Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Wal-Mart - Case Study Example A brief introduction to business ethics and social responsibility is undertaken. The importance of CSR initiatives is also discussed. The results indicate that Wal-Mart is well perceived by many customers despite few criticisms leveled against it due to its low and affordable prices. Candid CSR initiatives emerged as a very crucial factor. Corporations today have to pay much attention to the needs as well as preferences of many interest groups. Corporations are not required to behave as if their profit making goal is more important that the interests of their stakeholders. Stakeholder theory maintains that management’s role is to create value for their non-shareholder stakeholders such as consumers, the community, creditors, employees and suppliers (Lii, 2011). However, Wal-Mart has been greatly criticized for going against this theory. Areas of criticisms include treatment of suppliers, foreign products sourcing of the corporation, environmental practices, employee compensations as well as working conditions, the corporation’s security policies, the use of public subsidies and slavery (Yuan, Bao, & Verbeke, 2011). They have sought to inflict harms on their stakeholders for profit seeking in a number of ways. However, the MNE has a number of CSR initiatives to help in leading as well as providing the m with an opportunity to make differences on the big issues that matter to everyone. The corporation noted that they are committed to using their big size as well as scale in helping the world live better. Through such initiatives, Wal-Mart has been able to empower women, contribute to energy efficiency and assisting with disaster relief (News & Brothers, 2005). The aim of this paper is to identify the harms Wal-Mart inflict on their stakeholders while they make profit and the CSR initiatives it has adopted as well as their motives. In addition, the paper evaluates the results of such CSR initiatives and makes recommendations to

Societys True Nature Essay Example for Free

Societys True Nature Essay In Franz Kafkas enigmatic novel The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa lives the life of a bug. The traveling salesman awakens one morning to find himself incredulously transformed into a â€Å"monstrous vermin.† At First, Gregor is apathetic towards his â€Å"metamorphosis† and immediately begins describing his room and slight discomforts in great detail. At the same time, Gregor incessantly comments on unimportant aspects of his – almost dismissing the fact that he is now a cockroach. When his family starts knocking on his door, Gregor immediately begins conjuring scenarios in which he imagines that his family genuinely cares for him. This illusion is soon shattered after the reader is exposed to the true nature of the Samsas. Gregors metamorphosis symbolizes what he is and has always been in society – a cockroach. Through Gregors physical transformation, Kafka communicates that people are oblivious to how alienated they are from society and humanity in its entirety. First off, in The Metamorphosis, readers are immediately exposed to the absurd atmosphere Kafka has created when he describes how â€Å"Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams †¦ [to find] himself transformed into a monstrous vermin† (1). At first glace this statement may sound normal, but after analyzing this and many other statements, it becomes apparent that Kafka has purposely placed the Samsas in an unreal environment. For example, in the sentence previously mentioned, the third-person narrator speaks casually of Gregors metamorphosis as if it were nothing. In his article, Johannes Pfeiffer says that Gregor â€Å"does not truly realize his new position in all its gravity† (55). Gregors inability to acknowledge his transformation might represent people and their apathy towards the more significant things in life. Throughout the story, the narration alternates between first and third person – suggesting that the narrator of the story constantly shifts from Gregor to an unknown entity. However, the baffling narration in The Metamorphosis is no mistake. Through this bizarre style of narration, Kafka brilliantly demonstrates how alienated people can be from themselves – for Gregor is alienated to the point where he must tell his story in a third-person perspective. Moreover, it has been speculated that society manipulates people by having certain ideals. As a result of his father being unemployed and his mother and sister not being able to work, Gregor is left with the burden of holding his family together by reluctantly taking a job as a salesman. The following excerpt describes the Samsas financial situation: In the course of the very first day his father explained the familys financial situation and prospects to both the mother and the sister. From the time he got up from the table to get some kind of receipt or notebook out of the little strongbox he had rescued from the collapse of his business five years before. . . In those days, Gregors sole concern had been to do everything his power to make the family forget as quickly as possible the business disaster which had plunged everyone into a state of despair (25). The excerpt is describing Gregor listening in on his family discuss the financial situation at hand. We learn that the Samsas massive debt is a result of Mr. Samsas failed business. Being the concerned son he has been brainwashed to become, Gregor – with good intention – took a myriad of jobs to appease his family and restore peace in the chaotic household the Samsas inhabit. The significance of this is that it identifies the reality people choose to live in – a reality where people abandon aspirations and conform to the desolate society that surrounds them. Lastly, Gregors transformation itself is ironic. A metamorphosis suggests ascension into a higher form; but in Gregors case, he has devolved into one of the most insignificant form that comes to mind – a cockroach. However, Gregors bug form is simply an illustration. After close analysis, it can be said that Gregors metamorphosis is his inner state surfacing into the physical world. With that said, one can come to the conclusion that Gregor has always been a bug and has been alienated from his family prior to his transformation. The Samsa family loses faith in Gregor recovering (as if they ever had any) and begins discarding remnants of his past. Gregor is addressed as â€Å"it† (Pfeiffer 55) later in the book when his family dehumanizes him. Reading about how Gregor and his family are so alienated from one another that they do not see it is powerful on its own, but seeing Kafkas message and understanding how people live in a world not too different from Gregors is a ha rsh truth that only a handful of people come to realize. All in all, Gregors metamorphosis symbolizes the alienation, which has always (and may always) exist. It is a powerful symbol that reveals how alienated people are from themselves and society in its entirety. After reading Kafkas The Metamorphosis, one cannot help but question whether his own life is real or a deviation that has spawned and thrived in the alienated society man has given birth to.

Joe Louis Essay -- Biography

Joe Louis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joe Louis was born in Alabama on May 13, 1914. He was the son of an Alabama sharecropper, the great grandson of a slave, and the great great grandson of a white slave owner. Joe Louis moved to Detroit as a youngster with his mother. He was the first African American ever to achieve lasting fame and star status in the 20th Century. He did so with boxing, he would capture the hearts of millions of American's, both white and black.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was a time when blacks were being discriminated against, the military was segregated, blacks were not allowed to play Major League Baseball. When he started boxing early in the 1930's hero worship was not achievable in any professional sports, there were none that were able to command the attention away from whites, however that would all change. Joe Louis began his boxing career at the Brewster Recreation Center. In his first amateur bout, Louis was knocked down 7 times, but he rapidly improved over the years, he captured the 1934 National AAU Lightweight Crown and turned to the professional level later in that same year. Louis won his first 27 fights, 23 of them by knockout, beating people of fame like Primo Carnera and Max Baer. His first defeat was against Max Scheming at Yankee Stadium, he was knocked out in the 12th round. This was Louis greatest defeat, and the start of his greatest challenge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next few years would be the greatest of times for the " Brown Bomber ", he got his much anticipated ...

Breakfast Club Movie Review

Cliques are groups of people with mutual interests and goals, who spend a majority of their time with each other. They can be found at every high school. The Breakfast Club is a movie that brings five students belonging to different cliques together in an unfortunate situation-detention. At the beginning of the movie, these five students appear to be very different people who have nothing to say to each other. However, throughout the movie, the sanctions of each clique become less relevant, and they find that they themselves have formed their own clique: The Breakfast Club.Coming into the detention session, each character has a fixation in a stereotypical high school role. Claire is the â€Å"princess†; an upper-class, popular socialite who is in detention for ditching class to go shopping. In contrast, Bender is a lower-class (and perhaps abused) young man who has a perception of being a sociopathic â€Å"criminal. † Because Bender constantly questions and defies autho rity, he is a detention professional. Andrew (the jock) is a disciplined and driven wrestler who wants to break free from the demands of the athlete role.Brian (the brain) is a straight-A student who struggles with expectations of high grades–and who is experiencing devastation about his recent failures in shop class. Finally, Allison is an ignored introvert who longs for attention and in attempt to receive it, acts like a deviant â€Å"basket case. † At the beginning of the session, the determination of the status by the pecking order of the school's social structure. During the school week, Andrew and Claire have high social status. They recognize their shared status level and sit by each other upon entering the detention session.The two break into conversation about their mutual high-status friends whereas the other detention attendees listen. Brian is probably next in the school status hierarchy because of his intelligence, but he is also a â€Å"geek. † Hig h-status students usually ignore him. In the school's caste system, Bender and Allison are the social bottom feeders. Early in the movie, it becomes clear that a different social order is developing. Bender is the expert at Saturday detentions and is on a first-name basis with the janitor and Mister Vernon (the detention teacher). Detention sessions are clearly Bender's turf and his status on Saturdays is high.Brian seems to recognize this when he gives up his seat to John and waits for John to take off his coat before he removes his own. As is true of high-status members, John begins making and breaking norms. He is the first to break the principal's explicit rule of â€Å"no one moves from their seats. † He also breaks the implicit rule of respect for authority when he tears up a library book and when he removes a screw out of the library door so it will not remain open. The groups abandon normal roles and try new roles on, as they develop during the detention session.In co ntrast to his usual low-status position, Bender has high status during the session because of his detention expertise. He assumes a leadership role in which his defiant questions and actions create value rather than disdain. Andrew also deviates from the normal behaviors of his high-status school behaviors. He develops emotionally by abandoning his macho athlete role when he cries in front of the. Brian, the conformist geek, asks courageous questions and begins to appear more secure and functional than his new detention friends. Brian, Claire, and Andrew break from their normal roles by smoking marijuana with Bender.Allison, the basket case, steps out of her silent, unsociable role when Andrew shows interest in her as they walk to the cafeteria to get milk for lunch. Although she uses lies and deviant behavior to get Claire to confess her virginity, Allison provides wise observations that are contrary to her perceived role. For example, when the group is trying to coerce Claire into confessing her sexual activities, Allison notes, â€Å"It’s a double-edged sword, isn't it? If you have [had sex] you're a slut, and if you haven't you're a prude† (Hughes & Hughes, 1985).Allison also steps out of role by allowing Claire to give her a cosmetic makeover, after which she begins to court Andrew. Brian exhibits a change when it comes time to write the required detention essay. The group gives him authority to write their papers because his perception is most intelligent. Brian is more expressive and sociable when he asks the important question, â€Å"Come Monday, are we all friends? † (Hughes & Hughes, 1985). Before the detention session he would not have questioned the group because he was not confident enough to speak up.The group develops together by first occupying the same space for an extended amount of time. Because of a common enemy, Mister Vernon, they band together even though it is against the norm. An early indicator of group identity e merges in Bender's use of â€Å"we† as he asks, â€Å"Why don't we close that door? We can't have any party with Vernon checking us out. † (Hughes & Hughes, 1985). They begin to perform as a group after Bender removes the screw from the door leading to Vernon's office. The other students cover for him when Vernon comes back asking, â€Å"How did that door get shut? † (Hughes & Hughes, 1985).Self-disclosure further helps the development of the group. Bender gets Claire to self-disclose about her feelings toward her parents. Andrew turns and asks Bender to tell about his parents. This discussion is critical to the development because the group members begin to see the similarity of their struggles. It also helps them to identify with each other. When the group pressured Claire to confess her virginity, embarrassed she calls Allison â€Å"bizarre† for lying to force the confession. To which, Andrew replies, â€Å"We are all pretty bizarre. Some of us are be tter at hiding it, that's all.† This marks another point of similarity: they all protect their self-concepts by putting on faces in line with the expectations that others have for them. Andrew describes his struggle to live up to his father's athletic expectations and Bender tells of his father's abuse. Thus, two very different characters find common ground, typified by Bender's comment to Andrew: â€Å"I think my dad and your dad ought to get together and go bowling† (Hughes & Hughes, 1985). In a quotation that begins and ends the movie, Brian reads from an essay that the Breakfast Club writes to Mister Vernon: â€Å"You see us as you want to see us.In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at seven o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed. † (Hughes & Hughes, 1985). This quote demonstrates the cognitive development of the stud ents. They now realize their perception of each other because of the social stereotype and how they were wrong. As they band together to fight against mutual enemies–parents, peer pressure, authority figures, stereotypes, boredom–the Breakfast Club develops into a unified group.While nothing appears to alter the world’s view (or Vernon’s) of these five students, they learn to look past the stereotypes of each other. They empathize with each other’s' struggles, dismiss some of the inaccuracies of their first impressions, and discover that they are more similar than different. As they leave the detention session, their acceptance of each other becomes significant by Claire and Bender. They walk out of school arm in arm; she turns up her collar â€Å"punk style† and he dons one of her diamond earrings. Each student both takes from and gives to the members of the Breakfast Club.

Buddhism history

There are various religions in the world which people follow for their spiritual quest. Buddhism is one of the religions and disciplines that some groups of people adhere. Buddhism branched out from Hinduism that is considered as the reformation movement of the religion. The founder of Buddhism is Siddharta Gautama who was born in the warrior caste of India known as the Shakya clan (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008). Born in leisure and luxury, Siddharta was shielded from the harsh realities of life and the suffering in life.One day when Siddharta made his rare trips outside the palace, he saw an old man, a sick man and a dead man which was his first encounter and witness personally the suffering of human life (Burns, 2009). After the mentioned experience, he decided to seek the truth that was hidden from him his whole life. He tried to attain the truth through the supervision of the Brahmin priests but he was disillusioned by the teachings of Hinduism. His self -mortification brought him closer to death instead of enlightenment (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008).He decided to take a new path in search of enlightenment. He dedicated his life in meditation as he sat under a fig tree known as the Bodhi tree or the tree of wisdom. Through this, he attained the highest degree of consciousness referred to as Nirvana. Siddharta surpass the challenges and temptations and attained enlightenment. He was known to have found the way to escape the cruel causality of samsara or the cycle of rebirths. He also discovered the Four Noble Truths or the wisdom of Realization.Siddharta Gautama was known as the â€Å"enlightened one† as he found the answers on various life’s questions and why there is the existence of pain and suffering (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008). One of the teachings of Buddhism is the samsara or the cycle of rebirths and the never-ending journey. It is described as the process of continuous birth, growing old, suffering and death (Buddhism Teacher, 2008). Samsara is a Sanskrit word for â€Å"journeying†. In Buddhism, as well as in other religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, samsara is defined as the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.Samsara is sometimes depicted as the opposite of Nirvana. However, in Mahayana school of Buddhism, Nirvana and Samsara are viewed as mental representations that a person appreciates the true nature of the world (O’Brien, 2009). Many people perceive samsara as a place, instead, it is a process to keep creating worlds and how people will move into the world. The worlds we create are associated with suffering from the date of our birth up to our adulthood (Bhikku, 2002). Samsara is the continuous life cycle of a person. It is believed that people are being born again as another person or entity.In India, some people are believed to be born in another caste or in another life situation. Samsara is also associated w ith Karma which is also another teaching in Buddhism wherein the life situation or the present existence of a person is based on the past life events. Karma explains to us the concept of cause and effect and helps us understand the idea of samsara. It explains to us in understanding interdependency, interconnectedness and unity (Buddhism Teacher, 2008). Karma is also taught in other religions like Hinduism that explains the punishment on the sins committed on the past life.It explains why some people are born in better life situations that the others. Some people believed that when they have done good in their present life, they will be rewarded in their future life. Buddhism is one of the religions that attempt to explain the worldly views and questions that concerns life’s sufferings and reincarnation. Buddhism incorporates the attainment of enlightenment or realization of the truth in life that will enable us to fully understand the ongoing events and our current life†™s situation.Buddhism relates to the people of various social classes who follow an esteemed and righteous path for spiritual wellness. References Background of Gautama and Buddhism. (2008). Let Us Reason Ministries. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Bhikku, T. (2002). Samsara. Esolibris. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Burns, M. G. (2009). Archangels Wisdom. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Buddhism Teacher. (2008). Samsara. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from O’Brien, B. (2009). Samsara. About. com. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from

A life changing event.

A life changing event. THWACK!Occasionally everyone is rocked by events not just beyond control, but beyond understanding. I lost the illusion of safety on a sweaty day in Bogot ¡, Colombia.We were driving not so much on a road but an infected cut on the skin of the jungle, which was always trying to heal the wound. The jungle itself loomed on either side of the road, staring back at me to show that it was the panther and I the hare.The jeep leapt and bound over the broken terrain. In the back of the jeep I was tossed about like an ice cube in a martini shaker. The two men in the front of the jeep were discussing something in Spanish; they seemed worried, so I asked them what was happening."This area is controlled by the rebels, we must drive very fast," Manuel said. Manuel was a Colombian Armed Forces captain.Tranvà ­a en llamas frente al Capitolio Nacional do...When he spoke he had the perfect enunciation of words that is so familiar to people for whom English is not their first language."When will we be out of danger?" I asked"You are an American in Colombia; you will be in danger until you get home." Manuel replied, laughing as he did so."Everything will be fine when we get past the first checkpoint in a few miles" Carlos said to reassure me.Carlos was a Colombian born American army captain. It was he who originally contacted me to do this job. When we first spoke he told me about the poor conditions in Bogot ¡. The people there needed better health care and the U.S. government was building new facilities. They wanted help with their computer systems, specifically with patient tracking. He convinced me that I would be making a difference in the lives of the Colombian people.He also alerted me to the danger. Colombia has been fighting a fifty year civil war. Before that the country had spent another fifty years in a constant struggle between wealthy land owners known. A struggle so vicious it is simply known as "La Violencia", the Violence. "Americans are occasionally kidnapp ed and ransomed. However we will have an escort as all times." he assured.Ridding in the jeep I noticed the way Manuel rarely took his eyes away from the jungle, always looking around, looking not with fear but suspicion, as if he suspected the very leaves themselves of harboring an unseen enemy.We passed the checkpoint without difficulty and entered the city a few miles ahead. It was grotesque. Every metropolitan area has a group of economically disadvantaged, but nothing I had ever seen prepared me for the city. The first thing you notice is the filth. It seemed the entire city was a refuse station. The greasy smell of it seemed to crawl into my nostrils and settle like dirty snow that won't melt until spring. The streets were full of litter. Is was not the kind of litter that you see in American cities, for most of that material is still useful to the truly poor, but a new dirtier kind of litter that sat perfectly on the border between trash and compost.The city seemed to be stru ggling against itself exploding too quickly and falling back in on itself, growing and shrinking like a parasite that never kills its host but can never be totally disposed of.The buildings were a crowded hubbub of materials that seemed piled together without thought to their neighbors. Snarls of wires sat at the top corners looking like the building itself had unwashed hair. Much of the construction seemed designed to lean against each other to support its tired existence.The people were the most obvious feature. There were throngs of people in front of the jeep. Everywhere I looked there were people in cars, scooters, bicycles and most of all on foot.There was paranoia in the air as we drove through by the people. Every time we stopped my escort would look out scanning the crowd as a hyena would looking for a lion about to take its food. At one stoplight someone looked back.He was a small man with dark skin and black eyes, but these details could describe anyone on these sweaty st reets. He carried himself through the crowd with more confidence, the confidence of a man that got what he wanted, by any means. He looked upon our party with powerful malice. There was an aura of menace to him that bespoke his intention well before his actions.I met eyes with the malicious man. The air became heavy with threat. Time itself seemed to stop to watch the events unfolding. A drop of sweat was forming on my forehead, leaking gently from my pores to be whisked away by evaporation, leaving me ever so slightly cooler. A billion molecules being carried by the air swirled and eddied into my nostrils. The smell of smoke from a trash fire followed by the soap that my driver had used to wash his hands at lunch and a million other slight scents were grabbed with both hands and rammed into my brain. Through the smears of insect entrails and dust on the windshield I saw the man's hand move."Gun!" I heard. Suddenly the world exploded. THWACK! The windshield cracked into a crystallin e fractal. THWACK! The windshield disappeared. THWAK! THWACK! THWAK! THWACK! There was a jet of dust from a hole that seemed to just appear in the seat in front of me. There was something sticky on my hands, but I couldn't see it. I couldn't take my eyes away from the man who was shooting at me.My ears hurt but I could not hear any sound. There was no sound getting from my eardrum to my brain, but my ears were still dutifully telling me that the noise was too loud. People around me seemed to be screaming and yelling, but I would not hear them.All I could see was the broken windshield, my driver sitting listlessly in place and the man with the rifle spitting short bright lines at my jeep. Manuel reached over from the passenger seat and began a kind of macabre wrestling with the driver. Manuel was reaching over to take the driver by the arm, but the arm didn't seem to be there; it seemed to have gone to the same place as my hearing although without the returning ticket. He pushed the unmoving driver aside and grabbed the wheel. He used his left foot to reach the gas and began to accelerate through the street, now empty except for the trail of smoke left behind by our vehicle.After traveling for several blocks, swerving around the road as Manuel drove from the passenger seat, we came upon several jeeps with markings similar to ours. Immediately men poured out surrounding our vehicle and getting the passengers out. I was rushed into a nearby building by a small man in a uniform who repeated "OK, OK?" over and over, until I finally understood that he was asking me a question and I replied "OK", much to his relief.I finished my work in Colombia without further excitement. In the hail of bullets the driver of the jeep had lost his arm, but thankfully not his life. The shooter turned out to have been a FARC rebel that had chosen that time to commit a terrorist act. I pale to think of how that information was extracted.Since this adventure, I have been back to the hosp ital for work twice, both times without incident. The work I've done there has saved lives, although indirectly, and I like to believe that saving lives is worth some personal danger. But I still hope it never happens again.

HIP HOP PROMOTES VIOLENCE essays

HIP HOP PROMOTES VIOLENCE essays Hip Hop was once the African-American experiences and the voices of their people being told throughout music in the early 1990s. African-American youth experiences came about from the rise in police brutality, the crack cocaine epidemic, and its prison industrial complex counterparts. Its growing commercial appeal such as the music videos and soundtracks provided a dangerous outlet for the generation's frustration. "Gangsta rap" claims to speak of the new wealth of poor inner city youngsters. On the other hand with all the disadvantages of inner city life, hip hop culture and its economic components have failed in using its wealth to solve the public policy unfairness that frame urban societies. Despite the millions of dollars flowing to and through the rap music industry and the so called hip hop or urban clothing industry, very little if any of it has gone to support strategies geared at empowering African-Americans within American capitalism. An example of this is in Talib Kweli's 2000 song African Dream lyrics that say, "These cats drink champagne to toast death and pain like slaves on a ship talkin' 'bout who got the flyest chains". Kweli speaks directly about the phony value of fleeting wealth and the failure of hip hop wealth to actually better the quality of African American life. Many rap artists proudly admit that they are only concerned with discussing sex and money in their music. They cut off the idea that they should be troubled with "serious" topics or that hip hop artists have to promote race consciousness. They arrogantly discard the "role-model" label and do not want to take any responsibilities. Hip hop's recent obsession with money, fascination with crime, and complete violation of women signal the absorption of the generation into a mainstream psychology and social ethic. Many including African Americans see the ruthless pursuit of individual wealth as an American dream, and for the hip hop genera...

Kitchen Cabinetâ€Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning

Kitchen Cabinet- Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning The Kitchen Cabinet was a mocking term applied to an official circle of advisers to President Andrew Jackson. The term has endured through many decades, and now generally refers to a politicians informal circle of advisers.   When Jackson came into office after the bruising election of 1828, he was very distrustful of official Washington. As part of his anti-establishment actions, he began to dismiss government officials who had held the same jobs for years. His reshuffling of the government became known as​ the  Spoils System. And in an apparent effort to ensure that power rested with the president, not other people in the government, Jackson appointed fairly obscure or ineffectual men to most of the posts in his cabinet. The only man considered to possess any  real political stature in Jacksons cabinet was Martin Van Buren, who was appointed secretary of state. Van Buren had been a very influential figure in politics in New York State, and his ability to bring northern voters in line with Jacksons frontier appeal helped Jackson win the presidency. Jacksons Cronies Wielded the Real Power The real power in Jacksons administration rested with a circle of friends and political cronies who often did not hold official office. Jackson was always a controversial figure, thanks largely to his violent past and mercurial temperament. And  opposition newspapers, implying there was something nefarious about the president receiving much unofficial advice, came up with the play on words, kitchen cabinet, to describe the informal group. Jacksons official cabinet was sometimes called the parlor cabinet. The Kitchen Cabinet included newspaper editors, political supporters, and old friends of Jacksons. They tended to support him in such efforts as the Bank War, and the implementation of the Spoils System. Jacksons informal group of advisers became more powerful as Jackson became estranged from people within his own administration. His own vice president, John C. Calhoun, for example, rebelled against Jacksons policies, resigned, and began to instigate what became the Nullification Crisis. The Term Endured In later presidential administrations, the term kitchen cabinet took on a less derisive meaning and simply came to be used to denote a presidents informal advisers. For example, when Abraham Lincoln was serving as president, he was known to correspond with newspaper editors Horace Greeley (of the New York Tribune), James Gordon Bennett (of the New York Herald), and Henry J. Raymond (of the New York Times). Given the complexity of issues Lincoln was dealing with, the advice (and political support) of prominent editors was both welcome and extremely helpful. In the 20th century, a good example of a kitchen cabinet would be the circle of advisers President John F. Kennedy would call upon. Kennedy respected intellectuals and former government officials such as George Kennan, one of the architects of the Cold War. And he would reach out to historians and scholars for informal advice on pressing issues of foreign affairs as well as domestic policy. In modern usage, the kitchen cabinet has generally lost the suggestion of impropriety. Modern presidents are generally expected to rely on a wide range of individuals for advice, and the idea that unofficial persons would be advising the president is not seen as improper, as it had been in Jacksons time.

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Globalisation - Essay Example This article discusses major implications created by globalisation for Governments, organisations and individuals. The article strongly advocates a neutral perspective, the pros and cons of globalisation. The pro and anti-globalist agenda, challenges faced by governments and its effects on individual organisations have been considered to explain the phenomenon referred to as globalisation. Technology has reduced the communication gaps between geographies. Travelling across national borders has been made easier and as a result doing business internationally has lesser complications in the modern age. The introduction and implementation of International Accounting Standards (IAS’s) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s) has made comparisons between organisations appropriate. Comparable and understandable flow of financial information has developed greater trust amongst investors. Formation of European Union, African Union and the Arab League has further cracked open the case for globalisation. Similar laws and regulation prevailing through the Middle East, the common currency usage across Europe and the fusion of cultures has further escalated the pace of Globalisation. Globalisation accelerates the exchange of ideas and commodities over massive distances. Generally it can be held that as economies emerge and adapt to work together, they experience growth and opportunities to expand across national borders. It can also be advocated strongly that increased globalisation has created fierce competition amongst economies, nations, corporations and individuals. The concept of globalisation is not as simple as it jingles along. Repercussions of the process are severe. This article discusses major implications created by globalisation for Governments, organisations and individuals. The article strongly advocates a neutral perspective, the pros and cons of globalisation. The pro and anti-globalist agenda, challenges faced by governments an d its effects on individual organisations have been considered to explain the phenomenon referred to as globalisation. (ACCA, 2011) As globalisation become more universal, responses against and for have materialised. The powerful pro-globalisation lobby advocates their perspective as being adequate. Their argument indeed has much weight. They strongly support the idea that globalisation brings forth opportunities for nearly every one. Increased competition amongst organisations can provide numerous opportunities for individual growth and would create better employment opportunities. It reduces the impact of few capitalists dictating the economy as they see fit. Thereby increasing standards of living amongst the citizens and pushing the GDP positive. The main pro-globalisation organisations promoting it are the World Trade Organisation and the World Economic forum. The world trade organisation is a member driven institute. Its purpose of existence is to oversee the global rules of tr ade between nations. Its core responsibility is to make certain that trade flows smoothly and freely. Similarly the world economic forum is an independent organisation involved in improving the worlds business, academic and political environments. Both the organisations through series of debate and negotiations with member countries have achieved milestones which seemed impossible at one stage (Macdonald,

Wrold history Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wrold history - Assignment Example The three topics that will guide the discussion on philosophy around the world include China, Ancient Greece, and Africa (and African Sage Philosophy). In terms of development, Chinese philosophy emerged from what scholars have called the Hundred Schools of Thought. It is a framework of thought and ideas that was characterized by both cultural and intellectual changes in different spheres of Chinese life. Consequently, in order to assist in the ease of understanding, the Schools of Thought were subdivided into Daoism, Confucianism, Legalism, and Naturalists among others. Contrastingly, for the Ancient Greece through its subdivisions of Pre-Socratic, Socratic, and Post-Socratic phases; concern with aspects of mathematics, ontology, and cosmology remain dominant. It is a scenario almost similar to the development of philosophy in Africa particularly in the belief of gods and spirits as medium of communication with ordinary human beings (Wiredu 134). Therefore, the inclusion of the Afri can Sage connote the important of traditions as often seen West Africa to explain various cosmologies such as those of Dahomey, Dogon, and Akan. It means the development of the aforementioned philosophies have had significant impact upon their individual societies; effects still today. The Chinese philosophy, for instance, has doctrines such as Dao (the Way, or one’s doctrine), Qi (material force or vital energy), and Li (principle) among others. These doctrines are applicable in Chinese life to help in differentiating between masculine and feminine roles. Alternatively, there is also the idea of relating man and nature from the perspective of monotheistic deity. It is replicated in Ancient Greece philosophy in regards to influencing contemporary thought that helped in shaping disciplines namely Literature, Philosophy, and Psychology (Preus

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answer questions - Essay Example Divorce, advancing technology, or a generation gap does not make teens act fearful, vainly, or irresponsibly. This is part of a rite of passage into adulthood that all humans must go through. Teens have not lost their minds, they are acting out naturally. Teachers and educators must realize that these themes are a fact. Instead of trying to make teens conform and think like adults, teachers need to reach out to teens on their level. Instead of disregarding fears, teachers need to realistically come down on a teen’s level in order to counsel a teen effectively. For example, a teen girl comes to an educator with the confession that she is being abused physically by a boyfriend. It is real easy to say ‘leave him’. However, most adult women cannot leave an abuser. The teacher needs not only to speak with the teen, but recommend a counselor. Most teachers will go straight to the parents or the cops. This causes more problems for the teen. Teens need to be taught how to control the fear. Maybe peer counseling or a teacher can share past experiences as a teen. The most important factor would to understand the teen’s fear and not dismiss it. Another strong theme was about good teachers and not seeing enthusiasm for a subject. Teachers do get tired of teaching the same subject over and over. The same curriculum is used year after year, with a few changes like new books. Teachers must love the subject they are teaching, or they would not have majored in it. Instead of teaching the same curriculum over and over, teachers might try to change their schedules, activities, or assignments within the curriculum. For example, a history teacher could have used the 2008 election for exciting lessons on the Civil Rights, Susan B. Anthony, Vietnam, World War I and II (McCain’s father and grandfather), Africa, Kenya (Obama’s father), and other subjects. The options are endless. Math teachers could have

Research Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Topics - Essay Example ere must be adequate market study to identify the specific needs of customers and innovatively deliver products and services that meet identified needs. Diversifying production means that the company will acquire new markets, reinforce the existing ones and also have a backup plan in case one business venture fails. Companies that rely on only one product are at risk of succumbing to market pressure and have no alternative in case of business uncertainty. This paper aims at exploring the identifiable advantages that are associated with diversifying production. By focusing on Outsurge Company, the paper will outline the perceived opportunities for diversity in the technology industry. This will be through a review of literature concerning production diversification and making a comparison between Outsurge and other technological companies. Results of this will be identification of advantages of diversity in production and hence the ways forward for a company like Outsurge. Diversity is a tool for success in any form of business that deals with production. According to Cornell and Thomas (2013), it not only scale up the company’s financial strength but also significantly contribute to the performance and hence market relevance. This project will use the theory of production which explains the principles that a business use to decide how much of each of their commodities they will put into the market and how much input they have to consider. The paper will also connect diversity to the theory of cost and production functions in order to link the basis for decision making in production and product diversity. According to a report by USDA in 2001, diversification helps explain the differences in variability level of income among different firms. Ivanova (2011) said production of multiple outputs helps in increasing sales and consequently the economic performance. This fact does not only apply to big production firms or agricultural production companies; it is also

Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up Assignment

Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up - Assignment Example We listen to their needs and work with them to create and manage each event successfully. We help them achieve their personal, financial, professional, social, and artistic objectives. The people behind PEC are seasoned organisers and social network specialists who have a track record of successful event management experience dating back to several years. Our services include planning and executing for special events such as meetings, conferences, birthdays and special occasions, concerts, book launchings, exhibits, inaugurations, fund-raising, special dinners, victory parties, graduations, sports tournaments, and reunions. We want every event that we plan, organise and carry out to be successful, whether it is an intimate dinner for two or a conference for 100. We strategically established an upper limit to the number of participants to events we organise at this number for the first five years because of the unique financial model we employ of fixing the price we charge to competitive unit rates. We can increase these numbers much later. Regardless of the number of people at our events, we aim to take care of every detail for the event to provide the greatest pleasure and to make it a memorable experience. We offer a host of packages and services specifically tailored to the needs of each client and participant, and we are confident that this business venture will succeed and that our net income will increase according to our modest projections. 1.2 Mission Statement PRO-ACT Events Consultants (PEC) is a full service company that provides complete consulting services for any event, except weddings and anniversaries. Our consultants are experienced and dedicated professionals with many years of event planning experience. We are unique in that we give our clients our undivided attention and assure them that we are people they can trust. We listen to their needs and work with them to create the event of their dreams. We make everything possible. We have a professionally developed strategic plan that promises to make PEC one of the best places to work for in the world where everyone enjoys what one is doing, where the financial rewards are generous, and where everyday is a party! Our success is determined by the success of our

Should English be declared the official language of the United States Research Paper

Should English be declared the official language of the United States - Research Paper Example Even a great majority of the immigrants who have settled in different states learn the language in order to make it principal means of communication. However, despite all these figures, the truth is that English has never been declared as the official language of the U.S. There may be around 30 states out of the 50 that the country is composed of that have given official status to the language but at the federal level, no such legislation has been made. The irony here is that English is declared as an official language in countries where it is not the native tongue or not even used in ordinary conversations. Countries as far-flung as the interior regions of Africa such as Botswana and Swaziland and the small Pacific island-states such as Fiji and Samoa have made the language their own medium for official transactions. This may prove that English is the world’s most spoken language. However, this also highlights the irony in the fact that U.S., whose cultural influence is the m ajor factor for the spread of English as a language, has never made it official. Thesis Statement The reason why English should be declared as the official language though is based not solely on the fact that it is spoken by the most number of people in the country. It is a fact that people, even newly-arrived immigrants are conscious of the necessity to learn the language as soon as possible, knowing that business and government transactions employ it. The more important point is that language is not just a medium of communication; it is also a symbol of nationhood and of unity as a people. A country without a common language that is declared as official would certainly be wanting in terms of identity. Since English is the most commonly spoken by Americans and even by people who wish to become American citizens, it may as well be declared official. Pros and Cons of Making English the Official Language The proposal that English be made as the country’s official language is ac tually not new. In fact, arguments in favor and against this proposal have been around ever since the early days of the republic. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, had proposed that the use of other languages should be limited other than English. It was in the latter part of the 1700s that the John Quincy Adams made concrete steps towards legislation in favor of its official status. He actually recommended that the congress create a resolution that would establish an institution that would study and improve the language’s usage in line with its being official. However, this was countered with the argument that making English official is anathema to democracy and to individual liberty, two basic principles enshrined in the Constitution. A century after the Adams’ failed attempt, President Theodore Roosevelt once again pushed for the legislation of English as an official language. Roosevelt whipped patriotic fervor in asserting his point. He said that †Å"we have but one flag† and therefore â€Å"we must also learn one language, and that language is English.† (Hogg and Denison 417) Despite the appeal to patriotism though, Roosevelt also failed to make English as an official language. Legislators and certain sectors, particularly those groups advocating the rights of immigrants, have successfully blocked such attempts for about two centuries already. Their most solid defense is the country’s evidently uncompromising stance as regards individual liberty. According to them, making

Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up Assignment

Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up - Assignment Example We listen to their needs and work with them to create and manage each event successfully. We help them achieve their personal, financial, professional, social, and artistic objectives. The people behind PEC are seasoned organisers and social network specialists who have a track record of successful event management experience dating back to several years. Our services include planning and executing for special events such as meetings, conferences, birthdays and special occasions, concerts, book launchings, exhibits, inaugurations, fund-raising, special dinners, victory parties, graduations, sports tournaments, and reunions. We want every event that we plan, organise and carry out to be successful, whether it is an intimate dinner for two or a conference for 100. We strategically established an upper limit to the number of participants to events we organise at this number for the first five years because of the unique financial model we employ of fixing the price we charge to competitive unit rates. We can increase these numbers much later. Regardless of the number of people at our events, we aim to take care of every detail for the event to provide the greatest pleasure and to make it a memorable experience. We offer a host of packages and services specifically tailored to the needs of each client and participant, and we are confident that this business venture will succeed and that our net income will increase according to our modest projections. 1.2 Mission Statement PRO-ACT Events Consultants (PEC) is a full service company that provides complete consulting services for any event, except weddings and anniversaries. Our consultants are experienced and dedicated professionals with many years of event planning experience. We are unique in that we give our clients our undivided attention and assure them that we are people they can trust. We listen to their needs and work with them to create the event of their dreams. We make everything possible. We have a professionally developed strategic plan that promises to make PEC one of the best places to work for in the world where everyone enjoys what one is doing, where the financial rewards are generous, and where everyday is a party! Our success is determined by the success of our

Global Business Strategy 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Business Strategy 2 - Essay Example As such, this provided Dr Reddy Labs with an obvious cost advantage with the development and innovation of new drugs as well as setting up the infrastructure that would be able to compete on a global scale and provide pharmaceutical markets around the world with high qualities and high quantities of generic drugs. As a means of analyzing the overall strength, strategic position, fundamental tools at the disposal of the firm, strategy, outlook, history, and outlook for the firm in question, this analysis will seek to provide a commentary on each of these points. By means of beginning its industrial start as a primary supplier of Indian and Russian pharmaceutical industry, Dr Reddy Labs was able to save a massive amount of money that would otherwise be required to make the labs qualify under FDA regulations. In this way, the firm was able to begin generating a steady stream of revenue while seeking to focus supplying existing markets and consumers while minimizing the needs to jump directly into the more nuanced US and/or European markets. For this reason, few firms readily enter the pharmaceutical market due to the obscenely high cost of entry associated with all of the standards that such firms seek to meet within the beginning phases of company operation (Hopper 2003). Once a solid footing was established within Indian and international markets for both generic drugs, Dr. Reddy Labs shifted to seeking to penetrate the market for over the counter drugs in both Europe and the United States. This would serve as the first foray into the US ma rket; a market which according to the study that has been utilized to inform this piece accounts for over 50% of the entire world pharmaceutical market. This gradual approach to entry into the US market meant that the firm was able to continue to generate a high number of sales from the key markets that contributed mainly to their

Manning Guidance Essay Example for Free

Manning Guidance Essay Do the prioritizations outlined in the 2013 Manning Guidance agree with the imperatives of the 2013 ASPG? Why or why not? Overall, Manning Guidance (MG) 2013 is a near-term document that supports the imperatives of the 2013 Army Strategic Planning Guidance (ASPG) for all â€Å"near-term† priorities that covers FYs 13-15. The mission statement of MG 2013, states â€Å"Provide AC Army with personnel manning guidance for FY13-15 that is synchronized with the â€Å"Army’s Priorities†. The major difference is that ASPG covers near term (FYs 13-15), mid-term (FYs 16-20), as well as long term (FY21 and beyond); however, MG 2013 is a near-term document that supports the imperatives of the ASPG for FYs 13-15 only. Additionally, MG 2013 is more focused on the â€Å"Manning† line of effort vs. holistic approach to all things Army Strategic planning guidelines and considerations. ASPG Imperative #1 states: Provide modernized and ready, tailored land force capabilities to meet Combatant Commanders’ requirements across the range of military operations. How the MG 2013 supports this effort: MG provides guidelines for alignment of manning levels IAW Army priorities as reflected in the IRPL and other priorities established by Army senior leadership. MG also establishes clear guidelines on the manning levels during the ARFORGEN models by instituting not less than P2 rating during RESET and P1 during TRAIN/READY phase. It also talks about how the Army has enough Soldiers to fill every authorizations in the aggregate. Furthermore, MG also lays out allocated forces and apportioned forces that supports the Combatant Commanders’ requirements; it clearly articulates: urgent forces requires 100% manning, essential forces=90%, and important forces=80%. ASPG Imperative #2 states: Develop leaders to meet the challenges of the 21st century. How the MG 2013 aligns with this effort: MG amplifies the need for the investment of quality officers and NCOs in the institutional Army to develop Soldiers in diverse and broadening positions. It also states Commanders have the option to release Soldiers during any phase of the ARFORGEN cycle to execute Professional Military Education (PME). It also clearly states, Commands can release Soldiers/Leaders to depart unit IOT execute PME and other assignments that can broaden and grow Leaders. ASPG Imperative #3 states: Adapt the Army to more effectively provide land power. How the MG 2013 is in align or contradicts with this effort: First, MG clearly lays out the guidance on Resetting the Force during ARFORGEN cycle. However, ASPG covers areas that are mid-term and long-term that discusses the modernization effort, reforming/restructuring the Force, and fielding the Army of the future that is not laid out in the MG. Some of these areas are covered in the Command Plan as well Army equipping strategy or modernization strategy and not in the Manning Guidance. ASPG Imperative #4 states: Enhance the all-volunteer Army.   How the MG 2013 is in align or contradicts with this effort: Once again, going back to the discussion in the ASPG #2, developing future leaders, MG clearly articulates the support for Soldier/Leader assignments, importance of PMEs, and investing on recruiting/investing on top quality officers and NCOs that can ultimately enhance the all-volunteer Army.

John Locke :: Empiricists, Empiricism

John Locke's, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), was first criticized by the philosopher and theologian, John Norris of Bemerton, in his "Cursory Reflections upon a Book Call'd, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," and appended to his Christian Blessedness or Discourses upon the Beatitudes (1690). Norris's criticisms of Locke prompted three replies, which were only posthumously published. Locke has been viewed, historically, as the winner of this debate; however, new evidence has emerged which suggests that Norris's argument against the foundation of knowledge in sense-perception that the Essay advocated was a valid and worthy critique, which Locke did, in fact, take rather seriously. Charlotte Johnston's "Locke's Examination of Malebranche and John Norris" (1958), has been widely accepted as conclusively showing that Locke's replies were not philosophical, but rather personal in origin; her essay, however, overlooks critical facts that undermin e her subjective analysis of Locke's stance in relation to Norris's criticisms of the Essay. This paper provides those facts, revealing the philosophical—not personal—impetus for Locke's replies. INTRODUCTION "Locke's Examination of Malebranche and John Norris" (1958), by Charlotte Johnston,1 connects John Locke's posthumously published treatise on the philosophy of Nicolas Malebranche to the replies he had written to an English philosopher and theologian, John Norris of Bemerton. When Locke first published An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690),2 Norris, aided by the philosophy of Malebranche, responded with the first critique of the Essay, entitled "Cursory Reflections upon a Book call'd, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," and appended to Norris's Christian Blessedness or Discourses upon the Beatitudes (1690).3 Three texts: "JL to Mr. Norris" (1692), An Examination of P. Malebranche's Opinion of Seeing All Things in God (1693),4 and Some Remarks Upon Some of Mr. Norris's Books, wherein he asserts P. Malebranche's Opinion of our Seeing all Things in God (1693),5 according to Johnston, were all a direct response to Norris. Johnston's essay, which has been widely accepted, clearly shows the interrelatedness of the texts; however, her appraisal of them as a response to Norris, incorrectly devalues their philosophical seriousness by overestimating the importance of a personal quarrel between Norris and Locke. She concludes her essay with this summation: "the stimulus for these three papers came directly from Norris, from his criticisms of the newly published Essay, and still more from his personal relationship with Locke"; otherwise, "Locke's opposition to the theory of vision in God would surely have remained unexpressed, since he felt the notion to be sufficiently absurd to die of its own accord.

Kasimir Malevich :: Russian Painter Designer Artists Essays

Kasimir Malevich Kasimir Malevich, a Russian painter and designer, was born near Kiev on February 26, 1878 (Guggeheimcollection.org) and was â€Å"one of six children from Russified Poles† (Articons.co.uk). While living in Ukraine, he became absorbed into art during his teens, â€Å"largely teaching himself† the basics (Articons.co.uk). After saving his money â€Å"from his job as a railroad clerk† (Articons.co.uk), Malevich enrolled in the Moscow Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 1903 and began to study art more seriously. Later he trained at Kiev School of Art and Moscow Academy of Fine Arts and â€Å"produced portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes† in his early stages of his career (Artstudio.com). By 1907 Malevich â€Å"took part in the Moscow Artists' Society's twice yearly exhibition along with such artists as David Burliuk, Aleksander Shevchenko and Natalia Goncharova† (Articons.co.uk). â€Å"He began working in an unexceptional Post-Impressionist manner, but by 1912 he was painting peasant subjects in a massive `tubular' style similar to that of Leger as well as pictures combining the fragmentation of form of Cubism with the multiplication of the image of Futurism† (ibiblio.org). In these initial years of study, art was not the only interest in Malevich’s repertoire. â€Å"In 1913, with composer Mikhail Matiushin and writer Alexei Kruchenykh, Malevich drafted a manifesto for the First Futurist Congress† (Guggenheimcollection.org) and began taking a â€Å"more philosophical and theoretical approach to art† (Articons.com). Also in that year, the artist â€Å"designed the sets and costumes for the opera Victory over the Sun† for these friends which was showed at the Salon des Independants in Paris in 1914. Kruchenykh and others introduced Malevich to the â€Å" the notion of ‘zaum’† in 1913, which was a â€Å"state where experience occurs beyond the naturally perceived world† (Articons.com). â€Å"This concept and his work for the Cubo-Futurist opera Victory Over The Sun (1913) propelled Malevich into the style of Suprematism† (Articons.com). It was at this time he began â€Å"creating geometric patterns in style he called Suprematism† (ibiblio.org). Although Malevich claimed to have created a picture â€Å"consisting of nothing more than a black square on a white field,† (ibiblio.

Dbq for American Imperialism

The period 1875-1920 has been described by some historians as a period of â€Å"selflessness† during which the United States helped weaker nations from dominant European powers and spread the â€Å"blessings of democracy and civilization.† Others have described the â€Å"New Manifest Destiny† as a time of â€Å"ruthless American expansion† at the cost of weaker nations and in violation of our own principles of consent of the governed and popular sovereignty.Using the documents, and your knowledge, how would you characterize this period of â€Å"Becoming a World Power†?Document ADocument Bâ€Å"The title to territory of indefinite but confessedly very large extent is in dispute between Great Britain and the Republic of Venezuela. . . . Venezuela can hope to establish her claim only through peaceful methods. . . . The Government of the United States has made it clear to Great Britain that the controversy is one in which both its honor and its interes ts are involved. . . . The people of the United States have a vital interests in the cause of popular self-government. . . . To-day the United States is practically sovereign on this continent, and its fiat is law upon the subjects to which it confines its interposition. . . . Its infinite resources combined with its isolated position render it master of the situation and practically invulnerable as against any or all other powers. . . .All the advantages of this superiority are at once imperiled if the principle be admitted that European powers may convert American States into colonies or provinces of their own. . . . Great Britain can not be deemed a South American state within the purview of the Monroe Doctrine. . . . It being clear, therefore, that the United States may legitimately insist upon the merits of the boundary question being determined, it is equally clear that there is but one feasible mode of determining them, viz., peaceful arbitration.† Richard Olney, Secret ary of State, 1895.Document CDocument Dâ€Å"The Republic of Hawaii hereby cedes absolutely and without reserve to the United States of America all rights of sovereignty of whatsoever kind in and over the Hawaiian Islands and their dependencies; and it is agreed that all territory of and appertaining to the Republic of Hawaii is hereby annexed to the United States of America under the name of the Territory of Hawaii. . . .The existing laws of the United States relative to public lands shall not apply to such lands in the Hawaiian Islands, but the Congress of the United States shall enact special laws for their management and disposition. . . . There shall be no further immigration of Chinese into the Hawaiian Islands, except upon such conditions as are now or may hereafter be allowed by the laws of the United States, and no Chinese by reason of anything herein contained shall be allowed to enter the United States from the Hawaiian Islands.† Treaty of Hawaiian Annexation, 1898 .Document Eâ€Å"The principles which this Government is particularly desirous of seeing formally declared by His Imperial Majesty and by all the great Powers interested in China, are: First. The recognition that no Power will in any way interfere with any treaty port or any vested interest within any leased territory or within any so-called â€Å"sphere of interest† it may have in China.Second. That the Chinese treaty tariff of the time being shall apply to all merchandise landed or shipped to all such ports as are within said â€Å"sphere of interest† (unless they be â€Å"free ports†), no matter to what nationality it may belong, and that duties so leviable shall be collected by the Chinese Government.Third. That it will levy no higher harbor dues on vessels of another nationality frequenting any port in such â€Å"sphere† than shall be levied on vessels of its own nationality over equal distances.The declaration of such principles by His Imperial Maj esty would not only be of great benefit to foreign commerce in China. . . .† John Hay, Open Door In China , Pg.168.Document Fâ€Å"On March 31 Captain-General Blanco issued a decree putting an end to reconcentration in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara, and on April 9 the Spanish Cabinet decided to grant an armistice to the insurgents, while both the Pope and the great Powers of Europe were using their influence to avert a Spanish-American war. Nevertheless the replies at this time of the Madrid government to President McKinley's demands concerning the pacification of Cuba, notwithstanding the Spanish offer to arbitrate the Maine trouble, led the authorities at Washington to believe that pacification could not be attained without the armed intervention of the United States.The President's message to Congress . . . . stated the entire issue, rightly considering the Maine disaster a subordinate matter, stated that the only hope of relief and repo se from a condition which can no longer be endured is the enforced pacification of Cuba. In the name of humanity, in the name of civilization, in behalf of endangered American interests, which give us the right and the duty to speak and act, the war in Cuba must stop.† â€Å"Outbreak Of The War With Spain†, America, Vol.10, Pg.120.Document Gâ€Å"For more than a year the exact whereabouts of the elusive chieftain of the insurgent Filipinos had been a mystery. Rumor located Aguinaldo in all sorts of impossible places. Running up the bank toward the house, we were met by Segovia, who came running out, his face aglow with exultation, and his clothing spattered with the blood of the men he had wounded. He called out in Spanish, â€Å"It is all right. We have him.† We hastened into the house, and I introduced myself to Aguinaldo, telling him that we were officers of the  American army, that the men with us were our troops, and not his, and that he was a prisoner of war.He was given assurance that he need fear no bad treatment. He said in a dazed sort of way, â€Å"Is this not some joke?† I assured him that it was not, though, as a matter of fact, it was a pretty bad one, on him. With Aguinaldo in our hands, the Filipinos soon lost heart and the insurrection collapsed.† Senator George Frisbie Hoar, Subjugation of the Philippines Inquitous, The World's Famous Orations, Vol.3, Pg.220.Document Hâ€Å"The Republic of Panama grants to the United States in perpetuity, the use, occupation and control of a zone of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of said Canal of the width of ten miles extending to the distance of five miles on each side of the center line of the route of the Canal to be constructed; the said zone beginning in the Caribbean Sea three marine miles from mean low water mark and extending to and across the Isthmus of Panama into the Pacific Ocean to a distance of three marine miles from mean low water mark with the proviso that the cities of Panama and Colon and the harbors adjacent to said cities, which are included within the boundaries of the zone above described, shall not be included within this grant. . . .The Republic of Panama further grants in like manner to the United States in perpetuity, all islands within the limits of the zone above described and in addition thereto, the group of small islands, in the Bay of Panama, named Perico, Naos, Culebra and Flamenco. . . .The Republic of Panama grants to the United States all the rights, power and authority within the zone mentioned and described in Article II of this agreement, and within the limits of all auxiliary lands and waters mentioned and described in said Article II which the United States would possess and exercise, if it were the sovereign of the territory within which said lands and waters are located to the entire exclusion of the exercise by the Republic of Panama of an y such sovereign rights, power or authority.† Theodore Roosevelt, Convention Between U. S. And Panama, Pg.480.Document Iâ€Å"In view of the constant reiteration of the assertion that there was some corrupt action by or on behalf of the United States Government in connection with the acquisition of the title of the French Company to the Panama Canal and of the repetition of the story that a syndicate of American citizens owned either one or both of the Panama Companies, I deem it unwise to submit to the Congress all the information I have on the subject.These stories were first brought to my attention as published in a paper in Indianapolis, called the â€Å"News,† edited by Mr. Delavan Smith. The stories were scurrilous and libelous in character and false in every essential particular. Mr. Smith shelters himself behind the excuse that he merely accepted the statements which had appeared in a paper published in New York, the â€Å"World,† owned by Mr. Joseph Pul itzer.† Theodore Roosevelt, Purchase Of The Panama Canal, Pg.240.Document Jâ€Å"Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), American naval officer and historian, born in West Point, New York, and educated at the United States Naval Academy. A Union naval officer during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Mahan served in the navy for nearly 40 years. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1885. In 1886, Mahan was invited to lecture at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He also served as president of the college from 1886 to 1889, and again in 1892 and 1893. His lectures were published under the title of The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783 (1890). The book received international recognition as a comprehensive exposition of naval strategy. Mahan stressed the important role of sea power in the world, and this idea had a profound influence on the policies of many nations, including the United States and Germany.† Microsoft EncartaDocument Kâ€Å"And now of a sudden, without cool deliberation, without prudent preparation, the nation is hurried into war, and America, she who more than any other land was pledged to peace and good will on earth, unsheathes her  sword, compels a weak and unwilling nation to a fight, rejecting without due consideration her [Spain's] earnest and repeated offers to meet every legitimate demand of the United States. It is a bitter disappointment to the lover of his country; it is a turning back from the path of civilization to that of barbarism. There never was a good war,† said Franklin. There have indeed been many wars in which a good man must take part. . . .But if a war be undertaken for the most righteous end, before the resources of peace have been tried and proved vain to secure it, that war has no defense. It is a national crime. The plea that the better government of Cuba, and the relief of the reconcentrados, could only be secured by war is the plea either of ignorance or of hypocrisy. Bu t the war is declared; and on all hands we hear the cry that he is no patriot who fails to shout for it, and to urge the youth of the country to enlist, and to rejoice that they are called to the service of their native land. The sober counsels that were appropriate before the war was entered upon must give way to blind enthusiasm, and the voice of condemnation must be silenced by the thunders of the guns and the hurrahs of the crowd. Stop! A declaration of war does not change the moral law.â€Å"The Ten Commandments will not budge† at a joint resolve of Congress. . . . No! the voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the press and too often the pulpit, is bidding all men fall in and keep step and obey in silence the tyrannous word of command. Then, more than ever, it is the duty of the good citizen not to be silent, and spite of obliquity, misrepresentation, and abuse, to insist on being heard, and with sober counsel to maintain the everlasting validity of the principles of the moral law.† Public Opinion 24 (June 23, 1898): 775-776.Document LCaribbean interventionsDocument Mâ€Å"Even if the condemnation of barbarous warfare in the Philippines by the imperialist press is somewhat belated, we welcome it, as we welcome everything that compels Americans to give attention to a subject to which too many of them have become increasingly indifferent. Silence, we know, is consistent with shame, and may be one of the signs of its existence; and the fact that only a few of the more unblushing or foolish newspapers have defended Gen. Smith's policy of extermination shows what the general sentiment is. To allege the provocation which our soldiers had is to set up a defense which President Roosevelt brushed aside in advance.To fall back on the miserable sophistry that â€Å"war is hell† is only another way of making out those who engage in that kind of war to be fiends. It is, besides, to offer an excuse for ourselves whi ch we did not tolerate for an instant in the case of Spanish atrocities. That is our present moral humiliation in the eyes of the world.We made war on Spain four years ago for doing the very things of which we are now guilty ourselves. As the Chicago News pointedly observes, we are giving Spain as good reason to interfere with us on the ground of humanity as we had to interfere with her. Doubtless she would interfere if she were strong enough and thought she could acquire some islands in the virtuous act.† Nation (New York) 74 (May 8, 1902): 357.Document Nâ€Å"How long are the Spaniards to drench Cuba with the blood and tears of her people? How long is the peasantry of Spain to be drafted away to Cuba to die miserably in a hopeless war, that Spanish nobles and Spanish officers may get medals and honors? How long shall old [Cuban] men and women and children be murdered by the score, the innocent victims of Spanish rage against the patriot armies they cannot conquer? How long shall the sound of rifles in Castle Morro at sunrise proclaim that bound and helpless prisoners of war have been murdered in cold blood? How long shall Cuban women be the victims of Spanish outrages and lie sobbing and bruised in loathsome prisons?† New York Journal, 1898Document Oâ€Å"When next I realized that the Philippines had dropped into our laps, I confess I did not know what to do with them. I sought counsel from all sides–Democrats as well as Republicans–but got little help. I thought first we would take only Manila; then Luzon; then other islands, perhaps, also. I walked the floor of the White House night after night until midnight; and I am not ashamed to tell you, gentlemen, that I went down on my knees and prayed Almighty God for light and guidance more than one night. And one night late it came to me this way–I don't know how it was, but it came: (1)That we could not give them back to Spain–that would be cowardly and dishonorable; (2 ) That we could not turn them over to France or Germany, our commercial rivals in the Orient–that would be bad business and discreditable. (3) That we could not leave them to themselves–they were unfit for self-government, and they would soon have anarchy and misrule worse than Spain's was; and (4) That there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them and by God's grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellow men, for whom Christ also died.And then I went to bed and went to sleep, and slept soundly, and the next morning I sent for the chief engineer of the War Department (our map-maker), and I told him to put the Philippines on the map of the United States (pointing to a large map on the wall of his office), and there they are and there they will stay while I am President!† This document is a report of an interview with McKinley at the White House, November 21, 1899, wri tten by one of the interviewers and confirmed by others present. Published in Christian Advocate, January 22, 1903.Document Pâ€Å"It is not true that the United States feels any land hunger or entertains any projects as regards the other nations of the Western Hemisphere, save such as are for their welfare. All that this country desires is to see the neighboring countries stable, orderly, and prosperous. . . . If a nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States.Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by  some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoi ng or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. . . . Our interests and those of our southern neighbors are in reality identical. We would interfere with them only in the last resort. . . .† [Theodore Roosevelt] A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (New York: Bureau of National Literature, 1906) vol. 16 (December 6, 1904), pp. 7053-7054.Document Qâ€Å"There is not a civilized nation which does not talk about its civilizing mission just as grandly as we do. . . . . We assume that what we like and practice, and what we think better, must come as a welcome blessing to Spanish-Americans and Filipinos. This is grossly and obviously untrue. They hate our ways. They are hostile to our ideas. Our religion, language, institutions, and manners offend them.† W. G. Sumner, War and Other Essays (1919), pp. 303-305.Document Râ€Å"No document has proved more harmful to the prestige of the United States in the Western Hemisphere [than the Roo sevelt corollary]. No White House policy could be more distasteful to Latin Americans–not even, perhaps, outspoken imperialism. Latin Americans are usually inclined to admire strength, force, a nation muy hombre [very manly]. This was imperialism without military glamour. . . . Moreover, it was a total distortion of the original Message. Monroe's Doctrine was defensive and negative: defensive, in that it was essentially an opposition to eventual aggression from Europe; negative, in that it simply told Europe what it should not do–not what the United States should do.The Monroe Doctrine of later corollaries became aggressive and positive; aggressive, because, even without actual European attack, it urged Unites States â€Å"protection† of Latin America–and that was outright intervention; positive, because instead of telling Europe what not to do, it told the United States what it should do in the Western Hemisphere. From a case of America vs. Europe, the c orollaries made of the Doctrine a case of the United States vs. America. President Monroe had merely shaken his head, brandished his finger, and said to Europe, â€Å"Now, now, gentlemen, if you meddle with us, we will not love you any more,† while Teddy Roosevelt, brandishing a big stick, had shouted, â€Å"Listen, you guys, don't muscle in–this territory is ours.† Luis Quintanilla, A Latin American Speaks (New York: The Macmillan Company 1943), pp. 125-126.Document Sâ€Å"Open Door or not, patriotic Chinese did not care to be used as a doormat by the Europeans. In 1900 a superpatriotic group known as the â€Å"Boxers† broke loose with the cry â€Å"Kill Foreign Devils.† Over two hundred missionaries and other ill-fated whites were murdered, and a number of foreign diplomats were besieged in the capital, Beijing (Peking). A rescue force of some eighteen thousand soldiers, hastily assembled, arrived in the nick of time. This multi nation contingen t consisted of Japanese, Russian, British, French, German, and American troops, with the American contribution some twenty-five hundred men. Such participation in a joint military operation, especially in Asia, was plainly contrary to the nation's time-honored principles of nonentanglement and noninvolvement.† David Kennedy, The American Pageant, Chapter 31.Document Tâ€Å" . . . .largely as a result of the dislocations and tax burdens, numerous Japanese laborers, with their wives and children, began to pour into California. By 1906 approximately seventy thousand Japanese dwelt along the Pacific Coast. Nervous Californians, confronted by another â€Å"yellow peril,† feared being drowned in an Asian sea. . . . Following the frightful earthquake and fire in San Francisco, the local school authorities, decreed that Japanese children should attend a special school. Instantly, this brewed an international crisis, and irresponsible war talk sizzled. This led to the Gentleman ’s Agreement.† David Kennedy, The American Pageant, Chapter 31.Document Uâ€Å"Cuba, scorched and chaotic, presented another headache. An American military government, set up under the administrative genius of General Leonard Wood of Rough Rider fame, wrought miracles in government, finance, education, agriculture, and public health. Under his leadership a frontal attack was launched on yellow fever. Spectacular experiments were performed by Dr. Walter Reed and others upon American soldiers, who volunteered as human guinea pigs; and the stegomyia mosquito was proved to be the lethal carrier.A cleanup of breeding places for mosquitoes wiped out yellow fever in Havana, while removing the recurrent fear of epidemics in cities of the South and Atlantic seaboard. The United States, honoring its self-denying Teller Amendment of 1898, withdrew from Cuba in 1902. Old World imperialists could scarcely believe their eyes. But the Washington government could not turn this rich an d strategic island completely loose on the international sea; a grasping power like Germany might secure dangerous lodgment near America's soft underbelly. The Cubans were therefore forced to write into their own constitution of 1901 the so-called Platt Amendment. The hated restriction severely hobbled the Cubans. They bound themselves not to impair their independence by treaty or by contracting a debt beyond their resources.They further agreed that the United States might intervene with troops to restore order and to provide mutual protection. Finally, the Cubans promised to sell or lease needed coaling or naval stations, ultimately two and then only one (Guantanamo), to their powerful â€Å"benefactor.† The United States is still there on about twenty-eight thousand acres under an agreement that can be revoked only by the consent of both parties.† Thomas A. Bailey, The American Pageant, Chapter 30.Document VA thorny legal problem was posed by the various territorial a cquisitions: did the Constitution follow the flag? Did American laws, including tariff laws, apply with full force to the newly acquired possessions, chiefly the Philippines and Puerto Rico? Beginning in 1901 with the Insular Cases, a badly divided Supreme Court decreed, in effect, that the flag did outrun the Constitution, and that the outdistanced document did not necessarily extend with full force to the new territories. The Congress was therefore left with a free hand to determine the degree of applicability.â€Å"The question before us is, has Congress incorporated Puerto Rico into the Union as distinguished from merely belong to the United States? Constitutional guarantees clearly apply in territories destined for statehood, but not in those not destined for statehood. . . . Mr. Balzac, the editor of a Puerto Rican newspaper, was convicted of criminal libel in the territorial court without trial by jury. He appealed to the Supreme Court for his right of trial by jury. . . . W ithout express provision by Congress, territory acquired by the nation remains unincorporated and the inhabitants are not entitled to all the protections of the Constitution.† Balzac v. ‘Puerto Rico 258 U.S. 298, 1922.

Belbin s Team Role Model Applications Essay

University of the Basque Country; University of Hull; Highfield House Consultancy abstract This paper brings together research into and using the team role model developed by Belbin (1981, 1993a) in an attempt to provide an exhaustive assessment of construct validity in light of the conflicting evidence so far produced. Role theory is used to contextualize the origins of the model. The psychometric properties of the Team Role Self-Perception Inventory used to assess a person’s likely behaviour in a team are examined along with 43 empirical studies that have tested theoretical associations between team roles and other cognitive or behavioural traits. While the evidence is mixed, we conclude that, on balance, the model and its accompanying Inventory have adequate convergent validity. However, strong associations between some team roles are observed, indicating weak discriminant validity among some scales in the Inventory. Through its coverage of important areas of teamworking, the paper contributes to the practitioner and research communities by providing fresh insights into aspects of teamworking and by suggesting new research agendas. INTRODUCTION Effective teamworking has become a basic concern for most organizations. While many factors influence a team’s performance, considerable attention has been given to the influence of team member diversity in terms of roles played in a team. The team role model made popular by Meredith Belbin in relation to management teams (Belbin, 1981, 1993a) and available commercially through Belbin Associates (1988) is widely used in practice and has featured extensively in research on teams at work. The model is used by many organizations including FTSE-100 companies, multinational agencies, government bodies and consultants and has been translated into 16 languages. This paper therefore reviews the published research and assesses to what extent the model is supported by the available evidence. Through its coverage of important areas of teamworking (conflict management, personality traits, team performance, control and power) the paper contributes to the practitioner and research communities by providing fresh insights into aspects of teamworking and by suggesting new research agendas. We first consider the theoretical context for the team role model. Second, all substantive studies that provide psychometric evidence, relationships to personality factors and evidence for predictive validity are summarized, evaluated and contrasted. Finally, we discuss the validity of the model and consider the wider implications of our findings. ROLE THEORIES Prior to the development of Belbin’s team role model (1981, 1993a) other role  theories had been put forward (Benne and Sheats, 1948; Graen, 1976; Graen and Scandura, 1987; Holland, 1985) although the model’s links to these and other role classifications (e.g. Davis et al., 1992; Margerison and McCann, 1990; Parker, 1990; Spencer and Pruss, 1992; Woodcock, 1989) are unclear. While a comprehensive theoretical examination of the many alternative role theories and models is beyond the scope of this paper, it is important to establish a theoretical context for the team role model. The role concept can be viewed from two different perspectives. From an anthropological-sociological perspective it can be defined as a combination of values, attitudes and behaviour assigned to an individual who occupies a social position (a location in a social network) associated with a specific social status (the functions assigned to that person). From this perspective, a role can be defined as the behaviour that a person displays in relation to his/her social position and social status (Linton, 1945). Secondly, from a psychosocial perspective, a role can be defined as the behaviour expected from an individual occupying a specific position (Biddle, 1979) such that the cognition and expected behaviour associated with the position are fundamentally important to success in the role (Katz and Kahn, 1978). This psychosocial perspective is adopted for the purposes of this review. Since Lewin created the Research Centre for Group Dynamics in 1944, two types of groups have been studied: groups created to solve problems and groups preoccupied with individual development. This duality has brought about a distinction between so-called ‘task roles’ and ‘socio-emotional roles’. In this light, Bales and Slater (1955) studied laboratory groups and concluded that there were significant differences between individuals concerned with solving tasks and individuals concerned with the social and emotional needs of group members. People concerned with solving tasks were called ‘task leaders’ whereas those concerned with emotional needs were called ‘maintenance or socio-emotional leaders’. Similarly, Benne and Sheats (1948) proposed a role behaviour classification describing 12 task roles and seven maintenance roles. Task-centred roles were concerned with the coordination of group problem solving activities, whereas   maintenance roles were concerned with promoting group-centred behaviour. Both role types were thought necessary for a team to perform well. These theoretical antecedents formed the pillars of the development of the team role model (Belbin, 1981) as its general framework and the names of some team roles connect to these and other theories (Fisher et al., 2001a). Among theoretical models explaining how roles are acquired, a two-part classification can be made (Ilgen and Hollenbeck, 1991). First, there are ‘role taking’ models that consider individuals as passive acceptors of the roles assigned to them by others (Graen, 1976). An example is the ‘role episode model’ (Katz and Kahn, 1978) where the role is defined by an interaction process between two people; the person performing the role (the focal person) and another who holds a set of beliefs that constitute the role (the role sender). The role sender communicates a set of beliefs and the focal person assumes them. The second classification of role models sees subjects actively participating in the definition and development of their role. These models assume that individuals are much more active and motivated to possess roles that they can perform successfully. They are called ‘role making’ models because the focal person actively attempts to influence the role sender as they try to build a role that will be acceptable to both of them. Graen and Scandura (1987) proposed the ‘theory of dyadic organizing’ which integrated and extended Graen’s first proposal (1976). This theory describes how members of a team coordinate their activities to accomplish tasks that are not prescribed in their positions but fundamental for the effective functioning of the team. When a job role involves very predictable tasks, assigning individuals to roles is relatively easy. However, as work becomes more complex then so do the abilities required by individuals. The question is no longer about the abilities and knowledge a person should have for a specific job but is about predicting how a person will behave in the work unit where the work will be  performed. In this sense, Holland (1985) proposed one of the first models that accounted for this individual context adjustment, suggesting that individuals and job environments can be classified into six different types: ‘realistic’, ‘conventional’, ‘entrepreneur’, ‘social’, ‘artistic’ and ‘intellectual’. Each type is associated with specific activities and abilities possessed by individuals. A set of adjectives characterizes each type. For example, the intellectual type is described as analytical, cautious, critical, inquisitive, independent, pessimistic and reserved. For individuals to be successful and satisfied in a job, their personal abilities, interests and personality traits should adjust with the requirements, rewards and interpersonal relations offered by the job consistent with individual job adjustment theory. Holland (1985) proposed that an individual may display attributes of more than one type and also that there are compatible and incompatible types; for example, ‘intellectual’ and ‘artistic’ types are more compatible than ‘artistic’ and ‘conventional’ types. Belbin’s team role model can be linked to these role theories and role classifications. We now turn to review the literature on the team role model, drawing upon studies using the Team Role Self Perception Inventory (TRSPI) through which it is operationalized. We also review team role assessment using personality questionnaires and empirical studies that have explored the theoretical network of team role constructs in an attempt to better understand how individual team role preference is related to the behavioural definition of team roles as well as to other areas of teamwork behaviour. As with most role theories, Belbin’s model is not preoccupied with the roles (behavioural patterns) per se but with the ways in which the roles develop, change and interact with other patterns of behaviour over time. The model  was proposed after a nine-year study of team building and team effectiveness with management teams taking part in an executive management exercise (Lawrence, 1974). Prior to participating in the exercise, individuals completed Cattell’s 16PF personality questionnaire and Watson Glaser’s Critical Thinking Appraisal. For each management team an observer recorded group processes based upon Bales’ (1950) interactive process analysis and reported their observations. Successful and less successful teams were analysed in terms of their members’ personalities and in terms of their critical thinking abilities. Analyses were then crossreferenced with observers’ reports and, as a result, eight team roles were proposed. The initial categorization of team roles was therefore based on assessments of team members’ personalities, critical thinking abilities and a behavioural checklist. The only empirical evidence of the early analysis showed a positive correlation between performance predictions based on team role composition and actual performance across 22 teams (Belbin et al., 1976, p. 26). The eight role model was introduced (Belbin, 1981) and a team role was defined as a pattern of behaviour characteristic of the way in which one team member interacts with another in order to facilitate the progress of the team as a whole. Names and descriptive adjectives for each of the eight team roles were also included. In 1993 some team roles were renamed and a ninth role added. Descriptions of each role are given in Appendix 1. In this model a role is defined by six factors: personality, mental ability, current values and motivation, field constraints, experience, and role learning. However, Belbin did not show how much of the variance in a team role is explained by each factor. In keeping with others (Benne and Sheats, 1948; Torrington et al., 1985), Belbin defends the idea that high performing teams need to have a balanced representation of all team roles. The team role balance hypothesis assumes that if all team roles are present in a team then it will perform better than other teams without the balance. Belbin also considers that the team role concept (a preference to behave in a particular way with other team members while performing tasks) should be distinguished from the concept of functional role which refers to the technical skills and operational knowledge relevant to the job. Consequently, several people may  have the same functional role but vary greatly in their natural team role(s). Belbin also stresses the link between the stages of a team’s development and the need for different team roles to dominate at different stages. Six different stages of development are proposed: (1) identifying needs; (2) finding ideas; (3) formulating plans; (4) making ideas; (5) establishing team organization; and (6) following through. In the early stages team roles like Shaper and Co-ordinator will be most needed, whereas in the later stages Completer-Finishers and Implementers make higher contributions. Operationalizing the Model The team role model is ideally operationalized through a self-perception inventory and through observers’ assessments to give a rounded assessment of a person’s team role. The   original Team Role Self Perception Inventory (TRSPI-8R) was hand-scored such that respondents computed their own profile. This version was later modified to embody the nine role model (TRSPI-9R) and for this version respondents’ profiles are generated by the Interplace computer package. Since it was never intended that the TRSPI should be the only input to exploring a person’s team role, an Observer Assessment Sheet (OAS) was also designed to be used by work colleagues who could make an informed judgement based on their knowledge of the person. The OAS should be used alongside the TRSPI although in many situations only the inventory is used. Details of the scoring procedures for these instruments are given in Appendix 2. The second way of assessing team roles is derived from personality questionnaires; equations to derive team roles have been developed in conjunction with personality questionnaire publishers. In particular, Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF; Cattell et al., 1970) and the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ; Saville et al.,  1992) have been used (see Dulewicz, 1995). Reviewing the Evidence This review draws upon 43 substantive studies of the team role model using the TRSPI, OAS and personality inventories. A table showing the purpose of each study, its aims, instruments and sample used along with the key findings is available from the first author. Psychometric evidence. Eight studies have analysed the psychometric properties of the TRSPI and two have reported results from the OAS. Initial evaluations were critical (Furnham et al., 1993a, 1993b; Broucek and Randell, 1996) and one study arrived at mixed conclusions (Beck et al., 1999). Recent studies have been more supportive of the TRSPI’s reliability and structure (Swailes and McIntyre-Bhatty, 2002, 2003). Since the first criticism of the TRSPI (Furnham et al., 1993a), other researchers have raised concerns about the statistical properties of the original inventories as well as their theoretical basis (Broucek and Randell, 1996). An important issue affecting psychometric evaluation of the TRSPI stems from its i psative nature which is outlined in Appendix 2. Evidence for the TRSPI. Furnham et al. (1993a) reported low reliability values for three different versions of the TRSPI. Correlations between team roles were different for a normatively scored (Likert scale) version (M = 0.36) and the original ipsative version (M = -0.29). Factor structures were also different for normative values (two well-defined task and socioemotional factors) and for ipsative scoring (four bipolar factors). Both Senior (1998) and Beck et al. (1999), in their respective exploratory factor analyses, also reported an underlying four factor structure for the ipsative version of the TRSPI. However, the ipsative design of the TRSPI was deliberate and any comparison of forms should recognize that transforming the ipsative structure of the instrument may alter its nature. (See Belbin (1993b) for a rebuke of the normative version.) In the ipsative form the average interscale correlation will be negative (Meade, 2004) whereas in a normative form scales are allowed to correlate freely. In this context, Furnham et al. (1993a) raised concerns about the theoretical basis of the inventory and a lack of evidence for its psychometric properties, noting that the test was ‘neither theoretically nor empirically derived as Belbin developed his team role typology based on observatory and inductive,   rather than theoretically deductive means’ (p. 247) with a limited sample of 78 managers. Similarly, Broucek and Randell (1996) raised concerns about the internal consistency and discriminant validity of the TRSPI and the OAS. They also noted that both tests could not be considered as parallel forms of the same construct. The average correlation between team roles was 0.27 for ipsative scoring and 0.42 for normative scoring; higher correlations were expected from the self-reported data collected by both tests. Similarly, Senior and Swailes (1998) also reported that both TRSPI and OAS did not show high convergent validity as only five team roles showed significant correlations with an average of 0.27. Broucek and Randell (1996) also reported that different correlations were found between the normative and ipsative versions of the TRSPI and the NEO-PI-(R) personality scale although 8 out of 19 predictions for the ipsative version and 14 out of 19 for the normative version were correctly hypothesized. Different correlation values were taken as ‘dramatic evidence of the type of distortion which use of an ipsative instrument produces’ (p. 401). Similarly, Fisher et al. (1996) looked at the correspondence between the TRSPI and 16PF and found low correlation values on the validity diagonal. Broucek and Randell also tested the discriminant validity of the OAS against the NEO-PI (R) Big Five personality factors, although Fisher et al. (2001a, pp. 125–6) noted that such analysis was dependent on the orthogonality of the personality factors and, as far as the factors have been found to be oblique (Costa and McCrae, 1992), any conclusion regarding the discriminant validity of the OAS should be taken cautiously.