Cultural Differences Between Thailand And The United...

The world consists of over 150 countries with different cultural values and practices (Gelfand, Nishii, Raver, 2006). Due to globalization, some countries have positively or negatively influenced the cultural diversity of other countries, while others have maintained their cultural purity despite the high rate of globalization. Therefore, some countries have experienced cultural convergence, while others have experienced cultural divergence. Cultural divergence is where the cultures of two or more countries tend to have many values that are incomparable and dissimilar, while cultural convergence is where two or more countries tend to have cultural values that closely relate to each other (Browaeys Price, 2011). For instance, in this regard, many developed countries have had a profound cultural influence on the less developed countries. The study of cultural divergence and convergence by using models such as cultural metaphors is important in management practices. These studies prov ide significant information in making strategic decisions of marketing or investing in a particular country. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the cultural differences between Thailand and the United States of America (U.S). It will achieve its aim using cultural metaphors and indigenous models to analyze the divergence of cultural values in both countries. It will also discuss the relevance of such cultural divergences to the management practices in both countries. Contextual comparisonShow MoreRelatedSexuality Is A Social Identity That Goes Beyond The Objectivity1636 Words   |  7 Pagesnation. Thailand, China, and India demonstrate how cultural power structures are developed or influenced in part by the collective sexualities and sexual practices of women and the roles they play within their communities, and subsequently their nations as a whole. Although the gender binary is not exclusive to the United States, there are clear components of the American gender system which have crossed transnational boundaries into Thailand. Lesbianism which is not exclusive to the United States asRead MoreEffect of Culture in International Business Essay1492 Words   |  6 Pagesreligious. So the foreigner who wants to operate the business at the overseas market have to understand the culture at the local market to become successful. In this report also compare between the similarities of culture between two countries such as Thailand-Malaysia and different in culture between China and United States. DEFINITIONS The term ‘Culture’ can be can be defined in more than 160 ways. According to (Terpstra and David 1985) they proposed the meaning of culture in internationalRead MoreWhy Hmong Families Left Laos1323 Words   |  5 PagesHmong families, like the Lees in the novel â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† have been immigrating to the United States since the end of the Vietnam War. The majority of the Hmong living in the U.S. are now located in specific cities and regions of California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (Lee and Green 2010). The Lee family moved to the Merced, California in 1980 and has had to adapt to life in a new host country (Fadiman 1997). Acculturation is used to describe how the culture of immigrantsRead MoreHmong Culture : Influences On A European American Society1488 Words   |  6 PagesHmong primarily lived in Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. They had a great impact in helping western forces during the Vietnam War, and wars in Laos in efforts to end Communism. The article continues and describes how many tried to escape from Laos; those that survived settled in refugee camps that had terrible living conditions. (Tatman, 2004). Although the Hmong are diffused around the world, their distinct cultural traditions and customs create a strong cultural identity. After discussing of the traditionsRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography of Articles about the American Culture861 Words   |  3 Pagestraditions, and attitudes from the perspectives of outsiders. DeVita and Armstrong emphasize that it is hard for a social scientist to fully understand the uniqueness and strangeness of ones culture. Growing up within the culture means accepting ones cultural assumptions for granted. Being closed to the perspectives only outsiders might have, those who grow up in American culture fail to ask the kind of questions that may reveal more about America. And this is where, DeVita and Armstrong argue, the essayRead MoreSigp Grant Proposal — Joel Alvarez-Rinconeà ±o. 1.Taking950 Words   |  4 Pagesimproved my adaptability in differing cultural and social environments. Given this experience, I have been inspired to continue traveling and exploring the world during college. Currently, I am on the track to declaring a major in sociology, a minor in English, and obtaining an integrated marketing communications certificate. Teaching English in Thailand will aid in my sociological studies since I will gain firsthand insight to the intricate relationship between culture, institutions, and society.Read MoreNegotiation Report Med Lee1070 Words   |  5 Pagesin general, did you learn about negotiation from the exercise? What surprised you? What would you do differently if you had a chance to do the exercise again? The MedLee: In Pursuit of a joint venture negotiation exercise refers to a joint venture between a US Company and a Family Thai Business Company. I had the role of Pat Armstrong (Med Device Representative: Director of International Strategic Market Research) the issues I had to negotiate were: decision making/control, staffing, profit distributionRead MoreAnalyzing Starbucks And Its Level Of Success Around The World956 Words   |  4 Pagesare possible cultural, political, and economic difficulties that lie ahead. To analyze Starbucks and its level of success around the world, I’ll be using Gramsci’s categories of base, structure, and super structure. For base, I will discuss how economics comes into play in China; for structure, I will explain the political barriers Starbucks faced integrating into the Indian market; and lastly, super structure will be examined by the struggle in Italy regarding cultural differences and StarbucksRead MoreTo most of us, globalizationà ¢â‚¬â€as a political, economic, social, and technological force—appears all1700 Words   |  7 Pagesterms—global citizens. This convergence is controversial, even offensive, to some who consider globalization a threat to their identity and way of life. It is not surprising; therefore, that globalization has evoked counter forces aimed at preserving differences and deepening a sense of local identity. Yet, at the same time, we increasingly take advantage of what a global economy has to offer—we drive BMWs and Toyotas, work with an Apple or IBM notebook, communicate with a Nokia phone or BlackBerry, wearRead MoreThe World s Most Visited City Of 2016 Essay2152 Words   |  9 PagesBangkok, Thailand is the world’s most visited city of 2016 (CNBC, September 2016). Bangkok is projected to have 21.47 million international visitors in 2016. What makes this Southeast Asian country such a popular destination among travelers? Could it be the ancient ruins of the country? Could it be the delicious and savory food we have all known to love? Or the friendliness of the people for which the country is nicknamed the â€Å"Land of Smiles.† No matter the reasons why people visit Thailand, the

The First Knight Free Essays

In medieval times people lived by the medieval code of chivalry which is usually associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honor and courtly love. In a knights code of chivalry a knight was expected to have strength and skills to fight but also was expected to be kind. In the rules of courtly love it describes the pure romance of love but also the love for another man’s wife. We will write a custom essay sample on The First Knight or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the movie the first knight, Lancelot displays the ideals of medieval chivalry and courtly love in admirable ways but also in ways that caused pure chaos. In the film, Lancelot illustrates the knight’s code of chivalry even before he became a knight. In the code of chivalry, one of the rules is to protect the weak and defenseless. Lancelot shows this again and again by protecting Guinevere. The first time he shows this is when Guinevere’s carriage was attacked by prince Malagants followers and her carriage was being taken away he saved her and brought her back safely. Another time is when he goes to save her from Malagants cave when she was abducted by his people from the castle in the middle of the night. Although he protects her all the time his reason to do so is very abstruse because he doesn’t do it to protect the queen but because they both have a clandestine love for each other which later on leads to a calamity. Courtly love is very well illustrated in Lancelot’s love for Guinevere in the film the first knight. In the rules of courtly love it points out that a true lover is continually and without interruption obsessed by the image of his beloved and that in sight of his beloved, the heart of the lover begins to palpitate. In the first knight, Lancelot admits to Guinevere more than once that he cherishes her so much that he can’t balk the thought of her out of his head. Another part of the movie where he displays courtly love is when the people are playing the gauntlet and he sees her you can see that he is mesmerized by her sight and that his heart is palpitating. Even though Lancelot was in love with King Arthur’s wife (Queen Guinevere) behind his back he still displayed even more chivalry when King Arthur noticed he would make an adept knight and made him a knight of the round table. When Lancelot joined this camaraderie he vowed to protect every one of his brothers no matter what. In the knights code of chivalry it points out that you have to guard the honor of his fellow knights and to protect them. When Lancelot saw that his brothers (Knights of the Round Table) needed help during a battle, he would go and protect them from the enemy. Although I accede with many of the rules of courtly love the times have changed and today its hard to find someone who still follows the rules as well as Lancelot followed them for the love he had for Queen Guinevere. In spite of the fact that he is loving a married woman Lancelot stuck to many of the rules of chivalry and courtly love. How to cite The First Knight, Papers

GE and the Pros and Cons of Ethical Code free essay sample

What do we mean when we say business ethics? In this paper we discuss the business ethics and the pros and cons of implementation and compliance. Looking at one of the most successful companies in the world, we have found that a â€Å"Code of Ethics† has multiple roles when considering the ramifications of following or not following those codes. General Electric is looked upon as one of the largest corporate governing companies in the world and that by implementing a good code of ethics, and following them, can play a vital role in the success of GE. Whether in the US or conducting business abroad we look at the way a corporate code of ethics can affect each sector in its own ways. Considering the implication of corporate ethics, it is important to see the pros and cons of one company and learn from, not only the good, bad the unethical practices and avoid making the same mistakes. We will write a custom essay sample on GE and the Pros and Cons of Ethical Code or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page GE and the Pros and Cons of Ethical Code Beliefs, morals, virtue, and ethics; what is it that drives us in the way we run our personnel and professional lives? Where do this measure in the way we run a business? In this paper we will discuss the ways these traits influence our direction in which one company has looked at different ethical issues and some examples of how to implement such a code. We are going to dive into some of General Electric’s ethical decision making and the pros and cons of those decisions, but also in business in general as well. When I asked a group of colleagues from different levels of my company, I saw that there were many different opinions on how to handle certain situations and you will see this throughout the selected cases of GE. Using a written code of ethics in business can help companies develop a positive perception with consumers. The ability to educate consumers on how the company chooses to operate can go a long way in creating customer goodwill. Companies, like GE, can often improve their employees performance through a written code of ethics. This allows the company to set a specific set of ethical standards for employees to follow when working in the company. I want to make sure that we understand a few of these definitions so we will talk  about a general code of ethics in business today. It is also important that it is understood that perception of ethics comes in many different opinions. It’s up to you, the individual, and their personal convictions in the decision making process when concerning their imparticular company’s ethical code. First, I would like to define what Ethics is. Ethics can be defined as the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc. Simply put, they are a system of moral principles. Secondly, Business Ethics should be defined as a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. Research has, however, shown that for an ethics code to be effective, it must be used as part of a comprehensive corporate ethics program that includes infrastructure such as the ethics office, ethics reward and sanctioning, and periodical business ethics training for staff. Implementing the code as part of a comprehensive ethics program ensures that the code becomes real in the eyes of employees. It also ensures that it is not a once-off event that remains a written expression destined for staff office drawers without it ever shaping their behavior. Implementing the code as part of the comprehensive ethics program will also ensure that it is not accompanied by a belief that once the code has been crafted and distributed to staff, staff will simply join hands to practice ethical business behavior. The crafting process of the ethics code should involve employees so that there is a total buy-in and for the employee to be willing to abide by it. The tone and the style in which the code is written and communicated should be such that it will easily understand with employees’ expectations. The code should be written in simple and plain language. Management should understand that a code does not provide the answer to every difficult situation in the organization neither should it be viewed as a substitute for individual judgment. The code should be acknowledged for what it is simply a guide to ethical decision-making in situations of ethical dilemmas and complex ethical decision-making. The ethics code should contribute towards the creation of an ethical culture that encourages meaningful and thoughtful inquiry about complex ethical issues in the workplace, which should ultimately bolster organizational performance. Finally, how do we implement ethics in our business and what are the pros and cons of doing so. Even though we think having a code of ethics in our company is a positive business practice, there are pros and cons of implementation. Of course we all want to run our companies in a moral ethical manner so here are some of the pros of implementing such a program. Using a written code of ethics in business can help companies develop a positive perception with consumers. The ability to educate consumers on how the company chooses to operate can go a long way in creating customer goodwill. Companies can often improve their employees performance through their written code of ethics. This allows the company to set a specific set of ethical standards for employees to follow when working in the company. There are cons for such implementation of written ethical codes. A written code of ethics can increase a companys operating costs. Business owners and managers will need to spend time educating employees and promoting the code through educational seminars and other training methods. Decreases in revenue may occur when a company operates under a written code of ethics. The company will need to avoid business opportunities that violate the companys code of ethics, regardless of the sales potential. As we discuss the â€Å"code of ethics† I want to look at one of the most successful companies in the world. General Electric can provide many cases of ethics, ethical issues, and the pros and cons of these case studies. I have looked into many cases involving GE and certain situations concerning their code of ethics and we will look at the pros and cons of each case. Let us look at how GE began. â€Å"In 1890, Edison started a company to bring together his various businesses all under one roof, and called it the Edison General Electric Company. Two years later Edison merged with his primary competitor, the Thomas-Houston Company, and they called the new company the General Electric Company. The move was largely a bid to combine their various patents, to allow for more profitability on both of their parts, as it allowed them to freely use the many smaller inventions each inventor had created in their larger projects. Over the years, General Electric continued to grow and produce different products for a wide range of applications. Many of Edison’s early inventions formed the backbone of various General Electric lines through the 19th century, the 20th century, and down to the present day. Electric lighting, Power transmission, medical equipment, and transportation were all areas in which Edison held patents and had formed small companies, and are all areas in which General Electric today has large holdings. General Electric continued to innovate in a huge range of fields, and opened divisions specializing in everything from plastics to airplanes to electric fans. At the beginning of the 20th century General Electric had the first voice radio broadcast in the world, the first electric toaster, and began work on vacuum tubes that would herald the dawn of the electronic age. In the 1910s and 1920s General Electric continued to innovate, setting a new altitude record with an airplane, making the refrigerator a common household word, and building the world’s largest electrical facility on the Panama Canal. Through the Great Depression, General Electric continued to innovate in other ways, introducing a Consumer Finance system to allow consumers to buy appliances for the home even in hard times. In the era of World War II, General Electric assisted with the war effort, innovating in radar technology, and creating the first jet engine. From the 1950s through to the new millennium, General Electric continued to grow, tapping into emerging markets and investing massive resources in pushing the bounds of technologies across every sector. To this day they remain one of the largest investors in invention in the world, and use their massive size and power to shape policy across the globe. †(McGuigan, 2013) After looking at the history of how GE began we can see that having a standing code of ethics is essential in the success of a large company. Looking in the early 90s, GE was one of the largest companies in the world and has met its challenges concerning ethics and moral business practices. â€Å"There are few companies in the U. S. as successful as General Electric, the maker of everything from Thomas Edisons illuminating light bulb to the engines on the Presidents jet. GE is the fifth-largest industrial company the U. S. Revenues in 1993 from its 12 business groups exceeded $60 billion, up 6% over 1992, of which the company will have paid the tax collector $2 billion. Unfortunately for GE, there are also few companies in the U. S.  with as checkered an ethical record. In addition to 72 Superfund environmental cleanup sites in which it is named a potentially responsible party (total cost to GE to date: $500 million), GE has paid fines or settlement fees in 16 cases of abuse, fraud and waste in government contracting since 1990. This year alone, GE is facing a highly publicized trading scandal at its Kidder, Peabody subsidiary and a Justice Department investigation for alleged contract violation at its aircraft engine unit, and will go to trial in October to face accusations of price fixing and antitrust violations in the industrial diamond market. Looking at these examples questionable ethical decision, what is the reason for the vast array of penalties. GE is a company made up of many different subsidiaries. If GE decides to become the parent company isn’t it up to them to do their due diligent and make sure those companies follow the same code of ethics? I believe when a company acquires, or starts a joint venture, there must be clear guidance of the parent companies code of ethics. Sometime maybe the parent company can learn from the practices of the one they are going into business with. One of the pros of going into business or acquiring a new company for GE is the new ideas brought to the table. As for the other company, it provides global presence and some corporate governance. Looking at it from the other side, there are times being associated with a company that has poor ethical practices can harm the over success of the two joint companies. As in the case above we can see that it goes both ways as far as the parent company and the subsidiary

The Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia Accidents an Example of the Topic Science and Technology Essays by

The Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia Accidents by Expert TheSmartwriter | 23 Nov 2016 It has been claimed that the engineers were to blame for both the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle accidents and we shall, therefore, look into the failure on the part of management and the extent to which they are responsible for the failures of the two missions. Need essay sample on "The Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia Accidents" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Space programs have enormous implications, pressure and expectations as regards the result as in countries like America the whole is usually watching. This paper I will argue that the decision-making power on whether to launch or not should be made by the engineers and not the management as they are in a better position to establish whether a space shuttle can be launched without the risk of accidents. Our Customers Frequently Tell EssayLab specialists: Who wants to write paper for me? Specialists propose: Don't Waste Your Time As per the investigations that have been carried out into the causes of both the Challenger and Columbia disaster the management was found to have played a role in the disaster. The NASA management in the case of the Space Shuttle Challenger was found to have ignored safety concerns raised by the engineers. Therefore it is, therefore, safe to say that if the management had paid attention to the concern raised by the engineers the accident would not have taken place. The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster was attributed to structural flaws though in almost all previous missions a foam insulator had broken off but had not caused any significant amount of damage. However, in this particular case, the chief thermal protection system engineer and other engineers raised concern but the managers did not respond. The Space Shuttle Challenger burst into flames just 73 seconds after launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew on board. This was caused by the failure of the O-ring in the right Solid Rocket Booster at liftoff. The O-ring is a rubber ring which seals the joint around the connection point between the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) and the Hydrogen tank. The failure of the O-ring was attributed to low temperatures, close to 31F (1C), at the launch which was below the minimum temperature permitted for launch. The engineers at Morton Thiokol, the contractor responsible for the construction and maintenance of the shuttles SRBs, had raised concern that the temperature would affect the resilience of the rubber O-rings and that they did not the data necessary to establish whether the joint would seal properly. This was discussed by the engineers and managers at Morton Thiokol, NASA managers from the Kennedy Space Center and those from the Marshall Space Flight Center. The concerns were not heeded by the Morton Thiokol management who recommended that the launch proceeds as scheduled. NASAs managers pressured the Morton Thiokol management by requiring them to prove that the launch was unsafe rather than prove it was safe and since they were unable to prove that the launch would unsafe their concern and recommendation was totally disregarded. The launch proceeded as planned and barely 2 minutes into the flight, the Challenger burst into flame killing all the seven crew onboard. Subsequent investigation revealed that the O-rings were responsible for the tragedy and further investigation revealed that the failure was caused by the failure of the O-rings to seal the joint between the srbs. This, therefore, points to a breach of engineering ethics and negligence on the part of the management both at NASA and at Morton Thiokol, and thus they were entire to blame for the tragedy. The Space Shuttle Columbia burst into flames during its re-entry into the earths atmosphere only 16 minutes before it was scheduled to land at CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida. This was attributed to the damage caused when a piece of foam insulation broke off the Space Shuttle external tank and struck the left wing during liftoff. The foam piece is said to have struck the leading edge of the left wing which damaged the Shuttles Thermal Protection system (TPS) which shields the Shuttle from the extreme heat generated as a result of friction between the Shuttle and the earths atmosphere during re-entry. The NASA manager back on earth downplayed the extent of the damage caused by the insulation foam and went on to make a statement that it was not a safety threat, they even declined to request from other agencies claiming that nothing could be done. This not withstanding the engineers should have gone on and taken the images they required to establish whether This was an outright poor management decision by Lind Ham, head of the Space Shuttle Managers, as she declined several requests made by NASA engineers for high-resolution images of the left wing to be taken to establish the exact extent of the damage. The managers also rejected the idea to have an image of the shuttle's left wing taken before re-entry. This was attributed to the managers low level of concern and their one minded decision to have the mission continue, this made the engineers found themselves in a position similar that of those responsible for the Challenger in that they were required to prove that the situation was unsafe rather the norm which was to prove that the situation was safe. Therefore though this tragedy was mostly attributed to structural flaws the management could not be let off the hook as they had to try and come up with a solution. The problem, in this case, is that though the engineers tried to do something nothing could be done as the final decision was reserved to the Space Shuttle Program management. Decision-making on whether a shuttle should be launched or not should be made by the engineers and not the management. It was evidence in the case of the Challenger whereby the decision making was left to the management who in trying to comply with their launch schedule disregarded the safety concerns raised by the engineers both at NASA and at Morton Thiokol. The management can be said to have been driven by the fear of having any more delays as this would make them look incompetent and they were, therefore, afraid that they would lose funding which they received from the government. The NASA management was fully briefed of the danger that was posed by proceeding with the launch in those kinds of temperatures. They were even part of the group, include engineers from the Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, that discussed what would be the outcome if the shuttle was launched in such conditions to which the engineers responded that they did not have enough information to determine whether the O-ring would seal the SRB joint properly. This should serve as enough evidence that such kind of decision should not be left to people who do not have the safety concerns of their colleagues as the top priority no matter the stake. It should be noted that where an engineer(s) raise concern, the mission should not go any further until those concerns have been addressed and there is no other concern or doubt on the performance of any of the equipment on the shuttle(s). The managers also find themselves in very difficult situations as in most situations they are under pressure to deliver in the provided time failure to which they will be assumed to be incompetent and not capable of delivery. The Space Exploration program is considered to be a symbol of Americas intellectual power and also serves as a show of its might and it is used as a way to remind the rest of the world that America is still the most developed country in all facets. Therefore in cases where the managers are under tremendous amounts of pressure, they tend to downplay small hitches which involve overlooking engineering ethics and order the continuation of the mission so that they can come out as being able to deliver this acts as a boost when they seek funding (Charles, 2008). Therefore as per the evidence that was tendered in investigation into both the Columbia and Challenger disasters the decision to launch should be an engineering decision and not a managerial decision as in the case studies above the management disregarded very credible concerns by the management which if heeded even if not in the Columbia case would have prevented the disaster. Reference Charles, B. (2008). Engineering Ethics. New Jersey : Pearson/Prentice Hall

How to Design a Logo Essays

How to Design a Logo Essays How to Design a Logo Essay How to Design a Logo Essay HOW TO DESIGN A LOGO You know a great logo when you see one but you would like to know how to properly design one. A word of caution if youre thinking about going the do it yourself route in designing your own logo. It is one thing to read and understand the elements or principles of good design, but applying them appropriately is another matter. The explosion in software development has flooded the market with a wide variety of programs that will enable you to design your own identity. Even the most basic Desktop Publishing program has enough features to get the job done. Creativity is an art, not a science, and all too often novices sit down with the DTP software and are so enamoured with the available features that they use as many of them as they can. Professionals know what features to apply and in what proportions. The Internet has made a variety of lower cost professionals available at reasonable prices. Most offer custom design services and include diagnostic interviews so they can learn what your company is all about. So at least explore the possibility of hiring a professional design consultant to help. The use of color will illustrate one of the many benefits of professional services. If you go it alone your DTP program will let you concoct color combinations never seen by human eyes. But when you take your logo to the printer, can they be reproduced? A professional designer will know. Organizing Principle of Logo Design The color discussion leads us to the organizing principle of design: simplicity leads to functionality. Think about it and youll realize that some of the best logos ever created are really pretty simple. The McDonalds Golden Arch, Apples apple with the bite out of it, and Nikes swoosh are all examples. So where does functionality fit in? Logos are used in too many ways to even list. Consider some of them: on the corporate offices and satellite locations, on banners and billboards, on the Internet, on letterhead and business cards, on every piece of marketing material the company produces, on promotional items like shirts and hats, and yes, even on the tops of sticks placed in drinks served at company sponsored events. Simple images will work for any of those uses. They can pretty much go anywhere and do anything. So remember the KISS principle: Keep it Simple, Stupid! Font Style and Size As is the case with all elements, Fonts should be selected which match the nature of the companys business. If you want viewers of your company image to be reassured that your company is reliable, safe, and trustworthy, avoid flashy fonts and bold use of font sizes. Leave that for the companies representing bold, new, and innovative fields like alternative energy development. Banks and other financial service companies should use traditional and familiar font styles. Using Color Again, use bold colors like reds and oranges for bold businesses. Muted colors are not what you want here. Use of a lot of colors can actually be distracting. The old Apple logo contained multiple layers of color but it was redesigned to improve its functionality in the late 1990s. Using Enhancing Effects Many good logos simply present the company name and graphically enhance certain letters by wrapping them or stretching them in some way. Look at the FedEx logo. Simply boxing off the name created the desired effect. Simple, yet functional! That is how you design a logo.

How to Promote Yourself Without Bragging

How to Promote Yourself Without Bragging Struggling to find a way to talk yourself up without sounding like you’re bragging or totally showing off? In the era of the Facebook/Twitter humblebrag, this balancing act is more difficult than ever. You want to share your successes, but you also value humility. And you know that being too humble could cost you opportunities, money, connections, jobs. You know self-promotion is key, but you don’t want to go over the top. The first thing to remember is that modesty is your friend. Think of the people, famous or friends, who have the most amazing stories. Now think if you’ve ever heard them brag. The answer is probably no. How can you find a way to talk about your triumphs in a way that won’t make people hate you, no matter how nice you are? Here are a few sweet tips:Cultivate wonder.If you have something to share that really exceeds the normal realms of the mundane, keep in mind that your audience will likely be a little bit in awe of your story. Join in that sense of awe. Beat them to it even. Recognizing the wildness of the wild things that happen to you shows self-awareness and proves to people that you don’t just expect extraordinary things to happen to you on the regular.Always be grateful.This dovetails nicely with the wonder. Basically, recognize- publicly and often- how other circumstances and people have helped you realize the success you have. Every accomplishment involves some kind of cooperative effort. Make sure to highlight how you didn’t get where you are alone.Focus on your deeds.What matters isn’t who you are- I mean, that does matter, just not for the purpose of sharing your story- but what you do. Speak in terms of actions, not inherent qualities. Don’t say â€Å"I’m a rock star.† Say: â€Å"My company and I outperformed the competition by means of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Frame your accomplishments as acts, not just extensions of your awesomeness.Share your struggle.Chances are you didn’t land in your success story smiling and fresh as a daisy with not a scratch on you. Whenever you share success, share also the hard work, sweat, and tears that got you to it in the end. Fess up to the times you doubted yourself, the obstacles you faced, and how it wasn’t all that easy to accomplish what you did.Get someone else to do your bragging.Better yet, avoid having to brag at all. Find someone in your corner who’s willing to toot your horn for you, so you can stay graciously in the background nodding your head with gratitude and humility.Make it narrative.The ability to tell a good story is tantamount to genius in this media-saturated day and age. Turn your success into a whole story- complete with a beginning, middle, and end, plus hardships and obstacles, even perhaps a villain! Humanize yourself and personalize your acts.Be self-deprecating.You know that thing your parents told you to stop doing? There is a time and place for the deadpan and hon est â€Å"Well, actually, it’s not much of a success when you consider†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or the â€Å"that’s very kind, but my job is really to do this one part of a bigger picture.† This kind of thing can go a very long way to keeping you from alienating anyone with your braggadocio.Don’t humblebrag.Just don’t. It’s neither bragging nor humble. Though, it’s much more like bragging than humility. If something good happens to you, don’t ever couch it as a negative. You’re not fooling anyone.Always find humor.You can’t just hide from your achievements. If you’ve made big ones, you’ll have to talk about them. No sense backing yourself into a corner trying not to talk about them. What you can do is use humor. Come up with a couple of jokes that will diffuse the whatever sense your audience might have of you as stuck up and will endear you to the crowd. And the more personal you make your story, the more lik ely you are to seem like an actual human, rather than an egomaniac. Don’t be afraid to tell the truth!Keep it brief.There’s no need to detail every single one of your accomplishments. Let them unfold over time- and only when they’re actually relevant. Leak them out graciously. Fashion your bullet points into a brief â€Å"brag bite.† Get in, drop the necessary info, and get out again.

Professionalism and Time Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professionalism and Time Management - Essay Example Professionalism is the practice of engaging an activity, business or an occupation with utmost competency required in the practice. Professionalism ensures that an individual provides quality and efficiency in the outcome of his or her job (Clark & Kasar, 2009). It exhibits the qualities or characteristics of a professional person. Without professionalism, one can never attend to his or her tasks with the required integrity and ethics. (Clark & Kasar, 2009). Various factors contribute to improper time management. Some could be genuinely inevitable while outright laziness and improper planning define other reasons. Because I am regularly late for my lab sessions, it is vital to come up with effective time management skills to curb this problem (Clark & Kasar, 2009). Having a personal or self-reflection about the problem, and seeking necessary knowledge of the nature of the problem and prospective solutions is a major step to undertake toward establishing a solution.My problem is often caused by work and long distance to the laboratories. In this case scenario, I will have to come up with a timetable that would administer all my daily undertakings. It must be obeyed unless of an inevitable emergency that is more indispensable. Having mentioned that, I would rationalize my schedule and start my daily tasks earlier that normally in order to account for the long distance that for a long time has hindered me from punctuality. (Clark & Kasar, 2009).

SmartDust Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SmartDust - Speech or Presentation Example The communication protocol has truly transformed and broadened our horizon. The evolution of SMAR DUST is the development of the century. The technological advent under SMART DUST has facilitated mankind in a manner never imagined before. SMART DUST is not a dust collector, it is control system. This is a system not to control dust, but to control what we want it to. Be it climate forecast, temperature change, vibration upset, computation devices; SMART DUST is service provider for all these monitoring items. Cory Doctorow quoted, "technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it"; truly SMART DUST is the realization of this fact. The monitoring of any surveillance parameter is now possible through SMART DUST. SMART DUST is smart solution for power conservation; reasonable reduction is size and power requirement has been achieved through SMART DUST revolution. The SMART DUST technology is simple solution, it merely comprises of "very compact, autonomous and mobile nodes, each containing one or more sensors, computation and communication capabilities, and a power supply". Mobile networking and systems community has advanced after successful evolution of SMART DUST.

Lord of the Flies Homework Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies Homework Essay Piggy is clearly a clever boy, but he is a victim too? How does the writer use him in the novel? Lord of the Flies is about a group of schoolboys stranded on an island. The boys have to fend for themselves and try to get rescued. One of the main characters in the book is Piggy. The second person we find out about on the island is Piggy. We never find out his real name because he was always called Piggy and at the beginning Piggy also says They used to call me Piggy. He said this to Ralph because he trusted him and wanted to build friendship with him. Ralph makes fun of him, which shows the first sign that he is a victim. When Golding first introduces Piggy, he is described as the fat boy, whereas Ralph is described as the fair boy and as an athletic person. This contrast between the two characters makes Piggy seem inadequate in comparison to Ralph. This consequently makes him a likely victim too. It also makes Piggy the most physically vulnerable character because he is overweight and has asthma. Golding uses Piggy as a representative of an adult on the island. Even though at the start he repeatedly talks about his aunt, My auntie told me not to run, which sounds very childish, but as the rules of civilisation fall away from the island, he does not mention his auntie any more. On several places throughout the novel Piggy wonders about what grownups would say. He longs for the order and structure that adults impose. On times when Ralph thinks about what will happen next Piggy says they just have to carry on because that is what grownups would do. When the boys go rushing off to light the fire on the mountain, Piggy describes them as crowd of kids and follows them with the martyred expression of a parent. These examples clearly show that Golding uses Piggy to replace the grownup world. Another example of his maturity is when he wants the shelters to be built, The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach Then when you get here you build a bonfire that isnt no use. Now you been and set the whole island on fire. This shows also that Piggy had common sense by wanting to build the shelters on the beach first, which might be boring, but better than the doing exciting things first like the other boys think. The writer also uses Piggy as a symbol of intelligence and civilisation. This however did not benefit the rest of the boys directly. If this was the case, he probably would not have been victimised at the end. The main reason for this might be that he did not have any leadership qualities, as an obese person, having asthma and wearing glasses would not be able to do certain things. His look did not fit into the profile of a powerful leader and he did not have the charisma a leader needs. Instead of this Piggys intelligence was used and published by Ralph, which left him with nothing to tell the group that they would recognise. This made Piggy even more of a victim because nobody apart from Ralph really noticed Piggys intelligence. Ralph needed Piggy and that is why he was able to notice his intelligence. Piggy was someone who reminded Ralph back to civilisation when his thoughts began to drift away. Piggy knows all sorts of things like at the beginning he finds and also tells Ralph how to use the conch and that it would make a noise, which would then call all the boys together. This also shows his intelligence. The physical appearance of Piggy is his biggest fallback of his ideas he puts into the assemblies. Often his ideas are completely ignored, because nobody recognises how important they might be. Because Piggy is very sensitive too and Jack continuously bullies him, he does not get any respect from the other boys. The fact that Jack is successful in doing this to Piggy, other boys get frustrated and choose to ignore him and follow Jacks influence. Once rules are established, in Piggys eyes, breaking them is unthinkable because he stays civilised throughout the whole novel. On several places in the book he says Ive got the Conch. Let me speak and a lot of referring to the conch because he sees the conch as an important symbol unlike the other boys. Whereas the other boys on the island do not care about rules at all Piggy cares a lot about them. He is unable to adapt the living without law and order and does not comprehend why the other boys can. Piggy gets killed in the end because Jacks tribe gets fed up with Piggy and his importance of the conch and rules. By the treatment of Jacks tribe towards Piggy Golding wants to show that a society also needs a scapegoat. The boys choose Piggy because of his physical appearance and because they do not understand his intelligence and the need of it. By picking Piggy as the scapegoat they make themselves feel better. Jack, who bullies him most, also slaps him on the mountain because he knows that Piggy will not be able to take revenge on him as Piggy is a fat boy having asthma. This makes Piggy a victim too, because it shows that everyone on the island could do anything to Piggy without worrying that he might not revenge. Even the name Piggy makes him a victim. I think Golding called him so because he is the victim of the island. His name is used as he is the prey of the island just like the pigs that are killed for food. This is done to show how society victimises people. In conclusion Piggys character is the symbol of civilisation and intelligence. He mainly becomes a victim because of his physical appearance and his inability to do certain things because of his asthma. I think Golding chose to victimise Piggy because he wanted to make the reader feel sympathy towards a civilised, kind and intelligent character, no matter how his physical appearance is.

Essay --

Research Scholar: Supervisor: S.Muthusundari Dr. R.M.Suresh, M.Tech.,Ph.D Register No: 2008791105 Principal, Sathyabama University, Sri Muthukumaran Institute of Technology,Chennai Chennai The research work entitled â€Å"A Novel D-Shuffle sorting Technique & its Performance Measurement†, is a new sorting algorithm based on Divide and Conquer technique. Sorting takes a vital role in the computer applications. This is a very interesting problem in computer science. Nowadays, there are many sorting algorithms that are being used in practical life as well as in computation. Sorting problem has enticed a great deal of research, because efficient sorting is important to optimize the use of other algorithms. Sorting algorithms are prevalent in introductory computer science class, where the abundance of algorithm for the problem provides a gentle introduction to a variety of core algorithm concepts such as big O Notation, Divide and Conquer technique algorithms,best,worst and average can analysis and time space trade off. Generally, Divide and Conquer is a powerful tool for solving conceptually difficult problems. This leads to enter of research in to the introduction of new sorting algorithm using Divide and Conquer technique with better performance. Sorting makes the problem much simpler and easier. This idea leads our research to the application of sorting in different data structures like Binary search tree, Balanced search tree, Hashing data structure and in the area of Cryptography. In our research, we achieved the better result with divide and conquer technique to the introduction of novel D-Shuffle sorting technique, and its applications in different areas on BST,AVL tree, Hashing concept and encry... ...ty, Chennai Respected Madam, Sub: Requisite for Synopsis Meeting – Reg. My Candidate S.Muthusundari (Reg.No: 2008791105) has successfully completed her papers published in the International and National Journals and Conferences. The Publications of the Research Scholar includes Anna University Annexure – I and Annexure –II Journals. Her performance is satisfactory. The particulars about her research work and brief write up on original contribution is also enclosed in the report. For her Research no Data base is required. For generating the random number data set, SAS and Random.org data set tool is used and the data set is also verified. So, kindly accord her permission to submit the synopsis. Necessary arrangements may kindly to be made at your end. Thanking you, Yours Trully, ( Dr. R. M. Suresh)

Effective Management of Job in Post Merger and Acquisition Scenario

RAYAT LONDON COLLEGE SUBJECT:- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY COURSE:- MBA SEMESTER 1 LECTURER SUBMITTED BY SUBMISSION DATE DR. LANGESWARAN SUPRAMANIAN ARSHAD MUHAMMAD 14 DECEMBER 2007 â€Å"EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF JOB REDUNDANCIES IN POST MERGER AND ACQUISITION SCENARIO (SERVICE SECTOR)† ASSIGNMENT TOPIC 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ABSTRACT 2. INTRODUCTION 3. MOTIVATION 4. RATIONALE 5. LITERATURE REVIEW 6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 7. FURTHER EVOLUTION 8. CONCLUSION 9. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES Page NO 3 4 6 9 12 19 19 22 22 1. ABSTRACT This report introduces a practical model of training and development needs assessment to reduce redundancies stress on employees after merger and acquisition. The proposed model is competency-based, which allows for the incorporation to reduce redundancies in post merger situation. When redundancy is the only route available, employers invariably feel obliged to assist those affected with positive planning measures for what, at the time, can seem an uncertain future. However, this is not an easy task. Redundancy can be a difficult ordeal, hitting hard both mentally and emotionally and unless professionally implemented, employers will invariably fall short of ? having done enough‘ to really help. Everyone deals with redundancy in a different way. Being made redundant can provoke a range of emotions at different times, including shock, anger, loss, fear, denial or acceptance. Redundancy after M&A is a risk to all employees, and needs careful handling and counselling. Less recognised are the needs of those left behind. On the analogy of major disasters, they too demand meticulous attention to avoid deleterious effects both to themselves and to their organisations. The management of restructuring, redeployment or redundancy is important, not simply to be humanitarian, or for good public relations, but also because the effectiveness, vision and mission of the organisation that survives is at stake. Survival tips for both the individual and the organisation are indicated. 2. INTRODUCTION Since the late 1980s, the total number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has far surpassed the number that occurred throughout the 1960s. Whereas the M&As throughout the 1960s were mainly due to unions between conglomerates, the 1980s and 1990s has witnessed an increase in M&As between firms of different sizes and different industry types, Merger and acquisition would have corporate strategies directed at gaining competitive advantage and satisfying customers? eeds always have human resource implications, and tactics such as job redesign, multi-skilling, redeployment, training, paying for performance, layoffs and downsizing should be specifically directed at implementing the human resource strategies of organisations. Unfortunately, however, the strategic considerations which should accompany the use of these tactics are often absent. The primary purpose of merging and acquiring new firms is usually to improve overall performance by achieving synergy, or the more commonly described as the ? + 2 = 5? effect between two business units that will increase competitive advantage (Weber, 1996). Recent research indicates that these M&As have a negative impact on the economic performance of the new entity because of human resource implications mostly redundancies (Tetenbaum, 1999). Therefore, although M&As are usually extremely well planned out in terms of financial and legal aspects, the conclusion that has to be drawn is that these poor results have come to be attributed to poor human resource planning. Redundancies after M&As can be a difficult ordeal, hitting hard both mentally and emotionally and unless professionally implemented, employers will invariably fall short of ? having done enough‘ to really help. Redundancy is probably the most evocative and fear inducing form of organisational change for many workers. Each year in the UK, there are over 200,000 notified redundancies. What is perhaps of more concern is that many organisation merger and acquisition change programmes have relied heavily on redundancy even though they have been articulated as downsizing or, more euphemistically as rightsizing or business process eengineering (Champy, 1995). 4 The essence of research is to explore how well human resources are being managed within organisations and better to understand the impacts of organisational change in different sectors and at levels in the organisational hierarchy after merger and acquisition. Have pre-existing human resources strategies to cope with redundanci es after M&As would reduce the stress on employee and also on organisation. Human resources strategies like open up consultative and participative organisationwide discussion to seek out possibilities that minimise redundancies, establish sound two-way means of communication which permit employees to freely vent their feelings, with a guaranteed right of reply from the organisation, communicate constantly and effectively, actively evaluate impact, exercise effective leadership from the top, ensuring that the pain is shared, provide a clear reconciliation of the market and financial situation, offer immediate counselling and assistance to all those identified for redundancy set up a mutual support network for those made redundant and continue to offer human resources help where required are the core tools which can organisations should implement after redundancies in merger and acquisition situation. Mergers are not without their downsides. They can consume an incredible amount of time and money, legal and tax complications, and problems with mixing corporate cultures and last but not least the redundancies. It has been estimated that fully 50 percent never achieve the initial financial and market goals projected. Decisions to merge assume that synergy will develop between two organisations that combine resources and talent and achieve economies of scale and integrated technologies. Whenever two separate organisations merge, they want synergy. Each side hopes to benefit from the merger and initially willingly attribute benefit to the other. However, synergy does not occur easily or without effort. A merger may change the name of the company and management, but the real benefits occur when people ascribe to merged goals and ideals. There were more than 36,700 transactions with a combined value of more than US$3. 49 trillion (Thomson Financial, 2001). The number of jobs that these mergers impacted on has not been estimated, but conservatively it must run into the hundreds of thousands. For instance, at least 130,000 finance jobs have 5 disappeared in western Europe alone as a result of mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s (International Labour Organization, 2001). 3. MOTIVATION Post-merger depression begins the day top executives declare that the merger, of which the most obvious is losing one‘s job. But redundancy after M&A can be an opportunity for positive change. Time could be spent on self discovery and re-focusing e. g. advancement new people and forming new working opportunities, meeting merger is done. Employees often expressive many fears they are confronted with following a relationships, learning new skills, getting over the pain caused by the merger, and setting new goals as well as creating an organisation that is better than the two original separate organisations. Building on valuable training, experience, skills, talents and past achievements. While accommodating new work / life balance considerations and identifying new and as yet unrealised opportunities that only a fresh start can afford. Explores redundancy after M&A as a significant and pervasive outcome of organisational change. The need to manage the redundancy transition has provoked the development of new HRM policies and practices. Highlights interventions such as redundancies are often used by companies with little rigorous evaluation of their utility or benefit, yet their continued proliferation would suggest that they appear to have assumed essential credibility and value. The pervasive and complex nature of current changes dictates not only the need for a better understanding of the practices that exist but also an exploration of how HRM theory of redundancies can contribute to and enhance that understanding. The complexity of the situation for the survivors of redundancy after M&As means that no simple formula exists. The variables at play are diverse. It is often difficult to provide cause and effect data, reflected in an overall lack of evaluation. It appears that there have been few reported successful attempts to implement intervention strategies which support and assist the framework of organisational change after 6 redundancies due to M&As and personal transition for both those leaving and the survivors of a redundancy experience. One prime example is BBC model to deal with redundancies, considering that everyone's future at the BBC was uncertain during the 2004, including members of the HR department. BBC worked to build in the flexibility to provide as many courses as were needed and to ensure that those you were going to made redundant had sufficient clarity about their own careers first, to help them to provide the objectivity that those they were working with would need. Suggestions for managing redundancies would be to encourages organisations to develop strategies which reduce, avoid or limit redundancy after M seeks to ensure that if redundancy occurs, it is handled in accordance with the law seeks to raise awareness of strategies which assist those affected to retain self-respect and enhance employability. Redundancy is one of the most traumatic events an employee may experience. Announcement of redundancies will invariably have an adverse impact on morale, motivation and productivity. The negative effects can be reduced by sensitive handling of redundant employees and those remaining. If possible, it is preferable for an organisation to establish a formal procedure on redundancy after merger. In many organisations a formal agreement may have been negotiated and agreed between management and trade union or employee representatives. Some organisations deal with redundancies by an informal arrangement with a practice which varies for each redundancy or they may only start to consider the appropriate procedure for the first time when a redundancy situation arises. At the very least in order to plan and implement a redundancy situation properly, the following stages will be followed in most redundancies: o Planning o Invitation of volunteers o Consultation, both collective and individual o Use of objective selection criteria 7 Compliance with all three stages of statutory dismissal procedures o Advance notice of individual consultation meeting o Permitting a colleague to be present at consultation meetings o Opportunity to appeal o Allowing seeking of suitable alternat ive employment o Statutory or other redundancy payment o Relocation expenses o Helping redundant employees obtain training or alternative work. Of course the exact procedure varies according to the timescale and size of the redundancy after M. Mergers and acquisitions (M) are increasingly prevalent, powerful and risky corporate events. The resistance or support of people in the integration of two previously separate organisations plays a key role for their success or failure. As ? merged‘ corporations integrate previously separate organisations, they can often dis-integrate individual careers with lay-offs, reduced advancement opportunities, upset or changed career plans, and other resistance-generating changes. This is the poorest means of mobilizing motivation, experience, commitment and competence, all of which are usually seen as critical justifications for M in the first place. Organisations face opportunity to select new combinations and integrate work in ways that individual careers can be re-integrated into the goals of the M with the goals and motivations of participants affected by it, by recognizing and effectively supporting different motivational and competence profiles. Senior management who had been involved in M identified talent retention as their biggest challenge in leading a successful merger or acquisition, followed by making the deal generate long term value. Less skilled firms in the art of M also focused on talent management but failed to create the fundamental climate of ownership that recognised the value of staff. 8 Managing and developing talent will prove instrumental for organisations to retain their competitive position and deal with the twin challenges of leadership and growth. According to new research by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, France, the Netherlands, and the UK have the worst redundancy pay. Based on minimum statutory paid notice and severance pay for a white-collar employee aged 40, made redundant after 10 years on a salary of ? 20,000, the average redundancy pay across the EU was ? 11,163. But using the same comparison the redundancy pay would be just ? 5,000 in France and the Netherlands and ? 5,128 in the UK. In Spain and Italy the payment would be ? 25,464 and ? 18,276 respectively, and ? 15,000 for both Belgium and Austria. 4. RATIONALE The rationale for M activity is a key value-added role that the board can and should play. A value-based analysis can be strategic rationale of a deal, revealing its true underlying economics. For an acquisition to deliver improved financial performance, it must enhance the strategic position of the acquirer‘s businesses or the target‘s businesses. More precisely, it must improve either market economics or competitive position of the business units. No brainer deals that provide great returns by simply eliminating redundancies, achieving a lower cost of capital or lowering tax rates are virtually a thing of the past. So mergers and acquisitions must be justified through the strategic benefits that will be realised. Signs of human stress are present in all combinations, even the friendliest and bestmanaged ones. Manifestations of the merger syndrome appear in all varieties of corporate combination, be they mergers or acquisitions, friendly or hostile, domestic or international, involving companies of similar or different sizes and so on. Personal involvement in organisational mergers and acquisitions has served to foster an awareness of the various symptoms of the ? merger syndrome?. Twelve such indicators are preoccupation; imagining the worst; stress reactions; crisis management; constricted communication; illusion of control; clash of cultures; we vs. 9 they; superior vs. inferior; attack and defend; win vs. lose; and decisions by coercion, horse trading and default. (Schweiger et al. 1987) cite job security as the most important factor for employees during a merger, followed by pay and benefits, work autonomy, and performance feedback. Research has also indicated that the organisational change process in mergers is usually tightly controlled by management and decisions on job losses are driven solely by the need to reduce numbers (Kanter, 1986). Thus employees are commonly concerned not only with job security but also with how selection decisions are made. Related to this, a number of researchers have shown that perceptions of procedural fairness are a key factor in determining staff attitudes to, and experience of, merger change. In particular, the perceived fairness of redundancy procedures is reported to impact significantly on the attitudes of the staff that remain in the organisation (Brockner and Greenberg, 1990; Schweiger et al. , 1987, 1994). A number of organisations using a compulsory approach to redundancy selection made the point that once change is known to be about to occur there is more to be gained in terms of gaining the commitment of key players than in leaving these employees ? in the dark?. One organisation held briefing sessions for all its senior managers before the advent of a redundancy programme in order to provide reassurance, and to talk through strategic plans after the redundancies, with all main board directors present to field questions. This was designed to be open in nature so that these managers could in turn return to their staff to counter any ? doom and gloom? suggestions. Managers such as these have been used as the ? ears? of the organization in order to feed back issues which arise during this period of uncertainty, so that a response can be made by the organization in order to minimize any adverse effects. In spite of these benefits, other organisations stated that they did not reveal plans to anyone outside a very select planning group, fearful that leakage of such information might have more significant negative effects. However, these particular organisations tended to be the ones who bypassed any prior, general notification about intended redundancies, thereby moving to ? phase two? , which is the actual notification of 10 those affected. The disadvantage of this closed and compulsory strategy is the type of situation referred to at the start of this article. Indeed, this particular organisation did not repeat its experience when it faced the need to undertake a further round of redundancies: this time it declared the need to make further workforce reductions, requested volunteers and stated that it would only declare compulsory redundancies if there were insufficient volunteers. Reactions related to disbelief, betrayal, loss of motivation, lower morale, mistrust, uncertainty, insecurity and lower commitment to the organization and so on are undoubtedly more pronounced where there is no announcement or indication before the actual notification of those to be made redundant. To summarised the rationales of this report would be, Job redundancies are common phenomena in post merger, lack of secondary data, there is no support, continuity or implementation of the programs like this in any organisation, Collecting information in real time from both participating and non-participating employee groups after redundancies is a challenging task, the mono-method bias is another limitation of this study and last but not least the time limit. 11 5. LITERATURE REVIEW Author Year Bob Moore 2002 Surviving Title Authors Evaluation Report Evaluation a to compulsory redundancy and Several factors contribute to A number of organisations Thriving During successful M. The first is using a Merger or instilling a positive mindset approach Acquisition among all employees – and this selection made the point can only start at the top. Senior that once change is known management alignment and to be about to occur there is partnership sets the tone, as more to be gained in terms employees managers look for to their of gaining the commitment and of key players than in direction assurance during this important leaving these employees ? n time. Getting people and the dark?. One organization processes to work together is held briefing sessions for all the only way to make the new its senior managers before company work. A successful the advent of a redundancy management evaluate team should programme in order to each company‘s provide reassurance, and to ?personal best practices? and talk through strategic plans incorporate them into the newly after the redundancies, with combined organization. all main board directors Although 75 percent of M present to field questions. don‘t reach their stated goals of greater financial results, there is a formula designed to encourage success. Attention, time and financial resources must be applied to employees and their work processes, so the new company ends up with a motivated, ? can-do? workforce. 12 Christiane Demers 1999 Merger acquisition and Communication‘s critical role in Poor communication and in the implementation of change is mergers often cited in the literature. intensifies acquisitions stress for announcements as corporate wedding narratives Communication is presented as organisational a tool for diffusing members top because of the uncertainty their future. The management intentions and for about preparing context of minds action to a new communication strategies Managers serve to reduce uncertainty, egitimate change to encourage in which both management employee commitment to and employees can voice their opinions, and concerns, provide imminent transformations. desires information. Adrian Furnham 2006 Deciding on One of the occasional tasks of a Senior management who promotions and manager is to de cide on who in had been involved in M redundancies their reporting staff to promote identified talent retention as as well as, where applicable, their biggest challenge in who to make redundant. In large leading a successful merger organisations guidelines factors there may be or acquisition, followed by concerning to take which making the deal generate into long term value. Less skilled some firms in the art of M also on talent both consideration. Further organisations keep records on focused performance designed to which reduce are management but failed to the create the fundamental subjectivity in these sorts of climate of ownership that decisions. Nevertheless this is recognised always because a of difficult the decision staff. and the value of many powerful consequences not only for the individual involved, but also his/her working colleagues and the organisation as a whole. 13 Stephen A. W 1994 Downsizing Improve Strategic Position to Planned large scale reductions A successful merger is all in head-count, or redundancies, about cost savings, right? ave become commonplace in Wrong. The most important many industries worldwide. In thing is making sure that the practice many downsizings fail valuable talent from both to achieve desired long-term companies doesn't simply results. Presents results of a march out the door. survey among large Canadian Ma nagers behind the most firms which suggests Examination management some successful mergers and reasons. strategic of acquisitions spend as much of time addressing â€Å"people† downsizing reveals weaknesses issues such as integrating of both planning and cultures, managing talent, knowledge and implementation. management of Effective sharing human retaining key people as they esources is a prerequisite but do on cost savings, merging failures often arise from processes, technologies and inattention to other important divisions. aspects of organizational change. Suggests that a wellthought-out strategy should be accompanied innovation, by process re- business engineering and organizational learning. Bob Moore 2004 Surviving and Several factors contribute to Suggestions for managing Thriving During successful M&As. The first is redundancies would be to a Merger or instilling a positive mindset encourages organisations to strategies avoid or which limit M&As that if is among all employees – and this develop can only start at the top. Senior reduce, management alignment Acquisition and redundancy after ensure artnership sets the tone, as seeks to employees look to their redundancy occurs, it 14 managers for direction and handled in accordance with law seeks of to raise assurance during this important the time. Getting people and awareness strategies processes to work together is which assist those affected the only way to make the new to retain self-respect and company work. A successful enhance management evaluate team each employability. should Redundancy is one of the company‘s most traumatic events an ?personal best practices? and employee may experience. incorporate them into the newly Announcement combined of organization. redundancies will invariably Although 75 percent of M&As have an adverse impact on don‘t reach their stated goals of morale, motivation and greater financial results, there is productivity. a formula designed to encourage success. Attention, time and financial resources must be applied to employees and their work processes, so the new company ends up with a motivated, ? can-do? workforce. Adrian Thornhill 1995 The positive For those organizations which Redundancies after M&A management of declare redundancy survivors: issues lessons redundancies without can be an opportunity for prior warning, the effect may positive change. Time could come as a shock to all be spent on self discovery re-focusing e. g. nd employees – those who are not and to be made redundant as well as advancement those who are to go. This has opportunities, particularly been the case in meeting new people and non-unionized organisations forming new working where there has not been the relationships, legal requirement to undertake learning new skills, getting prior consultation. One financial over the pain caused by the 15 services organisation stated that merger, and setting new this led to a period of shock for goals as well as creating an 24 hours during which work organisation that is better effectively ground to a halt. The than the two original management of the organization separate organisations. hen had to work quickly to overcome this effect, through company-wide communication and by demonstrating that those to be made redundant would indeed be fairly in treated. unionized prior However, even organisations, where consultation occurs, there may be the feeling that ? little attention has been given to the survivors of redundancy?. Beth Taylor 2002 The right way to There is a growing awareness Human resources strategies handle redundancies among business leaders that the like open up consultative way an organisation handles and participative redundancies sends out a very organisation-wide strong messag e about its discussion to seek out corporate ethics and values. possibilities that minimise redundancies, establish ound two-way means of communication which permit employees to freely vent their feelings, with a guaranteed right of reply from the organisation, communicate constantly and effectively. 16 Ridha Khayyat 1998 Al- Training and The more organizations seek This report excellence, employees‘ the training and and introduces a development needs assessment: more practical model of training development to needs reduce on a education becomes imminent. In assessment organisation redundancies practical model contemporary for institutes partner information stress dissemination by employees after merger and itself leads to little or no results. acquisition. The proposed It is the ability to that of the model is competency- organization knowledge disseminate based, which allows for the leads to incorporation to reduce employees‘ skills and abilities redundancies in post merger development. What matters is situation converting technology through people into better organisational performance. One thing which is true about the twenty-first century is that the development of human resources is no longer an option but a must. Joseph Cangemi 2004 P. Exit strategies Job losses that are the result of A number of organisations mergers, sale of a company, using restructuring, and downsizing as approach organizations profitability in struggle a a to compulsory redundancy or selection made the point highly that once change is known competitive corporate world are to be about to occur there is common. The reduction process more to be gained in terms forces organisations to employ a of gaining the commitment variety of exit strategies as they of deal with the most key players than in difficult leaving these employees ? in aspect of downsizing – the the dark?. reduction of personnel from their organisation as a means of rapid reduction of expense to 17 the company. Considers some employee-sensitive strategies exit Bryn Jones, 2001 How Redundancies Worsen Inequality Collective redundancy (CR) is The complexity of the erhaps the most central but situation for the survivors of acknowledged employment factor redundancy in means formula that after no M&As simple The are Social least shaping contemporary Britain. exists. at play The ease with which employers variables can execute CR allows not only diverse. It is often difficult to fairly rapid and to and also of far-reaching provide cause and effect business data, reflected in an overall working lack of evaluation. It changes organisational practices, restoration but prompt appears that there have few reported to companies‘ been financial deficits, as well as succes sful changes in the skill and implement of strategies attempts intervention which support demographic workforces. profiles nd assist the framework of organisational change after redundancies due to M&As and personal transition for both those leaving and the survivors of a redundancy experience. 18 6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The primary data would be collected through, principally involving in-depth questioners and interviews with senior human resource practitioners and staff those who made redundant after M&As in the organisations. Before interviews occurred, these practitioners were supplied with a list of the questions. The ranged from the reasons for redundancies after M&As through to the impact of redundancies on organisational survivors, and organisational learning points for the future management of redundancies. A comprehensive assessment after redundancies can reveal how a company has emerged from the combination and how ready it is to achieve future goals. Secondary data would be collected by using publicly available information, public domino, Newspapers, Articles on Redundancies after M&A and International Journals on this topic. 7. FURTHER EVOLUTION The need to reduce costs is an opportunity critically to review current ways of doing things, to make major improvements using new technology or better methods and build strengths for the future. Reasons for the design of existing work flows are often buried in history and reflect yesterday? s crises. Many organisations have found that simply the exercise of mapping their major business processes can suggest dramatic improvements. Redundancies, duplications, inefficiencies and ? disconnects? are common in most processes or systems which have been in operation for a while. Massive reductions after M&As radically change managerial and workforce attitudes. Individuals no longer trust organisational commitment to long-term employment and morale has suffered in many cases. Corporate psyches have been forced to confront the possibility that growth may not return, and decline may be inevitable. Dealing with these issues effectively is the difference between a company that will continue to suffer the redundancy hangover long after the event and one that can 19 move on swiftly. Companies that manage the process of redundancies after M&As well in terms of being fair and transparent and in terms of giving a level of support to the employees when they‘re leaving, create an environment in which the people who are left behind say: ? Well, at least they treated them fairly, and it had to happen for a business reason – at least they looked after them and didn‘t just shove them out the door. The high level of consultation required makes good management sense. ?Two things: once the decision has been taken, how an employer conducts himself after that is going to be critical. It‘s about being responsive to employees — giving them an opportunity to have discussions; making sure information is available to them. All of that will be seen by employees who remain behind as well. Secondly, the communication process for those who remain is important, making sure they‘re not ignored or sidelined just because they‘re not part of the programme. They may well feel left out. To this end the following are some of the approaches that may assist: ? Have pre-existing human resources strategies to cope with such a situation. These should be open and transparent, subject to widespread consultation, and equitable. ? An organisation needs to provide a career management structure which enhances self-directed skill development. The opportunity to learn the transition skills necessary to career change are thereby created. ? In facing an experience, an organisation has to consider the impact on the symbols it has previously used to motivate staff, particularly its sense of mission. ? The management of restructuring, redeployment or redundancy is important, not simply as a humanitarian gesture, or for the sake of good public relations, but also because the effectiveness of the organisation that survives is at stake. ? Open up consultative and participative organisation-wide discussion as soon as danger signs appear. Seek out possibilities that minimise redundancies after merger. 20 ? Establish sound two-way means of communication which permit employees to freely vent their feelings, with a guaranteed right of reply from the organisation. Communicate constantly and effectively, and actively evaluate impact. ? Exercise effective leadership from the top, ensuring that the pain is shared, such as through voluntary salary cuts and the non-awarding or take-up of bonuses. ? Provide a clear reconciliation of the market and financial situation, options for amelioration, and the need for job cuts within this. ? Use clear and published criteria to determine the basis for redundancy, arrived at through consultation. ? Set up a mutual support network for those made redundant after M&As and continue to offer human resources help where required. Offer immediate counselling and assistance to all those identified for redundancy. Organisations should always attempt to avoid redundancies in post merger situation. Ways of doing this include: ? ? ? ? ? ? Natural wastage Recruitment freeze Stopping or reducing overtime Offer early retirement to volunteers (subject to age discrimination issues) Retraining or redeployment Offering existing employee‘s sabbaticals and secondments. 21 8. CONCLUSION Handling redundancies after M&As is a difficult task where decisions have to be made as to numbers, timing and criteria. The detail should be fully discussed with employee representatives, with the objective of getting agreement about the way matters should be handled. A successful merger is all about cost savings, right? Wrong. The most important thing is making sure that the valuable talent from both companies doesn't simply march out the door or made redundant. Managers behind the most successful mergers and acquisitions spend as much time addressing â€Å"people† issues such as integrating cultures, managing talent, sharing knowledge and retaining key people as they do on cost savings, merging processes, technologies and divisions. 9. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES 1. 2. 3. Furnham, A. (2001), Management Competency Frameworks, CRF, London. Greenberg, J. (1996), The Quest for Justice on the Job, Sage, London. Sessa, V. , Taylor, J. (2000), Executive Selection: A Systematic Approach for Success, Jossey-Bass, New York, NY. 4. Lynch, J. G. , Lind, B. (2002), â€Å"Escaping merger and acquisition madness†, Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 5-12. 5. Anderson, H. A. 1993), Successful Training Practice: A Manager‘s Guide to Personnel Development, Basil Blackwell, Oxford. 6. 7. 8. Hoke, W. (2002), â€Å"What's your exit strategy? â€Å", The edge, pp. 5-12. Business Week (2002), ? Exit strategies discussed?. Fowler, A ( 1993), Redundancy, Institute of Personnel Management, London. 22 9. Charlesworth, K (1996), Are Managers Under Stress? , Institute of Management, London. 10. Nathan, R. (2007), Colleagues turn counsellors in BBC's pioneering program Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 15 Number 5 pp. 11-13. 11. 12. 13. Kanter, c (1986), Managing HRM risk in a merger, London. Business Week (1994), â€Å"The pain of downsizing†, Business Week. Doherty, N. Horsted, J. (1995), â€Å"Helping survivors to stay on board†, People Management, No. 12 January, pp. 26-31. 14. Institute of Personnel and Development (1996), The IPD Guide on Redundancy, IPD, London. 15. Schlesinger, L. (2002), UK offers worst redundancy pay in Europe, Financial Director. 16. Yehuda, B. (2000), ? Survivor syndrome? – a management myth? , Journal of Managerial Psychology Volume 15 Number 1 2000 pp. 29-45, Emerald. 17. Steven, H. (2000), Anatomy of a merger: behaviour of organizational factors and processes throughout the pre- during- post- stages, Management Decision, Volume 38 Number 10 2000 pp. 674-684, Emerald. 18. Noeleen, D. 2005), The role of outplacement in redundancy management, Volume 27 Number 4 1998 pp. 343-353, Emerald. 19. Shay, S. (2006), Downsizing and the impact of job counselling and retraining on effective employee responses, Career Development International, Volume 11 Number 2 2006 pp. 125-144, Emerald. 20. Stephen, A. (2001), Downsizing to Improve Strategic Position, Volume 32 Number 1 1994 pp. 4-11, Emerald. 23 21. Gerald, V. (2002), Counselling remaining employees in redundancy situations, Volume 7 Number 7 2002 pp. 430-437, Emerald. 22. Al-Khayyat, R. (1998), Training and development needs assessment: a practical model for partner institutes, Volume 22 Number 1 1998 pp. 18-27, Emerald. 24

The Rainforest

Rainforest's are a tropical forest that are found around the earths equator. The rainforest is found in Idonesia, South America and west and central Africa. The average temperatures are about 25-30 degrees. The rainforests are important because they provide homes for animals, plants and human, they also stabilise the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. However in the 21st century they are under threat because of logging for timber, mining, road building, pasture for cattle ranching, crops and settlements. This essay will be researching 4 statements on the valuable resources that the rainforest offers and if sustainable devlopment can truly be introduced in the rainforest. â€Å"The rainforest is a valuable resource and its preservation is important to us all† The rainforest provides homes for about 70 million people, it also provides habitats for over 50% of the earths species of plants and animals. It also contains many plants which could provide new drugs and medicines in the furture e.g. Curae is a poison on Waorani hunting arrows which we also use as a relaxant in modern surgery. The rainforest also stablise's the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide this also helps reduce the rate of global warming and they reduce soil erosion by intercepting the rainfall and also keep water courses free from sediment. If deforestation was to continue millions of animals and plants would lose their habitats and possibly become extinct. Thousands of indigenous people of the rainforest would lose their homes and their way of life. We would also lose many cures for dieases and medicines that we could discover in the furture. Lots of damage to the climate and the enviorment could also mean that global warming would increase at a quicker rate. â€Å"The indigneous people of the rainforest respond positively to the challenges of their natural enviorment and act as stewards of the forest† Their are about 250 million indigenous people and about 5 thousand tribes, two of the tribes are Maorani and Kayapo. They live of the forest by using it to make food medicines and products to sell to make money such as brazil nuts. The indigenous people should be stewards of the forest because they live there, it is their home and they lived there for thousands of years which gives them historical rights to the Rainforest, they also want to protect it from damage and the dieases people have brought in. â€Å"There are some people who wish to exploit the rainforest. Explotation of the forest has positive and negative effects.† Explotation of the rainforest can be negative and positive. Cattle ranching is positive because it helps feed the countrys own people and they can sell it to other countrys to make money, the negative side of it is the grass that grows in rainforest area is of poor quality and cattle do not thrive, also milk yields tend to be low and after a few years the land is no good. Logging is good because it gets us useful materials such as mahogany, sapele and lauan, which grow no where else in the world, the negative of this is one hactare of rainforest is cut down just to log one mahogany tree. The positive of mining is that we get many good and useful metals such as gold, silver, aluminium, iron ore, copper and zinc. The negative of it is many trees get chopped down and mercury which is used in gold mining causes contamination. Road building does not cause much deforestation but the settlements in its way do get destroyed, it does do a lot of good it allows people to get in and out of the forest easily and quickly. Oil exploration does alot of damage to the forest, many trees have to be chopped down for the pipe lines and disturbs the wild life. The toxic chemicals do alot of contamination to the rivers and soil. the positive of it is oil is a very useful resource. Farming is one of the largest causes of forest loss. Huge plantations of banana and African oil palm now stand where rainforest once did, often farmers form other places who do not the farming techniques needed for forest enviorments, which means the soil soon becomes depleted, requiring further forest to be cleared. Hydro-electric dams are enviormentally friendly but to build them a lot of forest is destroyed. The positive of all these things is that it means money for the devloping countries and also opens up lots of jobs for the local people. The negative of these things is that they all do at least some damage to the rainforest. â€Å"A balance can be achieved between sustained devlopment and conservation of the rainforest† National park areas would make money from visiting tourists and would protect an area of the rainforest. Brazil nut trade is a good way for the indigenous people to make money, they pick them with out harming the trees and then turn them into an oil, which they sell to the body shop and the body shop turns the oil into a conditioner. Rubber tapping is where a liquid called latex is extrated from plantation trees, the latex is then processed to make a solid material called rubber, it is then sold and exported to other countrys. Enviormentally friendly logging is where only the trees that they want are cut down with out damaging the surrounding enviornment. The definition of eco tourism is â€Å"responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.† there are seven principles to this: * Minimize impact * Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect * Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts * Provide direct financial benefits for conservation * Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people * Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate * Support international human rights and labor agreements Eco tourism is something everybody can participate in. Bibliography Bunce-Contexts Arnell-Geography Worksheets given to me by teacher

Global warming Essays (1071 words) - Climate Change, Global Warming

Global warming Essays (1071 words) - Climate Change, Global Warming Aim To investigate how humans are contributing to climate change, the effect of this on social, environmental and political situations around the world and how organisations are trying to better manage the situation. Global warming Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earths climate. Even though it is an ongoing debate, it is proved by the scientists that the planet is warming. The earth gets heat from the sun. As Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, traps this heat and keeps it from escaping back to outer space. Due to burning fusil fuel such as oil, gas and coal people all around the world are adding extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Thus this extra carbon dioxide is emitted in the atmosphere, the heat energy from the sun will be strongly insulated with the carbon dioxide - causing the Earth's surface to become much warmer hence "global warming." The polluting carbon dioxide can make Earth's climates warmer. http://images.theage.com.au/2014/11/02/5946209/1103GlobalCarbonEmissions3.jpg Social consequence of climate change India - 2009 There are some social consequences of climate change .Climate change will act as a multiplier of existing threats to food security: It will make natural disasters more frequent and intense, land and water more scarce and difficult to access, and increases in productivity even harder to achieve. The implications for people who are poor and already food insecure and malnourished are immense. The existing inequities in food security, food safety and nutrition are likely to be further widened by the adverse consequences of climate change. Adapting food production systems has the potential to significantly increase the resilience of poor farmers to changing climate conditions. However, the vast majority of the 1 billion undernourished people do not have sufficient capacities and resources in order to adapt to or cope with the risks posed by climate change. Loss of food, water or even job makes people to move from their place or even their country. Environmental consequence of climate change Climate change is already having an impact on biodiversity, and is projected to become a progressively more significant threat in the coming decades. Loss of Arctic sea ice threatens biodiversity across an entire biome and beyond. The related pressure of ocean acidification, resulting from higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is also already being observed. Ecosystems are already showing negative impacts under current a level of climate change which is modest compared to future projected changes. In addition to warming temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events and changing patterns of rainfall and drought can be expected to have significant impacts on biodiversity. For instance in South America, Sea turtles lay their eggs on Brazilian beaches, many of which are threatened by rising sea levels. Climate change also threatens the offspring of sea turtles, as nest temperature strongly determines the sex: the coldest sites produce male offspring, while the warmer sites produce female offspring. This nest-warming trend is reducing the number of male offspring and seriously threatens turtle populations. Political consequence of climate change There are some political consequences of climate change. At the centre of the governments policy on climate change is pricing carbon. Many commentators and politicians have referred to this as a carbon tax. The idea is that polluters will pay per tonne of carbon they release into the atmosphere. This cost will initially be set at $23, and increase gradually until 2015, when we will shift to a trading scheme that will let the market set the cost. This is widely thought of as the most effective and least costly mechanism to reduce carbon output and reduce the level of climate change that is occurring. There is a question that people often ask why should Australia act to reduce their carbon pollution when other countries are not. The reality is that many other countries have already made huge steps towards reducing their carbon output, and that includes developing nations like China. Countries have started this transformation to take advantage of the economic opportunities stemming from the next stage of global development that will be powered by clean energy. Nowadays we are starting to see the

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs Think of the word dinosaur, and two images are likely to come to mind: a snarling Velociraptor hunting for grub, or a giant, gentle, long-necked Brachiosaurus lazily plucking the leaves off the tops of trees. In many ways, the sauropods (of which Brachiosaurus was a prominent example) are more fascinating than famous predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex or Spinosaurus. By far the largest terrestrial creatures ever to roam the earth, sauropods branched into numerous genera and species over the course of 100 million years, and their remains have been dug up on every continent, including Antarctica. (See a gallery of sauropod pictures and profiles.) So what, exactly, is a sauropod? Some technical details aside, paleontologists use this word to describe large, four-legged, plant-eating dinosaurs possessing bloated trunks, long necks and tails, and tiny heads with comparably small brains (in fact, sauropods may have been the dumbest of all the dinosaurs, with a smaller encephalization quotient than even stegosaurs or ankylosaurs). The name sauropod itself is Greek for lizard foot, which oddly enough counted among these dinosaurs least intuitive traits. As with any broad definition, though, there are some important buts and howevers. Not all sauropods had long necks (witness the oddly truncated Brachytrachelopan), and not all were the size of houses (one recently discovered genus, Europasaurus, seems to have only been about the size of a large ox). On the whole, though, most of the classical sauropodsfamiliar beasts like Diplodocus and Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus)followed the sauropod body plan to the Mesozoic letter. Sauropod Evolution As far as we know, the first true sauropods (such as Vulcanodon and Barapasaurus) arose about 200 million years ago, during the early to middle Jurassic period. Preceding, but not directly related to, these plus-sized beasts were smaller, occasionally bipedal prosauropods (before the sauropods) like Anchisaurus and Massospondylus, which were themselves related to the earliest dinosaurs. (In 2010, paleontologists unearthed the intact skeleton, complete with skull, of one of the earliest true sauropods, Yizhousaurus, and another candidate from Asia, Isanosaurus, straddles the Triassic/Jurassic boundary.) Sauropods reached the peak of their eminence toward the end of the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago. Fully grown adults had a relatively easy ride, since these 25- or 50-ton behemoths would have been virtually immune to predation (although its possible that packs of Allosaurus might have ganged up on an adult Diplodocus), and the steamy, vegetation-choked jungles covering most of the Jurassic continents provided a steady supply of food. (Newborn and juvenile sauropods, as well as sick or aged individuals, would of course have made prime pickings for hungry theropod dinosaurs.) The Cretaceous period saw a slow slide in sauropod fortunes; by the time the dinosaurs as a whole went extinct 65 million years ago, only lightly armored but equally gigantic titanosaurs (such as Titanosaurus and Rapetosaurus) were left to speak for the sauropod family. Frustratingly, while paleontologists have identified dozens of titanosaur genera from around the world, the lack of fully articulated fossils and the rarity of intact skulls means that much about these beasts is still shrouded in mystery. We do know, however, that many titanosaurs possessed rudimentary armor platingclearly an evolutionary adaptation to predation by large carnivorous dinosaursand that the biggest titanosaurs, like Argentinosaurus, were even bigger than the biggest sauropods. Sauropod Behavior and Physiology As befitting their size, sauropods were eating machines: adults had to scarf down hundreds of pounds of plants and leaves every day in order to fuel their enormous bulk. Depending on their diets, sauropods came equipped with two basic kinds of teeth: either flat and spoon-shaped (as in Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus), or thin and peglike (as in Diplodocus). Presumably, spoon-toothed sauropods subsisted on tougher vegetation that required more powerful methods of grinding and chewing. Reasoning by analogy with modern giraffes, most paleontologists believe sauropods evolved their ultra-long necks in order to reach the high leaves of trees. However, this raises as many questions as it answers  since pumping blood to a height of 30 or 40 feet would strain even the biggest, most robust heart. One maverick paleontologist has even suggested that the necks of some sauropods contained strings of auxiliary hearts, kind of like a Mesozoic bucket brigade, but lacking solid fossil evidence, few experts are convinced. This brings us to the question of whether sauropods were warm-blooded, or cold-blooded like modern reptiles. Generally, even the most ardent advocates of warm-blooded dinosaurs back off when it comes to sauropods  since simulations show that these oversized animals would have baked themselves from the inside, like potatoes, if they generated too much internal metabolic energy. Today, the prevalence of opinion is that sauropods were cold-blooded homeothermsthat is, they managed to maintain a near-constant body temperature because they warmed up very slowly during the day and cooled off equally slowly at night. Sauropod Paleontology Its one of the paradoxes of modern paleontology that the largest animals that ever lived have left the most incomplete skeletons. While bite-sized dinosaurs like Microraptor tend to fossilize all in one piece, complete sauropod skeletons are rare on the ground. Further complicating matters, sauropod fossils are often found without their heads, because of an anatomical quirk in how these dinosaurs skulls were attached to their necks (their skeletons were also easily disarticulated, that is, trampled to pieces by living dinosaurs or shaken apart by geological activity). The jigsaw-puzzle-like nature of sauropod fossils has tempted paleontologists into a fair number of blind alleys. Often, a gigantic tibia will be advertised as belonging to an entirely new genus of sauropod, until its determined (based on more complete analysis) to belong to a plain old Cetiosaurus. (This is the reason the sauropod once known as Brontosaurus is today called Apatosaurus: Apatosaurus was named first, and the dinosaur subsequently called Brontosaurus turned out to be a, well, you know.) Even today, some sauropods linger under a cloud of suspicion; many experts believe that Seismosaurus was really an unusually large Diplodocus, and proposed genera like Ultrasauros have been pretty much discredited altogether. This confusion about sauropod fossils has also resulted in some famous confusion about sauropod behavior. When the first sauropod bones were discovered, well over one hundred years ago, paleontologists believed they belonged to ancient whalesand for a few decades, it was fashionable to picture Brachiosaurus as a semi-aquatic creature that roved lake bottoms and stuck its head out of the surface of the water to breathe! (an image that has helped fuel pseudo-scientific speculation about the true provenance of the Loch Ness Monster).