Friday, August 28, 2020

Observe Organizational Behavior Firsthand

Question: Give a short conversation on association conduct. Answer: The association conduct is affected by plenty of measurements, for example, authoritative culture, hierarchical structure, cooperation, hierarchical change, correspondence, decent variety, power, administration, inspiration (Gordon, 1991) and so forth. It is very basic to get into the association and intently screen the procedures in order to have a knowledge into the spaces of authoritative conduct. The association chose with the end goal of basic examination is a general store and retail outlet having plenty of items available to be purchased. The market is available in the private group giving purchasing offices to the buyers of the district. The general store is completely furnished with different items to offer and is made out of exceptionally prepared staff at various degrees of the board and client assistance. I got into the association of this retail location as an assistant to refine my aptitudes of the board and got an opportunity to intently watch the salesmen and all the capacities took care of at the grocery store. As an understudy, my job was to watch the client service agents and give a legitimate survey of the workers as a composed report and examination sheet given to me by the top administration of the grocery store. Different jobs included assisting the salespeople with setting up the store as per the code of show and give assistance administrations to them as and when required. It would assist me with having profound bits of knowledge into the activities and procedures received by the supervisory group composed in a chain of command and would assist me with acquiring elevated level of the board abilities and standards. I got well into the association when I chatted with the higher administration to permit me to watch the procedures and the activities going on in the association consequently I would have the option to give legitimate and inside and out reports for the workers of the association and would help them in the in store undertakings. This was a significant new encounter for me in the contemporary occasions as I never had a professional training and this temporary job showed me a great deal about the characteristic privileged insights of a retail location or a grocery store and all the advertising systems conveyed by the top administration to pull in and appeal the clients towards their image. It was an out and out captivating and energizing experience which helped me to learn numerous new abilities and increase an order over top to bottom handy information about administration of a general store. The movement where I got connected with was a normal action of the store for client care and r etail showcasing. In this manner, the activity under investigation is a standard activity of the association for which I helped the whole group and gave them surveys toward the finish of my entry level position period. Activity Component and Analysis Two of the principle determinants of association conduct are authoritative culture and the group the executives under the oversight of effective initiative. Hierarchical culture is the arrangement of shred importance including shared worth framework and conviction framework. This arrangement of qualities and ceremonies go about as a glue to stick the individuals from the association together. The basic beliefs that structure the system of the authoritative culture of this general store are regard towards the people, respectability in real life, administration for the clients and greatness in the vital administration (Jones, 2010). The partners of the client care division are roused to serve the clients being the highest need of the organization. The worth arrangement of the organization is held high by the methods for open correspondence and approaches to share data. The establishment of the grocery store is based over trustworthiness which is energized by genuineness, decency and objectivity to decide. The organization makes progress toward greatness by developing and improving with positive displaying and by working in a group. The adm inistration accepts that the hierarchical culture starts from the top degree of the organization and afterward penetrates down to different workers. The representatives of the general store have a specific set of principles which is educated to them in the time of their preparation. They have an interesting uniform which have a statement saying, How May I Help You?. This statement opens up entryways of cooperation between the clients and the agents of the grocery store group when they will be modest and liberal in their methodology (Casey, 1999). The way of life of the organization is maintained with plenty of advantages given to the representatives consequently of their difficult work and responsibility. They are furnished with serious compensation, social insurance offices, retirement plans, and advancements to cause them to feel as a piece of the entire huge group of the retail location. The difficult work of the representatives are compensated to make a solid work culture of the group. The way of life of the store is described client direction and giving best of the incentive at some most reduced costs. Worker is anticipated to be a picture of a socially mindful substance serving the organization. The workers are following the foundations of the authoritative culture and are detailing them in rationality with the development and accomplishment of the organization. The way of life of the general store is very intelligent and inventive. There have been utilization of most recent patterns and advances in the grounds of the general store which shapes a piece of the contemporary culture of the retail location. The corporate culture of the grocery store is all around refined and according to the standards of this industry. The workers are very unassuming and when anybody says Thank you consequently of their kindness and administration, the client service agents state Its my pleasure consequently (Ogbonna, 1988). This culture is assimilated in the conduct of the workers and it presents a type of amenability and respect. The way of life of the organization is supported by ordinary mediation from the top administration as conversations and worth enhancement of the workers. It was quite a while back when the organization and the top administration understood that the standard based culture of the organization was not, at this point ready to adapt to the spryness of the world requesting a higher pace of globalization and innovative turn of events and consequently the way of life must be made adaptable and worth based to prevail upon the trust of the workers and cause them to comprehend the worth conveyed by the organization. The organization lays a higher measure of worry over the qualities that are required in the maintainable condition with intensive preparing given over the exhibition with reason (Russell, 1985). The way of life of the organization is something other than moral culture rather it is an aggregate of all the conviction frameworks of the organization, the customs followed at plenty of oc casions fortifying the obligation of the workers, the qualities soaked up followed by the whole supervisory group, the accounts that are dispersed by the administration in normal gatherings of the staff and the images in assortment of structures. The images utilized in the general store to maintain the way of life of the staff are the uniform of the client care agents that follows a useful message, the banners on the dividers managing the clients to address slows down, the worker of the month showed over release board in the passageway to rouse the representatives, the identifications worn by some exceptionally productive representatives and different structures. The examples of overcoming adversity are examined by the group in each casual gathering where the top administration portrays their experience and rouses the group. The estimations of the organization thoroughly confines a resolute and unforgiving society of visually impaired dutifulness and thusly, there is no top down progressive exacting society rather a fair culture where everybody takes an interest in the dynamic to give their significant proposals to improve the promoting content and the client care offices. The board of the whole group is a difficult errand fo r the pioneer and which thus has an impact over the authoritative conduct. The pioneers of the store shaping a huge portion of the top administration like to be encircled by the correct sort of individuals having enormous and far reaching area of thoughts and are not hesitant to take any sort of dangers to actualize those thoughts (Boye, 1997). The store have built up an initiative preparing program for the administrators and representatives in other administration jobs. This preparation incorporates true based recreation strategies to have the option to prepare the group to soundly tie with one another and work with one another under the oversight of the pioneer. The pioneers are answerable for spurring the representatives for each sort of errand, for example, stock renewal, internet shopping help, administrating administrations, client support, sanitation and deals driving. The office chiefs have stuck and coordinated the groups in a single unit for a compelling and proficient act ivity. The board must assume a splendid job to decide the ability of the people and to use it productively in the field of operational methodology. The group the board is done in the cutting edge to cause the representatives to learn by the methods for experience. The group is partitioned into different jobs however every one of the job in incorporated into one single useful unit. The group chief, organization jobs, web based shopping, counter help, client care help, distribution center help, merchandizing control, online client support help, general help and different jobs are soundly tied up to one another to frame an extensive group of help. Henceforth, the administration of this store and grocery store is taken care of proficiently and deftly. According to the perception it very well may be seen that the market has qualities of having an extraordinary adaptable and agreeable culture which is maintained by different determinants of culture. The authority and the arrangement of the group of the association is very well in intelligence with the patterns of the retail advertise. The workers are roused to get themselves adjusted around the center crucial the organization. This majority rule and partic

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Auto biography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auto memoir - Assignment Example Alongside a developing enthusiasm for and information on hardware, Dath has indicated his ability for business and enterprising activity too. Joining White Castle in 2004, Dath has stirred his way up to Assistant General Manager and has built up and down his Having a feeling of clear vision and heading, Dath has made generally out of his involvement with White Castle. His choice to upgrade his insight into flight and gadgets appeared well and good given his previous advantages and improvement. As of now going to New York-based Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, Dath smoothes out his work and individual interests into an intelligible profession way. Vaughn’s vision and crucial, just reflects Dath’s keenness for interest in abilities, information and encounters. Reliable to his ceaseless self-improvement, Dath has most as of late (2009) got an A+ affirmation. Being prepared at Vaughn as a pilot, flying remains Dath’s genuine enthusiasm. On worldwide issues, Dath’s attention to his picked industry’s â€i.e. aueronautics †suggestions for condition, has made his advancement of unmistakable fascination for green issues generally apparent in exercises at Vaughn and

Friday, August 21, 2020

Memories of the Titanic :: Sinking of the Titanic

I recall my youth years very well. I had lived with my older sibling, Colby Winston, since the time I was five, I don’t recollect much before that however. We voyaged all around Europe; Colby was a major player and wanted to make wagers. He lied, he cheated, everything was continually evolving. Colby guaranteed me a certain something however, â€Å"Reagan,† he would state, â€Å"one days it gunna be you and me, in the United States.† I truly needed to trust him, however I never observed it working out. However, at that point one day, one day of reckoning, Colby won the greatest hand of poker. Alongside cash, stogies, and a wristband for me, he won two passes to get on board the Titanic! On April 10, 1912, Colby and I boarded the Titanic from the Southampton Harbor. It was my first time on a boat yet I wasn’t that terrified, Colby would depict me as a young lady unafraid. There were a huge number of individuals arranged to board, Colby made me hold his hand so we wouldn’t get isolated. After we put our packs into our second rate study hall I needed to investigate. Colby didn’t mind that I pondered around however before I left he would consistently say, â€Å"If anything awful occurs, you realize where to discover me.† He would be at one of the betting tables testing his karma once more. I wanted to go watch the top of the line individuals through the assembly hall windows. They were so legitimate and great. Now and then I would wish that Colby would get rich so we could live like that, things would be significantly simpler for us considering we didn’t have a lot of cash. The following day, Colby and I had lunch on the deck with a portion of his betting companions. It was truly fascinating to tune in to their discussions, part of the gang they called Cash raised that the Titanic was a resilient boat. â€Å"That’s not true,† I stated, â€Å"no boat can be resilient, in the event that it crashes it will sink.† They all just giggled at me, Colby said I just didn’t comprehend, and he was correct, I didn’t. I headed to sleep early that night, after my stroll around deck watching the sun set. I was drained to the point that I floated into a profound rest. â€Å"Reagan, wake up!† Colby was shaking me as though something horrible had happened â€Å"We got the chance to go, get our shoes! Quickly!† I did as he asked, despite the fact that I didn’t realize what was going on.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Cadet Persuasion - A Teaching Campaign Based on Cadet Persuasion

Cadet Persuasion - A Teaching Campaign Based on Cadet PersuasionThe American Military Argumentative Essay is perhaps the most fascinating of all the essay subjects in American history. It has as its main focus an appeal to the soldier's imagination, to his spirit, to his belief and to his loyalty. Although the appeal to all these emotions, beliefs and loyalty is obvious, the American Military Argumentative Essay also can be read in the light of an academic exercise and that by way of a campaign that ultimately gets to a soldier's world-view.American Military Essay has as its major theme in an essay entitled The Pledge to Keep the Nation Safe. The American Military Argumentative Essay is of interest, on the one hand, because it is a campaign based on political, rather than educational content. On the other hand, this essay campaign also has a campaign character and this character is similar to the character of the professor who goes into a classroom with a topic to debate or to study. Both campaign tactics have the same goal: to present the reader with a group of ideas, arguments, reasons and motives which will get him to decide on the side of the professor who has chosen the academic campaign.It is interesting to note that the principal of the campaign in American Military Argumentative Essay is an expression based on the constitution of the United States. The attempt is to persuade the student that every soldier's patriotism will be more important than any individual concern, in the same way that any class-project or laboratory research is better than any academic campaign, if that project and lab research are necessary for the military's survival and success. This appeal has been made by the professor and the soldier to a theme that is already well established in American History, especially the Second World War, which is but a part of the common and obvious questions that the student will be asked in the course of his education. In short, a campaign like thi s can only be successful if it is based on a good, solid, content-rich argument.That argument can be found in a reading of Cadet Persuasion, in a thesis called Cadet Persuasion. The thesis is in fact the teaching of Cadet Persuasion, which presents a campaign to the reader based on the already-accepted traditional American Military Essay topics: The Pledge to Keep the Nation Safe, An American War Diary, The American Oath and so on. As with the tradition, the thesis of Cadet Persuasion also has a four-point strategy. But unlike the American Military Argumentative Essay, Cadet Persuasion is essentially based on two key themes: that of public opinion and that of race.Both the thesis and the campaign of Cadet Persuasion are important parts of the textbook, as both are of great importance for the teaching of American history in American schools, as the campaign of Cadet Persuasion clearly shows. The Cadet Persuasion thesis is the foundation of the campaign, but the Cadet Persuasion campa ign is the key to this campaign.So, Cadet Persuasion is essentially a teaching campaign for Cadet Persuasion, which in the end tries to convince the reader to believe that he or she must pledge his or her loyalty to the cause of the country, as that is more important than anything else. That is the campaign that has been defined in the Cadet Persuasion thesis. The Cadet Persuasion campaign is based on the proposition that he or she must choose the right side when he or she must fight for the nation, because the nation needs soldiers. In short, the Cadet Persuasion thesis asks the student to sacrifice to the cause.The Cadet Persuasion thesis in Cadet Persuasion is very important in American Education, where the content and the method are so close to each other that they seem to merge in the mind. In fact, the Cadet Persuasion thesis is the best classroom presentation that could possibly be made in the new American Political System, and it is a good example of that not only in regard to the content, but also the method. the way in which the teacher moves from exposition to argument and from knowledge to speculation.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Essay on 18th Centry Slavery In North America - 922 Words

People crying for freedom and liberty from tyranny built a nation out of greed and unethical acts. The rapacious desires of a nation to gain wealth and possessions lead to the emotional and psychological trauma of West Africans and African Americans. In spite of being taken from Africa, the sweat and blood of these Africans contributed to the birth of the beautiful nation that would eventually recognize their descendants as equals. The Exploration Age commenced in the fifteenth century when European nations decided to expand their power for technological, demographic, and economic reasons. The results of European expansion lead to new discoveries, international trade of goods and people, migration, and rivalry among European†¦show more content†¦With less indentured servants in America to provide labor, the labor force transitioned from indentured servants to chattel slavery. â€Å"Unlike Spain and Portugal, who by the late fifteenth century were already enslaving West Afr icans in their domestic economies, the English had no prior model of slavery to serve them in the Americas.† Britain did not set out to enslave West Africans; they did not have the means to justify enslavement. The English later turned to the bible to justify participation in the Atlantic Slave Trade; The official rationale for enslaving Africans was that they were heathens, but slave traders and slave owners sometimes interpreted a passage in the book of Genesis as their justification. Ham, they maintained, committed a sin against his father Noah that condemned his supposedly black descendants to be servants unto servants. The English related the color black to sin. They justified slavery because the bible stated that Ham and his descendant’s punishment for sinning was slavery. The southern colonies were made up of large plantations that produced tobacco, cotton or rice. In comparison to northern states, the southern economy was dependent on the free labor African slaves provided. The plantation society was divided into four major groups: the wealthy planters, the smaller planters, the poor whites, and the Africans. Plantation owners often trained some

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Marketing Plan For Whole Foods Market - 1554 Words

Introduction / History / Company Background Whole Foods Market first opened on September 20, 1980 in Austin, Texas, which is the company headquarters. The founders were John Mackey, Renee Lawson, Craig Weller, and Mark Skiles. These four business people decided that the natural food industry was ready for a supermarket format. The current CEO’s are John Mackey and Walter Robb IV (Whole Foods Market History, 2015). Whole Foods Market stock ticker symbol is WFM and their NACIS code is 445110 (WFM Morningstar, 2015). The company industry sector is listed under a grocery store and retail trade. Whole Foods Market is the eight largest company in the United States with 427 stores located in North America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The†¦show more content†¦This program through Colorado Correctional Industries says on its website the mission is to train inmates with skills and work ethics so they can gain employment and be contributing members to society upon their release from jail (Whole Foods to stop†¦, 2 015). Some people may feel this program is beneficial for inmates, but at what cost? Prisoners who volunteer for the program are paid 74 cents to four dollars a day, which is way less than the entire fifty states minimal wage (Whole Foods to stop†¦, 2015). Most companies are cost effective, but to incorporate prisoners to farm seafood is morally and unethically wrong. Prison labor programs are unethical since inmates have no protection of their labor rights where exploitation can occur (Whole Foods to stop†¦, 2015). Michael Allen, a prison reform advocate protested at one of Whole Foods Market in Houston, Texas to bring awareness to consumers. People’s opinions will vary regarding this issue, but there’s an opportunity for the public to be aware of who really produce the products we consume (Whole Foods to stop†¦, 2015). The companies that work closely with Whole Foods Market are Fair Trade USA, Rainforest Alliance, The Institute for Marketecology Social (IMO) Fair Trade Certification, and Fair Trade International. These are non-profit organizations along with Whole Foods Market who care about social responsibility started a program called Fair for Life which is based on the latest recommendations by setting social

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Essay Example For Students

A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Essay Oscar Wilde, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, makes Basils life change drastically by having him paint a portrait of Dorian Gray and express too much of himself in it, which, in Wildes mind, is a troublesome obstacle to circumvent. Wilde believes that the artist should not portray any of himself in his work, so when Basil does this, it is he who creates his own downfall, not Dorian. Wilde introduces Basil to Dorian when Basil begins to notice Dorian staring at him at a party. Basil suddenly became conscious that someone was looking at . turned halfway around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time Wilde 24. Basil immediately notices him, however Basil is afraid to talk to him. His reason for this is that he does not want any external influence in life Wilde 24. This is almost a paradox in that it is eventually his own internal influence that destroys him. Wilde does this many times throughout the book. He loved using paradoxes and that is why Lord Henry, the character most similar to Wilde, is quoted as being called Price Paradox. Although Dorian and Basil end up hating each other, they do enjoy meeting each other for the first time. Basil finds something different about Dorian. He sees him in a different way than he sees other men. Dorian is not only beautiful to Basil, but he is also gentle and kind. This is when Basil falls in love with him and begins to pai nt the picture. Basil begins painting the picture, but does not tell anyone about it, including Dorian, because he knows that there is too much of himself in it. Lord Henry discovers the painting and asks Basil why he will not display it. Lord Henry thinks that it is so beautiful it should be displayed in a museum. Basil argues that the reason he will not display the painting is because he is afraid that has shown in it the secret of his soul Wilde 23. This is another paradox because he has not only shown the secret of his soul, but the painting eventually comes to show the secret of Dorians soul also. In the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde explains that to reveal art and conceal the artist is arts aim Wilde 17. Basil realizes that he has not concealed himself in the painting and therefore feels the painting is not worth anything. After Lord Henry sees the painting, he asks to meet Dorian. Basil says that would not be good because his influence would be bad Wilde 31. Basil is correct in saying this because Lord Henry is the main person who helps Dorian to destroy himself. Lord Henry disregards Basils request and meets Dorian anyway. This is the beginning of the end for both Dorian and Basil because Lord Henrys influence pollutes Dorian. Lord Henry taunts Dorian and continues to remind him of all the sin that is building up  and that even though his body is not aging, his soul is deteriorating fast. When Basil notices that Dorian has not changed physically in many years, he is curious to know how Dorian stayed beautiful, but also wants to know why Dorian has changed so much emotionally. Basil does not have the painting on display, but rather keeps it in the attic. When Dorian comes over one day, he and Basil are talking when Basil asks, I wonder do I know you? Before I could answer that, I should have to see your soul. Wilde 216 Dorian goes into a rage and takes Basil upstairs to see his soul which is concealed in the painting. When Basil sees the painting which is bloody and atrocious looking, he cannot believe that he painted it. Dorian reassures him that it is indeed Basils painting. In that painting is all of Dorians hate, fear, and sadness reduced onto a canvass. .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .postImageUrl , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:hover , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:visited , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:active { border:0!important; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:active , .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676 .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u19e8f76bdafd8e0572824edf1e1ac676:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In Drown, author presents readers with an impoverished group of characters through harsh, but vivid language EssayWhen Dorian sees the picture, he blames Basil for it and picks up a knife laying on a nearby table and stabs Basil. He then takes the knife and stabs the painting in the heart, killing his soul, and returning the painting to its original form. Wilde constructs this in an interesting way because after Dorian stabs the picture, which is a representation of his soul, Wilde shows Dorian laying on the ground, wrinkled and disgusting, with a knife in his heart. Wilde did this to show that when Dorian stabbed the painting, he was actually stabbing himself. Oscar Wilde first portrays Dorian Gray as a sweet, sensitive man whom everyone admires. When Basil, however, began admiring Dorian, he changed. Lord Henry moved into his life, and the painting showed a form of beauty that he could never be able to achieve again in real life without the help of magic. With this, Dorian conceals his morbid soul with the painting and continues living as beautiful as he ever was, physically, but spiritually he is rotting inside. Wilde creates an animal out of the seemingly perfect man and has him destroy himself and his friends along with him. All of this happened because of the picture of Dorian Gray.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Capital Punishment A Critical Evaluation of its Appropriateness in Modern Society

The public reflection on the legality and morality of capital punishment has over the years been well documented by historians, philosophers and other theorists amid the complexities and controversies the debate continues to attract.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Capital Punishment: A Critical Evaluation of its Appropriateness in Modern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the practice is institutionalized and practiced in some countries, the raging debate about its appropriateness demonstrates a subtle balance of thought among critics and advocates that continues to be analyzed under the rubric of moral, legal, philosophical and political underpinnings (Homans 44). It is therefore the purpose of this essay to critically examine recent arguments in support and against the practice of capital punishment with a view to elucidating facts about its appropriateness or inappropriateness in modern society . It is indeed true that a growing number of countries across the world are abolishing capital punishment, which basically implies the lawful infliction of death as a form of punishment (Arguments para. 1). However, supporters of the practice continue to echo their concerns in popular media using deep-seated rationalistic arguments and counterarguments that aim to widen the focus and the historical framework of capital punishment. One school of thought argues that damages caused by some egregious behavior such as murder and rape cannot be sufficiently compensated, hence the need to formulate legislation that will provide optimum deterrence to the offender in the form of capital punishment (Baron 855). Undeniably, the stakes in support of capital punishment are even higher if such egregious conduct is proved beyond reasonable doubt by a court of law, or if the perpetrator readily admits to taking part in the murder or rape of the victim.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In such scenarios, the upholding of capital punishment is seen as a necessary antidote to such uncivilized and inhuman behavior (Steiker Stetker 649). In line with the above argument, supporters of capital punishment argue that the practice permanently removes thieves, murderers, rapists, and other criminals from the face of society, in the process making it safer for compliant members of society to leave in peace (Steiker Stetker 651). This rationalistic argument is founded on the fact that dead criminals cannot in anyway engage in further criminal activities, either within prison or after being released into the public domain (Arguments para 9). This is, in my view, a flawed argument since it does not only lack any moral justification, but it denies the murderer or rapist the chance to reform and look upon life from a positive standpoint. Assuming a rather economic perspective, some pro-capi tal punishment advocates argue that limited state resources should be used on important issues rather than on long-term incarceration of murderers, rapists, and other criminals (Arguments para 10). Supporters of this school of thought argue that countries should not use an inexhaustible commodity such as money to cater for individuals condemned for murdering or raping innocent victims. However, this argument can be challenged from the viewpoint that some techniques used to execute condemned criminals are as a matter of fact more expensive than putting such individuals on long-term imprisonment. In consequence, the issue of cost does not hold much water. Still, other proponents of capital punishment argue that the criminal must be made to suffer the full consequences in proportion to the offence he or she might have committed, otherwise known as retributive justice (Baron 855; Arguments para. 11). As such, a murderer must meet the full force of the law by being executed instead of un dergoing some form of rehabilitative treatment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Capital Punishment: A Critical Evaluation of its Appropriateness in Modern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, this standpoint, in my own view, is faced with a serious challenge because it does not only assumes the old-fashioned logic of an ‘eye for an eye’, but it also lacks in establishing effective standards for punishing offenders in as far as crimes such as rape, robbery with violence, and other odious criminal activities are concerned (Baron 856). For instance, a rapist cannot in anyway be raped under the instruction of the criminal justice system just to make sure that such a criminal is made to suffer in proportion to the crime committed. In consequence, this argument is a non-starter. Lastly, pro-capital punishment advocates argue that the practice has been effectively used to deter serious crimina l activities in countries such as Singapore, China, and Iran, among others. Indeed, consecutive studies reveal that there are far less serious crimes in countries that practice capital punishment, and the opposite is almost always true in countries that don’t (Arguments para. 12). Indeed, â€Å"†¦those in favor of capital punishment believe that the threat of severe punishment should bring the crime rates down and that capital punishment or the death penalty is the ultimate crime deterrent† (Cox para. 1). But as observed by this particular author, capital punishment is no longer effective in deterring crime, in part, due to the fact that it is neither swift nor certain as it used to be in early days. For instance, one can be convicted for a capital offence but the swiftness of taking the convict to the gallows or firing squad is no longer present, thus it cannot be used to deter other members of society from committing crime. In equal measure, the practice lacks c ertainty in countries such as the U.S. by virtue of the fact that different states apply the law regarding capital punishment differently (Steiker Stetker 650).Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Critics of capital punishment employ both moral and pragmatic justifications to argue their case. Pragmatically, critics argue that capital punishment lacks any reformative purpose in as far as re-establishing ‘a good citizen’ is concerned, thus the case for its application relies on retribution and deterrence (Homans 43). This further implies that the death penalty cannot in any valid way be used to reform society; on the contrary, it can only be used to protect society from individuals perceived to be deviating from the norm. In consequence, capital punishment fails to serve one of the basic tenets of the criminal justice system – that of reforming individuals to comply with the norms and values set by society. The moral argument against the death penalty holds that killing an individual for the sole purpose of letting justice take its course is unequivocally wrong. The basic premise for this argument is that the murderer or rapist is wicked to kill or to rape, but so is the state or the criminal justice system (Homans 43). This is a valid argument in as far as the American Constitution and many religions protect the sanctity of life. Indeed, many religions worldwide are of the opinion that life is God-given and that it is only the Almighty who can take away the life of someone. Consequently, it is morally and spiritually wrong for the state and the criminal justice system to assume the role of God (Styers 99). Moving on, critics of capital punishment postulates that it is often awarded in an inconsistent manner, not mentioning the fact that there exist a real possibility of executing the innocent (Homans 46). This incontrovertible point of view further argues that there is no possible way of compensating the innocent in the eventuality that justice was miscarried, thus the legislation does not carry much weight. In the case of murder, the shallowness of slapping capital offenders with the death penalty is further demonstrated by the fact that it is only the culprit and the victim who knows what really happened, not the prosecution and defense lawyers in a court of law. As such, it is not out of the ordinary for an individual to be convicted for murder when he should actually have only being convicted for a lesser charge such as manslaughter (Styers 115). This is undeniably wrong. Capital punishment is a cruel and unusual form of punishment. Indeed, many countries are abolishing capital punishment due to its very own inhuman nature, not mentioning the fact that international law and treaties are edging towards declaring the death penalty to be a human rights violation (Styers 117). It is interesting to note that none of the various international criminal courts and treaties provides for capital punishment, and some regional and international bodies such as the Council of Europe and the European Union are advocating for the abandonment of capital punishment as a precondition for membership. Indeed, not only does capi tal punishment projects a negative image for any country that puts it into practice, but it also seriously dents the image and esteem of innocent family members and friends of criminals lined up for executions (Homans 45). This must never be allowed to continue. To conclude, it is evidently clear from the discussion that capital punishment does not only assume a backward trajectory, but it also raises critical moral and ethical challenges that must be answered for the practice to gain credence. Yet, proponents of the death penalty have failed to provide satisfactory answers to the questions asked, not mentioning the fact that their own justifications as can be observed above rests on shallow waters. It is indeed true that no one in his sane mind can possibly deny the anguish of the victim’s family in a murder or rape case, but the anguish and despair of the murderer’s or rapist’s family must also be taken into consideration (Homans 47). In addition, knowledge ab out the poor administration of capital punishment by most countries is in the public domain. What’s more, it must be remembered that murderers, rapists and other criminals are ordinary mortals who have a life and with it the capability to experience pain, fright and the loss of family members and friends. It should also be remembered that there is no such thing as a compassionate technique of executing a criminal irrespective of what the state may claim because every form of execution is a horrendous ordeal for the criminal. As such, it is only right that capital punishment be abandoned. Works Cited Arguments for and Against Capital Punishment. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/thoughts.html. Baron, J.C. The â€Å"Monstrous Heresy† of Punitive Damages: A Comparison to the Death Penalty and Suggestions for Reform. University of Pennsylvania Law Review 159.3(2007): 853-891. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database. Cox, E.V. Why Capital Pun ishment Doesn’t Deter Crime. 2006. Web. Homans, L. Swinging Sixties: The Abolition of Capital Punishment. History Today 58.12 (2008): 43-49. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database. Steiker, C.S., Stetker, J.M. Capital Punishment: A Century of Discontinuous Debate. Journal of Criminal Law Criminology 100.3 (2010): 643-689. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database. Styers, R. Capital Punishment, Atonement, and the Christian Right. Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 18.3 (2007): 97-127. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database. This essay on Capital Punishment: A Critical Evaluation of its Appropriateness in Modern Society was written and submitted by user Sky Chicken to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

10 Fascinating Facts About Ladybugs

10 Fascinating Facts About Ladybugs Who doesnt love a ladybug? Also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, the little red bugs are so beloved because they are beneficial predators, cheerfully chomping on garden pests such as aphids. But ladybugs arent really bugs at all. They belong to the order Coleoptera, which includes all of the beetles. Europeans have called these dome-backed beetles by the name ladybirds, or ladybird beetles, for over 500 years. In America, the name ladybug is preferred; scientists usually use the common name lady beetle for accuracy. 1. Not All Ladybugs Are Black and Red Although ladybugs (called Coccinellidae) are most often red or yellow with black dots, nearly every color of the rainbow is found in some species of ladybug, often in contrasting pairs. The most common are red and black or yellow and black, but some are as plain as black and white, others as exotic as dark blue and orange. Some species of ladybug are spotted, others have stripes, and still others sport a checked pattern. There are 4,300 different species of ladybugs, 400 of which live in North America. Color patterns are connected to their living quarters: generalists that live pretty much anywhere have fairly simple patterns of two strikingly different colors that they wear year round. Others that live in specific habitats have more complex coloration, and some can change color throughout the year. Specialist ladybugs use a camouflage coloration to match the vegetation when theyre in hibernation and develop the characteristic bright colors to warn off predators during their mating season. 2. The Name Lady Refers to the Virgin Mary According to legend,  European crops during the Middle Ages were plagued by pests. Farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary. Soon, the farmers started seeing beneficial ladybugs in their fields, and the crops were miraculously saved from the pests. The farmers began calling the red and black beetles our ladys birds or lady beetles. In Germany, these insects go by the name Marienkafer, which means Mary beetles. The seven-spotted lady beetle is believed to be the first one named for the Virgin Mary; the red color is said to represent her cloak, and the black spots her seven sorrows. 3. Ladybug Defenses Include Bleeding Knees and Warning Colors Startle an adult ladybug and a  foul-smelling hemolymph will seep from its leg joints, leaving yellow stains on the surface below. Potential predators may be deterred by the vile-smelling mix of alkaloids  and equally repulsed by the sight of a seemingly sickly beetle. Ladybug larvae can also ooze alkaloids from their abdomens. Like many other insects, ladybugs use aposematic coloration to signal their toxicity to would-be predators. Insect-eating birds and other animals learn to avoid meals that come in red and black and are more likely to steer clear of a ladybug lunch. 4. Ladybugs Live for About a Year   David Bithell/Getty Images   The ladybug lifecycle begins when a batch of bright-yellow eggs are laid on branches near food sources. They hatch as larvae in four to 10 days and then spend about three weeks feeding up- the earliest arrivals may eat some of the eggs that have not yet hatched. Once theyre well-fed, theyll begin to build a pupa, and after seven to 10 days they emerge as adults. The insects typically live for about a year. 5. Ladybug Larvae Resemble Tiny Alligators  © Jackie Bale/Getty Images If youre unfamiliar with ladybug larvae, you would probably never guess that these odd creatures are young ladybugs. Like alligators in miniature, they have long, pointed abdomens, spiny bodies, and legs that protrude from their sides. The larvae feed and grow for about a month, and during this stage they often consume hundreds of aphids. 6. Ladybugs Eat a Tremendous Number of Insects Bill Draker/Getty Images   Almost all ladybugs feed on soft-bodied insects and serve as beneficial predators of plant pests. Gardeners welcome ladybugs with open arms, knowing they will munch on the most prolific plant pests. Ladybugs love to eat scale insects, whiteflies, mites, and aphids. As larvae, they eat pests by the hundreds. A hungry adult ladybug can devour 50 aphids per day, and scientists estimate that the insect consumes as many as 5,000 aphids over its lifetime. 7. Farmers Use Ladybugs to Control Other Insects Because ladybugs have long been known to eat the gardeners pestilent aphids and other insects, there have been many attempts to use ladybugs to control these pests. The first attempt- and one of the most successful- was in the late 1880s, when an Australian ladybug (Rodolia cardinalis) was imported into California to control the cottony cushion scale. The experiment was expensive, but in 1890, the orange crop in California tripled. Not all such experiments work. After the California orange success, over 40 different ladybug species were introduced to North America, but only four species were successfully established. The best successes have helped farmers control scale insects and mealybugs. Systematic aphid control is rarely successful because aphids reproduce much more rapidly than ladybugs do. 8. There Are Ladybug Pests You may have personally experienced the effects of one of the biological control experiments that had unintended consequences. The Asian or harlequin ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) was introduced to the United States in the 1980s and is now the most common ladybug in many parts of North America. While it did depress the aphid population in some crop systems, it also caused declines in native species of other aphid-eaters. The North American ladybug is not endangered yet, but its overall numbers have decreased, and some scientists believe that is the result of harlequin competition. Some other negative effects are also associated with harlequins. In late summer, the ladybug gets ready for its winter dormancy period by dining on fruit, specifically ripe grapes. Because they blend in with the fruit, the ladybug gets harvested with the crop, and if the winemakers dont get rid of the ladybugs, the nasty taste of the knee bleed will taint the vintage. H. axyridis also like to over-winter in houses, and some houses are invaded in each year by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of ladybugs. Their knee-bleeding ways can stain furniture, and they occasionally bite people. 9. Sometimes Masses of Ladybugs Wash Up on Shores Near large bodies of water all over the world, massive numbers of Coccinellidae, dead and alive, occasionally or regularly appear on the shorelines. The largest washup to date happened in the early 1940s when an estimated 4.5 billion individuals were spread over 21 kilometers of shoreline in Libya. Only a small number of them were still alive. Why this occurs is still not understood by the scientific community. Hypotheses fall into three categories: ladybugs travel by floating (they can survive afloat for a day or more); the insects aggregate along shorelines because of a reluctance to cross large bodies of water; low-flying ladybugs are forced ashore or into the water by windstorms or other weather events. 10. Ladybugs Practice Cannibalism If food is scarce, ladybugs will do what they must to survive, even if it means eating each other. A hungry ladybug will make a meal of any soft-bodied sibling it encounters. Newly emerged adults or recently molted larvae are soft enough for the average ladybug to chew. Eggs or pupae also provide protein to a ladybug that has run out of aphids. In fact, scientists believe that ladybugs will deliberately lay infertile eggs as a ready source of food for their young hatchlings. When times are tough, a ladybug may lay an increased number of infertile eggs to give her babies a better chance of surviving.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Compare and contrast attitudes towards Native Americans Essay

Compare and contrast attitudes towards Native Americans - Essay Example Even though white American treated American Indians in hostile manner, the latter considered the former as brothers. The American Indian was always treated unfairly and was not rewarded for their efforts and they often survived liked invisible Americans. They were given small reservations and were cut off from the rest of the country. Many Americans who live out of the West have no idea that Native Americans did survive in America. Traditionally, Americans neglected Native Americans and did not give any rights or privilege to this community. Americans felt that even though Native Americans had noble qualities, in the end they are evil, treacherous and cruel. Native Americans were a minority and were treated with injustice by white Americans. Americans kept a distance from Native Americans as they were believed to be lazy, uncivilized and vengeful. Native Americans had been neglected throughout the history of America, until the media started focusing on them. It was in 1960 that two books on American Indians throw some light upon their importance and culture. In 1960s Native Americans received more attention among white Americans and this led to greater awareness of American Indians and the troubles they faced in their daily life. The American Indians utilized the publicity they had among white Indians and the Americans started caring more for their needs and desire. Americans started feeling sympathetic towards Native Americans and started realizing their rights and needs. So the media started to focus on their problems, history and explained the pain they suffered at the hands of white Americans. The plight of the Native Americans is poor because they are largely misunderstood by the White Americans. The problem is the both the parties does not attempt to understand each other. It was in late 20th century that the Americans started realizing that America is not

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Management and leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and leadership - Essay Example It is a well-known and understood fact that it takes the display of very fine management skills in order to be a good leader. Generally, good leaders are first good managers. Body One of the most fundamental differences between managers and leaders is their way of motivating the subordinates or followers. While the managers usually are risk averse in their approaches, leaders tend to take risks. Some traits that differentiate a manager from a leader are; managers prefer routine over change whereas leaders prefer the other way round; the vision of managers is short-term generally whereas leaders tend to have a long-term vision, leaders visualize things in a broad perspective whereas managers work upon details to make the plans of the leader practicable; finally, as the terms suggest, managers tend to manage whereas the work of a leader is to leader, though it takes sound management skills to be able to lead. The foundation on which leadership stands is the commitment and obedience of the followers. A leader cannot do without the help, support, and compliance of the followers. It takes management to get the followers in the position where they are ready to accept the leader as an individual with power and authority over them. Leadership without management is like trying to lead a herd of wild buffaloes. No matter how hard a leader tries, the wild buffaloes would get scattered and the man would not be able to lead them to their destination. Management essentially tames the workforce so that they get in the mood to listen to the leader and give him/her the due respect he/she deserves for being in the position of a leader. Management is about inculcating the sense of work ethics, respect for the principles of work, and a willingness to abide by them in the workplace in the workforce. These factors prepare a worker mentally and psychologically to be submissive to the leader for the matters related to work. In turn, the level of obedience of the subordinates is raised and this has a very healthy effect on the relationship between the leader and the subordinates. When managed rightly, workers know that they have to listen to the leader to be able to work toward attaining the goal as a group while keeping their personal egos aside. In this way, management essentially set the stage for a leader to perform on. Without that stage, the leader might be called as a leader but he/she might not be truly recognized as a leader, and without the recognition of a leader as such, leadership cannot be thought to be effective. The duties and responsibilities of a manager and a leader are to a large extent similar. While not every manager is a leader, every leader has to be a manager also. Although the individual with the utmost powers and the decision making authority in an organization is usually one or a small group of people who are recognized as leaders, yet down the line, every manager is a leader for the people working under him/her. For example, letâ€⠄¢s take the example of the manager of kitchen in an organization. While the manager of kitchen has to follow the menu set by the leader and use only the ingredients made available to him/her by the leader, the manager of kitchen necessarily serves as a leader for the cooks, the chefs, the purchasers, the kitchen cleaners, and other workers working in the kitchen. Management in this example means providing the workers with the resources and help they require to achieve the tasks assigned to them individually and collectively, supervising them so as to make sure they are actually working and not wasting time in gossip and other activities, making sure that the kitchen is cleaned regularly and that

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Conflict & Stress Management Essay Example for Free

Conflict Stress Management Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION Stress and conflict are two major issues any organisation faces. They are inevitable in all facets of life, be individual or organisational. If not handled well they can be a hindrance for the company performance. Conflict and stress both varies according to the organisation and its culture. But both need to be managed well to avoid unnecessary problems. Conflict is a perception. Surveys show that employees spend as much as 42% of their time engaging in or attempting to resolve conflicts and 20% of managers’ time is taken up by conflict related issues (Gupta, Boyd, Kuzmits, 2011). This valuable time can be utilised in making the organisation a more efficient and an effective one. Organisations which fail to address conflict have the risk of losing their competitive advantage. Conflict can be viewed in many ways and there are different management styles which can deal with conflict. The leadership of the organisation must be involved in dealing with conflict as they would have to negotiate and bargain in order to overcome conflict. Stress is a major concern with today’s working people. This is because the world is developing in a faster pace which requires constant adaptation. Stress not only affects ones work-life balance, but also their personal life which creates chaos for individuals. According to some estimation, humankind losses 100 million workdays every year due to the aftermath of stress (Treven Potocan, 2005). Work stress needs to be managed well so it can actually improve the well being of the individuals as well as the organisation. Both of these factors will be viewed in the context of Nippon Lanka and will be analysed thoroughly on how they overcome these issues to maintain a healthy relationship with employees. Improvements and recommendations for the current methods will also be discussed. 2.0 OVERVIEW Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd (NPLK) is a joint venture (JV) between the Nippon PLC Japan (NPJ) and Silicone Coatings Pvt Ltd (SC) Sri Lanka where the NPJ brought over 60% of Silicones shares. This joint venture is advantageous to both parties where NPJ is able to use this as an entry method and SC as an opportunity to be a part of a global industry. Formation of this JV took almost a year where Nippon Lanka studied SC and the relevant industry as whole to get an idea of the present market conditions. It was found that there was no better time to enter the Sri Lankan market due to the post war era development. Therefore SC was considered due to their strong presence in the market. Today after about three months from successfully forming the JV the company is going through a transition period. There aren’t any major changes to positions in the hierarchy but there are role changes and employees are finding it difficult to adapt to their new roles. Example: The Managing Director (MD) of the company who was the owner of the company still is the MD how ever to day the person is a salaried employee. The General Manager who was reporting directly to MD today has to report to the Board of directors where MD is just one out of the five directors. When examining the company culture towards conflict, the company culture and the value system which has been there for 35 years from the date of the establishment is now being changed. SC was established in 1979, as a small scale manufacture and a distributer of paint related ancillaries. By the time Nippon approached SC it had grown into the largest local player in the market where it was second only to the global giant Akzonobal by a 3% margin. It is evident that SC has been a one man show up to the time of the JV, the full value system and the operational procedures were laid down by the founder himself and not most of the managers found it enticing to be part of. Therefore the HR turnover was such that on average about six key resources left the company. In this back ground let’s see how the conflict and stress management function takes place within the organization. 3.0 CONFLICT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Conflict Management Styles Conflict can be defined as the process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:441). It is that point in an ongoing activity when an interaction crosses over to become an interparty conflict. Conflict can be seen as good and bad with corresponding positive and negative outcomes where this would all depend on how one views conflict. There are three basics views of conflict. These are the Traditional view, the Interactionist view and Managed conflict view. The traditional view sees conflict as bad and something that must be eliminated through the use of authority. Poor communication, lack of openness and failure to respond to employee needs could be seen as few of the causes. The interactionist view is that conflict is desirable, necessary for high performance teams and should be encouraged. The contemporary view is that conflict is inevitable and it may be positive or negative but it must be managed to be beneficial. Nippon Lanka follows a more interactionist view where conflict is encouraged and the company is of the view that a perfectly cooperative, harmonious group would hinder dynamism, creativity and innovation where a minimal level of conflict is needed to prevent a lacklustre, uninterested attitude among the group. As mentioned earlier, not all conflicts are good, and this view only supports functional conflict. Functional conflict is a constructive form of conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves performance. The type of conflict at hand would distinguish a functional conflict from a dysfunctional conflict. Although these are distinct types of conflict, the occurrence of one type of conflict can lead to a conflict of another type taking place. For example, the process of costing has been kept confidential, and this has led to the tension between the sales team and the costing team. 3.2TYPES OF CONFLICT PRESENT IN NIPPON LANKA 3.2.1Relationship conflict Conflicts between two people are known as relationship conflicts. These conflicts arise as a result of miscommunication, disagreements or misunderstandings between people. One such situation at Nippon Lanka arose between the Brand Manager and the Marketing Manager. The Brand manager has been with the company for 5 years and has previously worked with two Heads of marketing. Once the new marketing manager was appointed, it was found that the latter was less experienced and was not willing to corporate with the Marketing Head. This triggered huge problems for the new comer. The management was aware of this, but wasn’t able to remove him from the position due to the valuable connections the customers. However, the Marketing Manager understood this inferiority complex of the Brand Manager. Having gone through the initial hardships the new marketing manager somehow managed to win the trust of the Brand manager. Now they are working harmoniously, directing all their efforts towards the benefit of the company. 3.2.2.Data Conflict This occurs when decisions are made without adequate information. At Nippon Lanka, the costing department works in isolation. They do not consult the sales and marketing team when arriving at the costs, so more often than not, the cost of the product is either too high, depriving them of valuable orders and potential growth, or at times its too low depriving the opportunity for the company to charge a premium price on an innovative product or to achieve efficiency through specialisation. 3.2.3Interest Conflict Conflicts of interest mainly deal with psychological issues, where an individual or organisation behaves in a certain manner, with the aim of meeting a particular interest which is not shared by everyone else. The JV with the Japanese company was not disclosed or made public, even though doing so would have been acting in the best interests of the company. The MD did not like the idea of publicising the 60:40 JV that was taking place, as it would be viewed as a takeover. However, the rest of the company felt that some amount of public awareness would have positively impacted the companys future performance. Another example would be when the HR department wanted to minimise the over time cost they imposed a rule where all sales vehicle needs to be back at the HO by 5 pm. As an example what the Sales representatives would do is when they need to deliver goods up to Negombo, covering Wattala, Ja-ela, Seeduwa and Negombo. They would turn back from Seeduwa at 3.30 pm in order to make it back to office by 5 pm, without covering their full distance to Negombo. What followed was a delay in the delivery and travelling additional mileage, having to revisit incomplete routes taking the same path. 3.2.4 Structural Conflict Structural conflict arises from unclear and undefined roles and reporting lines. The RD and the production manger are directly reporting to the MD. The other managers report to the GM, where the GM reports to the MD. Currently when a sales representative needs to develop a sample for a particular customer, the sales representative will not have the adequate support since the request from the sales rep will not be taken seriously from the RD manager and the GM cannot question them for not doing it right. Only 10 out of 1 samples are successful and yet the RD manager has managed to survive, distracting the control and supervisory system of the top management since there is no clear reporting structure. 3.2.5 Value Conflict A value conflict comes about when two people or groups have dissenting views on moralitythat basic understanding of what is naturally right or wrong. As mentioned earlier, the cost manager considered himself and his department superior than the other departments, with the notion that the information handled need not be disclosed to anyone else. At present, the cost manager is in prison, facing charges of fraud. Although the environment helped the person to carry out fraud, this is a clear example of conflicting values. 3.3 THE CONFLICT PROCESS Figure 1: The Conflict Process (Source: Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2005:444) 3.3.1Stage I: Potential opposition or incompatibility The first stage talks about the conditions that are needed for conflict to arise. They may not directly lead to conflict, but they need to be present for conflict to surface. They can be referred to as the causes of conflict and can be condensed into three general categories, namely communications, structure and personal variables. Communication, either too much or too little information passed between members can result in potential opportunities for conflict to arise. At Nippon Lanka, the manner in which the costing of the products is carried out is not communicated to the members in the other dept and this has been the initiating factor for conflict to set in. Structure includes several variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to the group members, role clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems, and the degree of dependence among groups. The sales and promotions manager at Nippon Paints follow an aggressive, predator style of leadership where excuses were not tolerated and was only interested in the achievement of results and targets. An example would be, the samples taken from the production team that is used for sales and promotion does not meet the required standards of quality where 9 out of 10 samples would fail. Same time, the Sales and promotions manager would also be very demanding of the sales representatives in terms of getting the desired targets. In some cases, employees have resigned due this demanding nature. Personal variables are mainly due to differences in personal traits of individuals. Diverse issues such as prejudice and disagreements over ones contribution to the group, as well as the rewards one deserves. For example, at Nippon Paints, the General Manager is prepared to hire new trainees at Rs. 15,000/=, whereas the Sales and Promotions Manager feels that the market rate of Rs. 30,000/= should be paid to them. The low salaries have deterred attracting the talented individuals and therefore not achieving the fullest potential. 3.3.2Stage II: Cognition and Personalization If the conditions mentioned in stage I negatively affect something one party cares about, then the potential for opposition or incompatibility surfaces in the second stage. One or both parties must be aware and perceive that these conditions exist. However, just because it is perceived does not make the conflict personalized. It may not have an effect on either or both parties. The conflict has to be felt, for individuals become emotionally involved, leading to anxiety, tension, frustration or hostility. 3.3.3Stage III: Intentions Intentions get in the way of peoples perceptions and emotions and act as decisions for them to react the way they do to the situation at hand. They are important, as one has to make inferences of the other partys intentions to know and understand the reason behind that partys behavior and to respond accordingly. Conflicts tend to escalate at this point merely because of the wrong inferences being made. Sometimes a behavior might erroneously reflect the persons intentions. Two dimensions are used, namely cooperativeness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the other partys concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party attempt to satisfy his or her own concerns) to identify five conflict handling intentions. This has been attached to Appendix 1 with the styles explained. 3.3.4Stage IV: Behavior This stage includes actions, statements and reactions made by the conflicting parties. Intentions of each party are implemented through these behaviors and can be seen as a dynamic process of interaction. Conflicts usually start slow; characterized by indirect rather subtle forms of tension and escalate as the tension builds. At this latter stage things could become highly destructive where such conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. 3.3.5Stage V: Outcomes Behavior would lead to outcomes, where some are functional in that the conflict results in an improvement in the groups performance or it may also be dysfunctional in that it hinders group performance. Functional conflict can be beneficial for the company as it provides a medium through which problems can be aired and tensions released. This improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation, encourages interest and curiosity among group members and it forces and environment of self-evaluation and change. Some companies discourage conflict as they prefer yes-men, loyal to the higher ups to the point of never questioning company actions. As for dysfunctional conflict it would reduce group effectiveness and group cohesiveness. At the extreme, conflict can bring group functioning to a halt and potentially threaten the groups survival. Refer Appendix II for the example of a conflict Process at Nippon paints. 3.3 NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING Before the organisation starts negotiating they should be aware of the nature of the conflict. There is a certain process that needs to be followed in negotiation. Negotiation is by definition the management of crossed demands, where each one of us expresses requests hoping the other will try to fulfil them (Lempereur, A. 2012). As it is said â€Å"Everything is negotiation in life†, so every party involved in the process would like to take the best out of it. 3.3.1 Bargaining Strategies There are two bargaining strategies that could be discussed. Distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. In the current context what is more obvious is integrative bargaining which makes both the parties involved satisfied creating a win-win situation. An example for this was when a sales representative requests for a personal vehicle they need to achieve a certain level of sales targets. If they maintain the sales targets for a sustainable period they will be given a personal vehicle. But by any chance if they do not keep up to the said targets their salaries will be reduced in accordance with the cost of maintaining the vehicle by the company. Through a situation like this, what is created is a long term positive relationship for the company. As a company, they increase the sales levels and the employees will also be satisfied as their needs are also met. 3.3.2 Negotiation Process Negotiation can happen in 5 steps; these are preparation and planning, definition and ground rules, clarification and justification, bargaining and problem solving and closure and implementation. Some do not have a positive ending or a closure. But negotiations that have an effect for the organisation will go through a process. An example of this would be when the company needs to host certain function in hotels they would negotiate with them for the best bargain. As they have cost constraints, there are certain limitations and getting the best bargain with the best outcome would be the perfect scenario. Before the start of the negotiation with the relevant hoteliers the in-charge person will prepare the list of things that need to be discussed. These would be the pricing, menu items, additional services that are required and assess what the other party goals and prepare well for them. In this instance a budget per person would be Rs. 3,000. But the relevant hotels cost was higher. Then the menus for these relevant amounts will be compared. In the Sri Lankan context rather than a 4 or 5 course meal, action stations with koththu and hoppers have a vibrant feeling and also cost less. So in the negotiation table the other alternatives will be put across. Since information is all gathered, the representative will develop a strategy. The person will also determine the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). So here the BATNA will be to get cost per person at Rs. 3,000 having action stations with cocktail menu. The person will determine when and where to have the appointment. The ideal place would be at hotel premises because then the ambiance where service capacity can also be viewed. The meeting would be planned in the best time where both parties are not strained with other commitments and can concentrate for a best outcome. Once the initial stance is made then there will be further clarifications and explanations. Then both parties will try to come up with concessions in order to make a decision. Once both parties are satisfied they will formalize the agreement. In this process Nippon Lanka representatives will stress on the fact that if one event is made a success; then the hotel is winning a long term corporate client. This enhances their business. 3.3.3 Third Party Negotiation This is crucial for Nippon Lanka as they deal with lot of suppliers and customers. Advertising is a crucial part for this organisation and dealing with media is important to get a good advertising deal. Earlier they were dealing with the television and radio stations by themselves and it was quite strenuous. Getting a good deal that is worth their money was tough and time consuming, having deal with different organisations, so they decided to obtain third party involvement. The outcome was to get a consultant to act on media buying for the organisation. A consultant is a skilled and impartial third party who attempts to facilitate problem solving through communication and analysis (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:457). They are there to improve the current status and to get a win-win solution for both parties. When Nippon started using a third party advertising firm to do media buying, they were able to get good deals from media as they have a high bargaining power. 4.0 WORK STRESS STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important (Robbins, Judge Vohrs, 554). Most of the time stress is discussed in the negative contest but this is not true at all times. Stress can be taken into the system as an advantage. In the current organisation stress factor is not talked openly even though people are put under stress levels it is not considered as value adding option for the organisation. In the organisation currently what is seen is the challenge stresses but sometimes these same factors do become hindrance stressors for the employees. 4.1 Sources of stress The main sources of stress in the organisation comes from environmental and organisation factors. When it comes to environmental factors; the three types of uncertainties are economic, political and technological. These play a minimal role compared to organisational and personal factors. In considering environment factors; the workers are stressed on the technological aspect. Research and development team is always under pressure in getting a new product development before their competitors. Organisation heads are concerned about the Political uncertainty. Whenever a new rule or regulation is passed by government with regard to the consumer protection or protecting environment this takes a toll in the organisation activities. They must be aware of the new laws and how to tackle them, this adds a lot of strain in the management as they need to alter or change certain decisions according to political scenarios. Change in economic policies and recessions or booms in the economic cycle create stress on the organisation. Current economic down turn have made a toll in the sales teams as consumers are spending less and government projects have considerably reduced. At the same time government is not paying their debt and collections have become harder. Organisational factors are the ones that are created by the organisation which creates stress on employees. Task demands such as collecting debts in 90 days have a strain on the employee. This increases the job pressure. Role demands relate to pressure that occurs due to the job role. Managers and above have high role related pressures compared to subordinates due to the heavy work load which needs to be performed in less time. Most employees complain that they are given more work than they can handle and it stresses them out a lot. At the same time many complain the targets given are not practical. There is a minimal level of interpersonal demands where other employees are not supportive. Personal factors which increase stress are different to every individual. But this does create a hindrance in the organisation performance. All or some of these factors create a high turnover or absenteeism, reduction in productivity and decrease in job satisfaction. Sadly Nippon Lanka has not recognised the importance of stress management in order to curb it or cure it. The main organisational stress come comes from the current management change, this is because the task and role demands have changed and employees need to adjust to the new roles. Personal factors too trigger stress level of the employees. 4.2 Managing Stress at Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd Based on the study, it is visible that Nippon Lanka uses stress as a positive motivator, but at some points it goes out of hand where it depletes the collaboration and coordination amongst the teams and also inter department. Based on the job roles, the department heads can think of the stress levels which can be imposed on the team members to get results and to meet targets. However the stress levels should be correctly managed so that it motivates results and not deplete and impede the team building and performance drive within the teams. As it is observed, some amount of stress comes from the non-alignment of the reporting lines. Therefore the suggestion is to relook at the reporting lines so that stress does not occur due to incorrect alignment of the business structure which has a negative impact and which creates unnecessary types of stress within teams. Together with the Job role enrichment, reporting lines should also be re-aligned so that the company will only be left with stress which causes the company to perform and not to impede. 5.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion conflict, negotiation and stress are all visible in Nippon Paint. Conflict is unavoidable at the organisation due to the dealings they have among the departments and the third parties. To overcome conflict certain understanding among employees and stakeholders must be implemented. It can be seen that conflict, negotiation and stress are interlinked with each other on some level. Organisational conflict styles may shape an organisations social environment, affecting the level of ongoing conflict and thus the level of stress among employees. Nippon Lanka to a great extent follows an integrative style of conflict management which leads to lower task conflict, reducing relationship conflict, which reduces stress. However, there are many instances where the management has not come up with a solution to the conflict at hand, where they are not willing to step in and the employees are left to resolve the matter, which at most times remains unresolved. The recommended improvements with regard to this has been discussed in Section 3.4. It is important that with the JV taking place, the new management plays an active role in resolving these long running issues so that the organisation and its performance does not get affected. The current JV could also trigger new conflicts and stress levels within the organisation where it is crucial that these issues are identified and resolved. The new management must take this opportunity to place greater prominence of recognizing the on-going stress levels within the organisation and deal with them appropriately. Improved management of conflict, negotiations and stress would benefit the individuals and the organisation in terms of high performing, content, dedicated employees who deliver results.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Baby Bosses :: essays research papers

Hendrick, Bill. â€Å"Baby Bosses: Youth vs. experience doesn’t have to be us vs. them.† The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Monday, 18 April 2005. â€Å"Living.† Pg. B1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article addresses a different side effect of the generation gap between the 79 million baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) and Generation Xers (those born between 1965 and 1984). The already-present tension between managers and their subordinates becomes exponentially worse as the age difference between them continues to widen. More and more young adults are starting their careers in managerial positions instead of having to start their way at the bottom and work up to the top. Understandably, older workers often have a difficult time accepting direction from someone young enough to be their child—or, in some cases, their grandchild. Baby boomers often perceive their younger co-workers as impersonal, condescending, and disrespectful. This view is unjustified more often than not; the older employees’ views are clouded by the fear of losing their jobs or the resentment of others’ advancement over theirs. A large catalyst for tension is seniorsâ€⠄¢ lack of hesitancy when it comes to filing ageism suits. In worst-case scenarios (the likes of which are all too common in the American business world), the seniors complete their tasks while always on the lookout for the opportunity to sue, in the not-so-great American tradition of suing every individual who makes you feel uncomfortable or slighted; in response, the younger crew go about their business ever on the edge, not wanting to succumb to the negative pressures of those above them but unwilling to deal with a lawsuit.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Sonnet 18

Explication of â€Å"A Summer’s Day† Shakespeare establishes his theme by shifting procreational beauty to the idea of immortalized beauty. Shakespeare's use of personification, literal meanings, and metaphors enables him to illustrate his compassion in the idea of immortality. In Sonnet 18 Shakespeare uses personification heavily in giving objects human qualities to reflect establish mortality in his muse. Doing so, helps the reader relate to the object to life and death.The first instance of personification is in the first quatrain , Shakespeare writes, â€Å"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,† meaning â€Å"Winds choke the lovely buds with hands of May†. On the first quatrain Shakespeare writes, â€Å"And Summer’s lease hath all too short a date:†(4). In this line Shakespeare is referring to Summer being too short. By this personification on the first quatrain, Shakespeare conveys the depth of his affection towards his love inte rest by giving a descriptive metaphor about his beloved comparing her to something intangible as a â€Å"Summer day† or â€Å"Lovely buds† being more beautiful than nature.He creates a life in words with the personification. In the second quatrain, Shakespeare writes, â€Å"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,†(5). He uses the reference of â€Å"Eye of heaven† to convey the idea of the sky being a face with the sun becoming the eye. On the next line Shakespeare writes, â€Å"And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;†(6). In this line Shakespeare describes how clouds often go behind clouds. In this line Shakespeare illustrates how intense his love for his beloved yet, nature can get in the way of love such as clouds or mortality.In Sonnet 18, those whom are unfamiliar with the writing of Shakespeare may think or feel they have to decipher what they’re reading. In some instances this is true, but not for all. This is where literal meanings play an important role in understanding some important ideas. In the second quatrain, Shakespeare says, â€Å"And every fair from fair sometime declines,†(7). This is saying almost exactly what it sounds like, everything beautiful will sometime be lost. On the couplet, Shakespeare writes, â€Å"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,†(13).In this he is referring to his love being everlasting as if his writing is forever cemented as people continue to read and live. Shakespeare uses metaphors to create an effect that gives his writing an eloquence, while such effects are also used in his prose. First quatrain, Shakespeare writes, â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate:† In this he’s saying you are more lovely and more constant, in comparison to a summer’s day. In quatrain 2, Shakespeare says, â€Å"By chance or nature’s changing course umtrimm’d†(8).Shakespeare is referring to death as a misfortune, or by na ture’s planned course. In the third quatrain, Shakespeare writes, â€Å"By thy eternal summer shall not fade†(9). The idea here is your youth will not fade. The very next line, â€Å"Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;†(10), This line is saying nor will you lose the beauty that you possess. In the last line of the third quatrain, Shakespeare writes, â€Å"When in eternal lines to time thou growest:†(12), this line is saying because in my eternal work you will live forever, thus, giving the poem immortality.Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 to challenges age and time and, thus, becomes everlasting, conveying the beauty of the fair youth down to expected generations through his words. Shakespeare attempts to compare this person to summer, yet summer could never be as magnificent or consistent. The beloved in Shakespeare’s view could never grow old or ugly and death could not even destroy this fair youth. This notion of beauty being immortalized in the poem.Whether it be written through personification, literal meanings or metaphors, Shakespeare always seemed to convey his ideas through his works. The idea of surviving or giving someone eternal life though literary works is genius. Sonnet 18 is about someone Shakespeare loves, that is immortalized in this Sonnet. The line the concretes the idea of immortality is â€Å"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see/ So long lives this and this gives life to thee. †(13-14)

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Frozen Vegetables Spark in the Microwave

When I was naming things you shouldnt microwave, I didnt list frozen vegetables. However, WSCH in Portland is running a news story (complete with video) about frozen vegetables sparking when being microwaved. At least two Texas consumers have reported seeing sparks and small flames during the first few seconds of microwaving Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables. The USDA says the vegetables are perfectly safe to eat and that the sparking probably is due to the presence of naturally-occurring minerals found on the produce. Personally Id guess its similar to the plasma phenomenon seen when microwaving grapes. I have never seen flames on my veggies while nuking them, but I dont usually watch them cook, so I might be missing out on some entertainment.Ivory Soap in a Microwave | How to Microwave a CD Safely Comments Stephanie  says: The same thing happened to me when I microwaved frozen Great Value (WalMart brand) mixed vegetables. It also sparked when I microwaved Del Monte green beans. Not sure what the issue is. I even cleaned the microwave completely to be sure it wasn’t because of any build up per the recommendation of other sites. Edward  says: I just bought a new micro as the tech said mine was broke when the Sam’s Club Mixed veggies sparked. I bought a new microwave and it does the same thing. Tried different plates, etc, same thing.I wonder if there is not something in the bags to keep freshness that has some ore in it. I wish the FDA would test this instead of blowing it off. Greg  says: I am having the same thing happen, but just recently. I’ve microwaved frozen veggies for years and this never happened, so why is it all of a sudden nationwide? Elayna  says: Same thing has been happening to me. I thought it was my microwave, as it was a bit old. So, I just got a new, pretty expensive one. Same thing! Plus, what is even more strange is that I use Stop Shop’s Natures Promise organic frozen vegetables. It’s also happened with Cascadian Farm Organic Peas Green Beans. They all spark like I put metal in the microwave plus some smoke and burn. Rebecognize  says: We had peas spark, and then today sweet potatoes that were already cooked and I warmed them up and got sparks. They were fresh and never frozen. Both times for me it was from reheating cooked veggies (for baby food). Weird. Charles  says: This just happened to me with a fresh sweet potato. I steamed it in the microwave with the skin on and it was ok. Later I cut it up into small chunks and re-heated it in the microwave and the sparks flew. Eric  says: This just happened to me while heating up some green beans. I did some playing around with it and found that if I have a a few pieces in the microwave not touching each other, then there are no sparks. If I touch two of them together, then the sparks and small flame fly! Craziness! Lori  says: I just had it happen with a sweet potato that was baked yesterday, but I cut the leftovers into chunks and heated it today. It leaves little black marks where the sparks came from and you can even smell it! It also happened a few days ago with some frozen green beans that I had already cooked but was reheating. It’s never happened before†¦ what is going on Micah  says: I chop fresh serrano chilis en mass and then freeze them to keep later meal preparation more simple. Today my chilis burst into flames when I defrosted them in my microwave! I took off the offending chili the off the plate the first time it happened and tried again – same thing happened! Wild! Tiffany  says: This is really alarming. I’ve had this happen on several occasions when reheating green giant previously frozen vegetables. Vegetables should not contain enough of any ore to cause this sparking. James  says: I used to get this when microwaving Aldi’s cheapest mixed frozen veggies. (Australia).The only thing in my mind that causes this is metal. Yes, you can see the burn-holes in the pieces of carrot and beans! So I just don’t buy them! Jonathan Green  says: I’ve had this same problem, small sparks coming from food (green beans but also potatoes under plastic foil). I wonder if it’s static electricity (the microwave has a turntable inside on plastic wheels). Or simply a microwave antenna which is sending out the wrong kind of waves? Never had this problem with my old microwave (bought 14 years ago, never any problems) but the new one is really scaring me. Don’t think this can be healthy at all†¦. Are microwaves checked by any government body at all before they hit the shelves? Heather  says: I have had the sparking with many frozen veggies and canned green beans. I never have the sparking if they are covered with water. But yesterday I reheated some cooked â€Å"fresh† green beans and the sparking still happened, there was just a small amount of water in the bottom. So I guess fresh, frozen or canned it will still happen. Kelsie Rodgers  says: Basically, it has to do with higher mineral contents (iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium) in certain veggies and other factors related to the microwaving process itself. If you read the ingredients on the side of a frozen veggie bag, nothing is listed but the vegetables (no preservatives, etc.). People also experience the same thing with fresh vegetables. I think we are all jumping to â€Å"worse case† conclusions. Yes, it’s scary when things spark and catch on fire, but the reason can be very simple (and benign). Ben  says: I added a cup of water to properly load the microwave and it stopped sparking. Sarah G.  says: This has happened to me with fresh, organic vegetables as well! I have cooked/boiled sweet potatoes and carrots for my young son, and on several occasions afterward when I have gone to reheat them in the microwave for him, they immediately start sparking and have emitted flames! This has never happened in all the years I have used the microwave, and now 3 times in the past 6 months. Steve M  says: We were just heating up some Birds Eye Steamfresh and they sparked started smoking and my Microwave shut down. The Microwave is less than a year old and was not cheap. Anyone else have it break their Microwave? Richard  says: I am having the same issue happening with fresh green beans straight from my garden. We cooked the fresh snapped green beans earlier in the evening. Later I put some in the microwave to munch on before going to bed. They lit up and caught on fire. It is not something coming from the frozen beans or the bags, mine have never seen the freezer or a bag. Monica  says: I am also here because I thought it might be my microwave but guess not! I starting looking into this today since I had FRESH cauliflower that I cooked a few days ago, spark when I reheated it today. In the past this has happened to me with frozen-then reheated veggies and I just assumed it was due to something when they are frozen but now that it has happened with fresh veggies I am stumped. At least I now know I am not crazy and our microwave is just fine. (36)  Debbie  says: I’ve also had it happen with ham. I separated the diced pieces because thought it might be because they were touching, but it didn’t work. Interesting to think that covering them with water seems to be the best solution. Jammin  says: It happened to me with broccoli today. I am thinking that the culprit has either to do with newer microwaves or (conspiracy theory coming straight from my butt) all the increased radio waves due to cell phones and the internet. This didn’t used to happen years ago with old microwaves. The earliest report I can find of this happening is from 8 years ago. I’m stumped! Lora  says: I placed frozen chopped onion, celery, bell peppers (combo) in my microwave last night, on a microwaveable paper plate and sparks and fire and smoke started immediately. I wonder if there’s pieces of metal from the machines at their processing plant Matt  says: I’ve had a few different brands (organic and inorganic) spark and flame in the microwave in the past few months. My mom uses microwaves for everything and has never seen this until now. So, I think the many comments on here stating it is from the minerals in the food are right, but the fact that it is happening more and more and no one had reported it in the past makes me think that they have higher levels of minerals and maybe there is a limit to how high the mineral levels can be (and what types) in order to still be safe. Cooking them in pans instead does not solve the problem, you just don’t get the burning. You still have the high levels of metals that are seemingly a new phenomenon. Hate to say it, but Bill Gates is on the record for funding private geo-engineering to combat global warming, spraying nano particles of aluminum and barium into the air, all over the planet. Organic veggies or not, soil samples have shown an 800% rise in these metals. They are not ben ign in these forms. James Gast  says: Just had frozen bell peppers arc/caught foam plate on fire. Years ago it was broccoli. Microwaves are now 1000 or 1100 watts -- much more powerful than earlier ones. The combination of natural minerals (iron, potassium, etc.) in the ice and those edges of piecesbecome â€Å"jump arc gaps† like a spark plug. But sweet potatoes and chicken pieces Why? How?