Define Feminism Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Define Feminism "A woman should be barefoot, pregnant and chained to a stove," stated Ben Glantz, a high school senior. Drew Pershing, another senior, also shared a joke, "What does a woman do after she leaves a battered shelter? The dishes...if she knows what's good for her!" Daily jokes and comments such as these, no matter how harmless, are detrimental to the status of women and a dangerous undermining of their accomplishments. Shared by both genders, sexually discriminative comments are widely accepted in society as normal and harmless. "I didn't mean anything by that; I was just kidding," whimpered Ben Glantz after receiving several cold stares from young women who overheard his bashing, sexist comment. Women have become more aware of their current respected, "take serious" status within the past twenty years. Some are satisfied with where women stand in relation to society, while others say the road to equality has not yet been finished. When people were asked to fill out a questionnaire on feminism, young women were eager to participate while most of the young men took a little coaxing. Ignorance in both sexes contributes to the problem of misinterpretation of feminism and the "woman's place" in society. When twenty-four students, parents and teachers were asked what feminism was, answers ranged form a fight, a stand, a belief, a want, a definition, and a movement for women empowerment, equality and human rights. The definition of feminism found in The American Heritage Dictionary states feminism is "a doctrine that advocates or demands for women the same rights granted men, as in political and economic status." "Since this definition will vary from being militantly pro-female to simple ... ...isters. TV Guide, 45, 18-23. McDonnell, Evelyn. (1993, August 7). Women rockers create their own alternatives. Billboard. 105, 1-2. Palmer, Laura. (1997, November 27). Lee vows to fight for her vindication. The Gazette, pp. E1, E3. Pollitt, Katha. (1997, November). Feminism's unfinished business. The Atlantic Monthly, 160-164. Thigpen, D.E., & McLaughlin, L. (1997, July 21). Galapalooza!: Lilith Fair -- a traveling festival featuring female folk-pop stars -- is rocking the music world. TIME, 60- 64. Tumulty, Karen (1997, October 20). Turning fifty. TIME, 32-42. Wells, Diana (Ed.). (1994) Getting there: The movement toward gender equality. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers/Richard Gallen. Wolf, Naomi. (1993). Fire with fire: The new female power and how it will change the 21st century. Canada: Random House Publishing, Inc.

Non-violent social change

Chavez, King Jr. and Malcolm X all advocated non-violent struggles for justice and equality. They were all successful in their policy goals. Through the tactics and strategies that they employed, they were able to achieve their goals. Through their leadership, the marches, boycotts, rallies, fasts and strikes led to their objectives. Non-violent struggles proved to be more effective in making people aware and bringing out desired changes.Their experiences also led them to be the leaders of their organizations. Chavez has seen a lot of inequality towards Mexican-Americans especially the farm workers. King Jr., on the other hand, has also experienced inequality and injustice even when he was young. And when he became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), he saw a lot of racial discrimination and inequality in rights against the blacks. Malcolm X, too, has experienced being harassed when he was young. In fact, his life before being a Muslim could be said as sorrowful. His father was killed, his mother was taken to a mental institution and he and his siblings were split up to different homes.Discrimination seemed to be the factor which drove these leaders to seek change. Chavez has encountered it when he was in elementary schools. King Jr. has seen discrimination against the blacks. Malcolm X has probably experienced discrimination as he talked about black pride. Due to this, they have become resolved in bringing social change and civil rights.I believe that their advocacy of non-violent social change played a big role in their success as leaders. As to Chavez and King, their mothers taught them that there should be no place for violence or any discrimination in one’s heart.These three leaders were long dead, but their legacy still lives. Malcolm X had influenced both the blacks and the whites. The blacks has regarded him as a man of the people and experienced in the ways of the street. The whites, on the other hand, were influen ced by his unwillingness to turn away from hostility. Chavez’s legacy, on the other hand, is his philosophy of service for others, justice, equality and civil rights. And King Jr. has brought the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.WORKS CITEDMcElrath, Jessica. Malcolm X. Online. Available: http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/malcolmx/a/bio_x_malcolm.htm. 30 September 2007.Siqueiros, Ray. â€Å"Who was Cesar Chavez?† People’s Weekly World. 19 Apr 2003: 11 pars. Online. Available: http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/3309/1/

Internal and External factors at Wal-Mart Essay

In 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store and the retailing giant has been rising to success ever since. Various factors have played an integral role in the success of Wal-Mart, but without the strong execution of the four functions of management, Wal-Mart would have failed like many others. This paper will discuss in detail the how internal and external factors affect the four functions of management. GlobalizationIn 1993 Wal-Mart formed their International Division which was crucial to their success because they needed to remain competitive with other industry giants. When Wal-Mart entered a new country, careful planning was conducted to meet the demands of that specific country. A recent special on the history of Wal-Mart showed their expansion into China. Wal-Mart’s president did not realize that most families in China do not own a washer and dryer. Therefore, Wal-Mart removed all their detergents designed for machine washing and replaced them with detergent especially for hand washing. Wal-Mart brings thousands of people into their stores worldwide who are looking to begin a new career, as well as, shop. Without the organization of each department within Wal-Mart’s facilities, harmony within the company would crumble. Employees from every department work together to achieve the goals set for each store. Wal-Mart’s goal is to be the largest retailing organization in the world, and has achieved such status by adhering to strict organizing standards. Wal-Mart believes that in order to be a good leader, you must inspire trust and be rewarding. A statement Sam Walton once said is the motto Wal-Mart employees live by: â€Å"It’s more important than ever that we develop leaders who are servants, who listen to their partners – their associates – in a way that creates wonderful moral† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). This way of thinking has been passed down to all employees and has proven to create a productive work environment. Wal-Mart continuously finds ways to guarantee their over-all success by controlling and monitoring the plans they set out. Ideas that work in one  market, may not work in others. In order to find what works best for each market, new ideas are implemented and tracked for success. Ideas that prove to be successful can then be tried in other markets. In order for Wal-Mart to continue to grow, dynamic ideas are required of management frequently. TechnologyTechnology played a big part in the globalization of Wal-Mart. By 1975, Wal-Mart had over 125 stores and $340.3 million in sales. At this time they leased the IBM 370/135 computer system. This system allowed them to maintain inventory control for all merchandise in the warehouse and distribution centers, including prepare income statements for each store. From 1975 to 2004, Wal-Mart experienced a number of changes relating to technology which included in 1983, the company began using the bar coding system which identifies to the system what item the customer is purchasing and its cost. In 1987, they completed the largest satellite communication system that linked the company as whole with two-way voice, data and one-way video communication. (2006)As the company continued to experience phenomenal growth they had to look at newer forms of technology to keep up with the development of so many stores. In 2004, the company announced that it would deploy the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on January 1, 2005 (2006). This technology allowed their central management system to track new shipments, product purchases, and alerted them when items need to be re-stocked via a wireless communication (Plunkett, 2008). Wal-Mart uses technology to enhance all areas of its business. A one-hour online photo center, for example, allows customers to download photos and pick up the photos at the store of their choice within an hour. In the past, the customer would download the photos and wait for them to be mailed. On the music side, a pilot program involving in-store kiosk at 100 stores lets shoppers buy one song off a CD without purchasing the whole CD. The kiosks let shoppers create custom CDs that can hold up to 100 songs. The finished CD is then picked up at the one-hour photo center. In pharmacy, new technology allows personnel to retrieve a patient’s prescription information at any location simply by knowing the patient’s name and type of medication. The patient does not have to know his or her prescription number, insurance information or at what store the prescription was originally filled  (Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services, July 2005). InnovationWal-Mart’s continued drive towards innovation sustains its global footprint. Wal-Mart continues to be a leader in the business world. It’s evident that Wal-Mart strives continually to introduce new and different ways to market their business and uphold competitive advantage and introduce new ways to build relationships with employees, customers, and the humanitarian world. Wal-Mart’s resourcefulness is widely shown in their in-bound logistics. Wal-Mart’s satellite network is the largest private satellite communication system in the United States, this along with its strategic locations for their distribution centers have given them another competitive edge. Unlike other competitors who house less than half of their inventory in distribution centers, Wal-Mart houses over 80 percent in their distribution center; this purpose being more sales space for the stores and 100 percent in-stock position. To cut costs Wal-Mart places distribution centers in locations that allow for no more than a day’s drive between stores. In addition, Wal-Mart’s satellite communication system enables all stores to share information with the distribution center and between the distribution center and its vendors. This communication method allows for an accurate assessment of inventory needs and cuts down inventory overstock. Wal-Mart is now aiming their innovative techniques towards the up-in-coming green trend. The company has created experimental stores that save energy, conserve natural resources, and reduce pollution. Just one example of Wal-Mart’s focus to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution is their efforts to only sell concentrated detergents. This effort is estimated to have an impact that will save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin, and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard (Walmart.com, 2008). These are just some examples of Wal-Mart’s innovative spirit. Wal-Mart’s clear innovative drive continues to move the company into new and exciting ventures. Diversity Now the internal and external factors that impact the four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) at Wal-Mart come from all parts of the company such as: the board of directors, associates, suppliers, and customers. For example, the Wal-Mart web site states that their â€Å"†¦commitment to Diversity and Inclusion helps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  them â€Å"†¦build and retain a diverse workforce and supplier base† and that commitment is extended â€Å"†¦into the communities where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  they â€Å"†¦work and live through various community outreach programs† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). In addition Bateman & Snell (2007) express that â€Å"†¦you should devote adequate attention and resources to all four functions† of management (p. 18). The Wal-Mart web site indicates that the company values diversity and have made it part of their business plan which is part of their success. Now with that in mind, Wal-Mart has recently been recognized as one of the â€Å"Best Companies for Asian Pacific Islanders† by the Asian Enterprise magazine, which offers a good indication that Wal-Mart has devoted adequate attention and resources to the use of all four functions of management. Now a note from the successful retail giants:As the world’s largest retailer, we value diversity and foster a working environment that enriches the personal and professional experiences of our associates, promotes excellence, and cultivates the intellectual and personal growth of the entire associate population. We make diversity part of our business plan, ensuring we can continue to be a global leader in all aspects of Diversity and Inclusion. (walmartstores.com, n.d.)EthicThe American federation of labor-congress of Industrial suggest that Wal-mart was intended to be sex discriminative to poverty-level wages with the term Wal-mart on their problem to drive some business away and they was hopeful that it was going to be enough to alter the companies policies. This is supported by the center for community and corporate ethics. Wal-mart was tired of this allegation, so they launched a blitz ad in about 100 newspapers, to let everyone know that â€Å"Wal-mart is working for everyone.† â€Å"Spokesperson Sarah Clark denies that the company’s low prices depend on low wages.† Bernstein (2005). The labor leaders believe  that the AFL-CIO wants Wal-mart to look bad with a new publicity campaign. The Wal-mart labor’s plans have stayed the same because of all the negative publicity and it has hurt the employees’ morale of the Wal-mart Inc. Chris Ohlinger, â€Å"CEO of Service Industry Research Systems Inc,† Chris Ohlinger taking a survey on the customers that use to shopper there and do not stop any more because of the public criticism. Wal-mart low prices remain low to help the working poor. â€Å"Wal-mart CEO H. Lee Scoot, asked the employees â€Å"to take the moral high ground† on the further criticism. Wal-mart had just settled with about $11 million on hiring illegal immigrants to clean the stores. This is one the biggest sex discrimination lawsuit in the history of retailer just because the grass-roots organizations do not want this retailer in the area. â€Å"In a five-minute video message to Wal-mart’s workers, Scott told employees that they were expected to do the right thing every time, and he encouraged them to report unethical behavior to superiors or use the company’s ethics hotline, according to spokeswoman Mona Williams.† â€Å"It is a mark of our strength that when we uncover issues, we deal with them, do the right thing and are a stronger company as a result, â€Å"Scott said in the telecast to 1.2 million workers.† Grant (2005)In conclusion people should not always believe what is told to them in the public room, people have to evaluate for themselves and stick to their ethic believes. Reference: Wal-Mart (n.d.). Servant Leadership. Retrieved June 21, 2008., fromhttp://walmartstroes.com/AboutUs/289.aspx(2006). 45 Years of Wal-Mart History: A Technology Time Line. Academy of Information & Management Sciences. Plunkett, J. W. (Last updated February 21, 2008). Retail Technologies Leap Ahead. [Electronic version]. Retail Industry. Retrieved June 21, 2008 from http://www.plunkettresearchonline.com. Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services. (2005, July). Retail Merchandiser, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from Business Source Complete database. Govindarajan, V. & Gupta, A. (1999). Taking Wal-Mart Global: Lessons From Retailing’s Giants, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/13866Walmart Completes Goal To Sell Only Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7603.aspxBateman, T.S., & Snell, S.A. (2007). Management: The New Competitive Landscape. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from University of Phoenix, MGT330 Web site. Diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/Diversity/

Business Writing Training Guidelines for Performance Appraisals

Business Writing Training Guidelines for Performance Appraisals Performance appraisals play an important role in motivating your employees and in encouragingthem to work to the best of their abilities. Appraisals provide an opportunity to shine for many, and anopportunityto reflect for others. Business writing training guidelines assist the difficult task for bothbusiness owners and managers to evaluate employee performance against quantifiable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Business writing training guidelines will also help individuals better document their achievements during their annual performance review. Writing a performance appraisal report is often cumbersome. Many companies use pre-written templates to prepare such appraisals, and this regimented approach is not always effective. Business writing trainingprovidesmanagers the business writing skillsto effectivelyprovide employees more data regarding their performance. Similarly, the directorship in many businesses requires in-depth employee performance analysis before they make any decision regarding payroll and promotion. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, '68b80d4a-2e12-4e12-a6e9-b258b38b08c3', {}); Despite its apparent complexities, writing performance appraisals is a fairly easy task. Here’s a look at fourbusiness writing training guidelines to help bothmanagers and individual employees write relevant and accurate performance appraisal reports. Keep the Audience in Mind Appraisal reports are written for the senior management in your organization. Put yourself in your manager’s position and consider: What does your boss want in this appraisal report? What good will this information do forhim or her? How will the report help in assessing the employee’s performance? The first step towards drafting an effective performance appraisal report is to keep your target audience in mind. There’s a famous business clichà © that says, â€Å"what counts is what'scounted†. This should be your focus. Analyze all indices and factors that seem relevant for the employee appraisal. Be Neutral Once you know who your target audience is, the next step is to maintain a certain level of neutrality in the performance appraisal. It is very easy to sway off course when preparing or filling out the appraisal report. As an employee, you need to address all the core areas of interest to your boss on a timely basis. Do this before they introduce any ancillary content to the performance appraisal report. As a manager, you need to share with your employees all the information and performance metrics against which employee productivity will be measured. Keep Track of All Achievements As a manager, you need to create an electronic record for your employees' achievementsthroughout the year. The same rule applies to employees as well. Scan your email for any recommendations or stand-out recognition you have received. Such exercises are are helpful, but consistent tracking is better. The best approach is to create a tracking documentthat lists all your achievements as they occur. These achievements should be in line with the performance indices used in your appraisal report. Whenever you receiveany recognitionemail or acknowledgement for your hard work, add it to your tracking document. This will provide accuracy and reliability to your performance appraisal report and help you assemble accurate facts. Mind Your Language Performance appraisal reports are very specific in nature. They determineincrements to your salary, bonuses, perks or even a better position. Therefore, it is important that you use the right tone, with accurate sentences and specific verbs to describe your performance. Use evocative words that specificallysummarize your achievements. Instead of relying on long and unending sentences, use short and precise words and phrases. Avoid businessclichà ©s that don't really mean anything specific, such as "passionate marketer" or "committed team member." Instead, be specific about your actual accomplishments. To learn more on how to improve business writing for your employees, downloadâ€Å"Four Steps to Improve Your Team’s Business Writing Skills.†

Free Essays on Constitutional Law

Constitutional Law Bill of Rights in the constitutional law of American history is the term that usually signifies the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. These amendments, more precisely the first eight of them, specify certain basic freedoms and procedural safeguards of which the individual may not be deprived by governmental power. Taken together, these specified freedoms and protections are the core of American civil liberty and provide the constitutional basis for judicial protection of the rights of the individual. Of particular importance are the provisions of the 1st Amendment (freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition); the 4th Amendment (prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures); the 5th Amendment (prohibitions against double jeopardy and self-incrimination; no taking of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; requirement of fair compensation when private property is taken for public use); the 6th Amendment (procedural safegu ards in criminal prosecutions); and the 8th Amendment (prohibitions against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments)( Gerald Gunther ,1976). According to three strikes law If a person commits any felony after March 7, 1994 and If the person has one previous "violent" or "serious" felony conviction (which includes burglary of an unoccupied dwelling), he or she is sentenced to twice the term prescribed by law for each new felony (and must serve at least 80% of the sentence). If the person has two previous violent or serious felony convictions, he or she is sentenced to a life sentence with the possibility of parole. The minimum term of the life sentence is calculated as the greater of the following: a. Three times the term otherwise provided b. 25 years c. The term determined by the court pursuant to other applicable sentencing provisions of existing law. The definitions for â€Å"violent† and â€Å"serious† felonies differ ... Free Essays on Constitutional Law Free Essays on Constitutional Law Constitutional Law Bill of Rights in the constitutional law of American history is the term that usually signifies the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. These amendments, more precisely the first eight of them, specify certain basic freedoms and procedural safeguards of which the individual may not be deprived by governmental power. Taken together, these specified freedoms and protections are the core of American civil liberty and provide the constitutional basis for judicial protection of the rights of the individual. Of particular importance are the provisions of the 1st Amendment (freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition); the 4th Amendment (prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures); the 5th Amendment (prohibitions against double jeopardy and self-incrimination; no taking of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; requirement of fair compensation when private property is taken for public use); the 6th Amendment (procedural safegu ards in criminal prosecutions); and the 8th Amendment (prohibitions against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments)( Gerald Gunther ,1976). According to three strikes law If a person commits any felony after March 7, 1994 and If the person has one previous "violent" or "serious" felony conviction (which includes burglary of an unoccupied dwelling), he or she is sentenced to twice the term prescribed by law for each new felony (and must serve at least 80% of the sentence). If the person has two previous violent or serious felony convictions, he or she is sentenced to a life sentence with the possibility of parole. The minimum term of the life sentence is calculated as the greater of the following: a. Three times the term otherwise provided b. 25 years c. The term determined by the court pursuant to other applicable sentencing provisions of existing law. The definitions for â€Å"violent† and â€Å"serious† felonies differ ...

Business Law for Dick Smith

The Sydney Morning Herald, March 20, 2017 The Directors and the Executives of Dick Smith have been accused of mitting a breach of their directorial duty to exercise reasonable care after the pany has suffered financial collapse in January 2016. The former directors of the Dick Smith had to face legal action 14 months after the electronics chain was put into administration. Receiver brought a legal action against the directors and executives to recover losses worth $60 million as the directors failed to exercise reasonable standard of care and skill managing the pany’s inventory. The pany was alleged that its inventory purchasing decisions are based on maximizing rebates instead of demand of the customers which led to an increase in the redundant stock amounting to $180 million by October 2015. The excessive stock led the pany write off $60 million of inventory in November 2015. The directors were accused of inflating profits artificially in the 2015 financial year, as they were recoding rebates as profit. Although the directors denied that they made the purchasing decisions based on rebates, the chief financial officer of the pany admitted in court that the pany did adopt a strategy to enhance the earnings from rebates. The law firm defending the directors contended that the directors have always acted diligently, consciously and exercised reasonable care while carrying out the business operation of the pany. The issue that arises in the Dick Smiths case is that the directors have failed to exercise their statutory duty to exercise due care and diligence while carrying out the business operations of the pany. According to Section 180 (1) of the Corporations Act (Cth) a director was required to act with reasonable care and diligence. Under general law, whether a director had mitted a breach of his directorial duties is subject to the subjective assessment and depends largely on the director’s own knowledge and skill (Velasco 2014). However, in Re City Equitable [1925] the rule, the court held that in order to determine whether a director has violated his directorial duties, the objective test shall be applied where the director must establish that he has exercised reasonable care and diligence and had not mitted a breach of his duties. In Dick Smith’s case, the directors and the executives were alleged to have failed to place adequate systems to manage the supplier rebates and inventory of the pany. In ASIC v Healey [2011], the court held that the directors of the pany are under statutory obligation to be able to read and prehend the financial statements of the pany instead of simply relying on the fact that the systems are in place. Further, in Daniels v Anderson [1995], the Court of Appeal held that directors must prehend the nature of the duty that they are statutorily obligated to perform. Section 180 (1) of the Act further requires to impose an objective ‘reasonable person’ test in order to determine whether the director has exhibited hid duty of care and diligence in the manner as any reasonable person would exhibit under similar circumstances. ASIC v Healey & Ors [2011] FCA 717 JWS Daniels v Anderson [1995] 37 nswlr 438 Re City Equitable Fire Insurance Co [1925] Ch 407 Velasco, J., 2014. A Defense of the Corporate Law Duty of Care.

Advertisement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advertisement Analysis - Essay Example In short, consumer culture has largely influenced the way of living today. In the light of these, the following study text seeks to support the impact of consumer culture on society by analysing an advertisement based on the relationships between the aesthetic strategy and ideological message applied in creating it. In analysing an advert, two major aspects come into play; the aesthetic and ideological portrayals. The aesthetic aspect represents the overall visual sensation which is portrayed by the advertisement’s overall appearance. In short, it is the visual appeal, and plays an overly important role in marketing. The ideological message represents an advanced meaning of the advert and is a simulated â€Å"feeling† which is transferred from the advert to the consumer upon buying (possession) of the product being marketed. These two are closely related. In an advertisement, there are three main constituting understandings; the overall (surface) meaning, the advertiser’s intended meaning, and the ideological (cultural) meaning. The relationship between the three is that the aesthetic sensation adds up to the surface meaning while the ideological message represents the advertiser’s intention. These two combined, they create the cultural meaning of the advert thus its interpretation and execution of the intended purpose (Botterill, MacRury & Richards 2013, p. 81). Figure 1 above is a Vive Cuervo Advertisement. Vive Cuervo is an alcoholic drink. The aesthetic strategy is evidenced by the inclusion of different elements which create a composition. The composition is made up of both images and text. There is the image of a happy couple in beachwear wherein man is carrying his lady at chest level. They are in embrace as he holds her around her buttock area and her legs embrace his abdomen. The lady’s hands are clutching the man’s neck tightly and they are both laughing out loud.