Organizational Controls Free Essays

The Lincoln Company follows a decentralized approach to management. The decentralized approach is when employees participate in setting goals, determining standards of performance, governing quality, and designing control systems. The decision making is not confined to top executives but throughout the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Controls or any similar topic only for you Order Now The lowest level managers and employees are empowered to make decisions. The employees have added responsibility and they are involved in decision making which results in increased job satisfaction. The responsibility and the authority that goes with it make the job more interesting and provide greater incentive for people to put out their best efforts. The employees of Lincoln Electric Company tasks are precisely defined, and individual employees must exceed strict performance goals to achieve top pay. The Lincoln employee’s organization culture is based on trust, shared control, and an egalitarian spirit. The Lincoln Company has an open door policy. The company has cross functional teams and they are empowered to make decisions, take responsibility for product planning, developing, and marketing. The company openly shares information with the workers throughout the organization about the company’s operations and finances. The Lincoln system was so successful in the United States mainly because of a diverse control approach. Within this company the organizational culture is based on openness, trust, and shared control. As opposed to the hierarchical approach which involves monitoring and influencing employee behavior through extensive use of rules, policies, and written documentation, and the employees communicate with their immediate superior and with their immediate subordinates. The Lincoln Company use of this system gained trust with the workers. The employees can purchase stock, and they owned more than 60% of the stock. The incentive and control system was powerful with incentives that the company offered to employees. This included a no lay off policy, the employees are eligible for annual bonuses, the production workers are paid on a piece rate basis, plus merit pay based on performance. The company had an open door policy and the workers can openly disagree with the manager about pay and other issues. The problem with transporting Lincoln’s control systems to other national cultures because managers in some other countries have more trouble running an open book company because of prevailing attitudes and standards encourage confidentiality and even secrecy concerning financial results. The executives when deciding to expand to different countries may have just concentrated on technology, products, marketing, and control systems, but failed to recognize that the culture of countries may have widely different beliefs, values, and practices. These differences can create stress and anxiety for employees, and these negative emotions affect future performance. Cultural differences should be evaluated during the acquisition process, and Organization Development can be used to smooth the integration of this company to another country. Another helpful tool to make future international manufacturing plants more successful that is being used more often is total quality management. It is a way to implement the decentralized approach to another county. Total quality management uses quality circles and benchmarking as ways to introduce this approach to employees. The organization development will help the company with a culture change which is a major shift in the norms, values, attitudes, and mind set of an organization. It focuses on the human and social aspects of the organization and works to change attitudes and relationships among employees and helps strengthen the organization’s capacity for adaption and renewal. Lincoln Company should not borrow money and pay bonuses to the United States Workers. I think employees would rather have a job, than the company going bankrupt. How to cite Organizational Controls, Essay examples

Mcdonalds in China Essay Example

Mcdonalds in China Essay Introduction: McDonald’s in China McDonald’s is considered as the most successful and largest restaurant chain in the world. In 1990 McDonald’s opened its first store in Shenzhen China. In 1992, McDonald’s Beijing outlet was opened. There are more than 800 McDonald’s outlets in China today. This paper aims to analyze the importance and the extent to which culture affects the operations of McDonald’s in China. The impacts of the Chinese culture on the operations, policies and decisions of McDonald’s are studied as well as the changes brought about by McDonalds, a symbol of American culture, to the Chinese society. Two areas will be analyzed –employee relations (human resources management processes and policies) and restaurant operations. Part I: The Chinese Culture Kluckohn and Strodtbeck’s Cultural Orientations According to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) there are five basic value orientations underlying cultures. These orientations are human nature (good versus mixed versus evil crossed with the mutability of the goodness), man nature (subjugation to nature, harmony with nature, mastery over nature), time (past, present, future), activity (being, being-in-becoming, doing), and relational (lineality, collaterality, individualism). Human nature refers to the innate goodness of people. A counterexample of this comes from the idea that people are evil, as evidenced in traditional Puritan thought. Emphasis was placed on controlling and regulating behavior to prevent evil from spreading. The man-nature aspect involves the relation of the individual to nature. For instance, many Asia n cultures stress the view that man must be seen as a harmonious part of nature, whereas the orientation of most Anglo Westerners is that of man over nature that is, dominance of nature through technological means. We will write a custom essay sample on Mcdonalds in China specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mcdonalds in China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mcdonalds in China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The time orientation refers to the time frame salient to a group. For example, Chinese culture places a great deal of emphasis on ancestral obligations and rites (related to the Confucian principles of relationships and the five moral principles. Such a past orientation is contrasted with the future orientation of Westerners, who are often discontent with their current setting and seek change for the better. An activity orientation concerns self-expression in activity. In a being society, emphasis is placed on immediate gratification and spontaneous action, much like Morriss Dionysian dimension. A being-in-becoming society focuses on action and accomplishment measurable achievements. Finally, the relational orientation involves an individuals relation to his or her collective (Earley 1997). Culture and Its Importance Culture as a meaning system is materialized in patterns of human behavior and social interaction as well as in artifacts and observable rituals. Culture means more than physical materials or observed patterning of human interactions. It is also found in the evolution of distinct systems of ideas, beliefs, values, and their manifestations through symbols, forms of presentation, and patterns of social relationships. Culture is not static but dynamic, a constantly flowing current (Chaffee et al 1994). Each culture has its distinct value systems and orientations (Kluckhohn Strodtbeck 1961). Values are often revealed in the behavioral patterns, community relationships, rituals, and cultural artifacts that make it possible for us to recognize and experience each culture. A conceptual definition must differentiate values from other closely related concepts such as beliefs, attitudes, and norms. Values are a type of belief, but are not identical with beliefs, which are cognitive elements that have existential referents. In Kluckhohn and Strodtbecks terms, a value system is a set of principles that are patterned in a distinct configuration. This patterning of value elements distinguishes one value system from another. For example, both Chinese and Americans value family stability. But in traditional Chinese culture, family stability was built upon the supreme importance of ones obligations to ancestors, clan, and parents. The Chinese value of family stability is closely associated with many other values, such as prohibiting free male-female courtship and reliance on parental arrangement for marriages. This means that forces beyond the marriage itself, primarily those from clan and family elders, are involved in enforcing family stability (Chaffee et al 1994). Study of Chinese Relationships One area in which values differ across cultures is that of social relationships. Social relationships are those that are stabilized institutionally through culturally understood roles and responsibilities. For example, male and female relationships involve culturally accepted behavioral expectations in work situations, in families, and in social interactions. In each of these settings, there are socially accepted definitions of roles, through expected behavioral patterns and responsibilities associated with being a male or female. The same can be said about relationships involving authority hierarchies, seniority, or kinship (Chaffee et al 1994). Traditional Chinese culture is widely considered to be built upon value system crystallized in Confucianism. This traditional value system is revealed through elaborate definitions, regulations, and moral and ethical principles regarding individuals’ roles and relationships. These principles are not just ideas; they are materialized in social practices, including rituals, rites, ceremonies, and cultural artifacts. At the heart of the Confucian system lies linear hierarchy governing family structure, political structure, and the supernatural world. Study of the Chinese Language The Chinese language is one of the oldest living languages, and it is spoken by more people in the world than any other. Its script is used not only in China but in Japan and Korea as well. Nobody knows exactly how old the language is in its spoken form, but its system of writing was in existence nearly four thousand years ago. It probably originated by drawing pictures of word meanings into loess or sand. Like other ancient tongues, Chinese is a pictographic not an alphabetical language. The stylized, simplified pictures called characters or ideographs appeal with some exceptions more to the eye than to the ear. Each Chinese character symbolizes a meaning, an idea; it is not comparable with Western-type words which consist of a limited number of letters. English has twenty-six letters in its alphabet; Chinese is composed of thousands of characters that must be individually memorized by anyone who learns to read and write. The great dictionary compiled during the Manchu dynasty gives some 40,000 characters; however, knowledge of 3,000 to 4,000 characters constitutes a rather adequate reading vocabulary. The modern character often shows little similarity to its original pictorial counterpart because usage as well as changes in writing instruments and materials caused changes in form (Callis 1959). Chinese characters reveal thought processes of the Chinese mind; they have universal appeal to everyone endowed with intelligence and artistic feeling. Written with a pen, characters may look ordinary; but the same characters written with the Chinese brush can reflect the personality of the writer to an extraordinary degree. They will show the flow and rhythm of life movement in which the old Chinese calligraphers took great pride. Classical written Chinese differs so much from the written language of today that intensive training is needed to master both (Defrancis 1986). Study of Chinese Nature Chinas oldest religion, influential among the people until the doorstep of our times, was a nature religion. Spirits of river and mountain, of soil and grain, of wind and water, of field and kitchen, and especially the ancestral spirits of the dead were worshipped. It was believed that they played an active part in human affairs. Lord on High (Shang Ti) was the heavenly ruler of natural forces while the Son of Heaven, emperor of all China, was the mediator between these forces and all men. At the winter solstice when the sun, the great yang, symbol of warmth, health, and righteousness, would give more light again, the emperor would make sacrifices on the Altar of Heaven. In the home of every Chinese family ceremonial honors were brought to the spirits of the ancestors who were regarded as very much alive in the spirit world and revengefully powerful on earth unless properly remembered and revered. Geomancers, knowing about feng-shui, wind and water, saw to it that buildings fitted into their natural surroundings without disturbing the spirits. Work followed the rhythm of the sun, of the seasons, and of crops. Life followed the natural cycle of birth, marriage, and death. The calendar followed the phases of the moon. Festivals were celebrated to remember the ancestors, to venerate the spirits of great men, or simply to mark the seasons and to admire nature. Typical were the Lantern Festival, the Moon Festival, or Ascending High. Chinese were masters in observing nature and using natural products. Silk, medicinal herbs, and vegetable colors are outstanding examples. Tools, toys, and art objects were made of natural materials that the soil or plants provided (Callis 1959). Study of Chinese Human Nature There are traits, combinations of traits, and behavioristic peculiarities characteristic of native Chinese. These may be explained as results of race, geography, society, and a common culture to which all nurtured and raised in China are exposed. Chinese are, in general, hard working, practical, and thrifty. They are used to working much and to thriving on and enjoying little. A trace of optimism, even of humor, seems always present in the Chinese personality. Even under the most trying circumstances a spark of hope for better times is present. Chinese peasants and workmen are rarely demoralized. They keep their chins up, take what comes, help each other out, and are amazingly content in their unending struggle for the bare necessities of life. You can rob an army of its general, but you cannot rob a common man of his will, they will say. If fate turns and things are going very well for them, they readily become easygoing, even complacent, and opulent. They may yield to temptations: gambling, women, and opium. Aroused and angered, a Chinese who has convinced himself of the evil intentions and enmity of his foe can be cruel, determined, and revengeful in the extreme. He may wait long for his opportunity, but he will not forget. On the other hand, the Chinese can be a reliable and sacrificing friend when he is bound by cordial sentiments. As a highly emotional person who thinks with his heart, he is likely to go unjustifiably far in both his animosity and his friendship. Yet to a real or imagined change of heart in his opponent, he himself will respond quickly and warmly. Though accustomed to hide his own emotions under smiles or an impersonal mask, the Chinese is an expert in the psychological observation of others. Nothing escapes him, which is advantageous to know. He can be an unobtrusive, talented spy. Deeds alone, not words, will impress him though he himself is good at playing with words to cover up his true intentions or to mislead his enemy (Callis 1959). The Chinese culture is very different from the Western culture. The discussion above presents a clear picture of the Chinese culture that will aid us in the study of how the Chinese view McDonald’s and how the company used these views, which are culturally driven, to its success. Part II: Importance of Culture to the Operations of McDonald’s in China McDonald’s Culture McDonald’s is the epitome of an American Company. For most Chinese it symbolizes the American Culture. There is a great difference between the American culture and the Chinese culture. McDonald’s as an American company have American values. McDonald’s in China, like elsewhere in the world virtually follows the corporation’s basic American operating system. The majority of employees are called the ‘crew’. In China, and in every country where there is McDonald’s, crew jobs are fragmented into different stations such as working on the till, cleaning tables and emptying bins, garnishing burgers and monitoring fries, bread machines or the grill. Virtually all aspects of the business are highly standardized and rigorously monitored. Assembly line techniques are used to produce and serve identical products; standardization and higher productivity are ensured through new technology and the systematic planning of each job, broken down into the smallest of steps. he corporations industrial engineers measure and plan the equipment layout and scheduling in terms of seconds of working time using computerized time study methods. The workers skills are eliminated and the work is labor intensive with the machinery making the cooking decisions. Lights and buzzers tell workers when to turn burgers or take fries out of the fat. Computerized cash registers do most of the thinking for till and window workers, separating the hand and the brain in classic scientific management style. According to Royle (2000), the basic principles of the McDonald’s business model are: oHigh degree of standardization in all process oVarious standardizes layouts and concepts for the restaurants oAlmost identical products all around the world with only few adaptations oVery strong quality management oHigh levels of control in collaborations McDonalds Corporation believes that standardization is the most rational means of maximizing cost efficiencies. In addition, standardization has cultural functions, where the company maintains a global corporate image for marketing and advertising purposes (Ritzer, 1996 cited in Pereira 2002). McDonalds rationalization could be seen in its optimization of work processes, particularly through the use of technology. This is more than simply referring to the use of equipment and machinery, for McDonalds technology includes all processes from the preparation, cooking and serving of the food right up to the systems of financial accounting, ordering of stocks, staff planning and training. All these processes have been fine-tuned towards achieving cost and labour efficiency, and minimizing wastages (Leidner 1993 cited in Pereira 2002). Cultural Views of the Chinese about McDonald’s In the eyes of many Chinese, McDonald’s represent the American culture and the promise of modernization. McDonald’s highly efficient service and management, its spotless dining environment, and fresh ingredients have been featured repeatedly by the Chinese media as exemplars of modernity (Yan 1997). According to Li (1999) people in China are drawn to McDonald’s because of its novelty, status and symbol. Yan (2000) argues that McDonald’s attraction fro Chinese customers does not come from its food but from the sociality of the space it provides to consumers. The space is sociable, because it gives customers a sense of public accessibility, a sense of equality between customers and restaurant employees, and, among women customers, even a sense of gender equality. For these reasons, while McDonald’s in the United States is a place for grabbing some fast food, in Beijing it is a place for friends and colleagues to hang out and communicate (cited in Yang 2002). Most international fast food chains in China, particularly McDonald’s are targeting children. The policy of one child per family has had the effect of turning single children into fussy little emperors, the center of attention of parents and relatives. High-quality food and beverage products provided by companies such as McDonald’s are targeted at children, where they find a ready market. While McDonald’s remains essentially American in terms of menu, services, and management, the company has made serious efforts to adapt to the Chinese cultural setting. To present itself as a local company, all the restaurant sin Beijing actively participate in community projects with local schools and neighborhoods (Luo 2001). McDonald’s, American Culture and Chinese Culture As McDonald’s becomes a global phenomenon, it teaches non-Western and non-US audiences new forms of producing and consuming food, while initiating some cultures into modernization and modernity itself. Studies of the introduction of McDonald’s into Asia, for instance, stress how McDonald’s teaches consumers to queue up and wait in line and enter rationalized processes of food consumption. It provides an experience of cultural otherness that enables non-Westerners to participate in the culture of Western modernity. It teaches non-Western workers speed and efficiency, as well as food hygiene and customer service (Watson 1997 cited in Kellner 2003)). It is thus part and parcel of the process of globalization that is producing new forms of culture, social practices, and ways of life. For global citizens, McDonalds represents the charisma of the golden arches, Ronald McDonald and McDonaldland, the tie-ins and promotions, and the ubiquitous advertising, aimed at a variety of genders, races, classes, and national subject-positions, which attempt to incorporate more and more cultures and sets of consumers into its McWorld. In China, McDonald’s signifies Western modernity and presents itself as an alternative to their traditional culture in terms of cuisine and social experience. However, the Chinese culture also affects McDonald’s. One example is how McDonald’s adapts to the culture and cuisine of the Chinese. McDonald’s in China redesigned its menu, serving noodle dishes along with Big Macs and allows regional owners to vary the menu according to local tastes. In its global attempts to articulate McDonalds with local forms of various cultures, the corporation calls Ronald McDonald Uncle in China and also has an Aunt figure, drawing on Chinese respect for elders and relatives (Kellner 2003). The cultural background of the Chinese people shapes their views and attitude toward McDonald’s. As a country that has been secluded from the rest of the world, the entrance of McDonald’s in China has fueled curiosity and the Chinese people’s desire for modernity and to be included in the global village. The discussion above stresses the importance of culture to the operation of McDonald’s in China because culture shapes attitudes and affects behavior and attitude. In order to be successful in China, McDonald’s need to study the Chinese culture and to be able to adapt to the norms and expectations of the Chinese society. Part III: The Impact of Culture on Employee Relations of McDonald’s in China Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions: China and The United States One of the most popular works in the study of culture is that of Geert Hosfstede (1984). Through his research and surveys he theorized that cultural and sociological differences between nations can be categorized and quantified, thereby allowing comparison of national cultures to take place. Hofstede identified five cultural dimensions. These are: 1. Power Distance The dimension of power distance is about the extent to which power structures are hierarchical and reflect significant inequalities in power. Countries with large power distances exhibit wide inequalities in power, power that is often concentrated in relatively few hands in heavily centralized and hierarchical organizations. Individuals within such cultures view themselves as inherently unequal: subordinates are dependent on those higher up the hierarchy and accept the power of their superiors by virtue of their position in the hierarchy. All participants in the hierarchy expect their position within it to be clearly demarcated. China is considered as a large power distance country. In small power distance countries, individuals are more inclined to regard themselves as equals: rather than expecting to be told what to do, subordinates expect to be consulted and will argue a case with those higher up the organization. Respect for individuals within the organization comes from their proven capacity to perform a role rather than from the possession of a particular job title or their place in an organization. Shorter small power distances coincide with flatter organization structures. The United States is considered a country with small power distance. 2. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance measures the lack of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This manifests itself in high levels of anxiety and emotion. This in turn translates into a preference for highly structured formal rules and limited tolerance for groups and individuals demonstrating deviant ideas or behaviors. 3. Individualism vs. Collectivism The individualist-collectivist dimension measures the degree to which the interests of individuals or of the group take priority. The social framework in an individualistic society is looser than that of a more collectivist society and individuals take responsibility for themselves and their immediate as opposed to extended families. Individualist societies demonstrate a greater regard for individual rights and freedoms and tend to be characterized by assertiveness and competitiveness rather than by teamwork and cooperation. China is considered a country that is collectivist. In China, it is the group (which could be the extended family, the employer or the society as a whole) that looks after the interest of individuals and gives them their sense of identity. In return fro this protection, individuals offer the group loyalty and work towards the attainment of goals determined by and for the good of the group, organization or society. The United States on the other hand is a highly individualistic society. 4. Masculinity – Femininity Societies that place a high premium on assertiveness, achievement and the acquisition of material possessions are exhibiting aggressive or masculine goal behaviour. Masculine environments also favour conflict and competition in the workplace. Cultures that place a high value on social relationships, quality of life and sensitivity demonstrate passive or feminine goal behaviour. Cultures and workplaces scoring high on the femininity dimension exhibit high degrees of cooperation, negotiation and compromise. The United States can be considered as a masculine culture while China is leaning toward femininity. 5. Short- vs. Long-Term Orientation This cultural dimension was not included in Hofstedes original analysis but added at a later stage. In countries with a short-term orientation, which is more characteristic of Western societies (particularly the United States) and of some Asian countries such as Pakistan and the Philippines, the emphasis is on the immediate gratification of needs, a focus on the present and the attainment of short-term goals. In cultures with a more long-term orientation, which include the cultures of Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan, the satisfaction of needs is deferred for the sake of long-term benefits and growth. Associated characteristics include persistence and thrift. International Human Resource Management International Human Resource Management is the process of procuring, allocating and affectively utilizing human resources in a multinational corporation (Sims 2002). IHRM according to Briscoe and Schuler (2004) is about understanding, researching, applying and revising all human resource activities in their internal and external contexts as they impact the process of managing human resources in enterprises throughout the global environment to enhance the experience of multiple stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, partners, suppliers, environment and society. In the case of McDonald’s culture has little effect on the company’s operations. Although the company has invested so much on making it’s restaurants appear as local as possible, the company system remains intact. McDonald’s conduct crew-level training at 25 workstations in addition to using step by step manuals and videotapes. Due to its international scope, translators and electronic equipment are provided, which enables professors to teach and communicate in 14 languages at one time. In addition to training, its Hamburger Universities provide a variety of advanced business management course, which allows aspiring managers to earn college credit. McDonalds Corporations organizational structure and its use of technologies appear to influence its employment policy. McDonalds is structured into three main groups: the headquarters team, the restaurant managers and the crewmembers. The headquarters team refers to a small group of senior executives and managers in charge of public (community) relations, finance, personnel, human resources, training, property management and several other tasks. As the restaurant managers task involves day-to-day management of the restaurant, McDonalds usually hires secondary school leavers to fill the post as the majority of the jobs training is conducted within the restaurant itself. Restaurant managers began their careers in McDonalds as trainee managers, before rising to become second assistant manager, first assistant manager, and finally restaurant manager. The higher the managerial position, the greater the number and the complexity of tasks, including staffing, training and recruitment of crew members (and junior managers), budgeting, accounting, and maintaining discipline. Numerically, crewmembers are the largest group in the organization, but are remunerated with the lowest wages. The crews main tasks are preparing and serving the food, and cleaning the restaurant. As these tasks are relatively simplified due to the heavy rationalization of the technology, the McDonalds Corporation does not need to hire a person with a lot of education or skills. The crew face the least favorable employment conditions in comparison to the other two groups. For its employment policies, McDonalds Corporation has its own espoused philosophy, which believes that issues of efficiency and equity can be dealt with without the need for unions (Love 1995; Royle 2000). The company has its own Human Resource Management programme, one which is similar to many other corporate HRM programmes, where the main objectives are to foster employee loyalty and to keep its employees satisfied through individualizing employee relations (Beaumont 1995). McDonald’s is the largest food service operation in the world in terms of system wide sales. McDonald’s is a franchised based multinational company that establishes franchises and company-owned operations to export its products. McDonald’s has developed highly standardized and uniformed products with minor alterations depending on the local market. McDonald’s also developed a highly standardized operating system and procedure. The HRM procedures in the host country are virtually the same as the host countries. However, there are different issues that affect the IHRM practices in McDonald’s, particularly in Europe.

How to Register to Vote in U.S. Elections

How to Register to Vote in U.S. Elections Registering to vote is required in order to cast ballots in elections in all states except North Dakota. Under Articles I and II of the U.S.  Constitution, the manner in which federal and state elections are conducted are determined by the states. Since each state sets its own election procedures and regulations – such as voter identification laws – it is important to contact your state or local elections office to learn your state’s specific election rules. How to Vote With the exception of state-specific rules, the basic steps to voting are the same almost everywhere.Voter registration is required in every state except North Dakota.Every state allows absentee voting.Most states assign voters to vote at specific polling places or voting locations.The U.S. Election Assistance Commission lists federal election dates and deadlines by state. Who Cannot Vote? The right to vote is not universal. Some people, depending on their circumstances and state laws, will not be allowed to vote. Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents (green card holders), are not allowed to vote in any state.Some people who have been convicted of felonies cannot vote. These rules may vary by state.In some states, persons who have been legally declared mentally incapacitated cannot vote. What is Voter Registration? Voter registration is the process used by the government to ensure that everyone who votes in an election is legally eligible to do so, votes in the correct location and only votes once. Registering to vote requires that you give your correct name, current address and other information to the government office that runs elections where you live. It might be a county or state or city office. Why is Registering to Vote Important? When you register to vote, the elections office will look at your address and determine which voting district you will vote in. Voting in the right place is important because who you get to vote for depends on where you live. For example, if you live on one street, you may have one set of candidates for city council; if you live the next block over, you may be in a different council ward and be voting for completely different people. Usually, the people in a voting district (or precinct) all go to vote in the same location. Most voting districts are fairly small, though in rural areas a district can stretch for miles. Whenever you move, you should register or re-register to vote in order to make sure you always vote in the right place. Who Can Register to Vote? To register in any state, you need to be a U.S. citizen, 18 or older by the next election, and a resident of the state. Most, but not all, states have two other rules as well: 1) you cant be a felon (someone who has committed a serious crime), and 2) you cant be mentally incompetent. In a few places, you can vote in local elections even if you are not a U.S. citizen. To check the rules for your state, call your state or local elections office. College Students: College students who live away from their parents or hometown can usually register legally in either place. Where Can You Register to Vote? Since elections are run by states, cities, and counties, the rules on registering to vote are not the same everywhere. But there are some rules that apply everywhere: for example, under the Motor Voter law, motor vehicle offices across the United States must offer voter registration application forms. Other places required the National Voter Registration Act to offer voter registration forms and assistance include: state or local government offices such as public libraries, public schools, offices of city and county clerks (including marriage license bureaus), fishing and hunting license bureaus, government revenue (tax) offices, unemployment compensation offices, and government offices that provide services to persons with disabilities. You can also register to vote by mail. You can call your local elections office, and ask them to send you a voter registration application in the mail. Just fill it out and send it back. Election offices are usually listed in the phone book in the government pages section. It may be listed under elections, the board of elections, supervisor of elections, or city, county or township clerk, registrar or auditor. Especially when elections are coming up, the political parties set up voter registration stations at public places like a shopping mall and college campuses. They may try to get you to register as a member of their political party, but you dont have to do so in order to register. NOTE: Filling out the voter registration form does not mean that you are actually registered to vote. Sometimes application forms get lost, or people dont fill them out correctly, or other mistakes happen. If in a few weeks you have not received a card from the elections office telling you that you are registered, give them a call. If theres a problem, ask them to send you a new registration form, fill it out carefully and mail it back. The Voter Registration card you receive will probably tell you exactly where you should go to vote. Keep your Voter Registration card in a safe place, its important. What Information Will You Have to Provide? While voter registration application forms will vary depending on your state, county or city, they will always ask for your name, address, date of birth and status of U.S. citizenship. You also have to give your drivers license number, if you have one, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you dont have either a drivers license or a Social Security number, the state will assign you a voter identification number. These numbers are to help the state keep track of voters. Check the form carefully, including the back, to see the rules for the place where you live. Party Affiliation: Most registration forms will ask you for a choice of political party affiliation. If you wish to do so, you can register as a member of any political party, including Republican, Democrat or any third party, like Green, Libertarian or Reform. You can also choose to register as independent or no party. Be aware that in some states, if you dont select a party affiliation when you register, you will not be allowed to vote in that partys primary elections. Even if you do not select a political party and do not vote in any party primary elections, you will be allowed to vote in the general election for any candidate. When Should You Register? In most states, you need to register at least 30 days before Election Day. In Connecticut, you can register up until 14 days before an election, in Alabama 10 days. Federal law says that you cant be required to register more than 30 days before the election. Details on registration deadlines in each state can be found on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Web site. Six states have same-day registration - Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming. You can go to the polling place, register and vote at the same time. You should bring some identification and proof of where you live. In North Dakota, you can vote without registering. Parts of this article are excerpted from the public domain document I Registered, Did You? distributed by the League of Women Voters.

Learning to Write by Reading

Learning to Write by Reading Learning to Write by Reading Learning to Write by Reading By Michael You might think avoiding other influences makes you a more original writer. But nobody can write in a vacuum. Even the meanings of words depend on how others have used them. You didnt invent the English language. Everything you write, you learned from someone else, even if only from your first grade teacher. Only when youre aware of your influences as a writer can you transcend them, instead of unconsciously copying them. Instead, reading other writers (which you already do) and learning from their style will help you develop your own, original style. Besides improving your vocabulary, it will give you a wider array of tools from which you can choose. You may recognize your own style as you read someone elses. Or you may learn what you dont want to sound like. Choosing your influences Which writers should an aspiring writer read? You should read the great ones there, thats vague enough. Start with the classics of world literature, because many people over many years have confirmed theyre worth reading. You can search Google for greatest writers of all time to see a list. Include modern authors as well, because thats what you are. My colleague Mark Nichol suggests four books that demonstrate specific writing skills. But be warned: take advice on what writers to read, but not whom you must imitate. You can never be anyone but yourself. In 18th century England, everyone thought they needed to write like Lord Chesterfield, but that was a bad idea even in the 18th century. Imitate the writers you want to be like its more profound than it sounds. As Ive said before, you are what you read. Reading influences your style, and as you discover your true style, you have an obligation to keep developing it. Even great writers might be imitated for the wrong reasons. Perhaps another writers uniqueness shouldnt be imitated, since you have your own. Perhaps he or she can get away with breaking rules that you and I shouldnt try to, not until we become more skilled. Until we do, no wonder our writing doesnt quite work. Or it might be a writers persona that draws us, rather than their skill. Many aspiring writers long to be irreverent free-spirits, but that doesnt make them good writers. Mixing a drink like Ernest Hemingway will not make you write like him. (Hemingway himself retorted, Have you ever heard of anyone who drank while he worked? You’re thinking of Faulkner. He does sometimes.) Some great literary figures were great partly because of their suffering, and you may not want that. Some of them were mentally ill. Imitate writers because of how they write, not because of what they write about. Some writers became popular only because they landed on the popular side of popular controversies. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote about his fictitious novelist Kilgore Trout, His prose was frightful. Only his ideas were good.† Other writers camouflage their bad ideas with excellent writing, but its dangerous to imitate interesting writers who write badly. Developing your tools Choose the writers who can do what you want to do, so you can learn how to do it yourself. Like many people, my favorite writer Connie Willis could never guess the murderer in Agatha Christie novels. She wanted to learn how to surprise her readers too, so she studied Agatha Christies plots to figure out how she did it, and it paid off. Now critics call her a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie. If youre writing within a genre, you need to learn the genre, but its more important to learn the skills. In other words, dont say, Okay, I like J.R.R. Tolkien, so I want to learn to write about orcs. Orcs have been done enough already. If you really want to give orcs a fresh face (and orcs are not known for their facial beauty), you first need to learn to write about evil, or danger, or enemies. So find authors who understand those things, whatever their genre. If you are organizing a dangerous quest, you dont need to imitate the way Gandalf organized one in Bilbo Baggins hobbit hole. You could find inspiration for that in Moby Dick or Treasure Island. Professor Tolkien would be ashamed if all you learned from his writings was how to talk like an orc. You can imitate the style of others as you develop your own, but theres no need to imitate their ideas. If youre writing about danger, sure, read how other writers depict danger. Read what they say, then decide what you want to say. It should not be the same thing. That is not the kind of imitation Im talking about. How you feel about danger will be different because youre different. Thats your unique contribution. How to absorb a writers influence Besides reading, what other ways can you learn from an author? Copy out passages that you like. Copying focuses your attention by slowing down your reading. You can learn better by involving the hand as well as the eye. Read out loud. While youre at it, why not read regularly to those who cant read for themselves? That helps you, the aspiring writer, as well as the preschool future reader, or the elderly person with failing sight. Create templates from favorite sentences, similar to the Mad Libs game, and fill the structure with your own words. For example, based on the first line of Edith Whartons Ethan Frome: NAME VERB the NOUN, bit by bit, from ADJECTIVE NOUN, and each time it was a ADJECTIVE NOUN. Adapted original: I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and each time it was a different story. Parody an authors style while writing on a subject that he never would have. Thats how the Bad Hemingway Contest kept going for nearly 30 years. Parodying Ernest Hemingway is an attractive target that has tempted distinguished writers such as E. B. White, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Plimpton. Imitation doesnt need to be a form of flattery. You can learn a lot about a writers style when you make gentle fun of him or her. W. H. Auden, in his 1962 essay â€Å"The Poet and the City,† says that in his imaginary College for Bards, the only critical exercise required of students would be the writing of parodies. Authors who learned writing by copying out passages, even entire books, include Jack London, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Hunter S. Thompson. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeRunning Amok or Running Amuck?20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

Indigenous land claims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Indigenous land claims - Essay Example In fact, even after gaining independence and sovereignty, the colonial masters have always been reluctant to hand over indigenous land to the indigenous people. Landlessness is one of the significant indicators of extreme poverty levels across the globe. Actually, poor citizens mostly live in rural areas, rely on agriculture, and agricultural labor to survive. However, they do not own these pieces of land (Landesa, 2012, p.1). In the modern times, all land belongs to the government with the citizens exercising use and care over land. Through various government land commissions, the government issues ownership certificates to qualified individuals, regulates and controls use of all land in a given state. Possession, use, registration, or even land claims are important yet very difficult procedures in matters relating to land. It is usually very difficult for the government to honor indigenous land rights and land claims have always resulted to violence and court cases.  However, the re have been various claims over land all over the world by the indigenous people in specific nations from the government, colonial masters, or caretakers. A land claim is a formal statement submitted to the federal and/or provincial government by an Aboriginal community asserting violation to commitments or obligations relating to Aboriginal land rights (Darling, 2012, p.1). While it is much easier to launch a land claim against a registered land, it is much difficult to claim a right over unregistered land. This paper will address the content and significance of the central land rights claims made by indigenous people, mostly indigenous people in Australia. Like other traditional inhabitants, the indigenous people of Australia have been in existence, occupying, and using indigenous land for more than 60 000 years. Although they have greatly evolved with time just like the uses of land, the significance of land in sustaining

THE IMPACT OF THE HAJ EVENT ON VISITORS TOWARD THE HOSTING DESTINATION Research Proposal

THE IMPACT OF THE HAJ EVENT ON VISITORS TOWARD THE HOSTING DESTINATION - Research Proposal Example The evaluation of the event will be an essential attribute that requires a proper analysis and elaboration of the issues that take place within the same platform. This report proposes that the events profits the hosting country a lot due to the influx of people while also creating an opportunity for small scale traders to expand their business so as to gain from these events. The proposal will examine the different issues that affect attitudes when dealing with mega events. The proposal will evaluate the events and the value dimensions that define attitudes when dealing with such events. It will also look at the impact of having such an event to the hosting country as the costs and benefits will be felt most by the host countries. Most of countries have begun to open up on hosting mega events. The Hajj has always been an awaited session amongst the Muslims due to their religious connotations. Others have been yearning to host events as big as the fifa world cup and the Olympics because of the tourism benefits they accrue as a country (Horne and Manzenreiter, 2006: 190). The goal is to understand whether the benefits will outweigh the costs and whether the host country will manage the people who come to the country (Jones, 2001: 242: Daniels, 2006: 335). These have also shaped the world tourism patterns because everyone knows that the Hajj period is directed to Mecca and any world cup will be directed to the hosting countries. With time, people already shape their tourism patterns. They have also highlighted the new tourism destinations and brought new demands to these countries (Gelan, 2003: 410). The main expectation, however, is that the host country will have heavily invested in infrastructure, sporting facilities and security to avoid any fatalities due to the huge crowd (Szymanski, 2002: 170). The improvement will benefit the country afterwards, but the

Can Students Study Better Using A Tablet?

Can Students Study Better Using A Tablet? Can Students Study Better Using Digital Textbooks on a Tablet Than They Can By Using Books, Pens and Paper Nowadays young starts were easily adopting to the new technologies and implementing them in education, similarly do the students can studying better using digital textbooks on a tablets rather than using traditional method of reading textbooks, well in my opinion students has to adopt to the digital textbooks because it is very flexible and has many advantages like compact, take very less place to store and no wear and tears and so on where this all helps the students to be smart in the real world. Many people says that many of students were very much comfortable with the hard copies in my sense this is because eBooks may not be accessible in their places. There is absolutely no doubt the digital textbooks are cheaper. Students at the Stepinac college paid $700 for textbooks previously which year only $150 for having access to the digital library (by Theresa Walsh Giarrusso september 2013). Even Students are very attached to their mobile phones and tablets but they have not been enamoured to digital books even though the cost is low, since they are very much habituated to hard copies of text books. This method indirectly effects the environment. This results in deforestation and pollution. Although students in college today are very attached to their cellular devices, they have not really been enamoured associated with e-books. In 2010, digital books accounted for 3 percent associated with textbooks sales using the National Association associated with College Stores (By Bertha Coombs, CNBC.com-published on June 2011). Analysts say its because until now e-textbooks happen to be little more bit more than PDF replicates of physical textbooks, impractical for students whore accustomed to mentioning their paper copies since they study. Researchers at on the web education firm Xplana state the shift toward tablets in the year ahead wills certainly jumpstart demand for e-texbooks in the $8 billion Oughout. S. education publication market. iPads and other tablets will probably be in the possession around 20 percent of scholars by the fall of 2012, states that Xplana director associated with research Rob Reynolds. Thats an enormous impact. Its fastest developing technology tha t weve welcomed in education. Reynolds predicts electronic digital book sale growth in the higher education market will double over the next four many years to $1. 5 billion by 2015, and be the cause of 25 percent market share. A big jump in the amount of interactive texts available for the new supplement platforms next fall could also spur greater requirement. Text books are heavy and no longer necessary when the information can be downloaded. In classrooms in my area, iPads have been very successful. iPads are a recent some-what inexpensive tablet computer that became available in 2010. Apple company offers good education programs for universities. The weight with the textbooks in his or her backpacks would injure their backs overtime. Whereas an iPad is merely 1. 44 fat. The iPad can also have educational video games for the students to find out and entertain independently (article took in http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-kids-use-ipads-for-textbooks-in-school). While in many countries people still go with traditional method using the hard copies because the people were not well fascinated to technology. Due to this the children in some developing countries like India were facing the problem while carrying text books to the schools that their back bone were getting bent due to the over load of caring more books. Perhaps using the di gital books really gives a lot of advantages to the students like it occupies only small place to save thousands of text books and it is very easy to carry from one place to another. Using an ipad could help children look into the console and make children compose more. Scholars might not need to keep getting up to hone their pencils which diverts the educator and learners. The point when individuals have untidy penmanship, their work looks flawless and is not difficult to peruse on the ipad. When young children make use of iPads as well as notebooks theyre going to learn to make better do the job and stay cleverer. Many people argue that as compared with traditional method of reading, seating in front of tablets and ipads will create some health problem like eye strain and health hazard, and also it seems to be less concentrated while studying, but in my opinion digital books will make our work quick and easy I am sure that one can find a article in eBook quickly rather than using a textbook. Finally i would like to conclude that people has to update their habits as the technology changes this helps the students to be smart in the real world, thereby using ipads, tablets, and smartphones helps students to learn more faster within a less time and also they were eco friendly to environment. References : Bertha Coombs, CNBC.com-published on June 2011 http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-06-17-digital-textbooks_n.htm Theresa Walsh Giarrusso september 2013 http://blogs.ajc.com/momania/2013/09/18/paper-vs-digital-are-there-benefits-to-paper-textbooks-that-schools-are-missing/ http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-kids-use-ipads-for-textbooks-in-school NAME: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY PREWRITING ARGUMENT QUESTION: 1