Sweden :: essays research papers

History, Science and Technology, Justice, and Environmental Issues of Sweden During the seventh and eighth centuries, the Swedes were merchant seamen well known for their trade. In the ninth century, Nordic Vikings raided and ravaged the European Continent as far as the Black and Caspian Seas. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Sweden slowly became a united Christian kingdom that later included Finland. Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397. Frequent tension within the countries and within the union gradually led to open conflict between the Swedes and the Danes in the 15th century. The union's final disintegration in the early 16th century resulted in a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other. During and after World War I, in which Sweden remained neutral, the nation benefited from the worldwide demand for Swedish steel, ball bearings, wood pulp, and matches. Postwar achievement provided the basis for the social welfare policies characteristic of modern Sweden. Sweden followed a policy of armed impartiality during World War II and currently remains independent. Sweden became a member of the European Union in 1995. Many of Sweden’s science and technology activities are carried out by the Embassy of Sweden’s Science and Technology office. The main mission of the Science and Technology Office is to help cooperation in research and development and other exchange of knowledge between Sweden and Japan. This is done by telling decision-makers in Sweden about developments in Japan, and by arranging study visits, workshops and other events. The office preserves widespread contact networks in Sweden and Japan, mainly with key persons and organizations involved in research and innovation in government, academia, and industry. Most of the activities of the Science and Technology Office are carried out within the framework of â€Å"programs† operated in close partnership with, and financed by, Swedish government agencies and other organizations with responsibilities in the particular area covered by a program. Current programs cover the following areas: (1) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), (2) Life Sciences and Bio-industry, (3) Sustainable Development, and (4) Overall Development of Japanese Science and Technology Policy and Innovation System. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. According to the Swedish Constitution, all public power derives from the people. Sweden's head of state, the King, has only ceremonial functions. The top branch of the national government is the Parliament, which has 349 members in one chamber.

Jetblue Airways: Starting from Scratch Essay

At the beginning, JetBlue management set the tone for themselves that they would be different then other airlines. To do that they set values for all employees from top to bottom to follow and they set up an attractive pay and a unique benefits package that would allow for successful recruitment and retention of employees, while significantly reducing the chance of a union moving into the organization. Equal Employment Opportunity Laws There are certain Equal Employment Opportunity laws that every employer should be aware of and use as guidelines when developing a working relationship with employees and perspective employees. These laws protect employers and employees and enhance the overall association between the two. Three Equal Opportunity laws that impact JetBlue’s hiring practices are: Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Amended 1972 One of many Equal Employment Opportunity laws, the Civil Rights Act may be the most important law as it prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual based on race, religion, color, sex, and age. This protection from discrimination covers the areas of â€Å"hiring, firing, promoting, compensation, or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.† (Mondy, 2008) Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990 Simply put, this law prohibits employers from discriminating against anyone with a qualified disability. This law establishes that an employer must make reasonable accommodations for a disabled person in the workforce that does not create an undue hardship to the employer. Examples of those accommodations are updating facilities to meet the needs of the disabled employee; adjusting work schedules; and updating equipment that a disabled employee could use. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Amended 1978, 1986 This law was created to protect employees over the age of 40 from employment discrimination based on age. The law also prohibits employers from forcing employees into retirement. The Age Discrimination Employment Act applies to both employees and job applicants. JetBlue’s Recruitment Efforts A key internal recruitment effort that JetBlue used was to seek referrals from existing employees. This effort is best illustrated with the pilots. JetBlue set out to hire employees who fit with the organization’s vision and in return they offered employees flexible time, pay and benefits and provided the pilots with updated technology and training. The goal of setting up Values and different employment packages was to show the staff that JetBlue cared about them. This in turn caused employees to be more loyal than at other airlines and soon word-of-mouth spread and people wanted to work for JetBlue. According to Dave Berger, JetBlue COO, â€Å"the happy pilots were a great source for recruiting their friends from competing airlines.† (Hoffer, 2001) Externally, JetBlue placed one classified ad in a Salt Lake City newspaper seeking interested applicants for the position of reservations agents. This â€Å"single local advertisement† resulted in JetBlue hiring over 500 reservations agents and collecting â€Å"a waiting list of 2,500 interested applicants†. (Hoffer, 2001)The one advertisement was so successful because it enticed prospective employees with a flexible work schedule, standard pay with a bonus if they took calls whenever needed, and they provided computers and necessary equipment to the staff members so they could all work from home. JetBlue’s Personnel Selection JetBlue created five Values that would be used to make decisions in all areas of the organization including Human Resources. Those Values are Safety; Caring, Integrity; Fun; and Passion. JetBlue then went into detail with the Values to develop standards of â€Å"desirable and undesirable behaviors† (Hoffer, 2001) and used those standards in asking prospective employees about past behavior. JetBlue set out to hire people who best fit those Values. When interviewing an applicant for a mechanic position, the applicant was asked to recall a time when â€Å"integrity was an issue in his previous employment.† (Hoffer, 2001) The mechanic described a time when he was pressured to sign off that an airplane was ready for an international flight when in fact it was not. The applicant explained he refused to certify the aircraft and was subsequently fired. JetBlue hired this applicant because he fit the Values of the organization. Ann Rhoades, executive vice president human resources, explains that she didn’t offer a prospective pilot a position because of what she perceived as his arrogance. Arrogance doesn’t fit into the Values JetBlue set for its organization. During an interview with a pilot applicant, the pilot was asked to discuss a time when he was encountered with a â€Å"customer request that was in conflict with company polices† (Hoffer, 2001) and explain how he addressed the request. His response was compared to the Values and whether or not it fit into the definition of desirable or undesirable behavior. JetBlue used a method of utilizing multiple interviewers and each of those interviewers had to agree before an offer of employment was made. Utilizing the group interview method, JetBlue was providing those employees on the team a sense of ownership and autonomy which further enhanced employee satisfaction. Three Factors that Influence a Performance Appraisal System When utilizing a performance appraisal system, an organization should be aware of the internal and external factors that influence the outcomes of such appraisals. One example is legislation. Any time an employer is dealing with an employee or potential employee, they must ensure they are not discriminating against any protected class. During the performance appraisal process, the employer needs to have systems in place that assures no discrimination or negative impact of a protected class or group occurs. These are the same requirements described above in the Civil Rights Act; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and the Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990. Another factor to consider is labor unions. If an organization has a labor agreement with an organized union, they may get push back from the union on the subject of Performance Appraisals. Unions generally encourage pay increases and promotions based on seniority, not on merit. As such, they are known to oppose any type of performance appraisal system. A third factor is completely under the control of an organization and that is corporate culture. The culture within a company can have either a negative or positive impact on the performance appraisal system and is dependent on the attitude from the top down. Employees are likely to not have confidence in the performance appraisal system if the organization does not encourage an environment of high performance, teamwork, and personal development. The lack of support by the organization, builds mistrust by the employees in all areas of human resources. 360-Degree Feedback Evaluation The 360-Degree Feedback Evaluation is used for development of employees and teams and can be helpful in identifying target areas such as building on strengths of an employee or identifying and focusing development needs. By utilizing feedback of an employee’s coworkers, supervisors, and customers, 360-Degree Feedback provides a more balanced evaluation then one that could be influenced by a disgruntled supervisor, peer or customer. The system allows the organization to develop succession plans which is important internally and externally because it gives the employees confidence that the organization has future plans for growth. By using this system, a company can create a professional development and training program that is focused on employee needs, enabling the employee to be successful which in turn, helps the company be successful. Rather than relying on financial goals to measure an employee’s contribution to the organization, JetBlue utilizes the 360-Degree Feedback Evaluation process. JetBlue customized the process calling it the 320-degree feedback process, a play on the name of their aircraft, and uses it to determine whether or not employees are meeting the company’s five core values. Because these core values (safety, caring, integrity, fun, passion) all directly relate to peers, supervisors and co-workers, JetBlue is able to get a direct assessment of each employee’s performance and ability to meet the five core values. Employee-Related Factors Essential in Determining Financial Compensation When addressing the issue of employee compensation, an employer must first evaluate the job by conducting a job analysis to determine the requirements and conditions of the position. Once the analysis is complete, the employer is able to attract and retain qualified individuals. When hiring, it is important to consider the applicant’s experience, performance, skills and competency before determining the right compensation for the future employees. Experience Experience enhances an employee’s performance and is valued by employers. Determining if an employee has valuable insight and basic knowledge of the job is an important variable in establishing compensation. Performance Rewarding employees with pay based on their performance and productivity oftentimes motivates them to do better. Many companies use the merit-based system by rating employee’s performance and increasing pay. Skills Compensation is sometimes based on an employee’s ability to effectively show their ability to perform particular tasks. Competency Competencies are oftentimes associated with an employee’s attitude and values. Many companies find these competencies just as important as skills, education and experience. Discretionary Employee Benefits Discretionary benefits are just that, at the discretion of the company. They are not required by law, but are increasingly just as important to employees as is their pay. Discretionary benefits may include paid time off, profit sharing, and health care benefits. Paid Time Off To provide employees with a work-life balance, time away from work is oftentimes paid through vacation, sick or paid-time-off plans. The time off benefit is usually offered to full-time employees and allows for paid, stress-free rest time that benefits the employee’s mental and physical health. Employee time off also benefits the company because a rested, stress-free employee is more productive then if no time off or unpaid time off had been given. Profit Sharing Profit sharing is a plan that distributes a pre-determined percentage of profits to employees. For those organizations that offer profit-sharing, it is often only offered to full-time employees who have met a vesting period. Profit sharing not only incentivizes employees to meet corporate goals with the goal of achieving maximum profits, but it also benefits the company by valuing long-term loyalty. Health Benefits Having access to affordable health care is a priority for most people and is a great consideration for many when accepting a job. Many full-time and part-time employees receive this benefit from their employer throughout the United States. With the new National Health Care law passed last year, it will now be expected that employers provide some type of health care insurance coverage to their staff if the law is held up in court. JetBlue’s Incorporation of Discretionary Benefits JetBlue is known to provide generous discretionary benefits to all of its employees. These benefits include a flexible work schedule, heath care insurance, paid time off, and 401K plans. JetBlue set out to build employment packages that support the different needs of their employees. In setting up the varying types of discretionary benefits, JetBlue believed it would attract staff and create loyalty. An example is the type of packages offered to the flight attendants. There are several packages for the different types of people who may fill the flight attendant positions. A recent college graduate may not be looking for long-term retirement packages; a family-oriented staff person may be looking for flexible hours and healthcare benefits; and another may be looking for a career in the industry and would require long-term benefits such as a 401K. Each of these individuals would receive a package that is customized to meet their specific needs. The additional benefit of working from home for the reservation agents in Salt Lake City allows the employee flexibility that does not necessarily require them to change their family’s schedules which is a great benefit for many people. REFERENCES: Hoffer, J.G and O’Reilly, C. (2001). JetBlue Airways: Starting from Scratch. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Pp. 58-77 (Hoffer, 2001) Mondy, R.W. (2008). Human Resources Management. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson, Prentice Hall. (Mondy, 2008)

I.B. Comparative Politics and Economics (SL) Essay

In this article, The Economist talks about how the price for a barrel of oil has dropped below the fifty dollar mark, resting at $47.36. Though many people would be happy with this, it talks about how this could be cause for alarm as a possible indicator for a worsening economy. The main economic concept described in the article would have to be consumption because it ties in with many changes that will occur as an effect of oil prices going down. Consumption is basically what it says it is: the total spending by consumers of domestic goods and services. Another concept described in this article is that of aggregate demand, mainly because consumption is bound to it. Aggregate demand is the total spending on goods or services in a period of time at a given price. Lastly, Monetary Policy is touched on in this article since there is a deflation in prices those who control monetary policy cut interest rates. * Consumption: Because of the drop in oil and also economist’s predictions that it will drop even lower, we can probably guess that consumers will save more money when they buy gas. With this extra money, incomes change and go up. Income is one of the main factors of consumption because, when it rises, people have more money to spend on other things, which increases aggregate demand. Consumer confidence also plays a role in consumption and especially in this case because, if consumers believe that gas prices will become lower, then they will have a greater chance or spending more on various goods and services. * Aggregate Demand: Changes in any of the four determinants of aggregate demand will shift it, making it lower or higher depending on which way the determinant shifts. In this case, a graph of aggregate demand would be shifting to the left because price levels are going down as the cost of oil is decreasing. * Monetary Policy: Though not discussed to a deep extent in the article, it does say that in response to the price for a barrel of oil dropping â€Å"those setting monetary policy have had no hesitation in cutting interest rates dramatically.† They’re probably cutting them do to fears of deflation which would create a greater unemployment due to a decrease in profit. Cutting interest rates would decrease the incentive to save because the cost of borrowing would be lower, this would also increase investment. In this graph you can see that aggregate demand will shift from a change in price level. So, if we make the price level oil and it goes down, then we have our demand for it go up and the aggregate demand line will shift to the left (AD2). If we increase the price for oil, the exact opposite will occur and the line will shift to the right (AD3). This all comes back to monetary policy and the article talking about people cutting interest so that it could build up consumer confidence in spending. In terms of completeness of this article, I think The Economist does an overall decent job at explaining what was going on and what could come of it but I don’t think it really touched on what we should do (or what we are doing) as a country to prevent a shortage of oil. I think the article does a good job of assuming that, although we are pursuing renewable energy, oil will be with us for a while longer and that we need to jack up the prices to reduce demand so that we don’t have the shortage too soon. In the short term, the lowering of oil prices is immensely beneficial because it increases the amount of money consumers have to spend on goods and services, and it also increases consumer confidence, making them want to get loans and mortgages.

Jose Rizal Essay

As all Filipinos very well know Jose Rizal has written many books like Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to expose the hardship Filipinos are experiencing during the Spanish Time without fearing for what would happen to his life because of this. He was even exiled in Dapitan because of his writing and during this time he did not stop helping and even taught the villagers there the importance of education and as a doctor cured those who are sick. His intentions were clear, the willingness to help is always there. I think this is the first step in showing the Fiipinos his intention of helping our fellow Filipinos to build a nation. Our Forefathers became aware of the abuses being done in our country because of what Rizal had written therefore awakening the Filipinos knowledge to build a nation not under the influence of any Foreign People but a nation which should be protected and loved by its citizen. The intentions also of the Foreign Leadership that was happening in our country that time were revealed by his writing. Abuses of the soldiers, Friars and other Spanish leaders were exposed to the people and analysing such would be comparing the corruption happening even during those days. Corruption has been a root cause on why a nation suffers. Jose Rizal during his last days made thru to his intention of his love for the Nation so that it could be strong. Sacrificing his life for the Nation who during that time is so afraid and awakening the Katipunan to stand strong against Foreign Colonialism is surely an indication that this is the start of a strong Nation not afraid to face aggression and to love this country which should be governed by its people and showing his undying love by sacrificing himself just to spark its country man, therefore it is my opinion that Rizal is the spark to build a strong nation here in our Country.

Technology in Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology in Education - Research Paper Example PDAs vs. hard form books: Portable digital document devices are part of schools, colleges, universities, libraries. People sit in cafes, parks, travel in metros and have this digital device that contains many books in them. It has added to the economy aspect as well, for example large number of books are available online now which were not in past and people had to pay for it or go to markets to get them, with so many books available online, mere download enables books in your digital device, and they don’t even cost anything in terms of the digital memory, being thin on resources in terms of digital consumption, these books consume merely a few kilobytes or megabytes of space which has become an irrelevant term in modern times considering how much of space and capacity has been created in the computers in present day. Diplomas, certifications and courses are conducted online. Video conferencing is a gift of technology and is largely used in educational sector, not just in the domain of students but also for the organizers and top heads of educational departments all over. The manner in which education is being spread has also changed as a result of technology. More than hard form of educational resources, it is the soft form of educational content that is in practice and business. E- Libraries have over taken the conventional libraries. Note books have been replaced by the digital note books. Tablets, laptops, mini computers, desktops, mobile phones, portable readers, electronic readers, all are depictive of the digital sources which are used for educational purposes. For example specially designated and designed digital equipment has been introduced for a specific purpose of educational imparting. This device comes in form of a... It is stated that the mankind has explored many ways for its comfort. It has been a continuous process and it has been achieved in steps with improvement from one phase to another. Technology has changed the outlook of our entire life, the entire pattern of how we go about things, how things are perceived, how they are adopted and accepted. Communication is being performed through it, which is an essential tool of technology. This tool has been put into effect in different disciplines of life, and education is one of them. Technology and communication, that were both analyzed in this essay have been brought together to facilitate the purpose of modern and quality education and it has been put to good effect in many zones. While education has been a continuous quest, and it is through education that these changes and developments have been made, yet education too has undergone the modes in which it can be acquired. In conclusion, the researcher states that technology is bound to incre ase the spread of education in times ahead, at the same time it would open more dimensions of educational ease and spread in all parts of the world. It is also mentioned that although libraries look more deserted now, yet it is the omnipresence of technology that is more dominant. With every day advancements in informational technological field, one can only guess what would be the future outlook, but one can for sure say that it is the betterment of education that will come along it as the technology and science proceed.

Reading questions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading questions - Case Study Example This strategy is effective when marketing a strong brand, which faces competition from other brands (Simonson, 72). Consumers make decisions after analyzing the choices on offer. Introducing a product that is inferior to the current product in the market would increase the sales of the superior product. Marketers use this strategy of introducing inferior products to increase the market share of superior products. For instance, designing a new model that has new features and pricing it at the same price as the old model would increase the sales of the new model. Most firms in the automobile industry use this strategy to increase the sales of their products (Simonson, 70). The manager at the local grocery stores can use alternative descriptions to influence the sales of the grocery’s products. Framing of product descriptions can help increase the sales of that particular product. The manager may also increase the sales of the grocery by offering a mix of products like onions and tomatoes. The sequence effect relates to the main points of an event. People will always consider the sequence in which a series of events took place. People consider events basing on the high and low points as well as the ending of the sequence of events (Chase & Dasu, 80). For instance, individuals donating blood will remember the long queues they had to follow, the stages they had to go through and the ending of the whole experience. One might improve this consumer situation by increasing the personnel to reduce the long queues. There is also need to reduce the stages through which a consumer has to pass before the end of the event (Chase & Dasu, 81). Finally, there is need for offering a meal to those who go through the blood donation experience. People’s perception of time is subjective. Increasing the segments of an activity lengthens its perceived duration (Chase & Dasu,

American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

American history - Essay Example Under Brigham Young the Church took a more aggressive view of self-defence, especially when under attack from Native American tribes. The Spanish-American war, however, split the Mormon church with different factions taking sides both for and against participation in the war. Eventually, the policy evolved. In the final analysis, this war marked the end of Mormons believing themselves to be separate from other American citizens. They agreed to be ruled by the Commander-in-Chief. The agreed to fight in war when required and to stand up for both their faith and their country when called to do so. This was certainly a turning point in the history of the Mormon Church and its role in the United States. This article offers a reappraisal of the Spanish-American war. The idea that is commonly said of this war is that it was a short, minor conflict that provided a big boost to the American ego. In truth it was not an easy war to win, nor was America properly prepared for it. Additionally, its consequences would last for many years to come and shape much of America throughout the 20th century. While prosecuting and concluding this war, Roosevelts goal was to strengthen and preserve American power around the world. He took an aggressive approach towards doing this as he did in many aspects of his life. He felt that democracy and capitalism were well worth preserving and fighting for. Indeed, Roosevelt would have agreed with E.H. Carr who wrote a few years later about political realism. Utopianism is unrealistic. It supposes that a perfect world can be created by men and that is one of our goals on Earth. Carr was a realist: he believed the world is not perfectible and that efforts to do so will end in failure and sometime calamity. The political system contains too many variables for any person or group to control. The League of Nations was a good example of this. The problems of the