Freedom of Speech vs. Censorship on the Internet - 2126 Words

Freedom of Speech Vs. Censorship: Children on the Internet The internet is a very controversial communication device in today’s society. If desired, one could find information on nearly any topic they choose. Censorship and free speech is a widely discussed topic when dealing with the current freedom of the internet especially when dealing with young minds. Should the internet have censored topics which would be illegal to post and/or view freely by children? Should the internet be a free-for-all arena in which anyone could do as they wish without judgment of others opinions and views imposing on their own? So far in class and in the text Gift of Fire by Sara Baase we have seen many issues dealing with Freedom of Speech and the internet.†¦show more content†¦As a result of this and the international span of the internet, it is hard for the FCC to be an overseer of the medium. Certain controversial laws have attempted to set in place regulations that censor ethically and socially dubious materials from publication on the web. The topic that has been at the forefront of debate deals with obscene materials. This is a heated topic because the definition of obscenity is very vague and subject to interpretation. What is considered to be â€Å"obscene† can be viewed very differently depending on ones personal morals, beliefs, and values. For example, a parent who is highly religious and living in the United States may view nudity on cable television as obscene and pornographic for their child to view, while a person with the same religious beliefs living in Europe or another part of the world may just view this as art or entertainment. This is due to the difference in societal views on obscenity. To get to the root of what is considered obscene, a test for judging obscene material was set in the case of Miller v. California. This modern test for obscenity consists of three parts: â€Å"(1) the proscribed material must depict or describe sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, (2) the conduct must be specifically described in the law, and (3) the work must,Show MoreRelatedGovernments Censoring Internet Content1490 Words   |  6 Pagespros and cons of government involvement in controlling the content of the Internet. Everyday technology is getting more sophisticated, meaning that nowadays it is easy to explore about a certain issue via online connection and be near the world. In the present, as long as you have Internet connection, you have the ability to have access to all kind of information that is posted on Internet. There is a huge debate whether internet should be regulated or not, and this is excepted to continue in the upcomingRead More The Controversy Over Inte rnet Censorship Essay1152 Words   |  5 PagesThe Controversy Over Internet Censorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many people, using the Internet has become practically a new way of life, especially for college students and the like.   Various types of information can be accessed at the touch of a button: anything from encyclopedias, to surveys and essays, to articles from magazines, and adult sites.   Anyone who pays for their Internet service is usually offered space for his or her own web page, and even many free services provide space for personal webRead MoreEssay Arguing the Opposition of Censorship867 Words   |  4 PagesArguing the opposition of Censorship For centuries, government nations and society have been withholding certain pieces of information from the public to ensure safety and prevent catastrophic out bursts; this detainment of public knowledge is called censoring. Censorship started in the early twentieth century, when profane literature began to surface in the wake of World War I; ever since then its been a normal part of all society. Without the use of censorship and the methods used to sustain informationRead More Censorship and the Internet Essay1213 Words   |  5 Pagesinformation available on the internet many people believe that some of this information should be censored by the United States Government. Whos to say what should be accessible and what should not? Where does it start and stop? Does internet censorship make a nation a safer place to live? There are many countries that don’t allow the use of the internet at all and some countries only censor what they don’t want their citizens to kno w. Daniel Calingaert said â€Å"The internet has provided greater spaceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Stimulus Material Given I Saw A Relationship Between Mexico And The United States Essay2124 Words   |  9 Pagesintroduction of the Internet many governments need to change. This change would come through passing different laws which would censor the Internet and in doing so, limit freedom of speech, because this is widely controversial in the US. I began to look at why this is so controversial. According to Andrea Leadsom, a Conservative Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire, the Internet should be censored for the kids. She states this because of the many inappropriate websites on the Internet, making itRead MoreOn January 1, 2016, The Institute Of Contemporary History1736 Words   |  7 Pageshad to contend with a lot of criticism due to their strong censorship of Mein Kampf. According to one commentator, letting people read the book and make their mind meditate upon its content could do more to fight fascism rather than strict censorship (Horn). Unfortunately, not many governments view censorship in this light. In the current digital age, it is extremely hard to completely block the distribution of any book. In fact, censorship often raises the curiosity of the public, leading to an evenRead More Pornography on the Internet Essay1710 Words   |  7 PagesPornography on the Internet The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming popular among those who are interested in the information superhighway. The problem with this world we know as Cyberspace, the ‘Net, or the Web is that some of this information, including pornographical material and hate literature, is being accessible to minors. Did you know that 83.5% of the images available on the Internet are pornographical? Did you know that the Internet’sRead MoreA Review of the Issues Surrounding Internet Censorship and Cross-National Information Conflict2681 Words   |  11 Pagesa brief review of the government censorship over internet, which is turning into a national dilemma as well as the cross-national conflict which affect the global businesses. Nowadays, internet censorship is widely accepted standard regulation that controls any information available on the internet and by using filtering tools to prevent people from accessing materials that are considered to be inappropriate. While government support the use of internet censorship as a protection of public securityRead MoreEssay on Freedom of Cyber-Speech2082 Words   |  9 PagesFreedom of Cyber-Speech      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freedom of speech has always been an important issue in American society.   With the advent of the Internet as a high-speed communication device, this issue has become even more prominent in recent years.   This paper will explore the issue of whether the Internet should be censored. Additionally, it will investigate possible methods for undertaking this censorship.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since 1787, the Constitution has been integral part of American society.   TheRead MoreThe Case Of Naked 1607 Words   |  7 Pagesimage could be captured and shared. When Nadia s coworker one day captures a video of her sunbathing nude and shares it on the internet she begins to be harassed and her mom seems to abandon her. Nadia s co - worker, it is was unethical for her to take the video of Nadia and post it on the internet. The co - worker knew who Nadia was but decided to put it on the internet for the world to see. As her co - worker, he or she oversteps their boundaries of respecting work relationships. The co - worker

Out Out by Robert Frost - 548 Words

Robert Frost is the author of Out Out--, â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and Nothing Gold can Stay. His literary work communicates deep meaning through the use of metaphoric language and deception. Being raised most of his life on a farm; his works perceive the natural life of a normal person while out in nature. â€Å"Frost believes that the emphasis on everyday life allows him to communicate with his readers more clearly; they can empathize with the struggles and emotions that are expressed in his poems and come to a greater understanding of ‘Truth’ themselves† (Robert Frost: Poems Themes). The poem Out Out--, is about life and how it could end at any moment by death. Thus, the title is known to have come from a scene in Macbeth, â€Å"The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!† (23; Macbeth). With this poem, Frost emphasizes death as a result of the everyday life on a farm as a young boy, who by accident or with the lack of attention ha s severed his hand, lost too much blood, and died. Like a candle being blown out, death can become us at any moment of our everyday lives. In Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold can Stay, the theme is also about death like it also is in Out Out—, as well. Yet, this poem emphasizes more about the transience of life rather than the suddenness of life ending. â€Å"Nothing Gold can Stay† is about the appreciation for the golden days while the cycle of life continues and death becomes of each and every one of us. The theme of Out Out, also has toShow MoreRelatedOut, Out by Robert Frost782 Words   |  3 Pages Robert Frosts poem â€Å"Out, Out,† paints a strange and bizarre death image to readers; A young boys death due to a carnivorous chainsaw who sought blood, slicing the boys hand off. Robert makes readers understand why he would paint such a tragic accident with various narrative elements, such as personification, many signs of imagery, emotions, and perceptions throughout the story. Also, Frost references William Shakespeare’s work, â€Å"Macbeth.† This gives readers who have read Macbeth before, an ideaRead MoreAnalysis Of Out, Out By Robert Frost727 Words   |  3 PagesIn Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Out, Out† an overwhelming theme of agony can be sensed as Frost incorporates his personal experiences with loss and his views on society into the narrative of this literary work. Frost uses the depiction of innocence through a young boy who suffers a fatal accident to metaphorically embed his personal struggles with the death of his two children into the poem. The section of the poem that will be analyzed is the final ten lines (25-34). The significance of this section inRead MoreAnalysis Of Out, Out By Robert Frost780 Words   |  4 PagesOut, Out and the Responsibilities of age Responsibilities may not seem very harmful, but not adhering to these responsibilities can lead to dire consequences. Said responsibilites are much more prominent in the teenage years of life. For example: driving, getting offered drugs and/or alcohol, and intercourse are all situations that teenagers might find themselves in. These situations may not be inherently bad, but because teenagers are new drivers, too young and inexperienced to properly care forRead MoreOut, Out by Robert Frost Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesOut, Out Out, Out, by Robert Frost is a gruesomely graphic and emotional poem about the tragic end of a young boys life. It is a powerful expression about the fragility of life and the fact that death can come at any time. Death is always devastating, but it is even more so when the victim is just a young boy. The fact that the boys death came right before he could Call it a day (750) leads one to think the tragedy might have been avoided and there by forces the reader to think, WhatRead MorePoem, Birches And Out, Out By Robert Frost1116 Words   |  5 PagesTheme, Figurative Speech and Tones in â€Å"Birches† and â€Å"Out, Out† by Robert Frost Robert Frost was born in 1874 in San Francisco. Descended from the New Englanders generations, his parents, make Robert Frost is much associated with New England. In addition, most of his poems were well-known as a reflection from New England life. Despite that, he was a kind of subtle poet and generally recognized as a private man. Moreover, his appearance at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy to recite â€Å"The Gift Outright†Read More Analysis of Out, Out by Robert Frost Essay591 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Out, Out by Robert Frost Robert Frost tells a disturbing story in Out, Out, --, in which a little boy loses his life. The title of the poem leaves the reader to substitute the last word of the title, which some would assume would be out because of the repetition. The title is referring to the boy exiting the living world. Frost drags the readers mind into the poem with the imagistic description of the tools and atmosphere the little boy is surrounded by. Frost describesRead More Appeal of Robert Frosts Out Out Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pagesinteresting and appealing poems is Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out†. The poem has the ability to make the reader visualize an event in vivid detail without making it into a short story. The poem depicts a very dramatic scene and makes it seem as if the reader is really there. Poems are generally thought to be about love and feelings, but some poems can actually be like a short story; these are called narrative poems, which means that they tell a story. The poem â€Å"Out, Out† is a great example of a narrativeRead MoreLooking Out By Robert Frost2826 Words   |  12 Pageshas found its thought and the thought has found words.† (Robert Frost) Expressing emotions is a very important thing that we do in our lives, everyone also has a different way they express emotions. In the quote by Robert Frost he says that he expresses his emotions through writing poetry. The way people express emotions is very important in their lives, it can improve or destroy many interpersonal relationships. In the book â€Å" Looking Out, Looking in† it talks about how people express emotions toRead MoreDisabled by Wilfred Owen and Out, Out by Robert Frost1516 Words   |  6 PagesCompare how the theme of loss is communicated in the poems â€Å"Disabled† by Wilfred Owen and ‘Out, Out –‘by Robert Frost In both of the poems â€Å"Out, Out’’ and ‘’Disabled’ ’has a similar theme of loss and is shown throughout each poem. Both of the poem deals with the subject of physical loss. The characters of these poems both experience losses from an accident. They create an effect, where the audience will show empathy to the two poems. In order to create this outstanding effect, they both used similarRead More A Comparison of The death of a hired man and Out, Out- by Robert Frost1199 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of The death of a hired man and Out, Out- by Robert Frost Robert frost was born in Vermont in 1874 and died in 1963. Robert Frost was a farmer and lived in Vermont, USA. Both poems The death of a hired man and Out, Out- are set on a farm in Vermont which is probably because of where Robert Frost lived and worked. I will know begin to discuss the similarities. As I said previously both poems are set in a farm enviroment. The poem The death of a hired man is probably set

Volume Variety Matrix Free Essays

string(29) " in extremely large volumes\." Volume-variety and design In Chapter 1 the four V’s of operations were described. These were volume, variety, variation and visibility. The first two of these – volume and variety – are particularly important when considering design issues in operations management. We will write a custom essay sample on Volume Variety Matrix or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not only do they usually go together (high variety usually means low volume, high volume normally means low variety) but together they also impact on the nature of products and services and processes which produce them. The volume and variety of an operation’s activities are particularly influential in determining the way it thinks about its performance objectives. The figure below illustrates how the definitions of quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost are influenced by the volume-variety position of the operation. [pic] Quality Quality in a low volume-high variety process such as an architects’ practice, for example, is largely concerned with the final aesthetic appearance of the building and the appropriateness of its detailed design. In an exceptionally high volume-low variety process, such as an electricity supply company, quality is exclusively concerned with error-free service – electricity must be constantly available in the correct form (in terms of voltage, frequency, etc. . The meaning of quality has shifted from being concerned primarily with the performance and specification of the product or service towards conformity to a predefined standard, as we move from low volume-high variety operations through to high volume-low variety operations. Speed Speed for the architects’ practice means negotiatin g a completion date with each client, based on the client’s needs and the architects’ estimates of how much work is involved in each project. Speed is taken to its extreme in the electricity utility where speed means literally instant delivery. No electricity company could ask its customers to wait for their ‘delivery’ of electricity. Speed therefore means an individually negotiated delivery time in low volume-high variety operations, but moves towards meaning ‘instant’ delivery in some high volume-low variety operations. Dependability Dependability in processes such as the architects’ practice means keeping to each individually negotiated delivery date. In continuous operations, dependability often means the availability of the service itself. A dependable electricity supply is one which is always there. So dependability has moved from meaning ‘on-time delivery’ in low volume-high variety operations to ‘availability’ in high volume-low variety operations. Flexibility Flexibility in low volume-high variety processes such as the architects’ practice means the ability to design many different kinds of buildings according to its clients’ various requirements. With the electricity company’s process, the need for product flexibility has disappeared entirely (electricity is electricity, more or less) but the ability to meet almost instantaneous demand changes through volume flexibility is vital if the company is to maintain supply. Flexibility has moved from meaning product flexibility in low volume-high variety operations to volume flexibility in high volume-low variety operations. Cost Cost, in terms of the unit cost per product or service, varies with both the volume of output of the operation and the variety of products or services it produces. The variety of products or services in low-volume operations is relatively high, which means that running the operation will be expensive because of the flexible and high skill levels employed. Further, because the volume of output is relatively low, a few products or services are bearing the operation’s high cost base. Also, and more significantly for the operation, the cost of each product or service is different. At the other end of the scale, high-volume operations usually produce similar products or services, output is high, so that whatever the base cost of the operation, it is shared among a high number of products or services. Cost per unit of output is therefore usually low for operations such as the electricity utility but, more significantly, the cost of producing one second of electricity is the same as the next second. Cost is relatively constant. Copyright  © 1995-2010, Pearson Education, Inc. Legal and Privacy Terms | [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] LINE. When product demand is high enough, the appropriate process is the assembly line. Often, this process (along with continuous; both are in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix) is referred to as mass production. Laborers generally perform the same operations for each production run in a standard and hopefully uninterrupted flow. The assem bly line treats all outputs as basically the same. Firms characterized by this process are generally heavily automated, utilizing special-purpose equipment. Frequently, some form of conveyor system connects the various pieces of equipment used. There is usually a fixed set of inputs and outputs, constant throughput time, and a relatively continuous flow of work. Because the product is standardized, the process can be also, following the same path from one operation to the next. Routing, scheduling, and control are facilitated since each individual unit of output does not have to be monitored and controlled. This also means that the manager’s span of control can increase and less skilled workers can be utilized. The product created by the assembly-line process is discrete; that is, it can be visually counted (as opposed to continuous processes which produce a product that is not naturally divisible). Almost everyone can think of an example of assembly-line manufacturing (automobile manufacturing is probably the most obvious). Examples of assembly lines in services are car washes, class registration in universities, and many fast food operations. Because the work-in-process equipment is organized and sequenced according to the steps involved to produce the product and is frequently connected by some sort of conveyor system, it is characterized as flowing in a line. Even though it may not be a straight line (some firms utilize a U-shaped assembly line) we say that it has a connected line flow. Also, firms in the lower-right quadrant (line and continuous) are classified as having a product layout. Continuous manufacturing involves lot-less production wherein the product flows continuously rather than being divided. A basic material is passed through successive operations (i. e. refining or processing) and eventually emerges as one or more products. This process is used to produce highly standardized outputs in extremely large volumes. You read "Volume Variety Matrix" in category "Papers" The product range is usually so narrow and highly standardized that it can be characterized as a commodity. Considerable capital investment is required, so demand for continuous process products must be extremely high. Starting and stopping the process can be prohibitively expensive. As a result, the processes usually run 24 hours a day with minimum downtime (hence, continuous flow). This also allows the firm to spread their enormous fixed cost over as large a base as possible. The routing of the process is typically fixed. As the material is processed it usually is transferred automatically from one part of the process to the next, frequently with self-monitoring and adjusting. Labor requirements are low and usually involve only monitoring and maintaining the machinery. Typical examples of industries utilizing the continuous process include gas, chemicals, electricity, ores, rubber, petroleum, cement, paper, and wood. Food manufacture is also a heavy user of continuous processing; especially water, milk, wheat, flour, sugar and spirits. Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, competitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. html#ixzz24d4V1uTD [pic] [pic] USING THE MATRIX The product-process matrix can facilitate the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. A firm may be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stages of the product life cycle and its choice of production process(es) for each individual product. By incorporating this dimension into its strategic planning process, the firm encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. Also, use of the matrix provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with those of marketing and of the corporation itself, all the while leading to more informed predictions about changes in industry and the firm’s appropriate strategic responses. Each process choice on the matrix has a unique set of characteristics. Those in the upper-left quadrant of the matrix (job shop and batch) share a number of characteristics, as do those in the lower-right quadrant (assembly line and continuous). Upper-left firms employ highly skilled craftsmen (machinists, printers, tool and die makers, musical instrument craftsmen) and professionals (lawyers, doctors, CPAs, consultants). Hence upper-left firms can be characterized as labor intensive. Since upper-left firms tend to utilize general-purpose equipment, are seldom at 100 percent capacity, and employ workers with a wide range of skills, they can be very flexible. However, there is a difficult trade-off between efficiency and flexibility of operations. Most job shops tend to emphasize flexibility over efficiency. Since efficiency is not a strong point of upper-left firms, neither is low-cost production. Also, the low volume of production does not allow upper-left firms to spread their fixed costs over a wide enough base to provide for reduced costs. Finally, upper-left firms are also more likely to serve local markets. Lower-right firms require production facilities that are highly specialized, capital intensive, and interrelated (therefore, inflexible). Labor requirements are generally unskilled or semi-skilled at most. Much of the labor requirement deals with merely monitoring and maintaining equipment. Lower-right firms are also more likely to serve national markets and can be vertically integrated. Hayes and Wheelwright relate three areas affected by the use of the product-process matrix: distinctive competence, management, and organization. DISTINCTIVE COMPETENCE. Distinctive competence is defined as the resources, skills, and organizational characteristics that give a firm a comparative advantage over its competitors. Simply put, a distinctive competence is the characteristic of a given product that causes the buyer to purchase it rather than the similar product of a competitor. It is generally accepted that the distinctive competencies are cost/price, quality, flexibility and service/time. By using the product-process matrix as a framework, a firm can be more precise about its distinctive competence and can concentrate its attention on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives and a restricted set of marketing alternatives. In our discussion, we have seen that the broad range of worker skills and the employment of general-purpose equipment give upper-left firms a large degree of flexibility while the highly specialized, high-volume environment of lower-right firms yields very little in the way of flexibility. Therefore, flexibility would be a highly appropriate distinctive competence for an upper-left firm. This is especially true when dealing with the need for flexibility of the product/service produced. Lower-right firms find it very difficult to sidetrack a high-volume operation because of an engineering change in the product. An entire line would have to be shut down while tooling or machinery is altered and large volumes of possibly obsolete work-in-process are accounted for. Upper-left firms, however, would have none of these problems with which to contend. It must be noted though that lower-right firms may possess an advantage regarding flexibility of volume. Quality may be defined a number ways. If we define quality as reliability, then lower-right firms could claim this as a distinctive competence. Lower-right firms would have the high volume necessary to quickly find and eliminate ugs in their product, yielding more reliability to the end user. However, if we define quality as quality of design (that is, â€Å"bells and whistles†Ã¢â‚¬â€things that embody status, such as leather seats in an automobile or a handcrafted musical instrument), then quality would be seen as a possible distinctive competence of upper-right firms. Service may also be defined in more ways than one. If one defines serv ice as face-to-face interaction and personal attention, then upper-left firms could claim service as a distinctive competence. If service is defined as the ability to provide the product in a very short period of time (e. . , overnight), then service as a distinctive competence would belong to lower-right firms. Finally, remember that high volume, economies of scale, and low cost are characteristics of firms in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix. Upper-left firms produce low volumes (sometimes only one) and cannot take advantage of economies of scale. (Imagine, for instance, what you would have to pay for a handcrafted musical instrument. ) Therefore, it is obvious that price or cost competitiveness is within the domain of lower-right firms. MANAGEMENT. In general, the economics of production processes favor positions along the diagonal of the product-process matrix. That is, firms operating on or close to the diagonal are expected to outperform firms choosing extreme off-diagonal positions. Hayes and Wheelwright provide the example of a firm positioned in the upper-right corner of the matrix. This would appear to be a commodity produced by a job shop, an option that is economically unfeasible. A firm positioned in the lower-left corner would represent a unique one-time product produced by a continuous process, again not a feasible option. Both examples are too far off the diagonal. Firms that find themselves too far off the diagonal invite trouble by impairing their ability to compete effectively. While firms operating in the near vicinity, but not exactly on the diagonal, can be niche players, positions farther away from the diagonal are difficult to justify. Rolls Royce makes automobiles in a job shop environment but they understand the implications involved. Companies off the diagonal must be aware of traps it can fall into and implications presented by their position. Also, a firm’s choice of roduct-process position places them to the right or left of competitors along the horizontal dimension of the matrix and above or below its competitors along the vertical dimension of the matrix. The strategic implications are obvious. Of course, a firm’s position on the matrix may change over time, so the firm must be aware of the implications and maintain the capability to deal with them appropriately. The mat rix can provide powerful insights into the consequences of any planned product or process change. Use of the product-process matrix can also help a firm define its product. Hayes and Wheelwright relate the example of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards who produced a low-volume, customized product using a highly connected assembly-line process. Obviously, this would place them in the lower-left corner of the matrix; not a desirable place to be. This knowledge forced the company to realize that what they were offering was not really circuit boards after all, but design capability. So, in essence, they were mass-producing designs rather than the boards themselves. Hence, they were not far off the diagonal at all. ORGANIZATION. Firms organize different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Most firms will select two or more processes for the products or services they produce. For example, a firm may use a batch process to make components for products, which are constructed on assembly lines. This would be especially true if the work content for component production or the volume needed was not sufficient for the creation of a dedicated line process. Also, firms may need separate facilities for different products or parts, or they may simply separate their production within the same facility. It may even be that a firm can produce the similar products through two different process options. For example, Fender Musical Instruments not only mass produces electric guitars (assembly line) but also offers customized versions of the same product through the Fender Custom Shop (job shop). Again, the matrix provides a valuable framework for diagnostic use in these situations. OTHER USES OF THE PRODUCT-PROCESS MATRIX Additional uses of the matrix include: †¢ Analyzing the product entry and exit. †¢ Determining the appropriate mix of manufacturing facilities, identifying the key manufacturing objectives for each plant, and monitoring progress on those objectives at the corporate level. †¢ Reviewing investment decisions for plants and equipment in terms of their consistency with product and process plans. †¢ Determining the direction and timing of major changes in a company’s production processes. Evaluating product and market opportunities in light of the company’s manufacturing capabilities. †¢ Selecting an appropriate process and product structure for entry into a new market. It should be noted that recent empirical research by Sohel Ahmad and Roger G. Schroeder found the proposed relationship between product structure and process structure to be significant but not strong. In general terms, they found that as the pr oduct life cycle changes the process life cycle also shifts in the consistent direction, but not necessarily along the diagonal. Some 60 percent of the firms studied did not fall on the diagonal. The researchers propose that this occurred because new management and technological initiatives have eliminated or minimized some of the inherent trade-offs found on the Product-Process Matrix. They classify these initiatives as processing technology, product design and managerial practice (e. g. , TQM and JIT). Therefore, Ahmad and Schroeder recommend that the matrix be conceptualized as having three axes instead of two. They propose an x-axis (product life cycle stages), a y-axis (process life cycle stages), and a z-axis that represents an organization’s proactive effort towards adopting and implementing these innovative initiatives. As a firm moves away from the origin along the z-axis, it becomes able to minimize some of the trade-offs seen in the Product-Process Matrix framework. Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, competitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. h tml#ixzz24d4lyOQ5 [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] How to cite Volume Variety Matrix, Papers

Humanitarian Intervention free essay sample

The issue of humanitarian intervention has become increasingly prominent in worldwide debates regarding its role in ethics and legitimacy in international relations. Uncertainty arises as to whether there are any moral obligation for humanitarian intervention and the concerning justifications of the violation of state sovereignty. In viewing the matter ethically and applying Immanuel Kant’s principle of cosmopolitan law from his 1795 essay Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay, humanitarian intervention can be established as a conflict between a cosmopolitan responsibility, which is to protect and promote human rights because of their universality, and an obligation to respect state sovereignty as a crucial basis for moral and political international order. Inevitably, fulfilling one set of responsibilities can involve the violation of the other in situations for example where governments are actively abusing the fundamental rights of their own citizens. Many Third World leaders consider the concept of humanitarian intervention to be potentially destabilizing for the international system, and view it as an excuse for more powerful nations to undermine and threaten their state sovereignty. By using the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as a reference point, this essay will investigate the relationships between states when dealing with human rights standards and cultural differences. In examining the doctrine of ‘the responsibility to protect’, this essay will justify humanitarian intervention as a moral requirement of international order by focusing on the idea that the broader community of states must assume the responsibility of intervention when individual sovereign states are unwilling or unable to protect their own citizens from avoidable catastrophe. Using ethnographic examples, fundamental political theories will be examined thoroughly as I deem Third World suspicion illegitimate and focus on intervention as a responsibility of all international actors. There is no one standard or legal definition for humanitarian intervention, however the countless different interpretations and justifications all comprise of the same basic feature. This feature involves, one state (generally from the West), in response to situations where humanitarian  objectives are under threat, interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state (generally in the Third World), through the employment of threats and use of military force. The Third World, a term applied to all developing postcolonial states, have socio-economic and political attributes, which make them particularly vulnerable to internal conflict and external interference. According to Mohammad Ayoob (2004), these vulnerabilities over time have â€Å"greatly influenced [Third World] at titudes towards humanitarian intervention and international administration†. When it comes to humanitarian intervention, many Third World leaders are suspicious of the ‘West’ and their influence within international administration. Their suspicions stem from their fear of losing their state sovereignty, as the West manipulates the international system to gain power and geographic proximity, spread disorder, maintain certain state relationships, and promote their ethnic and religious ideals. However by using the United Nation’s (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as a reference point, it is clear these humanitarian objectives are not shaped by states strategic interests, but are by and large in response to trying to end violations of human rights as defined in the UN declaration. With the UN leading the charge for human rights at the universal level all around the world, it is the only multilateral governmental agency with universally accepted international jurisdiction for universal human rights legislation. However, the UN’s Universal Declaration is still often viewed as a form of Western imperialism and its concepts seen as narrow, restricting and irrelevant to any non-westernized country. This has created major issues when organizations such as the UN and many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) try to assist in countries with major welfare issues, mainly throughout the Third World, when they are not welcomed nor wanted by the local governments. This issue of states interfering with the internal affairs of others goes against Kant’s Cosmopolitan Law. Within Kant’s essay Perpetual Peace (1795), it states within the fifth Preliminary Article â€Å"No state shall forcibly interfere in the constitution and government of another state†. It is explained that each state has a constitution, which is a political legal system for establishing right, which is of great moral importance. In effect, the state’s constitution is the choice of the community living under the state’s laws to recognize and respect one another’s humanity. For one state to intervene in another’s constitution is therefore a denial of a people’s humanity, and legitimizes Third World apprehension. Highlighting that humanitarian intervention is not always welcomed and is often viewed with suspicion is my analysis of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a frequent human rights offender, with widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations. According to the Red Cross (2010), the government of Zimbabwe violates the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly and protection by law. The human rights that are breached there on a regular basis are somewhat out of the complete control of the UN, with Zimbabwean minister for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, lashing out at â€Å"developed countries† at the inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2006. He accused the UN of funding local NGO’s with the goal of â€Å"undermining [Zimbabwe’s] sovereignty, creating and sustaining local opposition groups that have no local support base, and promoting disaffection and hostility among the local population against their popularly elected government†. In a country with constant political turmoil and civil unrest, it appears the Zimbabwean Government will not accept assistance nor will they accept any responsibility for the violations against their own citizens. The European Union and the United States have both strongly condemned the actions of the Zimbabwean Government and their police on a number of occasions but remain powerless in regards to reprimand. The Zimbabwean government however responds to these accusations from Western countries with counter-accusations of colonial attitudes and hypocrisy. By claiming that countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States are guilty of similar or even worse human rights violations, and by giving examples such as the Iraq War, the Zimbabwean Government easily justify their actions, which then promptly silences any opposition from Western organizations. According to William Easterly in his book The White Mans Burden (2006), humanitarian intervention is ultimately just modern recreations of the infamous colonial arrogance of the past. Easterly sums up his argument within his book’s long title; â€Å"the Wests efforts to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good†. Intervention assumes that the target state’s constitution is inferior to the intervener’s, which can be distinguished further using the post-colonial discourse of â€Å"othering. Such intervention is generally seen between developed Western powers and developing Eastern Third World nations. Edward Said brought the term of colonial â€Å"othering† to attention in his 1978 book, Orientalism, where he describes â€Å"the essence of Orientalism [as] the ineradicable distinction between Western superiority and Oriental inferiority†. This is exactly the issue Zimbabwean minister Patrick Chinamasa (2006) was contending. The right of humanitarian intervention has been one of the most controversial foreign policy issues of the last decade, both when intervention has happened, as in Kosovo, and when it has failed to happen, as in Rwanda. Examining the Zimbabwe case for non-intervention, it is evident that the Zimbabwean government wanted nothing to do with the UN and anyone affiliated with them due to their Western influence and ideals. However, in September 2005, at a United Nations Summit, Secretary General Kofi Annan released a report entitled In Larger Freedom. It proposed a bold agenda of â€Å"highest priorities â€Å"for the Summit. It urged Heads of State and Government to â€Å"embrace the responsibility to protect as a basis for collective action against genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity†. With both the Third World and the ‘West’ easily able to justify their interests for and against humanitarian intervention, it is hard to determine the best approach to stabilizing and maintaining order within the international system. Kant’s version of international law (1795) determines states individuality by the contract made among its citizens and government. However, the principle of state sovereignty, derived from the belief that non-intervention in the internal affairs of states is the best policy to promote and maintain international peace, neglects the rights of the citizens of the state. Kant writes in his book, The Metaphysics of Morals (1797), â€Å"A state is a union of a number of people under laws of right†. The idea that a state would commit  or allow genocide or would otherwise deny its population their basic moral rights and humanity is not only unimaginable but in theory impossible. In such situation the non-intervention principles would not apply, as it is irrelevant when there is no longer an effective contract to constitute a state as a moral person. This would deem outside states free to assist, and to use force if necessary. Terry Nardin (2005) makes a valid argument in stat ing â€Å"if intervention is acceptable in civil wars because the state’s moral character has been dissolved, the same acceptability would apply to instances like genocide†. However, Simon Chesterman, author of Just War or Just Peace (2003) puts it differently and quite simply states â€Å"Humanitarian Intervention, Inhumanitarian Non-intervention†. In this particular chapter he plays out the 1999 humanitarian war in East Timor and makes comparisons to relevant international action similar to the war in Kosovo. Chester man’s analysis of â€Å"whether doing something is necessarily better than doing nothing† creates an ends-versus-means scenario. The debate of the right of unilateral humanitarian intervention then stems from what Chesterman determines as â€Å"the question of whether sovereignty or human rights is paramount in international law†. Kant, along with Nardin, Chesterman and the ICISS, can all be associated with the notion that non-intervention and humanitarian intervention are in fact both justified by the very same principle of humanity. â€Å"There are moral reasons why a state must be recognized as having rights, in particular the right that outsiders respect its independence and boundaries†. But the same principles that justify the non-intervention principle justify exceptions to that principle. If a government seriously violates the moral rights of those it governs, others may defend those rights, using force if necessary. Nardin (2005) asserts, â€Å"The non-intervention principle is not a safeguard behind which an unjust state can hide while it violates the moral rights of its subjects. † Such violations, if serious enough, permit forcible intervention and may even demand it. This statement renders Third World suspicions of humanitarian intervention illegitimate in comparison to the humanitarian rights of the citizens of these Third World nations. In this essay, after defining humanitarian intervention and establishing Third World suspicions as being the West’s manipulation for power, I have justified the need for intervention through the UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The need for an international ‘responsibility to protect’. Through a brief overview of standardized political theory, I justified humanitarian intervention as a moral requirement for humanity. However, although the interest for a state to intervene must be weighed up against the outcomes of the intervention and no personal agendas from outside states can influence such interactions. In concluding the responsibility to protect encompasses the idea that sovereign states have a responsibility to protect their own citizens from avoidable catastrophe, but that when they are unwilling or unable to do so, the broader community of states must assume that responsibility as fellow citizens of the international community.