Author: chris

Rome became involved in a complex foreign policy which was partly based on the termination of the sovereignty of enemy states. The process was long and it differed in each case as policy was not always consistent.

Please choose a particular example or several such examples when this ‘termination of sovereignty’ was applied. Proceed to construct a narrative whereby the extent of Roman influence was increased in a step-by-step process of gradual territorial expansion. Include in your narrative the different types of alliances offered or imposed by the Romans on their defeated enemies before the completion of the process. Conclude with the final transfer of political and fiscal control to Rome and the establishment of a Roman ‘provincial’ administration.   

 

Instructions

Essays are extensive informed views but not research papers. An informed view differs from an opinion in that it relies on views that have preceded its quest. A view becomes ‘informed’ when it incorporates into its argumentation process the views of others. An essay begins by describing the issue of its concern. It continues by stating what others have written or said about that particular issue of concern. It concludes by proposing an original or unique idea on the matter and by building an argument in support of that idea.

Essays, in this course, need to be within context. By context it is meant the exact bounds set by the essay question or subject matter. Staying within bounds means, staying within context.

Essays, in this course, should not exceed a 1000 word mark. For an essay to be well structured, in this course, it should not count less than 800 words.

An essay, in this course, does not require foot notes or bibliography, although ALL material included in the essay that does NOT ‘belong’ to the Essay’s author should be presented in a full citation (Chicago, Harvard or Associate Press citation methodology is accepted). Also, at the end of the Essay, all sources used by the author should be alphabetically listed under a “Sources” heading.

Culture is learned. It is passed down through groups of people. This assignment is designed to help you reflect on and identify your cultural background.

Because culture must come from somewhere, I would like you to think about the following questions by reflecting on the values and customs you were taught as you were growing up, either by your family of origin or cultural group. If you feel that you had other important cultural influences, please include those in your responses.

In addition to responding to the questions, you may add any other information that you feel is important to you and your cultural identity. Remember that this paper should be useful to you in understanding your cultural background, and so you must decide what is important to include and what you feel comfortable sharing.

I will grade this assignment on thorough answers and your demonstrated understanding of what culture is, where it comes from, and how your values and traditions are unique.

Please answer the following questions in paragraph form. You should have at least 1 paragraph for each numbered section. You do not have to answer each individual question, though the questions are designed to give insight into cultural practices representative of each area.  Include specific examples that show both the how and why of your practices.

 

1. Family

Who is in your family? Who lives together?

Is there a hierarchy of authority in your family and how does it work?

What are some of the strong values of your family?

What are the roles of the children in the family?

What are the values regarding discipline and how important is it? How is it enforced?

Who is responsible if someone misbehaves?

Who can disagree with whom in the family?

What is the importance of the individual family member vs. the family as a whole?

 

 

2. Life Cycle

Are there any attitudes, expectations or behaviors towards individuals in your family or community at different stages of life? For example: What are the expectations/ behaviors of how the elderly are treated? parents? children? anyone else? Is one stage of life more valued than another? Is any stage more difficult? How do you commemorate, if at all, the changing of one age or stage of life to the next? Are there any special commemorations?

 

3. Communication

What language(s) are used in your family? Is this the same language used in the community? Is the language a written language, and how important is it to know the written form?

Are there any characteristics of “speaking well”? Is this emphasized or not? How do people greet each other?

Does this differ depending on the age of the people?

 

4. Interpersonal Relationships

What is expected behavior for males and females? Are there behaviors that are considered unacceptable?

How do men/ women or girls/ boys interact? Does it change at different ages?

Is it acceptable for family members to express and share feelings? What are the beliefs and values involving the expression of feelings?

 

5. Religion

What is the religion of your family?

Is regular involvement in religious practices important to family members?

Is participation in religious rituals practiced in the family? Give examples.

Are there any dietary restrictions or health practices observed either on a regular basis or on particular occasions?

 

6. Health and Hygiene

Who or what is believed to cause death or illness?

Who cures illness?

How are illnesses treated? What kind of medical practices are used?

What beliefs or practices are there regarding bodily hygiene (i.e.: bathing frequency, cleanliness rituals)

What happens when someone dies? Are there practices and rituals associated with death?

 

7. Food

What foods are eaten? Are there any foods that are not eaten or forbidden?

Are there any rules observed during meal times, i.e. where meals are eaten, order of serving,utensils used, appropriate verbal communication, manners, etc.?

What relation does food have to health? Are any foods used medicinally?

 

8. Dress and Personal Appearance

What is typical clothing? What is formal clothing?

Does the type of dress differ for age or sex?

What are the attitudes associated with modesty? Who can wear what? What is considered immodest?

How important is physical appearance? What physical characteristics are most valued? Is it different for males and females?

Are there certain colors of dress associated with symbolic meanings (i.e. black for mourning? white? red?)

 

9. History, Holidays and Traditions

What holidays and celebrations are observed? How are they observed? What special meaning do they have?

Are there events in history that are a source of pride for the family or group?

Do any ceremonies or traditions commemorate historical events? How are they celebrated?

Do any ceremonies or celebrations have special significance for children?

 

10. Time

What beliefs or values are associated with concepts of time?

How important is punctuality? Is it considered acceptable or unacceptable when someone does not adhere to time restraints?

 

11. Natural Phenomena

What beliefs or values are associated with natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, day and night, the heavens, etc.?

Who or what is responsible for natural disasters such as rains, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc.?

To what extent is there a belief in fate or luck?

 

12. Aspirations and Expectations

What is expected for a family member to be successful in their life?

What do they have to do or be to achieve this?

Are the expectations different for children than they were for their parents?

What role does education and learning play?

 

13. Optional: other information you want to share regarding your cultural background?

 

McEWENISM

The term is used to represent the economic ideological framework of John (‘Black Jack’) McEwen, leader of the Country Party (the political party in the coalition that held office between 1949 and 1972) and Deputy Prime Minister. McEwen’s views were highly influential – indeed they came to be embodied in actual government economic policy that fundamentally influenced the nature and course of Australian economic development in the decades following the Second World War,

McEwen’s views centred on the policy of ‘trade protection’.

The following is an exerpt from Topic Notes for a later Topic in this course focusing on Economic Institutions and Policies:

 

Protectionist policies continued to underpin the process of Australian economic development in the post-war decades. Indeed trade protection was the essential basis of the development of manufacturing which was such a key element of development in these decades.

One of the arch-exponents of the policy well into the 1960s was the leader of the Country Party – John McEwen. In fact the term ‘McEwenism’ came to be adopted to describe the essence of the policy.

McEwen was first elected as a member of the Country Party in 1934. (Currently called the National Party, the Country Party was formed in the late 1910s/early 1920s explicitly to represent the interests of agricultural producers and held office in coalition with the major conservative political party – after WWII named the Liberal Party for much of the twentieth century and into the current century… the most recent example of a coalition government being the current Australian government, elected in September 2013.)

On the face of it support for protection by the leader of a political party representing primary producers was surprising. But McEwen was able to support the tariff (and through it the protection of manufacturing), even though it disadvantaged primary producers, by also supporting policies (i.e. statutory marketing arrangements) that gave an equal measure of protection to primary producers themselves.

The dilemma was recognised by McEwen from his early days in parliament. Indeed in his maiden speech, echoing the sort of complaints that had been put to Prime Minister Bruce in the 1920s, he remarked:

We have a properly constituted tribunal which wage-earners can approach in order that they may receive reasonable wages for their labour. The arbitration system is one of which I approve. The manufacturers engaged in secondary production can also approach the Tariff Board for higher protective duties, but unfortunately those engaged in essential primary industries have no tribunal to which they can appeal in order to secure a reasonable return for their labour.

McEwen’s response – to be reflected in policy that was actually implemented – was to support assistance for agriculture through the establishment of a wide range of statutory marketing arrangements covering just about every rural industry – including ultimately wool (this with the establishment of the Wool Reserve Price Scheme in 1970). Thus the development of the policy of ‘protection all round’

In the post-war decades as McEwen’s political influence grew – he was made deputy leader of the Country Party in 1943 and Leader in 1958 – he became an arch-supporter of ‘protection all round’ and, to the continuing surprise of some, an ardent supporter of tariff protection. To paraphrase a chapter in the biography of him he thus became ‘an unlikely friend to manufacturers’.

The basis of McEwen’s support for the tariff is complex, but probably two factors are of most importance.

The first was the way that he saw manufacturing as providing employment.

The second was the potential that he saw – mistakenly as it turned out – for manufacturing to make a greater contribution to export income.

In the event, by the early 1960s support for manufacturing industry – which since the end of the Second World War had been the basis for unprecedented economic expansion and growth – was well entrenched and very powerfully promoted by the secretary of the commonwealth government Department of Trade – in 1963 renamed the Department of Trade and Industry – Sir Alan Westerman who at the time was perhaps the most powerful figure in the bureaucracy.

This development of the sector in the 1950s had been powerfully assisted by the quantitative import controls (restrictions) implemented in the early 1950s essentially for balance of payments reasons (i.e. to curb the outflow of Australian currency spent on imports).

Import restrictions were lifted in 1960 by which time the balance of payments situation had eased. The move was opposed by McEwen. It had the effect of placing even more pressure on the tariff and, in the context of McEwen’s support for manufacturing, made him an even more ardent supporter of the tariff as a means of assisting manufacturing industry.

 

There is also a considerable amount of writing about ‘McEwenism’ available on the internet. Following are a few extracts from some relevant pieces of writing, and at the end of this note is reference to a short piece written by the journalist Paul Kelly on the death of McEwen in the 1980s. (This is available electronically through the UQ Library.)

 

When the conservatives returned to office in 1949 under Robert Menzies after eight years in opposition, McEwen became Minister for Commerce and Agriculture, switching to Minister for Trade and Industry in 1956. He pursued what became known as “McEwenism” – a policy of high tariff protection for the manufacturing industry, so that industry would not challenge the continuing high tariffs on imported raw materials, which benefitted farmers but pushed up industry’s costs. This policy was a part (some argue the foundation) of what became known as the “Australian Settlement’ which promoted high wages, industrial development, and government intervention in industry.

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The influence of protectionism ideologies was cemented under the leadership of John “Black Jack” McEwen in the post World War II era. Throughout twenty-nine years as Country Party deputy and leader, he ignited the pursuit of “McEwenism,” a policy of high tariff protection for the manufacturing industry.  His stance on protectionism was articulated as such: “I have always wanted to make Australia a powerful industrialised country…This meant that I was bound to favour broadly protectionist policies.”

There were clear consequences for our international competitiveness and export trade. By 1970, Australia had the highest manufacturing tariffs amongst industrialised countries, equalled only by New Zealand.

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Until the appointment of G.A. Rattigan as Chairman of the Tariff Board, the tariff making process had broadly complied with the views of the then Minister for Trade, John McEwen. McEwen was a staunch supporter of tariff protection for industry and, strangely for a Country Party Minister, was seen ‘by manufacturers as their voice in Government’.

‘McEwenism’ was based on the idea of ‘all-around protection’. He envisaged a system of assistance to all producers, rural and manufacturing, in the form of subsidies, tariffs, bounties and tax concessions. The McEwen policy on tariff protection- ‘The maintenance of full tariff protection which increases Australian prices substantially above those elsewhere, only while the protected industry operates efficiently and in particular establishes export markets’,- was only acceptable to the rural sector because it was balanced by a rural policy based on ‘policies of compensation designed to offset the added costs of export industries from tariff protection.’

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The blame for the retreat of cosseted industries belongs to McEwen and his band.

We need to reinforce this because the best advocates of grievance and special interest continue to be cloaked in the language of the common wealth and the betterment of the whole country.

That economic regime was always going to fail; it was simply a matter of when it was going to and whether it would do so in a manner of our own choosing, or be forced on us in terms more familiar to countries in other parts of the world so famously compared by Paul Keating to banana republics.

For this assignment, you will write a summary of either Lee Ross and Richard E. Nisbett’s “The Power of Situations” (WRAC, 579-582) or Solomon E. Asch’s “Opinions and Social Pressure” (WRAC, 597-602). Your summary should clearly restate the central claim or thesis of the essay you select, go through the essay’s subordinate claims that support that thesis, and provide a few brief examples that illustrate those claims. Remember that you are not to offer your opinion on the essay – rather, you are summarizing the contents of the essay, without making your own arguments about those contents.

 

Things to Keep in Mind

 

When writing your summary, ask yourself the following questions:

 

• Does this summary begin by stating the thesis of the essay you’ve chosen?
• Does that statement of the thesis clearly communicate the central argument of the entire essay? That is, does it give the reader a firm sense of what the whole essay is about?
• Are the subordinate points you’ve provided the most significant points within the essay that support the essay’s thesis?
• Are the examples you’ve chosen important to understanding the essay’s argument?
• Is the summary organized logically, with each idea clearly building upon its predecessor?
• Is the summary clearly written, and free of grammatical errors?

 

These will be the questions I ask as I evaluate your summary, so keep them in mind as you’re writing. You should also look over them again once you’ve finished the summary, and make any revisions you might need before submitting the final summary for a grade.

You are the ICT manager of a university based in Rockhampton. The Vice-Chancellor has asked you to research wearable computers in higher education. She is interested in finding out how wearable computers can be used in learning and teaching. She is also concerned about any possible negative effects. You are to write a report to be presented at the next executive meeting. The report should address:

1. What are wearable computers and how are they currently being used. You should explore a range of applications of wearable computers, for example, in areas such as healthcare, the military and entertainment.
2. Discuss at least three ways that wearable computers could be used to enhance higher education. In particular the Vice-Chancellor would like you to explore ways wearable computers could be used to provide educational opportunities that are not possible with current stand-alone computers.
3. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using wearable computers in higher education. Explore the ethical, social and legal considerations of students being connected to the Internet through wearable computers. Examine the privacy and security concerns of using wearable computers in higher education.

Your report should conclude with recommendations for the university with respect to the implementation and use of wearable computers in higher education.

Please note that you will need to make some assumptions about the university in order to write this report. These assumptions should be incorporated in the introduction to your report when you describe the university and outline the problem to be solved.

Many companies find they are forced to remodel their traditional hierarchical structures, which were originally built around functional specialization and centralized authority, to compete in today’s marketplace. Companies often draw on the following five tools of organizational design to make their organizations leaner, flatter, and more responsive to change. The five tools are:

• Empower managers and workers
• Reengineer work processes
• Implementing self-directed work teams
• Rapid incorporation of Internet technology applications
• Networking with outsiders to improve existing capabilities and create new ones

In addition, there are many managerial tasks that shape corporate culture and the leadership skills needed to engage the full organization to produce great results. Examine the dynamics of the elements that must be brought together to create a corporate culture, such as core values and business principles, operating practices and behaviors, ethical standards and attitudes, and work climate and people management practices.

Considering the five tools of organizational design, managerial tasks and leadership skills, examine the practices followed by your selected organization and include the following in a 8–10 page APA formatted paper in MS Word:

Describe which of the five tools of organizational design your selected organization uses to maintain and improve productivity while achieving cost savings. Use detailed examples in your response.

Explain how work groups are utilized in your organization to accomplish the stated goals of the company.

Describe the motivational practices used by the organization to promote better strategy execution. Include some illustrative examples in your response.

Explain how, if at all, the reward system in the organization ties incentives directly to achieving higher productivity and performance targets.

Explain the evaluation and feedback process used in your company to assess employee performance.

Identify the elements in the organization that affect how cultural change is implemented.

Describe the ethical model being used by the company.

Present your overall opinion of the organization’s corporate strategy approach. Is the strategy execution effort delivering the expected results? Explain and illustrate your conclusions.

Describe what specific actions have been taken to delegate authority to middle and junior managers and to create a sense of empowerment among employees. Explain and illustrate your answers.

Avoid plagiarism: Using someone else’s words or ideas in your paper without proper acknowledgement constitutes plagiarism and is unacceptable in any situation. Make sure you have properly documented the source of original facts, ideas, and interpretations that you use in your paper. This must be done whether you summarize information or paraphrase what you learned from a particular source.

For this Portfolio Project option, you will choose and build a training plan. Identify a common training problem that organizations struggle with and the best way to address this problem. Examples include: change management, technology implementation, communication, team building, and conflict resolution. Also, determine how to implement the training by identifying the method of delivery. Follow these steps:

• Write the report.
• Prepare the PowerPoint presentation.
• Proofread and submit both items.
• Congratulate yourself on what you have accomplished!

The report/presentation must include:

• An eight to 10-page double-spaced paper (not counting the cover page, abstract, and reference page) with appropriate references. Make sure your paper is formatted and cited according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• An executive-level presentation (summary) not to exceed four PowerPoint slides.

The report must include the following items:

1. Identify what the problem is and what type of training is being proposed. Relate this to the organization’s strategic imperatives.
2. Prepare an overview of why the training is needed. Include the learning objectives that you have identified for the program.
3. Research best practices on how to train toward this problem. Discuss what other organizations have done to train on this topic. You can include White Papers.
4. Create a flowchart of the process to conduct research and collect data for decision making (which does not have to fit any specific process form; just make it clear).
5. Outline an abbreviated needs analysis, including a high-level assessment of skills, costs, and risks.
6. Propose high-level training solutions, including recommendations and justifications for development, implementation, technologies, and assessment type (or justification that training is not a solution that will adequately address the issue, and present  a proposal for a non-training solution).
7. Write a conclusion that reiterates the recommendation and ties it back to the best practices of other organizations.

Prepare an 8-10–page report in Word. This report should include a project history of your recent Trillo Apparel Company District 4 Production Warehouse Move experience over the last five weeks.

Your final report should include the following sections:

• Executive Summary
• Project Performance and Status Report
• Organizational Structure
• Project and Administrative Teams
• Project Risk and Change Management
• Project Management Techniques Employed
• Conclusion

Include appropriate reports from your final project plans to corroborate your overall report. You may also use diagrams, charts, and other visual aids to make your report more effective. Assume that the report will be presented to the Board of Directors of Trillo Apparel Company. Your report should be done in the APA style.

In addition to the report, prepare an 7-9–slide presentation in PowerPoint that summarizes key aspects from the report.

 

Using at least your textbook and a minimum of two additional sources, answer the following questions. Your paper should be at least two pages in length, excluding title and reference pages. Follow APA style guidelines. DO NOT COPY FROM INTERNET.

 

You are the CEO of XYZ manufacturing company. You have decided that you would like to market your product to Turkey. Consider the following points in your paper; you can make assumptions, but support your work with facts and scholarly references:

o Discuss the reasons why your company would want to expand overseas.

o Discuss what your mode of international business would be and how moving abroad will expand sales.

o How will you minimize risks and acquire resources?

o What are the factors you may face expanding into a foreign market? How might you mitigate those barriers?

 

In this assignment you were required to choose a specific new product and economically analyze the market for this product.

 

You will apply economic principles presented in Weeks One through Three in this week’s assignment. Your assignment will be reviewed by your peers and by your facilitator in week five and should be revised as necessary based on feedback as the first part of the final assignment in week six. 

 Select a new, realistic good or service for an existing industry.

Write the economic analysis section of a business proposal.  This will include statements about the market structure and the elasticity of demand for the good or service, based on text book principles. You need to create hypothetical data, based on similar real world products to estimate fixed and variable costs.

Required Elements:

• Identify market structure
• Identify elasticity of the product
• Include rationale for the following questions:
  • How will pricing relate to elasticity of your product?
  • How will changes in the quantity supplied as a result of your pricing decisions affect marginal cost and marginal revenue?
  • Besides your pricing decisions, what are your suggested nonpricing strategies? What non pricing strategies will you use to increase barriers to entry?
  • How could changes in your business operations alter the mix of fixed and variable costs in line with your strategy?

In addition to your week four paper, the second part of your paper will use the revised information tore commend appropriate pricing and non-pricing strategies for your new or existing good or service based on the projected economy’s stage in the business cycle and the prevailing projected economic conditions for one or more macroeconomic factors. Explain the evidence that supports these recommendations.

Required Elements:

• Describe the current global economic conditions and their effect on local macroeconomic indicators for your good or service.
• Describe the local economy’s stage in the business cycle.
• Describe how current credit market conditions affect your planning or operating decision for your good or service.
• No more than 2100 words (in addition to the 1400 word paper completed in week four, an additional three pages at most is needed)