Moral Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Moral Philosophy Essay Hare uses the â€Å"indirect† version of utilitarianism. Hare believes that individuals can deliberate at the intuitive level. In dire situations where there is no time to evaluate decisions on a critical level, intuition maybe used to commit most acts. Direct utilitarianism follows a rigid rules approach to utilitarianism. Hare’s approach implies that certain acts done intuitively will become moral because the decision was made on a gut level instinct instead of simply following a set of rules. Hare attempts to distinguish his theories from â€Å"crude† or direct utilitarianism. However, it would seem that he does not remove the problems of direct utilitarianism, but he manages to create new ones. â€Å"An act (for act utilitarians) or rule (for rule utilitarians) is right if and only if the act or rule maximizes the utility of all persons (or sentient beings). † 1 Following the direct utilitarianism approach, there is no flexibility for human emotion or consequences. In addition, there is no true definition of what is right for all persons. An example would be a decision by a surgeon in an emergency room to save the life of an elderly priest or that of a young man that was in a terrible car accident. By the direct utilitarianism approach, the surgeon would have to ascertain what would be best for all persons. Such a decision would realistically be made deliberation and gut instinct. The direct utilitarianism approach does not answer what is best for everyone in this type of circumstance. The problem with Hare’s approach is one can prove virtually any moral dilemma with custom tailored and non-realistic circumstances where gut instinct would be used as the determining factor for the situation. There are no set guidelines for defining what is moral for these extenuating circumstances. Hare in general often speaks about conflicting desires, and he seems to adhere to Plato’s notion that being good coincides with being informed. What Hare fails to address is that some individuals might desire to do evil. Hare presumes that the individual is going to conform to the standards of society and use deliberation to not commit heinous and horrific acts. With the direct utilitarianism approach, individuals will act for the good of everyone thus more likely to conform to moral restrictions placed upon them by society. Hare’s approach states that individuals will follow gut instinct to do what is moral but at the same time Hare’s approach calls for individuals to follow deliberation when making some decisions. For the individual that is a sociopath, Hare’s response would be that the sociopath would â€Å"condemn those desires at a critical level†. 2 With the assumption of individual conformity to the group’s standard, Hare is contracting his gut instinct part of the decision making progress. Hare argues that direct utilitarianism cannot accommodate political rights because the government is an institutional set of rules and regulations. Direct utilitarianism assumes that the government knows what is best for the majority. Hare’s approach would require the individual to deliberate as to follow the rules set forth by the government. Using Hare’s approach it would be ethical for an individual to refuse to pay taxes or speed on the highway because there would’ve been a deliberation and analysis based on the critical level of thinking. Hare’s approach is more direct utilitarianism on the political issues because the individual will most likely make a choice that is inherently good for everyone to avoid negative consequences such as a speeding ticket or imprisonment. Each decision or choice that the individual makes results in some type of consequence. Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism does not address consequences. The direct utilitarianism addresses consequences because the individual is going to follow rules that are set forth for the good of the whole. Direct utilitarianism requires conformity to societal standards to maximize individual happiness. Hare’s approach requires that the individual deliberate and make a decision. Yet, the other part of his approach requires the individual to follow gut instinct while conforming to good of the whole to make an ethical decision. Instead of refuting the direct utilitarianism approach, Hare is supporting the notion that we all have a set of rules that we inherently follow. To strictly follow Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism, society would be in total chaos because virtually any circumstance can be manipulated to appear as though the individual was following instinct and thus making a moral decision. There are no overall guidelines for extenuating circumstances with Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism. Hare creates more chaos in trying to refute the direct utilitarianism approach instead of providing solid arguments for the nature of human beings and ethical decisions.

Influence of Asias Economy on Australia

Influence of Asias Economy on Australia People call 21st century an Asian Century because of Asia’s rise, which leads to a huge change in global power and opulence to Asia or more precisely, move to Asia after peculiar centuries. The inferences for Australians and Australia are intensive, and also they will effect on every part of both external and domestic policy. It is considered to be perilous to extrapolate from the trends that are current. But comparative growth rates of economic, investment and trade patterns, defense capacities, population futures, and impact in worldwide decision making platforms all are directing towards one direction. Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia implied the economic numbers last September while declaring the White Paper commissioning on Australia in the Asian Century, are humbly spectacular. Advancement done by Japan and after that by Asian Tigers i.e. Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, or by Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia recently, have been laid in the dark by the vivid performance of India and China. In the last twenty years, these two giant countries have already gained the 40% of the world’s population and also they have enhanced their economic size nine times, while China doubles its economy after every eight years and India after eleven years. They both together have grown their economy in the last two decades and capture almost the fifth part out of tenth of the world’s economy, and further after two decades it can be seen that they will project their economy from fifth to third. China now is the second largest economy of the world and now on its way to become the first in the coming twenty years, or even may be earlier. At the same time, India is trying to exceed the US economy by the mid-century if they are successful in acquiring the power terms. If we talk about per capita term then neither India nor China will be rich enough because of the fact of their tension and internal problem. However, it cannot change the simple truth of a big wealth shift. The growth of economic has been followed by prominent escalations in the military expenses by both India and China, this is 2010 news, after US the China is ranked in second number while India at ninth after France, UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Russia. In this modern age, one cannot think about the war between the world’s main powers, power is all about the political influence or its about perception, or it can be defined in terms of military capability, and it can be seen from this context that India and China are making absolute progress in this military weight. The white paper will focus devastatingly on domestic policy settings that how we should gear or take maximum benefit of the great opportunities, especially economic opportunities, from management of macroeconomic, to trade, innovation or industry, training and education, infrastructure, immigration, business regulation, arts and the environment. This paper will mainly focus on the main challenges for Australian foreign policy. In the Asian Century, there are many challenges that are posed for Australia. First is to abstain from the zero sum game option in the terms with US and China; second to maintain a healthy relations with India; third to establish a good relationship with Indonesia; fourth to take part in the establishment of security cooperation and regional economic mechanisms in which Australia is seen as the effective and relevant player. In considering not only the extent but also the nature of foreign policy challenges, also having the capability to perform something in favor of them, it could be profitable to say somewhat in more general manner about the national interest of Australian and the weaknesses and strengths. To every other country the foreign policy primary role is to advance and protect the national interests, and it can be defined firstly by security interest at one hand and on the other hand it can be trade and economic interests; there is nothing more important for any country to guard the country form attack or threat or to enhance the quality of living and income of its people. This idea is based on the fact that there are many problems in the modern world that oblige not just bilateral or unilateral but supportive multilateral act to solve the problem. It can be terrorism, piracy to climate change, mass massacre crimes, from health plagues to unstructured population streams; this is what has been said by Kofi Annan â€Å"Problems without passports†, or international problems or worldwide public problems. Each problem is beyond the capacity of any state to solve, however huge and powerful it is. The ability of any country to follow national interests, in all the dimensions that have been explained above, is its strength promotional by the weakness. Being Self-evident are the Australian strength limits: it will not or will never become the superpower. It is best at middle power, never expected to have military, political or economic influence to force our will on others, and finally dependent on the capacity to admire. But if the Australia plays at middle level diplomacy with the like countries of same characteristics it is possible to generate a healthy relation with the other countries and thus creating a good return in any field. Australia on the other hand is the 12th largest economy, and by landmass it comes at sixth and in maritime zone it comes in third place; it is multicultural country of the world; it shows inimitable viewpoint linking Asia Pacific geography and European history. Individual and peacekeepers of Australia while working in worldwide establishments, both nongovernmental and official, have greatly an exceptional reputation; also as a security alliance with US, we also obey or show strong commitments globally and regionally. The ties between China and US are sound at the moment, enduring some acute connections in 2010 on amount of challenging deeds by China against territorial issues on water over the China Sea towards south, and recently the tension that has been created by the support of US to Chen Guangchen. But still many thinks about this issue that how US will react on the China’s acceleration of Economic Growth. One of the most dangerous or discussed issue of all times in the region is the ill use of nuclear weapons, Washington on the other hand is fully convinced with the performance of Beijing to compel North Korea. In practice by working all the way, and its entailments for how long can we manage our defense carriage and future expenses, in such a way that provides us more comfortable independent security against different ugly possibilities without indulging in such a tension? Australia on the other hand is not interested any more on China’s investment and trade and it can be seen that the relationship is ended with tears, and also with the passage of time Australia has sad that they are not keen in assembling anything from China creating the Cold War strategy. Australia has shown its keens interest in developing a healthy ties with US or South East Asian neighbors. The importance or upswing of India is as important as China, but policymakers have not noticed that. Trade capacities between West and South Asia and East Asia particularly now far offset those over the pacific and they are increasing vividly. China’s growth has been fueled by Gulf oil, and also between the two giants a bilateral trade. There is nothing especial that can alarm Australia, and many among these are happy with this development. Importance of South East Asia in the geographic hub is important due to the fact that it links the South West and North West, same is the case with Australia it also plays a significant role in this action. Australians are now recognizing the importance of Indian economic potential is almost same as that of China. For Australian, India has become a very big market for the natural resources such as gold, coal and copper in general and also the educational services. It can be said that India is the fourth biggest market for export destination of services and goods after Japan, Korea and China and now have the caliber to become the second. In terms of diplomatic, the relations with India are amiable though they are narrow during the Cold War due to some strategies, or due to personality conflict between the PM Menzies and Nehru also they have worked together on different general issues from decades. Australia has a strong tie with India on security issues, too. Indians have strong relation with Australians and consider Australia a perfect place for excursion. But the relation between India and Australia is not as healthy as it should be. There have been seen some episodic disturbance from Indian side. The good place to start with is with the economic relationship, if the bilateral investment and trade ties are to take at some level then there is a need to be an integration of economic with the help of trade agreement which Australia is discussing with the three great partners Japan, Korea and China and it launched an agreement with India. One of the main concerns of the Australian Public policy is that why still Indonesia has not gained the level of understanding and attentions from the leaders than other Asian countries have gained, though it deserves. Mostly people forget about the importance of Indonesia as it comes in number four in the world in area, and it is also the largest Islamic country and the most effective and potential player in ASEAN. The Indonesia in progressing day by day and this cannot be denied that its economy is increasing incredibly and it plays a significant and thoughtful role in both global and regional affairs. There are number of factors that lack the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. One of the factors is the stereotype perception about Indonesia that it is not changed, still some thought as the military dominance, undemocratic, authoritarian, there exist terrorist and a culture that is unknown to Australia. The point is that this concept of stereotype is now obsolete and there in Indonesia there is a proper democratic transformation. There are various factors and issues that are arising over the last number of years, make it authoritative that they are trying to work as hard as they can to implement the policy making architecture, security cooperation and regional economic mechanisms that truly work. There has been seen three basic differences between the Indo Pacific and Asia Pacific, cooperation and dialogue, there is no platform for security that bring all together, another key platform of APEC which plays a significant role in trade facilitation, even if it has not complete the hopes and not lived that much excluding India; there is another platform or forum named as East Asia Summit for policy issues like economic, security and socio political also it excludes the countries like Russia and US. Australia indeed is hopeful and can meet the challenges in foreign policy, but still it needs to be quick and show more reflexes, because things happens, incidents occur, sometimes there have made a misjudgments, peace can be turned into the war, we can see that these things happened in the past and still can be happened again.

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay Besides the 7,107 beautiful islands, Philippines has so much to offer, from its pristine white sand beaches, splendid views, abundant greens,diverse populations of flora and fauna, unique natural resources and vibrant culture. To add to it is the warm Filipino hospitality, affordable vacation rates that they provide to tourists, enabling them to travel cheap and enjoy the tourism experience even more. Ironic as it may seem, this natural beauty is masked by the ugly face of poverty and despair. A majority of the Filipinos have been living in sub-human conditions in constant struggle to battle deprivation and loss of dignity. Non-Government Organizations such as Gawad Kalinga provide alternative solutions to the barefaced problem of poverty and despair in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga (GK) has a vision of a slum-free, squatter-free nation a country where Filipinos are at peace and are given the dignity that they deserve. Together with its partners, the process of nation building and Filipino empowerment has transformed over 900 communities all over the Philippines. The Filipino people have the innate culture of giving and sharing, exemplified by the age-old concept of bayanihan. This unique Filipino spirit of being a hero to one another can be the desired push for voluntourism in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga has, in its history of service, contributed to the domestic tourism scene. With community building and community development programs manifested mainly through its infrastructure and community empowerment activities across the nation, and an extensive number of communities which continue to increase, the organization encourages more volunteers to be involved in their efforts. This potentially relates to an increased movement of people across the country which may be associated with an increase in awareness of the destinations to which they are deployed, a potential increase in travel spending, and a prospective ensuring increase in tourism spending. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE DOMESTIC TOURISM Many countries have a rich tradition of domestic travel and holiday which not only predates but exceeds mass international travel. This is particularly the case in Asia where recent economic prosperity and trends in globalization have not merely spurred, but continue to shape traditions in domestic tourism (Singh, 2009).  Tourism in the world is dominantly domestic not international (Cooper, Gilbert, Fletcher Wanhill, 1993). Travel is usually done within ones own country before one ventures out into travelling to destinations other than the country of residence. Domestic tourism involves residents of a country travelling only within that country but outside their usual environment. The main purpose of visit or travel is predominantly for leisure, business or other purposes (Cruz, 2000). TOURISM PROMOTION IN THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, the major agencies involved with tourism marketing and promotions are the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board (former Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation). Through the years, tourism agencies have used various slogans to sell the Philippines as a destination. To name a few, in the 1970s Where Asia wears a smile and An island to remember; in the 1980s Fiesta Islands, Theres a Fiesta for Everyone and Fiesta never ends in the Philippines; in the 1990s Islands Philippines, Our Islands Have It, Jeepney Islands (in Europe), and Musical Islands Philippines; in 1999 Rediscovery Philippines; and more recently, in the 2000s WOW Philippines (Cruz, 2000). The countrys new tourism campaign slogan is Pilipinas Kay Ganda under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III. The slogan aims to reinvigorate our countrys tourism campaign and double tourist arrivals within the next three years, said a Malacanang press statement reads. Promoting tourist destinations to potential vacationers is a difficult proposition. Most products and services use advertising to entice buyers and compete for the limited time and attention of the media-harried consumers. Likewise, current tourism advertising lacks the resources needed to prolong destination exposure in order to capture awareness and sustain the interest of potential consumers. In the domestic tourism scene, the local government units are tasked to promote their own destinations. These LGUs are given the liberty to formulate their own promotional strategies, according to the market niche that they are targeting realizing that different markets have different needs or motivations for travel. At present, the new administration is allocating budget for new media promotions, which includes launching a new website. This is due to the increasing trend of gathering information thru the World Wide Web. MOTIVATION FOR TRAVEL Throughout history, there have been different reasons why travellers set out on journeys or trips. The chief motivations noted in history were travel for escape, cultural curiosity, spirituality, education, and social status. People go on tours or trips to satisfy a range of needs from excitement and arousal to self-development and personal growth. The work of Stanley Plog, which is often critically accepted as the major approach to tourist motivation, stressed that travellers could be categorized on psychocentric (nonadventurous, inward-looking) to allocentric (adventurous, outward-looking) scale. In a more recent version of the approach, a second dimension, energy versus lethargy, was added to the psychocentric -allocentric dimension, thus developing a four-part categorization scheme. Nevertheless, the approach is still limited because of its North American bias, and it does not consider the issues of multimotive behaviour, nor does it provide measurement details or consider the dynamic nature of motives in the travellers life span (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Iso-Ahola (1988), in his work Toward a Social Psychological Theory of Tourism Motivation: A Rejoinder, argues that tourist and leisure behaviour takes place within a framework of optimal arousal and incongruity. That is, while individuals seek different levels of stimulation, they share the need to avoid either overstimulation (mental and physical exhaustion) or boredom (too little stimulation) (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p.262). The travel-needs model articulated by Pearce (1988) and co-workers is more explicitly concerned with tourists and their motives and argues that people have a career in their travel behaviour that reflects a hierarchy of their travel motives. People may start at different levels and are likely to change their levels during their life cycle. They may also be inhibited in their travel by money, health, and other people (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p. 263). The grades or levels on the Pearces Travel-needs or Career model were likened to a ladder and was built on Maslows hierarchy of needs. The earliest version of the travel-needs ladder retained Maslows ideas that lower levels on the ladder have to be satisfied before the individual moves to a higher level. Recent and ongoing revisions of this model place less emphasis on the strict hierarchy of needs and more on the changing patterns of motives. More importantly, the travel-needs ladder approach emphasizes that people have a range of motives for seeking out holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). In the travel-needs model, destinations are seen as settings where vastly different holiday experiences are possible. Thus, travellers motives influence what they seek from a destination, and destinations will vary in their capacity to provide a range of holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Richards and Wilson proposes that the search for new travel experiences is primarily argued to reflect peoples increasing recognition and reaction to the homogenous nature of traditional tourism products as well as their increasing desire for altruism, self-change and an ability to confirm their identities and provide coherence within an uncertain and fragmented post-modern life (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 542). VOLUNTOURISM (VOLUNTEER TOURISM) Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who, for various reasons, volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism is seen as utilizing ones discretionary time and income to go out of the regular sphere of activity to assist others in need (McGehee Santos, 2005). Voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment. Munt suggests that volunteer tourism should be seen as an expression of what is recognized as the other dimension of postmodern tourism (quoted by Uriely, Reichel Ron, 2003, p. 58). It is, by default, mass tourism in its early pre-tourism development stage and can be viewed as a development strategy leading to sustainable development and centering to the convergence of natural resource qualities, locals and the visitor that all benefit from the tourism activity (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism activities [volunteer vacations] involve participants paying to join organized projects (Broad, 2003). It is also described as donating ones time and manpower while on vacation, even if it is just part of their trips (Brown Morrison, 2003). Mead and Metraux describe volunteer vacations as giving time and energy for a good cause and paying for the privilege. It can be taken around the corner in ones home country, or around the world in a far off land. It may involve travel expenses only, or they may cost more than traditional trips (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 73). Callanan and Thomas states that volunteer tourism fosters a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship between the host and the guest and is seen as offering an opportunity for sustainable alternative travel that is more rewarding and meaningful than other holidays. It focuses on the altruistic and self-development experiences that participants can gain and the assistance that can be delivered to communities in terms of community development, scientific research or ecological/heritage restoration (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 543). With voluntourism, there is an intense rather than a superficial social interaction that occurs. The accounts between hosts and guests that is created are more engaging, genuine, creative and mutually beneficial. The nature of the experiences gained by tourists is more authentic, genuine, and reflexive, of contemporary cultural content and a meaningful impersonal experience (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Cohen, Mittelberg, Uriely and Reichel all agree that with respect to tourism studies, the term working holidays was attached to individuals who combine volunteer activity with leisure/tourism pursuits while traveling (quoted by Limjoco Magtoto, 2006, p. 12). In certain aspects, the concept of a working holiday may be considered as a dubious form of relaxation because initially, tourists expect a vacation to be as effortless as possible. Nonetheless, comprising practically of altruistic aims, its palatable appeal gives it an edge in the tourist market. VOLUNTOURISM ACTIVITIES Voluntourism can take place in varied locations such as rainforests and cloudforests, biological reserves and conservation areas. Activities can vary across many areas, such as scientific research (wildlife, land and water), conservation projects, medical assistance, economic and social development (including agriculture, construction and education) and cultural restoration (Wearing, 2001). It may also include opportunities for teaching [conversational English], nurturing at-risk infants and children, renovating and painting community buildings, assisting with health care, and natural resource projects (Brown Morrison, 2003). In his book Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, Bill McMillon categorizes potential volunteer activities into the following groups: accompaniment and amnesty work; agricultural and farm work; archaeology; community development; environmental protection; environmental research; executive and technical assistance; historical restoration; marine research; medical and dental; museums; outdoor and recreation; public health; railroads; religious organizations; scientific research; social action; state and national parks and forests; trail building and management; and work camps (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 77). VOLUNTOURISTS Gazley deems that volunteer vacationers appear to have the same motivations as long-term volunteers but the relative value of various factors is different with self-actualization being very important for short-term volunteers. He further suggests that it may lead volunteers to look for opportunities not only for service but for learning and growth in volunteering which may be increasingly focused on education (quoted by Ellis, 2003, p. 46). The only essential skill required by volunteer organizations is the desire to help others (Brown Morrison, 2003). There is usually, however, the opportunity for volunteers to take part in local activities and interact further with the community. Hence, the volunteer tourist contribution is bilateral, in that the most important development that may occur in the volunteer tourist experience is that of a personal nature, that of a greater awareness of self. Volunteer tourists will almost always pay in some way to participate in these activities. Furthermore, the amount is usually more than an average tourist would expect to pay on a normal holiday to a similar location (Wearing, 2001). Bud Philbrook, president and CEO of Global Volunteers, sums up the excitement of doing volunteer work on a vacation, when someone adds a volunteer dimension to their vacation, they gain a unique perspective of the community theyre re-visiting. They have the opportunity to learn from and about the local people and make genuine friendships in the process. It is an exceptional experience and very often the highlight of any tripà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). VOLUNTOURISM MOTIVATION Wearing states that in a global society that increasingly finds dogma and marketing used to instill values and exploit social relations, volunteer tourism represents both an opportunity and a means of value-adding in an industry that seems to represent consumer capitalism at its worse (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). Resource mobilization theory argues that the networks an activist establishes, both within and outside of a particular movement, are vital to its success. Social psychological theories purport that, among other things, a consciousness-raising experience is a necessary precursor to social movement participation (McGehee Santos, 2005). The motives afforded by voluntourism would provide an outlet for those seeking unconventional travel experiences to pursue their own benevolent agendas. Furthermore, it can prove to be a far more satisfying experience than those offered by conventional tourism. Volunteer tourism would be a perfect venue wherein the travelers could satisfy their desires for a more in-depth understanding of the people within the tourist destination. It not only would have an impact on the tourists, but also on the locals themselves. Many travelers seek a chance to become immersed in a community or assist with projects when they travel rather than just passing through (Proceedings of Travel with a Purpose Symposium, 2000). MOTIVATIONS TO CONTINUE VOLUNTEERING Sherr (2003) classified the reasons that volunteers maintain their service through time into five factors. First, good communication within the organization is a very important factor to maintain the volunteers work in the long run. Good communication is a flow of quality information from the organization to its volunteers. Information flow consists of, for example, general news within the organization, the organizations 32 expectations of its volunteers, rules and regulations, recognition, and feedback given to the volunteers. There are a variety of forms of communication, such as face-to-face interactions, newsletters, bulletin boards, and more complicated forms such as public displays of recognition. It is reported that face-to-face conversation is the most effective factor to serve the satisfaction of the volunteers and increase their level of commitment. Providing informal recognition and appreciation early in the volunteer experience can affect the volunteers tenure of service at an organization (Stevens, 1991). If the volunteers are satisfied with the quality of the communication, they are likely to stay longer. Second, scheduling, work assignment, and work allocation are crucial factors to maintain the volunteers efforts. Volunteers tend to be satisfied with work if they can schedule their own volunteer hours and days, especially if the schedule is flexible. In addition, they are apt to continue volunteering if they are assigned to work on tasks that allow them to utilize their personal talent or specific skills. Next, if the volunteers can see that the outcome of their volunteering efforts really benefit somebody, they have a propensity to remain in the service. This factor will be reinforced if there is a connection, particularly direct contact, between the volunteers and the people benefiting from their services. In other words, if the volunteers feel that their efforts are worthwhile and important, they will be motivated to continue volunteering. On the contrary, if they feel useless or incapable, they tend to terminate their volunteer work sooner (Wharton, 1991). Fourth, volunteers expect good support from the organization they work for, such as training support and emotional support. Volunteers who participate in training report 33 higher levels of satisfaction than those who do not (Galindo-Kuhn Guzely, 2001). Organizations offering longer training sessions and a variety of training topics are also likely to have a larger number of volunteers who are satisfied and committed (Cyr Dowrick, 1991; Paradis Usui, 1989). Volunteers need emotional support not only from the organizations paid staff, but also among the volunteers themselves. Volunteers have a propensity to continue their service when they perceive that they are a part of the team and each member is willing to collaborate in problem solving, cooperate on projects, and encourage the volunteer initiative and activity (Cyr Dowrick, 1991). On the contrary, if they feel like they are being treated without respect, such as being told what to do and what not to do, they will lose their i nterest and motive for participating in that volunteer effort. Lastly, a strong sense of group integration is another important factor that keeps the volunteer in service. Group integration refers to the bonds that tie volunteers affectively to one another and the organization. Such relationships are independent of the work; instead, they provide a social aspect of the volunteer experience that is associated with satisfaction and commitment. The study by Field and Johnson (1993) indicated that volunteers are more satisfied when they have contact with other volunteers, not only in the work, but also at social events or casual socializing outside of the workplace, such as having an informal dinner with the paid staff and other volunteers, or being invited to join holiday parties (Sherr, 2008). VOLUNTOURISM AND SOCIAL AWARENESS Volunteer tourism presents a unique opportunity for exposure to social inequalities, as well as environmental and political issues, subsequently increasing social awareness, sympathy and/or support (McGehee Santos, 2005). McGehee and Santos explored how an increased social awareness through voluntourism can influence subsequent social activism. A voluntourism experience may provide an indirect or informal channel for an exchange of ideas regarding the issues and inequalities that exist. Though the observation of these social issues and inequalities and the exchange of ideas occur in the local community, it can be deemed apparent that the same occurs elsewhere. It has been proposed that volunteer tourism experiences have the potential to change voluntourists perceptions about society (at a global as well as local level). In the study conducted by McGehee and Santos, consciousness-raising occurred prior to, during, and after the volunteer tourism experiences. It has been found out that many volunteer tourism expeditions improve what is called as global citizenship. One of the many interesting topics in the field of tourism research is that of tourisms potential contribution to global peace and understanding. There are examples from around the globe, of tours that are seeking conflict resolution, greater understanding and even movements for global social justice. However, it remains a matter of some dispute among tourism analysts as to whether tourism can help foster peace and secure a more harmonious world (Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2003). VOLUNTOURISM AND CULTURAL TOURISM It is unlikely that [other] cultural tourists will gain the same depth of interaction and experience as a volunteer tourist (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Admittedly though, this conclusion still requires further empirical validation. In their paper, McIntosh and Zahra examined the nature of the volunteer experience in the search for alternative and sustainable experiences through cultural tourism, in the case of Australian visitors to a Maori community. The findings of the study showed that the main motivation for undertaking the volunteer project was not primarily related to sightseeing but to volunteering, to work; not just to be tourists, to give and to experience a service project. It was examined how open and responsive the host community were initially, and throughout the volunteering project, and what impact the volunteers left on the community. It was found out that the nature of the volunteer tourism experience was mutually beneficial to both the host and the voluntourist. The nature of the experiences gained by the voluntourists were seemingly different from those gained by cultural tourists experiencing the traditional cultural products, as the latters experience border on commodified cultural products. VOLUNTOURISM AND ECOTOURISM Wearing impresses that volunteering on nature conservation projects has become increasingly popular in the last two decades (quoted by Halpenny Caissie, 2003, p. 25). Non-government organizations and government agencies charged with managing biologically significant and recreation-oriented areas are expanding the use of volunteers in their programs designed to conserve biodiversity, foster healthy environments, and operate recreation and conservation programs. In a paper by Halpenny and Caissie, they explored the attitudes and values regarding nature, and the perceptions of nature by the volunteers who participated in the Volunteer for Nature program, a Canadian-based conservation volunteer project. A majority of the volunteers stressed the importance of nature and the environment as a context for self-centered activities such as recreation and therapeutic interaction. The importance of natures existence value, the satisfaction of knowing that nature exists and is being protected was also apparent. Many of the participants expressed concern and empathy for the wildlife and threatened environments. Wearing describes volunteer ecotourism as a bright alternative that promotes host self-determination, local control, sustainability, environmental stewardship and the privileging of local culture and values (quoted by Gray Campbell, 2007, p. 466). III. GAWAD KALINGA THE POWER OF AUDACIOUS GOALS 1. GK777 Meloto knows the importance of coming up with a compelling vision to inspire people. Thus, he came up with GK777. Launched in 2003, GK777 goal to construct 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years. The objective of the project is to help the poorest of the poor, regain their trust, build their confidence, make them think and act as a community and to share the joy of a country rising from poverty. 2. GK2024 A logical extension of GK777 is GK2024, which seeks to uplift five million Filipinos.The first phase of the journey (from the year 2003 to 2010) aims to achieve Social Justice, and is captured in GK777. The goal has been restated as: raising 700,000 home lots and starting up 7,000 communities by the end of 2010. The second phase (from 2011 to 2017) is the stewardship phase called Social Artistry, and aims to empower GK communities for self-governance, self-reliance, and self sufficiency through community-based programs for health, education, environment, and productivity. It also aims to build a village culture that honours Filipino values and heritage. The final phase (from 2018 to 2024) is envisioned as a time of Social Progress, and seeks to achieve scale and sustainability by developing the grassroots economy and expanding the reach and influence of GK to five million families with support from key sectors of society in the Philippines and partners abroad (Gawad Kalinga, 2009). During this phase, the Filipino will lift himself from poverty by unleashing his potential for productivity and hard work in the right environment. According to the Gawad Kalinga web site, the 21-year journey of Gawad Kalinga represents one generation of Filipinos who will journey from poverty to prosperity, fromneglect to same to honour, from third- world to first world, from second-class to first-class citizen of the world. 1. Companies (private sector) Gawad Kalinga has successfully propagated the idea that the participation of big business in GK is more than just exercising their corporate social responsibility (CSR). They are also involved in a bigger project that is nation-building. Because of GKs novel approach of actively engaging their corporate donors in implementing GK programs and activities on the ground (rather than simply raising funds), the partnership takes on some special meaning for the. 2. Government (public sector) In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo challenged GK to build 1,000 homes with P30 million from her presidential fund. In spite of its lack of experience in building at such a scale back then, GK succeeded in building the houses in 70 sites throughout the country within a year. President Arroyos highly-publicized initiative served as a major boost for GK, which began to attract leaders from both sides of the political fence, including opposition leader Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who provided P40 million from his Countryside Development Fund for schools, livelihood centers, sewage and path walks. Support also came from other senators. Hundreds of governors and mayors have since joined the bandwagon. SERVICE EXPANSION MODEL For several government agencies, partnership with Gawad Kalinga allows them to fulfill their public-service mandates more effectively. Worth noting are the partnerships of GK with the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Tourism (DOT). The partnership between GK and DA took the form of Bayan-Anihan, the food-sufficiency program of Gawad Kalinga. Bayan-Anihan aims to eradicate hunger by empowering families in GK communities to produce their own food. Under this program, GK families would each be given a 10-square meter lot where they could start a vegetable garden with okra, tomatoes, eggplants, and kangkong for their daily consumption. Launched in 2009, the program seeks to launch 2,500 farms in the next three years to feed at least 500,000 people for life. Another innovative program is GK Mabuhay, which promotes GK sites as tourist destinations. This is a result of the collaboration between GK and DOT. GK villages have become a cultural attraction in themselves, owing to the fact that they were built with the people working together as members of the community. Under this program, GK villagers welcome visitors with warmth and hospitality brought about by their renewed sense of hope. Both GK and the DOT call this campaign the new face of community tourism. Taking center stage are the Mabuhay Ladies, a group of women residents who were chosen to be tour guides in the GK communities that were opened as travel destinations. The DOT conducted workshops for the Mabuhay Ladies, giving them practical guiding tips and techniques on how to be effective tourist hosts and good communicators. The concept of community tourism, according to DOT Secretary Ace Durano, is fairly new. This has been a sought-after activity among the more adventurous travelers, who choose not just to travel but to take part in community concerns. This travel-for-a-cause stance has been supported by the DOT through its other partnerships with socio-civic groups, Durano said BUiLDING THE GK BRAND Contributing to the rapid growth of Gawad Kalinga is the reputation it has built over the years. Gawad Kalinga has succeeded in creating an image that appeals to donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. For example, GK is fashioned as a nation-building movement. It seeks to build a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism and one that is made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity (GKBI, 2009). Since it was founded in 1995, Gawad Kalinga has managed to put a unique spin to its programs and activities. Because of this, GK has always looked fresh and dynamic to interested observers. For example, GK was originally known for building faith communities because of its values formation programs, and because of its association with the Couples for Christ. When it made inroads in building homes in war-torn Mindanao, GK communities were dubbed as peace zones where Muslims and Christians work together to address poverty. Recently, GK communities have become eco-friendly villages as well because they have begun to integrate environmentally-sound practices in their way of living. GK villages have likewise been transformed into tourist spots that showcase the inherent charm and uniqueness of each place. Aside from the colorful houses and beautifully landscaped surroundings, each GK community offers the warmth, hospitality, and inspiring stories of its residents, who represent the triumph of the Filipino people against poverty and oppression. IV. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework is presented by Figures 1 and 2, which are the Concept Map and Concept Table respectively. Figure 1. Concept Map of the Study GK cm3 Premise: Tourism promotions play a large role in encouraging people to engage in tourism ventures. The natural beauty or landscape of the destinations, the facilities and services of the tourism supplier, and the organizations government mandated and non-government mandated, stimulate tourism response. Domestic tourism is an amalgam of internal and inbound tourism. At present, traditional or conventional tourists dominate the domestic tourism markets

African americans in world war I Essays -- essays research papers

Anthony J. Mitchell Summer 2002 U.S. Since 1865 History 2063 AFRICAIN AMERICAINS IN WORLD WAR I Before WORLD WAR I, military service represented a source of black pride. Black educators, clergymen, and the press frequently referred to Negro heroes of America’s past wars. After the Civil War, the U.S, Army maintained four regular Negro regiments –the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry. These units included veterans of the civil war and the frontier Indian fighting regiments. Retired sergeants often became respected, conservative leaders in their communities. This history set a foundation for black support and involvement in America’s future wars. In 1917, the United States entered World War I under the slogan â€Å"Make the World Safe For Democracy.† Within a week after the U.S, entered the war, the War Department stopped accepting black volunteers because colored army quotas were filled. No black men were allowed in the Marines, Coast guard or Airforce. However they were allowed in the Navy only an as mess man which was a position the yielded very little advancement and no glory. When drafting began, of the more than 2,000,000 blacks registered 31 percent were accepted to 26 percent of the white men. Blacks then comprised 10 percent of the population. World War I represented a turning point in black American history. It, presented an opportunity to improve race relations at home despite the fighting abroad. How could you be racist against people whom are fighting to stabilize your freedom and the freedom of others was the mentality in the minds of black soldiers. Page 2 Although World War I represented a turning point in American history it was evident racial relations would be and issue at home and abroad. When American troops began arriving on the western front one of the first to arrive on New Years Day in 1918 was the 369th (Harlem Hell Fighters). This unit was the first to reach the Rhine in 1918 where the regiment received 11 unit citations from the French. The 369th regimental band conducted by James Reese Europe and Noble Sissle is credited with the introduction of American Jazz into Europe. (Reid. A life in Ragtime: A Biography of James Reese Europe. . Little, Arthur W. From Harlem to the Rhine: The story of New York’s Colored Volunteers). This regimental band entertained troops and citizens in every city they visited and wa... ...n their efforts to make America truly democratic by ensuring full citizenship for its entire people. Black soldiers, who continued to serve in segregated units, were involved in protest against racial injustice on the home front and abroad. The introduction of black troops left a profound effect on Europe. More than Page 4 350,000 African Americans served in segregated units during World War I, mostly as support troops. Several units saw action alongside French soldiers fighting against the Germans, and 171 African Americans were awarded the French Croix de Guerre or Legion of Honor for their heroic actions. In response to the mistreatment and discrimination from the black community, several hundred African American men received officers` training at Des Moines Iowa. By October 1917, over six hundred African Americans were commissioned as captains and first and second lieutenants. These accomplishments allowed the black American male to put his stake in American History not as a mere nuisance, or an inferior being portrayed by racism but as an Honorable soldier whom endeavors to protect a country he loves despite discrimination received at home or abroad.

Internet, Extranet, Email in companies Essay -- essays research papers

The ever-changing world of technology is making the world become smaller every day. Businesses and organizations are taking advantage of the advances in technology to improve their organizations. Technology’s influence reaches beyond improving relations within an organization to enhancing an organization’s ability to service its customers. But even more than that technology is influencing the shape of the organization itself. In order to realize the impact of technology on business organizations, the following paper will focus on how organizations use technology within an organization (intranet, email), how organizations use technology to communicate with and service clients or customers, and finally how organizations are using the current technology to train both employees and customers. How are businesses utilizing technology with their organizations? Email Many businesses at the very least are taking advantage of the current technology to implement email systems. Email systems, in addition to traditional methods of communication including telephones, voice mail and face-to-face interactions are increasing the ease of communication between people in an organization. Through the use of email, people are able to send messages on a one-to-one basis, or to send broadcast messages to an entire organization, or to send messages to a specific group or department. Email provides an alternative to the traditional face-to-face or telephone communication that is necessary in business. With the increased productivity and demands that accompany day-to-day operations, people are always looking for ways to do more in less time. A written message sent via email can be short concise and to the point, eliminating some of the small talk that would normally take place in a face-to-face or telephone interaction. Another advantage of email is that people are able to respond when it is convenient for them. In a society where time is of the essence, people are able to sort through messages and to prioritize which ones should be addressed first. Furthermore, some people prefer sending email messages instead of face-to-face interactions because they are more likely to be intimidated by face-to-face communication. Email gives those types of people the freedom and the opportunity to say exactly what is on their mind. Electronic messaging systems are also a great asset to a manager... ...that studies to measure differences in student performance should go beyond just grades. Therefore, additional studies have included outcomes including student involvement, and participation, cognitive engagement, technology self-efficacy, attitudes toward the technology employed, the usefulness of the technology, attitudes toward technology-mediated distance learning and the relative advantage and disadvantage of distance learning . In order to achieve learning most effectively, methods should include the use of rich media, interaction between students and instructors, and instructors who project positive attitudes. As technology continues to advance, distance learning will continue to become more like traditional classroom training. More people are looking for alternative means for continuing education. Continuing education in organizations is becoming the rule, not the exception. In all areas, internally and externally organizations are embracing technology to get in touch with their workers and the world. The dynamic nature of technology will continue to push organizations in new directions and will continue to play a role in defining and shaping the organizations themselves.

Cisco Products and Specific Customer Groups

In August of 2001, just months after Cisco System reported its first loss a a public company ($ 2. 7 billion), John Chambers, president and CEO, announced a major restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation organized around customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. This restructuring not only risked destabilizing the large, complex organization during an economic downturn, but more importantly, threatened Cisco’s ability to remain customer-focused, a hallmark of the company’s culture and success since its first product was created in 1986.In order to maintain communication and stimulate ongoing collaboration among the newly independent functional areas, Cisco introduced coordination mechanisms that enable the companies to remain customer-focused. Introduction John Chambers became president and CEO of Cisco Systems in 1995. Over the course of the next several years, the decisions he made and the changes he implemented chall enged traditional business practices, and resulted in incredible growth for the company. When Chambers first started, Cisco was generating annual revenues of $2. 2 billion; just six years later, the company was generating annual revenues of $22.3 billion.All of those results, however, were threatened in the 2001 market downturn. Earlier in the year, the explosive growth in the sales of hardware supporting the Internet began to show serious signs of slowing down, and Cisco Systems, like the rest of the technology industry, was facing the repercussions of the demise of the Internet boom and the first economic downturn in more than a decade. Start-ups, which had enjoyed the benefits of a buoyant stock market, and telecommunications companies began cutting back their overextended IT and network budgets.As a result of the falling demand, Cisco announced its first loss as a public company ($2. 69 billion) in the fiscal quarter ended April 28, 2001 and cut 18% of its workforce. In August, Chambers announced a major organizational restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. While recognizing that a centralized, functional structure was necessary to avoid product and resource redundancies, Chambers also realized that it risked making the company less customer-focused.At the time of the announcement, Chambers asserted that Cisco’s customer-centric culture would offset this drawback, but he knew that more needed to be done to ensure that an organization as large as Cisco would remain customer-focused—technology companies simply could not afford to lose 1 sight of the customer. Chambers knew then that he needed to implement a formal, crossfunctional structure that would keep the company in touch with its customers. Chambers found himself considering an ambitious idea that, if executed, could transform both his company and conventional organizational strategy.He asserted that if Cisco implemented a crossfunctional system of executive-level committees, or councils, that fostered a culture of teamwork and collaboration that the company could scale beyond what anyone else thought possible. The benefits were clear—the cross-functional councils would bring the leaders of different functions together to collaborate and focus on the needs and issues of specific customer groups. Cisco could enjoy the benefits of being a functional organization while retaining its customer-centricity. Still, implementing such a system would be difficult.Many other companies had previously failed at facilitating collaboration across functions, especially large organizations such as Cisco. Chambers began asking himself questions. Would Cisco’s employees, many of whom were accustomed to a command-and-control system, accept a more collaborative model? Could they function in such a system, even with training? Would a cross-functional system work in such a large functional organization? Furthermore, if Cisco moved forward with this idea, how many councils should be formed? How large should they be? Who would sit on and chair them?Where would the decision making power reside? And finally, how could a system be implemented without creating a matrix organization that would impede decision making and generate conflict? These were all important questions, many of which for Chambers did not yet have answers. They were also questions that would discourage most executives from taking the chance. Still, Chambers understood Cisco’s employees and knew what they were capable of. He also knew that if they could succeed, the company would become even stronger financially and organizationally.With 2002 approaching, and the organizational restructuring already being implemented now was the time to act. Market Transformation Despite the challenges presented by the 2001 market downturn, Cisco overcame the sudden drop in product demand . In fact, the company became even stronger after the downturn. By the end of July 2007, Cisco was generating more than $30 billion in revenue and employing 61,535 employees worldwide. Cisco’s total revenue for FY 2007 ($34. 9 billion) was an increase of approximately 23% over FY 2006 revenue’s of $28. 5 billion.Net Income was $7. 3 billion GAAP and $8.4 billion non- GAAP, while Earnings per Share was $1. 17 GAAP (increase of 31% year over year) and $1. 34 non-GAAP (increase of 22% year over year). Part of Cisco’s post-downturn resiliency and success was the result of a transformation in its market focus and product offerings. Signs of this transformation were evident shortly before the downturn, when Cisco invested in its first comprehensive advertising campaign, including television and print, that asked the question, â€Å"Are You Ready? † with the goal of raising consumer awareness of its networking-equipment business and its plans to connect Internet users with its routers and switches.Because Cisco realized that it could not solely rely upon existing demand, the company began diversifying the products it offered and who it was selling those products to. By 2007, Cisco had successfully expanded into advanced technologies such as unified communications, wireless local area networking, home networking, application networking services, network security, storage 2 area networking, and video systems. These advanced technologies resulted in the growth of Cisco’s enterprise (large business) and service provider segments.For instance, by 2007, more than 8 million unified IP phones had been installed worldwide (Cisco was the market share leader in the enterprise voice marketplace); Cisco’s Catalyst 6500, a highperformance modular switch that converges data center, campus, and wide-area network in a single system, surpassed $20 billion in sales; and Cisco’s enterprise customer installed base recently surpassed the 3 million wireless access points milestone. 3 Cisco was also able to successfully integrate the aforementioned advanced technologies with its core routing and switching technologies in products such as its Integrated Services Routers.Additionally, Cisco announced in June 2007 that it had shipped 900 of its Carrier Routing System (CRS-1), which provided continuous system operation to telecommunications service providers and research organizations, since its introduction in 2004. Cisco claimed that customers understood the leadership, total cost of ownership, flexibility, and investment protection advantages they would receive when they installed a Cisco product, which was designed to allow customers to easily and cost-effectively add marketleading voice, data, security, wireless, and other capabilities to their existing Cisco networks.This strategy differentiated Cisco from many of its competitors, which are usually present in only one or two product categories or customer segments, an d often do not integrate their products from an architectural perspective. In a conference call discussing Q4 and FY 2007 financial results, Chambers commented on the importance of this balance and integration: â€Å"We believe that there are a number of factors that are unique to Cisco’s ability to grow.First is our unique balance across over two dozen product areas, four customer segments, and across major developed and emerging countries†¦From a product perspective, we approach the market with an end-to-end architecture where the products are first loosely then tightly integrated together, rather than focusing on individual routers, switches, security, wireless, storage, unified communications, or other standalone products. In addition to diversifying its product and service offerings, Cisco transformed its market focus by finding new growth opportunities in developing economies.Because Chambers knew these opportunities would not get the attention they needed from st andard geographic sales coverage, he created a new sales â€Å"theater† called Emerging Markets, which included 138 countries around the world, regardless of location. Instead of every theater having several emerging markets in their portfolio viewed as low priorities, all the emerging markets were unified into one theater with the same resources and expectations of the other theaters. While several sales leaders functioned throughout the emerging markets, one sales senior vice president (SVP) was ultimately responsible for each theater.Members of the Emerging Markets sales team met with government and business leaders in various countries to discuss â€Å"how Cisco could help their countries develop a stronger economy through Internet access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities†. These and other efforts throughout the theater paid off—growth for FY 2007 in Cisco’s Emerging Markets theater was 40%, the highest growth rate of all five theat ers (e. g. North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Japan; and Emerging Markets).This performance made Chambers even more confident about the value of emerging markets. â€Å"Our architectural strategy in emerging markets is working extremely well,† he said in the conference call. â€Å"Barring some major economic or political surprises across many of these emerging countries, I would expect this theater to have the potential to grow more than twice the average growth rate of the other four theaters, if we execute effectively. † 3 2001 Organizational Restructuring Cisco also transformed and expanded its market focus through acquisitions.Before the downturn (1993–2000), Cisco was known for its acquisitions; it acquired 71 start-up companies that specialized in both its core and advanced areas, with 41 of those acquisitions occurring between 1999 and 2000. While emerging markets and acquisitions were key in helping Cisco survive the downturn, the company’s 2001 organizational restructuring played an even more important role. In its early days as a start-up, Cisco Systems was organized as a centralized engineering organization. As the company grew rapidly after going public in 1990, it adopted a business unit structure that was organized around primary product groups.This structure lasted until 1997, when the company reorganized itself around three semi-autonomous lines of business, each focusing on a distinct customer type: service providers, large enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses, which Cisco characterizes as the â€Å"commercial† segment. Within this structure, each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups. This decentralized organization was created to meet the differing requirements of service providers and SMBs, two groups of customers that were growing rapidly at that time.By creating separate business units, Cisco attempted to meet the needs of e ach without compromise. However, as the market downturn brought about slowing demand and falling revenues, the negative aspects of the segment-centric grouping became clear. Organized behind lines of business focused on the different segments, redundancies in technological development were certainly not surprising—coordination across all technologies relevant to a customer group came at the expense of replicating technology development across customer groups.Still, redundancies became more noticeable at Cisco in the harsh economic environment faced by the company. Each business unit designed and sold its own products to customers in a particular industry, even though each business line produced some similar, if not interchangeable, products. Moreover, differences between customer segments had begun to blur: some enterprise business products suited service provider needs, but the service provider business lacked knowledge of, and access to, them. In some cases, each line of bu siness had a different technology or solution for the same problem.By summer 2001, for example, Cisco had eight different teams developing technology to transmit telephone calls over Internet protocol (IP) networks. As one manager stated, â€Å"Before, we had a service provider customer, enterprise customer, and SMB customer, and we built a complete product line for that customer set. What that did cause was a great deal [of] redundancy of engineering and innovation†¦we had to build the same thing three times over and make things that are 80% the same three times over to satisfy the three requirements. † Facing the realities of the market downturn, Cisco made a change.On August 23, 2001, the company announced a major restructuring that, CEO John Chambers enthused, would bring Cisco closer to its customers, encourage teamwork, and eliminate product and resource overlaps. Cisco shifted from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. Engineering was reorganized around eleven technology groups: Access, Aggregation, Cisco IOS Technologies, Internet Switching and Services, Ethernet Access, Network Management Services, Core Routing, Optical, Storage, Voice, and Wireless.Although the product groups were divided based on 11 technologies, Cisco retained three sales groups based on customer type. Between the technology and sales groups, a central marketing organization was installed to integrate products and technologies into solutions for the customer. A cross-functional â€Å"solutions engineering team† was charged with bringing the 4 different technologies together in a lab, testing them to ensure integration, and then creating blueprints that the customer would use to implement the solution.Marketing and engineering—previously segmented by customer type—were centralized under the chief marketing officer and the chief development officer, respectively. Cisco also expected the new structure to promote more rapid technical innovation by eliminating overlap in R&D. The old structure inhibited the exchange of ideas because engineers worked in separate silos—a solution in one area might have suggested a solution in another, but, claimed one executive, â€Å"You might not hear about it for six months if you are in another business unit.†Implementing the Reorganization While a centralized, functional structure would help Cisco avoid product and resource redundancies, it also carried the risk of making the company less customer-focused because the company was organized around product, and not customer, groups. Whereas before each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups, each functional unit was now committed to a specific technology, which entailed the risk of dismissing the customer.Despite this risk, however, Cisco moved forward, trusting that its customer-centric approach would offset the effects of a functional structure. Customer advocacy had been imprinted on the company during its founding, when Cisco engineers were building customized products for end users with fairly idiosyncratic needs: â€Å"When we started, we made routers, which were basically software devices, and the sales people would literally go out, talk to the customer, the customer would say ‘I need this protocol,’ and they’d say, ‘We’ve got that.We’ll get the code to you in a week. ’ They would go back, tell the engineering guys that they had to develop it, and the engineers would do it,† said a senior manager. â€Å"That kind of stuff really sets the culture of the company; your job is to figure out what problem you are solving for the customer. And what you do everyday, setting up your activities, your tasks, your programs, your projects, your priorities, is in alignment with that notion of solving the customer’s problem.â € The goal was to try and preserve this customer-focused culture that had been engrained in Cisco ever since its founding. However, managers realized even at the time of the 2001 reorganization that maintaining the same level of customer focus would become increasingly difficult as Cisco grew larger in size. Because the reorganization threatened to push the company away from the customer and towards a more functional structure, Chambers knew that Cisco could not lose its customer-centricity.When asked in 2007 how Cisco was able to maintain its customer focus through the reorganization, he said, â€Å"[Customer focus] has been deeply embedded in our DNA since I came here almost seventeen years ago, and while I’m a very collaborative leader, there are certain aspects of our culture, our vision, our strategy, which are non-negotiable, and customer focus is one of them. † To ensure that this culture would not change, Cisco responded in various ways during the reorganiza tion.

Reaction Paper On Stage Play Essay

STARS (JP Lopez) Characters: Cindy Liper as Wilma Jerie Sanchez as Juday Patricia Lopez as Norma Ken Sadsad as Edward Junelyn Villareal as Jolens Jm Encinas as Boyet SUMMARY: There were 2 known person in showbiz , who are old friends,but because of their feelings on a guy they became enemy for a long time..even if they are neighbors they have been outdoing & became worst.E ven if their maids (yaya) are in the same situation and same thought. This 2 known person in showbiz have a sons who promised them to bring them in United States . And when their sons came home from America , they are trying to say that their son is better than the other. And when they are fighting / quarilling again ,their sons admitted that they have re3lationship , and intend to live abroad and because of that unexpected news ,they felt guilt, they realize and awakened that fighting against each other is no good thing to offer. And lastly they became friends all over again. REACTION: This play is so fuuny.. because each one of them delivered their role nice & energetic. Most specially Norma & Wilma ,together w/ their maids Judy & Jolenz.. And I like that play very much.,it is because they made me happy. PITIK SURPLUS CHARACTERS: Cherry Bagtas as Benny Chin Ortega as Eagle Patrick Libao as Bok Gabby Bautista as Batik SUMMARY: This 3 siblings have a store/ shop where-in all their selling goods are came from stealing.,Because of this, they already mastered the act of stealing like AKYAT-BAHAY, SHOPLIFTING, etc. And the manager of this shop is a young boy at the age of 7, he can manage the shop accordingly. One day his elder sister & brother want to change their bad lifestyle in a good & honest work/job. And because of their aunts letter who are in the jail ,they have a chance to change into a good person, but this young boy doesn’t like the opinion of his sister & brother..While they have their impt. Conversation.the police came to arrest them bec. Of some crimes they did, this young boy said that they kidnap him, and he told this to safe him from tha policeman..While he is emerged, his brother & sister are arrested. REACTION: This is the story that I appreciate most , it is bec. Even if Batik isw only a 7 year old boy he can as older as its sister & brother. And I impressed the way Batik deliver his role . The whole-play is good and interesting. STRANDED(VINCENT TANADA) CHARACTERS: Monique Azzereda as Debbie Mar Miranda as Wally Jordan Ladra as Senedy Kevin Posadas as Pepper SUMMARY A childhood friends decided to have a trip in hongkong. While waiting for departure a typhoon came that the reason why they’re been stranded in the H.K. airport. . Debbie & Senedy are having a secret relationship, but they don’t know how to profess their rel. to Wally & Pepper..Unexpectedly Pepper has feelings to Debbie where in Pepper & Debbie are brothers..But bec. Of Pepper’s situation , Senedy decided to secret their rel. w/ Debbie . but Pepper told to them that he already know the secret of the 2..and they did not admit ..after that a good news came that their flight to Manila as finally oik. REACTION: This play is all about friendship and love. I liked how Senedy take good care of his brother who are not in good condition. And I liked the way they acted, even if they are not as serious as Pitik Surplus actors/actes acted.but over all this is a good play. SPIRITS(Patrick Libao) CHARACTERS: Chris Lim as William Adeele Ibarrientas as Zenaida SUMMARY: A guy having a medical problem because he can’t able to get away from the past when the time of Spaniards . And he can saw frightful things around him he felt fearful & threatened ..But his wife are keep on teeling that the things that he can see is just only his imagination,but he is still not believen in his wife, instead he always hurting his wife just like before when his wife are still alive.. And when he realize everything that his parents & wife are already dead , he understood everything that is happening around him. REACTION: Since this is my first time to watch a horror play like this .i was so scared when-ever the ghost are appearing.. The whole story is good..And I impreesed the way Zenaida & William acted.