Coursework on sociology Essay

To be a non-traditional student is not at all an easy decision I made. Having my own family who needs my full time and attention is the biggest consideration I had when I decided to take on-line course. However, my family is also the best encouragement and inspiration I had. The world is taking its fast pace towards globalization and everyone must be able to cope up. The computerization of almost everything requires that everyone must conform to the speed of economic changes. In this world where education is a key to success and progress, everyone must avail of education by any means available. I believe that the best thing I can do is to avail of education while still having time with my family is to take online courses. The decision will affect my social life and the financial status of my family since I will have to allocate time and finances with my studies. The hours I am spending before in personally doing the household chores will now be partly consumed by my studies. The few I hours I am spending before in visiting my friends next door will now be lessened in have time for my studies. (Kindly use the remaining required words in answering the question whether you are studying a technical field) In the absence of on line courses, I may consider having evening or weekend classes. However, evenings are my only time to help my kids in their home works. I do not want to sacrifice weekends either because I strictly set these days as family and church days. So the best thing for me is to choose timeslots that will best fit school hours when my children are in school which online courses offered. Question 2 English is undoubtedly the world’s widely accepted language as it is the required language for everyone to communicate globally. It is therefore important that everyone be able to have the opportunity to learn Standard English in order to cope up with the fast changing world especially that the world is pushing through globalization. I believe that even the students in the rural areas can compete globally. However, it is impossible for them to do it if they cannot meet the standards of the global arena expressed in Standard English. I believe that with this need, a child needs to learn English even before he go to a formal school. This does not however mean that local dialects are to be set aside and be forgotten. While English has been set as the official language of Kentucky in 1984, I believe that their local dialects as well as that of African-American who speak Ebonics must still be practiced. â€Å"Teachers should be given every possible tool to reach our children† (L. L. Rush). Even in school premises, it is important that students be able to freely express themselves which can only be possible when they speak in their dialects. But in order for them to cope up with the global standard, they are to strive hard in learning Standard English. Even the government of Kentucky is doing steps in order to assure that the students get the minimum skills required in English and Mathematics (V. Honawar). China, being the host in the 2008 Olympics is requiring its people to learn English in preparation of the event. The best way to learn is to practice and that is what every child in Kentucky and the rest of the world must do. This way, their confidence in facing the world will be better build up which will be their instrument in achieving success whether educational or economic success. Question 3 Robert William’s list of values have been created in 1970, that was more than three decades ago. The world has changed a lot, and so are the American’s perspectives, priorities and moral standards. As a contemporary American, morality and family are the values that are of the highest importance to me. With the fast changing world, I value education in order for me to cope up with the success and progress of the world. In order for me to do this, I need to avail of the freedom and equality that the American government offers. All of my current efforts are for my family and I owe all of what I have now from God. With reference to William’s list, I think that the importance of protecting the family is the value that he had missed. As I browsed on the websites providing lists and information on the American values, I was impressed with the survey results made by the Roper Poll Corporation revealing that protecting the family is the first in the list of values that Americans consider as important. The other values in William’s list still appear to be the same important values for Americans although there is a noticeable change in their sequence. I believe that because America has already been progressive, the value of success, achievement and progress are no longer on top of the list. Most of the websites I browsed agreed on the order of the values but are contrary to William’s list in the sense that family is not included in the latter’s list. Also, achievement and success are no longer on top of the values prioritized by modern Americans. I believe that my list of values will differ with that of the other students in a way that family and morality, including faith are on top of my list. I am assuming that majority of the students will conform with the latest survey of which family is on top but religiosity and morality at the 8th and 9th spots out of ten values. WORKS CITED Crawford, James. â€Å"Issues in U. S. Language Policy†. Retrieved on June 23, 207 from http://ourworld. compuserve. com/homepages/JWCRAWFORD/langleg. htm Grass, Gunter. â€Å"The US Betrays its Core Values†. The Los Angeles Times. April 07, 2003. Retrieved on June 23, 2007 from http://www. commondreams. org/views03/0407-05. htm Grouling, Thomas E. â€Å"American Values†. â€Å"Common Questions: Uniquely American Questions†. Retrieved on June 23, 2004 from http://www. americanhospitals. com/questions/american/amervalues. htm 06/23/07 Honawar, Vaishali. â€Å"Kentucky Seeks to Improve College Readiness†. Retrieved on June 23, 2007 from http://www. edweek. org/ew/articles/2004/11/17/12ky. h24. html Rush, Ladonna Lewis. â€Å"The Ebonics Debate†. Retrieved on June 23, 2007 from http://www. princeton. edu/~browning/news/rush. html The American Demographic Magazine. October 2000 issue â€Å"American Values: Overview†. Retrieved on June 22, 2007 from http://www. orednet. org/~jflory/205/day_val_overview. htm

Workforce Education

Author Note Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Terre Eversden to have given me an opportunity to present a paper on the Adult Educational Philosophies – Benefits and Challenges & their involvement in real life scenarios or the environment we live in. The paper captures the benefits, challenges and example to each Adult Education Philosophy i. e. Liberal, Behavioral, Humanistic and Progressive. Abstract An adult education philosophy, or philosophical orientation, is the categorization of an individual's beliefs, values, and attitudes toward adult education and what the purpose and outcome of adult education should be.In this paper, I shall discuss of Liberal Educational Philosophy, Behaviorist Educational Philosophy, Progressive Educational Philosophy, Humanistic Educational Philosophy and finally Radical Humanistic Philosophy. These are the Adult Educational Philosophies. Benefits and Challenges of each of these philosophies shall be discussed in brief. Keywords: liberal, behaviorist, pr ogressive, humanistic, radical, educational, philosophy Liberal Educational PhilosophyThe liberal adult education philosophy stresses the development of intellectual powers. Liberals always seek knowledge. They work to transmit knowledge and clearly direct learning. The educator is the â€Å"expert†, and directs the learning process with complete authority. Learning methods used include lecture, study groups, and discussion. Socrates, Plato, and Piaget were practitioners of the liberal philosophy. (Note: Liberal adult education does not refer to liberal political views; it is related to Liberal Arts. ).According to liberal adult education, â€Å"the educated person possesses the four components of a liberal education: rational or intellectual education which involves wisdom, moral values, a spiritual or religious dimension, and an aesthetic sense† (Elias & Merriam, 1995, p. 26). Liberal adult education emphasizes liberal learning, organized knowledge, and the developme nt of the intellectual powers of the mind. It also stresses philosophy, religion, and the humanities over science. The teacher is given a prominent place within this philosophy, and must be well-versed in many intellectual interests.Liberal adult education employs heavy promotion of theoretical thinking. This philosophy is suited for adult learners because it requires life experience in order to fully gain from the reflection and contemplation involved in liberal education's goals. To illustrate the significance of this philosophy, Elias and Merriam (1995) write: As long as the human person does these things [searches for truth, desires to develop their moral character, strives for spiritual and religious visions, and seeks the beautiful in life and nature], the liberal tradition in education will be a potent force.  (p. 42).The negatives of liberal approach are not everyone is critical thinkers and problem solvers and their opinions can be swayed by others. Example: A liberal cla ssroom setting is a more traditional environment. In the classroom you my just have a lecture or even break students or adults into study groups to help each other out. Another option is critical reading and discussion. This approach allows students to free themselves from past experience. They are able to prepare themselves for diversity and change. It teacher teaches them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.Behaviorist Educational Philosophy A major tenet of behaviorism is the belief that â€Å"all human behavior is the result of a person's prior conditioning and is determined by external forces in the environment over which a person has little or no control† (Elias and Merriam, 1995, p. 79). Because behaviorism fundamentally aims toward individual and societal survival, emphasis is put on skill acquisition and learning how to learn. Thus, the teacher must create an environment that is optimal for bringing about behavior that ensures survival.The behaviorist adult e ducation philosophy emphasizes the importance of the environment in shaping the learner. The traits of the behaviorist teacher are close to those of the liberal, in that the behaviorist â€Å"manages† the learning process and directs learning. Behaviorist concepts include mastery learning and standards-based education. Some teaching methods used by behaviorist educators include programmed instruction, contract learning, and computer guided instruction. Learners are active and able to demonstrate a measurable, learned behavior.Accountability is an important concept in behaviorism and punctuates that teachers and learners are both accountable for successful learning. Behaviorism is strong in setting clearly defined purposes, learning objectives, and in selecting experiences that work toward those purposes and objectives. Evaluation is valued in assessing the attainment of the behaviors being taught. Vocational training and teacher certifications are both behaviorist practices. Skinner, Thorndike, and Steinberg were believers in the behaviorist philosophical tenet.Example: A good example of Behaviorist is a coach. If a coach tells you what to do then you have to do it, otherwise you won’t get to play. You must practice the task on hand in order to be successful just like in sports. The teacher has to be a manager who directs the learner outcomes and design the environment. Many teachers must be competency-based teacher. Competency-based focuses on outcomes and has a certain curriculum that teachers have to follow to get the outcome that they want. Progressive Educational PhilosophyThe power of progressivism runs deep in American adult education, as stressed by Elias and Merriam (1995): â€Å"Progressivism has had a greater impact upon the adult 14 education movement in the United States than any other single school of thought† (p. 45). The progressive philosophy of adult education stresses an experiential, problem-solving approach to learning . Like behaviorism, progressivism sees the goal of education being individual and societal. However, the goal of progressive education is improvement rather than survival, which is achieved through liberating the learner.There are five basic principles of adult progressive education. The first is a broadened view or concept of education, meaning that education is not restricted to formal, classroom instruction but is a lifelong process influenced by many sectors of society and daily life. The second principle is a new focus on the learner and the potential of that person to learn more than his or her immediate interests. The third principle is the introduction of new instructional methodologies.Diversifying these teaching methods in turn diversified learner knowledge gained by learning from those methods. The fourth principle is a new teacher-learner relationship that is interactive and reciprocal. The fifth principle is that education is an instrument for preparing learners to chan ge society. Learners of this philosophy need problem solving skills and practical knowledge. They learn by doing, inquiring, being involved in the community, and responding to problems. Teaching methods used in this philosophy include problem solving, the scientific method, and cooperative learning.The educator is an organizer who guides learning instead of directing learning and evaluates the learning process. Progressive proponents include Spencer, Dewey, and Lindeman Example: Progressive setting is showing someone how to frame a wall while constructing a house and then watching them do it themselves. Progressive is showing someone how to do something and then they do it while you guide them through the task. Training and Development in present organizations follow such type of education. Humanistic Educational PhilosophyHumanistic education aims at the development of people who are open to change and continued learning, people who strive for self-actualization, and people who can live together as fully-functioning individuals. The humanistic philosophy of adult education follows some basic principles such as the following: human nature is naturally good; freedom and autonomy influence behavior; individuality and potentiality are unlimited and should be nurtured; self-concept leads to self-actualization; perception of the world explains behavior; and individuals have a responsibility to humanity.Foundations of humanistic education lie in the following: the notion of self-concept; that the adult defines himself in terms of the accumulation of a unique set of life experiences; that an adult's readiness to learn is linked to developmental tasks unique to a stage in life; and that adults desire an immediate application of knowledge. The humanistic adult education philosophy seeks to facilitate personal growth and development. Humanists are highly motivated and self-directed learners; responsibility to learn is assumed by the learner. The humanist educator facili tates learning but does not direct learning.According to Elias and Merriam (1995), â€Å"Humanistic adult educators are concerned with the development of the whole person with a special emphasis upon the emotional and affective dimensions of the personality† (p. 109). The educator and learner are â€Å"partners. † Concepts that define the humanistic philosophy include experiential learning, individuality, self-directedness, and self-actualization. Humanistic teaching methods contain group discussion, team teaching, individualized learning, and the discovery method. Rogers, Maslow, Knowles, and McKenzie are facilitators of the humanistic philosophy.The challenge is as this concentrates on people’s natural desire to learn, the teacher is a facilitator and students relate to past experience with this approach; however, if there isn’t mutual respect between the students and teacher this method will probably fail. Radical Educational Philosophy The radical adu lt education philosophy promotes extreme social, political, and economic change through education. Radical education does not work within existing social norms or structures, but strives to change those structures. Within this philosophy, the educator and learner are equal partners in the learning process.The educator is the coordinator of the class and makes suggestions but does not direct the learning process. This philosophy embraces concepts such as noncompulsory learning and deschooling. Exposure to the media and people in real life situations are considered effective teaching methods. Holt, Freire, and Illich are proponents of the radical adult education philosophy. Radicalism falls outside the realm on mainstream adult education philosophy, mainly because the purposes of many adult education activities are not parallel with the purposes of radical adult education. Identification of Adult Education Philosophical Orientation

Gsm Call Flow

GSM Call Flow (GSM Originating Call) Cell Mobile Station User Mobile Mobile Network Base Stations NSS BSS MSC VLR Fixed Network PSTN PSTN EventStudio System Designer 4. 0 13-Sep-08 21:38 (Page 1) LEG: GSM Mobile Originated Call This sequence diagram was generated with EventStudio System Designer 4. 0 (http://www. EventHelix. com/EventStudio). Copyright  © 2008 EventHelix. com Inc. All Rights Reserved. The EventStudio source files for this document can be downloaded from http://www. eventhelix. com/call-flow/gsm-call-setup. zip. This scenario describes the call setup for a GSM originating call.A mobile user calling a land line subscriber is covered here. Copyright  © 2000-2008 EventHelix. com Inc. All Rights Reserved. The user keys in the phone number for the landline subscriber and .. .. presses the Send button Dial the called person's number Send Button Begin RR Connection Establishment Call related information needs to be transported from the mobile phone to the Mobile Switchin g Center (MSC). This requires the establishment of a Radio Resource (RR) connection to MSC. The first phase of the call setup just sets up this RR connection. RR CHANNEL REQUEST RACH RR connection establishment is triggered by sending the ChannelRequest message. This message requests the Base Station System (BSS) for allocation for radio resources for the RR connection setup. The mobile now waits for an assignment on the Access Grant Channel (AGCH). At this point the mobile is listening to the AGCH for a reply. Note: The RR CHANNEL REQUEST is sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH). This is a slotted aloha channel that can be used at random, without any coordination between the mobiles. Any mobile can transmit on this channel whenever it wishes. If two mobiles transmit on the channel at the same time, their messages will be lost in a collision.The mobiles will detect the collision via a timeout and retransmit the message after a random back off. allocate TCH RR IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT A GCH, Radio_Resource = (TCH, Frequency, Timeslot), Time Correction, Frequency Correction Apply the time and frequency corrections Tune to the frequency and timeslot RR SABM + MM CM SERVICE REQUEST TCH, SAPI = 0 The BSS allocates a Traffic Channel (TCH) to the mobile. The TCH allocation assigns a specifies a frequency and a timeslot on that frequency. After the mobile receives this message, the mobile shall only use the specified resources for communication with the mobile network.The BSS transmits the radio resource assignment to the Mobile via the AGCH channel. The message also contains the time and frequency corrections. The time corrections allow the mobile to time it's transmissions so that they reach the BSS only in the specified slot. The frequency corrections correct for the Doppler shift caused by the mobile's motion. Adjust the frequency and timing based on the advice from the BSS. This step is required so that transmissions from the mobile reach the base station at the prec ise time and with the correct frequency. The mobile detunes from the AGCH and tunes to the specified radio channel.This is the first message that is sent after tuning to the channel. The Mobile initiates a LAPm connection with the BSC by sending a Set Asynchronous Balanced Mode (SABM) message. The service request message meant for the MSC is also sent in this message. GSM Call Flow (GSM Originating Call) Cell Mobile Network Mobile Station Base Stations NSS User Mobile BSS MSC VLR RR UA Fixed Network PSTN PSTN TCH, SAPI = 0 SCCP CONNECTION REQUEST + MM CM SERVICE REQUEST SS7 Check subscriber authentication EventStudio System Designer 4. 0 13-Sep-08 21:38 (Page 2) The BSS replies with Unnumbered Acknowledge (UA) to complete theLAPm setup handshake The BSS receives the CM Service Request message from the mobile and forms a â€Å"BSSMAP COMPLETE LAYER 3 INFORMATION†. The BSS then piggy backs the message on the SCCP connection request message. LEG: Skip Authentication Procedure MS C checks if the subscriber has been authenticated. In this case, the subscriber has already been authenticated, so the authentication procedure is skipped. Enable Ciphering BSSMAP CIPHER MODE COMMAND Expect ciphered data from the mobile RR CIPHERING MODE COMMAND mode = CLEAR Enable ciphering for received and transmitted data RR CIPHERING MODE COMPLETE mode = CIPHEREDEnable ciphering of data transmitted to the mobile BSSMAP CIPHER MODE COMPLETE Since the subscriber has been successfully authenticated, the MSC initiates ciphering of the data being sent on the channel. The channel is ciphered so as so protect the call from eavesdropping. Ciphering on the radio link is enabled in three steps. As a first step, the BSS starts expecting ciphered data from the mobile but continues to send data in clear. Since the mobile has not been informed about the ciphering, all data received from the mobile will be in error. The BSS sends the CIPHERING MODE COMMAND to the mobile. The mobile ill be able to receive this message as the transmission from the BSS is still in clear. As a second step, the Mobile receives the message and enables ciphering in transmit and receive directions. This action will result in all BSS data being received in error. (The BSS is still transmitting data in clear. ) Ciphering has already been enabled, so this message is transmitted with ciphering. The BSS will receive this message as it is already expecting ciphered data in the receive direction. The third and final step in the ciphering handshake. The BSS enables the ciphering in transmit direction. From this oint on ciphering is enabled in both directions. BSS replies back to the MSC, indicating that ciphering has been successfully enabled. RR Connection Establishment Completed At this point a connection has been setup between the Mobile and the MSC. From this point onward, the BSS is just acting as a conduit for transporting the signaling messages between the Mobile and the MSC. Call Setup CC SETUP Dialed Digits The Mobile sends the setup message to establish a voice call. The message contains the dialed digits and other information needed for call GSM Call Flow (GSM Originating Call) Cell Mobile StationUser Mobile Mobile Network Base Stations NSS BSS MSC VLR Fixed Network PSTN PSTN EventStudio System Designer 4. 0 13-Sep-08 21:38 (Page 3) establishment. The mobile is informed that the call setup is in progress. At this point, the mobile phone displays a message on the screen to indicate that call setup is being attempted. CC CALL PROCEEDING Connecting†¦ Mode Modify allocate Voice circuit towards BSS BSSMAP ASSIGNMENT REQUEST Voice circuit RR CHANNEL MODE MODIFY RR CHANNEL MODE MODIFY ACKNOWLEDGE BSSMAP ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE The BSS responds back to the MSC. ISUP INITIAL ADDRESS MESSAGE SS7, Dialed DigitsCC ALERTING The MSC allocates a voice circuit on one the digital trunks between the MSC and the BSS. MSC informs the BSS about the allocated voice circuit. The call is also switched from signaling to voice. The BSS notifies the Mobile about the changeover to voice mode. Mobile acknowledges. The MSC routes the call and sends the call towards the called subscriber ISUP ADDRESS COMPLETE MESSAGE The PSTN indicates to the MSC that it has received all the digits and the called SS7 subscriber is being rung. The MSC informs the mobile that the called subscriber is being alerted via a ring Alerting Tone ISUP ANSWERThe called subscriber answers the call. SS7 CC CONNECT The MSC informs the mobile that the call has been answered. Acknowledge the recipt of CC CONNECT. CC CONNECT ACKNOWLEDGE Connected Display that the call has been connected. Conversation Speech The call has entered the conversation phase. The speech path has been setup between the mobile subscriber and the land-line subscriber. Call Release End Button CC DISCONNECT ISUP RELEASE SS7 Disconnect Voice Path LEG: Mobile initiates call release The mobile subscriber hits End to clear the call. The mobile sends the disconnect message to the MSC. The MSC initiates release on the PSTN ide. The MSC disconnects the voice path and also releases the voice circuit between the BSS and the MSC. free Voice circuit towards BSS CC RELEASE The MSC informs the Mobile that it has initiated call release GSM Call Flow (GSM Originating Call) Cell Mobile Station User Mobile Mobile Network Fixed Network Base Stations NSS PSTN BSS MSC VLR PSTN ISUP RELEASED SS7 ISUP RELEASE COMPLETE SS7 CC RELEASE COMPLETE EventStudio System Designer 4. 0 13-Sep-08 21:38 (Page 4) The MSC informs the PSTN that the call release has been completed. The PSTN informs that call release has been completed at its end.Mobile indicates that the call has been released. RR Connection Release BSSMAP CLEAR COMMAND RR CHANNEL RELEASE BSSMAP CLEAR COMPLETE RR DISC RR UA free TCH Call Released Indication Call release has been completed, now the RR connection is released by the MSC. The BSS initiates RR release with the mobile. The BSS i nforms the the MSC that the RR connection has been released. The mobile sends a disconnect message to release the LAPm connection. The BSS replies with an Unnumbered Acknowledge message. The BSS releases the TCH channel. Mobile goes back to the default display to indicate that call has been completely released.

New Jersey vs. Virginia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

New Jersey vs. Virginia - Research Paper Example The population of New Jersey in 2010 is 8,791,894. 14.7% people in New Jersey are 65 or over 65-year-old (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). The unemployment rate in New Jersey was 6.5% by April 2015 (Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 2015).In New Jersey, the female population is more than the male population. 71.7% are over 21 years old. 68.6% white people lives in New Jersey, and 19.4% black people are part of New Jersey. The major source of revenue collection in New Jersey are five agricultural products that include greenhouse and nursery products, horses/mules, blueberries, dairy products, and chicken eggs. VirginiaThe State of Virginia locates on the eastern coast of the USA. West Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky states border the State of Virginia. Virginia has 95 counties along with 38 independent cities that are considered county-equivalents for census purposes. Old Dominion is the nickname of Virginia. Richmond is the capital of Virginia. The Abbreviation of Virginia is VA. The largest city in Virginia is Virginia Beach. Total land area of Virginia is 110,785.67-square kilometers. The population of Virginia was 8,001,024 in 2010. 49.1% are males, and 50.9 % females are residents of Virginia. 13.8% peoples of Virginia are 65 years or over 65 years old.Map Observation:New JerseyThe State Capital of New Jersey is Trenton. The largest City in New Jersey is Newark. The State's abbreviation is NJ. New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware states borders New Jersey.

The role of Social Media as a mode of Market Communication in the U.K Dissertation

The role of Social Media as a mode of Market Communication in the U.K - Dissertation Example TION 1.1: Introduction Marketing has been one of the most important aspects of creating awareness about different products and services. In last few years, the nature of marketing has changed a lot mainly because of the emergence of so many media tools capable of communicating with end users in an effective manner. One of the highly efficient and effective marketing communication tools that has gained immense popularity and acceptance in the global business environment is in the form of social media (Albrecht, 2006). Social media helps in connecting with different people in an easy and hassle free manner along with communicating wide arrays of messages in a simple and convenient manner. In the United Kingdom, almost two-third (65%) of the population has used Facebook, followed by YouTube (50%), and Twitter (23%). This shows that the acceptance level of using these social media is quite high among British people. Marketers too have realised the importance of social media and have been using them to promote their business products and services in a well planned and easy manner (Alderson, 2009). In the context of marketing communication, it becomes all the more important to deliver the messages to consumers in a clear and transparent manner along with enhancing the frequency and acceptance of the messages (Blanchard, 2011). Social media helps in connecting with large number of people along with spreading the message in a fast manner that further helps in communicating with consumers in a very fast and efficient manner. The major purpose of the research is to analyse and assess the role of social media as a mode of market communication in the United Kingdom (Alderson, 2009).For this purpose, the focus will be on the analysis of different social media tools and overall acceptance and usefulness in terms of enhancing the marketing appeal of different organisations in the UK. In this regard, the researcher has formulated the research aim and objectives being discussed further (Lovett, 2011). 1.2: Research Aim The primary aim of the research is to analyse and assess the role of social media as a mode of market communication in the UK. In order to achieve this proposed research aim; the researcher has formulated few research objectives discussed as follow. 1.3: Research Objectives The research objectives are as follow: To analyse the role of social media as a mode of market communication by comparing with other market communication tools To assess the usefulness and benefits of using social media tools in enhancing the market communication To identify the advantages and disadvantages of using social

Assessing Brilliance in Innovation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assessing Brilliance in Innovation - Case Study Example It would be within the next year that Enron would begin to go through some major financial difficulties. It will be argued here that the basic tenets of a successful company require three key aspects: profit; sustainability of innovation; and good leadership. First, one should begin with a short history of Enron. In the case of the Houston-based Enron Corporation, a multi-billion dollar institution encountered a crisis situation. The denial of top corporate executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling led to Enron making excuses such as blaming Arthur Andersen, its accounting firm, for its failure. An integral part of understanding Enron's demise comes from learning a little bit about the company and how it grew over the years to its existing status. Houston Natural Gas merged with InterNorth, in July 1985, to form the Enron Corporation. Over the next fifteen years, Enron expanded rapidly, establishing many new businesses worldwide. The first sign of an innovative corporation is that it shows a profit. In about fifteen years, Enron grew from nothing to being America's seventh largest company. Enron employed over 21,000 individuals in more than forty countries. Enron's executives transformed this company, without actually building a company that made significant business profits. By doing this, Enron executives could exaggerate the company's cash flow. To create these profits, Enron's executives also used many accounting procedures that seemed to confuse watchdogs-and, to make themselves look better, they blindsided everyone who thought that Enron was on top of the world, by creating hundreds of fake companies. To prevent anyone from seeing any loss from Enron, they would transfer their debt to the fake companies. By doing this, Enron's debt would seem a lot smaller than they actually were. Like many large companies, Enron had its good and its bad side. In 2002 Enron's bad side was exposed to the nation. So the question is raised, what did Enron make' Enron didn't really make anything. Enron acted as the "middleman" in large natural gas and electricity deals. Enron always admitted it was hard to define their "business" in one sentence, but they finally came up with an explanation that they make commodity markets so that they could deliver physical commodities to their customers at a predictable price. Enron seemed to have trapped employees that worked with the company. The employees were forced to put their pension money into the Enron stock, which was overvalued. The employees at Enron were just doing their jobs, and in fact should not be held to blame. "Such high turnover [at the top of corporations such as Enron] suggests that the real problem isn't a lack of innovation-it's sustained innovation."1 Although many of the future business people attend curriculums that require business law classes, the Enron scandal has proven that corporate corruption is alive and well. Also, the company proved that it could not sustain its innovation over time, because its biggest innovation, mark-to-marketing accounting, was a fraudulent innovation. It was brilliant, in the sense that profits could be estimated and then banked upon, but it was also an illegal practice to put profits on the books that were not truly there. In addition, Enron

Working with groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working with groups - Essay Example They can sometimes be positive and sometimes negative depending on how they are translated by others in the group. In relation to myself with others, I learned that my strong value system seems to make me a candidate for leadership in the group. People seem to appreciate my outspoken attitudes. The positive way that followers in the group responded to my thoughts and ideas made me the person who would empower others that made the group function better. The most difficult activity in the group was getting meaningful feedback. Because most in the group found common values and attitudes, people did not want to challenge the discussion for fear of conflict. This seemed to limit productivity that Stubbs talks about in the textbook. Stubbs also mentions that situations are always in a state of flux in a group and this was hard to reduce to make discussion more productive and valuable. What I learned that would be most valuable to a future career is linked to the last discussion about fear of conflict and good social connection in the group. I learned that when people get along very well in a group, they will sometimes hold onto the truth and not provide thoughts or ideas that might cause harm to these connections. This is why a group seems to need a leader to keep conversation focused and empower others to be honest. The group seems to need a leader to keep things productive when others are concerned about making everyone happy. For example, English is my second language and it made translating difficult at times. Rather than say they did not understand, they wanted to keep peace in the group. A real professional commits to excellence which was in the leadership video. Excellence is honesty in a group that wants to be productive even if it means creating productive conflict. The leadership video also said that people need to embrace humor and optimism with a quote by the disabled Helen