Normative ethical subjectivism Essay

Normative ethical subjectivism is an ethical stance that attempts to specify circumstances under which an action is morally right or wrong using four distinct arguments that try to prove this claim. Normative ethical subjectivism claims that an act is morally right if, and only if, the person judging the action approves of it. Stemming form this view on ethics a normative ethical theory has been made. An ethical theory is a theory of what is right and wrong. This stance on ethics is the opposite of another ethical stance called methethical antirealism. Methethical antirealism is centered on the idea that because there is no right and wrong actions, just personal preferences there is no such thing as morality. It also states that morals are just a personal preference. Normative ethical subjectivism makes its claim in four different arguments witch are democracy, tolerance, disagreement and atheism. The democracy argument makes the premise that if everyone has an equal right to have and voice moral opinions then everyone’s moral opinions are equally plausible. The next premise states that everyone does have an equal right to have and voice moral opinions. These two premises lead to the conclusion that everyone’s moral opinions are equally plausible. The first premise of the argument creates a problem because not everyone’s moral opinions are equally valid and plausible. I have lots of opinions like the location of LSU, how far away the moon is and, the speed limit on College Drive. My opinion is LSU is located in Arizona, the moon is 100 miles away and the speed limit on College Drive is 75 miles per hour. My opinions are all incorrect showing that the plausibility of an opinion really has nothing to do with one’s right to hold it. Having a right to an opinion is one thing, the truth of that opinion quite another. This undermines the first premise of the argument causing me to reject a crucial part of the democracy argument. Consequently making the argument for democracy unstable and not a good foundation for supporting normative ethical subjectivism. The next argument for normative ethical subjectivism is the argument of disagreement. The first premise states that if there is a constant disagreement among educated, open-minded and, good-willed people about some subject matter, then that subject matter does not admit to an objective  truth. Followed by the premise there is persistent disagreement about ethical issues among educated, open-minded and, good-willed people. These two statements lead to the conclusion that there are no objective ethical truths. There is persistent disagreement among educated, open-minded and, good-willed physicists and mathematicians. We assume that their work is aimed at discovering objective facts. Physicists continue to disagree about that started the universe. But this is not evidence that their views are subjective, it is evidence that the facts they arrive at are merely expressions of personal opinion about some fact. This shows that a professions may deal in objective truths even if it’s open minded and educated deeply disagree with one another. In rebuttal to this, normative ethical subjectivist would state that objective truths don’t exist, but for a finding to be true someone has to believe in it. Thus proving that the first premise of the argument of disagreement if false giving no support for normative ethical subjectivism. The tolerance argument of normative ethical subjectivism has two premises. The first premise states if normative subjectivism is true, then no one’s deepest opinions are more plausible than anyone else’s. The next premise states if no one’s deepest opinions are more plausible than anyone else’s, then we have to respect and tolerate the opinions of all others. Generating the conclusion that if normative subjectivism is true, then we have to respect and tolerate the opinions of all others. Tolerance is defined as â€Å"the capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others (Webster’s Dictionary).† In the normative ethical subjectivism argument tolerance is good thus making it good for others to respect the actions and beliefs of that other people. The tolerance argument is still not a persuasive argument for normative ethical subjectivism. The problem with tolerance argument is that we all have to be tolerance of people’s opinions if they truly believe in them, making their opinion morally right. If a person truly believes in intolerance and that intolerant behavior is acceptable then according to normative ethical subjectivism it is morally right. According to the tolerance argument if a racist feels that be does not what to be tolerant of other races and goes around killing them off but truly feels that that he is doing is right then to a normative  ethical subjectivist we must be tolerant of opinion. The tolerance argument does not seem to be helping persuade a person towards normal ethical subjectivism view. The final argument for normative ethical subjectivism is the atheism argument. The atheism argument’s premise states if ethics are objective, then God must exist. Followed by the premise that God does not exist. Structuring the conclusion ethics is not objective. Since it cannot be proven through science and nature that God does exist, it validates the atheist argument. But lets suppose God does exist and he does issue commands on that is morally right and wrong. This brings up the euthyphro question, which asks are actions good because God commands them, or does God command them because they are good? The first part of the question, actions good because God commands them, makes God’s commands arbitrary and so if God commands us to throw our children into volcanoes, to rape, or to murder, then these actions would be good actions according to God. And for the next part of the question, God command them because they are good, seems to imply that there is a standard of goo dness over God. It also leaves open the question who is the commander behind moral commands? These arguments against the euthyphro question create doubt in the atheism argument. The arguments for normal ethical subjectivism are not very strong and could deter persons away form relativism. The above arguments against normal ethical subjectivism are few in numbers. For the majority of moral values and situations, actions are not complete but are relative to the persons or groups holding them. Lets say there is an objective moral fact that lying was wrong for all cases and should never be done. Avery close friend of yours is on the edge and suicidal. He asks you if he is an attractive person. You are this person’s only friend and every thing you tell him he takes very literally. He could be the most hideous person you have ever seen, but if you tell him he is ugly he will without doubt kill him self. According to the objective moral fact about lying that I have just made, you have to tell him the truth, that he is revolting. Or you could have a relativism stance and tell him he is an attractive person and stop him form killing him self. In this situation it would be ideal to save the persons  life and prevent the mental problems stemming for know you killed someone. Although normal ethical subjectivism and metaethical antirealism are different but there is a relationship between them. Both of these views on ethics are subjective and both have its problems convincing people to follow them. Facts are mentioned as not important in their arguments. In the atheist argument of normal ethical subjectivism, God’s commands are not to be taken as facts but as suggestions. A big part of metaethical antirealism is that moral facts don’t exist but facts are just part of the role in making decisions. Normative ethical subjectivism is an ethical stance that attempts to establish the situations under which an action is morally right or wrong. It states an act is morally right if the person judging the act approves of it. Normative ethical subjectivism uses the arguments of democracy, tolerance, disagreement and atheism to try proving this claim. Methethical antirealism is an ethical stance that claims there are no right or wrong views or stances on ethical options. Methethical antirealism goes on to state that morals do not exist at all. Even thought normative ethical subjectivism failed make its calm a person can still be a relativist, but I still feel that every moral case must be taken on a base to base cineraria. Works Cited â€Å"Tolerance.† The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary. Revised and Expanded edition 1981.

Mba 1st Sem, Principle and Practice of Management

IIBM Institute of business Management Semester – 1 Principle and Practice of management Answer Sheet Section ‘A’ – Part One: 1. A plan is a trap laid to capture the FUTURE. 2. STAFFING is the function of employing suitable person for the enterprise. 3. DEPARTMENTATION means â€Å" group of activities & employees into department†. 4. ACCEPTANCE THEORY states that authority is the power that is accepted by others. 5. DECENTRALIZATION means dispersal of decision-making power to the lower level of the organization. 6.MASTER CHART is the basic document of the organizational structure. 7. Communication which flow from the superior to subordinates with the help of scalar chain is known as DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION . 8. Needs for belongingness, friendship, love, affection, attention & social acceptance are SOCIAL NEEDS. 9. A management function which ensure â€Å"jobs to be filled with the right people, with the right knowledge, skills & attitude i s STAFFING DEFINED. 10. COUNSELING is a process that enables a person to sort out issues and reach to a decision affecting their life. Part Two: 1). The difference between management & administration are that:-Administration is the function in industry concerned with the determination of the corporate policy, the co-ordination of finance, production and distribution whereas Management is the function concerned with the execution of policy within the limits setup by administration. Thus, administration is formulation of policies and is a determinative function while management is execution of policies and is an executive function. Administration involves the overall setting of major objectives determination of  Ã‚  policies, identifying of general purposes laying down broad programmes etc. hile management is the active direction of human efforts with a view to getting this done. 2). The common drawbacks of the classical and the neo classical theories of management are listed be low:- i) Both the theories had certain unrealistic assumptions and hence were not applicable to the organisation at a later date. ii) Both the theories had limited application, the formats and structures of organisations are not universal in both the theories. There is no particular structure which may serve the purpose of all the organisations.They also overlook some of the environmental constraints which managers cannot ignore and this lapse makes the practicability of the theory limited. iii) Lack of Unified Approach: The theories lack the unified approach of an organisation. 3). Line Organisation is the oldest form of an organisation. This is known by different means, i. e. , military, vertical, scalar and departmental. All other types of organisation structure have mostly been modifications of the line organisation. The concept of the line organisation holds that in any organisation derived from a scalar process, there must be a single head who commands it.Although an executive can delegate authority, he has ultimate responsibility for results. According to some writer â€Å"Line structure consists of the direct vertical relationship which connect the positions and tasks of each level with those above and below it, and some others say â€Å"organisationally, the line is the chain of command that extends from the board of directors through the various delegations and re-delegations of authority and responsibility to the point where the primary activities of the enterprise are performed. 4).Acceptance theory is a theory which states that authority is the power that is accepted by others. Formal authority is reduced to nominal authority if it is not accepted by the subordinates. The subordinates accept the authority if the advantages to be derived by its acceptance exceed the disadvantages resulting from its refusal. The subordinates give obedience to the mangers because they visualise the following advantages- i) Receipt of financial incentives. ii) Contr ibution in attaining the objectives of the enterprise. iii) Fulfilment of responsibilities. v) Appreciation from colleagues. v) Setting of an example for others. vi) Responsibility to leadership of superior. vii) Moral obligation because of regard for old age, experience, competence, etc. According to acceptance theory, authority flows from bottom to top. A manager has authority if he gets obedience from the subordinates. Subordinates obey the managers because of the fear of losing financial rewards. This theory emphasises sanctions that a manager can use and overlooks the influence of social institutions like trade unions. Section ‘B’- Case let – 1Q1) Critically analyse Mr. Vincent’s reasoning. Ans: Mr. Vincent was a good and successful manager but he followed the traditional type of management skills, and that is why he was not unsuccessful. But when he was taught of many other ways of managements he started to think that he should only know it for the t est because he was confident thinking that whatever he knows is enough as he was successful, but he was wrong because with other skills applications he could have not only been successful but could also grow his organisation and take it to the top of his competitors.He could make an increase in the profit of his organisation and save the wastes as much as possible. Being an manager he should have always been innovative in his ideas of management but he was going the other way, even though his professor was teaching him new thought he was busy thinking that he will stick to his old way of planning, organising and controlling approach to manage his store. Q2) If you were the professor and you knew what was going through Vincent’s mind, what would you say to Vincent?Ans: If I was the professor and knew what was going through Vincent’s mind then I would have explained him the concept again but this time the other way giving him his own example and then make him feel the la cking part of his successful management career making him feel that his thought were also correct put old enough and needed to be updated according to the needs of the environment today.I would have told him that with modernization he should become innovative too and that not only planning, organising and controlling are steps of successful management but it could also be thought of as quantitative models, system theory and analysis, and even something called contingency relationship, so that he could implement many other theories and methods in his process of managing his job, so that he should not only be successful but Also that his organisation should grow and give good competition to the other organisations around him and so that he could make good and proper use of his available resources.Case Let – 2 Q1). Diagnose the problem and enumerate the reason for the failure of D’Cuhna? Ans: D’Cuhna was a good professional executive but being good and equal someti mes might go against one’s self only.The problem with D’Cuhna was that he was going to quickly in his work and not giving others time to catch up, everyone knew that he was selected because of his experience, background and abilities but he should also understand that he was the part of an organisation which was new and not even fully trained for the work so how could they work at his speed and expectations, the problem with D’Cuhna was that he being an old executive should know that in an organisation there human beings and that they are emotional in nature so he should not treat everyone i. . male and female staffs in the same manner, he had no right to scold someone on account of others pending work, because it was his duty to see that if someone is on sick leave he should replace that position temporarily, but D’Cuhna did not do so and went on to scold the female staff. When he was cross answered by the female staff for the first time then only he sho uld have understood her emotional nature and talked to the higher authority for suggestions. Q2). What could D’Cuhna have done to avoid the situation in which he found himself?Ans: If at the very beginning only D’Cuhna had looked into the matter as why the female clerk was submitting nil returns and after knowing it if he would have filled the vacant officer’s place with a temporary staff then the matter would not have been raised higher, later when the lady clerk was cross answering him then instead of firing her and scolding her if D’Cuhna had gone and spoken to the higher authorities regarding the matter then planned and taken any step to solve the problem and then taken any strict action then also D’Cuhna could have found himself out of this trouble.Even after all this had happened if D’Cuhna had apologised to the lady staff and then explained her politely then also some chances were there for him to get out of this trouble which he had created for himself, as ladies are very emotional in nature and like politeness. But after all what had been done and finally the only option for him to get out of all this was to quit as he did. Section ‘C’ – Q1) What is training? Explain the different method of training?Ans : Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for doing a particular job, traditionally training had focused on technical and mechanical skills. Training has to focus also on interpersonal and social skills, on listening, on control over body language, on communication and presentation skills, etc. The different method of training is as follows:- i) Case Method: This method can be said to be midway between â€Å"learn by doing† and â€Å"learn by listening. In this method the trainees get a descriptive record in the form of a case. The participants, have chance to see themselves as one or another person in the case ii) Incident Process: Unlike the case m ethod the incident is also a brief statement of an event or a situation. Additional data is event or a situation. Additional data is made available in response to specific questions from the participants. iii) Lecture Method: This is a very popular method. The lecture is actively involved while the participants are largely passive. v) Business games: In business games, the participants may form into groups of three or four, each groups would be given data about plant capacities, material costs, availability of materials, cost of carrying inventories, etc. and based on the fact provided to the participants they have to make decisions simulating situations which arise in business organisation form time to time. v) Role Playing: In this method different participants are given details and fact of a character about its past and are told to act like it. Q2) Explain Decision–Making Process of an organization?Ans: Decision-making: Management process involves decision making at all le vels. Decision-making describes the process by which a course of action is selected as the way to deal with a specific problem. If there is only one alternative, the question of decision making does not arise. The quality of alternatives which a manger selects determines the organization’s performance, and the future of the organization. The decision making process of an organization are listed below:- * Setting objectives: Rational decision-making involves a concrete goal of objectives.So the first step in decision-making is to know one’s objectives. * Perception of the problem: Perception involves defining and recognising the problem in a clear-cut manner. * Analysing the problem: After defining the problem, the next step in decision-making is analysing it. The problem should be thoroughly analysed to find out adequate background information and data relating to the situation. * Developing alternative solutions: After analysing a problem, with the help of relevant in formation, the decision-maker should formulate several alternative solutions for the problem. Screening the alternatives: After developing various alternatives, the next stepshould be to judge and evaluate them through some decision criteria. * Selecting the best solution: After evaluation of various alternatives, the nextstep is the selection of the best solution. * Implementing the decision: After taking the final decision the next problem isto put decision into effect. * Feedback and Control: The last step in the process of a right decision is to follow up the decision.

My Virtual Child Final Paper Essay

With what I have learned from the My Virtual Child program, I now understand the complexities of raising and guiding a child. Mere decisions made during infancy can affect a child long term, physically, cognitively, and even emotionally. To make important developmental decisions cannot simply be classified as a challenge, it is one of the hardest things parents experience. Making decisions for one’s self, as opposed to making decisions for one’s child is so challenging that most people will not understand until they have children. Even with the realistic impression this program has, I would venture to say that even the majority of my classmates and I do not understand parenting difficulties to the fullest extent. In terms of physical and motor development, Noah was above average at a young age and this continued on through his early childhood. My virtual partner and I never had trouble getting Noah to eat and once a bedtime routine was established only on occasion would he have trouble sleeping through the night. In my opinion, I would classify Noah as an easy baby. He adapted to most situations rather quickly and the majority of the time was very happy, but easy to calm if a tense situation occurred. As for his emotional well-being, it was reported in a parenting questionnaire when Noah was four that I scored in the average range in affection and warmth. Noah had a great family relationship with his father, sister, and myself and demonstrated a secure attachment from an early age. Noah was a very social boy; he had a close group of friends that stayed about the same from the time he was in grade school until he graduated. Noah excelled in school from the very beginning, and continued to surpass his academic challenges until he graduated high school. He was accepted into Honors and AP level classes as a sophomore and scored above average in most all of his classes. Noah was pretty well rounded, and for the most part did average – if not excellent – in most activities he partook in. He was active in sports at a young age but I knew that wasn’t his passion from the beginning. He was a  very musical person and showed his interest and love for it in middle schoo l. At age 12 he was playing the saxophone in the middle school band, joined the high school jazz band, he sang, and taught himself to play the guitar. From the beginning I thought I would take on an authoritative parenting style, but I believe at the end I realized I was hovering somewhere in between authoritative and authoritarian. At first I didn’t want to admit it to myself but looking back I have no regrets because it seemed to work out for both Noah and our family. Growing up I always thought my parents were a little tough on me, perhaps a bit old school but my parenting decisions seemed to mirror theirs. Also, my sister now has two daughters and I have watched my sister and her husband raise them. My sister reads a lot of parenting books and blogs and has shared a lot with me. While raising Noah, I took some of what I had read into account and made some decisions based on the research. On occasion, my boyfriend would participate with me and help me make decisions on how to raise Noah. With all of these resources I believe that the majority of decisions made were for the best, and Noah was raised to the best of my abilities. At age six, Noah told me that he thought I was as â€Å"nice† to him as other parents and that I had â€Å"as many rules† as they did too. I was surprised that at s uch a young age he was aware of what other parents were doing but I believe by the time he got a little older, I got a little stricter. He was expected to do household chores and keep up with homework, but he was able to negotiate times and an allowance for all of this to get done. However, I did not use money as an incentive for good grades – that was expected from both my partner and me. Reflecting on how this may have affected his development I think that this was good for Noah because it challenged him to prioritize his time, for both things that he needed to do and things that he wanted to do (i.e. hang out with friends, participate in extracurricular activities, etc.). At one point, Noah was frustrated with me because he thought I did not allow him to do things his friends’ parents let them do. At the time I was a little confused because Noah was able to negotiate most anything he wanted but there was always a price – chores or family time. Neither of which I thought were unreasonable of my partner or me to ask. Either way, I do not regret my choices because Noah turned out to be very happy , he had a great family values, and when he applied for colleges he was accepted to  several and received a scholarship from a prestigious institution. With guidance from my partner and me, Noah made the right decisions for him that I believe worked out for the best. Looking back, I do not believe that I would have made any major changes to how I decided to raise Noah. I may have tried to encourage him to be a little more active, but only to ensure his health. Whether it was sports or simply working out I would rather he live a healthy, active life, than a sedentary life. However, with all of the activities that Noah participated in I am not sure he would have been able to dedicate enough time to keep it consistent. Outside of that, I may have given Noah a little bit more freedom because at one point he decided to demonstrate his independence by getting a tattoo with his girlfriend. This was very disappointing to me, simply because I don’t think it was a decision he should have made at sixteen with his high school girlfriend. As I previously mentioned, I believe that Noah had a secure attachment with both my partner and me. An examiner noted at Noah’s 19-month developmental testing that it was clear we were a secure base for him and we were encouraged to continue with the same parenting practices (Berk, 2014, pp. 187). As a toddler he often ventured off to explore, but would always check back to make sure we were still there for him. Also, when Noah was an infant and I attempted to go back to work, he would act very distressed when I left. When I returned home Noah seemed more than happy to see me and for the majority of the following evening he demanded almost constant attention (Berk, 2014, pp. 197). It was clear that Noah preferred my partner or me to a stranger and instead of taking him to daycare we had to ask a family member to watch Noah while we were at work. At age four we noticed that Noah was somewhat rigid with gender roles. He had gender schemas established for both men and women and did not stray from his beliefs very often. Once while Noah was in the car with me, I was pulled over by a female police officer and Noah did not believe that she was a real officer because she was a woman. At the time, Noah could have been classified as a gender-schematic child because he identified the behaviors of men and women as either masculine or feminine (Berk, 2014, pp. 277). This was something that my partner and I had trouble with until Noah was about six. We attempted to model non-stereotypical behaviors for men and women to break Noah’s initial ideas about gender roles and to open his mind to the variety  of roles both men and women can take on. For example, he often tried to help his father or mimic what he was doing, so his father began cooking in the kitchen and asking for Noah’s help. From that point on he seemed to better understand the range of tasks both men and women can do. Early on it was evident that Noah was a musically gifted child. At age six he started taking piano lessons and singing aloud to the songs he would play. This continued to be a passion of his throughout his adolescent years. He participated in the middle school band, playing the saxophone, and because of how talented he was the high school jazz band recruited Noah to be a member of their group. Even more impressive to my partner and me at the time, Noah began to play the guitar and that was primarily self-taught. According to Howard Gardner, Noah would have been categorized as a musically intelligent individual (Berk, 2014, pp. 312). I believe that my partner and I instilled Noah with the ability to recognize the difference in actions that were right versus actions that were wrong. He had a strong set of morals and values that were shaped, yet not entirely created by us. While at a competition with his vocal group from school a few of the members stole trinkets from a store and were caught. Noah agreed with their punishment and was aware of how wrong their decisions were. However, he based his recognition of these immoral actions on how the children let down their parents, coach and teammates while taking part in the unlawful activities. This could be classified as conventional level moral understanding (Berk, 2014, pp. 408). To Noah, these were wrong choices because they were wrong in the eyes of society. I urged Noah to hypothetically think about how the situation may have been different than what he thought; I suggested that maybe his teammates stole medicine for a sick teammate. With that I attempted to encourage Noah to use more post-conventional judgment, where he could define morality with abstract ideas as opposed to those ideas set for him by society (Berk, 2014, pp. 408). Although parenting was a challenge, I don’t believe I would ha ve done it any differently than what I did. There were ups and downs; however that is expected in any type of relationship. Once finished with the program I was a little disappointed I didn’t get more feedback on how Noah finished out in life. However, I was very happy with Noah’s development and was glad to know that, the majority of the time, the best decision was made. With the skill set that he had acquired I believe  that Noah was prepared to lead a successful and happy life. A very intelligent and capable young adult, he was prepared for nearly anything his life intended him to encounter. Having said that, I have no regrets with the decisions I made for my virtual son and could not be happier with the person he turned out to be. References Berk, L.A. (2014). Development through the Lifespan. Boston: Pearson.

Why do directors need to have their duties spelled out in statute Essay

Why do directors need to have their duties spelled out in statute - Essay Example directors must promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members rather than benefiting other group’s interests, but in the same way, have to observe the interests of other groups that contribute to the success of the company such as suppliers. Enshrining the regulations as law in spelling the director’s duties, is meant to formulate a favourable corporate legal environment that offer ease of access to the corporate form, minimum interference with the company management and appropriate investor protection for the overall success of the company (Companies Act 2006, Section 170-177). Advantages The codification of directors’ duties provides a clear working ground that promotes a patent definition of their roles in ensuring that the company achieves greater heights of prosperity and growth. Right from management roles and integrating issues within the market under which the company competes the law provides that directors as trustees should act in the interest of the company’s success. They should have regard to all relevant considerations and highlighting areas of particular importance that will steer the company in heights of growth. Integrating and widening the enterprise culture is an increasing major policy that is upcoming in the United Kingdom. This however is enshrined in coming up with suitable legislation that will govern the directors of business companies in their exercise for the duties. This will help in providing a successful platform for initiatives in businesses to elevate the UK business environment into global standards and making it the best place to do business. The modernization of the company law is a significant drive to facilitate and enhance the UK business enterprises to be competitive in the entire Europe and around the world appropriate investor protection and managerial freedom Directors as Managers of the companies in the UK are expected to ensure that the proposed intervention legislation are modelled to

A Trip to Remember Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

A Trip to Remember - Personal Statement Example So it definitely was not an enjoyable experience to visit the beaches. But I must admit that the beaches are beautiful and I certainly do not mind a tan! Another downside to this vacation was the heat. It was a pity that we were surrounded by water but potable water was only available on the bigger Island. The sun was out on a killing spree and the tourists were the victims. Those who managed to survive the heat and sand, had another issue staring at them i.e. hunger! I am happy to say that the food was what made this vacation a vacation for me! The people there are very festive and happy and this clearly reflected in our eating experiences. In the one week that we stayed there, there was not a single meal or a restaurant that was not memorable for somebody in my family. We enjoyed all sorts of international cuisines. Another downside to this vacation was the heat. It was a pity that we were surrounded by water but potable water was only available on the bigger Island. The sun was out on a killing spree and the tourists were the victims. Those who managed to survive the heat and sand, had another issue staring at them i.e. hunger! I am happy to say that the food was what made this vacation a vacation for me! The people there are very festive and happy and this clearly reflected in our eating experiences. In the one week that we stayed there, there was not a single meal or a restaurant that was not memorable for somebody in my family. We enjoyed all sorts of international cuisines there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Communications in Business - Social Performance of BMW AG Essay

Communications in Business - Social Performance of BMW AG - Essay Example It is in this context that the company has been recorded to be the winner of Sustainability Index Leader for consecutive 7 years (Jackson 2011). However, there are several cases which reveal facts against the operations of the company. With this concern the paper shall intend to critically analyse the performances of BMW AG in the international platform and analyse its efficiency in performing its corporate social responsibility. In this regard, both the positive and negative issues will be discussed with briefings based on the social impacts and its effect on the company’s stakeholders. The Case against BMW AG One of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) goals which have been determined by BMW AG to enhance its performance and sustainable growth is focused on the minimisation of the impact automobile creates on the environment. In this regard, the company enforces few technological transformations which are expected to reduce emissions and at the same time minimise the ne ed of natural resources (BMW Group 2009). With this concern the company implies the concept of environmental management system in its operations. Adhering to its objective and the environment management approach the company concentrates on recycling the resources, such as unused cars, engines and other required materials to produce new cars. It also focuses on the utilisation of natural fibres in the door panels and sound-proofing (BMW Group 2009). However, the utilisation of natural fibres in the automotive designing can cause few disadvantages. For instance, due to the employment of natural fibres in the automobile designing, providing a perfect shape to the body of the products becomes tough. This in turn gives rise to the operational cost of the organisation. Moreover, after the recycling of natural fibres it becomes weak. Natural fibres also absorb moisture from the climate and causes swelling which in turn hamper the longevity of the automobile. Other disadvantages of using na tural fibres are lower durability and quite weaker fire resistance (Rijswijk, Brouwer and Beukers 2001). Therefore, it can be stated that utilisation of natural fibres reduces the negative impact on environment which could have taken place directly due to the usage of other fibres. But on the contrary it causes deficiency in the performance of the vehicles hampering the interests of the consumers. It lacks in safety precautions, durability and reliability which can directly affect the company’s sustainable growth creating a negative impact on the society and the stakeholders on the whole. In its sustainability operations, the company is also recorded to implement hybrid technology in its production system with PSA Peugeot Citroen as a joint venture. The objective of the company in this regard is to minimise the fuel consumption and emissions with the purpose to reduce the amount of negative impact that widely used automobile technologies have on the environment (PR Newswire 2 011). But the hybridisation of automobile technologies also has their inevitable disadvantages. To be mentioned in this context, hybrid technology can certainly be quite costly with limited affordability in the current market situation. According to evidences from automobile engineers it is also revealed

Case Study Discussion Paper (Organisational change & transformation) Research

Case Study Discussion (Organisational change & transformation) - Research Paper Example How was change managed at Simmons? One of the most effective methods of ensuring a lasting change within an organization is to engage different stakeholders including employees in the overall process of change. This would mean that all the stakeholders are taken on board before any decision to take on the new changes within the organization is implemented. (Ragsdell, 2000). What is also significant to understand that in order to manage change effectively, it has to be communicated well and thus requires a great deal of effective communication in order to ensure that the real message is trickled down to the employees. (Almaraz, 1994). Any change management process therefore faces the fact that different people react differently to the change due to the fact that everyone has different fundamental needs which need to be fulfilled and the overall process of change can threaten such needs. What is also significant to understand that changes often result into loss- losses such as jobs, lo ss of position and organizational power etc and in such a situation, it becomes often difficult to accept such change and become part of it. (Paton,& McCalman, 2008). In order to overcome such situations, it is therefore critical that the overall process of change is managed properly and within an acceptable norm where losses are minimized while at the same time, the overall objectives are achieved with ease.(Stanleigh, 2008). It is also important to note that change often creates fears and therefore it is important that the overall process of managing fear is also managed properly. Employees often believe that the overall process of change would result into their job losses or make them redundant and therefore they may not fully accept the change and provide the kind of information and input required to make change successful. Leaders therefore will have to ensure that the fears of the individuals are managed properly and that individuals know how this change is going to affect the m positively. (Saka, 2003) A closer look at the overall affairs at Simmons would suggest that it was undergoing tremendous competitive pressures not only due to the fact that its major customers were out of the business but its overall approach was not centered on the consumers. This lack of focus on consumers therefore was not only costing them presently but it was its future which was at the risk also. Apart from this, the overall organizational structure at the firm was such that it resulted into the direct competition between different plants rather than fostering an overall process of collaboration between them. This situation therefore demanded a complete process of change management to be initiated at the firm. The overall process of change was managed at Simmons in rather an unconventional manner where the top management of the firm was first introduced to the concept. The CEO of the firm first shared the need for change with one individual and than the process of change man agement was initiated in order to ensure that the top management of the firm is on one page in terms of proposed changes in the future. As such the overall approach was a top down approach wherein the changes were first introduced at the top and then they were subsequently trickled down to the lower level. Changes were introduced at the higher level first wherein the top managemen

The Consequences Of Global Warming Research Paper

The Consequences Of Global Warming - Research Paper Example The climatic changes have led to disruptions and different animals react differently. A report by IPCC (2007) shows that the climatic change affects predator/prey interactions, biotic interactions, and ecosystem functioning. In addition, natural disturbances, invasive species, and loss of habitats are among the stressors of the animal population that may continue increasing with climatic changes. According to this report, climatic temperatures may rise in the following years to unmanageable degrees leading to mass extinctions. Since the industrialization era, carbon dies oxide has increased by 30% while methane has doubled. Nitrous Oxide, which is also another greenhouse gas, has risen by 15%. All these gases have enhanced the heat-trapping capability in the atmosphere. In the year 1950, the carbon dies oxide parts per million was around 350 compared to the year 2000 when the figure rose to 385 parts per million. This means these gases were absorbing a lot of heat while the rest refl ected back to the global atmosphere. The change in temperatures cause the climate changes and increases the frequency, extent, and strength of other weather effects like floods, droughts, heat waves among others. Research shows that, by the year 2100, the temperatures will have increased by 2-5%, while the rise in sea level will have gone up by 25 feet. The melting land-ice triggers the rise in the sea height.The Kyoto protocol took effect in 2005 with the United States has withdrawn from the treaty, with Canada and Russia the following suit.

Midterm Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Midterm Question - Essay Example There was competition in leadership between Austria and Prussia before the Napoleon’s domination in which Prussia won as it was better organized and progressive even though Austria had a larger territory to dominate. Otto von Bismarck is known to have led Prussia in Germany’s unification. He managed to bring reforms in Germany enabling to take Austria by them joining and also making the Prussia military be well trained to the coming wars. There was the France and Germany war known as Franco-Prussian war to which the Prussians side won. This showed how Otto von Bismarck had trained them well by giving them the equipment and led to the border emergence between Germany and France. Unification exposed Cultural, political religious ‘social and political in the new nation (Pohlsander 52). The westward shift from the French contributed to the German unification as the states joined to form one government. This would not have been achieved if France could succeed in the division of Baden and Bavaria states whose government ship were not strong .This could have led to stopped the forces of these states unification. The unification of the states led to political borders as they had won the war from France and proved to have a strong military force. Through this they saw the need of nationalism as majority of the population in the Reichsland period spoke German dialects to which German justified its annexation on nationalistic grounds. The Germany’s military strategy was to control Alsace region to the mountain range, the Thionville and Metz in order for the protection of Germany. The military had also planned to control the Thionville and Metz during the war. By developing the strategies it guided them through the Franco-Prussia war in 1871.This also contributed to the defeat over France. According to Pohlsander (27), the military had interest in some states like the Alsace-Lorrain which had iron-ore and

Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Reaction Paper - Essay Example Therefore, the teacher suggests to cut-off saintliness so that in doing so, saintliness could be attained as one becomes more engaged in his considerations on how to prepare for whatever circumstance he will meet. Ornamental conduct is how Tao Te Ching looks at the forms of human-heartedness which brings one’s thoughts to the aforementioned argument on hypocrisy behind saintliness. When a person considers himself as human-hearted, there is the possibility of acting out for other people but not really meaning what one does. However, when one gets rid of such mentality about human-heatedness, sincerity will manifest and whatever a person does, good or bad, will not be judged according to its wrongness of correctness but will tell what kind a person one really is. In conclusion, the philosopher suggests people to act and think as naturally as they can and not be controlled by the disciplines suggested by people and their norms. In this way, true virtues will be attained as people become more observant of how they should act and not be confined to acting as they are expected to

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social Essay

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities Discuss, with reference to specific examples - Essay Example Fashion plays a very important role in this process, for it is a way to express our personality, to state our beliefs, to communicate our likes and dislikes. Fashion is a skilled architect for our bodies, using colours, shapes and textures to create pieces of clothing, which combined in a particular way produce, at their turn, a graspable, yet unique image of our identity. As Bennett states in Culture and Everyday Life (2005) â€Å"fashion embodies a range of symbolic values which are collectively understood within and across different social groups†. Therefore, by dressing in a certain way and creating a particular appearance for ourselves, we can send out particular messages about our character, education, financial success, interests and intentions, even sexual preferences. After all, in this fast and complicated world we have very few seconds to make an impression, this is why fashion is a key factor which will help us express all of who we are trough our style and choice of clothing. A piece of clothing can make one feel inhibited, or on the contrary, free and daring, nostalgic for the past or a visionary of the future. The right clothes can help us accomplish our goals and better interact with the people surrounding us. Therefore, given the complex nature of fashion as a central part of our society I will focus on three major aspects: feminism and the way fashion has helped women define and change their social roles and identities, youth and their use of fashion to make statements about their place in the society, as well as their personalities and in the end, intercultural exchange and the way one can create a unique style by combining fashion elements from different cultures. I will start with a short historical map out and thus begin with the Medieval times, since it is considered a period marked by darkness, rigid ideology and strict social delimitations. This is why fashion did not suffer any exceptions: clothes were used to set specific socia l boundaries and thus, dictate social identities. First of all, fashion was inspired at court and it included carefully tailor garments, which offered information about the social status of the person that was wearing the clothes. It included heavy dresses, which did not allow women the privilege of fast movement and which transposed into society as little involvement and obedience. The clergymen’s simple tunics were supposed to represent their penitence and modest life. The peasants’ poor dressing was a result of their placement at the bottom of the Feudal Pyramid of social order. As we slip into the modern era, towards the 18th and the 19th century, fashion still remains a wealth-dominated area. However, new social roles appear, such as public magistrates and the militia, which mark their social identity by particular clothing and uniforms. The tailoring business develops rather faster and cheaper replicas of high-fashion, designer clothes became more accessible for women belonging to lower social classes and disposing of smaller wealth. Luxury was not limited to the elite or the metropolitan any more (Breward, 1995). However, women continued to be restrained in movement by their clothes, which included the corset and the long dresses: women’s dresses were composed of large quantities of fabric and different occasions needed different kinds of dresses, factors which

ICT - Webpage Implementation Essay Example for Free

ICT Webpage Implementation Essay After I pass the design to the manager, he gives me some information about his thoughts. He then wants me to start to create a website for their new game, so I use the software Dream weaver to start these jobs. By using the design part, Ive create a page Home. First I set up the front of the page; it contains some news and an Elf picture, also a flash at the bottom right hand corner. At the right hand side, it got different hyperlinks; First page would reopen the Home again; the Information will go to the second sheet as the person click on it. Theres an extra hyperlink added called Feed Back, this is use for the reader who want to give some opinion about the game and anything else. The second work in Home was the Flash, it has a short movie about the game, and it will play automatically as you enter this page. The flashes were creating as: Then I create a second webpage, Information, it include some information about the game, also some background of the shop. This page have the same set up for all the hyperlinks using the Home design, they will go to the direct page as we click on it. The date of the website will be update every time you look at it. The information of the game we use font times new roman so mostly people can be able to read it. Some more information could be fell in as the game were updated, the empty box under the information were a space for that. The next page I make was called download. In this download page, it got lots of different pictures to download, just have to click on the Show Larger Picture button; it will automatically bring you to a larger size of picture. This is another way of hyperlink, which can put lots of picture but save more spaces. Also, the hyperlink of the sheet was working as properly, they would take you to the place you wanted to be. If you click on Home, it will take you back to the homepage of this website. The next slide I create up was Contact. It got some short information for the company, such as phone number, mobile number, and email address. We may use the information to contact the shop and get more details about any problems we got in the game or so. As you click on the email address it will automatic goes to your email and uses this e-mail address to send a mail out. Also, by using the address given we may go to the shop and then we can be sure of more details of the game. The last page of the website use is the feed back. In this pace the person who visits the site can ask any questions, as they fill in the form. As they can see, the underline part is the area for filling in the information. After all the information and the feed back were fill back in, theres an send button at the bottom right hand corner, which can send the opinions to the staff. After I finish the implementation, I immediately show it to the manager. He looks please to have this normal website. He asked me to check that everything is going to be working properly.

The Punk Rock Movement | Essay

The Punk Rock Movement | Essay More than a quarter century ago the punk, hippie, mod and skinhead movement had an enormous impact and played an integral part of popular music along with the social messages and persuasive tactics that they used to gain popularity of their movement. This has been an attempt to gain attention of our society to engage in the issues at hand on a global scale. The strategies that were implemented played a vital role in the punk rock movement and gained legitimacy through its use of coactive and extremely confrontational tactics. These extreme tactics ultimately gained attention to bring about social change and to resist the status quo. It has been said that the punk rock movement is an association of people that serve to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated through willful ignorance of human nature. (Graffin, 2010) Greg Graffin considers himself the poster boy for the punk rock movement that started in the 1970s. Graffin is the lead singer of the world famous punk bank Bad Religion, one of the most influential bands connected to the punk rock movement. The punk rock movement started between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, The United Kingdom and Australia as a youth movement through music against mainstream society. They created fast hard-edged music and the songs were usually short and very often politically motivated with an anti-establishment theme. The punk rock movements ethic was DIY (do it yourself).The punk rock movements in these countries had varying histories and cultures of their own but their messages held a similar goal; that of freedom to express their discontent and concerns. The punk rock movement spread quickly around the world and became a major cultural phenomenon which characterized anti-authoritarian ideologies, youthful rebellion and were characterized by a very distinctive style of clothing. When our ancestors first migrated to cities and started very distinctive societies which were basically from the dawn of human history, certain issues have inevitably plagued all civilizations. Many predicaments such as war, famine and disease have all been an integral part in changing the ebb and flow of history. As VanDorston (2001) explains, many of the most significant movements and revolutions in our history have occurred because the less fortunate, poor and downtrodden masses were forced to tolerate, bear and deal with unreasonable and cruel measures as a result of the corrupt establishment which played a major part in the punk rock movement as well and this will be pointed out in my analysis. The British punk rock movement was very different and distinctive than the American punk rock movement and came about because of the social environment at the time. After the end of World War II Britain was in economic despair and the people were extremely dissatisfied. There were many immigrants, a huge unemployment rate and an overall declining economy which also led to racial tensions and ultimately race riots. This background created an atmosphere of discontent and along with restlessness the emergence of the punk rock movement evolved. The Sex Pistols flourished in this new scene and they had huge following of fans and inspired members of future bands such as the Clash. The Sex Pistols with their style of dress and performance set the tone for the entire punk rock movement in Britain and they became an overnight sensation. The most important contribution to the punk rock movement was their condemnation of society and their anti-establishment views such as their anthem Anarchy in the U.K. This was very different than the American punk rock movement which began with The Ramones who sang mostly about the issues of the youth. In the dark era of the United States, the Ramones came of age. The Vietnam War was ending after more than a decade of fighting a vicious war that the punk rock movement detested. As a result, there were many demonstrations one of the worst which was when race riots erupted on a college campus. Kent State and the National Guardsmen shot and killed four protesting students. Along with the Watergate scandal during President Nixons reign he was forced to resign which left our nation disgraced. The violence and social unrest at home just inspired a stronger punk rock movement and it confirmed their feelings that it was a time of change as the government was certainly not working on behalf of the people. Very early in the twentieth century i.e. 1905, a mass media developed and began to expend, punk rock music became an increasingly admired and popular mode of influence and communication. In an effort to make the punk rock movement heard, the confrontational tactics and strategies used brought about social change but not without resistance. Taking into account that even trough social movements were separated by geography, time and style of music, the next to the last messages sounded across these boundaries to establish and enact change and reform by using these persuasive tactics. During this time, labor disputes were coming to a boiling point which was predicated by low wages, despicable working conditions and extremely oppressive management. Some working class Americans lacked their own means of production and was thus turning to radical groups like the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). By 1908 the IWW was also commonly referred to as the Wobblies and their message was to spread the message through the contents of their songs e.g. Little Red Song Book and they wrote intense ballads of revolt and then would print the words and music. They would then get them out to the public for a small fee by spreading the words and raising much needed funds to continue to influence their movement in order to make an impact. The Wobblies strongly encouraged and advocated a massive class war that would then end with the entire overthrow of the petty bourgeois or better known as the middle class. The IWWs ideas, objective and goals were to encourage radical revolution suggesting that the working folk of all countries gain solidarity and unite against their oppressors and be together as one for the world and its wealth. Political and economic issues were not enough for punk rockers to revolt against therefore they revolted against anything and everything. They even rebelled against their very name punk which implied that the movement was worthy only of ridicule. All of culture, all of living, all of reality was complete garbage in their eyes. Punk rock music was a reckless, atonal beat with in comprehendible monotone vocals that the sad and misunderstood youth of America and Europe could voice their troubles. Their style of dance pogo now moshing was merely jumping straight up and down like a stick. It was basically a non-dance. One thing is certain; punk rockers were and still are staunch non conformists. They didnt just embrace convention instead they turned it upside down as well as inside out. For instance, instead of dying their hair unusual but safe shades, they went for absurd, bizarre and unnatural colors like pink or green. Their out of the ordinary haircuts, many tattoos and piercings, and excessive use of leather all collaborate to make one interesting and controversial combination. In reality, punk rockers were amongst the original to truly acquire the modern Primitive idea. All in all, the punk rock movement has aged quite well. While it saw its peak of success in the late 70s as well as early 80s, just as the hippie movement, it got displaced, but has never really gone away. Today, punk rock bands are still there who continue making music in the original style, and its not awfully strange to see somebody walking around with a spiked Mohawk haircut. The more modern Gothic movement, with its own visual ethic of pale white skin and dark black hair and clothing, has taken the terrible desperation to another, even more fatalistic level. Goths are more concerned in calmer nihilistic poetry than the gratuitous anarchy of Punk Rock, although they share countless ideals. Even though the IWWs goals and their militant messages ultimately led to their decline because of troubles with the government the struggle for economic and social equality has continued to this day through its absence. The history of the United States and Europe has certainly been an account of social movements striving for emancipation, fairness, non conformism, and a less biased social system. Institutions and movements address and sometimes repress the discontent to sustain the system already in place. Social movements such as the punk rock form to tackle a variety of causes: to end military battles, to conserve the environment, to acquire human rights, to question abortion, and to regulate the power of commercial, legislative, spiritual, and educational bureaucracies. Disagreements over ethical, religious, social, political, and economic ideals stimulate social movements and counter movements (Haenfler, 2004). Globalization and the constantly increasing availability of technological means of communication have assisted social movements to counter perceived threats to identity, principles, and culture. A variety of theories have tried to elaborate on the emergence, climax and decline of the Punk rock movement. They often try to explain the ways in which they attempted to bring about or resist social change, how the protagonists believed they were advocating for positive social change and how they gained legitimacy through their movement strategies. The punk rock movement as discussed came about due to political and general societal differences within the Caucasian societies. During the post war period, it is apparent that the government sought to take control of the entire system with strict bureaucratic legislations to all citizens. The youth mostly were hardly hit with harsh laws placed upon the education system. Many affected youth and activists in general were unhappy and coalesced to form the Punk rock movement and change the status quo. This community hit the ground running with demonstrations and strikes against the government and most of the issues they raised were felt by many. This connection caused the movement to increase its fan base and therefore grew to become a force to be reckoned with. Haenfler (2004) argues that the movement used various ways to deliver their messages, these include; bombs, vandalism, theft, kidnappings not to mention their striking mode of dressing. The government rejected violence as a way of communication, but sought co-operation with protagonists and other activists who preferred aggressive and violent protests. To thousands of hippies around the United States, they personified revolution. They were able to appeal to thousands of youth and to understand the disappointment and frustration many of them felt. Above all, they signified unyielding defiance and resistance in the face of prejudice, discrimination and repression. The groups believed that they were doing more good than wrong. This is true in a sense that they actively conveyed their issues but the mode in which they did was somewhat questionable with violent killings and processions around America and Europe. Charles (2001) reveals how these punks used dangerous drugs to symbolize life in the moment and their self destructive, narcissistic attitudes. Straight edge emerged relatively early in the punk scene and has shared certain values and styles with punks, hippies, and skins ever since. While some punks today are similar, the two scenes have become relatively distinct, and the movement has replaced many of the original antisocial punk values with pro social ideals. With the decline of the movement, the punk lifestyle lived on to date with many youth around the globe still imitating the dressing and attitude without the violence. Cooper (2010) confirms that the punk music and lifestyle has led to the birth of numerous rock bands like Blink 182 and Sum41 which adapted much of their essence and style from the likes of Ramones (Charles, 2002). These bands have adopted the softer nature of these earlier bands contrary to other bands which have adopted a harder more grunge genre e.g. Avenged sevenfold (VanDorston,2001) It would have been thought that the movement would lead to a literary historical account but on the contrary led to a lifestyle many today follow. This movement cannot be compared to those such as the Civil rights movement, the Feminist movement, and the Environment movement because it was in particular a more romanticized movement as compared to most. It did not seek redress and change like the others but simply was an avenue for yout h to vent out their anger and in turn be themselves. The Punk movement to date has successfully provided a hypothetical structure which challenges the organization of Western capitalism and completely inverts all logic as the conventional understands. But not only did the Punk movement challenge all forms of traditional institutions such as government and religion they also had their own culture, values, structure and attitudes (Cooper, 2010). They sought to unearth the world in its natural state without the fraud and ideology of the parent culture. Punk culture and technique was highly arranged and consistent. Rock music provided the opportunity to reinforce Punk ideologies and clubs provided a place to come together. The music translates the clothing style; it is raucous, untidy and focuses on the underlying message and rhythm rather than the obvious chords. The music demonstrates a longing for change, it demands not to live as an entity in the conformist world but rather to live as a subject of history and yet feel that DIY ideology can make a difference. On the contrary, the punk culture has still been largely accused of conforming to the conventional with bands such as Sex pistol and Clash reaching the top of contemporary billboard charts. Punks do not bluntly reject capitalism, they particularly how its become mass culture and lost its sense of skill and hard work. They want to go back to character, authenticity and truth. Thus their focus on authenticity both places the individual front and centre and yet negates any individual manifestations of punk identity outside hardcore punk values. From a neutral perspective, there is a contradiction where as Punks pursue authenticity they are setting a criteria for belonging to their subculture and thus discriminating against poseur or inauthentic Punks who have style of dressing but not the cultural sentiment (Charles, 2001). Thus their focus on authenticity both places the individual front and centre and yet negates any individual manifestations of punk identity outside hardcore punk val ues. But from a Punk perspective this makes sense. In true DIY norm, Punk culture successfully inverts mainstream hierarchies by placing Punk culture as better than the individual which are in turn both greater than civilization. As soon as any form of Punk culture is taken up by the mainstream the Punks alter themselves and make the mainstream version anti-fashion (VanDorston, 2001). They constantly work to maintain their own unique style. This creates a constant source of legitimacy for the mainstream and at the same time a constant insertion of Punk culture and values into mainstream culture. Staunch Punks argue that being a Punk has allowed them to move past the conventional and experience utter freedom. Punks foster what mainstream civilization rejects. The pursuit for realness is maintained within the movement through internal policing and dialogues. These mechanisms of observation are enacted through the continual monitoring of dedication of younger and older members by the subculture itself. This is further adopted within individual members as they all believe the movement to symbolize a kind of essence of nature, and yet practice drug abuse, self-mutilation and loathing exhibiting their mortality From the 2001 book, Persuasion and social movements, Charles explains that the Punk subculture has in fact emulated a subset of the conventional ethics of normal society. The Punk subculture views itself as being outer society while theory informs us that it is rather inside society right at the very epicenter. In this sense, the Punk movement has created a kind of shell maintaining modern capitalist systems but without the general cultural aspects of post modern world. This can be confirmed by the levels of power that exist within the punk movement through gender inequality and patriarchy which exists also in the mainstream society for example, female Punks tend to reside only on the periphery of the culture by still living at home with their parents and performing nursing or housekeeping duties for the male Punks who are at the epicenter of the movement (Banshee, 2008). The Punk subculture has cleverly offered a speculative framework which challenges the system of Western capitalis m and completely transforms all forms of logic as the society understands it. It is clear that the society profit from an objective approach to studies and that the inclusion of the social order is essential to gain a more complete picture of the community. Such an approach utilizes a broader scale of available information. It is clear that the punk rock movement has made an impact not only in US and European society but around the globe. The Punk culture contribution to the scholarly community is absolute and they have done it their way because in order to analyze various phenomena we cannot help but become involved in it. The Punk movement informs us, from an objective perspective, that the wealthier the data the more we lose our purpose. The Punk subculture is evidence of the numerous assets of data available which can inform theory through an unbiased approach to research. Conclusion The punk rock movement is a notable event in our society that has withstood the changes of society. The very ideologies that conceived the entire movement is what still stand to date. Despite the internal mayhem in the punk movement and entire body, punk rock made several things clear to mainstream audiences and observers; punk Rock, in essence successfully managed to break down many barriers of appearance and language. It furthermore has left a mark in the commercial music industry. It provided a fresh substitute to a boring, dormant music industry. Punk rock is inadvertently the mainstream genre of music in America, Europe, Australia and notable parts of Asia and Africa. The look and style together with the doctrines and philosophies of this sub culture have been widely embraced and it has proven to be a tall order to erase it. The punk rock movement is no doubt a force to be reckoned with, not only that but a lifestyle indeed.

Analysis of LAP and Modified LAP

Analysis of LAP and Modified LAP 1. Critically review a test item that you have designed for inclusion in an assessment instrument It is nearly two decades since the St Vincent Declaration (1989) called for a marked reduction in morbidity with diabetes related problems to be achieved through better patient management. The available evidence suggests that the process of care in Britain is still very variable in quality. (J. Mason, 1999) et al. conducted trial on diabetes foot care, and provided an important message that vigilant and trained health care professionals can identify the emerging risk factors for ulceration at relatively low cost. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE 2004) clinical guideline on type 2 diabetes foot care on the prevention and management of foot problems recommends that healthcare professionals and other personnel involved in the assessment of diabetic feet should receive adequate training. Hence, it is imperative that the Diabetes Specialist Registrars [SPR], the future diabetologists, who look after diabetic feet in the community and secondary care, should be trained and adequately assessed if they want to make an impact on patient outcomes. Thus, the need arises for a training CME [Continued Medical Education] day for the management of diabetes foot and assessment before they treat patients with these problems. The main aim of the assessment is to optimize the capabilities of all learners and practitioners by providing motivation and direction for future learning. The assessment has to be formative in this case guiding future learning by providing reassurance, promoting reflection and shaping values. At the end of the training day (Appendix 2) the plan is to conduct a modified, observed, long case type of assessment tool with 3-4 items and knowledge based assessment. One such item an observed modified long case is described in Appendix 1. The plan to use a real case is to illustrate the some of the day to day difficulties and uncertainties one faces during clinical judgement. The time breakdown is to prepare them for thinking about various aspects in given time. They are assessed in different generic skills as well as speciality knowledge and management of the case. Appendix 1 [page 24-26] Properties Even though it is used as an item here, the long case has traditionally been used as a summative tool by itself in the past and its properties in those situations have been studied extensively. Hence, the properties like reliability and validity have been discussed briefly with others of the items such as facility. The reliability of a long case can be improved by structuring the long case i.e. elements of discussion and questioning (Olson et al 2000, Wass and Jolly 2001). Thus observation and structuring is applied here to improve the reliability. This increases student perception of fairness. Validity This can be addressed by introduction of examiners who observe trainee performance throughout and so the trainee is observed by the team in all parts of the long case out here (Olson et al 2000). Facility It could be made low facility depending on the complexity of the case. Discrimination is not really applicable since it will be used as part of formative tool but can be made into a highly discriminatory one by following global assessment. The other properties of the assessment tool are not discussed as it is used mainly as an item. Item Response Theory This is not discussed here as it is mainly used in the context of Multiple Choice Questions. There is not much in the literature about the strengths and weaknesses of the long case when used as an item in a formative assessment tool. So here is an attempt to look at both the positive aspects and potential drawbacks of this item should this be used in the context of this formative assessment. The positive aspects of this item Observed Modified Long Case Holistic and Robust This item in the long case is real and looks at competency and some aspects of performance. Multidisciplinary Approach mimics how the clinics are conducted in most hospitals and assess candidates knowledge across specialities. Written and Verbal Constructive feedback Ende (1983) proposed that the process of feedback should be expected and well timed, based on first hand data (observable behaviour) and regulated in quantity. In a systematic review by Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) collaboration (Veloski, et al., 2006) the positive impact of the feedback process was confirmed, with the most marked effects if provided by an authoritative source. These principles are strictly followed in this item. The method of feedback can be either Pendleton or ALOBA- Agenda-Led Outcome Based Analysis. Some of the potential drawbacks of this item-How they can be overcome Risk of assessing the short term memory This argument stems from the fact that the assessment is done just after the CME program as suggested. Based on Bligh (2000), the above graph, demonstrates the retention power if tested early after the learning experience. Hence the argument: the item should be administered immediately after the CME to increase retention. Resources and Standardisation The number of people including specialists involved and the organisation will require resources, including money, but some of the funding could be organised by the educational fund for the SPR in the region. Some contribution can be arranged from other sources including pharmaceutical company help. Since it is a formative assessment tool, it need not be rigidly standardised in assessment and it is to promote the professional development of the SPRs. Why rigid time limits and not just global assessment? This rigid structure is to give an opportunity for each of specialists to have an opportunity to observe and feed back. In real life, the time spent on each task may be different but giving stringent time limits also gives the opportunity to observe how the candidates perform within these time constraints. The global assessment is avoided so that the feedback component needs to be broken down to each level to make sense and promote specific areas for improvement. Bias Since some of the examiners and experts would have taught these SPRs in the course there may be bias from these examiners after observing the candidates interaction over a day and might want them to do well or otherwise in the assessment. This can be avoided by formal training of the examiners. Organisational consideration The main difficulty will be getting the team of assessors together as given in the item and making sure they are trained in giving constructive feedback to the candidates. Getting a real life patient to participate in such a scenario might not be difficult as patients are often happy to share their experiences. CONCLUSIONS If used in conjunction with variety of other items, perhaps it can be used as a cog in the wheel of summative assessment for the high stake assessment e.g. as a part of portfolio in final year Rotation In Training Assessment [RITA]. It fulfils the learning objectives of the course and what the item intends to measure. This item also comes close to what is usually measured in items of work place based assessment [WPBA]. Element 2 Assessment option Using relevant theoretical and/or research literature, critically review one instrument of assessment used in clinical education. LAP and Modified LAP BACKGROUND In the traditional long case candidates spend 30-45mins with a patient from whom they take a history and examine. An examiner is not present and the candidate is not observed. The student summarises and is examined by a pair of examiners over a 20-30 minute period. The usual format of practice in long cases is to examine patients that are already known to the examiner or are in the examiners own specialty. The long case, patient based examinations have been used for decades both in undergraduate and postgraduate settings both as a formative and summative tool. They were specifically used for final certification exam for postgraduates both here and elsewhere. They had their strengths in that it evaluates performance with real patients and enables candidates to gather information and develop treatment plans under realistic circumstances (Norcini, 2002). However, this method has drawn lot of criticism. The problem lies with inter case reliability (Wass, et al., 2001) and whe n subjected to psychometric analysis, these examinations were found to be unreliable and so have fallen from favour (Turnbull, et al., 2005). Particular problems were with the reproducibility of scores generated by the long case. To improve this required large sampling which itself required a lot more resources which made the long case difficult to use as a summative assessment tool. Recent work suggests that the long case is still a highly relevant tool in that it appears to test a different clinical process to that of the structured short case examination (Wass and Jolly, 2001). A study, performed with undergraduates in London found that, by observing the process in the long case, the above problems could be overcome. This probably led to a return of long cases in the form of OSLER Objective Structured Long Examination Record introduced by Gleeson(Gleeson, 1997) and LAP the Leicester Assessment Package. The LAP was originally developed to assess the consultation competence of general practitioners in the UK. In the LAP, the patient is not known to the examiners and at least one of the examiners is not an expert in the specialty being examined. It has been designed for use in live and/or video recorded consultations with either real or simulated patients. It was subsequently adapted for use in undergraduate teaching. The LAP is designed to provide assessment by directly observed consultations with real patients/simulated patients, but to present this in a structured format closer to an OSCE, which also allows other aspects of performance to be assessed. Seven prioritized categories of consultation competence which need to be mastered are assessed with marking (Appendix 3). The modified LAP varies from the LAP in a couple of areas. Performance is assessed against predefined standards which are different compared to the LAP. The examiners attend training before they become assessors in the modified LAP. The guidelines to the examiners [how to mark and assess] and the assessment forms are appended (Appendix 4 5). Inevitably, some overlap occurs between components of differing categories. (Bhakta, et al., 2005) acknowledge that no single assessment format can adequately assess all the learning objectives within the course blueprint, a combination of assessments (including OSCE, EMQ, essays, short case, and long case) are currently used to assess the students competence. The authors main objective is to use theoretical and research literature to critically review the LAP and modified LAP used in the assessment of clinical practice. This review is based on the seven key concepts (Van der Vleuten, 1996; Schuwirth and van der Vleuten, 2006; PMETB, 2007) liste d below: Purposes Alignment Properties Standards Sampling Evidence Level 1. PURPOSES It can be used for both formative and summative assessment. (Fraser, et al., 1994) argued that the modified LAP is designed for both purposes. The focus of the examination in the intermediate clinical exam for undergraduate is to promote further improvement as they have done only one clinical year [e.g. WMS and Leicester Medical School]. Hence, the feedback is handed to the students which helps them to focus on their strengths and improve on their performance The 3rd and 4th year medical students of these Schools believed that it was likely to enhance their consultation performance (McKinley, et al., 2000). It has also been used as a formative tool in improving professional competence in different countries and different specialties (Lau, et al., 2003, Redsell, et al., 2003). When (Teoh and Bowden, 2008), arguing for the resurrection of the long case, state that the observed long case such as the Modified LAP doesnt encourage the reductionist approach as in Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE ]. Thus, it can be an ideal summative assessment tool for the high stake exam but perhaps has to be used in conjunction with other tools as discussed below. Additionally, in most cases, the assessment is an end of year high-stakes assessment and, for failing students, there is generally only a short time available for remediation. The feedback provides a way to focus them on the areas of their consultation skills and prepare for their remedial exam. 2. ALIGNMENT The Education Committee of the General Medical Council (GMC) sets and monitors standards in all UK medical schools. Medical students must be able to demonstrate their competency and professionalism through a list of educational outcomes set out in the publication of Tomorrows Doctors (2003 and 2009) prior to graduation. The intended outcome envisaged by WMS is to produce a generation of doctors who have knowledge, proficient clinical skills and the appropriate attitudes and behaviours ready for work as Foundation Year one doctors. The modified LAP forms a part of the summative assessment in assessing mainly clinical skills e.g. examination techniques. As described, it has various components and proper, planned blueprinting against the learning objectives of the MBChB course and competencies of the various specialties (Wass, Van der Vleuten, Shatzer and Jones, 2001). Thus, assessment and curriculum design should be intricately interwoven and the assessment of course drives the learning (Wass, Van der Vleuten, Shatzer and Jones, 2001). Similarly, in postgraduate exams, it usually follows knowledge based assessment in the form of MCQs and careful alignment should be done considering the curriculum set by the institutions like the Royal Colleges. 3. PROPERTIES The property of an assessment or more commonly described as the utility or usefulness of an assessment, was originally described by Van der Vleuten (1996) as a product of its validity, reliability, educational impact, cost-effectiveness and acceptability. In later years, the term feasibility is explicitly acknowledged and has been described as an added component of an assessments utility in clinical education (Schuwirth and Van der Vleuten, 2006; PMETB, 2007). Validity Validity represents the extent to which a measurement actually measures what it intended to measure. In medical education, this signifies the degree of meaningfulness for any interpretation of a test score. (Downing, 2003) A recent study demonstrated that observation does measure a useful and distinctive component of history taking clinical competence over and above the contribution made by the presentation (Wass and Jolly, 2001). It would seem logical that, rather than relying on a presentation alone, observation of the candidate while eliciting the history and carrying out the examination would be a more valid assessment of the candidates competencies in LAP. There is data in the literature for the face validity and content of the seven categories and the various components of consultation competence as contained in the Leicester Assessment Package (Fraser, McKinley and Mulholland, 1994). Whether or not the test scores obtained, in any particular LAP, are an accurate representation of real world competency is subjected to a vast array of variables (Downing and Haladyna, 2004). For instance, the design of the test items, number of representative cases, experience training and leniency of examiners, co nsistency of simulated patients [ used mainly in psychiatry], completeness of marking schemes and the characteristics of the candidates, can all affect the validity of a LAP, making it a valid assessment in one education institute, but not another. However McKinley et al in their study of modified LAP in the general practise setting concluded that students will be exposed to a valid set of challenges to their consultation skills during consultations with minimum six largely unselected patients(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000). Concurrent validity whether the results are consistent with those tests of similar constructs? There are studies comparing OSCEs with observed long cases [which is similar to LAPs in some ways]; however, the author has not come across studies comparing different types of observed long case e.g. OSLER vs. Modified LAP. Does it predict the future performance need to be assessed by more studies by following up the generation of students where the LAP is used as an assessment tool. Also, more studies are needed to investigate the construct validity of LAP. Reliability Reliability refers to the degree of consistency within a measurement tool, the extent to which an instrument is capable of repeatedly producing the same test score even when administered at different times and locations, with different candidates (Schuwirth and van der Vleuten, 2006). An assessment approach may be considered reliable when it yields consistent results regardless of when it is used, who uses it and which item or case is assessed. The importance of a specific type of reliability depends upon what is being assessed and the method by which it is being assessed. Generally speaking, the reliability or generalisability coefficient [since there is multiple potential sources of variability in this assessment tool] of 0.8 or higher are desirable (Shea and Fortna, 2002). Since the LAP has its roots in the long case and considering that it has evolved as a modified observed long case the author will attempt to address how the deficiencies in reliability of long cases were addressed to make it a LAP. Attempts to improve the reliability of the long case and make it into an effective LAP fall into three categories. First, studies have considered how many additional long cases would be required, with Kroboth et al (1992) suggesting that 6-10 long cases (each of 1-1.5 h) would achieve a generalisability coefficient of 0.8. Thus it would take a minimum of 4 different cases with at least 2 assessors in each to be reliable and therefore, careful sampling of representative cases with the use of blueprints is of paramount importance (Cangelosi, 1990).Second, commentators have attempted to increase the number of long cases, but have done so by employing a format that draws on shorter assessments (20-45 min) and multiple cases (4-6) assessed directly after each other in a single session (McKinley et al, 2000; Wass Jolly, 2001; Hamdy et al, 2003; Norcini et al, 2003). Third, elements of the discussion and questioning aspects of the long case have been stan dardised in an attempt to improve reliability and student perceptions of fairness (Olson et al, 2000). Thus, having all relevant domains and enough numbers would increase the reliability and validity of the instrument. All these are incorporated in LAP and modified LAP to make a reliable instrument. This is further demonstrated by McKinley et al that the required levels of reliability can be achieved when the modified LAP is used by multiple markers in assessing the same consultation, that is, the package produces inter-assessor reliability. Their generalizability analysis indicates that two independent assessors assessing the performance of students across six consultations would achieve a reliability of 0ÂÂ ·94 in making pass or fail decisions. Also in this study ninety-eight percent of students perceived that their particular strengths and weaknesses were correctly identified, 99% that they were given specific advice on how to improve their performance and 98% believed that the feedback they had received would have long-term benefit(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000). The example of assessment criteria and guidelines of the modified LAP used in the study are incorporated as Appendix 4 and 5. Reliability of the LAP would not be severely threatened if the details of the test items have leaked out to the candidates unintentionally. However, it might if they have seen this patient before in the clinical setting. There were chances of this happening as the same banks of patients were used. This has been rectified by updating the bank and recruiting different patients. Broad sampling across cases is essential to assess clinical competence reliably (Wass and Vleuten, 2004). Feasibility The design and running of the modified LAP has significant resource implications. The crux of the issue for this kind of assessment is feasibility and cost effectiveness in terms of finance, space and manpower. Lots of time and effort are required to prepare and administer the instrument with high quality. Recruiting enough assessors, real patients, [simulated patients in case of psychiatry] and the equipment is always a huge challenge. Finding the trained assessors, who mostly tend to be busy clinicians, to take time from their heavy work schedule is also a challenge. However, lots of these issues can be overcome if this test is administered regularly i.e. sequential testing. This is further helped by having a database for the patients and assessors. Good advanced planning will also go a long way. Acceptability John B Cookson, et al. (2008), in a letter to the BMJ, say that feedback from students who have faced this examination in Leicester for the past 9 years strongly indicate that it is perceived as a fair and acceptable test of their abilities. From the organizational point of view it has been acceptable because of sequential testing. There is a healthy debate about replacing this with OSCEs or at least using OSCEs to supplement this for the assessment of clinical based practice. Educational Impact From the students point of view, the high-stakes LAP certainly exerts a great educational impact. The outcome of the examination will be used to decide the fate of the students. The LAP provides a platform for students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in a single direct observational setting. Among other advantages it encourages students to develop the essential links between history, physical examination, diagnosis and management in each clinical challenge as the consultation progresses, not at some remote point thereafter. This is true as they practise for these exams in this way with peer group or supervision. It definitely has a huge educational impact as the students keep the final assessment in mind and practice the required domains in a structured way from various colleagues and peers. The impact is even greater in some medical schools like WMS as the feedback is given to the students in the formative intermediate exams. This enables the students to reflect on their performance and improve upon them. 4. STANDARDS The Standards can be criterion-referenced (absolute standard) or peer-referenced (relative standard). Borderline approach , fixed percentage , Angoffs and Hofstee methods are but a few of the many methods described in the literature for standard-setting (Norcini, 2003). Livingstone and Zieky (1989) proposed that the higher the stakes of the assessment, the greater the significance in using criterion-referenced standards. Thus criterion referenced can be used for LAP in the setting of high stakes exams like final professional exams in WMS or postgraduate exit exams SAMPLING It is impractical to combine all of the learning outcomes into a single, summative assessment. On a practical note one has to be careful while allotting the students and examiners for the different station/patients/item so that they get a wide variety of sampling that gives a different case mix. Thus, it also needs to be made sure that they are observed and examined by different examiners to increase the sampling. Thus a careful and effective blueprinting should be done to make LAP a high utility instrument. Moreover, qualitative triangulation of evidence [sampling] from different sources such as satisfactory performance in each block, including other types of exams likes OSCE for practical skills will further improve the reliability (Stern, et al., 2003). 6. EVIDENCE Evidence from a single point is not sufficiently generalisable to be extrapolated to all occasions (PMETB, 2007). Studies regarding validity and reliability are costly and difficult to design. Triangulation is an excellent solution to critique the evidence collated qualitatively, where evidence from at least 3 occasions/ resources indicating the same outcome is analyzed (PMETB, 2007). Each LAP item should be treated independently, as an entity of its own, and, although literature can prove LAP do possess the potential to be highly valid and reliable, such study would need to be conducted on separate occasions to demonstrate convincing evidence. This is continuous ongoing process at most of the institutions including WMS. 7. LEVEL It is suggested that using the LAP for direct observation of the consultation would be a useful tool to assess whether the student has successfully acquired the necessary competencies expected at the end of undergraduate or postgraduate training. One of the interesting components is to attempt to judge the overall relationship with the patient. Attitudes are most likely to be conveyed to the patient through the doctors behaviour and should, therefore, be assessed by the observation of behaviours in the clinical setting (REZLER, 1976). Nevertheless, this approach relies on judgements, made by experts, of non-standardised material and is, therefore, open to question. Because professionalism is a complex construct, it is unlikely that a single assessment will adequately measure it even though this assessment makes the attempt. Systematic assessment of professionalism should also include many different assessors, more than one assessment method and assessment in different settings (Lynch , et al., 2004). Hence, these assessments are a continuous process throughout the MBChB and, indeed, afterwards. In essence the LAP, as an assessment tool, is close to competency based assessment and demonstrates shows how in the Miller triangle. CONCLUSIONS Long cases on their own have been criticised for poor reliability of examiner assessments and the lack of direct observation by the examiner of the trainee patient encounter [reducing the validity of the assessments]. There is evidence that adding an observing examiner to the history and physical examination part of the long case assessment increases reliability and helps to reconcile the complex interactions between the context and the skills/knowledge (construct) that the long case attempts to measure (Wass and Jolly, 2001). The LAP is one such tool where there is observation during history and physical examination and structured assessment and proves to be of high utility. This is supported by some studies in the formative setting(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000) The LAP, when analysed via its properties, is a good tool to assess observed clinical practice. It might not be so effective for practical skills and, for these, it probably needs to be supplemented by work based assessments or even OSCEs. When supplemented with other assessment tools [Triangulation] LAPs can be used effectively for summative assessment in high stake assessments such as the final examinations for medical students. The main drawbacks are feasibility, difficulty in blue-printing and cost effectiveness. It encourages students to develop the essential skills together rather than combining them afterwards. REFERENCES Bhakta, B., Tennant, A., Horton, M., Lawton, G. and Andrich, D. (2005) Using item response theory to explore the psychometric properties of extended matching questions examination in undergraduate medical education. BMC Medical Education, 5 (1): 9. Fraser, R. C., McKinley, R. K. and Mulholland, H. (1994) Consultation competence in general practice: establishing the face validity of prioritized criteria in the Leicester assessment package.[see comment]. British Journal of General Practice, 44 (380): 109-113. Gleeson, F. (1997) AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 9. 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APPENDIX 1- PROPOSED ITEM AN OBSERVED MODIFIED LONG CASE CONTEXT- Following Continued Medical Education day for Diabetes Specialist Registrars-SPRs[CME Appendix 2] Aimed at senior SPR that is year 4-5 just a year before completion of their training Formative Assessment Can be used in their portfolios for Continued Professional Development CPD Generic skills assessed- Communication, Professionalism, Clinical reasoning in uncertain environment, Teamwork and Multidisciplinary Approach Assessment involves 4 items of observed long modified long cases and MCQ-paper aiming mainly at knowledge base. One such item an observed modified long case has been described below. Expected learning outcomes for this formative assessment item- Able to assess vascular, neurological status of foot and in a patient with diabetes Diagnose pedal pathologies in the