Saturday, May 23, 2020

Spartas Rise to Power How it Happened

[The Spartans] had obviously committed themselves to assisting the Athenians in any clash with the Persians. Nevertheless, when the news arrived that the Persians had landed at Marathon on the Attic coast in 490, the Spartans were careful to be celebrating an obligatory religious festival that prevented them from coming immediately to the Athenians defense. —Greek Society, by Frank J. Frost. The regimented, fearless, obedient, upper-class Spartan warrior (Spartiate) that we hear so much about was actually in the minority in ancient Sparta. Not only were there more serf-like helots than Spartiates, but the ranks of the lower classes grew at the expense of the upper class, in this early communist society, whenever a Spartiate member failed to make his required contribution to the community. A Small Number of Spartans It has been claimed that the Spartan elite had grown so small that it avoided fighting whenever possible. For instance, although its role was crucial, Spartas appearance in the battles against the Persians during the Persian Wars was often late, and even then, reluctant (although the lateness was sometimes attributed to Spartan piety and observance of religious festivals). Thus, it wasnt so much by concerted aggression that Sparta gained power over the Athenians. End of the Peloponnesian War In 404 B.C. the Athenians surrendered to the Spartans —  unconditionally. This marked the end of the Peloponnesian Wars. Defeating Athens had not been a foregone conclusion, but Sparta emerged victorious for many reasons, including: Tactical errors of the Athenian leaders Pericles and Alcibiades*The plague.Sparta had the backing of allies it had previously helped: Sparta entered the First Peloponnesian War to aid an ally, Corinth, after Athens had taken the side of Corcyra (Corfu) against this, its mother city.A newly-created, large naval fleet —  a major factor contributing to Spartas victory. Previously Athens had been as strong in its navy as Sparta had been weak. Although pretty much all of Greece has the sea to one side, Sparta fronts a dangerous stretch of the Mediterranean —  a situation that had prevented her earlier from becoming a sea power. During the First Peloponnesian War, Athens had kept Sparta at bay by blockading the Peloponnese with its navy. During the Second Peloponnesian War, Darius of Persia supplied the Spartans with the capital to build a capable naval fleet. And so, Sparta won. Spartan Hegemony 404-371 B.C. The next 33 years following Athens surrender to Sparta were known as the Spartan Hegemony. During this period Sparta was the most influential power in all of Greece. The governments of the poleis of Sparta and Athens were at opposite extremes politically: one was an oligarchy and the other a direct democracy. Other poleis were probably run by governments somewhere between the two, and (although we think of ancient Greece as being democratic) Spartas oligarchic government had been closer to the Greek ideal than Athens. Despite this, the imposition of actual Spartan hegemonic control chafed the poleis of Greece. The Spartan in charge of Athens, Lysander, rid the polis of its democratic institutions and ordered political opponents executed. Members of the democratic faction fled. In the end, Spartas allies turned on her. *Under Alcibiades as strategos, the Athenians planned to try to deprive the Spartans of their food supply, by cutting it at its source, Magna Graecia. Before this could happen, Alcibiades was recalled to Athens because of vandalism (mutilation of the herms), in which he was implicated. Alcibiades fled to Sparta where he revealed the Athenian plan. Sources Greek Society, by Frank J. Frost. 1992. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0669244996 [formerly at www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/PELOWARS.HTM] The Peloponnesian WarBoth Athens and Sparta fought a war of attrition. After Pericles died of the plague, Nicias took over and arranged a truce until the colorful Alcibiades persuaded the Athenians to attack the Greek city-states in Sicily. Athens strength had always resided in her navy, but much of the Athenian fleet was destroyed in this foolish campaign. Still, Athens was able to fight effective naval battles, until after the Persians had lent their support to Sparta, Athens entire naval force was destroyed. Athens surrendered to the great (but soon to be disgraced) Spartan general Lysander. [formerly at www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/SPARHEGE.HTM] The Spartan HegemonyRichard Hookers page explaining the way the Spartans used their period of dominance in Greece to their disadvantage by engaging in an ill-advised alliance with the Persians and then by Agesilaus unprovoked attack on Thebes. The hegemony ended when Athens joined Thebes against Sparta. Theopompus, Lysander and the Spartan Empire (ivory.trentu.ca/www/cl/ahb/ahb1/ahb-1-1a.html)From The Ancient History Bulletin, by I.A.F. Bruce. Theopompus (author of Hellenica) may not have believed Lysanders empire was a serious attempt at panhellenism. Ancient History Sourcebook: 11th Brittanica: SpartaThe history of the Spartans from prehistory to the middle ages. Explains how ill-suited the Spartans were to rule the Greek world and how they surrendered hegemony to the Thebans. Donald Kagans  The Peloponnesian War. 2003. Viking. ISBN 0670032115

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Pontiacs Rebellion and Smallpox as a Weapon

Victory in the French and Indian War  had opened up new areas  of North America for British settlers. The previous inhabitants, France, hadn’t  settled to the extent that the British now tried, and had not impacted the Indian populations to a great extent. However, colonists now flooded into the newly conquered areas. Indian representatives made it clear to the British that they were unhappy with the number and spread of settlers, as well as the increasing number of British fortifications in the area. This last point was especially heated as British negotiators had promised that the military presence was only to defeat France, but they had stayed on regardless. Many Indians were also upset with the British apparently breaking peace agreements made during the French and Indian war, such as those promising certain areas would be kept for Indian hunting only.​ Initial Indian Rebellion This Indian resentment caused uprisings. The first of these was the ​​Cherokee War, caused by colonial infringement on Indian land, attacks on Indians by settlers, Indian revenge attacks and the actions of a prejudiced colonial leader who tried to blackmail the Cherokee by taking hostages. It was bloodily crushed by the British. Amherst, the commander of the British army in America, implemented stringent measures in trade and gift giving. Such trade was vital to the Indians, but the measures resulted in a decline in trade and greatly increased Indian anger. There was a political element to Indian rebellion too, as prophets began preaching a divide from European cooperation and goods, and a return to old ways and practices, as the way in which Indians could end a downward spiral of famine and disease. This spread across Indian groups, and chiefs favorable to Europeans lost power. Others wanted the French back as a counter to Britain. Pontiacs Rebellion Settlers and Indians had become involved in skirmishes, but one chief, Pontiac of the Ottowa, acted on his own initiative to attack Fort Detroit. As this was vital to the British, Pontiac was seen to take on a much greater role than he actually did, and the whole broader uprising was named after him. Warriors from a number of groups flocked to the siege, and members of many others—including Senecas, ​Ottawas, Hurons, Delawares, and Miamis—allied in a war against the British to seize forts and other centers. This effort was only loosely organized, especially at the start, and didn’t bring to bear the groups’ full offensive capacity.​ Indians were successful in seizing British hubs, and many forts fell along the new British frontier, although three key ones remained in British hands. By the end of July, everything west of Detroit had fallen. At Detroit, the Battle of Bloody Run saw a British relief force wiped out, but another force traveling to relieve Fort Pitt won the Battle of Bushy Run, and later the besiegers were forced to leave. The siege of Detroit was then abandoned as winter approached and divisions between Indian groups grew, even though they were on the brink of success. Smallpox When an Indian delegation asked the defenders of Fort Pitt to surrender, the British commander refused and sent them away. While doing so, he gave them gifts, which included food, alcohol and two blankets and a handkerchief which had come from people suffering smallpox. The intent was for it to spread among the Indians—as it had done naturally in the years before—and cripple the siege. Although he didn’t know of this, the head of British forces in North America (Amherst) advised his subordinates to deal with the rebellion by all means available to them, and that included passing smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians, as well as executing Indian prisoners. This was a new policy, without precedent among Europeans in America, one caused by desperation and, according to historian Fred Anderson, â€Å"genocidal fantasies†. Peace and Colonial Tensions Britain initially responded by attempting to crush the rebellion and force British rule onto the contested territory, even when it looked like peace might be achieved by other means. After developments in the government, Britain issued the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Royal Proclamation of 1763. It created three new colonies in the newly conquered land but left the rest of ‘the interior’ to the Indians: no colonists could settle there and only the government could negotiate land purchases. Many of the details were left vague, such as how Catholic residents of the former New France were to be treated under British law which barred them from votes and offices. This created further tensions with the colonists, many of whom had hoped to expand into this land, and some of whom were already there. They were also unhappy that the Ohio River Valley, the trigger for the French Indian war, was given over to Canadian administration. The British proclamation enabled the country to negotiate with the rebellious groups, although these proved messy thanks to British failings and misunderstandings, one of which temporarily returned power to Pontiac, who had fallen from grace. Eventually, treaties were agreed, reversing many of the British policy decisions passed in the aftermath of the war, allowing alcohol to be sold to the Indians and unlimited arms sales. The Indians concluded after the war that they could earn concessions from the British by violence. The British tried to pull back from the frontier, but colonial squatters kept flowing in and violent clashes continued, even after the dividing line was moved. Pontiac, having lost all prestige, was later murdered in an unconnected incident. No one tried to avenge his death.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

People Are Becoming Overly Dependent on Technology Free Essays

Dustan Clinton English 1301 Doctor Nellis 15 April 2013 People have become overly dependent on Technology Some people would say all the great inventions and updates on technology have made this world a better place. It has not! This world has become overly dependent on technology, because of the fact; jobs requirements have changed, laziness has prevailed and people are just commonly fascinated in all that has been created in today’s world that makes that one task little bit easier by the push of a button. Society is pushed in learning new technology to keep their jobs. We will write a custom essay sample on People Are Becoming Overly Dependent on Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Men and women that are in there mid range of age in life having been working for that certain career that now allows a machine or knowledge of a device to run it. The newer generation will not know what it is like to actually build with their hands, and will be lost if the device was to break. Certain industries have to have parts quality inspected and be checked by hands. Now they have machines to do it. Our military relies on advanced technology to protect or national security, knowing that’s not the only way to protect. Laziness is part of people becoming overly dependent on technology in today’s society. Everyday ordinary people are using the latest technology to make life just a little easier. Take cell phones added with high speed internet. People can deposit checks, make credit card payments, and pay utility bills, just from a few touches of some buttons on their phones. People are using emails instead of writing letters and postage stamps. Cell phones and similar devices are allowing access to web sites like face book and twitter that allow family and friends to stay connected instead of actually using their phone to make a call. Some kids are growing up not knowing how to even use certain kitchen appliances, such as cheese grader, potato peeler, or can opener. Almost all foods are being made where anyone is able to throw in the microwave and have a full meal. Younger generations don’t know what home cooked meals are using grills really is because you can ave full four course meal out of the little box in the corner of the kitchen that cooks for you. House hold chores have even become easier with electric appliances. Dish washers, washing machines, clothes driers, robotic floor sweepers; have made people lazy because they have become overly dependent on today’s technology. People are so fascinated with today’s technology it has caused society to become overly dependent on it. Gaming systems for kid s have become so high tech. it is causing them to become addicted, and keeping them from wondering outside and seeing the nature side of life. The systems are filled with intense graphics and connect to high speed internet so kids and young adults can game with the other side of the world. That is fascinating and it also causes kids to be overly fascinated in this technology. Society use to go to the store to rent movies and but cds’, now they just get on their computers and find a web site to download them. Downloading capability has multiplied 100 percent over the past ten years. It fascinates people just to be able to sit at home and get all the music, or watch any movie they want right there at their finger tips. How to cite People Are Becoming Overly Dependent on Technology, Essays

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Management Perspectives Sonic Health Care -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Management Perspectives Sonic Health Care? Answer: Introduction Managers play a key role in the day-to-today management of diverse activities within an organization in an endeavor to ensure that specific predetermined objectives are attained in a timely fashion. Based on Sonic Health Care Limited, a successful health care provision company, the roles of a manager are critically analyzed in this paper.Risks can be identified and therefore,an organisation should allocate necessary resources to gain a competitive advantage (Kot Dragon, 2015). Financial and market risks arise when planning to invest. Therefore, the challenge here is predicting the potential of the venture before allocating a budget. The manager has a role in employing appropriate staff within or outsourcing experts to identify profitable opportunities and identify possible risks. With respect to operational risks, the manager should insist on organizing systems and procedures in production. As a result, it affects the reputation of the company since customer satisfaction depends on t he quality of products. Scholars in management define risk assessment as an integral process which delves in identifying, analysing, evaluating, monitoring and communicating on risky activities and therefore, enhancing the management to minimize possible losses but maximize profits; the process requires the manager to identify and mitigate risks. Roles of the manager Planning is a crucial role in an organization and involves establishing goals and objectives, as well as the actions that are crucial in attaining such goals. However, Greenley, Hooley and Saunders (2012) observe planning as the function of establishing goals of an organization and identifying resources that are essential in enabling an organization to attain such goals. At Sonic Health Care Limited, the overall manager is responsible for establishing goals for the company such as the level of sales that need to be met in a specific period like one month. In this respect, the manager would need to align resources and actions that satisfy such goals, for instance, deploying human and financial resources in the marketing department to carry out various marketing activities effectively so as to meet the required level of publicity for the health care organization. Organizing Organizing is an integral part of management due to its significant impact in controlling the entire structure of a firm. According to Cho and Mun (2013), organizing denotes the development of the organizational structure as well as the chain of authority in an organization. An example includes assigning specific tasks to certain workers who are considered to be equipped with specified set of skills. For instance, at Sonic Health Care Limited, organizing is carried out by ensuring that employees with procurement skills are assigned the task of procuring various materials that are used in health care. On the other hand, employees with financial and accounting skills are assigned the task of preparing financial statements for internal and external use. Staffing Staffing is an essential part of management; it majorly involves hiring the right employees for specific job positions, developing such employees through various development programs, as well as evaluating their performances and promoting them (Rothaermel, 2013). The research by Vecchiato (2012) indicates that staffing function is crucial since it determines the ability of an organization to meet diverse predetermined objectives. The management at Sonic Health Care Limited ensures that staffing is conducted effectively by hiring candidates with skills set and experiences that are aligned with the short-term and long-term goals of an organization. For instance, the company ensures that employees are hired via online recruitment platforms, which enable the company to obtain the best global talents. Furthermore, the company provides various training programs aimed at improving the skills of workers; this has enabled the company to maintain a competitive edge in the health care sector. Coordinating The function of coordination ensures that the other three functions, including planning, organizing in addition to staffing functionintegrate in harmonious manner so as to achieve the goals of an organization. Pearce and Robinson (2015) opine that coordination is linked to communicating, supervising and directing by a manager in order to ensure that all units of an organization are aligned with the objectives of an organization. Sonic Health Care Limited management coordinate all activities within the company by ensuring that various departments, such as account and finance department and procurement department operate in a harmonious manner. For instance, the goal of meeting specific service delivery targets is ensured by guaranteeing that the efforts of marketing activities are aligned with such a target. Controlling Controlling involves the establishment of the performance standards and evaluating whether the performance of employees meet the specified standards. Goodman and Dingli (2013) opine that controlling is crucial in making sure that a firm does not deviate from its short-term and long-term goals. In case of a deviation, a manager is required to respond in a timely manner by addressing the misalignment between the performance of employees and the established standards. The management at Sonic Health Care Limitedis effective in controlling the activities of the organization; for instance, the management evaluates on a consistent basis the quality of the care provision, and tends to address quality problems on time in case they emerge. Challenges And Risks Managers at Sonic Health Care Limited Have to Address The current world is associated with diverse technological changes, which force organizations to adopt various technologies so as to stay competitive in the market despite being turned down by employees (White, 2013). While technologies enable firms to produce high quality products and services within a shorter period, employees perceive such technologies as a risk to their employment; this is because most of them do not have the technological skills required. There is a need for the managementat any organizationto create an environment that allows the adoption of the required technological changes while also ensuring the job of employees are not threatened. The management at Sonic Health Care Limitedensures that personnel are equipped with specific technological skills, which enable them to operate effectively new technological equipment for the benefit of the company; for instance, the human resource department at Sonic Health Care Limited has been equipped with new skills on how t o conduct online recruitment process. Organizational Conflict Conflict among employees of the same or different levels is one of the problems that impact negatively on the performance of organizations. The interpersonal conflict may arise between employees in the same or different levels of management. On the other hand, inter-group conflict may arise between two different groups. The conflicts may occur in a situation where two or more different persons or groups differ on specific goals or approaches of achieving such goals. It is critical for the management to address the conflict of interest that occurs between the employees and owners of the firm through specific strategies, such as fair compensation and development programs (Rothaermel, 2013). The management at Sonic Health Care Limitedresolves inter-group and personal conflict based on diverse strategies, suchlike fair appraisal for promotional purposes, as well as fair compensation of employees at different levels. Limited Financial Resources The financial resources that are available to an organization are limited despite such an organization having an effective plan on how to attain its pragmatic goals. Cho and Mun (2013) are of the opinion that financial resources are crucial for an organization to achieve its objectives. As such, managers are coerced to look for other sources of finance in case of limited financial resources. The management at Sonic Health Care Limitedis also faced with restricted finances as far as achieving its objectives is concerned. In this regard, the management opts to source capital from other sources, including offering bonds to the market. There are other challenges that are faced by managers in the day-to-day management of an organization, including the changing needs of consumers as well as the ever-changing demand of employees, including a flexible-working environment. The changes in the needs of consumers in the market implies that an organization should respond to such changes, which may lead to disruption of the current planning, and therefore, changes in financial requirements and timelines (Vecchiato, 2012). Sonic Health Care Limitedsenior managers continue to respond to these changes in the ever-changing health care industry in a pragmatic manner. Impact of Values, Ethics and Diversity on the Culture of Sonic Health Care Limited Values act as a guideline in the shaping of the organizational culture through shaping the intent and sense of leadership in the organization. Members of an organization focus their priorities and actions on the values they hold while in the organization (Eccles, Ioannou and Serafeim, 2012). Organizational values must contain distich characteristics that are realistic, unique and clear. Ethics play a critical role in the success of an organization as it affects important cultural aspects of the organization such as employee turnover rate. Furthermore, ethics promote transparency in an organization which in turn build a relationship of trust among the members (Schaubroeck et al., 2012). Transparency in organization nurtures the development of a high productivity culture among the employees contributing to the overall organizational performance. High productivity culture in industries such as healthcare systems can prove beneficial to the development of a good reputation among all stakeholders. Diversity describes the differences that exist among members of an organization such as origin, background, and beliefs. Organizations with a high cultural diversity benefit through increased adaptability amongst the workforce as they can provide solutions to the challenges facing each one of them. These solutions result from the experiences they have undergone or the talents they possess in turn, leading to adaptation to fluctuations in the market and customer preferences. Diversity also promotes the development of a creative culture whereby the employees are free to share their different point of views leading to the generation of ideas (Chen, Liu and Portnoy, 2012). A creative culture is hence, vital for an organization to meet the needs of its market. Role, Behavior and Performance of Managers Managers are central to the survival of an organization because they are directly in charge of making decisions affecting the entire organization. The managers have to specialize to handle specific roles among these: Organizing, planning, directing, controlling, coordinating and staffing (Kirchner et al., 2012). However, in the case of Sonic Health Care Limited, the responsibility of overseeing these roles is left to the head of the company. Managerial Role in Risk Assessment The efficiency in decision-making varies widely with the level of experience of the manager and availability of resources(Antonaciet al., 2014). Risk assessment adopted by Sonic Health Care Limited, provides the company with the necessary tool in forming a foundation for mitigating possible risks in the future. Therefore,a manager should adopt a wide scope in risk assessment before implementing the activities. Approach to Risk Management at Sonic Health Care Limited A manager should be able to differentiate between risks and hazards before implementing risk control policies. Although some people apply these terms interchangeably, they have a vast difference. Firstly, risk involves a possibility while a hazard is a condition. In order to manage a risk.Sonic Health Care Limited adopts three main steps that are identification, assessment, and control which might be applied to control possible harm from an existing hazard. For example, a broken machine is a hazard that can cause harm to the employees, and the manager should follow the appropriate risk management procedures to mitigate possible risk. Challenges that Sonic Health Care Limited face in Risk Management Risk management requires exceptional interpersonal skills, analytical ability, and intensive planning to mitigate the occurrence of a loss (Tudor, 2014). The managers at Sonic Health Care Limited in some instances have to review some processes to gather the information from the employees. In such a situation the manager is required to apply ethics in conducting interviews or presenting questionnaires to the employees. Risk Management and Organizational Change Organizational changes involve variations in the internal and external environment of a company (Tudor, 2014). Internally, a company might be subjected to merger and acquisition which might result in the increased size of the organization. As a result, the role of the manager on risk management changes relatively. The change might lead to introduction into new financial, market and cultural changes. The manager should, therefore, formulate and enhance strategies that facilitate achievement of the organizational goals and objectives (Dagnino, Cinici, 2015).If such happens to Sonic Health Care Limited, the approach will include training employees and conduct motivational programs to improve performance. External factors are beyond the control such as economic crises, political influences, and technological changes. However, the management of Sonic Health Care Limitedshould employ effective planning to remain competitive in the changing care delivery environment. The technological advancement has a raised concern to broaden the responsibilities of the management (Bressler, 2012). As a result, high competition is, therefore, determining the existence or termination of companies. Most organization if not all in the current corporate world are prone to: Financial risks Market risks Operational risks Negative reputation risk Conclusion Managers are in charge of setting the performance metrics which the whole organization is required to adhere to. Such a role is tasked with setting performance goals, implementing them and evaluating their impact to the organization. Evaluation is important in not only gauging the success of the set policies but also provide room for making corrective measures where there are deviations. The conduct of the management has an indirect effect on the overall conduct of the whole organization. Managers are required to behave in a manner that portrays a good impression to the employees. Behavior has a bigger impact to the whole organization as it forms part and parcel of the organizational values. It is worth noting that behavior goes to an extent of affecting organizational culture and influences the internal environment of an organization. References Antonaci, L., Demeke, M., Vezzani, A. (2014).The challenges of managing agricultural price and production risks in sub-Saharan Africa (No. 14-09). ESA Working Paper Bressler, M. S. (2012). How small businesses master the art of competition through superior competitive advantage. Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 11, 1. Chen, X. P., Liu, D., Portnoy, R. (2012). A multilevel investigation of motivational cultural intelligence, organizational diversity climate, and cultural sales: evidence from US real estate firms. Journal of applied psychology, 97(1), 93. Cho, T., Mun, H. (2013).From Adam Smith to Michael Porter Evolution of Competitiveness Theory.Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Company. Dagnino, G. B., Cinici, M. C. (Eds.).(2015). Research methods for strategic management.Routledge. Ding, B., Wermers, R. (2012). Mutual fund performance and governance structure: The role of portfolio managers and boards of directors. Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., Serafeim, G. (2012).The impact of a corporate culture of sustainability on corporate behavior and performance (No. W17950). Cambridge, MA, USA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Goodman, M., Dingli, S. (2013).Creativity and strategic innovation management. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Greenley, G., Hooley, G., Saunders, J. (2012). Management Processes in Marketing Planning. European Journal of Marketing, 38(8), 933-955. Kirchner, J. E., Parker, L. E., Bonner, L. M., Fickel, J. J., Yano, E. M., Ritchie, M. J. (2012). Roles of managers, frontline staff and local champions, in implementing quality improvement: stakeholders' perspectives. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 18(1), 63-69. Kot, S., Dragon, P. (2015).Business risk management in international corporations. Procedia Economics and Finance, 27, 102-108. Pearce, J., Robinson, R. (2015).Strategic Management. New York: McGraw- Hill. Rothaermel, F. (2013).Strategic management: concepts cases. New York: McGrIrwin. Schaubroeck, J. M., Hannah, S. T., Avolio, B. J., Kozlowski, S. W., Lord, R. G., Trevio, L. K., ... Peng, A. C. (2012). Embedding ethical leadership within and across organization levels.Academy of Management Journal, 55(5), 1053-1078. Tudor, L. (2014, November). Change managementchallenge and opportunity for sustainable development of Romanian companies. In Proceedings of the International Management Conference, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania (Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 466-476). Vecchiato, R., (2012). Strategic foresight: matching environmental uncertainty. Technology Analysis Strategic Management,24(8), 783-796. White, A. (2013). Strategic Management of Intellectual Property.California management review,55(4), 157-183.