbringing and socialisation, with purely individual differences stemming from personality characteristics also having a bearing. In adult life it is often a worthwhile process of self-development to spend some time clarifying one’s values: reviewing and reflecting on what is really important to you in an enduring way. It is not really a meaningful thing to choose values. The new organisations emphasis on value leadership; i.e. leading through establish leadership. The frame work for developing and supporting strong cor porate core value is to integrate values in HRM strategies, recruitment, progression etc. Solutions about how to deal with a new task, issue or problem based on reality values that work become belief and justify actions and behaviours. 3.1 Stakeholders of organisation At British Airways, their main stakeholders are its Workers. BA provides them with their daily bread and butter. The workers always want BA to do well because the company pays their wages which help them to pay their regular monthly expenditure, other expenses and their mortgages. The other most important stakeholders are its shareholders. They always want BA to do well because they own the company and want their investments to increase in value. They want to get paid regular dividends and other benefits. Moreover BA suppliers are also very important stakeholders of the organisation. They make money from supplying BA with goods and services. BA buys everything from food to fuel to entertainment for customers. Suppliers want BA to do well so they can continue to make a profit. And last but most important stakeholders are the customers. Many business customers fly the same route on a regular basis. They want BA to do well so they can continue to use their service. Customers want to enj oy many benefits that BA offers including frequent flier, BA Holiday sale and many more offers which coming on regular basis. So this can be said that The workforce, shareholders, suppliers and customers are the main stakeholders of BA. 3.2 Organisations communication strategies Culture and communication can’t be separated. For us to communicate and cooperate, we must share some common assumptions about the world we live in and some common standards by which to judge our own and each-others action. There are three main types of communications. Written, verbal and non-verbal, this can be communicated in three different ways across the organisation. The first is downward communication. From top to lower bottom in hierarchy which are often unclear and disorganised. Upward communications flow. This allows the flow of communication and information from a lower level to a higher level Prone to distortion as people lower in the hierarchy wants to present them-selves in the best light filtered information and people high in the hierarchy do not want the feedback, suggestion or criticism. The third is Horizontal communication. This means coordinating activities; sometimes this is difficult as communication usually occurs up and down the hierarchy or the restri ction of the information due to the competition. Any of this communication strategy can be used effectively to create a successful organisational culture with the best climate for the workforce. Customer satisfaction and the opinion of all stakeholders are keys to defining BA’s success. British Airways understands the stakeholders customers, opinion leaders and employees to better inform business decisions. Therefore, in-depth and thorough measurement and research are in place to provide this important information. The British Airways measure Customer satisfaction which is monitored by a comprehensive and detailed on going survey, which measures reaction to all the aspects of the service throughout the journey experience that are important to customers. The survey was constructed with help from NOP, one of the world’s leading experts in customer research, and was tested extensively with customers before it was launched to confirm that it was as relevant, clear and unambiguous as possible.  Source: British Airways.com 3.3 Communication Strategies: BA believes it is important to share customer feedback as widely as possible throughout British Airways in order to maintain focus on the customer. Results are available on the Intranet, in the research library, and through electronic presentations and display boards. Customer insight is presented regularly to the company directors and to managers throughout British Airways. This how both customer satisfaction and other research, such as advertising effectiveness tracking, and summarises trends in customer satisfaction and behaviour, and performance issues in different areas of the business. Where appropriate, British Airways have also advised departments on the setting of targets for customer satisfaction performance in order to encourage improved service delivery. Over the past year customer insight has been used to support a range of product and service initiatives. These include: Evaluation of more cost effective meal option. Recommendation of improvements to service routines on very long flight route, Evaluation of technical developments to provide customers with greater flexibility and control when making their booking and check-in. Evaluation of different type of on board seating configuration in addressing the need of short-haul customers. Reorganisation of resources in some of the airport lounge to provide customers with a more comfortable experience and evaluation of the success of the customer relation’s service recovery across different channels and method of complaint handling. All this are different strategies of improving the communication and reforming a strong strategy without any weaknesses. Conclusion: After comparing many authors’ theories, it can surely be said that developing corporate culture and maintaining a healthy work climate are the most important factors of the organisation success. It provides the path to achieve the organisational goals by maintaining a skilful staff with the desire to develop further. Now the trainings can be given at employees own pace rather than forcing it to them and moreover they don’t physically need to be there in the classroom to get train. It can easily be assessed on internet and can be completed in their convenience. Internet based learning can be called an electronic library designed to share information. But given a detailed look one can realise its potential extends far beyond that. They can be the agent of change creating a more effective and connected workplace. We have always known the powerful effects of rapid, relevant, and specific corporate culture. This makes it far easier to implement the health corporate culture a t all level of training and development initiatives. Bibliography British Airways.com Corporate Culture and Performance; Kotter, John P.; Heskett, James L.; The Free Press; 1992; p. 99 Harrison, Roger Stokes, Herb (1992)  Diagnosing Organizational Culture.  San Francisco: Pfeiffer. www.itapintl.com

Irving Independent School District V. Amber Tatro Essay Example

Irving Independent School District V. Amber Tatro Essay Example Irving Independent School District V. Amber Tatro Paper Irving Independent School District V. Amber Tatro Paper Running Head: Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro Warner University A child with disabilities is a major focus in today’s education. Achieving my Bachelors in Special Education, I need to be aware of the need to ensure appropriate education for all children with disabilities. â€Å"The education of children with disabilities is a top national priority. Our nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for their achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address their individual needs (National Dissemination)†. This is my biggest challenge. I feel with the right tools and help with administration; my job will guarantee a bright future for my students with disabilities. I came across a case, Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro. The findings of this case gave me some insight on the statues and limitations that I as an educator have to abide by. But it also gave me hope that we the educators have the right to make such access meaningful to handicapped children. Amber Tatro was born with spina bifida. â€Å"As a result, she suffers from orthopedic and speech impairments and a neurogenic bladder, which prevents her from emptying her bladder voluntarily. Consequently, she must be catheterized (CIC), a procedure involving the insertion of a catheter into the urethra to drain the bladder, has been prescribed. The procedure is a simple one that may be performed in a few minutes by a layperson with less than an hour’s training (Irving)†. If CIC is not performed every three to four hours, it could cause injury of the kidneys. In 1979, Amber Tatro was provided special education with an individualized education program under the requirements of the Education of the Handicapped Act. This provided Amber with special services while attending early childhood development classes. Amber’s individualized education program however, did not provide administrative remedies to secure CIC. â€Å"In October 1979 respondents brought the present action in District Court against petitioner, the State Board of Education, and others. They sought an injunction ordering petitioner to provide Amber with CIC and sought damages and attorney’s fees (Eric)†. The court’s found CIC to be a â€Å"related service† allowing Amber to have a special education. The Court of Appeals affirmed and accepted the District Court’s conclusion that state law permitted be required schools to hire trained personnel to help with the needs of handicapped children. This entitles an education for those children with special medical needs. â€Å"A service that enables a handicapped child to remain at school during the day is an important means of providing the child with the meaningful access to education that Congress envisioned (Eric). † â€Å"The Petitioner’s view: First, to be entitled to related services, a child must be handicapped so as to require special education. In the absence of a handicap that requires special education, the need for what otherwise might qualify as a related service does not create an obligation under the Act. Second, only those services necessary to aid a handicapped child to benefit from special education must be provided, regardless how easily a school nurse or layperson could furnish them. Third, the regulations state that school nursing services must be provided only if they can be performed by a nurse of other qualified person, not if they must be performed by a physician (Eric). The resulting decision on this case was that yes, school’s are required to provide special medical needs for children with disabilities. What does this mean for education? It gives education and faculty the obligation to provide services that relate to both the health and educational needs of handicapped students (Eric). † It allows them to correct undesirable behaviors by giving them support for a search when one is appropriate . It shows to the students and parents what could happen if you violate the rules of the school. It also encourages the students to leave certain nuisances that are not going to encourage their education at home. As for me as a professional, this case has given me some enlightment on what the rights of the students are. Irving Independent School District v Amber Tatro has opened up my eyes to the freedom children with disabilities have. No child will be left without an appropriate education. ERIC Education Resources Information Center. ERIC – World’s Largest Digital Library of Education Literature. Web. 19 May 2011.

Human reproduction system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human reproduction system - Assignment Example These increase the amount of calcium in the muscle cells which are in turn responsible for the contraction of the uterus. Aside from helping with contractions, the increased levels of this hormone in both mother and child foster feelings of attachment and affection. On the other hand, another hormone prolactin works together with oxytocin during pregnancy to produce and release breast milk, respectively. It increases during labour with the highest level occurring during birth and remaining high as the mother breastfeeds. Beta-endorphin and adrenaline are other hormones that help in child birth. Adrenalin helps in labor as it gives the mother energy to push. It also prevents the rise of oxytocin when the mother feels anxiety, tension or fear during labour. Similarly, beta-endorphin can be considered an innate painkiller and is released when the body feels pain so that natural childbirth and breastfeeding are bearable for the mother. It also helps in releasing prolactin during labour so the mother’s breasts are ready for the new born. (Hormones in Labour 2012) Magon, N and Kalra, S 2011, ‘The orgasmic history of oxytocin: Love, lust, and labor’, Indian Journal of Endicronology and Metabolism, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. S156-S161. Available from NCBI [September

Christianity Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christianity - Coursework Example For example Jesus said that the behavioral component to his requirements for "salvation† is necessary and along with that, a person must ensure to perform good deeds in the physical nature and without this the salvation is difficult whereas Paul said that the internal nature and feelings of a human beings are necessary and there is not an elevated need of deeds and actions at the apparent level. Similarly there are numerous contradictions between the teachings of Jesus and Saint Paul for example Jesus said in the gospel of Luke that God is only of the living beings and there is no relation of the dead people with God whereas the statement of Saint Paul contradicts it and says that God is of both living beings and the dead (Jones, 2006). Explain the schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Roman Catholic churches are regarded as the oldest institution of Christianity in the western world and the time period of the establishment of the Roman Catholic churc hes is around 2000 years. Roman Catholics believe that The Pope is the authority in Christianity because the pope is the direct descendent of Saint Peter which was nominated by Jesus himself before he went away from this world. Orthodox churches do not consider Pope as the authority and claim that he has amended the real teachings of the Jesus and the textual references of Bible. A roman catholic preach is not allowed to marry whereas a priest from the Orthodox Church is allowed to marry. Similarly, the orthodox churches believe that as soon as the baptism takes place, any person becomes eligible for the holy communication between him and God whereas the Roman Catholic Church does not give the permission for the holy communication except priests. In the orthodox churches, all the saints including the mother of Jesus are considered to be equal and there is not classification done between any of the saints both of present times and past whereas in the Roman Catholic churches, Mary is valued as the highest in the saints and they chant "hail Mary" prayer every day in the church almost for forty to forty five times (Wordwiz, 2011). What issues did each of the Protestant Reformers (Luther, Calvin, the English Reformers) have with the Roman Catholic Church? Be specific. The main difference of opinion started when Martin Luther, who was a monk, professor and priest at the University of Wittenberg started to question the process of forgiveness in Christianity and said that how is it possible that a person can be forgiven and atoned for one’s own actions. The Roman Catholics church argued that a person can only be forgiven even in his post baptism life if he repents and then confesses all his sins in front of a priest. Martin Luther said that the forgiveness is not because of the apparent confessions of a person rather it is part of the grace of God on man. The eternal salvation can never be achieved if the person really does not feel ashamed of all the action of sins he did and the feeling of shame is also given because of the grace of God. The characters, priests and symbolic remarks cannot be used in the long run in order to ensure forgiveness. There was another protestant reformer named John Calvin who said that the destiny of human beings have already decided who will be given forgiveness and who will not be gifted grace of God so there is no point in doing the confessions and rituals in the churches. A person can evaluate the course of his