Cold War History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cold War History - Research Paper Example The world quickly turned into polarized and bipolar. Fourth, two superpowers appeared in the world with military and economic power which gave them a significant advantage over the others. Plus, the interests of Western countries in different parts of the globe began to come up against the interests of the Soviet Union. The new political conditions, formed after World War II, were quickly understood by Churchill, who announced the new realia and called them the Cold War1. The defeat of such powerful monsters as Germany and Japan testified that the balance of power in the world was changed. The Allied forces of the Four Powers - the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain and France occupied the territory of Germany and Austria in accordance with the decisions of the Potsdam Conference. The political influence of the Soviet Union extended to Poland, part of Germany, occupied by Soviet forces, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Romania. Though the country was exhausted by war, it badly needed to recover economic and human resources, it still had the most powerful and experienced army of about 11 million soldiers2. On the other hand, the U.S. became the dominant global power after the Second World War, which has enormous economic, air, sea and nuclear power. As a result of the effective strategy the United States increased the gross national product by 1.7 times (excluding inflation) during the war and lost only 300 thousand soldiers. The U.S. dollar became the most stable currency and New York - the largest financial market in the world. The country quickly overcame inflation, raised wages and had the world’s highest productivity. Economic power of the United States, its industrial and financial expansion, contributed to the fact that the United States got the role of global hegemon3. Growing distrust among the former Allies led to the fact that the countries of Western Europe and the U.S. joined forces against the USSR. The Soviet Union, i n an effort to protect its borders, created a kind of a buffer of the countries which formed pro-Soviet government after the war. Thus, the world was divided into two camps: capitalist and socialist. Both established the so-called systems of collective security - military blocs. On 4 April 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty was signed and the world saw a new military organization - NATO, which included the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. In May, 1955, the Warsaw Pact was signed as a countermeasure. It included (that year) Albania (later, in 1968, it denounced the pact), Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia. The polarization of the world was over4. The created coalitions, led by their leaders, began to struggle for influence in third world countries. One of the most memorable results of the Cold War is Arms Race Its start was related to atomic weapons. In 1945 the United States was the only nuclear power in the world. Hiroshima and Nagasaki got â€Å"i nformed† about that. That strategic superiority fostered the U.S. military begin to build a variety of plans of pre-emptive strikes on the Soviet Union. But the American monopoly on nuclear weapons remained only four years. In 1949 the USSR tested its first atomic bomb. This event was a real shock to the Western world and an important milestone of the Cold War.

Accreditation of City College of San Francisco Research Paper - 1

Accreditation of City College of San Francisco - Research Paper Example Besides that I have incorporated pathos since there is an element of persuasion in argumentation and what better way to persuade than to appeal through the emotions of your opposition. The use of pathos has been juxtaposed with the use of logos since the opposition is one of the high intellects. Juxtaposition, therefore, is my second rhetorical device. The largest community college in California seems to have landed itself in big trouble. It faces the daunting prospect of losing its accreditation, a decision that would mean no more financial aid for its students and possibly the closure of the institution itself. The reasons for these are mainly fiscal trouble and mismanagement. Evaluators are not happy with the way City College allocates its budget, nor with the fact that it has a very few administrative staff, most of which, is untrained. According to Roberts, 92% of City College’s budget is spent on salaries and benefits with retirement benefits spiraling out of control, much of its one-time working capital is used to fund operational expenses and has a small number of administrators who are too inexperienced to run a big institution such as City College (Roberts). The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has given its verdict based on these reasons, the President of the Commission, Barbara Beno said, â€Å"Only accredited colleges can receive public funding under state law. However, City Colleges failure to fix serious, long-standing problems of leadership and fiscal planning means that the accrediting commission could vote as early as next June to yank the schools all-important certification† (Asimov). Losing accreditation would therefore mean no more public funding for one of the largest institutions in California, no chance of financial aid for its 90000 students and the dire prospect of closure. In fact, City College will also not be able to transfer credits,

Helping Our Students Transition Successfully Coursework

Helping Our Students Transition Successfully - Coursework Example Student who used to plan their schedules so that they have afternoon classes or classes during particular days of the week, have hard time coping up with job environments that demand full time working for five days a week. One needs to wake up early and ensure that they arrive to work by 8 a.m. in college, there is a lot of free time and vocation time especially when students break for summer or winter. Some other colleges have mid-semester break. Unfortunately, this is not that case with work. One is only entitled for utmost two-weeks leave which mostly come once in a year (Gore, 4). Though one may find hard managing various discussion groups in college, it becomes harder when one is employed. Students are therefore requested to make use of their time in colleges so as to prepare them for their careers. College is a factory that transforms students into corporates. It is in college where one gets the opportunity to try different things and be somehow irresponsible. Acting unprofessionally while in college will only result to poor grades or a lecture from the administration. In working environment, people are required to maintain highest standards of professionalism. Any act of unprofessionalism lead to dismissal or stern warning from the management. In addition, while a student is in college, they may sweet talk their lectures if they fail to meet deadline to submit assignments, this is not the case while one is working. As a professional, one must meet deadlines set for them (Kuh, 12). Finally, in college, students are used to lectures giving then notes and assisting them solve complex assignment. At work, one is supposed to figure out solutions to complex situations as this is the only way one becomes distinguished. Students must therefore conduct themselves in the most professio nal manner that will reflect who they will be in their career. Many students

Personal philosophy of leadership

Personal philosophy of leadership Leadership Leadership is the ability of one to guide others; it is based on ones abilities and qualities rather than skills. One is born with these inherent qualities and naturally leads others; these qualities are such as honesty, courage, confidence, determination and wisdom among others. A leader is different from a manager, while a leader is born with the qualities a manger is created from skills he acquires. The leader can become a manger while a manger is not necessarily a leader. The leader is seen as a person in charge they are consulted for they ability to make decisions and guide the course of events. While this may be true the leader is also a servant, a good leaders purpose is to serve those who he has been bestowed upon the responsibility of guiding. This may seem absurd but looking at leadership from a critical point of view one is able to understand the huge responsibility on their shoulders as they are often looked upon. The position of leadership is either bestowed upon them or it comes naturally, when a faced by a certain decision a leader in a group will emerge without being appointed. Leadership is then called upon to be based on ethics. The reason for this is that leadership in todays world is under constant scrutiny, everyone is watching the actions of the leader they make comments and pass judgment. The leadership position is no longer a revered position, it is one thought respected is not exempted from the societys scrutiny. A good leader is one who involves those he leads in the every decision making and activities of this group. The leadership role should also elevate the followers to a higher and better position. Leadership is meant improve the individuals, a leader that leads those he leads into destruction or ruin is not an ethical leader. Ethically there are accepted behavioral aspects that are expected of a leader, the leader is not supposed to abuse the powers bestowed to him. They should not betray the trust and loyalty empowered to them by others, they are supposed to be consistent, should not hoard privileges and more so they should accept responsibility. These are the ethical aspects of leadership expected by the society. Personal Leadership Competence Leadership theories have been in use to help describe leadership. The transformational leadership theory is based upon the ethical approach, where both the leader and followers are engaged in a combined effort to raise each other. Transformational leaders raise the standards by being good examples to their followers. The process or transactional leader whose concern the creation of structures that he expects the followers to adhere to, of they do he rewards them. The transformational leader promotes social values and encourages his followers. Leadership development is not only restricted to mangers and leaders but can be useful to employees who are seeking to further their skills in leadership. In order for one to effectively develop their leadership skills, they need to develop a plan. This is guided by leadership competence skills. The first step to achieving a personal leadership plan is the identification of goals. In order for me to achieve a healthcare leadership competence in the 21st century, the first step is to complete the master program in health informatics. This training is meant to give me skills in the information sector that are necessary in the field of health. The use and application of computers, information technology in the healthcare sector necessitates the learning of health informatics. This will be acquired in the process of training and work experience as a nurse. Then I must access proficiency. The next step in my leadership development plan is the identification of learning experiences. As a nurse i need to develop a learning contract with my immediate supervisor. This step is necessary as it gives me hands on experience and learning opportunities in the work environment. The supervisor is there to give guidance, work experiences and a guide in the learning process in the work place. This interaction also assists one in the acquiring of leadership skills especially when a supervisor assigns one an assignment. In the learning process I should get a mentor in the field of nursing. This mentor is an authority in the area in which I am interested in. the purposes of mentors are to assist the learner in the learning process, they are both friends and leaders to the leaner. A mentor should be able to assist the learner in their quest for knowledge, give those resources, and practical experience as well as the exposure they require. During this learning process, to acquire the necessary leadership skills, as a potential nursing director, I should engage in some cross training program. The purpose of which is to acquire theoretical knowledge in the field of interest. Programs such as these may involve workshops, or seminars organized in the work place. Volunteering for duty is one other sure way of accruing leadership skills. Grabbing the opportunity to fill in the position of a supervisor or staff that is away will expose one to the daily responsibilities. It is during these instances that one is well aware of their qualities as a leader, their shortcomings and strengths because this opportunities offer one the chance to exercise their knowledge. Filling in the position of a senior nurse even for one day is a fulfilling exercise; it even exposes one to the management. An important learning practice is that of joining outside professional organizations. Either as a trainee, a part time worker or a volunteer the purpose again is learning, getting a feel of the leadership skill outside your workplace, gaining insights into how other organizations work. While learning can be obtained within the organizations workshops and training programs, but it is also good to obtain certifications from other institutions of learning in the medical field. Short courses offered add value to an individual as well as training in the relevant field. With todays ever changing market, institutions of higher learning are developing short courses to training professionals. A nurse can find these courses useful if they intend to further their career. These courses are also flexible in terms of time, evening, weekends holidays or even online and correspondence. It is important to try out online self test programs; these are meant to provide an individual with an opportunity to self evaluate themselves. Apart from these online programs ,there are books and tapes available on the self test. Upon completion of the learning experiences it is necessary to have a developmental plan. This plan should detail the duration of time, specific objectives and goals to be achieved. The developmental plan should entail the learning experiences. The mentor, the short courses one intends to attend. Organizations that one is attending should incorporate self test, this show also state the results of the test. The strengths and weaknesses of the individual, s a nurse the developmental plan should have the short and long term goals. The plan of completing health informatics course, the steps intended to achieve skills in order to be a nurse director. Strategic planning should be involved in the developmental planning stage; this involves the vision statement of the person. The vision here is to a nurse director; basically the vision is based on the long term goals. Strategic planning also consists of the mission, a personal mission details the specific objectives and how they plan to achieve them. By completing a course in informatics health and developing plans to achieve leadership training I am well on the way of becoming a nurse director. After planning, it is important to complete the learning experiences. These experiences were set in the time frame of the development plan. As one attains the learning experiences it is important to assess the progress. Assessment can be carried out during the experience or on completion of the experience. Continual assessment is advised since one can put checks in place as they undergo the learning process. Continuous assessment is supposed to assist in making sure that the goals are being fulfilled. It is during this assessment periods that one can incorporate short term goals in the master plan. The short term goals are like check makers in a plan, having achieved a certain short term goal one is then able to move to the next learning activity. Plans also change during these continuous assessments, this is in a case where it is found that the plan was not achieving the long term objective. Apart from continuous assessments one can carry out an assessment at the end of the exercise . This is at the end of the program, this is meant to evaluate the success of the program, and whether on e was able to achieve the goals set out. If this was not done then one goes back to the first step and identify new goals. The assessment should clearly give a guide where a step went wrong. In summary a leader is the decisive factor in the organization and society at large. Leadership should be based on ones abilities and qualities rather than skills. One is born with these inherent qualities and naturally leads others; these qualities are such as honesty, courage, confidence, determination and wisdom among others. A leader should be very different from a manager, while a leader is born with the qualities a manger is created from skills he acquires. The leader can become a manger while a manger is not necessarily a leader. The leader is seen as a person in charge they are consulted for they ability to make decisions and guide the course of events. While this may be true the leader is also a servant, a good leaders purpose is to serve those who he has been bestowed upon the responsibility of guiding. The development of an individual to a leader should be based on self motivation. By attaining leadership skills one should be able to effectively mange and his peers. Person al leadership skills are meant for self improvement, they assist one in the workplace and his career objectives. Work cited Cromwell, S. and Kolb, J, An examination of work-environment support factors affecting transfer of supervisory skills training to the work place. Human Resource Development Quarterly,2004 Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 449-71. Carter, N. Leadership Development Planning. Retrieved 1st May 2010, http://managementhelp.org/ldr_dev/ldr_dev.htm Baldwin, T. and Ford, K. (1988), Transfer Of Training: A Review And Directions For Future Research.Personnel Psychology, Spring, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p63-105 Brinkmann, T. How to Create a Personal Leadership Development Plan. 2007 Retrieved May 1, 2010, fromhttp://ezinearticles.com/?How- to- Create- a- Personal- Leadership- Development- Planid=803557 Kendra, C.Leadership Theories 8 Major LeadershipTheories retrieved 1st May 2010, http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories.htm NSS. Scotland. Delivery Through Leadership: Leadership Development Plan. Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 2005 Stephen, R., Bruce, M. and Terry, W.M., Organizational Behavior. Published by Prentice Hall, 4th ed.

Lost in Translation by Ewa Hoffman Essay -- Lost in Translation Ewa Ho

Lost in Translation - A Place to Remember As people grow up, there are special places that remain in the memories. These places become a safe haven when life becomes too rough to handle. All the bad qualities of this place disappear in their minds so that only a perfect world exists. This is a place where everything is right and everyday troubles do not exist. In the novel Lost in Translation by Ewa Hoffman, she describes this paradise of sorts as her hometown of Cracow, Poland. Cracow, Poland is where Ewa spent the majority of her childhood up until age fourteen when she emigrated to the Canada with her mother, father, and younger sister Alina. Although she only spent fourteen years there, this place became a magical entrapment for her. In Cracow, Ewa...

Positive Social Change Essay

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a type of research that involves all parties who are considered relevant in the issue in examining together current action- considered as the source of the problem, for the promotion of change and improvement of such current situation. It is not the type of research that precedes future actions. It is an action which is researched, changed and re-researched, a continuing process by and for its participants. It may not be used by one group of people for their own benefit versus other groups that are also involved in the issue. It is genuinely democratic by nature and is non-coercive. The people who the research aims to help are also active participants to the research process (Wadsworth, 1998). Action research or participatory action research for the past few years has come out to be a significant methodology for intervention and developmental change programs within different communities and groups. It has been implemented and promoted by many agencies and programs, also by countless local community organizations around the globe which attests to its effectiveness (Checkland & Howell, 1998). The many theories and research in social psychology, such as action research, among others, that put all theories into practice has certainly effected positive change. They have helped in ascertaining reasons behind the surfacing of various problems- whether it be on the individual or societal level. Knowing the source or sources of the problems and the factors that come into play has helped in coming up with feasible solutions to such through intervention methods or coming up with community programs. There have been changes in the type of methods employed in social psychology research as the years go by. From seeing participants in research as the â€Å"other†, a â€Å"subject† which is reminiscent of scientific research methods, as gleaned above in the definition of Active Participatory Research, there comes a shift in the treatment of participants in the study as not merely passive subjects/objects but as co-researchers themselves. This has been seen to yield a richer understanding of the issues at hand and provides for easier enactment of proposed intervention programs. As such, it is my belief that future research in social psychology would veer towards this direction due to its effectiveness in pinpointing specific problem areas and formulating innovative solutions to such. This social psychology course has made an impact in my life in many ways. Studying theories and methods on human behavior has helped me become more aware of my own behavior and how it affects others. Knowing the detriment that my behavior may cause gives me the ability to slowly change my approach in interacting with others so as I will be able to have a more harmonious relationship with everyone around me. That said, this course in Social Psychology has not only helped me understand the world around me, but myself as well, that may yield positive changes not only in my life, but that of others’ around me as well. REFERENCE LIST Wadsworth, Y. (1998). What is Participatory Action Research? Australia: Institute of Workplace Research, Learning and Development, Southern Cross University Press. Checkland, P. , & Holwell, S. (1998). Action Research: Its Nature and Validity. Systemic Practice and Action Research, Volume 11, (Issue 1, Feb), p 9-21. Jenner, E. A. , Watson, P. W. B. , Miller, L. , Jones, F. , & Scott, G. M. (2002). Explaining hand hygiene practice: an extended application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 7(3), 311-326.

Case Analysis: Netflix

1.0 Problem Statement: This case analysis deals with â€Å"Loss of Revenues and declining growth of Netflix in the face of stiff competition.† 2.0Scenario: Founded in the year 1997 by Reed Hastings, the company started the DVD online service in 1999 and expanded rapidly to be the world’s largest Online DVD movie rental service in the year 2005, having 3.59 million subscribers as at the third quarter of 2005. The company has the exclusive advantage of proprietary software ‘Cinematch’ to provide subscribers with personalized movie recommendations. The company has 37 regional shipping locations to efficiently manage the logistics of the DVDs. Netflix has eight different subscriptions plans ranging from $9.99 to $ 47.99 for the customers to choose from with no time limit for the return of the DVDs, of course subject to a maximum number of DVDs the subscriber can hold at any point of time. The Company faces the problem of decline in profits due to lower subscription prices. To combat the competition from the nearest rival Blockbusters Neflix had to lower the subscription in its premium segment. The decline in revenues had made the company to put on hold its expansion plans to UK and Canada. 3.0 Analysis: The analysis of the case of Netflix presents three distinct problem areas relating to the structure and design of the organization which the company needs to concentrate on. They are: 3.1 Revision in subscription Rates: The company was rather forced to lower its subscription rates to cope up with the competition from the rivals. The reduction being in the most sought segment of $ 21.99 plan, has severely affected the revenue realization of the company. As a result the cost of revenues rose to 59.71 percent for the first nine months period of the year 2005 as compared to 54.61 percent for the year 2004. This has caused a decline in the gross profit. There is no significant change in the operating expenses to total revenues. The percentage of operating expenses remains at 41.5 percent for 2004 and 40.2 percent for the first three quarters of 2005. 3.2 Number of Subscribers: Though there is an increase in the number of subscribers the rate at which the subscriber list is expanding does not relate itself with the reduction in the subscription rates. This is evident from the fact that the subscriber acquisition cost has increased from $ 36.09 for the year 2004 to $ 36.92 for the broken period of 2005. In order to break even it is essential for the company to concentrate on increasing the number of subscriber base to result in enhanced rental revenues. Addition to the subscribers is at 75.5 percent for the year 2004, whereas it stood at 37.6 percent for the first nine months of 2005. Even considering the estimated increase to 4 million subscribers at the end of 2005 the percentage addition would still remain at 53.25 percent which is not working to the advantage of the company in terms of revenues. This may be due to the presence of competitors as well as other modes available to the subscribers for obtaining movie DVDs. 3.3 Diversification: Netflix has so far been only on the online rental of movie DVDs. The competition in this particular segment of the business is increasing with more players like Blockbusters and Green cine entering the business. Moreover the Video on Demand (VOD) and brick and mortar rental outlets like Gallery also pose a competition to Netflix’s business. Although it is estimated that the company would be able to get a subscriber network of 7 million by the end of the year 2007, unless the company takes steps to enhance its revenue from other sources still it may find it difficult to take advantage of the increased subscriber base. 4.0 Conclusion: The following are some of the issues that need to be attended to by the company Netflix to augment its revenue and the resultant profitability: Rate of increase the number of subscribers is not commensurate to increase the earnings The subscription rates are kept low to meet the competition which has caused an erosion in the earnings The company is facing competition from companies who offer other modes of providing the entertainment options. 5.0 Recommendations: Some of the suggestions for improvement in the earnings and ensure the growth are: Increase the number of subscribers by undertaking vigourous advertisement campaigns Reduce the number of options for subscribers from the present 8 options to 4, by rationalizing the subscription rates and adopting modified subscription structures which will increase the earnings for the company Have a look in to the other modes of offering DVDs by opening brick and mortar stores using the existing goodwill of the company. Additionally providing VOD services and rental of game DVDs may also be looked into.