APP5Hinton,N-Environmental Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

APP5Hinton,N-Environmental - Essay Example Malaria, which is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium is transmitted through infected mosquito bites. The disease can be detrimental if it’s kept untreated till a stage that the blood supply to vital organs is disrupted (WHO, 2009). The World health Organization has released some alerting statistics with regard to the outspread of Malaria. Their reports estimate that on an average one child dies every second because of malaria. As per the records of 2006, there were 247 million cases of malaria of which one million accounted to death (WHO, 2009). The most of these cases were from the African lands. Another alarming reality is that almost half of the worlds’ population is at risk of malaria (WHO, 2009). Taking an account of the economic damage that the disease causes, it has been estimated that almost 1.3% slow down is caused in the economic growth of countries with high rates of malaria incurrence (WHO, 2009). Up to 40% of the total budget for public heath is With re gard to all these dangers, it becomes much important to control mosquitoes, which are the vectors of the disease (WHO, 2009). The role of DDT thus becomes of much relevance. The reasons that have been pointed out in favor of DDT being preferred over other 12 recommended insecticides are its longer residual efficacy, the spatial repellency and the irritant effect (WHO, 2007). Resultantly, rather than killing the mosquitoes, they are repelled to the outdoor surroundings (WHO, 2007) However, the use of DDT has been proved to have many long term health effects coupled with damages to the environment, wildlife and the ecology in totality. There are a number of scientifically relevant researches which have confirmed the irreversible damages caused by DDT. The hydrophobic nature of the chemical makes it strongly absorbed to the soil and the green environment. This can cause irreversible damage to the organic base and the structure of the

Academic Plagiarism - the Practices and Perceptions Essay Example for Free

Academic Plagiarism the Practices and Perceptions Essay Plagiarism is a common concern in education, entertainment, and some parts of history. The Online Merriam Webster Dictionary (2012) defines plagiarism as â€Å"the act of stealing and passing off the ideas or other words of another as one’s own.† This activity is unacceptable and is still performed. Because of this practice, however, researchers conducted surveys in several schools to comprehend this act of dishonesty. The reasons for the practice of cheating are complex but also essential to examine. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Brian Hansen (2003), a CQ Researcher in Combating Plagiarism, analyzed the practice of plagiarism among schools and the media. He states, â€Å"The perception [among college professors] is that students are no longer learning about plagiarism adequately at a high-school level, so there’s an education and re-education process that needs to take place† (2003, p.777). Various students may not recognize their research as a dishonest activity because their professors may have not introduced the idea of plagiarism to them. Dominic A. Sisti (2007), a researcher regarding plagiarism, said â€Å"student responses reflect a lack of clarity regarding what exactly their school’s policy says regarding copy-paste practices† (2007, p. 225). Because of the lack of clarification, it is essential that professors give direct and comprehensive instructions for each student before he or she works. Patrick M. Scanlon and David R. Neumann (2002), two researchers who have also conducted surveys about plagiarism, noticed that the measures of incidence of cheating suggest a contradiction between what students say and do. â€Å"Some [students] have argued that colleges and universities are not doing nearly enough to foster a commitment among students to academic honesty† (2002, p.376). The lack of acknowledgement is one of the leading causes for students to academically plagiarize. When students are unaware of the idea of plagiarism, they tend to complete their work without much concern or effort. Students may refer to term-paper purchasing websites or directly copy and paste from the web. In Hansen’s CQ reader, McCabe found that â€Å"44 percent of the students considered minor, cut-and-paste Internet plagiarism as ‘trivial’ cheating or not cheating at all† (2003, p.778). This fact suggests that students do not have a standard of cheating. Sisti had also observed what students perceived as cheating. â€Å"Their comments clearly indicated that they did not feel cheating was a significant concern. Further, statements by these students reinforced the findings of previous research that show cheating gets easier as students continue to cheat and that students are not really concerned about being caught† (2007, p. 217). Among these students, they may feel the right to cheat because of the influence by others. In Scanlon and Neumann’s research, they state that â€Å"Students consistently judged plagiarism by others to be more prevalent than their own self-reports would suggest† (2002, p.380). This means that the students viewed academically cheating common in their generation. The lack of concern between students and cheating is one of the few major sources of plagiarism. Another cause of academic plagiarism is because students feel that they cannot complete their task within the given amount of time. Among these students, they referred to the Internet for their research as their major source of information. Scanlon and Neumann share their concerns by stating that, â€Å"university administrators, faculty, and staff should be concerned about the impact of the Internet in shaping a new generation of students’ conception of what does and does not constitute fair use of then countless texts so readily available at the click of a mouse† (2002, p. 374). â€Å"The amount of online plagiarism reported here should be a matter of concern, although the current study does not point to an epidemic of Internet plagiarism. Academic dishonesty is most strongly associated with the perceptions of peers’ behavior† (2002, p. 383). However, if teachers do use plagiarism-detection websites, students may still view plagiarism acceptable. Sisti concluded that â€Å"students might incorrectly interpret the system feedback, believing that plagiarism is simply a degree of acceptable paraphrasing (2007, p. 228).† This means that students will not only misunderstand their topics, but also lack future referencing and the meaning behind plagiarism. The Internet provided these students term-paper purchasing websites and complex reading which directs them to cheat. Therefore, educators must be aware of students’ uses of the Internet when resorted for academic research. Fortunately, there are plagiarism-detection soft wares available for teachers’ use. However, teachers who rely on these programs must initially teach their students the proper way to do their research and how to cite their sources if they choose to quote or paraphrase. If more students become aware of this problematic behavior and if teachers show greater concern, then it is very possible for the plagiarizing activity to minimize. Corrected Annotated Bibliography Hansen, B. (2003, September, 19). Combating plagiarism. The CQ Researcher, 13(32), 775-594. Retrieved from http://www.cqpress.com/docs/Combating%20plagiarism.pdf Plagiarism is a problem that is not only found in education. This form of cheating is also found in music and history. Many people who plagiarize may not be aware of this kind of cheating. Hansen (2003) states that â€Å"The perception [among college professors] is that students are no longer learning about plagiarism adequately at a high-school level, so there is an education and re-education process that needs to take place† (p. 777). Because of this, several professors experienced great consequences by responding to academic cheating. Hansen was concerned if the Internet played a major role towards academic plagiarism; because of its existence, few teachers refer to plagiarism detection programs such as turnitin.com. Another concern that Hanson addressed was how news organizations did not sufficiently guard against plagiarism used in the media. He, then, concluded that plagiarism has not dramatically change in comparison to book text copying and Internet plagiarism. Plagiarism. (2012). Merriam-Webster.com/. Retrieved Sep 16, 2012, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize Scanlon, P. M., Neumann, D, R. (2002). Internet plagiarism among college students. Journal of College Student Development, 43(3), 374-385. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/~ladare/eac595/readings/scanlon-neumann.pdf The awareness of academic plagiarism allowed Patrick M. Scanlon and David R. Neumann (2002) to survey students about partaking in such activity. The focus of the survey was to assess students’ perceptions and practices. In Scanlon and Neumann’s study, they address that students’ perception on peer behavior, their faculties’ ethical views, and their awareness of institutional sanctions greatly contribute to their reasons to plagiarize (p. 375). Students are vulnerable to what others may think and not fully understand the consequences of plagiarism. In other words, they also feel that it is more acceptable to copy from the Internet if their peers are also plagiarizing. Students who participated in this study were to confront the eight different types of plagiarism as self-reports. Scanlon and Neumann analyzed that the Internet will not affect the way one writes or performs his research. Sisti D. A, (2007). How do high school students justify Internet plagiarism? Ethics Behavior, 17(3), 215-231. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/top10/HEBHdown.pdf Dominic A. Sisti (2007) surveyed 160 high schools about the usage of the Internet. He merely focused on Internet plagiarism, which includes the copy and paste method and term paper purchasing. The top reason why students resorted to academic dishonesty was because of the limited time given to complete their research. According to Sisti, â€Å"The results indicated that students were more easily able to justify copy-paste plagiarism for a variety of reasons that mirror justifications of other forms of conventional plagiarism† (p. 215). In other words, the students felt that copying and pasting was a better option than term paper purchasing because of the less risk of getting caught. In addition to Sisti’s research, he exclaimed that students would admit that they felt confused by a professor’s instruction which directed them to plagiarize. Due to this fact, Sisti offered educators several strategies for managing academic dishonesty

Progressivism :: Teaching Education Essays

Progressivism Progressivists believe that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives. Therefore, the curriculum should be centered around the experiences, interests, and abilities of students. Teachers should plan lessons that arouse curiosity and push the students to a higher level of knowledge. In addition to reading textbooks, the students must learn by doing. Students should often leave the classroom for fieldtrips during which they interact with nature or society. Teachers should also stimulate the students' interests through thought-provoking games. Students should be encouraged to interact with one another and to develop social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. Also, teachers should feel no compulsion to focus their students' attentions on one discrete discipline at a time, and students may be responsible for learning lessons that combine several different subjects. Progressivists emphasize in their curriculum the study of the natural and social sciences. They believe that teachers should expose students to many new scientific, technological, and social developments, reflecting their notion that progress and change are fundamental. Students should also be exposed to a more democratic curriculum that recognizes accomplishments of women and minorities as well as white males. In addition, students should solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter outside of the schoolhouse; they will learn to be flexible problem solvers. Progressivists believe that education should be a perpetually enriching process of ongoing growth, not merely a preparation for adult lives. They also deny the essentialist belief that the study of traditional subject matter is appropriate for all students, regardless of interest and personal experience.

Ford vs. Gm

FORD MOTOR COMPANY . VS. GENERAL MOTORS Ford Automotive Company Background The Ford Automotive Company began as a vision of its founder Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born in 1863 on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan. In 1890 Ford’s hobby in the engineering field became a career as he began his employment at Detroit Edison Company. In 1892, Ford built his first gasoline buggy in which he sold in 1896 to help fund the construction of a new automobile. Three years later in 1899, Ford was forced to quit despite his promotion to chief engineer because of his hobby outside of work.The loss of his career at Detroit Edison Company did not slow Ford down. Soon after that he started Detroit Automobile Company with the help of some private investors. Shortly after, he withdrew from that business association because of accounting and prices of the cars produced by the company. On June 16, 1903 Henry Ford opened a converted wagon factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit which became known as the Ford M otor Company. After the company was formed it went through ups and down like any other company.The Ford Motor Company fought with the Licensed Association of Automobile Manufacturers over rights for a patent held on road locomotives with internal combustion engines when the company began. The Model T was the beginning mark of Ford’s success being one of its most popular cars in 1908. Ford was also involved in the war effort in World War I. The Ford Motor Company placed its resource at the disposal of the government providing large quantities of automobiles, trucks, ambulances, Liberty airplane motors, Whippet tanks, and Eagle submarine chasers.The Ford Company later expanded into other countries such as England, German, and Russia. The Ford Motor Company has been through many changes in time that include two World Wars, the Great Depression and more. General Motors Automotive Company Background William C. Durant, founder of General Motors Company was born in Boston, Massachus etts on December 8, 1861. Durant was also the grandson of Michigan Governor Henry H. Crapo. Durant dropped out of high school to work in his grandfather’s lumberyard. He went from the lumberyard to selling carriages. In 1886, Durant founded the Flint Road Cart Company which transformed from $2,000 start-up capital into a $2 million business that made sales around the world. Durant teamed up with Josiah Dort to create the Durant-Dort Carriage Company based in Flint, Michigan in 1890. Their company became the number one leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. After Durant produced the modern system of automobile dealer franchises, he was offered a general manager position of Buick in 1904. Shortly after obtaining this position and being successful in it, Durant became president of the company taking it in a different direction.Durant arranged the incorporation by proxies of General Motors and quickly after sold stock and with the proceeds acquired Oldsmobile in 1908. After that acquisition, Durant acquired Oakland, Cadillac. In 1911, Durant went into a partnership with Louis Chevrolet, starting the Chevrolet Company. In 1916, GM was incorporated as General Motors Corporation. GM went on to expand by purchasing McLaughlin Motor Car Company in Ontario, Vauxhall Motors of England, and 80% share in German automobile manufacturer Adam Opel AG. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan, GM had successfully exceeded the sales of Ford Motor Company.GM also became versatile by purchasing Fokker Aircraft Corp of America and Berliner-Joyce Aircraft in which later merged into General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation. GM manufactured vehicles and aircrafts for both Allied and Axis customers during WWII. GM continued expanding and came out with more brands the almost any other automobile company in the world. Ford Motor Company Profile Ford Motor Company is a public company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford is a worldwide company lo cated in Dearborn, Michigan which is also part of the S & P 500.The key people involved in the success of this great company include William C. Ford, Jr. (Executive Chairman) and Alan R. Mulally (President & CEO). Ford’s production consists of automobiles and automotive parts. Ford produces amazing vehicles such as the Mustang, F-150, Fusion, Taurus, Focus, etc. Ford also has subsidiaries such as Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo. Ford has its own luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. The line of services that ford provides involves automotive finance, vehicle leasing, and vehicle service.Ford Motor Company has had an exceptional year with revenue up $136. 26 billion, operating income up $8. 681 billion, net income up $20. 21 billion, total assets up $178. 35 billion, and total equity up $15. 07 billion. General Motors Company Profile General Motors Company is labeled as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The headquarters of GM is located in Detroit, Michiga n in the Renaissance Center. GM has 156 facilities on six different continents and serves the public worldwide. One the key people in the current success of GM is Daniel Ackerson (Chairman and CEO).Their products include automobiles and automotive parts and also financial services. GM has a many subsidiaries that consist of CAMI, Adam Opel AG, Holden Ltd, Vauxhall, and more. GM’s divisions include Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. The 202,000 employees have helped to produce revenue adding up to $150. 28 billion in 2011. To add to GM’s great year, the operating income is up $9. 287 billion, net income is up $7. 585 billion total assets are up $144. 60 billion, and the total equity is up 38. 9 billion. Employee Benefits Ford provides a great benefits package.There employee package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Paid Vacation * Paid Company Holidays * Ford Flexible Work Program * Savings & Stock Investment Plan (401K) * Ford Retirement Plan * Vehicle Purchase Plan * Community Service Program * Ford Employee Recreation Program (FERA) General Motors also provides an excellent benefits package. GM employees’ benefits package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Savings-Stock Purchase Program 401(k) * Personal retirement income plan * Financial planning * Life insurance * Disability benefits * 17 Paid holidays 2 Week vacation with 1-3 years of service * 5 Week vacation for longer service employees * 5 additional paid days off Employees and immediate family members purchase vehicles at a significant discount The Customer is Always Right Our principal purpose in presenting you with this information is to help you with your decision in choosing a company to work for as a communications consultant. Through our research we have found a considerable amount of data that should not only help you decide which company you will be choosing, but clarify which company would be the best choice.In presenting information there are several challen ges in deciding which categories would peak your interest in a company. While there are vast amounts of information at your fingertips we have reviewed personal accounts of employee satisfaction experiences as well as customer satisfaction surveys, challenges that each competitor faces both near and far, and the tough decisions that Ford and GMC have had to make during the times of financial crisis. It is our belief that employee satisfaction is a key to a successful business and so do most major businesses, including Ford and General Motors.Employed persons spend the majority of their time at work, and that makes it obvious that employee satisfaction should be the one of the most important categories researched. To determine if not only the company fits you, but to see if the â€Å"YOU† fit the company. Since 2009, the year of GMC filing bankruptcy, 29,000 or more salaried employees are operating under a new policy that concentrates efforts towards placing the customerâ€⠄¢s needs first, and receiving a bonus when customer retention goals are met. These efforts are to improve customer relationships with the GM products and services. Here are some comments from glassdoor. om about General motors recent customer experiences, â€Å"GM is the place to go† says a former project manager in Chicago, Illinois. A former engineer in Detroit, MI on a recent visit to a GMC dealer said â€Å"management is working hard to improve the culture which has been slow and cumbersome. † GMC since their recent financial crisis has placed a concentrated effort on employee and customer satisfaction, and it has proven to be a key to their revival. Their initiative is to increase its customer retention from 52 percent to 58 percent, if the employees reach the company’s retention goal it will add $4. billion in annual revenue. â€Å"Mark Reuss, General Motor’s North America President stated it’s the first time in his 26-year career that the automaker will reward employees based around how well they retain their customers. † General Motors is definitely creating a change in policies and procedures and only employee effort and good managing decisions will decide the future success of the company. Ford on the other hand stood strong through the financial crisis of the latter part of the 2000’s, declining acceptance of the Tarp money offered by the Government, and choosing not to declare bankruptcy.Ford’s success is due mainly to the Ford family giving up the reigns and allowing an outsider executive control over the company, and other employees making good decisions, and allowing the company to rely on employees and great customer satisfaction to keep the ball rolling. William â€Å"Bill† Clay Ford, Executive Chairman of the Board for Ford Motor Corporation, and former CEO, acknowledged that there may have been some gain from taking TARP money, but nothing is forever, and people have short memor ies. So it is really up to Ford everyday to earn our respect. GM is a great competitor, and we know that.I like where we are positioned and I like that we have positioned ourselves to earn that respect† he was quoted in an article â€Å"How Ford did it† on Cnn. com. Ford’s Pulse Survey Ford motor company has gone through great lengths to improve their company not only as an automotive manufacturer but in terms of employee satisfaction. In 2009, 80 percent of Ford’s salaried employees participated in their annual Pulse survey. The Pulse survey gives Ford an insight into employee’s actual satisfaction with the company, their job, diversity, and other aspects of the workplace.The Pulse survey includes several categories one being an (ESI)- Employee Satisfaction Index, in which 68 percent gave a good rating which was a two percent increase from the previous year and a third year with improvement to the company’s scores. The area of greatest impro vement was the employee overall satisfaction and information received from upper level management. Other areas that have improved over the years are supervision and diversity. Ford has placed a highly concentrated effort into improving communications internally to build trust and increase transparency amongst employees.Diversity in the Workplace Since 1903 Ford has been known as a leader in the automotive industry and a leader in diverse practices in the workplace. Ford is still committed to hiring a highly skilled workplace that reflects many different aspects of our country including culture, ethnicity, race, age, perspective, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation. In 1913 Ford offered five dollars a day to factory workers to attract the African American and immigrant citizens in the community helping create the black middle class.By 1916 Ford was proud to have employed with them, men and women from 62 different nationalities, and 900 disabled employees. In the year 19 19 Ford is responsible for leading to the first mosque in the United States. By 1920 Ford had more African American employees than any other automotive company in the world. That year they also employed their first Asian-Indian employee whom later established the Ford of India. In 1941 Ford negotiates its first collective bargaining agreement which was groundbreaking, mostly because it explicitly prohibited discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or creed. 944 is when Rose Will Monroe, a rivet gun operator, was chosen to appear in a commercial for the Ford Motor Company showing determined women factory workers and personifying the Ford image of diversity for all in the workplace. In 1970 several women join the company as salaried employees. They quickly moved up the executive ranks becoming the first women to enter Ford’s Marketing and Sales Management Program. Today, Ford’s efforts continue in hiring female employees in the executive, management, and eng ineering divisions. Barb J.Samardzich, Vice President of Powertrain Engineering has said that today 18% of Ford employees are women, which is 5% higher than it was when she graduated from college. In 2003, the company included an expanded definition of diversity to include not only race, ethnicity, age and gender but also many things are unique to employees unique such as backgrounds, opinions, experiences, perspectives and life situations. â€Å"It also put an emphasis on fostering an inclusive culture that is free of barriers, and in which all employees are included, respected and appreciated†, says Ford executives. At GM, we view diversity as a critical business imperative that in the long-term will benefit each of us, and all of us. We drive diversity throughout our organization by focusing on five areas: Customers, Communities, Dealers, and Suppliers† says GM executive. GMC hasn’t always made the best decisions as a company, but one of the keys to their succ ess is creating a strongly diverse workforce. On March 14 GMC hosted a luncheon celebrating their 50th anniversary of Inforum a professional organization focused on creating strategic connections and accelerating careers for women throughout Michigan.This year GMC showed a bit of Latin flair when they allowed designer Johanna Medina, designer of GMC’s Acadia to be the keynote speaker. She spoke to students of Bronx high school of visual arts about her path to working as a designer for GMC and how much she enjoys the diversity of their workforce. The General Motors African Ancestry Affinity Network (GMAAN) held its 6th Annual Black History Month Celebration on February 24, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom inside the Greektown Hotel in Detroit, MI. This year’s theme was â€Å"Influencing a New Generation† and GM’s own Mr.Ed Welburn, Vice President of Global Design, was the Keynote Speaker. Ed spoke about his love and passion for designing vehicles and how it was influenced by GM at a very early age and he was absolutely determined to work for the company that inspired him. He manages 11 Global design studios in eight countries and over 1,800 creative people that continue to design the best award-winning vehicles around the world. Ed is the 6th person to lead GM Design in the company’s 100 year history and the first to lead a united GM Global Design organization.GM also supports diversity by recognizing women of color in the workplace. In 2011, Chevrolet was the sponsor for BET’s first annual award show for women of color, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! â„ ¢ & Soul Tour. GMC has constantly showed their efforts to encourage diversity in the workplace from Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. to being one of the Gold sponsors of the Special Olympics of Michigan which were held on Macomb Community College Campus in Warren, MI. First Lt. Travis Manion was moved by the members of FDNY Rescue Company One, one of the first fire companies to respo nd to the World Trade Center on Sept. 1, after spending a day with them before his last tour of Iraq in 2006. Their hard work and sacrifice only reinforced Travis’ belief in serving his country. While Travis was killed by enemy fire in Fallujah later that year, his spirit lives on thanks to the Travis Manion Foundation. In July 2011, the GM Foundation and Chevrolet donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Foundation to help take its 9/11 Heroes Run fundraiser nationwide. Ford and GMC are two very great companies that show much promise for the future. They have increased size, profitability, technology, but most importantly employee and customer relations.Ford was built on tradition and has set several market trends in which most automotive companies have followed including GMC. General Motors has also made a name for itself in the automotive industry becoming a known producer of quality cars and other automotive parts. They have partnered with several diverse groups to spread an image of how much they care about keeping culture, diversity, and employees ‘ rights and freedoms amongst the highest priorities. These are only a few aspects that define both of these companies without diving into financial statements and stock prices.The more important points we hope to reach in coming to a conclusion on the decision for you is what the companies plan to do with their futures. What challenges does each of these competitors face? What difficult decisions have each had to make for each of them to still be thriving as much as they are today? Looking Ahead The most important part of planning your future career with a company is to research what decisions they are making currently about guiding their future. The automotive industry faces several challenges in today’s struggling economy while trying to make those choices.Globalization, Demographics, General Motors is currently going through a complete renovation with their new business model in place, comb ining automotive aspects with new digital technology, and competing with new entrants into the industry that now have a competitive advantage with smaller more economical alternative vehicles. In today’s U. S. automotive market there are companies such as Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and more who have become heavyweight competitors in the national and international industry.Detroit was for years the epicenter of the American automotive industry; it was not until recently when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allowed foreign companies to open factories in the South-Eastern areas of the country. This move actually gave foreign companies a great perception in the public’s eyes because it created thousands of employment opportunities for locals and those who lived in northern states who were struggling to find jobs. The Southern Auto Corridor† which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Ca rolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia serves as the production center of foreign automotive companies and provides the biggest competitor for auto makers such as Ford and General Motors. They not only have to compete with the public’s opinions of the companies providing better jobs, but also the foreign companies cornering the fuel efficiency market. Ford, since it was established has been an innovator in the automotive industry, from the T-model to the Ford F-150.Ford has set the standard with being the first to release new technology and set trends in the highly competitive industry. In the 1960’s it was the Mustang and today it’s vehicles such as the Fusion, and Focus with incredibly economical technology setting the car’s estimated fuel economy over 40 miles per gallon. General Motors has also been one of the industries top competitors and most creative innovators. In the 1960’s when Ford released the Mustang, setting an industry stand ard for American vehicles, General Motors released the Camaro and Firebird which became the Mustang’s number one competitor.Today they are at the top of the American automotive industry, releasing the Chevy Volt a hybrid vehicle that offers consumers enough fuel efficiency to make a trip to the gas station only once a month with regular charging. The competition continues between these two mega competitors in the research and development of hybrid vehicles, Sports Utility Vehicles that can hold large families and achieve the same fuel economy as the smaller hybrid vehicles.In today’s economy efficient personal finance has become the key to our success, and as a smart business model Ford and General Motors has realized that creating smarter, more economical vehicles is the best way to increase consumer perception and retention. With gas prices fluctuating daily, hybrid and alternative vehicles have become the future of the automotive industry. They have become the futur e not only because of consumer’s personal finances, but because of global warming. The environmental affects of motor vehicles is threatening the way of life as we know it.Global Warming is a rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and is affected heavily first by the ocean, but secondly by large factories and vehicles such as cars and trucks giving off large amounts of CO2. As time goes on the Earth will be plagued with horrible climates and scarce resources, that’s why the automotive industry and the people of the world are strongly pursuing alternative vehicle options to save the environment. The environment changes as well as the societal views and opinions. Cars that were once considered popular are no longer the talk of the town.The age group that vehicles are sold to is often identified by the amount of digital technology it has or the sport styled body kits. Demographic and Consumer behavior have always been a challenge for the automoti ve industry. It is why they change models yearly in efforts to incorporate new and improved functions. Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are America’s legendary competitors in the automotive industry. There is not a person in the United States that does not know at least one or two vehicle models of either company.Who Has the Advantage? Ford Motor Company and General Motors have both competitive advantages over each other and over other automobile companies. Both companies make all types of automobiles, from cars to SUV’s, which gives them an advantage of offering all types of automobiles. â€Å"Ford Motors adopted the strategy that allowed it low production cost by cutting all the excessive cost involved in its operations. †(Ford Case Study) This strategy gave Ford a big cost advantage over other competitors in terms of lower cost.By cutting the costs on materials and production supplies that were not being used effectively, Ford increased their profits and could increase their market share. Ford increased its market position in the automobile industry by increasing consumer trust by fighting against bankruptcy. A competitive advantage that both companies have in the industry is the cost of their products. Both companies provide affordable vehicles that consumers are looking to buy during these hard economic times.Although the automobile industry has taken a huge hit in recent years due to the recession, they are still fighting hard to produce new and eco-friendly vehicles for consumers. General Motors has a competitive advantage in the selection of vehicles they offer to the public. Since General Motors is made up of four widely known automobile companies (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), they have a wider target market and are therefore able to appeal to more consumers. Both Ford and GM offer great service. This gives them a competitive advantage over other automobile companies that lack in service and part availability.Compani es such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which are built in foreign countries, sometimes take a little longer to get parts and that could make some consumers shy away from them. Our conclusion is that Ford Motor Company’s ability to cut cost while still making a quality product gives them the advantage over General Motors. The Great Automobile Recession Both Ford Motor Company and General Motors have faced challenges in the past that were hard for them to overcome. We can start to look as recent as the last ten years to see challenges that had to be overcome.Ford and General Motors were both near bankruptcy due to the most recent depression. â€Å"In 2006, Ford posted its biggest operating loss to date: $12. 6 billion. This coincided with continued deterioration in market share, with the majority of these losses being captured by Toyota and General Motors. From 1997 to 2007, Ford’s United States market share plummeted from 25% to 15%. †(Oasis Consulting) Ford is makin g moves to try to get the company back on its feet and moving in the right direction. One thing that Ford did to get through these rough economic times was to sell Jaguar and Land Rover.They are also in the process of trying to sell Volvo, which could be very economically productive for them. The Ford Motor Company is trying to get rid of all their other companies to cut costs and help overcome the enormous debt owed by the company. General Motors went through the same economic challenges as Ford, except their situation was a little worse. As General Motors got right to the threshold of bankruptcy, they were bailed out by the U. S. Treasury in an effort to keep the United States automobile companies afloat. â€Å"GM, critically short of operating cash, received a bridge loan from the U. S.Treasury, under the conditions that the company further accelerates a tough restructuring of its U. S. operations that had been underway for several years. †(General Motors web site) These e conomic hardships pushed both of these companies to the limit, but they were both able to overcome these challenges and become stronger because of it. Due to the extreme consequences General Motors had to face during the recession, we believe that Ford Motor Company is in better shape as an overall company. General Motors had to be â€Å"bailed out† by the government, which means that they were going bankrupt before being given money by the government.Company Success Both companies have had plenty success in their histories. One of Ford Motor Company’s biggest successes is the creation of the Mustang in the 1960’s. â€Å"The sharp, four-seat 1965 Mustang became the â€Å"darling† of America. The â€Å"love affair† brought about the sale of 100,000 Mustangs in the first 100 days. Total sales for the year reached 418,812, far exceeding the 100,000 projected by market research. † The Mustang has been one of the most popular cars in the automobi le industry. For forty years, Ford has made a huge profit from the selling of the Mustang.Another success story was the creation of the Thunderbird. This car came out before the Mustang, and was equally as popular. â€Å"The 1955 Thunderbird made its first public appearance in dealer showrooms on Oct. 22, 1954 with a selling price of $2,695, although delivery prices ranged from $3,000 to $4,000. The public went for the Thunderbird in a big way, placing more than 3,500 orders in the first 10-day selling period. † This shows just how popular this Ford model was in its time. Two thousand dollars was a lot during that time period, and to sell that many means major profit for Ford Motor Company.General Motors also has their share of success stories. â€Å"To be the best, General Motors must continually meet and exceed customer expectations. To be flexible and successful across our organizations – Vehicle Manufacturing (Assembly, Powertrain and Stamping), Manufacturing Engi neering, and Service Parts Operations – we use a single common manufacturing system to ensure high quality and reliability. † This shows that General Motors takes great pride in making sure that each vehicle is created to the best of their ability. For most of the twentieth century, General Motors was biggest company in the automobile industry.We have given several reasons why we have chosen Ford Motor Company as the company you would prefer to work for. Ford Motor Company is in better financial shape, has remained a leader in employees overall Quality of Life, and has made smart, progressive, and innovative decisions concerning the future of their company as a leader in the automotive industry. General Motors, who had been bailed out by the government is making a turn around since the crisis, but the company is still searching for an identity as a brand, and has a lot of work to do in directing their company.There are several challenges for both companies and with comp etition comes job opportunities. As a communication consultant for Ford or GMC would be a great career, but our consulting group is sure that we have displayed to you that Ford is the company for you. Works Cited A&E Television Networks, LLC. â€Å"William Durant creates General Motors†. http://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/william-durant-creates-general-motors (2011). Dornbach-Bender, Rhett, Bill Slade & Joe Thorpe. â€Å"Strategic Report for Ford Motor Company. † Oasis Consulting. 20 April 2009. Web. 11 April 2012. http://economics-files. pomona. du/jlikens/SeniorSeminars/oasis/reports/F. pdf Ford Motor Company. â€Å"An American Legend. † Web. 13 April 2012. http://media. ford. com/article_display. cfm? article_id=81 Glassdoor. â€Å"Ford Motor Reviews†. http://www. glassdoor. com/Reviews/Ford-Motor-Reviews-E263. htm (2012). GM Historical Pamphlets. General Motors. http://www. gmheritagecenter. com/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures. html (2012). Sabatini, Jeff. â€Å"GM now tying all employee bonuses customer Loyalty†. Automotive News. http://www. autoblog. com/2012/06/05/gm-now-tying-all-employee-bonuses-to-customer-loyalty/. (2012). Sustainablity Report: â€Å"Employee Satisfaction†.

Causes of Conflict Essay

Scarce resources are very important to the country. It is a source of revenue for the country and it can be sold off for money and as raw resources for industrialization. Thus, countries would want to compete for scarce resources. An example would be the Iceland-britian conflict. As Iceland depends on the fishing industry for survival, its source of revenue comes from the fish caught. In 1970s, the number of fish, especially cod, dropped by 1/3 and these were due to the over fishing of Belgium, german and britian on Iceland seas. Thus, Iceland has came up with measures in controlling the number of fish caught to the UN but most were ignored. As 79% of the total export comprises of fresh fish and fish products, it is important for Iceland to maintain a sustainable levels of fish stocks in the seas around Iceland. Source of economic survivals is threatened, Iceland had to fight to ensure that this source of natural resource is sustained. This conflict resulted in Iceland breaking displomatic ties with britian. When a country’s scarce resources is being threatened, they have to fight back as it is their main source of revenue and survival. Losing the main source of scarce resource ewould lead to economic downfall, jobs and livelihood at stake resulting in poverty Different values and benefits. Countries fight over different values and benefits due when they feel that it is being threatened by others. This is evident in the Korean war. Korea is being separated into 2 halves in the 38th parallel after the Japanese surrended in the 1945. The Russian occupied the north of parallel and the American occupied the south of parallel. Attempt of un to establish a single government failed as the north parallel did not want to have an election in the north. North korea was then created and became a communist party whereas south korea was then created and became democratic party. Both the government claimed that they both have the rights to rule the Korean peninsula. China, afraid that the north korea would be influenced by the south korea’s democractic system, helped and supported north korea in the war of north korea and south korea to spread communism. This showed that when countries come into conflict to extend their balue systems to other territories and also protect their value systems from being threatened to fight back

The Origins of Black History Month

The Origins of Black History Month The origins of Black History Month lay in early 20th-century historian Carter G. Woodsons desire to spotlight the accomplishments of African Americans. Mainstream historians left out African Americans from the narrative of American history up until the 1960s, and Woodson worked his entire career to correct this blinding oversight. His creation of Negro History Week in 1926 paved the way for the establishment of Black History Month in 1976. Negro History Week In 1915, Woodson helped found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (today known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History or ASALH). The idea for an organization devoted to black history came to Woodson as he was discussing the release of the racist film The Birth of a Nation. Discussing it with a group of African-American men at a YMCA in Chicago, Woodson convinced the group that African Americans needed an organization that would strive for a balanced history. The organization began publishing its flagship journal- The Journal of Negro History- in 1916, and ten years later, Woodson came up with the plan for a week of activities and commemorations devoted to African-American history. Woodson chose the week of February 7, 1926, for the first Negro History Week because it included the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), celebrated for the Emancipation Proclamation that freed many American slaves, and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). Woodson hoped that Negro History Week would encourage better relations between blacks and whites in the United States as well as inspire young African Americans to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of their ancestors. In The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933), Woodson lamented, Of the hundreds of Negro high schools recently examined by an expert in the United States Bureau of Education only eighteen offer a course taking up the history of the Negro, and in most of the Negro colleges and universities where the Negro is thought of, the race is studied only as a problem or dismissed as of little consequence. Thanks to Negro History Week, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History began to receive requests for more accessible articles. As a result, in 1937 the organization began publishing the Negro History Bulletin aimed at African-American teachers who wanted to incorporate black history into their lessons. Black History Month African Americans quickly took up Negro History Week, and by the 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, American educators, both white and black, were observing Negro History Week. At the same time, mainstream historians had begun to expand the American historical narrative to include African Americans (as well as women and other previously ignored groups). In 1976, as the US was celebrating its bicentennial, the ASALH expanded the traditional week-long celebration of African-American history to a month, and Black History Month was born. That same year, President Gerald Ford urged Americans to observe Black History Month, but it was President Carter who officially recognized Black History Month in 1978. With the federal governments blessing, Black History Month became a regular event in American schools. By the opening decade of the 21st century, however, some were questioning whether Black History Month should be continued, especially after the election of the nations first African-American president, Barack Obama, in 2008. For instance, in a 2009 article, commentator Byron Williams suggested that Black History Month had become trite, stale, and pedestrian rather than informative and thought provoking and served only to relegate the achievements of African Americans to an adjunct status in American history. But others continue to argue that the need for Black History Month has not disappeared. Historian Matthew C. Whitaker observed in 2009, Black History Month, therefore, will never be obsolete. It will always be in our best interest to pause and explore the meaning of freedom through the lived experiences of a people who forced America to be true to its creed and reaffirmed the American dream. Those who would eliminate Black History Month often miss the point. Woodson would no doubt be pleased by the expansion of the original Negro History Week. His goal in creating Negro History Week was to highlight African-American accomplishments alongside white American accomplishments. Woodson asserted in The Story of the Negro Retold (1935) that the book is not so much that of Negro history as it is universal history. For Woodson, Negro History Week was about teaching the contributions of all Americans and correcting a national historical narrative that he felt was little more than racist propaganda. Sources Carter G. Woodson: Father of Black History. Ebony. Vol. 59, no. 4 (February 2004): 20, 108-110.Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. The early Black history movement, Carter G. Woodson, and Lorenzo Johnston Greene. Champaign, IL: The University of Illinois Press, 2007.Mayes, Keith A. Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition. New York: Taylor Francis, 2009.Whitaker, Matthew C. Black History Month Still Relevant for US. The Arizona Republic. 22 February 2009. Available online: azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2009/02/21/20090221whitaker22-vi p.htmlWoodson, Carter G. The Mis-Education of the Negro. 1933. Available online: http://historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html.__________. The Story of the Negro Retold. The Associated Publishers, Inc., 1959.

Free Essays on Just Say No

â€Å"Just Say No† â€Å"Just Say No!† That is easy to say, but not so easy to do. In Stanley Milgram’s article, â€Å"The Perils of Obedience,† he discusses several similar experiments he conducted studying the human resistance to pressure and obedience. Contrasting his thoughts Diana Baumrind in her article, â€Å"Review of Stanley Milgram’s Experiments on Obedience,† critiques the comments of Stanley Milgram and his experiments. Milgram found that people would obey with the right situations, the right pressures and if they could pass off the blame to someone else. Baumrind contradicts Milgrams views on how he did things. Milgrams experiment was to see how far a person would go in hurting another human being. One man was brought in at random (the teacher) and another a person in on the experiment (the learner). The teacher was shown the student being strapped in to be electrocuted if he got something wrong. The teacher was informed on how to administer the tests and informed through out to continue the experiment no matter what. His first conclusions on the experiment were that in the right situations you could get most people to obey what they were told to do. The fact that the teacher had no previous or future connections with the learner was a good way of getting them to continue. Milgram compared the teacher to experimenter relationship to the relationship to Hitler and his soldiers. They listened because they new they had to or there would be consequences. The final way Milgram got people to listen and not worry about the consequences was allow them to think they could pass off the blame onto the experimenter and not have to take any responsibility. Milgram made the teacher think this way by telling them that the experimenter would take all the blame, and after the experiment was over the teacher was informed of everything. Milgram believed this would make them feel better about everything that took place ... Free Essays on Just Say No Free Essays on Just Say No â€Å"Just Say No† â€Å"Just Say No!† That is easy to say, but not so easy to do. In Stanley Milgram’s article, â€Å"The Perils of Obedience,† he discusses several similar experiments he conducted studying the human resistance to pressure and obedience. Contrasting his thoughts Diana Baumrind in her article, â€Å"Review of Stanley Milgram’s Experiments on Obedience,† critiques the comments of Stanley Milgram and his experiments. Milgram found that people would obey with the right situations, the right pressures and if they could pass off the blame to someone else. Baumrind contradicts Milgrams views on how he did things. Milgrams experiment was to see how far a person would go in hurting another human being. One man was brought in at random (the teacher) and another a person in on the experiment (the learner). The teacher was shown the student being strapped in to be electrocuted if he got something wrong. The teacher was informed on how to administer the tests and informed through out to continue the experiment no matter what. His first conclusions on the experiment were that in the right situations you could get most people to obey what they were told to do. The fact that the teacher had no previous or future connections with the learner was a good way of getting them to continue. Milgram compared the teacher to experimenter relationship to the relationship to Hitler and his soldiers. They listened because they new they had to or there would be consequences. The final way Milgram got people to listen and not worry about the consequences was allow them to think they could pass off the blame onto the experimenter and not have to take any responsibility. Milgram made the teacher think this way by telling them that the experimenter would take all the blame, and after the experiment was over the teacher was informed of everything. Milgram believed this would make them feel better about everything that took place ...