Slave Power Conspiracy :: essays research papers

Title IX: Reverse Discrimination Beginning some time shortly after the end of World War II, there has been tremendous growth in women’s athletics. For decades female athletes have been striving to become as equally respected as their male counterparts. After years of reaching for their goals, female athletes finally realized their dreams in the form of Title IX. As stated by Jim Minter, former editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, â€Å"Title IX is the federal government telling colleges and universities that if X number of athletic scholarships are given to males, then an equal number must be awarded to female students†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (AJC A14). Title IX, a United States federal law passed in 1972, was a milestone in the history of the women’s rights movement. Female athletes could at last have the same opportunities that male athletes had always had. But this is not the end of the story, nor does the story have a happy ending. There is a darker side of Title IX, a side that discriminates against male athletes. A good example of discrimination against male athletes involves the sport of wrestling. Not only is wrestling the oldest sport known to man, it is also an American tradition. If the average person in the South were asked to name his favorite wrestler, however, that person would probably blurt out the name of some phony professional wrestler. Why would this person be so ignorant about the oldest sport known to man? The reason is that Title IX has virtually wiped out collegiate wrestling in the South. Starting back in the late l970’s, SEC schools began dropping their wrestling programs to make room for more women’s sports. Today there are only five or six colleges in the South that still have wrestling programs. This lack of wrestling programs in the South has significantly decreased the opportunities for ex-high school wrestlers, like me, to continue their sport in college. Wrestling , however, is not the only men’s sport affected by Title IX; the overall diversity of men’s collegiate sports has also decreased. At the University of Georgia, there are ten women’s sports and only seven men’s sports (â€Å"Football’s A14). Although I am not a math major, this ratio seems anything but equal to me. Women are getting more opportunities to compete in the sports that they enjoy than men are. Consequently, there are more scholarships available for women. For example, a good female volleyball player has a virtual cornucopia of college scholarships available at her discretion, whereas a great wrestler must look to colleges in the North to have even the slightest chance of attempting to walk-on a team.

Macbeth: Time And Evil :: essays research papers

The Shakespearean tragedy of Macbeth is one of the shortest of all his plays. The story of one man's determination to secure his position as king has become a literary classic around the world. Many critics have applied their input on what they believe to be the proper analysis of Macbeth. However Phyllis Rackin's interpretation of the play has become the counter balance to which I place my critique. Rackin's criticism of Macbeth employs both the importance of time and the overwhelming power of evil; these ideas are only two of the many themes displayed in Shakespeare's illustrious tragedy. Rackin analyzed that time was a major factor in Macbeth and all his actions were a "race against time"(108). She also noticed that Shakespeare started his play with a question about time, "When shall we three meet again†¦?"(Act I, scene I). Rackin viewed Macbeth's reign at king as a pause in time, at which moment the sun ceases to rise and darkness engulfs Scotland. At the death of Macbeth and the end of his sovereignty, Macduff pronounces, "time is free"(Act V, scene VIII). The issue of time has been strongly supported by Phyllis Rackin, however I view this issue as an insignificant matter in the story of Macbeth. Time is an issue in all plays and would function the same in any other suspenseful thriller. Along with time, Phyllis Rackin critiqued the use of the compelling manipulation of evil. In Macbeth, the main character becomes enraged with an evil urge to maintain his status as king. Macbeth's cravings begin when he is no longer capable of waiting for the witches' prophesies to come true and murders the king. He continues he rampage with the murders of Banquo and Maduff's intermediate family. This can all be foreseen after Macbeth kills Duncan and cries out that "the deed will not be 'done when 'tis done,' that it will be no 'end-all' but instead a beginning"(113). Unlike Rackin's view on time, I agree with her view on Macbeth's evil entrapment. It is apparent that, throughout the progression of the tragedy, Macbeth transforms from the loyal thane into the murderous king.

Different Perspectives of Psychology Essay

What is psychology and how can people understand it better? Psychology is a scientific term used to understand how the mind and body works together. It is also the studying of human behavior and the understanding of other people’s thoughts and behaviors as well. To comprehend psychology and how it has evolved since its beginning, people need to know and comprehend some perspectives or theories that have been used in the past. Some examples of the different theories are: behaviorism, cognitive, humanistic, structuralism and psychodynamic. By having a basic knowledge of the different perspectives, it will help us have a better understanding of how psychology works today. HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Throughout history, people have been curious about the mind and how it works. It all started around the fifth century B.C., when there was a great debate over the mind-body concept. There were many questions on whether or not the body was connected with the mind, and if they were connected, how was it possible. Plato and Aristotle, who were Greek philosophers, had two different views of this concept. Plato claimed that the mind and body were two separate parts and it would remain the same even after death. He also believed that when people are born they will possess all the knowledge they will ever have in their lifetime, and during their life the education they receive will be based on what they already knew. Aristotle, on the other hand, had the total opposite view compared to Plato. He felt that the body and mind were interlinked together and were made of the same matter. He also thought that the knowledge was not inborn, but instead it was due to the lack of experience or understanding in the world (Editorial Board, 2011). Aristotle believed that all matter which includes the human body was made up by four key components. These components were called: earth, air, water, and fire; they were known as the pillars of science. Through the use of scientific technology, which started around late 19th century, psychology spread to the studies of understanding the mind and how it works. By 1879, a doctor named Wilhelm Wundt started the very first scientific research laboratory in dealing with psychology in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt used a method known as introspection to help better understand why a person would do a certain action, and he was also known to be the founder of structuralism which is one of the theories used in psychology (Editorial Board, 2011). PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGY BEHAVIORISM Behaviorism is a perspective that was discovered by a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov. It shows that learning can be taught through rewards or punishments which are related with a certain behavior. His studies showed that dogs would be salivating because they heard the ringing of the bell which was associated with their food. He thought it was a definition of learning and so the behaviorist approach was born. Other psychologists, such as John Watson and B.F. Skinner, had a strong hand in developing the behaviorism perspective (Editorial Board, 2011). Skinner believed that behaviorism had changed dramatically since it was first introduced by Pavlov. Skinner introduced the behavior analysis concept into the psychology field. He also established himself in the contribution of behaviorism by introducing his concept of operant behavior by publishing an article called The Behavior of Organisms in 1938. Skinner was known as the main representative for behavior analysis, and behaviorism was shaped from the works of Skinner. From the 1950s to the 1980s, American psychology was believed to be shaped by Skinner’s work more than any other psychologists during this period (Watrin & Darwich, 2012). PSYCHODYNAMIC Psychodynamic is a perspective in psychology that was discovered by a medical doctor named Sigmund Freud. It shows that hidden or unconscious thoughts could be the cause of present traumas or aliments, and by remembering them it would usually more often than not relieve their troubles and cure them. Freud also used psychoanalysis on his patients to help figure out what was going on with them. Psychoanalysis is a process where the patients would talk about their problems and try to figure out what was going on with them. There were a couple of other psychologists who made some contributions to the psychodynamic theory who were known as Neo-Freudians. Neo-Freudians are people that are psychologists who will give a lower profile to Freud’s work about the sexuality part of the psychodynamic theory, but still help to further the cause of the theory (Editorial Board, 2011). Karen Horney was one of those people. She believed that to have a healthy relationship, you need to be raised with trusting relationships with dependable parents that would meet the needs of security for their children. She is known to be the first women to study the field of psychology through a women’s point of view (Editorial Board, 2011). An example would be if someone was afraid of a long-term commitment and they did not understand why, you could use the psychoanalysis approach which is part of the psychodynamic perspective and figure out why. By using the psychodynamic theory, a person could find out that because of a the person’s father leaving them at a young age it could cause them to be afraid of a long-term commitment and by addressing this problem they could resolve their issues and move on with their new life. Even though many people have contributed to the development of psychodynamic theory, it has been popular because of Sigmund Freud who had made the most noteworthy influence to the theory and also to psychology itself (Editorial Board, 2011). HUMANISTIC The humanistic theory was introduced about two centuries ago through the writings of J.C.L. Simonde de Sismondi. It deals with how the person has basic needs that need to be met and those needs are: material, social, and moral. These needs deal with the physical aspect rather than the mind. The works of Sismondi were more basic than the works of Abraham Maslow, who developed the hierarchy of basic needs. The Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs is elaborated more than the works of Sismondi and it is considered to be a facilitator for the humanistic perspective and a role for security for human development (Humanistic Perspective, 1999). He also felt that if the person did not satisfy all of their basic needs, then they cannot recognize their gifts to their fullest (Editorial Board, 2011). Carl Rogers was an innovator in the field of humanistic psychology and he advocated a medicinal technique called client-centered therapy. He believed that all people have an interior core, or true self, and that it can be unclear if a person is absentminded with increasing the approval of other people. He also believed in using unconditional empathy or approval and understanding which is known today as active listening (Editorial Board, 2011). Making sure a person has the basic necessities like food, water, air, shelter, and sleep, then a person is on the right path for self-discovery and using the humanistic theory could help with it as well. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE PERSPECTIVES 1. They are each a force in psychology 2. They each have a relationship between the patient and the therapist 3. They each had a specific person that contributed to each of the perspectives DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PERSPECTIVES 1. They each deal with a different part of the body or mind 2. They each had a different contribution to psychology 3. The therapists uses different types of theory for each of the perspectives CONCLUSION Psychology is a fascinating field that studies the mind and how it works. It is important to have a basic knowledge about psychology, no matter what profession a person has. Everybody works with people, and having the understanding and knowledge about people and what they think will come to be valuable. Understanding the history of psychology and the perspectives that have contributed in developing the field of psychology today is important to any person who will be working with other people. References Editorial Board. (2011). Introduction to Psychology. Words of Wisdom, LLC. Retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9781934920565/id0002#. Humanistic Perspective. (1999). In The Elgar Companion to Consumer Research and Economic Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/ entry/elgarcrep/humanistic_ perspective Watrin, J., & Darwich, R. (2012). On behaviorism in the cognitive revolution: Myth and reactions. Review Of General Psychology, 16(3), 269-282. doi:10.1037/a0026766 Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db=pdh&AN=gpr-16-3-269&site=ehost-live

Family Ties, Family Lost

The short story of Faulkner depicts the reality of life that is applicable to our world now. In most, if not all, societies, sons and daughters are below the level of the parents because they are younger and less experienced in life. Children are expected to obey their parents because parents know what is right and what is best for their families. After all, they have lived longer. Twinned with this obligation to obey their parents is the children’s duty to be loyal to the family.Blood if thicker than water, they say. Ties that bind the family are of a different kind, something that is not easily broken. In fact, his being a civil war veteran sealed the cuffs on his family. His wife could not say anything about his barn burning ways and neither can his sister. If the older people cannot stand up to Abner, there was no way that his son, Satry, can stand up for his own either. The way Abner Snopes had tied his son, Satry, to their family is not something that should be admired.A bner had so much influence over his family, especially over his son, that Satry cannot make a decision for himself. Blind adherence to the principles of obedience and family loyalty had tied him so tightly that when the time came that he was about to stand up for what he believed was right and moral, it was too late. His father was already dead. The last part of the story actually reminded me of the movie American History X, wherein the older brother was a convicted white supremacist who heavily influenced his younger brother.When the time came that the older brother was trying to reverse every single thing that he had taught his younger brother, somebody kills his brother. But even if he was too late, I admire the courage of Satry to leave behind the place that imprisoned his principles and to face the world on his own. In a sense, his father’s death was the baptism of Satry into the realities of the real world: that blind adherence to family can only get you so far and that at the end of the day, it is your principles, in Satry’s case justice, that will take you through this world.Parents will always have influence and power over their children, in the same way that Abner had so much influence of Satry. But it must be conceded that there should be a balance between the parents wanting what is best for their children and what the children think are the core principles and beliefs in their life. It is enough that the parents try to teach their children but at the end of the day, every single decision must be made by the child. After all, it would be the children who would live their lives and not their parents.

Political science Essay

Political federalism is a concept of political philosophy where by member groups are bound with a central governing head. Federalism is also often used in describing a government system that has its sovereignty being divided constitutionally between a central authority of government and political units such as states and provinces. Federalism is the system that involves sharing of the power to govern between state and national governments, hence creating what is commonly known as Federation. The proponents of federalism are referred to as federalists. Democracy is a form of government whereby the basic personal as well as political rights are guaranteed by the constitution. In democracy, the constitution must also guarantee fair and free elections as well as independent law courts. Read more: How does federalism guard against tyranny essay For full democracy to be experienced in any state some basic requirements such as guarantee of basic human rights, separation o powers, freedom of speech, opinion, pres and mass media religious liberty, and good governance must be fulfilled. Federalism enhances democracy and this can well be explained by the public choice theory. It has been clearly argued that individuals are able to participate more and in direct way in the smaller political units as opposed to a unitary government (Elazar 89). In addition, individuals who may be dissatisfied with conditions of a certain smaller state as unit are free to move to another state. This has been believed to promote freedom of movement as well as freedom of expression among the citizens. Promotion and encouragement of such freedom results to enhancement of democracy in a federal system. Moreover, federalism is believed to limit or rather prevent arbitrary action from the entire state, simply by applying the principle of due process. It limits the power that can be exercised by the government and enhance access to the rights by the citizens since it discourages any legislature that wishes to restrict liberties through in access to constitutional power (Elazar 112). Again, the legal process of decision making of federalism limits the speed with which action can be taken by the government. Through federalism the US senators who initially use to be appointed by the legislators of the state are now voted in their seats by the popular vote of each single state. This has enhanced the democracy of the citizens whereby they can now participate in the free and fair elections of their senators. In the United States, federalism is the government system in which power is divided between the government of such state and a central government. The undermining of the federalism by the US constitutions is clearly expresses by the fact that the US constitution is clearly expressed by the fact that the US constitution does not define nor explain the concepts of federalism in any one of its sections (Elazar 54). This was overlooked due to the fact that the states were known to be pre-existing entities. There is also very narrow interpretation of some parts of the constitution such as in the commerce clause, supremacy clause, and the necessary clause. Due to this narrow interpretation, federalism is entitled to jurisdiction only in the constitution grants it. The US constitution also has the power of not delegating to the federal government. The reserved powers are channeled to the people or rather the state. Conclusion. Federalism is an important form of political philosophy that is exercised in several states in the world. It has promoted democracy to a great extend especially in the US where by the citizens have been able to participate in free and fair elections as well as enjoying the freedom of movement and speech within the single states. The US constitution should therefore be reviewed to ensure that it does not underpin federalism. Reference. Elazar J. Exploring Federalism.University of Alabama Press

Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht Essay

This extract from Mother Courage and Her Children, by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Michael Hofmann and John Willett, is located in the prologue and the opening scene of the play, at a point where the author dispels the myths of chivalry and honour we have about war. The play is set in the thirty years war but was written at the beginning of World War II. The beginning of the play is set in Poland, where a sergeant and recruiting officer are on the outskirts of town standing in the bitter cold. In this extract, we are able to observe a recruiting officer’s troubles in enlisting new soldiers and the lengths in which he will go to gain new recruits. He then complains that there is no honour and upstandingness among humanity. This establishes the character as hypocritical and desperate. The prologue of the play begins with a song telling us of the daily hardships war can bring, not excluding death. The song lacks adjectives, taking a very brief blunt view. It also takes a very disapproving view of war and this is shown through the choice of words. However, the song is delicately laced with humour that lessens the impact the song may have given. It describes the soldiers very impersonally, referring always to them as one group, one army. Small, dispensable objects with no name – joined together. Their belongings are described as ‘lumbering’ and ‘straggling’ which gives the image of a strong animal (bear?), with more brawl than brains. This image is intensified by the next line How can you flog them into battle as you usually flog large animals. This gives the impression that soldiers are mindlessly following the commands of their superiors because loyalty demanded it of them. The second stanza of the prologue talks about soldiers and their empty stomachs before war. It does not specify whether this is because of lack of food or because war is so desolate that they cannot hold their food down. The line Courage has rum with which to lace it talks of giving rum to soldiers so they will not feel anything and since courage is defined as the absence of fear, the soldiers are therefore courageous. The line marching to death is also used. This links with the soldiers being courageous because you have to be courageous to march, knowing that at the end awaits death. The speech by the Recruiting Officer consists of mainly one long rambling sentence. This implies that the brawl is spoken by an uneducated soldier. It also suggests that the military cannot find enough recruits to enlist that it has to put soldiers in positions that they have neither the ability nor motivation to do well. Also, the soldiers may not` have acquired enough training to know how to do their job well. The second half of the speech speaks of the recruiting officer dulling the wits of a potential recruit by alcohol so that he would sign on to become a soldier. The recruit then runs away and the recruiting officer complains of the lack of honour and upstandingness among humanity. This speech speaks of the difficulty of recruiting people to die for their country and because of the lack of availability, they settle for standards well below normal. In the prologue, a rhythm of ABAB CDCD and so on is used. The set rhyming structure is used to capture audience’s attention and to give a rhythm by which to read the poem. This provides a flow from one line to another that keeps the reader interested. The last four lines of each stanza are indented, drawing the reader’s attention and marking it as significant. The author’s choice of diction creates a vivid scene of imagery where soldiers are fighting disease and starvation rather than the enemy. The line With crawling lice and looted cattle shows the poor state of hygiene and health the troops are in. This immediately dislodges the myth that war is all fame and glory. Instead, a vision of unhygienic environment that many soldiers live in during war is created. This extract, especially the prologue, spares no time in easing the reader into the reality of war. Instead, it plunges them into one of the worse aspects of war. The recruiting officer’s speech reveals much about human behaviour which the reader can relate to and this entices them to read on. The extract provides a very good introduction to the book for the reader and effectively summarises the hardships of war. The purpose of this extract is to introduce the reader to various parts of war in a way that will neither alarm nor bore the reader. This is achieved by various literacy features such as imagery, diction and repetition and by the hypocritical speech made by the recruiting officer.

Business game Essay

Reflection on Personal Performance in Business Strategy Game Business strategy games involving management process before confirming the decision to be made. Lesson learned taken from the business game, from the process and the content from the case (industry and situation & condition of the business). Management Process Planning was the first process taken. Reading and understanding the relevant information was necessary and plays a significant role in planning process. Expectation was established in the planning, and followed stepping process until all aspects have been determined, including all distinctiveness in production (capacity, model, etc. ), transportation (shipping), labor, etc. Planning is critical, and it was indicated in the business strategy games, in which it required quite some time to achieve an agreement. Time was also a factor should be considered, and it drove the discussion on the planning to obtain the agreement. Organizing was also needed in the game to obtain optimal process. One opinion was listened and it organized the discussion and the direction of the process toward certain strategy. Other opinion was taking in to consideration, whether support or as devil advocacy to the strategy. The process also managed by organizing the flow of discussion to center on the strategy with already decided to be focused on. One person plays role as organizer at one time became a source person or follower in the other time. This approach of organizing made the progress of the discussion in the one focal point that describes the strategy taken which leads to the decision. When a member played the role as organizer, then the member did directing the process and content according to the chosen strategy, and also can happened that the strategy can be changed according to the expected result and considering assumption of strategy of the competitors. Some times in the process, one or more member can have their drive going down. In this situation other member did motivated the team to keep up the winning spirit. Controlling was also involved in the process, by focus on one thing and sacrifices in other thing, align with the strategy. These four processes of management were implemented in the process of gaining the final decision and in determining the content to be made (such as production/manufacturing, shipping, labor, price, etc. ), in which the final decision was made by consensus. The experience in the game gives the learning point in practicing of implementing management process, planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. Within a given time, group should be able to do planning (including crafting the strategy, and establish the goal), organizing the process (including agreed on the road map of the process, listening and expressing opinion, and adjusting to the characteristics of the group), directing (including do and accept direction, motivating others, make or initiate decision), and controlling (to be aligned with strategy). Management Functions Strategy plays a critical role in the process, and aim to make the company have differentiation that creates competitive edge compare with the competitors. Decisions are determined align with the chosen strategy. Strategy such as increasing market share and or increasing price to obtain more profit, and or have a low cost production by moving the manufacturing to the low cost location, and or lowering the labor cost, and or increasing the quality of the product, etc. , were became the issues discussed during the process. Any decision made in the process should be linked to the strategy and eventually to the expected result (goal). Marketing management initiatives plays important role in the process. Attention was put in the advertising or promotion program. The decision on the initiatives was made in relation with other initiatives, and initiative should be congruence to be able to reach expected impact. Operations management was also applied, in order to have efficient and low cost production, to be able to lower the price, or put emphasizing in better quality of product and therefore adjust the price to a higher number. Having different locations of manufacturing was also part of consideration in operation management, including the days needed for shipping, and inventory level. Financial management was critical. At the end of the day, the success of the strategy, whether the plan was achieved of not, was determined by facts and figures which was analyzed and interpreted in terms of financial. The situation or condition of the company was considering of profitable, safe or potentially bankrupt, and whether the strategy was effective or not was determined from numbers including financial ratios. Production plan and realization, exchange rate, labor cost, product sold or unsold, inventory level, price, etc. were contributed to the financial condition, and will be analyzed further for determining next strategy (for next run). Human Resource was also had major role in the decision process. Number of labor involved, salary and incentives, were several factors considered in human resource function. During the discussion it was also considered incentive factors as the factor that can boost the motivation of the employees, in which can increase the productivity and eventually proportionally can lower the cost. Experience in the business games told that the management functions will be more effective if it was take into consideration in integrated way. The strategy made was comprise of many functions of management, Working in Teams Team work was a factor that can smooth the progress of the practice toward a productive way. At one time one member took the role as leader, and expressed the idea or opinion which regarded as reference that was supported or argued by other members. The leader than guide or direct the process toward obtaining acceptable or best solution. Other member played role as follower, tried to understand point of view of the leader, and gave opinion to enrich the information for having the decision. In one process it can happened that the role of leader was switch from one member to another member, and lead the discussion toward the decision. Working in team in the business games demonstrated by listening to other opinions or ideas and, gave contribution to the group by doing analysis and expressing constructive argument and idea or opinion to the group. In the process of making group decision, group tried to obtain consensus, with all group members support the decision. Experience and Lesson Taken to Working Place In leading unit in the working place, it is important to have clear goals for the unit, which are determined in the process of performance planning that usually take place at the beginning of the year. The goals comprises of organization (unit) objective, and individual objective which should be clear and measurable (refer to SMART Goals principle) and cascaded from top to bottom, means that the goals are aligned from executive or manager position to staff position. Having a clear goals or expectations will make all employees within the unit know exactly what are expected to be achieved and will make the monitoring of performance become more effective, and eventually it will make the evaluation of the achievement more effective. Leader should be able to define the goals, which reflected what the unit wants to be, particularly for the respective year. For the unit, strategy than decided to define what is the best way to achieve the goals or answering how to get there. Leader should be able to determine the strategy, which should consider of having different way of doing rather than just following the same thing. Strategy should have put into consideration opportunities and obstacles that can potentially will be faced along the year. For the unit performance, flow of work, service level agreement, number of employee, training and development program that will have impact to the quality of work, compensation practice, etc. should be considered in order to have effective strategy. Every people in the organization have potential, and leader should put effort to unleash the potential of the individual and support them to perform in their work. Many initiatives of improvement or programs come from the people in the unit that can give positive impact to the unit. Motivation is needed to keep the work spirit not fall to the lower level. Leader should do coaching to ensure people in the unit understand and on track, make sure that people move to the same direction with same strategy. Every function of management can be implemented to achieve optimum result. Managing the operation implemented to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of work. Human resource management will help in ensuring what unit do are align with the business. Financial management can be implement whether in business or support function, for instance to measure Return on Investment of certain initiatives. As member of management team, we should contribute in a positive way by giving opinion and ideas, or doing what has been decided productively. Discussion should be conducted in conducive way, listen what other people say and express opinion to reach to the decision. When decision has been made, member should follow and committed to perform the decision in effectively. Success of the unit is also determined by the competency, performance, and contribution of the members. To have an optimum result, member should be able to look the purpose as unit purpose not individual purpose. This principle can create synergy between members in the team and can contribute more to the performance of the team. The business strategy games provide inspiration that can be applied in the working situation. Having competitors that can affect the result of one group convey the message that in establishing standard, one unit should not look into inside factors, but should also consider outside factors. The capability of the unit can be seen differently and will lead to different goals and strategy. Strategy can be different if the external condition is supportive and indicates opportunity and will be different if the external conditions are not accommodating. Macro and micro analysis can be conducted to have a more comprehensive analysis for obtaining effective and right decision. Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/business/reflection-on-personal-performance-in-business-strategy-game-business-essay. php#ixzz2leirR8KT BUSINESS SIMULATION GAMES INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION PAPER On 10 November 2010 afternoon, Our Can group get a chance to get the materials business simulation games, the first time we were a little confused and not understand what the content and intent or purpose of this program. Until then we get the opportunity to play an active role play in the game by forming a company in our Group Can. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary – View detailed dictionary I am a member of cans group discussion – 3, in this business game, we manage the company named â€Å"CHAMP†. We chose the name â€Å"CHAMP† for our company becouse we hopes that companies will become a leader or a winner in this Business Simulation Game. Growth of our company in this game very interesting and gave many valuable lessons. Our company was ranked second on the game in first year, after making changes in the manufacturing and marketing strategy; we became the first winner in the game in the second year. In the third year we make changes in the shipping, manufacturing also marketing strategy again to maintain its position as champion, but in the fact that our ranking dropped to be number 3. In the fourth year we wanted to get back into champions. We did totally change the strategy in all sections and mainly to increase product awareness, we contracted with many famous artists paid a high price for promotion. But the results we slumped to the lowest ranking (sixth). This surprised us and made us confused to find out where our biggest mistakes in managing the company. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary – View detailed dictionary noun camp compound Did not want to continue to decline, in the fifth year we try to flash back to learn the success stories in the first and second year, besides that we also study the company’s strategy of competitors, then we create a new strategy and the results we were able to ride into fourth place. In the sixth year we try to make small changes to strategy in several sections and the results we rose again to number three. In the seventh year we do not make changes to our strategy and stay at rank 3. After doing business game above, there are many valuable lessons that I get. Those lessons were: About Management Process (Planning, Organizing, Directing, Controlling) In managing a company as a manager or owner of a business we must have: a. Planing ? Both long-term planning and short term, this really helps us to determine the strategy or action we should do in the near future or the preparation for long-term corporate strategy. b. Organization ? Complete, clear and transparent as one of the supporters because of the company’s â€Å"people are assets of a company†, the placement of people with appropriate knowledge and skills that will facilitate the acceleration of the process as well as the operations of a company. It also must be supported by a clear Job Description and detail-enter the respective functions of the organization. c. Directing ? In the governance of a company also must be supported by rules or standard operating systems or procedures are clear and understood by all line employees. we often call with company regulations, standard operating procedures etc. d. Controlling ? As a manager or owner in a company we still have to implement controls on employee performance, corporate governance, corporate operating costs and market conditions that support the smooth and that we manage the company’s growth periodically. We can also be done with checking Monthly Report / Balance Sheet , hold on monthly meetings, etc. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary – View detailed dictionary adjective inside deep indoor internal interior profound inland intrinsic cavernous thoughtful three-dimensional adverb deeply sound preposition in within on to inside under in the course of prefix endo- 2. About Management Function (Strategy, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Human Resources, etc. ) Strategy ? Corporate strategy should be set appropriately by considering several factors, including supporters of human capital, finance, market share and also that there are competitors in the same type of business with our company. In the governance of a business may take a few strategies such as for launching a new product needs some backup strategy, it is necessary whenever the initial strategy does not show results in maximum then we still have some alternative backup strategy, so it does not require a long time to take any action appropriate in market penetration. Marketing ? According to my opinion, the success rate of a company also backed with the full functionality of the marketing is true both in the company engaged in the services or products etc. Capable marketing, product master, around the existing market and marketing must knowing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors. Listen Operations ? Operational support from both system and service level aggrement factor in a process of corporate governance is very important. It also needs to be supported with the latest technology. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary – View detailed dictionary verb hold conduct make organize provide establish arrange carry out throw take set up call launch institute stage put on bring about impose carry on incur exercise levy open put up effect float lay on negotiate afford touch off operate stage-manage generate phrase bring into being Finance ? A company can be said in good condition when to generate maximum profit. As a manager or the owners of a company we should be able to manage our capital versus operating costs required, the greater the profit earned by production costs that are not too large will show the healthy of a business. However, we also must consider the placement of funds and financial governance of our company, whether already in accordance with the budgeting or is not appropriate. In terms of business expansion or major factor that should we consider is the condition of our corporate finance, whether supportive or not, when lack of support but the potential or opportunities that we have a large, one financial source of our business is on loan from the Bank with a source of return and specific timeframe. Human Resources ? In addition to the above factors one important thing to note is that inadequate human resources that are reliable and have the skills to suit the needs of the company. A competent leader should be able to determine the amount of labor requirements and can put the right people-enter the respective divisions within an organization. 3. About Working In Teams To work as a reliable teamwork are some things we have to consider include: Get familiar with either all members of the team, it is useful to the division of tasks and towards solving problems that arise. We must be willing to hear opinions of all members of the team in making changes in strategy or action for operasinal company. Explore more information and opinion that reliable and resonable with the case or problem that we should solving as a good team work, eq. Browsing some data from internet or from any sourches. Putting the right people on the job or responsibilities in accordance with the characteristics of our team members are. Based on the experiences and lessons I got from the business game I have done, I plan to apply some advantages in my workplace. As the leader of my unit : A leader should have strong leadership and enough skills to manage the organization and the company. Planning, directing (also mentoring or choaching program) and controlling periodicly to all of my sub ordinate. Delegate some responsibilities to the deputy business with a fixed control function properly . Sharing knowledge to all sub-ordinate, sub-branch manager and exploring new knowledge, new technology and strategy for the success of Bank Mega Cluster Balikpapan Special Hire employee from another Bank (Manager or Marketing) to help me manage the company and make the vision 1000 of Bank Mega become reality (become the leader bank in Balikpapan – East Kalimantan Indonesia) As a member of my management team : Being more creative, proactive and always have new ideas to supporting the management team More details in targeting business opportunities and increase market share. Establishing a reliable team work with 2-way communication is effective and still value the opinions of other members of management team Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/business/business-simulation-games-individual-reflection-paper-business-essay. php#ixzz2lej5YvdS REFLECTION PAPER – THE BUSINESS STRATEGY GAME About Management Processes From the Business Strategy Game, I learned that first important process for a company to determine its future business path was to set a strategic and realistic planning about what is the company goal, how long the goal will be achieved and how to achieve the goal among the competition. In setting the plan, company should define first what is their mission statement or strategic vision. This mission statement is a statement which indicates the purposes and activities of the company’s business/goals in brief, clear and focus words. Along with mission statement, company must clearly define its objectives quantitatively within certain period. From these quantitative objectives, company could set a realistic and attainable long term strategic planning to allocate budget and resources in the company. In strategic planning, company should define clearly its target market, financial objective and competitive position among the industry. This strategic planning will be the direction of the company in running its business. After setting the strategic planning, company should design an organization structure to manage the company effectively, by designating persons who will in charge in each roles and held responsibility in each area of the business in the company (marketing, finance, operation, sales and so on), especially the person who will be responsible as the leader of the company (as CEO). The role of CEO is very essential because he/she must lead company to the right direction in implementing company strategy to achieve company’s objectives. From the clear and effective organization structure, CEO and management will have clear legitimation and authority in directing all resources in the company to implement the company’s strategy. Finally, the company should closely and intensively controlling and monitoring the performance of the strategy during implementation to assess its progress against the pre-defined targets and ensure that all the company elements were doing their parts and responsibility in the right track. About Management Functions In a company, management should establish the right and important functions which will run the company operational activities, define what are the responsibilities of each functions and ensure that each functions performed in accordance with the company objectives. In order to give more value to the company in terms of profitability, management should work together to set a strategy in making company’s output (product or services) more competitive in the market by considering all aspects involved. As an example, to gain more profitability company could set pricing strategy to be higher or lower compare to market but before decided the price, company should consider other aspects such as costs, quality and resources needed in creation of the product or services. About Working in Teams In working as a team member in the company, it is very important to determine a clear designation about who will act as the leader and the follower. Because if there’s no clear designation, potentially will cause the resources in the company to move to the wrong direction and this will destruct company effort in achieving its objectives. As a leader, a person should show the ability to manage and to coach the entire team member to do their tasks properly, and he/she should has willingness to listen and appreciation to his/her followers insights at the same time. And as a follower, one should give respect to the leader and obey the leader decisions. But it is important too for the company to define what is the follower assignment and designation, because if it is not clearly defined, the follower couldn’t perform nor contributed optimally in attaining company’s objective process. What I plan to do in my work place from the experience and lessons I took from the BSG are : As the leader of my unit I will put more effort to be an effective and efficient leader of my unit and will put more awareness to all my team member that our jobs especially in designing the most efficient operational work flow in my company has essential impact in saving the company budget and optimizing company resources which will contributed in achieving the company’s objective especially in financial aspect and giving more value to the customer and shareholder. And furthermore I will spend more time and effort to evaluate designation and job description for each member of my team, to put the right person to the right job and responsibility. If the designation and job description were not fit or not clear to the team member, it will impact to the performance of the working unit itself because each team member do not know exactly what is their role in their working unit. As a member of my management team I will put more consideration and attention about financial impact of any decision that my management made. From the BSG, I see that all activities in each working unit must be contributed and affected to the company strategic planning especially in achieving financial goals. And I will put more respect to any member and any decision of my management team made, even though sometimes the decision seems to be hard to be implement, I will try to see it from wider perspective that the decision must be made deliberately and considered many important aspects which ending is to give more value for the company.