Pentecostal History Essay

The largest and the most important religious movement to originate from the United States is the Pentecostal Movement. It is considered as the fourth force in Christendom alongside Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodox, and its exponential growth rate in terms of adherents is testimony to its appeal. The Charismatic Renewal Movement has some of its roots in historic Pentecostalism, and it is now deeply entrenched in most of the mainline Protestant denominations, in Catholicism, and in some Orthodox. In the 21st Century, the total adherents of Pentecostals and Charismatics probably exceed the combined numbers of Protestants and Orthodox. Pentecostal statistics show a total adherent base of 400 million in 1993,including the 200 million members designated as nominational Pentecostals and 200 million Charismatics in the main Protestant denominations and Catholicism. â€Å"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them†(Garnett 1987) The Acts of the Apostles, 2:1-3 (Cox 1995) Background History Adherents of Pentecostalism take their name from an incident recounted in Chapter two of the Acts of the Apostles. The story describes how the confused followers of a recently crucified Rabbi whom they all believed to be the messiah of the world, had gathered to mark the fiftieth day after Passover. Suddenly there was a heavenly sound â€Å"like the rush of a mighty wind. † The Holy Spirit filled them, tongues â€Å"as of fire† crowned their heads, and surprisingly they could understand each other’s language although the gathering comprised people from many different countries and different linguistic affinities. Apparently, the ancient curse of Babel had been reversed and that God was creating a new inclusive human community in which â€Å"Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia† could all live together. Origins of the Pentecostal Faith The first Pentecost appeared on the scene in 1901 in Topeka, Kansas in a Bible school conducted by Charles Fox Parham, a holiness teacher and former Methodist pastor. There exists considerable controversy about the origins and timings of Parham’s emphasis on glossolalia; there is general agreement amongst historians that the movement was initiated in the first days of 1901, in the beginning of the Twentieth Century. One of Parham’s Bible School students Agnes Ozman , was the first person to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and she thereafter began speaking in different tongues on the very first day of the new century on January 1, 1901. According to J. Roswell Flower, the founding Secretary of the Assemblies of God, Ozman’s experience was the â€Å"touch felt round the world,† an event which â€Å"made the Pentecostal Movement of the Twentieth Century. Due to the Topeka Pentecost, Parham postulated the doctrine that tongues (glossolalia) was the biblical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and that it a was a supernatural ability endowed for the purpose of world evangelization. Glossolalia is an experiential phenomenon of an ecstatic, altered state of consciousness, in which â€Å"orgiastic techniques are cultivated to achieve ecstasy in the belief that unusual psychological and physical states are synonymous† with Spirit-possession. He added that since missionaries had the ability to speak in any language, they need not learn any new language for the purpose of evangelical preaching. Armed with this new theology, Parham founded a church movement which he called the â€Å"Apostolic Faith† and began a whirlwind revival tour of the American Middle West to promote his exciting new experience. â€Å"saw an angel coming down from heaven With the key to the abyss and a great Chain in his hand. He seized the dragon and chained him up for a thousand years So that he might not seduce the nations until the thousand years were over†. Revelation 20:1-3 â€Å"Fed by broken packing cases and discarded wrapping paper the fire quickly spread from the boarded-up Casino to the empty Music Hall. From there sparks flew through the arctic night to the roofs of the exposition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Cox 1995). Prophecy of the Pentecost Traditionally, Americans have always had a strong dose of millenium drilled in to them, covering the time the puritans landed in New England to the revival preachers who traveled the Midwest on horseback, they were continually being told that the last stages of history was unfolding and that America would play a major role in the grand finale. Going in to the 20th century, prophecies and speculations regarding a new Pentecost and a New Jerusalem were rife. And in the last days it shall be, God declares, That I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh† Acts of the Apostles 2:17-19 â€Å"The fire from heaven descended on April 9, 1906, on a small band of black domestic servants and custodial employees gathered for prayer in a wooden bungalow at 214 North Bonnie Brae Avenue in Los Angeles, California†¦. †(Cox 1995) Pastor at Azusa Street Seymour who had learned the tongues-attested baptism in a Bible school that Parham conducted in Houston, Texas in 1905 was invited to pastor a black holiness church in Los Angeles in 1906. Seymour opened the historic meeting in April, 1906 in a former African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church building at 312 Azusa Street in downtown Los Angeles. The happenings at Azusa have fascinated church historians for decades and have never been fully understood or explained (Wackman 1994). For three years thereafter, the Azusa Street â€Å"Apostolic Faith Mission† conducted three services a day, seven days a week, where thousands of seekers received the tongues baptism. Word of the revival was spread abroad through The Apostolic Faith, a paper that Seymour sent free of charge to some 50,000 subscribers. From Azusa Street Pentecostalism spread rapidly around the world and began its advance toward becoming a major force in Christendom. The Azusa Street movement seems to have been a merger of white American holiness religion with worship styles derived from the African-American Christian tradition which had developed since the days of chattel slavery in the South. The expressive worship and praise at Azusa Street, which included shouting and dancing, had been common among Appalachian whites as well as Southern blacks. The admixture of tongues and other charisms with black music and worship styles created a new and indigenous form of Pentecostalism that was to prove extremely attractive to disinherited and deprived people, both in America and other nations of the world(MacRoberts 1988). â€Å"Pentecost has come to Los Angeles, the American Jerusalem. Every sect, creed and doctrine under heaven†¦ as well as every nation is represented. †(Frank Bartleman,1906). The Inter racial Aspect The interracial mingling at the congregations was a stark contrast to the existing racial tensions and segregations of the times. The interracial aspects of the movement in Los Angeles were a striking exception to the racism and segregation of the times. The phenomenon of blacks and whites worshipping together under a black pastor seemed incredible to many observers. The event also cemented William Seymour’s place as not only the most influential black leader in American History, but also as a co-founder of world Pentecostalism(Deyoung et al 2003). â€Å"This is the work of God, and cannot be stopped. While our enemies scold, we pray and the fire burns† Household of God, Nov. 1907 Spread of Pentecostal The Azusa Street movement in 1906, led by the African-American preacher William Joseph Seymour provided the much needed impetus for the spread of the Pentecostal faith, which until then had not really captured popular imagination. The first wave of â€Å"Azusa pilgrims† journeyed throughout the United States spreading the Pentecostal fire, primarily in holiness churches, missions, and camp meetings. In America Gaston Barnabas Cashwell of North Carolina, who spoke in tongues in 1906 was one of the Azusa Pilgrims, whose six-month preaching tour of the South in 1907 resulted in major inroads among southern holiness folk. Under his ministry, Cashwell saw several holiness denominations swept into the new movement, including the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church, and the Pentecostal Free-Will Baptist Church. Also in 1906, Charles Harrison Mason ,upon his return to Memphis from Azusa Street, spread the Pentecostal fire in the Church of God in Christ. The Church he founded comprised African-Americans only one generation removed from slavery. (The parents of both Seymour and Mason had been born as southern slaves). Although tongues caused a split in the church in 1907, the Church of God in Christ experienced such explosive growth that by 1993, it was by far the largest Pentecostal denomination in North America, claiming some 5,500,000 members in 15,300 local churches. Another Azusa pilgrim was William H. Durham of Chicago. After receiving his tongues experience at Azusa Street in 1907, he returned to Chicago, where he led thousands of mid-western Americans and Canadians into the Pentecostal movement. In 1914, he established the Assemblies of God, which by 1993 had over 2,000,000 members in the U.  S. and some 25,000,000 adherents in 150 nations of the world. Conclusion The Pentecostal Movement has proved to be a major force in Christendom throughout the world with unprecedented exponential growth of adherents. By the Nineties, The Pentecostals and their charismatic brothers and sisters in the mainline Protestant and Catholic churches had turned their energy and resources to world evangelization. The future will reveal the ultimate results of this movement which has greatly impacted the world during the Twentieth Century.

Radio-frequency identification Essays

Radio-frequency identification Essays Radio-frequency identification Essay Radio-frequency identification Essay Capital Safety Is the global leader of fall protection, confined space and rescue equipment. RIFF (radio frequency Identification) Is a wireless data collection technology. RIFF technology has the ability to Identify, track and assign Information to unique items without direct contact or line-of-sight scanning. I-Safe TM consists of passive RIFF tags (transponders) that can be scanned by mobile readers (receivers) that synchronize data to a web-based secure information portal. Abstract 1. The project at hand being studied is on how radio frequency identification yester (RIFF) has been implemented to help better manage capital safety fall protection equipment. The information system being used has become an Important role on how they manage their product to help, cost, Improve safety compliance, reduce risk, and enhance safety within government regulations. Capital safety has become the global leader In fall protection. With the use of radio frequency Identification device they can tr act and malting their equipment In timely manner. 1. 2 Author and Team Member Group Project Assignment #5 Mohamed Mohamed, Lei Thanksgiving Travis Boyd, Each Jones Carl Basilica, Young Yang Table of content 1. 3 Target of study 1. 4 Capital safety Is the organization being studied In our group. They can be identified by their NAZIS and SIC codes that put them In Industries like: oil and Gas, construction, transportation, utilities, wind energy, general and residential fall protection. They are the global leader In manufacturing fall protection for these various companies that are In need of safety protection that are working above ground and below with their confined space equipment . Capital safety sales are Latin America and Australia Capital Safety has to be well organized. That is why they have adopted the radio frequency identification device to help better-manage their products. Capital Safety is the first company to implement radio frequency identification system on their fall protection equipment. When they introduced their software I-safe 2. 0 and then made improvement to I-safe 3. 0 to help scan these RIFF tags. The I-safes. O helps track, maintenance and recall when expired. With the use of radio frequency identification system, improvement to their company meant striving o be the best. The radio frequency identification device helped reduce cost, time, safety and reducing risk has made it more controllable The information system radio frequency identification device RIFF is technology that is easily available in market. Capital safety however uses its own custom designed technology developed in -house. The business process of the system is that each product comes with the circular devices built into the product. The business process of the system is that each product comes with the circular device built into the product. The products are scanned at the factory by the inspector that did the final inspection or person who finalized the devices. Each product is assigned and ID number to the system. The system is able to record and count the products automatically, and alert the company when the products are due for inspection. Use of RIFF Has increased rapidly and can now be found in cell phone, government IDS, Passport, some firearms, packages handled by the postal system Etc. Capital safety is one of the first companies to implement this technology to their fall protection equipment. By increasing the speed and the efficiency in their protection and warehouse areas capital safety has managed to become not only more profitable but also provide better customer service by maintaining proper hands on service and issuing timely recall when needed. Capital Safety has made their company more profitable with the use of radio frequency device. With the use of radio frequency identification device this information system has become a key factor on how they utilize this management tool to help organize their company structure with their product. Executive summary 1. 2 It is highly recommended for other companies to utilize this type of information system to help with the organization of their company product. I know that radio frequency identification device is a very useful tool that could be used in different aspects of business organization. It can be used in different aspects of business, weather the use of ID tags for employees, assembly line workstation, tracing parts, and inventory. Emerson process is another company that has utilized this type of information with their business process. They have radio urgency ID tags for their employees for entrance to and out of the building. They have associated this type of information along with their assembly workstation. They use radio frequency identification device to log in and out of each workstation. That way they know if there is an issue they can tract which employee is associated with that particular assembly. For years RIFF devices have been used in many different areas (Clayton Boyce, 2003). One such area has been as an anti-theft device. Most consumers have purchased products that have held RIFF devices. Stores at the local malls have been using hard plastic tag anti-theft devices on merchandise for at least she knows it is not a good idea to walk to close to the entrance way. Many patrons have suffered the embarrassment of walking around a clothing rack near the front door with items to be purchased and hearing an ear splitting sound. This was caused by the RIFF device on the clothing coming into contact with the electromagnetic field at the door. Other past and present uses for RIFF include: automatic toll booth passes, animal tracking chips, and company access badges.

How to seamlessly transfer your skills from one industry to another

How to seamlessly transfer your skills from one industry to another For most of us, our career paths don’t go in a single straight line. Instead, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way- some expected and others surprising and unplanned- as we develop, grow, and change over time. Sometimes a change in jobs also means a change in industries, which, for many, can be a scary and anxiety-filled proposition- especially if the change isn’t exactly what you were hoping and is instead the result of a job loss or shifts in your current field. The truth is, the prospect of â€Å"starting over† in a new career field can be daunting, especially if you’re fairly established and far along in your current field and are worried that you’ll have to completely start over again- but it doesn’t have to be.The â€Å"not-so-secret† secret to successfully navigating an industry change during the course of your career is to take full advantage of your transferable skills- those finely-honed abilities that youâ€⠄¢ve acquired thus far in your professional experience that you can put to good use in the next industry you work for. Yes, it’s true- many of the skills you currently have are not just helpful at your current job and industry, but rather can help you be effective and successful in your future endeavors as well.Transferring and leveraging these transferable skills from one industry to the next is the key to being flexible and malleable in today’s rapidly evolving and volatile job market- and those who are able to competently do so stand the best chance of staying afloat. Consider using the following strategies to make sure that the skills you’ve built up during your career continue to serve you well as you move from one industry to another.Identify your skillsThis shouldn’t be a major challenge for you, as it’s something you’d inevitably have to do if you were updating your resume or simply looking to transition to a new job in your current industry. This should include skills both large and small- you never fully know what abilities will come in handy when you start a new job, especially if it’s in a completely new field or industry. These include both hard skills (things like knowledge of computers or specific programs or instrumentation, an ability to speak a foreign language, any professional certifications you’ve earned, and basically any other measurable and quantifiable talent that you’ve developed) as well as soft skills (more subjective and harder to measure abilities that you possess but that come in handy at work all the time, such as people skills, motivation, leadership, patience, flexibility, and problem-solving). Both your hard skills and soft skills can potentially come in handy in a new industry.Identify the needs of your target industryNext step is to pinpoint the industry that you’re hoping to move into and do your homework to identify its needs. Research carefully and get a good sense of the successes and pain points in the field and where things are likely to move. Look at the opinions of industry veterans and thought leaders- many of whom are likely leveraging social media to share their ideas. An even better potential strategy would be to identify specific companies in the industry that you’d like to work at and get a sense of their needs- which will help you paint a clear picture of how you can come aboard and be a potentially valuable asset.Make the connectionNow that you have a clear idea of the abilities you bring to the table and what the needs of your target industry are, you can begin to identify the skills you possess that are potentially transferable. Use the information you’ve been gathering in your research to hone and refine your skills to best suit your new industry. For hard skills like computer knowledge or mastery of specific equipment, see if the tools you’ve learned are commonly used; if not, see if learning popular industry software and equipment makes sense for you. Soft skills are more easily transferable and are more malleable and adaptable to new fields.Here’s the bottom line- make the most of the skills you currently possess to meet the needs of the industry you’re looking to move into, fill in the gaps where appropriate and realistic, and be confident that you’re doing all you can to make this transition as successful as possible.

British Airways

British Airways Introduction This report gives a comprehensive overview of the business organization processes of British Airways (BA). Several aspects of the organization’s structure, including the structural style, management style, leadership style, motivation style, organizational design, organizational control structures, and the organizational culture constitute this analogy.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This assessment will be an interesting analogy of British Airways because the company experienced managerial and leadership changes in the recent past. For a long time, British Airways has been the national flag bearer of the United Kingdom (UK). The airline is the largest airline in the country, based on its fleet size and international presence. It operates in 160 destinations around the globe and has a market presence in more than 70 countries (Ganesh 1999, p. 269) . BA’s inception occurred after four small and large airline companies (BOAC, BEA, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast airlines) merged (Meyer 2007). Before 1987, the government ran British Airways, but in the same year, it was privatized as part of the British government’s efforts to seize control of most of its national corporations (McGowan 2011, p. 3). After the privatization, British Airways was able to expand its operations to new locations and new market segments. Currently, the airline is part of the one world alliance, which is an association of several airline companies including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Canadian airlines (Meyer 2007). British Airways also operates under the International Airlines Group (IAG) and its association with this business outfit marks its participation in the London Stock exchange. Company Structure British Airways is a public limited company with three subsidiaries: British Airways city flyer, open skies and British Airways World cargo (Plunkett 2009). The BA city flyer is a franchise of BA and operates a domestic fleet of airlines in the European market (from the London city airport) (Plunkett 2009).Advertising Looking for report on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The subsidiary carries passengers, cargo and mail. Open skies is also a fully owned subsidiary of British Airways with operations in France and America. The subsidiary started operations in 2008. Though Open skies was rumored to offer only business class services (during its inception), it also offers economy class (which later upgraded to premium economy class in 2009) (Plunkett 2009). The subsidiary is however not part of the one world alliance (which its parent company (BA) is a member of). Since the aviation market is a competitive industry, BA was motivated by internal changes in the business environment (changes in consumer tastes and preferences ) and external forces (competition) to transition its ownership from a government-run corporation to a private-run corporation (Raktabutr 2007). For example, since BA was a government-run company, it was difficult to change its travel fares according to the market environment. In this regard, it was difficult for BA to compete with its rivals. This transition (from government to private ownership) marked the main legal change for BA but it also set-forth a series of other organizational changes such as organizational culture changes, corporate culture changes, mission statement changes as so on.. Model Application Lewin’s change model is widely applicable in BA’s company transition from a government-run organization to a private-run entity. As noted in previous sections of this paper, the transition from a government outfit to a private organization marked significant changes in the company’s structure. Lewins model explains that, organizations often undergo thr ee stages of transition: â€Å"unfreezing, movement and refreezing† (Cummings 2008, p. 23). These stages have different effects on the organization and their employees. British Airways underwent the three stages.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the unfreezing stage (as a response to market changes), BA had to unfreeze its operation patterns which were characterized by strong government control. This was a strategy formulated by the organization’s management to manage change. The second stage of Lewin’s model (movement stage) also occurred in BA’s transition because the organization’s management was determined to disseminate its ideas to lower-level employees. To support this transition, BA introduced a new set of programs such as the employee bonus system and the opening of a new airport terminal at the company’s main oper ating hub (Heathrow) to synchronize employee tasks with the management’s vision. The company also invested a lot of money in purchasing a new training facility at Chartridge house to improve the synergy between the company’s management and its employees (Raktabutr 2007). The last stage of Lewin’s model is the refreezing stage. BA transition is characteristic of this stage because it tried to cement its new organizational changes by creating a new behavioral system to support the changes. For instance, a new performance appraisal system, which was designed to recognize employee excellence (concerning customer service and marketing), was established (Raktabutr 2007, p. 12). By implementing these changes, it was expected that the company’s employees were going to be motivated to implement the new organizational changes to receive monetary rewards. To complement these changes, BA introduced new symbols that were printed on employee uniforms, company aircrafts , and other public places of display to symbolize the company’s new commitment (customer service). The motto â€Å"we fly to serve† was part of the new changes adopted by the company during this transition (Raktabutr 2007).Advertising Looking for report on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leadership Control Styles Due to the sheer size and extent of BA’s operations, BA’s leadership has often practiced the autocratic leadership style (Northouse 2009). This autocratic leadership style is the main reason for BA’s poor performance between the year 1996 and the year 2000 (Raktabutr 2007). In fact, BA’s shares plunged by close to 40% during this period (Raktabutr 2007). Basic company values such as customer quality and service excellence eroded because of this leadership style as well. However, with the overhaul of BA’s operations, the company is now synonymous with the transformational leadership style. The company’s CEO, Willie Walsh, first introduced this leadership style because previous systems and procedures were not effective (Rivers 2010, p. 2). Some of the operational changes mentioned in previous sections of this study highlight the changes made by Willie Walsh after he took over the leadership of the company. The rigid h ierarchical leadership structure reduced to reflect the CEO’s vision of operating an efficient company. BA’s hierarchical structure is now very simple. It only has one level of distinction between the top-level management and the bottom-level management (Raktabutr 2007). This management structure supports the company’s transformational leadership style because it has made it easy to pass down the CEO’s enthusiasm of the organization to bottom-level employees. This management framework has also made it easy for the company’s CEO to have a â€Å"detail team† to help him realize the organization’s vision. After evaluating the transition from the autocratic leadership style to the transformational leadership style, we see that BA’s leadership transition is explained by the contingency theory of leadership. The contingency theory explains that prevailing environmental factors determine the type of leadership style to be adopted. Acc ording to the contingency theory, there is no leadership style, which is suitable for one organization (Rivers 2010, p. 2). Different situations demand different leadership styles. It is also from this basis that the contingency theory explains that organizational success does not only depend on the leadership qualities but also the loyalty and performance of the followers (plus the environmental support). BA was initially operating in a highly rigid environment dictated by little or no competition and a lot of government control. This situation supported the autocratic leadership style. However, when the market liberalized and the company was privatized, the company’s leadership style changed to transformational leadership (Rivers 2010, p. 2). This transition is explained by the contingency theory as described above. How Management and Leadership Styles Affect the Direction of the Business BA’s management and leadership styles are bound to affect the direction of the company because they are the main wheels behind the efficiency and productivity of the company. Furthermore, the realization of BA’s organizational goals highly depends on the leadership and management styles of the company (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). Considering BA operates in a highly competitive industry, there needs to be constant innovation and improvement of customer service. These elements require a constant change of operational processes but considering BA is a large organization, initiating change may be difficult. It is at this point, where management and effective leadership need exercising to ensure the company implements such changes. This analogy presents a guiding role for management and leadership styles because managers and leaders show the rest of the employees where the company is heading (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). Through effective management and leadership, employees are bound to get the confidence to undertake their tasks and ultimate ly realize the organization’s goals. This confidence materializes best if leaders and managers show the subordinates that their roles are crucial for the organization. Furthermore, optimum productivity occurs if management shows the lower-level employees how they can achieve such goals. Complementary to this role is the role of leadership and management to build morale among employees (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). A high morale materializes if a sense of cooperation develops between the employees and the management. Leadership styles and management styles create this synergy. Comprehensively, an organization’s direction is outlined by its leadership or management styles because both aspects determine the productive levels of the organization. In addition, an organization’s leadership style is likely to improve an organization’s level of competitiveness because it defines the blueprint of where the organization should be (viz-a-viz its competitors). Company Culture Types of organizational Culture Depending on the nature of organization, different companies adopt different organizational cultures. Tharp (2009) observes that there are four main types of organizational culture: collaborative, creative (adhocracy), control and competitive (market) cultures. The collaborative culture is a friendly and open type of culture. This type of organizational culture is very inclusionary and it perceives leaders as mentors or parents of one big extended family. In this type of culture, group cohesion is paramount and relationships are forged for long-term benefits (Tharp 2009, p. 7). Teamwork, participation and cohesiveness are also highly emphasized in this type of culture because there is a strong concern for people. The creative culture lays a lot of emphasis on innovation and risk taking because the philosophy of â€Å"thinking out of the box† is highly emphasized. Individualism is also encouraged and success is measured by being a leader among many (Tharp 2009, p. 7). The control culture is different from the creative and collaborative cultures because it defines a highly structured form of interaction between employees and their bosses. There is also a lot of emphasis on rules and procedures because stability is perceived to be the ultimate goal of organizations that adopt this culture (Tharp 2009, p. 7). Finally, the competitive culture focuses on job completion. There is a lot of push from leaders that run organizations that adopt this culture because the ultimate goal of such organizations is job accomplishment. The idea of winning is a major unifying factor for employees and managers (Tharp, 2009, p. 7). BA’s Organizational Culture After understanding the above leadership styles, it is important to note that, BA applies the competitive organizational culture. The competitive organizational culture was adopted after the company was privatized. BA’s emphasis now lies on being the best airl ine company in the region. For instance, after privatization, BA changed its corporate mission objective from â€Å"safety† to â€Å"competition†. This is a response to the competition in the aviation industry. Now the company focuses on being effective and high performing. Similarities between BA and Secondary Data Concerning the competitive organizational culture, BA’s organizational culture bears many similarities with secondary research information (regarding the competitive culture). In books, it is mentioned that the competitive organizational culture emphasizes a lot on success and accomplishments while British Airways also strives to show that it is succeeding. For instance, the company now focuses on posting good profits (De-Witte 2000, p. 501). This push to post good profits is part of a move to keep the company afloat, amid growing employee tensions and increased shareholder demands. Furthermore, existing literature outline that, leaders in organizati ons that adopt the competitive culture are hard-driving and demanding. BA’s leadership exudes these traits because it puts a lot of pressure on its employees to show results. Part of the pressure emanates from past periods of failure, which have seen BA suffer significant losses in revenue. Motivational Framework BA uses financial rewards to motivate its employees. This motivational framework is mentioned in earlier sections of this paper where BA’s bonus program was introduced to cement the company’s operational changes by focusing on customer service and quality. This motivational framework defines the scientific management theory, which was advanced by Frederick Taylor (Waring 1994, p. 1). The theory proposes that, people are mainly motivated by financial reward. The theory also maintains that, people are not naturally motivated to work, and they need rewards to boost their productivity. Complementarily, Maslow theory of motivation also outlines BA’s m otivational framework because it explains that workers strive to satisfy basic needs before they satisfy higher-level needs such as safety needs and self-actualization needs. Maslow’s theory categorizes worker needs on five levels as outlined below: (Waring 1994, p. 94) Incidentally, these needs are often satisfied through financial upgrades. For instance, if a worker has already satisfied basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, they need more money to satisfy the next level of need (safety needs). This motivational dynamic therefore supports BA’s motivational framework because workers strive to improve their productivity to get more bonuses, and consequently satisfy higher-level needs. BA and the workers benefit here. Conclusion Weighing the findings of this report, we can see that BA’s organizational culture and processes are influenced by its transition from a government entity to a private entity. However, BA’s new organizational culture (bas ed on competition), is expected to increase the company’s odds of being an industry leader, as it was before. The competitive organizational culture (coupled with the company’s motivational framework) is set to increase the company’s profitability. The scientific management theory seems to affirm this success because it lays a lot of emphasis on guaranteeing company success if an employee reward scheme is employed. BA’s organizational structures therefore outline the blueprint for its future success. BA can improve its future profitability if it focuses on product innovation strategies to meet varying customer group demands. Most of BA’s competitors (such as Emirates airlines) are reaping huge profits from such strategic shifts. The product innovation strategy has also worked in other industries where a company understands its different customer groups and develops new products to meet these needs. Finally, to improve the company’s profitabi lity, BA needs to adopt more hedging practices. For instance, the unstable price of crude oil may significantly affect the company’s bottom-line. Hedging such a cost is likely to improve the company’s prospects of posting good returns. Such a strategy has worked with other airline companies such as Southwest airlines. BA’s success will be guaranteed in this manner. References Cummings, T. (2008) Organization Development Change. London, Cengage Learning. De-Witte, K. (2000) Organizational Culture. Michigan, Psychology Press. Ganesh, G. (1999) Privatisation Competition And Regulation In The United Kingdom:  Case Studies. London, Mittal Publications. Management Study Guide. (2008) Importance of Leadership (Online) Available at: managementstudyguide.com/importance_of_leadership.htm . McGowan, R. (2011) Privatize This?: Assessing the Opportunities and Costs of  Privatization. London, ABC-CLIO. Meyer, S. (2007) Acquisition of EasyJet Plc. by British Airways Plc. London, GRIN Verlag. Northouse, P. (2009) Leadership: Theory and Practice. London, SAGE. Plunkett, J. (2009) Plunketts Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Almanac 2009 (E-Book): Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies. London, Plunkett Research, Ltd. Raktabutr, T. (2007) Analysis of Organization: British Airways (Online) Available at: http://thanabut.blogspot.com/2007/05/1-introduction-this-report-is-written.html . Rivers, M. (2010) British Airways Strike Can Be Averted (Online) Available at: guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/10/british-airways-strike-can-be-averted . Tharp, B. (2009) Four Organizational Culture Types (Online) Available at: haworth.com/en-us/Knowledge/Workplace-Library/Documents/Four-Organizational-Culture-Types_6.pdf . Waring, S. (1994) Taylorism Transformed: Scientific Management Theory Since 1945. London, UNC Press Books.

Banking Union in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Banking Union in Europe - Essay Example The inspiration for a banking union was the delicacy of various banks in the Eurozone, and the distinguishing proof of endless loop between credit conditions for these banks and the sovereign credit of their individual home nations. In some countries the private debts that arose due property bubble were shifted to ascendant liability as an outcome of the banking systems bailout and government reactions to moderating economies post-bubble. It is due to the weakening of credit facilities at the time of the Eurozone crisis and fear of financial instability among the member states. This led to the need for interdependence between financial stability, banking policy and economic integration that saw the need to establish a banking union. Interestingly the banking sector of individual States faces the risk of likely marginalization as other countries in the union are trying to integrate Additionally, the banking union in Europe is immediately needed to revive the stability and credibility of the banks system within the Euro area. There has been a continuous vicious cycle of the sovereign countries in Europe and the banks themselves. For example, some countries are unwilling to participate in the activities of the Banking Union, for instance, the UK. The sabotage by the UK has made some countries too to wish to exit the Union because of numerous challenges. The Europe’s financial banking sector has been going through times of polarised tensions Starting 2014, the banking union primarily comprises of two primary activities, the Single Supervisory, and Resolution Mechanism, are based on the "single rulebook" ,or basic monetary administrative structure. The â€Å"single rulebook† comprises of an arrangement of authoritative writings that every single money related foundation (counting more or less 8300 banks) in the EU must agree to. These principles,

Humans and The origins of civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humans and The origins of civilization - Essay Example In Hebrew civilization, one god is worshiped and revered. The gods protect the society from plagues, misfortunes, thus offering assistance at all times. The gods are worshiped and revered. For instance, when plagues inflict Achaeans, they offer sacrifices in form of blemish goats and lambs to King Apollo in order to get protection. Consequently, when Job loses his wealth and children, he prays and offers sacrifices to god in order to seek forgiveness and protection. Job lost wealth and children as well as got attacked by a dreadful skin disease. However, he prayed and never lamented to God despite receiving pressure from friends. Instead of cursing and abusing God, he cursed the day his mother conceived him as well as the day he was born (King James Version, Job. 1. 3 - 15). Therefore, Job prays to his God while Atrues prays to Apollo who is the god of silver bow. Consequently, Job offered sacrifices to God on learning of the misfortune on his family. Consequently, Greeks consider pe rsistence of plagues as result of continuous provocation of god just like the Hebrews. Moreover, Goddess Minerva tells Achilles to obey the command from the two gods since they hear prayers from people who obey their command (Homer, 2). Agamemnon, the son of Atreus robed Achilles the daughter of Briseus, his prize by offered to him by Achaeans, thus causing misery to her father. The Greek and Hebrew civilizations consider that their gods live in heaven (Perry, 46). They recognize priests and their role, thus, disobedience to them results into misfortune. Therefore, the Greeks and Hebrews value priests and respect their instructions and teachings. Among Greeks, misfortune occurred when Atrues dishonored the priest, Chryses (Homer, 4). For instance, when Apollo attacks Achaeans, they seek help from priests, prophets, readers of dreams. Just like Greeks, Hebrews believes God protects the poor from harm caused by the mighty. Consequently, in replying to the demands from friends, Job ass erts that life, strength come from (King James Version, Job. 1. 20 - 21). Moreover, both Greeks and Hebrews organized feasting parties. Job’s sons organized feasting parties in their houses and invited their sisters to celebrate together. Consequently, the son of Atreus organized purifying ceremonies for the Achaeans after returning the daughter of Chryseis. The ceremony involved slaughtering of goats and bulls without blemish in order to purify society from the plaques placed upon them by King Apollo (Homer, 7). The Greeks and Hebrews also value wealth, children, and servants, seen as gifts and blessing from the supernatural beings. However, there are differences in their values and worldviews. Among Hebrews, God is revered. They also value perfection and upright living with avoidance or shunning of evil (King James Version, Job. 1. 1-2). Conversely, the Greeks recognize many gods and goddess such as Juve, King Apollo, and Pallas among others who they revere and value (Homer , 1). Among Hebrews, there is only one God while Greeks recognize many gods and goddess. Theses gods and goddess have varied powers and strength unlike the Hebrew god who is alone and the very powerful King James Version, Job. 12. 1-14). Greeks consider King Apollo as the most powerful of all the gods and goddess. This is because, gods such as Jove; husband to Juno and son of Saturn, Juno; mother of men and gods and mother to Vulcan, Pallas Minerva and Neptune have varied powers

False Claims and Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

False Claims and Health Care - Essay Example The primary source of fraud in health care is through false claims. False claims are illegal and punishable through The False Claims Act, otherwise known as "Lincolns' Law". This law was enacted during the Civil War, updated by Ronald Regan in 1986 and contains "qui tam" provisions allowing ordinary citizens to sue on behalf of the government and collect restitution. (Phillip and Cohen) Also, under U.S. Code Title 18 Part I Chapter 63 section 1347 health care fraud is punishable by fine, or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or in cases of death a life sentence. There are many types of false claims. Services not rendered is best described as billing for services that were never delivered to patients. Physicians simply add on a few extra services that they did not perform for the patient. A common example would be when ordering a complete blood count (CBC) for a patient to bill for additional blood chemistry tests that doctors hadn't performed. In this very situation, two emergency room doctors were paid $92 million after bringing to light a "whistleblower" suit against Columbia/HCA. (Phillips & Cohen) Lack of Medical Necessity is another term used to describe a situation when a doctor or health care provider bills the insurance for procedures that are not necessary. This type of fraud is combated by practices put into place by the insurance companies such as; yearly benefit maximums, and restrictions on the number of procedures you can have. However, too often illegitimate claims are made. For example, a New York radiologist was sentenced under the False Claims Act to one to three years in prison and excluded from Medicare and state health care programs for 10 years for billing Medicaid for "thousands of medically unnecessary, duplicative, forged and unreadable sonogram tests." (Phillips & Cohen) Kickbacks are another borderline form of health care fraud. This is the most complicated and hidden form of fraud. It involves an improper monetary or material benefit to the health care provider for prescribing or using a certain product or service. In simpler terms, someone pays a doctor per patient he will prescribe a medicine to, or perform an expensive test on. A fine example comes from a group of five hospitals in Kansas and Missouri, which paid doctors per referral to it's "geriatric center". The group of hospitals was sentenced to pay $1.2 million in restitution under the False Claims Act. There is a anti-kickback statue written into Medicare, but often the kick backs are hard to track and difficult to discover. This is an area where "whistleblowers" are most effective as it alerts the proper authorities to a scam operating. Health care fraud will continue to be an issue as long as our current system of health insurance and care is operating. There are many flaws in the system and it is barely limping along. Many other countries, notably France, Australia, and the Netherlands have developed systems that are proven to be much more cost effective than the current American system. Fraud will continue as long is there is opportunity; the solution is to significantly lessen the opportunity and increase the punishment. Bibliography An, Jane Saloner, Romy and Ranji, Usha The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation "U.S. Health Care Costs" Updated January