Significance of Business Ethics-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: To what extent do business ethics concepts (ethical culture, ethical leadership, ethical climate etc) explain the "systemic cultural issues" at SMRT? Answer: In the recent times, several factors lead to the growth of the business. Ethics is one of such crucial element responsible for business growth as ethical behavior brings vital benefits to the business in the long-run. Ethical behavior helps in developing long-lasting positive impact on the growth of the company. This includes the ability to retain and attract the highly talented employees by building a positive reputation within the organization. The significance of ethics in business is far beyond morale of organizational team bond and employees loyalty. The ethical activities in the business is directly related to the organizational profitability both in the long-term and short-term (Trevino and Nelson 2016). The investors nowadays seek out mostly ethical operating firms to be socially responsible. According to Trevino and Nelson (2016), organizational culture and ethics both are the key components relating to the success of the company. The ethical codes lead to the systematic and smooth flow of the business in the organization. In the current scenario, abuses and fraud leads to major setback of the organization annually. There are many corruptions presently going within the SMRT. Bad and unethical behavior in SMRT is nothing new. On the other hand, Kish-Gephart, Harrison and Trevio (2010) commented that the major concerns lies in determining if the ethical lapses are due to the affect of bad apples (bad individuals) in the company or bad barrel that is the organizational environment. A systematic approach would lead to SMRTs cultural transformation that leads to sustainable results. Inadequate systematic approach is the only factor that stands out in the successful transformation of the organization. Effective communication between the management and employees would lead to t he growth of SMRT. Each organization is different having its own corporate culture and unique style of working. Organizational culture should be successfully implemented to achieve maximum efficiency. The ideologies, beliefs, values and principles of a company form its culture. The organizational culture control the methods and ways in which employee behave in the workplace and outside the organization. Lack of ethics in SMRT is due to poor planning and systematic failure in each segment of its business (Valentine, Fleischman and Godkin 2016). Valentine, Fleischman and Godkin (2016) commented that the employees are left unmonitored, which leads to the slack in the individuals performance and the tasks are usually left uncompleted and unmonitored. The employees are improperly trained and such untrained employees often make excuses for not finishing up the tasks as per the requirements of the business standards (Trevin and Brown 2004). If the business environment is not perfect or suitable than any norma l person would not be able to function adequately and therefore are called as bad apples of the organization. Last year, rainwater flooded in an SMRT tunnel through the opening near Bishan station, which was waist deep. It displayed the poor management culture present within the organization (SIM 2017). According to Loh (2017), organizational culture and leadership is interdependent on each other. The leaders affect the organizational culture through various aspects. This includes efficient attention, role modeling, recruitment, promotion and critical incidents. They are truly held responsible for the prevailing ethical behavior present in the organization as they affect policies, culture and practices. SMRTs fails in developing a clear standard for the organization. However, on the other hand, Soltani and Maupetit (2015) commented that the leaders or managers are unable to design an efficient plan that could communicate the company standards within the organization. An ethical leader present in the organization should be of a moral and good character. He should be trustworthy, honest, and concern for the people as well as society. Besides being a moral person, he or she should be able to set all the ethical standards for the organization. He should role model through visible action s, give rewards to their subordinates. He should also communicate about the values and ethics to be followed within the organization. If an individual possess both the traits, then only he or she can hold the reputation required for being an ethical leadership. According to Maynard (2008), effective ethical compliances program if practiced by the management helps in reducing the emerging possibilities of any negative public relation and penalties leading to misconduct. The organization should introduce carrot and stick approach. This means if the companies are able to prevent the prevailing misconduct within the organization and avoid penalties thee may receive carrot (reward). On the other hand, de Jong, Cur?eu and Leenders (2014) commented that if the company fails to follow the policies and procedures they would receive stick (punishment) for their penalties. The codes of ethics are the formal statements that convey the rules and guidelines that should be followed by the organization. This further helps the employees to identify key ethical issue and further provides a mean to resolve and address the functional areas of the business. According to the bad apple and bad barrel theory, commented by Soltani and Maupetit (2015) bad apple refers to the few unsavory individuals. They are responsible for unethical behavior and hence influence the ethical decision-making within the organization. On the other hand, bad barrel refers that people in the organization are not naturally unethical or ethical but are greatly influenced by the organizational culture that surrounds them. Systematic evaluation helps in determining the firm effectiveness that leads to organizational ethical performances and programs. It provides an objective and systematic approach that surveys the ethical condition existing within the organization. Bad and unethical behavior prevails in almost every organization. The major trick is to ascertain the present ethical lapses within the organization. The main point lies in knowing whether the ethical lapses prevailing are caused due to certain bad apples in the company or bad barrel that is the company i tself. If the problem of unethical culture lies within an individual (bad apple) then it can easily be rooted out. If the core problem lies in bad barrel, then it becomes quite difficult to find the perfect ethical solution (de Jong, Cur?eu and Leenders 2014). According to Biggerstaff, Cicero and Puckett (2015), the causes or factors related to increasing number of bad apples and employees misconduct in the organization are due to various factors. This includes lack of resources in the organization to get the jobs done and lack of familiarity with the standards applied for the job. Fear of losing the job makes the employees more stressful to complete the desired target. Moreover, Malik et al. (2015) commented that when employees believe that the organizational policies can easily be bypassed or override. They start bending rules for their personal gains and do not take the code of conducts seriously. The unethical employees or bad apples of the organization further believe to be rewarded irrespective of the means (Maynard 2008). Unethical behavior in SMRT often occurs in collectives as the employees are not individually accountable but as a whole. Malik et al. (2015) commented that peer influence is another major flaw present in recent times. The unethical behaviors in an employee make them feel as bystander apathy for their division of responsibility. If the top-level officials or employees fail to practice ethics on a daily basis, the codes and policies to be followed by the organization would be worthless. SMRT need to practice ethics religiously by making it an explicit part of each employees job description. More often, the SMRTs employees do not feel to do their jobs as nobody told them to perform their job. Therefore, it is important for the leader to take necessary measures and actions for the ethical behavior in the organization as few of the bad apples can often destroy the whole barrel. The factors responsible for bad barrel of an organization are inefficient business environment due to unethical companys culture and practices. A companys culture can easily be known through the behavior of its employees. SMRTs organizational culture has profound effect on the employees behavior. Due to prevalence of negative corporate culture within the organization, it becomes difficult to promote ethical practices. SMRTS corporate culture lags behind because of the lack of moral leadership. When the mangers or top-level leaders are unethical, the subordinates will definitely emulate the bad behavior. SMRTs Chief Executive Officer, Desmond Kuek recently resigned from his post due to constant break down and failure caused by the transport company (The Online Citizen. 2018). As a CEO of SMRT, the systematic cultures issues prevailing in the organization were raised for a number of times by the CEO but all were in vain. The SMRTs maintenance problem has too deep-rooted cultural issues . The company itself cannot resolve the deep-rooted unethical cultural issues in the organization unless each employees identifies the root problem and evaluate the problem for the cause (Biggerstaff, Cicero and Puckett 2015). SMRT lacks locus of control internally or within the management (as shown in appendix). There are generally two types of locus of control, internal and external. Internal is the belief that employees are in charge of the events occurring in ones life. While, external is the belief that chance fate or outside forces determines the organizational events (Malik et al. 2015). SMRT follows external locus of control approach by blaming others due to lack of self-efficacy. Unethical behavior in the workplace did not to be extravagant or too rampant within the organization. The corporate scandals and mismanagement structure of SMRT generally culminate due to the increasing damages that make the management situations more worsen. Almost majority of Singapore citizens have witnessed ethical misconduct prevailing within the organization. The most prevalent of them is unethical behavior within the organization, which is widespread and violates the company policies. According to Kangas et al. (2014), an ethical organization constitutes of effective communication, trust, openness, transparency, Integrity, value and openness. Most individuals are the product of the contexts in which they find themselves. The employees in the organizations should be socialized in their roles (Kangas et al. 2014). The expected role behavior is to be learned from other expectations. The leaders should give voice to the values as this helps the employees to be ethical by focusing on post-decision making. The employees should be lead to do the things more effectively by knowing their job appropriately. Generally, the organizational follows compliance approach, thus the organizational culture affects the people within the organization. The culture includes basic assumptions related to the concerns that are right and fair (Soltani and Maupetit 2015). The employees should express shared beliefs, values and assumptions that would hold the organization in a combined manner. Value based approach of ethics is highly inspirational and proactive in nature. The major emphasizes are given on expectations of high ethical standards and behavior (Nygaard et al. 2017). On the other hand, Compliance approach is punitive and reactive in nature. It emphasizes requires ethical behavior while obeying the law. Lack of ineffective leaders in SMRT is the main cause of bad barrel development in the organization (Scholten and Ellemers 2016). Business ethics should be in the blood line of any corporation. The effectiveness depends on various formal and informal systems with various policies and codes. Moreover, SMRT fails to reward their employees for their good performance, which further creates lack of enthusiasm and negativity within the workplace. SMRTs further lacks proper training and orientation program for the inexperienced or unskilled workers in the organization. The decision making process are also very ineffective leading to various mishaps and accidents by the company. Therefore, this leads to maintenance lapse within the organizational culture. An ethical organization system always requires ethical leaders with strong moral characteristics (Stevens 2008). Codes of ethics are just guidelines, which is meaningless unless applied in the organization as a part of culture. Bad barrel that is ineffective business environment is generally stronger cause than the bad apple. Even the good and nicest of employee turns ineffective in an unethical and corrupt organization. Employees in SMRT are most prone to do wrong or unethical practices, if they are unable to know the right thing. The organization lacks proper monitoring and assessment of code of ethics present within the organization. Inherently, ethical behavior starts at the top-level of the organization. Employees always emulate their own leader and the most relevant factor responsible for unethical corporate culture is the personal character of the employee. Code effectiveness should depend on the effective communication and cultural values. Unethical behavior culture in SMRT is mostly due to the result of bad barrel It is important for the leader to effectively communicate the ethical decisions as it would help in resolving SMRTs ethical issues. Positive work environment can also be created through the reward behavior that should be consistent with the code. Bad apples can be selected and sorted out but if the problem lies in the barrel itself it would affect the entire apple. The productivity and efficiency of the employees is severely affected if the existing business environment condition is negative and corrupt. Hence, it would be true to decipher bad barrel is stronger than bad apples. References: Biggerstaff, L., Cicero, D.C. and Puckett, A., 2015. Suspect CEOs, unethical culture, and corporate misbehavior.Journal of Financial Economics,117(1), pp.98-121. de Jong, J.P., Cur?eu, P.L. and Leenders, R.T.A., 2014. When do bad apples not spoil the barrel? Negative relationships in teams, team performance, and buffering mechanisms.Journal of Applied Psychology,99(3), p.514. Kangas, M., Feldt, T., Huhtala, M. and Rantanen, J., 2014. The corporate ethical virtues scale: Factorial invariance across organizational samples.Journal of Business Ethics,124(1), pp.161-171. Kish-Gephart, J.J., Harrison, D.A. and Trevio, L.K., 2010. Bad apples, bad cases, and bad barrels: Meta-analytic evidence about sources of unethical decisions at work.Journal of applied psychology,95(1), p.1. Loh, L. 2017.Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nusbusinessschool/2017/12/13/recovering-from-a-scandal-three-key-factors-in-getting-a-company-back-on-track/#5a2f3ac97614 [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018]. Malik, M.A.R., Butt, A.N. and Choi, J.N., 2015. Rewards and employee creative performance: Moderating effects of creative self?efficacy, reward importance, and locus of control.Journal of Organizational Behavior,36(1), pp.59-74. Maynard, B. 2008.Philip Zimbardo on Bad Barrels Authors@Google | Subversive Influence. [online] Subversiveinfluence.com. Available at: https://subversiveinfluence.com/2008/04/philip-zimbardo-on-bad-barrels-authorsgoogle/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2018]. Nygaard, A., Biong, H., Silkoset, R. and Kidwell, R.E., 2017. Leading by example: Values-based strategy to instill ethical conduct.Journal of Business Ethics,145(1), pp.133-139. Scholten, W. and Ellemers, N., 2016. Bad apples or corrupting barrels? Preventing traders misconduct.Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance,24(4), pp.366-382. SIM, R. 2017.Disruptions, flooding, fake work records: How systemic are SMRT's cultural issues?. [online] The Straits Times. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/how-systemic-are-smrts-cultural-issues [Accessed 23 Feb. 2018]. Soltani, B. and Maupetit, C., 2015. Importance of core values of ethics, integrity and accountability in the European corporate governance codes.Journal of Management Governance,19(2), pp.259-284. Stevens, B., 2008. Corporate ethical codes: Effective instruments for influencing behavior.Journal of Business Ethics,78(4), pp.601-609. The Online Citizen. (2018).Desmond Kueks resignation will not solve SMRTs maintenance problem and its deep-rooted cultural issues. [online] Available at: https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/11/06/desmond-kueks-resignation-will-not-solve-smrts-maintenance-problem-and-its-deep-rooted-cultural-issues/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2018]. Trevino, L.K. and Brown, M.E., 2004. Managing to be ethical: Debunking five business ethics myths.The Academy of Management Executive,18(2), pp.69-81. Trevino, L.K. and Nelson, K.A., 2016.Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. John Wiley Sons. Valentine, S., Fleischman, G. and Godkin, L., 2016. Villains, victims, and verisimilitudes: An exploratory study of unethical corporate values, bullying experiences, psychopathy, and selling professionals ethical reasoning.Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-20

Reducing Loneliness Isolation Among Older -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: Can Computer Usage Prevent Social Isolation And Loneliness Among The Elderly? Can Internet Use Alleviate Loneliness Among Older Adults? Answers: Introduction Loneliness is considered as serious mental health disorders that exist across the wide spectrum of aged care and residential care facilities. Loneliness has been portrayed as an essential part of human existence in the Bible as well as the Greek mythology. In recent years, isolation has become a part of the ageing experience. Increased geographical and social mobility, reduced intergenerational living and increase in number of one person households adds to the loneliness (Perissinotto, Cenzer Covinsky, 2012). This health concern is often associated with stigma and stereotypes related to personal failure that makes older adults feel ignored or not accepted. A study conducted in the year 2013 suggested that more than half residents at an aged care home experienced loneliness (55% of 296 residents) (Victor Bowling, 2012). Manifestation of these feelings are also correlated with the development of several health disorders such as, depression, cardiovascular diseases, increased falls in elderly and recurrent hospitalizations to the emergency department. Such older residents who demonstrate depression and loneliness are more susceptible to exhibit agitation and aggressive behaviour and are found to engage in conflicts with the staff frequently (Steptoe, Shankar, Demakakos Wardle, 2013). This research proposal will focus on interventions to effectively reduce loneliness among elderly people living in residential homes. The purpose of the research proposal is to investigate the effectiveness of internet interventions and computer training in reducing social isolation and loneliness among older adults living in a residential care centre. The hypothesis Computer proficiency and internet engagement will reduce loneliness among older adults and will create a positive effect on the quality of life. Literature review Several electronic databases such as, CINAHL and MEDLINE were extensively searched to extract peer reviewed articles published in English, not prior to 2012. Several key search terms and boolean operators helped in locating multiple articles that evaluated the effects of information technology and internet use in reducing loneliness in the elderly. The systematic review conducted by Chen and Schulz (2016) explores the effects of information and communication technologies on prevention of social isolation in elderly people. Inclusion of 25 publications after a thorough search of electronic databases provides evidences that suggest that ICT interventions are effective in reducing perceived social isolation among the elderly. Most studies included in the review demonstrate a positive correlation of computer usage and internet with lowered social isolation. Similar findings are demonstrated by a randomized controlled trial that examines the effect of internet on loneliness and social isolation in independent and assisted older living communities. Randomisation of older adults into three groups namely, the ICT treatment, true control and attention control is followed by 8 weeks of computer and internet training for communicating with friends and family in the sample group. Measurement of the socioemotional outcomes over a period of 1 year demonstrated that ICT makes it easier for them to communicate, reduces feelings of loneliness and makes them feel more connected to family and friends (Cotten, Anderson McCullough, 2013). The quasi-experimental study conducted by BlaÃ… ¾un, Saranto and Rissanen (2012) evaluates the self-reported amount of loneliness among older people in Slovenia and Finland and suggests a statistically significant difference in loneliness reduction between the countries among people who complete the ICT course. The effects of computer proficiency and engagement in alleviating levels of loneliness are therefore established. On examining the impacts of internet usage in depression among the elderly, Cotten, Ford, Ford and Hale (2012) suggest that internet makes a positive contribution on the mental wellbeing of retired older persons (50 years) and also reduces depression by an approximate rate of 20-28%. This is also supported by results of a study that tests social support and loneliness as potential mediators for modifying relationship between well-being and internet usage. Data analysis indicates that internet use is a significant predictor of reduced loneliness, enhanced life satisfaction and increased social support (Heo, Chun, Lee, Lee Kim, 2015). Another meta-analysis also suggests the effectiveness of internet interventions in reducing loneliness among the elderly. It emphasized on the role of the intervention in reinforcing social support, thereby improving communication and eliminating loneliness (Choi, Kong Jung, 2012). Significance of the research The research proposal aims at investigating the implications of teaching older adults the usage of internet and computer skills. Several debates exist on determining whether use of the internet decreases or increases social isolation among older people. Although multiple trials have been carried out to show the benefits of internet usage on reducing loneliness and isolation among the elderly, as shown in the literature review, there exist some studies that find computer training and internet of little or negligible benefit (Yao Zhong, 2014). Hence, this research might serve as an important source of reference for other researchers, students and data analysts who intend to apply the intervention in improving their overall wellbeing and mental health. Practical outcomes The research is based on the assumption that increasing the computer proficiency and internet literacy among older adults will help in improving loneliness experienced at residential care and aged care homes. Implementing appropriate interventions related to internet usage will increase their social connectivity and communication with family and friends. The usage of internet will also enrich the lives of the isolated elderly. Significance to the field Effects of loneliness on mortality are greater than other established risk factors such as, sedentary lifestyle and obesity. Thus, the research will play an important role in reducing mortality rates. Proposed Research Methodology The study will recruit 80 older people (regardless of their gender) from 3 aged care and residential homes across the city. The participants belonging to the age group of 65-85 years will be selected. Inclusion criteria will include a minimum of 11 years of education and should have been retired for 5 years on an average. Residents suffering from cognitive and severe mental decline will not be included in the study to prevent inaccurate results. There will be no differentiation based on race or gender. Sampling method 80 participants will be randomized to two groups namely, the sample group (receiving the intervention) and the rest to the control group (without access to the internet). Randomization will result in an unbiased assessment of the effects of the proposed intervention on the equal number of participants among the 2 groups (Treweek et al., 2013). Methodology The research will encompass a quantitative analysis where the participants will be made to undergo a survey by providing numbers on a likert scale for demonstrating their feelings and satisfaction score. This will help in obtaining real data and will assist in monitoring the success of the intervention. Design framework The study will be based on an experimental design where the predictor variable (internet usage) can be manipulated to identify the cause-and-effect relationship. The research will involve an experimental group that will be subjected to the intervention and a placebo group that will exist in inert or non-manipulative conditions (Furtak, Seidel, Iverson Briggs, 2012). Data collection Participants from both the groups will be subjected to completion of surveys, for 5 times over a year. One survey will be carried out before the intervention begins, another at the end of the 8-weeks of internet usage and the remaining three at the end of 4, 7 and 12 months after the intervention. The UCLA Loneliness Scale will be provided to the participants to measure their feelings on lack of companionship, being left out and isolated from friends and family (Neto, 2014). A 3-point likert scale will be used for measuring their responses (ranging from 1-5). The scale measure will be based on mean of the scores. The Mann-Whitney U test will be used for statistically evaluating the responses of the participants. It will help in determining if the levels of loneliness differed based on the amount of internet usage by the older participants (Fagerland, 2012). Ethical considerations Prior consent shall be taken from the administrators of the residential facilities from which the participants will be selected. The older residents shall be informed about the objectives of the study and their consent will be taken before randomization. Breadth of the research The proposed research will only investigate the effects of internet usage on perceptions of loneliness and social isolation among the older adults living in residential settings, rather than their own house. The study will not evaluate the effects of the proposed intervention on prevalence of depression, suicidal ideations or mood disorders in the target population. Older residents identified suffering from severe physical disability such as paralysis, and mental disorders such as, dementia and schizophrenia will not be included in the study. Limitations of the research Limitations of the proposed study include the presence of small sample size and lack of access to internet in most households (Bacchetti, 2013). The latter contributes to the limited computer literacy and proficiency among the older adults. Thus, an extensive training was required for most of the participants. Potential problems Communicating with older adults living in the residential care facilities may create difficulties owing to the fact that they are often scared to communicate to unknown people and may fail to understand the implications of the research intervention on their lifestyle and wellbeing. There may be loss of potential number of participants at the end of the study due to health complications and death, thereby giving misleading results References Bacchetti, P. (2013). Small sample size is not the real problem.Nature Reviews Neuroscience,14(8), 585-585. doi:10.1038/nrn3475-c3 BlaÃ… ¾un, H., Saranto, K., Rissanen, S. (2012). Impact of computer training courses on reduction of loneliness of older people in Finland and Slovenia.Computers in Human Behavior,28(4), 1202-1212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.02.004 Chen, Y. R. R., Schulz, P. J. (2016). The effect of information communication technology interventions on reducing social isolation in the elderly: A systematic review.Journal of medical Internet research,18(1), e18. doi:10.2196/jmir.4596 Choi, M., Kong, S., Jung, D. (2012). Computer and internet interventions for loneliness and depression in older adults: a meta-analysis.Healthcare informatics research,18(3), 191-198. https://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2012.18.3.191 Cotten, S. R., Anderson, W. A., McCullough, B. M. (2013). Impact of internet use on loneliness and contact with others among older adults: cross-sectional analysis.Journal of medical Internet research,15(2), e39. doi:10.2196/jmir.2306 Cotten, S. R., Ford, G., Ford, S., Hale, T. M. (2012). Internet use and depression among older adults.Computers in human behavior,28(2), 496-499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.10.021 Fagerland, M. W. (2012). t-tests, non-parametric tests, and large studiesa paradox of statistical practice?.BMC Medical Research Methodology,12(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-78 Furtak, E. M., Seidel, T., Iverson, H., Briggs, D. C. (2012). Experimental and quasi-experimental studies of inquiry-based science teaching: A meta-analysis.Review of educational research,82(3), 300-329. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312457206 Heo, J., Chun, S., Lee, S., Lee, K. H., Kim, J. (2015). Internet use and well-being in older adults.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking,18(5), 268-272. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0549 Neto, F. (2014). Psychometric analysis of the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) in older adults.European Journal of Ageing,11(4), 313-319. DOI- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-014-0312-1 Perissinotto, C. M., Cenzer, I. S., Covinsky, K. E. (2012). Loneliness in older persons: a predictor of functional decline and death.Archives of internal medicine,172(14), 1078-1084. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.1993 Steptoe, A., Shankar, A., Demakakos, P., Wardle, J. (2013). Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,110(15), 5797-5801. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1219686110 Treweek, S., Lockhart, P., Pitkethly, M., Cook, J. A., Kjeldstrm, M., Johansen, M., ... Jones, R. (2013). Methods to improve recruitment to randomised controlled trials: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open,3(2), e002360. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002360 Victor, C. R., Bowling, A. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of loneliness among older people in Great Britain.The Journal of psychology,146(3), 313-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.609572 Yao, M. Z., Zhong, Z. J. (2014). Loneliness, social contacts and Internet addiction: A cross-lagged panel study.Computers in Human Behavior,30, 164-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.08.007

Politics in Egypt

Failure of Secular Political Movements In most cases, secular political movements fail because of lack of organization and the spontaneous nature of these groups. These groups often arise spontaneously without proper organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The movements are, therefore, often not identified with a particular leader. The lack of predefined leadership agendas dents the movement’s strength as rivalries arise from the different groups constituting the movement. The movement, thus, has to handle challenges of institutionalizing their diverse interests. With time, various governance issues such as qualification of the leaders, the people to spearhead constitution making, what the constitution should entail, and scheduling of elations arise. Leadership wrangles are also dominant in absence of well defined succession plans. Despite the popula rity of the secular movements, internal rivalries are common. This was the cause of divisions in the Muslim brotherhood in the 1980s and 1990s where the group split along key personalities (Rutherford 89). Generational disparities also contribute to the failure of political movements. Internal divisions may arise due to reluctance to integrate the agendas of the different age groups, especially the young generation, into decision making organs. Conflict of interest across the generation and reluctance of leaders to give the young people the opportunity to utilize their skills can cause rivalry.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ideological differences may also come out across the generation, whereby the young generation may be willing to accommodate new concepts and ideas while the older generation of leaders is rigid. This was witnessed in the breakup of Muslim brotherhood in 1996 when the old generation of leaders refused to support the youth’s propositions of incorporating other groups into their organization (Rutherford 90). This caused the youths to split from the main organization and formed their political party, though not successful. Evolution of other organizations which are autonomous and financially well endowed threatens the political movements. This may be so when the emerging groups do not have commitment to the movement’s common goal, in spite of the groups being sympathizers of the movement. The movement, therefore, remains as an umbrella body for the different parties having divergent purposes and ideologies. The regime of the day may also impose repressive measures against the movement, often leading to disintegration of the movement. Threats, detention and imprisonment of the members of the movement often put the organizational structure of the movement into disarray, thus weakening it. The repressive measures can create leadership crises, impacting on the hold of the movement in the population. This is exemplified by the repression activities of the government in 1970s and 1980s that affected the organizational structure of the Muslim brotherhood. This reduced its influence among the different Islamic activists.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government also elevated the generational differences across this group by cracking down on young members, whereas the older members who were the leaders did not respond to these sufferings (Rutherford 91). The movement may often appeal to the masses, spanning across social, religious, ideologies and all age differences. It can, therefore, be made up of people from all walks of life, including those in the economy, military, youth activists and politicians. Sectarian groups may take advantage of lack of proper leadership mechanisms an d pursue their interests once they have attained power, contributing to failure of the movement. For instance, the military may exercise too much power and attempt to exert regulations on the pace and type of change to be implemented. The military may often rule with decrees and such rule is not overseen by anybody, for example parliament or opposition. Thus, the military rules without consulting the general public on major issues (International Crisis Group 2). Common values of Islamists and Secularists Islamists and secularists share various dimensions of constitutionalism, among them being the, â€Å"rule of law, constraints on state power, protection of civil and political rights and public participation in politics† (Rutherford 101). In the rule of law, the Islamists and secularists have agreements on shar’ia as the basis of governance. Shari’a must be derived from the Qur’an or the Sunnah obtained from reliable sources.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shari’a defines the ethical and spiritual ways that the believer must follow to live a moral life in accordance with God’s ways. Thus, every believer is obliged to follow shar’ia. Shar’ia also establishes the legal and moral principles for a spiritually enriched society. Through demonstration of the expected moral values to be adhered to, shar’ia promotes harmony and stability in the nation. The Shar’ia teachings also stipulate that to lead a spiritual life, one must meditate and interact with fellow believers and practice the teachings. It is, thus, the responsibility of the state to steer the people to have good morals by enforcing shar’ia. These topics have no contention and are not subject to discussion, thus the Islamism and secularists have an accord. Issues that are not available in the Qur’an and Sunnah require formulation of laws that are in agreement with Shari’a. These laws must be generated through governance in different political, social, cultural, and economic settings. The man-made laws are established based on fundamental pillars of Shar’ia in relation to governance. These principles include, †to establish justice, to rule through consultation (shura), to govern in a manner accountable to the citizenry, to derive laws from the Islamic Shar’ia, and to respect the people’s rights† (Rutherford 103). Governance is, therefore, aimed at employing the central pillars of Shari’a to formulate laws. The people designing these laws must consider the expectation of the community while upholding the Shar’ia principles. The laws do not contradict Shar’ia if they address the needs of the community and are geared towards addressing the interests of the citizens. In addition, the formulated laws must cater for the expectations of the community and the unique nature of the demands at that time. The laws are also formulated by building consensus c oncerning the issue at hand, in accordance to shar’ia principles and reflecting diverse knowledge and opinions. The Shar’ia, thus, allows for application of non-Muslim ideologies to handle situations in life as long as the ideologies do not contradict the shar’ia. The laws should mirror the values and sense of justice. The Islamists and secularists believe that Muslims have to reinterpret religion to correspond with issues in the contemporary world. Governance by Shar’ia is reaffirmed when the citizens and state demonstrate honest attempts to behave as pertains to Islam and not just oriented towards the particular legislative outcome. Shari’a is based on protecting, â€Å"religion, rationality, property and wealthy† (Rutherford 122). This means that it is enforced to promote justice, fairness, and compassion, and thus laws that stratify these ethical issues are compliant with shar’ia. The process of formulating laws is important in re inforcing Shar’ia. This requires careful consideration of challenges facing the Egyptians and evaluating the possible laws that can help while reflecting Shari’a principles. The role of religious leaders is secondary to drafting the law and interpreting shar’ia. In constraints of state power, exercising state power is confined under Shari’a, hence the people can ignore or even impeach a leader whose conduct and rule contradicts Shari’a. The people have the freedom of expressing allegiance to the state that is founded on Shar’ia, and which responds to the community’s will. The leader is, thus, elected by the citizens and is responsible to them. The leader as a human being can make mistakes as he is not divine, hence he should always engage his subjects on major issues. The state must also be subjected to checks and balances, hence the essence of decentralizing powers to other governance organs and empowering civil societies (Rutherford 112). In protection of civil and political rights, Islamists and secularists have common values in upholding individual rights and freedom. All the citizens have rights to, â€Å"better living standards, life, dignity, and property† (Rutherford 113). Ideal governance is based on, â€Å"consultation, justice, freedom, equality and the accountability of the ruler† (Rutherford 113). Freedom to express one’s self, to think and inquire is essential in practicing Islam faith. Islamists and secularists also believe in public participation in politics. The people are, therefore, supposed to be involved in electing their leaders. By consulting the people, the state gives the citizens a chance to participate in determining governance. Status of Shar’ia under Mubarak and Current Discussions Shari’a is the main source of legislation in Egypt, under article 2 of the constitution. This means that all the legislations must be derived from the principles of Shari ’a. In interpretation of the article, the court in 1985 ruled that the principles of shar’ia must be applied into positive state law. The Shari’a has two principles; those which are express and cannot be debated, and those which can be applied in relation to different contexts. These relative principles are subject to interpretations while adhering to Shari’a. In Mubarak’s regime, two constitutional amendments were carried out but all of them left article 2 intact. Regarding family and personal status laws, the laws were ramified in accordance to shari’a; though this ramification was not comprehensive. Family conflicts such as divorce and alimony were put together to form one case in 2004 so that they can be heard by one court. Personal status laws are enacted by the parliament. The legislation of laws was often followed by some explanations to demonstrate how the laws were adopted and backing literature to justify the legislation (ISLAMOPED IA para 1). Current discussions Having ascended to power, Muslim brotherhood is advocating for consultative governance according to Islam. Muslim brotherhood perceives public engagement in politics as essential in governance. This can be promoted by carrying out free and fair elections in order to choose leaders who demonstrate accountability. This approach is, however, not shared by some scholars who see perceive embedded problems in mass politics, such as enactment of legislation that is not established on ethical principles of Islam (ISLAMOPEDIA para 1). Instead, these scholars are of the view that the state should put organs that can maintain checks and balances, for example a constitutional court that makes sure the formulated legislative measures are in accordance to Shari’a. After the ouster of Mubarak and subsequent entry of the new regime, constitutional plans to amend the constitution were initiated. The main discussions in the amendment of the constitution gravitat ed around article 2 which invokes shar’ia as the major source of laws. People opposed to this article cite it as being biased and the article does not address those people having divergent religious views. Those against the proposals to change article 2 were concerned that changing it was likely to cause sectarian rivalry (ISLAMOPEDIA para 2). However, as the secular groups are minorities, most people are opposed to amending the article. Works Cited International Crisis Group. â€Å"Popular protest in North Africa and the Middle East (1): Egypt Victorious?† Middle East/North Africa Report No. 101. 2012. Web. ISLAMOPEDIA. Islam and the state of post Mubarak era 2012. Web. Rutherford, Bruce K. Egypt after Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam, and democracy in the Arab world. Oxford: Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics, 2012. Print. This essay on Politics in Egypt was written and submitted by user Gemma Pacheco to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Critical Literary Analysis Essay Sample

Critical Literary Analysis Essay SampleCritical literary analysis is a branch of writing that is basically an overview of the writers work. This sort of writing is a great way to gain knowledge about a writer. By writing this sort of essay, it is possible to get a great deal of information about a particular writer.For one thing, literary analysis is a kind of writing that will teach readers how to see things from a particular writer's point of view. As such, any analysis that is written is supposed to be completely unbiased. The writer is not supposed to be biased in any way. In fact, there are many instances of criticism that has gone too far and carried over to the main writer of the piece.The first thing that you should do before writing a critical essay sample is to find out the writer's biography. Usually, if a writer is more successful than you are, you will have the upper hand when it comes to criticizing his or her work. You will also have a great deal of information that yo u can use for your own purpose. This is true especially if the writer is one of the best writers in your area.If you really want to write a critique based on an idea of someone's work, then it would be wise to do some research before going about writing the essay. Find out what your topic is going to be and how it will be presented. This will make it much easier to figure out a well constructed critical essay sample.The other thing that you should remember when writing a literary analysis is to keep things simple. For example, do not assume that you have all the answers to every question and this includes the literary elements. You will want to keep things simple and to the point.Finally, take the time to really think about the thesis statement of the literary analysis. In other words, what are you trying to prove or present. This is something that should be thought about in advance.A critical essay sample should present a point of view without being too controversial. It is a good idea to use some sort of argument or statement that can be used to persuade the reader. In other words, you want to present something in a way that makes the reader believe the author's point of view.You may find that a certain writer has many more flaws and weaknesses than you had thought. By using the essay sample, you will be able to see exactly what these flaws are. Take the time to work your way through the essay to see what you can learn about the writer. At the end of the day, it is only when you work with the material that you will be able to improve your own skills as a writer.

Short Story Reflection Essays

Short Story Reflection Essays Short Story Reflection Paper Short Story Reflection Paper Short Story Reflection Jennifer ENG125:Intro to Literature Instructor McGrath 11/28/2011 All stories come together by a solid idea. The idea behind a story is known as a theme. When looking at a theme, you must go beyond the title and critically think to acknowledge key terms and symbols within the narrative you are reading. The theme in â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† is a prime example of how readers have to critically think and acknowledge the symbolism of the story. When â€Å"looking beyond the plot† of Little Red Riding Hood, the story is more adult oriented than child oriented, and it is fascinating that it has remained popular for so many years. Within the theme there is symbolism such as the red cape for Little Red Riding Hood. Red is also known as â€Å"passion or danger. † This symbol shows that the author was considering Little Red Riding Hood to be in danger within her relationship to the wolf. The wolf wanted more from her than just her homemade cakes (Clugston 2010). All fictional works have a plot. A plot consists of five outlined situations within a narrative which are: exposition, complication or rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. In â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† the exposition would be explaining the setting and characters, the woods, as well as, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The complication or â€Å"conflict,† is when the Wolf is not getting what he wants out of Little Red Riding Hood. The climax is when the Wolf eats the grandma and pretends to be her as when Little Red Riding Hood gets to her home. The falling action would be when Little Red Riding Hood makes statements such as â€Å"what big eyes you have. † The resolution is when the Wolf finally gets what he wants from Little Red Riding Hood (Clugston 2010). Tone is considered to be the attitude expressed throughout an author’s work. In Little Red Riding Hood on the surface you see a sense of innocence but when you read more you feel the danger within the tone change when the Wolf is present. The tone also expresses verbal irony because the Wolf is disguised as the grandma and Little Red Riding Hood doesn’t feel as she is in danger. A narrative theme is contextually broad, with readers looking into a story at different angles. By providing narrative elements the reader narrows into the author’s perception of the story. The symbols narrow in on where the story is taking the reader. Symbols can come through colors, animals, nature, etc. The symbol in Little Red Riding Hood was her Red Cape. The plot shows the reader that a narrative is like a pie cut into five pieces. The plot keeps the story flowing and grasps the reader’s attention by allowing an introduction, a predicament, climax, falling action, and a conclusion. The tone catches the authors’ attitude towards the story line. At times the tone is easy to catch, and others you have to dig deep for it, because it can be contradictory. As readers we should respect the author enough to walk into their world of critical thinking. By reflecting on the theme and literary elements of a narrative the reader can better relate to the authors’ true message. References Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content. ashford. edu/books Lombardi, E. (2010). How to become a critical thinker. Retrieved from http://classiclit. about. com/od/forstudents/ht/aa_criticalread. htm Milhauser, S. (2008, October 3). The ambition of the short story. The New York Times. Retrieved from nytimes. com/2008/10/05/books/review/Millhauser-t. html? _r=2

Women and children in mesopotamia Research Paper

Women and children in mesopotamia - Research Paper Example Many cultures have continually improved upon equality for women throughout time, and thus it seems that the ancient world would provide some of the most dangerous and unfair societies for women to live in. However, in Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt, Joyce Tildesley argues that women in Ancient Egypt actually experienced a great deal of political and financial freedom (Tildesley, 2005), particularly when compared with its contemporary cultures. A number of goddesses (including Isis herself) played a huge role in Egyptian culture and there were also a huge number of ruling Pharaoh women who were able to take power without marriage to a man. This situation may be due to a huge number of factors, including the unusual geographical features of Egypt, which will be covered within this paper. However, despite the fact that women in Ancient Egypt experienced a number of freedoms that women in Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece and Rome did not have access to (Tildesley, 2005), it is clea r that men still dominated society, and some of the assumptions of fairness are based upon documents that may not be accurate. Geographical Features Ancient Egypt was subject to a number of geographical constraints, mostly related to its place on the river Nile. This is often suggested to have made a difference to the lifestyles that people led within the area and the constraints on what they were allowed to do. As an arid landscape, the Nile River provided the only source of water in the area, and the people relied upon this to grow crops. If the Nile did not flood as expected, food could be scarce for the next year (Stearns, Gosch & Grieshaber, 2008). In this way, the Egyptians placed a lot of emphasis on the way that the river worked and could only work in certain areas dependent on the seasons. It is perhaps this need for flexibility for living and working arrangements that meant that women could have a more flexible attitude towards work and property ownership, which would depe nd on the Nile (Stearns, Gosch & Grieshaber, 2008). Although Ancient Egypt is generally considered to be a separate culture than those surrounding it, it must be noted that there were several visitors to the region who may have had an influence on Egyptian culture (Stearns, Gosch & Grieshaber, 2008). Those from the Greek empire often came, and wrote many observations about the Egyptian way of life. Assyria and Canaan were neighbors, and it is military campaigns between these cultures and the Egyptians that may have played a role in the attempt to eradicate female pharaohs in the New Kingdom. Mesopotamia was also a hugely important ancient culture, and the status of women here represents well the treatment of women in the majority of the ancient world, and thus will be covered in more detail later. Women in Ancient Egypt It is often argued that women held a prized place in Ancient Egyptian society for a number of reasons. There were a huge number of influential female Pharaohs in Anc ient Egypt, including Cleopatra (Tildesley, 2005). The ability of women to hold a ruling position seems to go against much of what occurred within the Ancient World and even within modernized Europe and America. However, it could be argued that there were still a majority of male pharaohs and many of these ruling women did not take part in the same number of administrative duties as the men (Stearns, Gosch & Grieshaber, 2008). Both men and women in ancient Egypt did have the right to own property, as well as take this property with them as part of divorce proceedings. In this area, Egyptian women did seem to have a much more positive role in legal proceedings, particularly when it is noted that these freedoms were not part of

Gibraltar Airport Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gibraltar Airport - Case Study Example This means that the traffic lights guide on the mode of operations between the two systems (Archer, 2006). They decide when the road traffic should go and when it should stop. This is also the case of the air traffic. There is the danger of collision of the two forms of traffic that are hugely dependent on the traffic lights. The airport is surrounded by huge buildings and many highly piled up rocks. There is the silent danger of plunging into the buildings or the rocks nearby. This will be disastrous for the airport, planes, road users and ultimately the passengers. The traffic lights that act as the essential guide for the planes can seriously malfunction. This will cause huge aspects of relying the wrong information and signals. The incoming traffic and outgoing traffic could then crush into each other (Archer, 2006). In many instances there are very many mishaps that have occurred at the airport. Once crew of a Boeing flight lost visual contact of where they were supposed to land. They missed the runway and they crash landed. The intersection between the road and runway has had many mishaps (Archer, 2006). They include the fact that traffic lights have on several occasions misguided the pilot and drivers. This has resulted in the flow of both the users of the road and the landing plane. Once, there was a police chase down the highway. It was difficult and stressful for the planes pilots, the police and the people being chased. This was because of the urgency of their situations and the nature of the flow of traffic (Archer, 2006). The airport should have its own space. This means that the road highway will have to be shut down or underground tunnels built. This is because the co-existence of the traffic flows posses a huge danger. There should be clear well labelled signs that cater for each and every traffic that flows in its created space. This will ensure that all parties understand what is going on, in all avenues and angles of