Hockey History Essays - Pond Hockey, Ice Hockey, Hockey, Shinny

Hockey History For more than a century, hockey historians have found that precisely tracing the sports origin is not only a difficult task but, a virtual impossibility. Therefore I can only try to deduce for myself, from the records, claims, and accounts, which are available to me, when, where, and by whom the first ice hockey was played. I'll also discuss the early problems and obstacles that the NHL encountered. Plus I will also tell a little bit about early equipment, along with early game play and ice conditions that players encountered. Lastly, the Stanley Cup, which is the most prized and oldest sports award of the NHL. It has been won many times, by many different teams. Ice hockey is traceable to games played on fields as far back as nearly 2500 years ago. In 478 BC, a Greek soldier, Hemostocoles, built a wall in Athens which contained a sculpture scene portraying two athletes in a faceoff-like stance holding sticks similar to those later used in field hockey. (Hubbard & Fischler, page17) Perhaps native Americans were the first to play hockey like games. The Indians of Canada invented the field game lacrosse, which is known by the legislative act as Canada's and national sport. The Alogonquins who inhabited the shores the St. Lawrence River played an ice game that was similar to lacrosse called "baggataway," played without skates and with an unlimited number of participants. French explorers who visited the St. Lawrence River area and northern areas of United States in the 1700's witnessed these matches. (Hubbard & Fischler, page17) According to the dictionary of language of Micmacs Indians, published in 1888, the Micmacs of eastern Canada played an ice game called "oochamkunutk," which was played with a bat or stick. Another ice game played by the Micmacs was "alchamadijik," which was referred to in legends of the Micmacs, issued in 1894. (Hubbard & Fischler, page18-19) Early hockey-like games that came from across the Atlantic include the Field game Hurley from Ireland, field hockey from England, and the ice games English bandy and Kolven from Holland. Hurley is a ground game that is still popular in Ireland. It was originally played by an unlimited number of players representing one parish against another. A flat field hockey-like stick and a large ball were used. Irish immigrants, who came to work on the Shubenacadie Canal near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1831, brought Hurley to Canada. Some believe that oochamkunutk is Hurley on ice. (Dolan page 21-26) Field hockey was played in 1870 in England, as well as Egypt and India. Although the rules for field hockey play a major role in the early evolution of ice hockey in Canada. But most students of the game doubt that field hockey was the forerunner of ice hockey, for the reason that both sports started around the same time. Despite its overwhelming popularity as primarily a woman's sport in North America, field hockey didn't arrive in America until 1901, (when Miss Constance Applebee of England arrived at Harvard summer school and organized a game with the group of students and teachers. (Dolan page 29-31) The English played a game called Bandy, which is a hockey-like game, who have been playing it as far back as the late 18th century and it is still played today in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the United States (Minnesota). Many of the stars of the early Soviet hockey teams had been Bandy players. It is played on a large sheet of ice with short sticks, a ball and large goals. The Dutch, long known for their ice skating ability, have played the game Kolven since the 1600's. It is played with a golf-like stick, a ball, and posts stuck in the ice for goals. Evidence of this game can be seen it in 17th century Dutch paintings. Emigrants from Holland who settled in New York City played the game in their new locale. Another hockey-like game played on both sides of the Atlantic was shinny. It was played on the frozen pans of North American and northern Europe (Scotland in particular). A block of wood or of ball served as a puck and a couple of a large rocks board chunks of wood were used to mark-off the goals. For the faceoff players had to "shinny on their own side," which meant they had to take it right handed. Ever since the advent of organized ice hockey, the name shinny has been used to describe on organized will or sandlot (if you will) hockey. There is

5 Clues That Its Time to Quit

5 Clues That Its Time to Quit Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of the Harvard Business Review has compiled 5 tell-tale warning signs that may indicate it’s time for you to start job hunting. You’re Not LearningYour mind- and your career- thrive when you are constantly encountering new information, developing new skills, or following your natural curiosity into continuous learning. If your job offers you no pathway to move forward and continue growing, why are you there? The invigorating stress of a job search might even spill over into your current job- try it and see.You Are UnderperformingI wish I had researched this article in the spring of 2010; I was underutilized at my job, had a micromanaging boss, and coasted through each day with no motivation, excitement, or incentive to work any harder. If this is you, GET OUT! Find a job where you are engaged, or stressed, or challenged- anything but zoned out. If you need motivation, try to imagine the resume blurb for your current underwhelming job. â€Å"Sat at desk and tried not to nod off in front of boss. Filed company paperwork. Thought fondly of death.† Yeah, it’s time to move on.You Feel UndervaluedAppreciation can come in many forms, but if you don’t feel like your supervisors or colleagues understand your value, you may be experiencing burnout and counterproductive self-sabotage that lowers the productivity of more than just yourself. Maybe you can speak up for what you need- or maybe there’s another organization out there that can appreciate you for what you bring to the table.You’re Just In It For the MoneyWith the obvious caveat that lots of us do lots of things because we have bills that need paying, if literally the only reason you show up each day is the promise of an eventual paycheck, you are in the wrong job. Many studies have shown that compensation can make up for the lack of intrinsic rewards like enjoyment, curiosity, or personal fulfillment, but it won’t be rewarding and you certainly won’t be motivated to do your best work.You Hate Your BossThis is the biggest red flag because everything else- responsibilities, supervisees, assessment, even compensation- can be altered or adjusted. But in order to complain about your boss you have to invoke HR or go over their head (or, just wait for them to implode, if they are incompetent).Chamorro-Premuzic’s research found that 75% of working adults cite their immediate supervisors as the most stressful part of their job. This may mean your company has failed to identify and cultivate good leadership, or it might just be a personality mismatch. Either way, you may need to move on to break free.What do you think- do any of these apply, and if so, make sure to sign up and get matched with the latest job opportunity!

Management Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Concept - Essay Example A manager's job consists of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the resources of the organization. These resources include people, jobs or positions, technology, facilities and equipment, materials and supplies, information, and money. Managers work in a dynamic environment and must anticipate and adapt to challenges. The job of every manager involves what is known as the functions of management: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. These functions are goal-directed, interrelated and interdependent. Planning involves devising a systematic process for attaining the goals of the organization. It prepares the organization for the future. Organizing involves arranging the necessary resources to carry out the plan. It is the process of creating structure, establishing relationships, and allocating resources to accomplish the goals of the organization. Directing involves the guiding, leading, and overseeing of employees to achieve organizational goals. Controlling involves verifying that actual performance matches the plan. If performance results do not match the plan, corrective action is taken. Henri Fayol, the father of the school of Systematic Management, was motivated to create a theoretical foundation for a managerial educational program based on his experience as a successful managing director of a mining company. In his day, managers had no formal training and he observed that the increasing complexity of organizations would require more professional management. Fayol's legacy is his generic Principles of Management. Of Fayol's six generic activities for industrial undertakings (technical, commercial, financial, security, accounting, managerial), the most important were The Five Functions of Management that focused on the key relationships between personnel and its management. The Five Functions are: Planning: Drawing up plans of actions that combine unity, continuity, flexibility and precision given the organization's resources, type and significance of work and future trends. Creating a plan of action is the most difficult of the five tasks and requires the active participation of the entire organization. Planning must be coordinated on different levels and with different time horizons; Organizing: Providing capital, personnel and raw materials for the day-to-day running of the business, and building a structure to match the work. Organizational structure depends entirely on the number of employees. An increase in the number of functions expands the organization horizontally and promotes additional layers of supervision; Commanding: Optimizing return from all employees in the interest of the entire enterprise. Successful managers have personal integrity, communicate clearly and base their judgments on regular audits. Their thorough knowledge of personnel creates unity, energy, initiative and loyalty and eliminates incompetence; Coordinating: Unifying and harmonizing activities and efforts to maintain the balance between the activities of the organization as in sales to production and procurement to production. Fayol recommended weekly conferences for department heads to solve problems of common interest; Controlling: Identifying

HUM RELIGION WK2 DQ 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HUM RELIGION WK2 DQ 1 - Essay Example Aboriginal religion was for instance described one where the religious and profane aspects were the same thing, scholars, such as Durkheim, who was the first to carry out an in-depth study on their religion, often misunderstood it (Charlesworth, n.d). Such include practices involving activities such human sacrifice as well was certain forms of body mutilation practiced by indigenous cultures. Many, however, were just results of colonial influence, for instance, in many parts of east Africa, the British made it conditional for one to be a Christian before they could be given formal education this way many Africans were forced to abandon their original cultures. Trade was another avenue, through which western religion was spread, moreover, the Spanish conquistadors and explorers forced the original inhabitants such as Mayans to abandon their religious practices which included live human sacrifices on their temples. As a result, many of the ingenious religions either disappeared altogether or became morphed and incorporated several aspects of Christianity or Islam in them so they could conform. Early missionaries also made Christianity look more indigenous by translating the bible into different African languages such as Swahili. Africans, for example have incorporated aspects of their religious traditions such as beating of traditional drums as part of the convectional western style Christian services. Indeed, Christianity and Islam has been part of African religion so long they are considered partly ingenious to the

Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example But if this concept of CRM is evaluated, it can be inferred that CRM does not include one important relation that the organization has. It is its employees. Keeping the above argument in view, CRM has being given a new definition by Reichheld. He has given a concept of Virtuous Circle sometimes colloquially referred to as closing the loop. A diagrammatic representation of this circle is given below: Reichheld has brilliantly explained CRM in one cycle. This cycle depicts that the key to customer loyalty is not the product or the service that is being provided, but the key is the organization’s employees. According to this circle, if the employees are satisfied with their jobs and the company, they can be easily retained by the managers. This would in return increase employee productivity meaning they would give better service to the customers. The customer will be satisfied with the company’s service and would become loyal. Loyal customers are regular customers of the company and in turn also refer the company and its product and services to other potential customers. Thus they serve as a means of word to mouth advertising. This increases the company’s profits and leads the company to growth. The company can then focus on investing the earnings in internal marketing such as rewards, benefits and compensations which would impact the employees. Besides this, employee empowerment, training and development all contribute to employee satisfaction. Thus this cycle goes on and on. John Moore has quoted in his blog ‘Reichheld on Employee Loyalty’ that â€Å"Many marketers view employee relations as a job solely for human resources—they see employees as tools. But employees—happy, rewarded employees—can work wonders for the company’s marketing efforts. There is no better spokesperson for a company, product, and brand than someone who is happy with

Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society

Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society Abstract The purpose of this article was to explain and discuss cultural intelligence in Thai society where Buddhism plays a very important role to daily life of Thai people. Cultural intelligence is important can be helpful for individuals who interact with people from different cultural backgrounds and help for manage effectively culture differences. According to the model Thomas and Inkson (2004), the development of cultural intelligence occurs in five stages are reactivity, recognition, accommodation, assimilation, and proactive. There are three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness. These characteristics look similarly in Thai culture factors. As Buddhism plays a very important role in the daily life of the Thai people. Since about 95% of the people in the kingdom of Thailand are Buddhist Therefore, Thai society or Thai people have basic from Buddha core teaching which helps people in everywhere to become more to develop cultural i ntelligence. Keywords: cultural intelligence (CQ), development cultural intelligence, Thai society Introduction In the recent year cultural intelligence (CQ) has been introduced into the global business literature (Earley, 2002; Earley Ang, 2003). This concept is meant to reflect the capability to deal effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. The ability interacts effectively with people who are culturally different. Globalization has been accelerated by a host of factors in the international business environment, including the following: New international trade agreement the growth of international trade the growth of multinational corporations the restructuring and downsizing of organizations the privatization of state enterprise the ability to locate business, particularly manufacturing, wherever cost it lowest the ability to execute financial transactions instantaneously on a global basis the transition of command economies to free markets the expansion of international migration the ability of information and communication technology to transcend time and distance (Th omas Inkson, 2004). Although international commerce may have existed for many years ago, it is only in the past few years that globalization has such a broad effect on business. Until recently only a few very large multinational companies were concerned with foreign operations. For most firms business was largely local, tried closely to the city or region in which they were located, and certainly limited to the confines of the country. Now, business extends across all manner of porous boundaries—some of which have become so porous they have almost ceased to exist—across the entire globe. Even very small firms now have the capability to be global. With a computer, a modem, and telephone connection it is possible to be a global business almost instantaneously. Because of globalization, the environment of business is now more complex, more dynamic, more uncertain, and more competitive than ever before. And there is no evidence that these trends will reverse or decrease (Thomas Inkson, 2004). Globalization of people is the result of dramatic shifts that have taken place in economics, politics, and technology. However, the day-to-day reality of global business involves interactions and relationships with people who are culturally different. In business today, we travel overseas among people from other cultures, we speak with them on international telephone calls, and we correspond with them be e-mail. Even in our home cities, we notice that more and more of our colleagues, our clients, and even the people we pass in the street are observable from cultures different from our own. The trend is inexorable. The range of different cultural backgrounds in huge; colleagues, business associates, and contacts probable represent countries or ethnic groups from all over the world. Johansen and McLean (2006) said that: Globalization, communications technology, immigration, an increased focus on religion and spirituality, and the ease of both domestic and international travel offer an opportunity to work, learn, and interact with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. To be effective, HRD practitioners must recognize how cultural background, assumptions, and view of the world influence an understanding. (P. 1) Culture can be seen as shaping the nature of social structures as they grow and adapt (Hofstede, 1991). Earley, Ang, and Tan (2006) suggested that â€Å"cultural intelligence as operating within a diversity context consisting of at least three layers – individual, team, and organization† (p. 168). As mention above, Earley (2002) concluded that it is a challenge to create suitable behavior in a new cultural setting that makes cultural intelligence unique. What is exactly cultural intelligence look like? How to improve cultural intelligence? Thomas and Inkson (2004) suggested three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness. They also describe that culturally intelligent people see the connections between a culture and its context, history, and value orientations. People realize that knowledge of the culture of a country or region is only valuable in the context of understanding its religious, philosophical, and historical issues. All of these inspire the author to think about what does the relationship between cultural intelligence in my home county, Thailand. Thai culture has been greatly influenced by Buddhism. Thai culture is often known as â€Å"Thai-Buddhist culture† (Dhirvegin, 1998, p. 13). Buddhism plays a very important role in the daily life of the Thai people. Since about 95% of the people in the kingdom of Thailand are Buddhist (Chadchaidee, 2005). Do any Thai people really need to develop cultural intelligence? If yes, what kinds of cultural intelligence that Thai people needed? Purpose of the article This article is aims to explain and discus about cultural intelligence issue especially in Thai society. In order to clearly understanding, the author will present the concept of cultural intelligence, Thai culture and society, Buddhist core teaching will be discussed. Cultural Intelligence Issue There are many scholars define cultural intelligence (Earley, 2002; Early Ang, 2003; Earley, Ang Tan, 2006; Erley Mosakowski, 2004; Earley Peterson, 2004; Tomas, 2006; Thomas Inkson, 2004). In this section, the author will present an overview of cultural intelligence that including definition of cultural intelligence, components of cultural intelligence, characteristics supportive of cultural intelligence, and developmental stages of cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence, one component of cultural competence, is defined as â€Å"a person’s capability to adapt effectively to new cultural contexts† (Earley Ang, 2003, p. 59). More specifically, cultural intelligence is â€Å"a seemingly natural ability to interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous gestures the way that person’s compatriots would and colleagues would, even to mirror them† (Earley Mosakowaski, 2004, p. 140). Cultural intelligence captures a person’s capability to adapt effectively to new cultural contexts and it has both process and content features (Earley Ang, 2003; Thomas Inkson, 2004). Similar to earlier definitions, Thomas and Inkson (2004) present the three component of cultural intelligence.   According to the Figure 1, Thomas and Inkson (2004) described at first, the culturally intelligent manger requires knowledge of culture and of the fundamental principles of cross-cultural interactions. This means knowing what culture is how cultures vary, and how culture affects behavior. Second, the culturally intelligent manager needs to practice mindfulness, the ability to pay attention in a reflective and creative way to cues in the cross-cultural situations encountered. The last, based on knowledge and mindfulness, the culturally intelligent manager develops behavioral skills, and becomes competent across a wide range of situations. These skills involve choosing the appropriate behavior from a well-developed repertoire of behaviors that are correct for different intercultural situations. All of three elements are interrelated with the other. This knowledge is only the beginning to becoming culturally intelligent. Cultural intelligence involves understanding the fundamentals of intercultural interaction, developing a mindfulness approach to intercultural interactions and finally building adaptive skills and a repertoire of behaviors so that one is effective in different intercultural situations. If we accept the notion that cultural intelligence is learned over time through intercultural interactions we can also envision that individuals pass through various stages of development in their level of cultural intelligence. Thomas and Inkson (2004 pp. 66-68) presented five stages to develop cultural intelligence including: Stage 1: Reactivity to external stimuli. A starting point is mindlessly following ones own cultural rules and norms. This stage is typical of individuals with very little exposure to, or interest in, other cultures. Parochial individuals do not even recognize that cultural differences exist. If they do, they consider them inconsequential. People at this stage of development can be heard to say things like â€Å"I dont see differences, and I treat everyone the same.†. Stage 2: Recognition of other cultural norms and motivation to learn more about them. Experience and mindfulness produce a newfound awareness of the multicultural mosaic that surrounds us. A heightened sense of mindfulness presents a sometimes-overwhelming amount of new information Curiosity is aroused, and the individual wants to lean more. People at this stage often struggle to sort through the complexity of the cultural environment. They search for simple rules of thumb to guide their behavior. Stage 3: Accommodation of other culture norms and rules in ones own mind. Reliance on absolutes disappears. A deeper understanding of cultural variation begins to develop. The cultural norms and rules of various societies begin to seem comprehensible and even reasonable in their context. The recognition of appropriate behavioral responses to different cultural situations develops; however, only fairly obvious cues are attended to, and adaptive behavior takes a lot of effort and is often awkward. People at this stage know what to say and do in a variety of cultural situations. However, they have to think about it, and adaptive behavior does not feel natural. Stage 4: Assimila tion of diverse cultural norms into alternative behaviors. At this stage adjusting to different situations no longer requires much effort. Individuals develop a repertoire of behaviors from which they can choose depending on the specific cultural situation. They actively experiment with new behavior. They function in a number of different cultures almost effortlessly and with no more stress than if they were in their home culture- Members of other cultures accept them as culturally knowledgeable and feel comfortable interacting with them. They feel at home, almost anywhere, Stage 5: Proactivity in cultural behavior based on recognition of changing cues that others do not perceive. People who are highly culturally intelligent have the ability, through continuous sampling of internal states and external cues, to sense changes in cultural context, sometimes even before members of the other culture. They are so attuned to the nuances of intercultural interactions that they almost automa tically adjust their behavior to anticipate these changes and facilitate better intercultural interactions among others. They seem to intuitively know what behaviors are required and how to execute them effectively. Individuals at this stage of development may be quite rare; however, it is a level of cultural intelligence to which we all might aspire. Griffer and Perlis (2007) stated that the development of cultural intelligence begins with a study of self and the awareness that everyone has a multi-perspective identity. Many people look into a mirror and describe themselves on the basis of what they see and subsequently describe others in the same way. Looking into that mirror, we see characteristics that can be easily described as race. Multi-perspective identity is defined as â€Å"characteristics of our identity that enable each individual to view reality through specific perspectives based upon ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class† (Perlis, 2001 p. 11). This concept can certainly incorporate other forms of difference that comprise one’s identity; however, the definition for our work addressing the development of cultural intelligence will focus on these basic cultural characteristics. As pre-service we begin to see themselves as multi-perspective individual s and understand the interrelationships between these forms of their identity, they will develop cultural intelligence. Thomas Inkson (2004) suggested the possession or development of these underlying characteristics – integrity, openness, and hardiness – can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence easier. Integrity is â€Å"having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior† (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). People differ in the ways they describe our inner self cannot be directly known by other people. It is important for us to have an honest understanding of ourselves. Openness is â€Å"showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others† (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). It is mean inquisitiveness particularly about people from different cultures. Hardiness is â€Å"robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. If we are hardy we can cope with stress, recover from shocks, and perceive stressful events as interesting and meaningful and as an opportunity for growth and learning. † (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). In summary, Cultural intelligence is a person’s aptitude to task successfully with people from different culture background and understanding. Cultural intelligence has three component of cultural intelligence include with knowledge, mindfulness, and behavior. The development of cultural intelligence occurs in five stages are reactivity, recognition, accommodation, assimilation, and proactive. Finally, the author present three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. The next section the author will present about Thai culture and society. Thai Culture and Society Thailand is situated in the heart of Southeast Asia with Bangkok as the capital city. Thailand spreads out over 513,115 square kilometers of land and stretches some 1,620 kilometers from north to south and 775 kilometers from east to west. Thailand is divided into four natural regions: the north, northeast, the central plain, and the south. The Kingdom, a society that is also free, cohesive, and open, remains one of the most attractive places in the world to visit and conduct business. Buddhism is the faith of approximately 95 percent of the population (About Thailand, 2007). Today, Thai people share a rich ethnic diversity, Mon, Khmer, Tai, Chinese, Malay, Laotian, and Indian stock, with the result that there is no typically Thai. About 80% of all Thais are connected in some way with agriculture, which influences and is influenced by the religious ceremonies and festivals that help make Thailand such a distinctive country (UNDP: Thailand Human Development Report, 2007). It should be noted that the concepts of Thai culture are mostly similar to Buddhist principle. Buddhist principles are pragmatic (Payutto, 2003) as we can see from one of the teachings about pairs that though little he recites the Sacred Texts, but put the precepts into practice, forsaking lust, hatred and delusion, with right knowledge, with mind well freed, cling to nothing here or hereafter, he has a share in religious life (Wannapok, 1988). There are the main ideas of Buddhism are contained in the statements known as The Noble Eightfold Path and the Middle Way. Truth defines the Buddhist way of life and contains ail the ethical teaching and practices of Buddhism. It provides the way and means to attain the goal as set forth in the third Truth. This way is called the Noble Eightfold Path as it consists of eight factors as show in Table 1. Table 1: The Noble Eightfold Path as it corresponds to the Threefold Training The Threefold Training The Noble Eightfold Path ‘Panna’ or Wisdom Right View Right Thought ‘Sila’ or Morality Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood ‘Samadhi’ or Meditation Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration. Knietim (2009) suggested that Right View is means to see and to understand things as they really. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. Right Thought is the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. It can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Right Speech is importance of speech can save lives or break, make friends or enemies. Right Action is expression and involves bodily actions. Right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Right Livelihood means that one should earn ones living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. Right effort is mental energy, it is the force behind right effort. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right mindfulness is the ability to see t hings as they are, with clear consciousness. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go. Right Concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other. The eight factors of the Path are therefore organized into a system called the Threefold Training of morality (comprising the Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood factors), concentration or thought development (comprising the Right Effort,  Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration factors), and wisdom (consisting of the Right View, and Right Thought factors) (Chanchamnong, 2003). One of the most complex values in Thai culture is â€Å"The concept of Kreng Jai†. It is very difficult for foreigners to understand. This concept is the concept of being â€Å"considerate†. Komin asserts that this concept underlies a significant portion of everyday interpersonal behavioral patterns of the Thais (Komin, 1990). She further explained that: Its closest meaning is to be considerate, to feel reluctant to impose upon another person, to take another persons feelings (and ego) into account, or to take every measure not to cause discomfort or inconvenience for another person. Kreng jai refers to such attitude predisposing to ones resulting behavior towards someone else. Kreng jai behavior is to be observed by all, superiors, equals, and inferiors, including intimate relationships like husband-wife, and close friends, with differences in degree. (pp. 161-162) In general, Thai people helps others people without expecting any return or any compensation. At the same time the person who receives help will feel indebted to the helper and he will remember that and try to repay or return the favor at a later date. This is one of culture factor called â€Å"The concept of helping each other† (Joungtrakul, 2008). One of the most important in Thai society is the concept of ‘Bunkhun’. Thai people deeply and will be quite difficult to change. There are limitations in applying this concept as it may go beyond proper practice. However, to ignore or to delete it from a model would be difficult and may cause some problems in practice. Its removal could do more harm than good. There is no doubt Buddhism has a conscious significant role in the everyday Thai life. With regard to religious activities, likewise, the Thai are constantly engaged in merit-makings, and numerous other religious ceremonies. These activities are religious rituals. And as a Buddhist country, there are such activities to perform all year round, at home, at work, and in the community. Komin (1990) described that Thai people are sympathetic to others and it becomes the nature of the Thais in general. The application of this concept will create cooperative attitudes and collective efforts by the two parties to achieve common goals. Thai people also practice this concept in their daily lives and the phase of ‘meet half way’ is understandable by the Thais. This concept calls â€Å"The concept of compromising†. As the Thai culture is a â€Å"Thai-Buddhism culture† (Dhiravegin, 1998, p.l3), the middle path is a way of life for a Thai. Thais are compromising in nature and try to avoid any explicit confrontation. Thais follow the Buddhist principles of helping all people. This is usually done by joining in constructively creating social harmony and unity according to the four principles of helpful integration (Sangaha-Vatthu), which are: (1) Dana: giving, sharing (helping through money material goods); (2) Piyavaca: amicable speech (helping through words); (3) Atthacariy: helpful action (helping through physical effort); (4) Samarattata: participation (helping through problem solving) (Payutto, 2000 p.7). Buddhism Role’s and Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society According to three characteristic of Thomas and Inkson concept, there are integrity, openness, and hardiness which can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. They explain that ‘Integrity’ is having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior. ‘Openness’ is showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others. ‘Hardiness’ is robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. In the view point of the author, these three characteristic of develop cultural intelligence relate to some part of Buddha’s core teaching that show in Table 2. Characteristics to improve cultural intelligence relate to Buddha’s core teachings Characteristics Buddha’s core teachings Integrity Chanda: the will or aspiration. This is compatible with the faith that leads to achieving wisdom (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). Openness Citta: Thoughtfulness, i.e. making a conscious effort to think analytically in order to achieve the right views (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). Hardiness Viriya: the effort, the energy which one exerts in the right way to accomplish the right view (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). According to Table 2 shown the relationship between the three characteristics to improve cultural intelligence relate to Buddha’s core teachings is very closely. For the stages of cultural intelligence development, from literature review and compare between cultural intelligence concept of Thomas and Inkson (2004) with Buddhist principle concept especially as shown Table 2. The author beliefs that in Thai society, Thai people will be getting into develop stage of cultural intelligence with not too different. In fact the Buddha core teaching trains the people go to be the good person like other religion, help each other’s sympathy and support the society. Indeed, the Buddha core teaching focus in human resource development specially begins from self development, physical and mentor. That is mean the people who develop their own self will gain more cultural intelligence. Conclusion Cultural intelligence is important for individuals who interact with people from different countries, religious background – those with different cultural backgrounds. Cultural intelligence is a person’s aptitude to task successfully with people from different culture background and understanding. According to three characteristic of Thomas and Inkson concept, there are integrity, openness, and hardiness which can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. They explain that ‘Integrity’ is having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior. ‘Openness’ is showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others. ‘Hardiness’ is robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. Three characteristic of develop cultural intelligence have relate to Buddhist core teaching. Indeed, the Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to right happiness. Buddhism in Thailand is strongly influenced by traditional beliefs regarding ancestral and natural spirits. Therefore, Buddha ways can help Thai people to develop a repertoire of behavioral skills appropriate to different intercultural situations and will be able to choose the right ones for a given interaction. The Thai word say â€Å"Khao mueng tar-lew, tong lew-tar tarm†, the meaning in English is â€Å"When in Rome, do as the Romans do† as a great cultural intelligence. References Chadchaidee T. (2005). Essay on Thailand. (17th enlarged edit.). Bangkok: Thanapol Vitayakarn. Chanchamnong S. (2003). The Buddha’s core teachings. Bangkok: Saisungsukaphapjai. Dhiravegin, L. (1998). Evolution of Thai political and dministration (in Thai) (6th ed.). Bangkok: Thammasat University Press. Earley, P. C, Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: An analysis of individual interactions across cultures. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Earley, P. C, (2002). Redefining interactions across cultures and organizations: Moving forward with cultural intelligence. Research in Organizational Behavior 24, 271-299. Earley, P. C. Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review (10), 139-146. Earley, P. C., Ang, S., Tan, J. S. (2006). CQ: Developing cultural intelligence at work. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Earley, P.C. and Peterson, R.S. (2004). The elusive cultural chameleon: Cultural intelligence as a new approach to intercultural training for the global manager. Academy of Management Learning and Education 3(1), 100-15. Griffer M.R. Perlis M.P. (2007). Developing cultural intelligence in preservice speech-language pathologists and educators. Communication Disorders jhQuarterly, 29(1), 28-35. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind: Intercultural cooperation and its Importance for survival, Cambridge, England: McGraw-Hill. Johansen B. P. McLean G. N. (2006). Worldviews of adult learning in the workplace: A core concept in human resource development advances in developing human resources, Advances in Developing Human Resources 8(3), 321-328. Abstract retrieved July 8, 2009, from http://adh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/8/3/321. Joungtrakul, J. (2008). The Stride: A concerted industrial action in Thailand. Bangkok: Business Law Center. Knierim T. (2007). The Noble Eightfold Path. [Online] Available from http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html. [2009, July 25] Komin S. (1990). The Psychology of the Thai people Values and Behavioral Patterns. Bangkok: National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Research Center. Payutto , P.A. (2000). A Constition for Living (6th ed.). Bangkok: Saha Dhammikkha Press. Payutto, P.A. (2003). The Pali Cannon: What a Buddhist Must Know. Bangkok: S. R. Printing Mass Products. Perlis, S.M. (2001). Sexual orientation and multiperspective identity on a small, Catholic campus: An analysis of the cultural climate and multicultural organizational change. Doctor dissertation, Temple University, Philadelphia. The Royal Thai Embassy (2007). About Thailand: An overview of Thailand. [Online] Available from http://thaiembdc.org/aboutthai/overview.htm. [2009, July 1] Thomas, D. C., Inkson, K. (2004). Cultural intelligence: People skills for global business. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Thomas, D.C. (2006). Domain and development of cultural intelligence: The importance of mindfulness, Group and Organization Management 31(1), 78-79. United Nations Development Program: Thailand Human Development Report 2007; Sufficiency Economy and Human Development. [Online] Avaliable from: Retrieved http://www.undp.or.th. [2009, July 18] Wannapok S. (1988). The Buddha’s words in the Dhammapada (6th end). Bangkok: Chormafai Press.

Sophocles Ajax - The Destruction of a Greek Hero Essay -- Sophocles A

Sophocles' Ajax - The Destruction of a Greek Hero Sophocles' Ajax, written around 440 B.C., deals with the destruction of the Greek hero Ajax, who is sometimes considered the greatest warrior of the Trojan War, second only to Achilles. Ajax, driven insane by the goddess Athena, slaughtered the Greek herds of cattle, thinking that they were Greeks, to avenge them for rewarding the armor of Achilles to Odysseus instead of him. Only after coming to his senses, he realized that he was disgraced and he committed suicide. The play moves on, however, to deal with his burial, in which Teucer, Ajax's half-brother, and Odysseus argue with two supreme kings, Agamemnon and Menelaus, that Ajax has the right to burial. Throughout the play until his death, Ajax is the central character, undergoing a grim change from a proud, insane lunatic to a sane, shamed man, whose only hope for honor is suicide. Opening the play, Ajax himself was a "powerful figure, towering over the others, but limited and essentially selfish" (xii). His madness brought on by Athena had left him utterly helpless, although he falsely believed that Athena had assisted him in slaughtering the Greeks. The mightiest of warriors, even Odysseus commented that he had seen no one who was equal in prowess, power, and bravery to that which Ajax had displayed. However, his eyes darkened with deadly delusions, he was at the hands of the gods, although he was so arrogant that he didn't even realize it. He did not know that, as Odysseus states, he was a "puppet" in their hands: I pity him, brought down to this, Caught in the grip of such a grievous fate-- ................ ...ur father was" (17). But in his words to the gods as he was dying, it was obvious that he had undergone a metamorphosis from the beginning of the play, in which he was excessively proud, forgetting that he could be controlled by fate, to his death, where he succumbed to the gods, fully knowing that fate rested in their hands. In conclusion, Ajax, I believe, was a noble character, although he did have a tragic flaw, his arrogance. Of course, everyone has a certain arrogance in some manner of life. Ajax, however, chose to display it, but he accepted the consequences of his actions nobly. He chose to end his life in what he believed was the honorable method, and to the end, he carried himself as a hero would have during his time. Works Cited Sophocles. Four Plays by Sophocles. Trans. Thomas H. Banks. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966.

A Lesson of Being Cautious

I learned a valuable lesson when I lost my mobile phone. On that day, I had an appointment with my friends and I took the bus to go out as usual. But that day was Sunday and the bus was more crowded because a lot of people didn't need to work, and they came out to play. Because there was no pocket on my trousers, I had to put my phone in the shallow coat pocket which resulted in the coming tragedy.After ore than ten minutes, the bus reached the destination, I clenched my fists and elbowed my way through the crowd and got off with difficulty. When I touched the ground, I suddenly thought that someone bumped into me in doorway earlier, and then I touched my coat pocket and found that my mobile phone was gone. Immediately, I looked back at the bus and glanced at the people around, but everything was very strange and it made me feel a little afraid.I walked hastily to the eating place to meet my friends, borrowed a phone of theirs to call my number, but I was unable to get through. Afte r a few seconds of hesitation, I dejectedly gave my dad a call to tell him my mobile phone was stolen. He comforted me that it didn't matter and warned me to be cautious outside and come back home as soon as possible. Even today, it is still an important lesson, to always be careful and cautious, because you never know where bad guys are and what will happen the next second.

Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science

Schopenhauer had an understanding of the Will, which has to separate parts. The Will to Life and Human Will. The Will to Life, was the over all striving that every animal did on a daily basis, the striving for the will to live. Schopenhauer, believed that the nature of life was suffering and that this suffering was manifested in the will to live. However, this will, in humans, was also manifested by Human Will, or striving for that life, such as studying, reading, etc. This human will also lead to suffering and strife, for as soon as humans would reach one goal, another set of problems or suffering would appear. In fact, Schopenhauer believed that if humans recognized how much suffering that there is in life and in the world, that they would want to kill themselves. However, if you look at all that suffering and decide to live anyways then you have conquered the will and you will no longer truly suffer. In quite a Buddhist theme, you have become liberated and redeemed from life. More over, there is a sense of passive acceptance, where one realizes to detach themselves from society. This is explained when Schopenhauer states, â€Å"The denial of the will to live does not in any way imply the annihilation of a substance; it means merely the act of non-violation: that which previously willed, wills no more. The will is a philosophical substance that can not be removed or killed. Why is it then that Science can not understand the will as interpreted by Schopenhauer? Schopenhauer believed that the will was an Idea, which was in it’s own category. A category different form the a priori and the a posteriori. Science, according to Schopenhauer, is an a priori concept. A priori judgments take sense perception and molds it into a category. Schopenhauer believed that this world of sense perception and categories is a creation of the person or mind who created it. Therefore, Schopenaheur believes that â€Å"the world is a duality of the will and idea.ï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science Schopenhauer had an understanding of the Will, which has to separate parts. The Will to Life and Human Will. The Will to Life, was the over all striving that every animal did on a daily basis, the striving for the will to live. Schopenhauer, believed that the nature of life was suffering and that this suffering was manifested in the will to live. However, this will, in humans, was also manifested by Human Will, or striving for that life, such as studying, reading, etc. This human will also lead to suffering and strife, for as soon as humans would reach one goal, another set of problems or suffering would appear. In fact, Schopenhauer believed that if humans recognized how much suffering that there is in life and in the world, that they would want to kill themselves. However, if you look at all that suffering and decide to live anyways then you have conquered the will and you will no longer truly suffer. In quite a Buddhist theme, you have become liberated and redeemed from life. More over, there is a sense of passive acceptance, where one realizes to detach themselves from society. This is explained when Schopenhauer states, â€Å"The denial of the will to live does not in any way imply the annihilation of a substance; it means merely the act of non-violation: that which previously willed, wills no more. The will is a philosophical substance that can not be removed or killed. Why is it then that Science can not understand the will as interpreted by Schopenhauer? Schopenhauer believed that the will was an Idea, which was in it’s own category. A category different form the a priori and the a posteriori. Science, according to Schopenhauer, is an a priori concept. A priori judgments take sense perception and molds it into a category. Schopenhauer believed that this world of sense perception and categories is a creation of the person or mind who created it. Therefore, Schopenaheur believes that â€Å"the world is a duality of the will and idea.ï ¿ ½...

Farming and Agriculture Post World-War II

Farming and Agriculture Post World-War II By the end of World War II, the farm economy once again faced the challenge of overproduction. Technological advances, such as the introduction of gasoline- and electric-powered machinery and the widespread use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, meant production per hectare was higher than ever. To help consume surplus crops, which were depressing prices and costing taxpayers money, Congress in 1954 created a Food for Peace program that exported U.S. farm goods to needy countries. Policy-makers reasoned that food shipments could promote the economic growth of developing countries. Humanitarians saw the program as a way for America to share its abundance. Launching the Food Stamp Program In the 1960s, the government decided to use surplus food to feed Americas own poor as well. During President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty, the government launched the federal Food Stamp program, giving low-income people coupons that could be accepted as payment for food by grocery stores. Other programs using surplus goods, such as for school meals for needy children, followed. These food programs helped sustain urban support for farm subsidies for many years, and the programs remain an important form of public welfare - for the poor and, in a sense, for farmers as well. But as farm production climbed higher and higher through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the cost of the government price support system rose dramatically. Politicians from non-farm states questioned the wisdom of encouraging farmers to produce more when there was already enough - especially when surpluses were depressing prices and thereby requiring greater government assistance. Federal Deficiency Payments The government tried a new tack. In 1973, U.S. farmers began receiving assistance in the form of federal deficiency payments, which were designed to work like the parity price system. To receive these payments, farmers had to remove some of their lands from production, thereby helping to keep market prices up. A new Payment-in-Kind program, begun in the early 1980s with the goal of reducing costly government stocks of grains, rice, and cotton, and strengthening market prices, idled about 25 percent of cropland. Price supports and deficiency payments applied only to certain basic commodities such as grains, rice, and cotton. Many other producers were not subsidized. A few crops, such as lemons and oranges, were subject to overt marketing restrictions. Under so-called marketing orders, the amount of a crop that a grower could market as fresh was limited week by week. By restricting sales, such orders were intended to increase the prices that farmers received. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Politics of the Contemporary Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Politics of the Contemporary Middle East - Essay Example During the early years in the formation of the republic of Israel, several lands were annexed by Israel and most Arabs were shunned by the Israeli administration. Political discrimination of Arabs in Israel is evident by the policies maintained by the Zionist Israeli government because representation of Arabs in the Knesset is small compared to its population. Moreover, the number of Arabs in Israel’s public service constitutes around 6% and notable Arab public servants are nominated from the Druze Arab grouping. On the political front, Israel is fond of banning political parties’ affiliated to Arabs and even in 2006 a MP in the Knesset was questioned for visiting Lebanon (Tucker, 2008). The call by Arab MPs in the Knesset for the recognition of Israel as a nation for all citizens has on many occasions been ignored. Although, Israel’s constitution recognizes all citizens have equal rights, Arabs have been exempted from the compulsory service in the Israel Defence Forces (Rydelnik, 2007). The issue of land which is a major economic factor in production is in the hands of the Jews in Israel. This is because 93% of land in Israel is owned by the ILA (Israel Land Administration) while other lands are owned by the Jewish National Fund which was formed to purchase lands for the Jewish population. There are several economic barriers that Israeli Arabs face in their pursuit of economic prosperity such as lack of financing or equal employment opportunities (Ganim, 2001). These barriers have made it difficult for Arab Israelis to empower themselves financially in Israel. Moreover, Arab Israelis cannot serve in the military and therefore they cannot secure scholarships and housing loans which could allow them to progress economically. As a result, around 53% of impoverished homes belong to the Arabs and the lowest workforce numbers in Israel (Gilbert, 2005). A recent statistic showed that unemployment levels were high in Arab towns in Israel compared to Jewish ones. Moreover, the average minimum wage among Arab Israelis was around 29% lower than their Jewish counterparts. Gender parity in employment among the Arab Israelis is low and Arab Israeli women have the lowest numbers under employment. Socially speaking, Israeli Arabs have poor access to healthcare facilities and in the budgeting process they usually get a raw deal in terms of healthcare plans (Thomas, 2009). For instance, in the 2002 budget Israel budgeted around 0.6% of its total income towards assisting Arab Israelis. The government move and policy only assisted further discrimination of the marginalized Arab Israelis. Education in Israel is funded by the government and in most instances the Arab Israelis learn in deplorable conditions compared to their Jewish counterparts. For instance, a human rights body in 2001 commented that these schools are world apart and that striking difference existed in terms of educational systems. The Israeli government expenditure on ed ucating Israeli Arabs was $ 192 compared to $ 1,100 spent on educating their Jewish counterparts (Parsi, 2007). The language used in teaching at Israeli Arab schools is Arabic while learning Hebrew is mandatory. While, in Jewish schools learning Arabic is a basic knowledge requirement for Jews. Moreover, the Israeli national language is Hebrew and most services are

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development Literature review

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development of Public Sector in Saudi Arabia - Literature review Example The rapid economic growth being experienced in the country has largely been as a result of the oil that is exported to other parts of the world. As a growing economy, the country needs to not only develop its infrastructure, but also improve its service delivery to the people (Benington, 2000). Information technology is an aspect of development that is sweeping across many developing countries today, and Saudi Arabia has definitely not been left behind. The implementation of IT plans has greatly helped the country improve the way its citizens get access to public services (Al-zharani, 2009). Using IT Resources The Saudi Communications Commission is the one regulates the deployments and use of IT resources in the country. Among the commission’s responsibilities include: ensuring that the communications services provided are well advanced, regulating the telecommunications sector, creating an environment for fair competition among different players in the telecommunications fiel d and securing the rights of the public to have access to information networks at prices they can afford. In short, this commission is responsible for how the country makes use of its existing structures to deploy and implement IT for the greater good and development of the Saudi public sector (Khan, 2011). Although the country has made some tremendous achievement in creating an information society, there remains a lot to be done so as to ensure that the IT infrastructures are as efficient as possible so as to serve as many people as possible. This means that the government has to consider some of the challenges that hinder the deployment and use of IT for the development of the Saudi public sector including government agencies and come up with ways to ensure that all people enjoy the full benefits of a networked society (Khosrowpour, 2000). Knowledge Workers and the Knowledge Society Knowledge workers include the valued individuals who earn a living by developing and applying knowl edge in specific areas of study. On the other hand, the knowledge society is a society that values knowledge as the primary resource used in production as opposed to labour and capital. Knowledge workers exist in a wide range of fields in Saudi Arabia. With their vast knowledge in their specific areas of interest, the knowledge workers are able to define problems and come up with solutions that affect society, strategies and help in decision making. The making of knowledge workers normally is influenced by the establishment of information technology of the places in which they are based. In Saudi Arabia, the making of more knowledge workers has been influenced by the establishment of e-learning and the availability of ICT resources. The deployment and use of IT for the development of the public sector requires the development of more knowledge workers so as to ensure that they are well equipped to deal with the IT tools at their disposal. Though the government through its e-governme nt efforts is trying to ensure that most areas in the public sector are well equipped with IT technology, there are a number of challenges it experiences (Benington, 2000). One of the challenges that the country faces in terms of knowledge worker development in the area of IT proficiency is the lack of technical skills. Very few of the employees working in the public sector have the proper knowledge to carry out some of the duties that would involve