The Organizational Behavior Of Unilever - 988 Words

In the following paper, an analysis has been made on the organizational behavior of Unilever, taking account its case study and actions with respect to the organizational structures. Three questions comprising of analysis regarding the new organizational structure and its suitability, the impacts of internal and external sources by means of business tools and change theories suitable for the organization have been made in the light of literature. Conclusions to the arguments have been presented in the last whereas work cited page has been added to support the arguments. Introduction: Unilever being one of the most earning brands of the world has reached today to its heights of success. Having hundreds of products launched under its banner, the company has managed pretty well to ensure none of its competitors even touch the mark of its success. However it does not means that this success had been their fate since the beginning. With a good start, the company soon in the changing era of business had to face immense loss at the expense of incompatible organizational structure. Despite of the fact that their initial organizational structure led them to success, the changes in the era with improve technology and advanced business techniques urged Unilever to believe it’s high time they should switch to something better which their competitors cannot win over. Changing slowly and gradually remained the strategy for the company which they led one after the success ofShow MoreRelatedUnilever Indonesia1396 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The company that we will discussed in this paper is Unilever Indonesia.Unilever Indonesia was founded on 1933. It has grown to become one of the leading companies for personal care products and foods and ice cream in Indonesia. The series covers the products of Unilever Indonesia famous brands in the world such as Pepsodent, Lux, Lifebouy, Dove, Sunsilk, Clear, Rexona, Vaseline, Rinso, Molto, Sunlight, Walls, Blue Band, Royco, Bango, and others. Management Education and Leadership Read MoreUnilever : The Heart Of Everything We Do1064 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness.(2) Introduction: Unilever is one of the largest consumer goods company globally. Founded in 1930 by a merger between Margarine Unie and Lever Brothers, this created â€Å"Uni-Lever†. Unilever is the parent company to over 400 brands and with its main focus being on the 13 brands that have sales of 1 billion euros a year. The most notable products of the company being Axe, Dove, Magnum Ice Cream, Knorr, Lipton, and so forth. With headquarters scattered across the globe, Unilever has employed 170,000Read MoreSociety and Stakeholders the Impact of How Unilever Manage Their Interaction F5933 Words   |  24 PagesDARE TO EMBRACE DIFFERENCES: LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES FOR UNILEVER Maarten-van Beek Manager, Recruitment Unilever Postbus 1925, 3000 BX Rotterdam, The Netherlands Tel: (31) 6-53419550 E-mail: Maarten-van.Beek@unilever.com Grachev, Mikhail V. Associate Professor of Management Western Illinois University 3561 60th Street, Moline, Il 61265 USA Tel (309) 762-9481 Fax (309) 762-6989 Abstract. This paper focuses on leadership competencies in multinational companies. It displays culture-contingentRead MorePest on Unilever1014 Words   |  5 PagesPest Analysis On Unilever - December 2nd, 2010 ________________________________________ Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the worlds consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Unilever is a dual-listed company consisting of Unilever N.V. in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Unilever PLC in London, United Kingdom. This arrangement is similar to those of Reed Elsevier and Royal Dutch Shell prior to their unifiedRead MoreGlobalization : A Global Organization1710 Words   |  7 Pagesdeep dive into companies leading the global market. A few leading companies expanding across the globe with a strong global mindset are Starbucks, IKEA, and Unilever. What is a global mindset? A global mindset is an organization or an individual’s ability to openly become well informed about different value systems, differences in norms of behavior, and different assumptions regarding reality (Gupta, 1999). In multiple global mindset definitions researched, the word â€Å"openness† was identified in manyRead MoreVirtual Work631 Words   |  3 Pageswork, called telecommuting or teleworking, involves working at home rather than commuting to the office† (McShane Von Glinow, 2010, p. 22). Summary: In his article, â€Å"Unilever Moves Employee Telecommuting to a New Level,† Gary M. Stern writes about how most employers today offer telecommuting and some go beyond that. Unilever is a consumer goods company that in 2010 launched a program titled â€Å"Agile Working† that allows its employees to telecommute anytime anywhere. With a 30% participation rateRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility Of Unilever1609 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Over the past few decades, corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been increasing in importance through the centuries. It is generally accepted that Unilever have taken actions on social responsibility according to corporation goals. â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is concerned with the ways in which an organisation exceeds its minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance† (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008, p.146). In termsRead MoreCultural Issues in Knowledge Management – a Case Study of Unilever Global1822 Words   |  8 Pagesstudy – Unilever Global 2012 Outline I. Abstract II. Keywords III. Introduction IV. Literature Review V. Aim of Research and Research Questions VI. Methodology and Research Sample VII. Practical Applications VIII. References Abstract This proposal is presented to examine the cultural factors that influence knowledge management in Unilever global. The intended outcome of the study is a list of factors that Unilever management can use to evaluate their organizational cultureRead MoreDeveloping Effective Teamwork in Organizations by Considering the Organizational Structure, Culture, Employees’ Motivational and Leadership Aspects.9709 Words   |  39 PagesASSIGNMENT TITLE: Developing effective teamwork in organizations by considering the organizational structure, culture, employees’ Motivational and leadership aspects. LEARNING OUTCOME 1 TASK 1a AN ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE There are many different opinions and definitions of organizational structure. Structure in a sense is the arrangement of the functions used to do the work. Thompson said the structure is the inner structure of the differentiation and the relations. He referred to the structureRead MoreFinancial Institutions And The Economic Growth Of An Economy1728 Words   |  7 Pagespart is Unilever. Unilever is one of the largest consumer goods company located physically in England, the United Kingdom (UK). Cleaning agents and personal care products are some of the major products in which the company deals with one of the oldest organizational structure. Role of Financial Institutions a. From the annual report of Unilever, it is clear that the company has managed to maintain its net income and gross profit to be in the positive node. The gross profit of Unilever in the financial

Meaning of Apathy Free Essays

Apathy involves people either being content with their current status and the world around them, or being ignorant to those same surroundings. Apathetic citizens of any nation can cause the foundations of society to crumble because these people think everything is well on the surface, when in actuality, it is not. A society can go from having economic success one day, to being in a depression or even revolution as a result of apathy. We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning of Apathy or any similar topic only for you Order Now The way to combat apathy in society is for the authorities to educate people on what their political system and its policies are. If people knew more about their politicians and their specific policies, they would want to get involved in changing society in order to benefit themselves. They would realize that whoever is elected to office, whichever it might be, affects their lives both indirectly and directly. As a result of the entire population getting involved in the political system of his or her nation, society would be able to continually change so that it could maintain economic success, low unemployment rates, and equality. Change is necessary for a society to stay healthy, and as Goldstone said in his essay â€Å"Revolution†, â€Å"Social and political change is not a problem. Social change is an ongoing in most societies†¦ A society that is stagnant often suffers from a social order that is ‘too stable†. Without change, a change society cannot make progress or solve social problems such as poverty and extreme inequality† (Primis 181). If society does remain stagnant, then economic success can lead to an apathetic population, and this can lead to repression, and eventually to revolution. The best way to study and analyze the apathy in society is to look at the voting rates from year to year. By investigating voting, one can see through percentages and numbers precisely how involved people are in politics. When the economy is doing well, as it is today in the United States, voting numbers usually decrease because people become apathetic, and they are less concerned about changes that might affect them. Due to the fact that some people are much better off financially than they ever have, they become less interested in politics and more interested in spending their well-earned money. It is when people begin to suffer economically that they become more involved with politics because they feel that a change in the status quo is necessary for them to escape whatever economic recession they are in. Sometimes people get sick with all the lies and promises that come out of politician†s mouths that they become apathetic towards voting. Rather than give one of these politicians who are only seen as â€Å"the better of two evils† a vote, they choose not to vote at all. Their frustration with their choices results in them becoming apathetic and in his essay â€Å"Toward A Theory of Revolution†, Davies says that revolutions â€Å"need both a period of rising expectations and a succeeding period in which there are frustrated qualities (Primis 205). Thus, a period of economic success, followed by the population being frustrated with its† political figures, can ultimately lead to a collapse in society. This apathy then results in people becoming too content with their current status and they then ask fewer questions, and this can cause foundations to crumble. The cycle then continues, with apathy leading to ignorance, and this can result in people blindly following the status quo, rather than examining the issues. Then, before these non-voting citizens know it, there will be revolutionary ideals floating about society. As long as the country continues to be economically successful, and the people view one candidate as too similar to the opposition, then people will continue to be apathetic because they feel the choices are not really choices at all. Apathy not only results from contentment and frustration, but also from ignorance. Democracy is something everyone learns as early as kindergarten. When the teacher asks if it will be kickball or dodge ball at recess, the majority usually wins. It is an easy lesson for a 5-year-old to learn, as is raising your hand for what you want. However, one of the most simple and necessary elements of a democracy is the reliance on active participation in the government by a majority of the population. If the participants are not influenced to be active, the system fails. By educating students and the public about the value of the system, the education system could help combat apathy. The tradition that college graduates are looked upon with more respect than the less educated has ended. How can the so-called higher educated members of society gain any respect when most graduates are unable or unwilling to participate in a ritual of our nation? The problem is that traditional education, that included more intensive study of government, has been replaced by a system that increasingly focuses on technology and skills training but may be failing in educating good citizens. A higher education should be more than job preparation; it should be a continuing desire to improve and guarantee the quality of life for generations to come. With a lack of knowledge in politics and democracy comes the myth that one vote does not make a difference. Many young adults have no faith in the system, therefore they do not vote due to the feeling of disappointment that their vote does not matter. How often do you hear young adults say, â€Å"I did not vote because I don’t feel as if my vote would count. † Others are disenchanted with the political system because voting in the past never produced results. However, young people today need to realize that one voice does make a difference. In addition, if more young adults took an interest, politicians would be forced to listen. For example, financial aid is one of many issues at hand in recent political campaigns. If politicians continue to cut student aid, some young people may not have a chance for a college education. Thus, young adults must have faith in the system and increase the number of young voters. Otherwise, politicians will continue to cater only to the needs of the older generation that is voting them into office. The two largest voting publics in the United States are senior citizens and the college aged groups (Gherry 328). Ironically, it is the senior citizens who are the more politically informed, and who vote in the greatest numbers. These statistics support the contention that the youth of America are becoming less informed about the process and necessity of voting, and are also more apathetic about the true significance of voting. As Americans, we must do something about voter apathy because not only does voting allow us to be active in the political process, it enables us to fulfill our civic duty and exert our political influence. Contrary to public opinion, every vote makes a difference in this process and it may not seem like it, but if more people began to vote, they would definitely get noticed. Ironically, the last presidential election should have supported the idea of voter significance, yet served to create more apathy because of the post-election mess that occurred. Many people now feel the popular vote did not reign supreme, and that the voting system itself was shown to have more problems than was previously thought. To let our representatives know what we want, we must also exert our political influence by being politically active. How can we do this? We can vote in state, local, and national elections, lobby to persuade our representatives to vote a certain way, and write letters to our representatives about policy issues. Of course, there are other ways of being politically active; to me, these are the most effective. One thing needs to take place, and that is educational awareness of the political system and its impact, pure and simple. A good way to start getting votes out would be to have the majority rules method of voting. If you could just see that your vote made a difference in the election of the president of your nation, it would make you want to vote again. If the nation would listen to the educated people of the country instead of listening to the media, then the nation would be a whole lot better in terms of economics, welfare, war, and our society in general. In my opinion, we the people of this nation do not care about these campaigns that are putting the other candidates down, we just want to hear the good things about what they can do to better our nation. There is not anything that Americans hate more than liars and back stabbers. By â€Å"getting the vote out,† we voice our opinions on important issues. By participating in the political process, we fulfill our civic duty. By exerting our political power, we shape our government policies. The best way to get involved in our political process is to vote, so people have to get out there, get registered, and go vote in the next election. Voter apathy has lead to a dangerous situation in American politics. People have not listened to the issues and have therefore been left with candidates who seem to be all the same, only with different rhetoric and different levels of charisma. Most people when questioned about their vote related that they were more against Gore and the Clinton administration than they were for Bush, and the reasons were more over moral behavior than policy making. The simple fact that during the past four years the country has experienced unprecedented economic growth, yet the incumbent administration was narrowly voted out, signals a public more concerned with the behavior of its leaders in the bedroom than their political policies. Bush represents the status-quo as much as Gore does, and the recent election really only revealed a public split between two candidates whose only difference seemed to be that one was aligned with his predecessor who had fallen from public moral grace. In order to have more clear-cut choices in candidates and over issues, there must be a movement in the United States to bring political education back into the classroom. An uninformed, politically uneducated public is a dangerous one because that public easily becomes apathetic. Yet, it is the public that has allowed candidates steeped in rhetoric rather than issues to continue to hold office. This cycle is one that needs to be broken, and it is not going to be broken by those currently in office because they naturally want to keep the status quo going. It is the future voters, and voters from ages 18 to 30 who must start taking an active interest in our political system, become aware of the issues and the process, and care enough to see that voting intelligently can and will make a difference in our country†s future. How to cite Meaning of Apathy, Papers

 Michael Dell and Andy Groves Contribution to Computer Essay Example

ï » ¿Ã¯ » ¿ Michael Dell and Andy Groves Contribution to Computer Essay Management style was examined in the manner two industry leaders run a company that competes against each other, Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer Corporation and Andy Grove, co founder of Intel Corporation. (Krames, J. A. 2003). This paper studies both leaders’ unique contribution to the computer technology industry and the contrasted personal beliefs and leadership styles they exhibited on their way to success. Dell‘s high performance management predominantly lies in customizing consumer’s needs. Intel’s Andy Grove on the other hand is known for his common sense wisdom capitalizing on strategic approach. After comparing and contrasting the leadership pattern of Dell and Gove, factors contributing to one’s success suggest that outcomes may differ or vary depending on the management strategy one employs to gain success. Who are Michael Dell and Andy Grove and what did they do? Michael Saul Dell was born in Houston, Texas with middle class parents. His father was an orthodontist while his mother was involved in stock trading and consulting. His early business acumen started during his college days selling computer drives in his dorm customizing these to the customer specifications. Before long, he registered his small business with an initial capitalization of $1,000 and soon embarked in supplying custom made PCs. He would purchase unsold IBM PCs; improve the memory drives, and turnaround selling them at a cost below his competitors. He took his company public in 1988 with $30 million initial public offering. His business soon reached global market and by 1992, at age 27, he became the youngest CEO to be included in the Fortune 500. We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿Ã¯ » ¿ Michael Dell and Andy Groves Contribution to Computer specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿Ã¯ » ¿ Michael Dell and Andy Groves Contribution to Computer specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿Ã¯ » ¿ Michael Dell and Andy Groves Contribution to Computer specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His wealth is estimated at $15. 5 billion. Andy Grove. Born a Hungarian Jew as Andras Istvan Grof, Andy fled to the United States at age 20 to escape the Nazis in World War II. He worked his way to college and finished an Engineering degree at the University of California. He cofounded a small high-tech computer company, Intel. Over his three-decade career, his ideas and innovation fueled the birth of micro chips and micro processors which later on became part of the IBM computers and those of IBM competitors. For his invaluable contribution in pioneering an integral part of the semiconductor industry, CEO Magazine named him the CEO of the Year in 1997 (Tedlow, R. S. 2006) and Time magazine named him Man of the Year for creating innovative potential of micro chips (Krames, J. A. 2003). Resistance in the process of managing the establishment In the process of climbing back to their success, Dell and Grove experienced â€Å"strategic inflection points† (Krames, J. A. 2003) where their businesses have to make major changes to survive in a competitive environment. With Dell, it was a change in customer preference but still maintaining a personal customer service approach. With Grove, it was a change in business strategy which became a laborious and expensive approach due to the unpredictability of market acceptance of a new product. Similarities and differences in management style and philosophy Similarities. Both were enigmatic business leaders and risk takers defying conventional business practices with their fascinating methods of turning around a falling company into a successful one. As entrepreneurs in a highly technical business, they were both fascinated with computers and went on to pioneer special segments of the computer industry leaving a legacy and enormous contribution to the evolution of computers we have today. Differences. Dell is focused on customer added value, constantly maintaining contact, customer needs to the extent of personalizing his marketing service. He concentrated on building a company that caters to custom made PCs rather than over the counter computers and direct sales rather than going through the middlemen. He made use of internet marketing. He also practiced Deming’s â€Å"just-in-time† operations with practically zero inventory level giving him an edge over his competitors over keeping a low overhead. Grove’s market approach was leveraging on executing a carefully laid out plan and strategizing product or market changes. He believes in creating a superior product that would change as technology changes. He believes that the foundation of Intel’s success is built on technology, manufacturing, and marketing, a strategy he named three-legged stool. His mantra is instilling a dose of paranoia to keep employees on their toes. Grove asked his business partners, â€Å"What would another CEO do if he were to walk into this organization? † (Krames, J. A. 2003). It is about the insight of a person’s view looking in to get an independent perspective of Intel. This proved to be one of Grove’s most successful decisions although at the same time a difficult one as it would have meant abandoning their premier product and introducing a new one. Concluding Discussion Factors that may have impacted their success†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Make critical decision and start the process of transformation; three-legged stool equally grounded; technology, manufacturing, and marketing – should have incorporated research Grove References Academy of Achievement.

buy custom The Spanish American War essay

buy custom The Spanish American War essay The Spanish American War began just like many other wars in the sense that opposing forces were competing for dominance or independence on different grounds. The Spanish American War began officially on the 25th of April 1898 and came to an end on the 10th of December 1898 (Graves, 2000). The main issue behind the war was that Cuban revolutionary groups that had been firmly established wanted independence from Spain. It is arguably true that Spain had dominated most of the west since it was the first European nation that set its eyes on the western part of the world. This is to say that Spain was the first European nation to sail westwards across the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, Spain had taken bigger part of the west, extending its territories from Virginia (the United States of America) to South America (Brazil, Alaska, and California) and to the southernmost tip of the South American mainland (Tierra del Fuego) (Library of Congress, 2011). This dominance of Spain made the Cuban revo lutionary groups demand their independence. Since there was no agreement over this demand, the United States supported the rebels, thus, prompting a war between the United States and Spain. Commence of the War A war against Spain began on February 18th after a battle ship Maine exploded at Havana, one of Cubas main harbours. This prompted president McKinley to declare war against Spain after local newspapers blamed Spain over this event (Hendrickson, 2003). The American media led to a lot of public pressure, whereby many American citizens demanded action against Spain. Therefore, the American authorities had no option but to declare the war that had different consequences. In this regard, the sinking of the United States ship in Havana is truly one of the main catalysts of the war. Military aggressiveness is one of the most viable ways to provoke another country into war because it is the main way a country can illustrate its dominance over the other. Yellow Journalism The pressure piled upon the United States government was actively supported by journalists who were determined to use visual evidence on how the situation developed between the two countries after the sinking of the battle ship. This effect of journalism is commonly known as yellow journalism. According to Dolan (15), journalists usually choose to use circumstantial evidence to tell their stories with an aim of maximizing on their sales. In this regard, two journalists, Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearst, were at the centre stage of yellow journalism that led to the American Spanish war. Dolan (21) posits that the two men were extraordinarily influential through their journalism career, making the work of the president of that time terribly difficult. Both Hearst and Pulitzer used their New York journal, and the New York world newspapers respectively to win the mind of many readers using non-researched publications, a fat tactic that was able to convince many Americans that the Spani sh American war was necessary and called for. Unfortunately, this method could be fallacious because it is not research based. For instance, yellow journalism at that time relied on the Cuban patriots for information (23). This eans thatfacts, as presented by the journalist, could not be accurate, hence, pushing the government into a war that was not necessary. However, the yellow journalism effect was successful since the war was started. On the other hand, the facts could be correct since the Spanish rule was dictatorial, especially in Cuba and in other colonies. The effect of yellow journalism also provoked America into war. Before the war begun, President William McKinley was keen to use negotiation as a means to secure the much-needed independence. This portrayed him as a nonaggressive president who would make enough efforts to avoid war. Hendrickson (8) asserts that the most conspicuous step that the president took in this attempt was sending his personal representative Stewart Woodford to Spain in 1887. Although this was in an attempt to give dialogue a chance, it was thwarted by the so-called De Lome letter. Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister to the United States, had written the infamous letter. According to the minister, American politicians preferred an aggressive policy towards Spain. However, this assertion was contrary to McKinleys preference. Therefore, the minister wrote the letter expressing his reservations that the president could fall for the politicians' views and disadvantage Spain. This letter leaked to William R adolph Hearst who published it in February 1898, leading to recalling of the Spanish minister to the United States (8). This letter provoked many Americans who were outraged by the ministers comments, hence, pushing their government to take military actions against Spain. This culminated into a full-blown war. The Cuban junta played a singularly critical role in ensuring that the letter was published to the public. According to Trask (2011), Cuban junta first received the letter. They forwarded it to Radolph for straight away publication. In addition, the juntas were tremendously helpful to the military activities. This is because they provided leadership skills to the military groupings that were fighting the Spanish. Similarly, the junta provided funds in support of the preparations for war. Barnes (66) reveals that the Cuban junta was the political wing of the Cuban revolutionary party that established in 1895 in New York under Thomas Estrada Palmas, a Cuban dictator. This group was established to seek support from Americans against the Spanish. Major Battles The Spanish American War presented a number of fierce battles that led to the defeat of the Spanish. The Battle of Manila Bay was one of these battles. It occurred on May 1, 1898, when Spanish fleet that was near a place called Cavite was destroyed by American forces under the command of George Dewey. This battle is purported to be one sided since the United States emerged superbly victorious. The battle was particularly decisive since it frustrated Spanish naval efforts as its ships were destroyed. The battle left many Spanish soldiers dead and only two Americans dying indirectly (Dolan, 38). This battle destroyed most, if not all, Spanish naval power, thus, enabling America to protect its pacific coast. In addition, Spanish forces in Cuba could not be reinforced, hence, weakeningg them. In May 1898, American soldiers launched another battle at Santiago, blocking the harbour and preventing the Spanish from using it for supplies. George Dewey used this strategy to weaken the Spanish army even further. The Spanish army was based in Santiago under the leadership of Pascual Cervera, meaning that the capture of the harbour was detrimental to the Spanish. Invasion of the eastern shore in 1898 via Santiago was facilitated by a coordinated effort between General William Shafter and Theodore Roosevelt who was commanding his cavalry (rough riders) that was the first volunteer into the battle. The Spanish forces in Santiago surrendered as American forces took over Puerto Rico (Graves, 2000). San Juan was under the United States control when the Spanish attempted to take over. However, the battle saw the Spanish troops fail to capture it while the American continued controlling the blockade. Again, the Spanish lost heavily in the battle of San Juan, which took place on the 22nd of June, 1898. After the battle of Santiago at Santiago de Cuba, the Spanish army was weakened largely. When Cervera discovered this, he tried to escape westwards on July 3rd, 1898 (Trask, 2011). However, his ships were attacked by the United States, leaving them burning and in terrible conditions to continue with the war. This led to the ultimate surrender on July 17, thus, marking the end of the war. The Peace Treaty Following the defeat of the Spanish by the United States, the Spanish and American diplomats met in Paris, France, to negotiate a peace treaty. According to Graves (41), the treaty was signed on December 10, 1898. By then, the United States were controlling many overseas colonies, following the subsequent elimination of the Spanish. These colonies included the islands of Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines. In this event, the treaty, signed in France, allowed the United States to buy the Philippines from Spain for 40 million dollars. On the other hand, Cuba gained its independence from the Spanish. This is clear evidence that the pioneers of the war alongside the United States benefited in different ways. The urge by Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot top had the United States have a significant influence on other parts of the world, especially Asia.This was because the United States owned the mentioned islands fully. This position meant that the United States could build its economy from the additional natural resources it was controlling, just as it was with any other colonial authority. The Spanish American war is one of the most outstanding military events in the history of the United States. This is, perhaps, because Americans had indisputably emerged stronger than the Spaniards, who had a strong presence in the west. Therefore, the United States occupied an influential position in the world, implying that it could influence more issues that are global. The war events prooved the United States army was stronger and military wiser. This became evident after the Spaniards were defeated in virtually all key battles. This is probably the main reason why the peace treaty was signed in Paris, France, in December, 1898. Buy custom The Spanish American War essay

6 Steps for Self-Discipline When You Study

6 Steps for Self-Discipline When You Study Have you ever heard the quote, Self-discipline is the difference between choosing what you want now and choosing what you want most? Its a quote that tons of people in the business world follow religiously in order to get exactly what they most desire from their companies. Its a theory that many people use to get themselves out of bed to get to the gym before going to work. Its a mantra that athletes use to do that last set of squats, even though their legs are burning and they want nothing more than to quit. But its message of endurance and self-denial is perfect for those students looking to gain an edge on their competition by acing the ACT in order to get into the college or university of their dreams or those students who simply want to score their highest on their midterm or final exams.   Why Self-Discipline Is Important According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of self-discipline is the  correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement. This definition implies that certain regulation or stopping of ourselves from certain behaviors is important if we are going to improve in some way. If we are relating this to studying, it means that we need to stop doing certain things or start doing certain things while studying in order to get the positive results we crave. Regulating ourselves in this way is incredibly important because it can build self-esteem. When we achieve the goals we set for ourselves, we get a boost of confidence which can improve many aspects of our lives. How to Have Self-Discipline When You Study Step 1: Remove Temptations Self-discipline is the easiest when things that distract you from your studies are out of sight, out of earshot, and out the window, if necessary. If you find yourself tempted by external distractions like your cell phone, then by all means, turn the thing completely off. Nothing is going to happen in the 45 minutes that you are going to sit down to study (more on that in a minute) that cannot wait until you have a scheduled break. Also, take the time to remove the clutter from your study area if clutter makes you crazy. Unpaid bills, notes to yourself of things you need to accomplish, letters or even pictures can pull your focus off your studies and into places it does not belong when you are trying to learn how to write a stellar essay for the Enhanced ACT test. Step 2: Eat Brain Food Before You Begin Studies have shown that when we are  exercising willpower (another word for self-discipline), our  mental energy tanks slowly get  emptied. Forcing ourselves to give up what we want in the now for what we want later physically zaps our reserves of glucose, which is the brains favorite fuel. This is why  when we are sitting diligently ignoring our cell phones and pushing back our need  to check Instagram, we are more likely to head to the pantry for a chocolate chip cookie than we would be if we were not practicing self-discipline at all. So, before we ever sit down to study, we need to be sure to indulge in some brain foods like scrambled eggs, a little bit of dark chocolate, maybe even a jolt of caffeine to make sure that our glucose is steady enough to NOT drive us away from the learning were trying to do. Step 3: Do Away With Perfect Timing There is never a perfect time to begin studying for your test. The more time you give yourself the better off you will be, but if you sit around and wait for the  perfect  moment to start studying, you will be waiting for the rest of your  life. There will  always  be something more important than reviewing the SAT Mathematics test questions. Your friends will beg you to go out to the movies to see the final showing of the seasons top film. Your family members will need to be driven on errands or your parents will need you to finish cleaning your room. If you wait until everything is just right- when everything else is accomplished and you feel  great  - you will never find the time to study. Step 4: Ask Yourself If I Had to, Could I? Imagine that you are sitting at your desk. Behind you is an intruder with a weapon pointed at your head. If the only thing between life and saying goodbye to the world as you know it was studying for the next several hours (with scheduled breaks), could you do it? Of course, you could!  Nothing in the world would mean more than your life at that moment. So, if you could do it then- drop everything and give studying everything you have in you- then you can do it in the safety of your own bedroom or library when the stakes arent quite that high. Its all about mental strength. Give yourself a pep-talk. Tell yourself, I have to do this. Everything depends on it. Sometimes, imagining a real life-death scenario works when youre staring at 37 pages of differential equations. Step 4: Give Yourself a Break And by giving yourself a break, we definitely dont mean abandoning all self-discipline and settling down in front of the TV. Schedule mini-breaks into your study session strategically. Set a watch or timer (not the phone - thats turned off) for 45 minutes. Then, force yourself to study for those 45 minutes, making sure that nothing interferes with your work. Then, at 45 minutes, take a scheduled 5- to 7-minute break. Use the bathroom, stretch your legs, grab some brain food, reorganize, and get back at it when the break is over. Step 5: Give Yourself Rewards Sometimes the answer to being self-disciplined lies in the quality of the reward you give yourself for exercising willpower. For many people, the practice of self-discipline is a reward in and of itself. For others, especially those who are just trying to learn to have some willpower when studying, you will need something a little more tangible. So, set up a reward system. Set your timer. Practice studying for that final  for 20 minutes with no interruptions. If youve made it that far, then give yourself a point. Then, after a short break, do it again. If you make it another 20 minutes, give yourself another point. Once youve accumulated three points- you have managed to study for a full hour without surrendering to distractions- you get your reward. Perhaps its a Starbucks latte, one episode of Seinfeld, or even just the luxury of getting onto social media for a few minutes. Make the reward worth it and withhold the reward until youve met your goal! Step 6: Start Small Self-discipline is not a natural thing. Sure. Some people are more self-disciplined than others. They have the rare ability to say no to themselves when they want to say yes. What you need to remember, however, is that self-discipline is a learned skill. Just like the ability to make a perfect free-throw with a high percentage of accuracy  only comes after hours and hours on the court, self-discipline comes from the repeated exercise of willpower. Dr. Anders Ericsson, a Florida State University psychologist says that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something, but â€Å"You don’t get benefits from mechanical repetition, but by adjusting your execution over and over to get closer to your goal. You have to tweak the system by pushing,† he adds, â€Å"allowing for more errors at first as you increase your limits.† So, if you truly want to become an expert at having self-discipline while studying, you not only have to practice the skill, you have to start small, especially if you repeatedly give in to what you want now instead of waiting for what you want most. Start by forcing yourself to study (I have to style) for just 10 straight minutes with 5-minute breaks in between. Then, once that becomes relatively easy, shoot for fifteen minutes. Keep increasing the time you manage self-discipline until you are able to focus for the full 45 minutes. Then, reward yourself with something and get back at it.

Oxycodone Use and Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Oxycodone Use and Abuse - Research Paper Example The drug is very addictive in effect and is used by many people for reasons other than just pain relief. â€Å"Oxycodone, an opioid with known abuse liability, is misused by the intranasal route† (Middleton et al., 2012). Repeated intake of Oxycodone develops tolerance in the individual so that higher doses are needed for the same effects to be experienced. This paper discusses the uses and abuses, effects, signs and symptoms, and treatment options for the Oxycodone abuse. The most fundamental positive effect of Oxycodone is that it is a very good drug for pain management for a long time. While common pain killers’ action lasts anywhere between four to six hours, oxycodone gives round the clock pain relief to the patient. According to Marry A. Simmonds is a cancer specialist and gave testimony on OxyContin’s value in the alleviation of pain experienced because of cancer at the 2002 Congressional hearing. OxyContin is a drug that contains anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of Oxycodone (Skarlunis 2012, p. 1). According to Simmonds, â€Å"If you have pain thats there all the time, four hours goes by very quickly. †¦If youre not watching the clock, the pain comes back. People tend not to take their pills on time. The pain builds back up, so youre starting over. Its not very good management of pain. †¦For moderate to severe pain, aspirin and Tylenol arent effective. We do need opioids† (Simmonds cited in Skarlunis, 2012, p. 1 ). Many doctors prescribe Oxycodone as an alternative to the opiates and especially when such drugs as diphenoxylate and loperamide have been tried and found ineffective for the treatment of severe diarrhea in a particular case. A vast majority of abusers do not take Oxycodone as a drug for abuse in the start; they are rather prescribed by the doctor to help in the pain relief, but many patients spiral out of control and start using the drug for abuse rather than pain relief. With the increase in their tolerance for Oxycodone, they need

Foreign Monetary System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foreign Monetary System - Essay Example There were also huge direct foreign investments in China during the 1990s (Zi et al, 2009). With the increased trade amongst the East Asian countries and huge direct foreign investments from countries like USA, it presented a great future ahead for China. However this was not the case, as it created â€Å"cyclic overheating†. After the revised Bretton Woods System, China’s exchange rate was pegged to the US dollar and creating an artificially low rate. These countries benefitted from this as China attracted foreign investment in their country with huge profit initiatives due to cheap labor and the finished products were exported to US. In retrospect, China used its export earnings and invested it in T-bonds in US, bringing down their interest rates, thus increasing investments in their own country. However, this made China totally dependent on the foreign investments and had no control over its money supply. This lead to the revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) in 2005 which meant the currency was no longer pegged with US dollar but was market determined by a basket of currencies. This managed floating exchange rate system was the important change in the Monetary System of China. This move was important as the old Yuan-Dollar peg, resulted in over investments within the country and over evaluation of the Yuan. Hence, this move was made to cool down the cyclic overheating in the country (Wu, 2006). This cool down of the cyclic overheating in China had started before the revaluation of RMB. According to the study, this cool down was not achieving the full anticipated affects. With the anticipation of the revaluation in 2005, the money supply in the country grew from 2004 to 2005 by 14%, which resulted in an increase in the loans by 11%. The strong relationship between the loans and the real estate sector, led to an inflation of asset prices and land rents. As China relies on investments and exports to run its economy, it will take considerably more time to cool down the over investments and rectify the imbalances created by it. All the affects in the China’s Economy, whether they are large foreign exchange reserves, increased money supply, overheating of investments or asset price inflation are all focusing on its exchange rate. Thus the exchange rate system of China plays an integral part in its macroeconomic policies and management (Wu, 2006). In the recent years, China has had to face another challenge. Due to the efforts of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), the capital inflow started to decrease. However, due to the slowed global growth rate PBC has managed and adjusted the policies so that the growth rate of China does not fall at an alarming rate. The challenge here is that over the recent years, PBC and the policymakers have become adept at trying to slow down capital inflow, but are rather inexperienced when it comes to slowing down capital outflow. One way to create a more balanced inflow and outflo w is to decrease the cash reserves required for the Commercial Banks to keep. This was done in the first place to reduce the surplus liquidity formed by capital inflows. In this case, for the PBC to reverse the reduced growth it has to inject liquidity into the economy. As mentioned above, a way out currently adopted by China is the cut in the Required Reserve Ratio. This is a loose