Israeli and Arab conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Israeli and Arab conflict - Essay Example It starts with the Biblical story of Abraham who moved from the land of Ur in present-day Iraq/Iran to the land of Canaan as it was then called. According to Biblical traditions, Abraham was promised the whole land adjacent to the Red Sea and within the west of the Jordan river. However, there were some native Canaanites on the land. Abraham's grandson, Jacob (Israel) moved to Egypt with his children and grandchildren. They lived in Egypt for a few hundreds of years and became a great and populous nation. They then returned to the land of Canaan a few generations after Abraham. The descendants of Abraham became known as the Israelite community. They lived side-by-side with the natives of the land of Canaan. This include the Philistines, the Jebusites, the Hittites and many other native tribes. After a few centuries, the Israelite community became more numerous in the land and with the rise of David as king and leader of the community, it was transformed to a state and its capital was established in Jerusalem. The State of Israel was however divided into two: Judah in the South and the Northern Kingdom. The northern Kingdom was destroyed and the people were sold into nations around the world. The people from Judah however remained a united state around the capital Jerusalem. Eventually, the Roman defeated Judah in AD63 and the remnants of Judah were sold as slave in the Diaspora (Safrai 1). In the Diaspora, the people of Judah continued to maintain their traditional practices and maintained their identity. They became known as the Jews. Meanwhile, the Romans renamed the State of Israel Palaestina which became known as Palestine (Safrai 1). As the Roman power faded, the land of Palestine was inhabited by people from other Middle Eastern origins and this include the Canaanites, Philistines and others who lived in the land before Abraham moved onto it. After the Romans, the land came under the control of the founder of Islam and his successors. As a result of that, they converted to Islam and assimilated to the main sphere of Arab communities. However, the land of Canaan/Israel became known as the Holy Lands and it changed hands for generations before the Crusaders contested over the land for generations. Eventually, it became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s and it remained under Ottoman rule until 1918. British Rule & Palestine The Ottomans were Muslims, however, they never considered themselves Arabs (Willner et al 487). There was therefore a clear distinction between Ottomans or Turkish Muslims and Arabs of the Middle East and North America. During the era of the Ottoman domination of the Middle East and North America, the Arabs were ruled by Ottoman governors. Hence, the British defeat of the Ottoman Empire came with a promise of liberating the Arabs after the war (Willner et al 489). Britain used a complicated system of forming alliances and diplomatic ties with different peoples around the world during the First World War period which was fought between 1913 and 1917. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire was part of the â€Å"Asian Theater† of a larger war that was fought in Europe and other parts of the world. Britain had used the help of the Americans, Monarchical Russia and many others to defeat the Germans in the European War. They had also promised the Jewish Group seeking a homeland for the Jewish people known as the Zionists in Europe and around the world that they will help

Tokyo Correspondence Etiquette :: essays research papers fc

As an employee of ABC International, a variety of your business contacts are neither from America nor American; therefore, knowing when and how to deliver effective and well written business correspondences, will help you avoid communication blunders and image-damaging errors that often come with cross-cultural exchanges. In addition to the common sense etiquette that comes with using your manners and being a gentleman, use these tips on cultural differences that could impact how you communicate with business contacts in Tokyo, Japan. Addressing Your Business Contact Drop â€Å"Mister† or â€Å"Misses† and simply add â€Å"-sama† to the last name of your business contact in formal situations and correspondences. If you are uncertain about the pronunciation or spelling of your contacts name, ask for assistance. Introducing Yourself Use last names at all times and do not request that clients call or write to you by your first name. When introducing yourself, business cards are an essential part of introductions and you will not be taken seriously without them. Double-sided business cards in Japanese and English are a must because they show potential business contacts that you are serious, and that you understand and respect their culture. Writing Effectively Write in a polite, non-offensive and respectful manner. Do not ask a Japanese business contact a question that has been phrased negatively. Eliminate jargon and excessive information and reread your correspondences before sending them to ensure that your meaning and tone are clear. In Japan, correspondences are different -- longer letters are favored. Solving Issues or Problems Avoid confrontations by not getting too pushy in your correspondences. Instead, try to get a confirmed date when expecting to receive an answer. At times, it may be impossible to get a straight answer from your business contact, but more than likely you will eventually get to a situation where everyone agrees if you simply â€Å"go with the flow†. By being aware of cultural differences between Americans and Japanese, you will be able to demonstrate proper etiquette and respect for your business contacts at all times. Communicating and writing effective correspondences will show your willingness to increase your cultural knowledge and increase your clientele. Tokyo Correspondence Etiquette :: essays research papers fc As an employee of ABC International, a variety of your business contacts are neither from America nor American; therefore, knowing when and how to deliver effective and well written business correspondences, will help you avoid communication blunders and image-damaging errors that often come with cross-cultural exchanges. In addition to the common sense etiquette that comes with using your manners and being a gentleman, use these tips on cultural differences that could impact how you communicate with business contacts in Tokyo, Japan. Addressing Your Business Contact Drop â€Å"Mister† or â€Å"Misses† and simply add â€Å"-sama† to the last name of your business contact in formal situations and correspondences. If you are uncertain about the pronunciation or spelling of your contacts name, ask for assistance. Introducing Yourself Use last names at all times and do not request that clients call or write to you by your first name. When introducing yourself, business cards are an essential part of introductions and you will not be taken seriously without them. Double-sided business cards in Japanese and English are a must because they show potential business contacts that you are serious, and that you understand and respect their culture. Writing Effectively Write in a polite, non-offensive and respectful manner. Do not ask a Japanese business contact a question that has been phrased negatively. Eliminate jargon and excessive information and reread your correspondences before sending them to ensure that your meaning and tone are clear. In Japan, correspondences are different -- longer letters are favored. Solving Issues or Problems Avoid confrontations by not getting too pushy in your correspondences. Instead, try to get a confirmed date when expecting to receive an answer. At times, it may be impossible to get a straight answer from your business contact, but more than likely you will eventually get to a situation where everyone agrees if you simply â€Å"go with the flow†. By being aware of cultural differences between Americans and Japanese, you will be able to demonstrate proper etiquette and respect for your business contacts at all times. Communicating and writing effective correspondences will show your willingness to increase your cultural knowledge and increase your clientele.

Organizations that fail to plan are planning to fail Essay

Currently, the numerous organizations pour huge sums of capitals into competitive market in order to get a larger market share and seek more financial profits. Some of them are success, while others are eliminated with a huge financial loss by the fierce competition. However, the main reason why those companies failed is nothing but not having an all-round strategic planning. This essay will discuss that a company with an all-round planning in terms of external and internal environment of the business will help businesses achieve company’s objectives and survive from the intensive competition of the capital market. Planning for internal environment mainly based on company’s weakness and strength can increase the working efficiency and coordination for the purpose of reducing in the operation cost associated with production mistakes, while planning for the external in terms of company’s threats and opportunities can help the business effectively analyze local mark et and expand company in order to gain more financial benefits. It is undeniable that a formal planning for a company makes contributions to achieving organization’s objective under the assumption of unchanged and predictable environment (Robbins et al. 2012 p.87). However, it is commonly believed that the capital market is changeable and unpredictable (Kumar 2011, p.18). As a result, a well-constructed plan might not be able to fit in every circumstance of business. Some negative discussions on a formal planning have been issued recently (Robbins 2012, p.87). Firstly, a formal planning may create some rigidity to the working environment that makes management lack flexibility and selectivity, which leads managers to be simply tied on a specific course of action (Robbins 2012, p.87). Secondly, a formal planning may restrict staff’s creativity and intuition. As a company needs someone’s creativity and innovation to be improved, the result of formal planning may reduce the vision to an inflexible company routine, which will be a receipt of disaster (Robbins 2012, p.87). Thirdly, planning may limit managers’ strategic vision. There is a tendency that a planning especially for the strategic performance of business only focuses on how to maximize organization financial benefits in the capital market. As a result, the managers may simply focus on the field the company currently has, rather than re-creation or reinvention in aims of company expansion in the future (Robbins 2012,  p.87). Fourthly, a formal planning can enhance success that maybe a receipt of failure. According to Robins (2012, p.87), managers may follow some precedential business cases that succeed before. Thereby, it is hard and unwilling for them to discard the successful experience of precedents when make a plan for the company. However, this plan may keep managers from doing things in a new way that would be even more successful because successful experience cannot work in every company environment, especially in current uncertain and changeable capital market (Robbins 2012, p.87). However, for the business long-term success, the importance of strategic planning in terms of internal for a business is incredibly meaningful (Topfer 2011, para.1). Firstly, an internally focused planning can provide an internal analysis of organization that considers internal weakness of company (Ingram 2014, para.3). Through an internal management planning, managers of a company can immediately identify the lack of company’s abilities and resources and then analyze the weaknesses may exist in the future development at the first beginning of a company’s operation, such as the staff skill limitation, the limitation of its product design or the shortage of technical and financial support (Flott 1997, pp.42-3). Thus, remedial measures, such as employing higher educated employees or improvement of manufactory equipment, can be timely acted. Consequently, financial loss or resources shortage can be effectively avoided during the operation (Flott 1997, p.43). Secondly, an internally focused planning plays an effective role in helping managers identify company strengths as well (Robbins et al. 2012, p.90). Analyzing company strengths by finding out any unique resource or any performance the business does better than other companies, managers are able to discover some competitive advantages (Ingram 2012, para.5). For instance, the world largest mobile company, Apple, they know that they have abundant financial strengths, thus they fully take financial advantages by making considerable investment over $160 million annually in the area of innovation and design of products (Clark 2014, para.1). As a result, Apple attracts millions of loyal customers around the world and makes them willing to purchase the products constantly because of the highest quality and best performance of products (Clark 2014, para.2). Thirdly, internal planning helps managers do some internal adjustment for increasing working efficiency. For instance, by thoroughly analyzing staff working capabilities  in terms of education level, work experience and overall competence, managers can optimize the utilization of human resources. Effectively deploying different human resources into different working departments, where is suitable for each employee, can maximize their strengths in order to achieve higher work efficiency and coordination (Loton 2007, p.373). As a result, the errors of production and wastage that caused by staff’s working against during the operation can be substantially avoided and declined. In other words that the operation cost can be reduced and keep company moving effectively towards its objective (Robbins et al. 2012, p.86). Fourthly, it is also helpful for managers to determine whether the operation of organization is on the right track and check how far they have drifted away from the original objective by an internal planning (Topfer 2011, para.4). Internal planning is a reference point t hat can allow managers to return to any point of operation once the mistakes happened (Topfer 2011, para.3). The functions of a strategic planning which externally focused are critical for company’s success as well. An external planning can provide an analysis that examines the threats and opportunities of company that independently exists in the external environment (Olsen 2010, para.10). According to Olsen (2010, para.10), the threats are obstacles that prevent organization from achieving its objectives and have negative effects on future development in terms of external; while the opportunities refer to a positive condition in the external environment that will produce constructive contributions on organization’s success. Through analyzing company’s threats when makes an externally focused plan, managers are able to clearly identify, for instance, what the supply and cost of labor is in the location where operates and whether the labor cost will significantly affect the profit of products (Robbins et al. 2012, p.87). A remarkable example of this is Apple Company. Apple has currently occupied the market of mobile phone over 60%, so a large amount of labor force is required during the production (Worstall 2013, para.2). In order to have a lower labor cost, the production planning center of Apple decided that settled the factories into Asian countries because Asia have a relatively lower labor cost and plenty of labor supply (Worstall 2013, para.1). A latest statistical data has been carried out that Apple has to pay more $4.2 billion to the production staff if Apple manufactures iPhone in the US rather than in Asia (Worstall 2013, para.1).  So, it is obvious that a company analyzing its external condition when makes an external plan is crucial to its objectives in terms of financial benefits. Furthermore, having an external plan is helpful for managers to find out the company’s opportunities, such as a market gap that no organization is currently serving, a new field that can be stepped in for the purpose of exploring market to seek more financial return and developmental opportunities (Ingram 2012, paras 6-7). After analyze external environment of company, managers can timely know what pro ducts can affect market share and what changes are in consumers favor that may increase the sale of products (Ingram 2012, para.6). As a result, effective adjustments in terms of improvement and innovation of products and can be carried out in order to remain company’s long-term competiveness in the market and meet the customers’ demand immediately (Ingram 2012, para.6). Hence, the sales of product can be increased and more financial profits can be brought out. In conclusion, although having a formal planning may bring some negative effects on company’s success, a well-constructed strategic plan in terms of internally focused and externally focused makes contribution to its financial profit and surviving from the market competition. To an internal plan, combining company’s industry status with its strength, it can help company enhance its market position and do some positive adjustment in order to get a higher working efficiency and coordination, while identifying company’s weakness, such as scarcity of resources, some remedial measures can be acted in advance in order to avoid financial loss in the further development. To an external plan, analyzing company’s opportunities can help business explore new market in order to reach developmental potential. At the same time, an external plan can provide an external analysis that assist managers with identifying company’s threats, such as labor cost and supply. According to Apple’s example, choosing a most beneficial manufactory location not only can have a sufficient labor supply but also save plenty of labor cost. Overall, adhering a strategic plan both internally and externally for a company is constructive and meaningful in its long-term success. Reference List Flott, LW 1997, ‘Quality Control: Corporate Planning’, Elsevier Science, July, pp.42-5. Ingram, D 2014, ‘Internal & External Strategic Plan Development’, Chron, viewed 21 April 2014, . Kumar, B 2011, Capital Market, Anurag Jain, New Delhi, India. Loton, C 2007, ‘Using good business planning to ensure good governance’, Keep Good Companies, July, pp.372-5. Olsen, E 2010, ‘Internal & External Analysis’, OnStrategy, 5 April, viewed 1 May 2014, . Robbins, S, DeCenzo, D, Coulter, M & Woods, M 2012, Management: The Essentials, 1st edn, Pearson, Australia. Topfer, S 2011, ‘The Importance of Business Planning’, NASDAQ, 25 February, viewed 20 April 2014, . Worstall, T 2013, ‘If Apple Brought iPhone Manufacturing To The US It Would Cost Them $4.2 billion’, Forbes, 25 September, viewed 2 May 2014, .

Jake Drake Bully Buster Chapter Book About Bullying

In Jake Drake Bully Buster, author Andrew Clements focuses on a problem too many kids have to cope with: bullies and bullying. What do you do if youre a bully-magnet? Thats Jakes problem in the chapter book Jake Drake Bully Buster. Fourth-grader Jake Drake tells the story of how he went from being a bully-magnet starting in preschool to becoming a bully buster in second grade. Jakes experiences not only make an entertaining story for 7 to 10-year-olds, but they also provide a lot of food for thought. Why Jake Was a Bully-Magnet Jake begins his story with tales of all of the bullies who bullied him before second grade, starting when he was a 3-year-old and continuing through preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Jake figures he has these bully-magnet characteristics: Hes small but not so small that he doesnt represent a challenge, he doesn’t have an older brother or sister to defend him, he’s not the type to complain, and he looks â€Å"brainy.† Interestingly, these dont change as Jake goes from being a bully-magnet to a bully buster. Instead, Jakes experiences in second grade change him. Jake and the Grade A, SuperBully Jakes says he didn’t become a bully buster until second grade and then, only after â€Å"being picked on by a Certified, Grade A Super Bully.† Second grade starts out wonderfully. Jake likes his teacher, Mrs. Brattle. There are no bullies in his class, although he still has to watch out for bullies on the playground and in the lunchroom. However, when a new student, Link Baxter, whom Jakes quickly learns is â€Å"a Certified, Grade A Super Bully,† joins the class. Link continually picks on Jake at school and on the school bus. The first time it happens, Jake is so upset that when he gets home he bullies his little sister until his mother stops him, saying, â€Å"What’s gotten into you!?† Jake realizes that â€Å"It was Link. Link had gotten into me! I was being like Link. I had caught BULLYITIS!† When he apologizes to his little sister, she tells him that Link’s sister is in her class, and she is a bully like her brother. Jakes Attempts to End the Bullying Jake decides to try acting like Link’s bullying doesn’t bother him. When Link makes fun of him on the bus, Jake acts like it’s a joke. All day, Jake tries to act cook when Link bothers him, but this only makes Link bully him more. Finally, Link splashes water on Jake so it looks like Jake wet his pants and proceeds to mock him, â€Å"Wook, wook! Wittle Jakey had an accident!† Jake gets very mad and can tell Link is pleased about that. Jake is so mad that he hits Link, who acts like he has a terrible injury. Link gets sent to the nurse’s office for ice and sympathy and Jake was sent to the principal’s office. Afterward, when he and Link meet in the hallway, Jake asks Link why he bullies him and Link doesn’t have an answer. Jake decides, â€Å"†¦if I could figure out that reason – or if I could give him a reason NOT to be a bully – then Link Baxter, SuperBully, would become Link Baxter, Ex-SuperBully.† From Bad to Worse Leads to New Insights Things go from bad to worse when Jake’s teacher decides that everyone in the class has to work in pairs on a Thanksgiving project, and she assigns Jake and Link to work together. Their assignment is to do a project about how Native Americans lived. Jake is appalled, but Link thinks it’s funny and tells Jake that he’s going to have to do all the work. Jake prepares the report but keeps hoping Link will help so they have something to show the class. When the day before the project is due Link tells Jake to do that also, Jake is so mad that he refuses. Link tells him to come over to his house after school so they can make something. At Link’s house, Jake learns two surprising things about Link: Link is skilled at creating models and dioramas and his older sister bullies him. He also learns that when Link is involved in model making, it’s like he’s one of the kids instead of a SuperBully. In fact, according to Jake, â€Å"When he forgot I was there, he had a different face from his bully face, Not mean. Almost nice.† The visit to Link’s house gives Jake a lot to think about, but he’s still not sure how to make Link stop bullying him. Everything Changes With Jakes Good Choices Everything changes again when it is time for Jake and Link to give their project report. Jake finds out that Link has stage fright about doing the presentation. Rather than pay Link back for all Link has done to Jake by humiliating Link in front of his classmates, Jake covers for him. He tells Link he will give the report and Link can point out things in the diorama he made. Their project is a big success, but the best outcome is that Link no longer bullies Jake and Jake realizes that by getting to know the real person â€Å"behind those mean eyes and that bully-face,† he can be a bully buster rather than a bully-magnet. Throughout the book, Jake reacts to the bullying in different ways, not all of them appropriate. He quickly learns that bullying others, being mean, and hitting the bully are all not the responses he wants to, or should, make. As time passes and he learns more and more about the bully, Jake begins to make better decisions: standing up to Link and refusing to finish the project by himself, covering for Link when it’s time for their presentation and acknowledging Link’s model-building skills in front of the class. Its the fact that Jake is essentially a good kid who is willing to take the time and thought to look beyond the bully-face to the person within that enables him to become a bully buster. Guide Recommendation We recommend Jake Drake Bully Buster for independent readers in grades 2-4. It is also an excellent classroom or family read aloud. At under 90 pages, it is a quick and enjoyable read, but it also has some substance and can easily and effectively be used as a bullying discussion prompt. The Jake Drake series includes a total of four books about the fourth graders experiences st school, and I recommend them all. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon Schuster, 2007 reprint edition. ISBN: 9781416939337)