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Guns in the Parking Lot A Delicate Workplace Issue
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Guns in the Parking Lot: A Delicate Workplace Issue
The argument that workers should not be allowed in the workplace with guns as well as students and professors in colleges has been received with different perceptions. However, people need to evaluate the issue after considering different issues so that an informed judgment is made. A biased argument is not okay because it can be dangerous to the people in the society. Looking at the issue, banning possession of guns in the workplace and in colleges can be helpful in enhancing security in the institutions.
First, possession of guns makes it difficult for the security service to offer their services. When gunmen enter colleges and workplaces, one may not realize their intentions because since it can be assumed that the people own the guns legally. When this happens, the security people end up allowing criminals to the workplace and in colleges and crime prevention becomes impossible. If crimes are to be prevented which is cheaper, the ban on gun possession in the institutions ensures that criminals armed with guns do not enter the premises and the people have improved security at the premises. Even though crimes happen, their magnitude is low as long as guns are not used.
Whenever there is a perception that a crime is about to happen, the students and employees in the premises end up using their guns. This means that people die and others are injured in the process. In most of the cases, innocent individuals die because the people possessing the guns may not have good expertise on the use of a gun. The use of the guns in such circumstances may cauinse more injuries as compared to when there are no guns. The benefits of the gun use in that case become less as compared to the benefits.
Some simple disagreements may arise between the professors and the students. The same case applies to the employees, customers and the employers. Such simple agreements that can be solved through dialogue may end up being fatal if people are allowed to carry guns. Some people easily become angry and they may resort to using guns that can lead to injuries and deaths. The best approach of eliminating such incidences is to prohibit possession of guns in the institutions.
If the students, professors and employees in institutions they stay are allowed to carry guns, the criminals find a way of perpetrating criminal activities. Since they know that the people they attack are armed, they use their guns to protect themselves as they engage in the criminal activities. They end up killing people in the process of robbing them. This leads to more deaths and injuries because the criminals have no option other than using guns when their victims have guns. The damage caused is far much higher as compared if the victims have no guns since the criminals may not require usingthe devices. When there are such shootouts, the police find it difficult to intervene because they may not differentiate the criminals and innocent individuals with the guns.
In conclusion, some of the arguments that are presented by individuals on the issue of gun possession are not a reality in the real life world. Instead of reducing costs of providing security and increasing security in the society, it increases insecurity and makes its management difficult. This is why states in US have decided to ban personal ownership of guns. The employers and colleges should realize that there are fewer benefits of allowing guns in their institutions. Banning their possession will be advantageous to the larger society.
Work cited
Lott, John R. More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print.
The five geographic themes of France
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The geography of the region of France
Introduction
Located in Europe, France is a country that boasts of rich food, culture, people, economy, living standards. All these qualities have made the country one of the most successful tourist’s destinations in the world. This is owed to its history that has impacted on the way the present society is run. One of the attributes that the country is known for is its geographic arrangement. This arrangement is diverse in that it covers the different locations in the country. France was formed over 2500years ago making it one of the oldest republics in the world. The geography of the country made it a target of its neighbors. This has resulted into the migration into different parts of the nation (Kasperson, and Julian, p. 124).
The focus of this paper is to analyze the five geographic themes of France. The themes in this case are location, place, movement, human interaction and region. The paper will later provide a concluding paragraph summarizing the contents of the paper.
Location
France primarily located in Western Europe me151 square km. The country is divided into the North and South. Both regions have different qualities making them adapt different lifestyle and cultures. The Northern part of France is known for its flat landscape and humid weather. The South on the other hand, is hilly and considerably warm making it a hub for cultivation (Ruck, p. 145). France is the number one producer of agricultural products in the whole of Europe. Some of the exports range from sugar, what and vineyards. This has impacted on the economy in that they are famous for their wines. The country neighbors countries like Spain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland and Monaco. The capital city of France is Paris which is the second largest city in Europe. The population of the country was recorded to be above 6, 000,000 in 2005. This is attributed to the low birth and death rate that maintains the consistency of the population (Gibbons, p. 198).
Place
France provides a diverse physical arrangement making it the largest country in Western Europe. This consists of mountains, rivers beaches, forestry and landscapes. One of the monumental features that the country is known for is its association with the Alps. The Alps are mountains that cover a wide range of a majority of the countries in Europe. The mountains are mostly concentrated in Switzerland which takes up most of the mountain ranges. France takes up a considerably large percentage of the mountains which are concentrated in the central part of the country (Kasperson, and Julian, p. 120).
Physical features can be both man made and natural. France is also home to the main land regions that are nine in number. Most of their natural features are complemented with modern buildings and infrastructure. One of the beautiful landscapes located in Normandy which consists of the hills and rivers along the northwestern coast. These features are home to small traditional villages that live a subsistence type of lifestyle. The area is known for its fishing activities which contribute to the large number of fish that is distributed to the rest of the country. The Normandy hills are also known for their whether which is suitable for the production of cheese and butter (Gibbons, p. 188).
Movement
France has experienced a number of movements which occurred before the country became a sovereign state. Most of the immigrants of the country are Latin, German, Celtic and Slavic orientation. The different groups were able to move into the country and interact so as to form a unified country. This has removed the ethnic backgrounds of the original immigrants eliminating the stigma that is always experienced amongst different groups. Most of the natives emigrated from their respective countries due to search for new land and settlement. Most of the resettlement occurred during the 1200s. This was predominantly as a result of the lack of resources in their countries of origin (Kasperson, and Julian, p. 231).
France took part in a number of colonization’s and was colonized as a result. At one point, the country was under the Roman rule which influenced the Italian immigration to the country. The French have also immigrated to other countries due to differences between different French communities. They migrated to countries like England due to the differences between the Catholics and Protestants (Gibbons, p. 108).A portion of the French settled in England because the country was more receptive to their catholic background. The country also immigrated to Africa during the scramble of Africa colonizing African countries such as Senegal, Morocco and Mauritius. France has played a significant role in the formation of the new Americas. This was evident in Canada that has a large population of French natives in the areas of Quebec.
Human environment interaction
Human interaction is defined by the way the members of the society interact with each other and the environment. The French are a social country which is reflective of their culture. Most of their cultures encourage interaction between members of the society (Ruck, p. 140). The country is divided into different classes which are relative to most of their countries of origin. The social class is displayed through the types of schools the children attend, social clubs and posh neighborhoods. Society is classified according to facilities which are in the form of the highest quality vice-versa. Despite the existence of different social classes, the country’s economy is fairly strong. This is owed to the different industries that the country has. The living standards of the society are thus high in that the country has a health plan that caters for the country as a whole (Ruck, p. 149).
France has a wide range of physical features which require an enormous amount of responsibility in terms of maintenance. The country values the environment and its rate of the sustainability of its resources. France is one of the most developed countries in the world. This has made the country exposed to the destruction of the environment due to the increased rate of urbanization. The country is registered as one of the countries that belong to the G8. It thus plays a significant role in enforcing policies that affect the environment and its sustainability. Despite the high rate of urbanization, the country has managed to maintain the natural environment by minimizing the human activities (Gibbons, p. 195).
Region
As stated earlier, France is an ideal tourist attraction on its own. The countries rich culture is widely impacted by way of life. The French are known for a number of exports both social and cultural. The official religion is Christianity which makes up 92 percent of the population. A small percentage practice Islam and Judaism. The country is known for their policies that encourage religions to remain neutral on their practice in public places. This has made the interaction more liberal thus eliminating social conflicts. The population is predominantly Caucasian making the country French speaking. France was one of the countries that played significance in the scramble for Africa. This has impacted on the social arrangement of the country in that a majority of the immigrants have come from their former colonies. This makes up for the black percentage of the population.
The social life of the country is known all over the world. The country is known for its fashion industry due to the number of successful fashion designers. This has contributed immensely to the growth of the economy. France also has a thriving perfume industry which complements the fashion industry. Most of these activities are felt in the capital Paris which has in turn earned itself the fashion capital of the world (Ruck, p. 145).
Last but not least is the food that the nation has produced over the years. France is famous for its world class dishes some of which have been incorporate into most of the culinary schools around the world. The food ranges for their deserts to the main dishes which are served in courses. The country is home to most of the Michelin chefs whose careers are based on the traditional French dining. This has in turn been adopted by a high percentage of the world’s restaurants (Gibbons, p. 235).
In conclusion, France is one of the most successful countries in the world in all aspects of life. This is owed to their culture, which was influenced by the number of settlements that the country has experienced. The geographic structure of the nation is one of the main attributes that has contributed to this factor. The five geographic themes are divided into location, place, movement, human environmental interaction and region. These themes display the geographic nature of the country. The country has made tremendous strides in the development of these individual themes. Through the analysis of the five themes, the individuals are able to learn about the history of a country from the time of its formation to present day.
Works cited
Gibbons, Rachel. Exploring History 1400-1900: An Anthology of Primary Sources. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Print.
Kasperson, Roger E, and Julian V. Minghi. The Structure of Political Geography. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2011. Print.
Ruck, Adam. Fodor’s Exploring France. New York: Fodor’s Travel Pub, 2005. Print.
Problem Solving And Decision Making In Organization
Problem Solving And Decision Making In Organization
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc377804771 h 1Problem Solving PAGEREF _Toc377804772 h 2SWOT Analysis PAGEREF _Toc377804773 h 2PEST Analysis PAGEREF _Toc377804774 h 2Difficult problems PAGEREF _Toc377804775 h 3Techniques of Problem Solving PAGEREF _Toc377804776 h 3Techniques in Decision Making PAGEREF _Toc377804777 h 4Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc377804778 h 6
IntroductionIn any business, problem solving and decision making are very vital skills. This is because every step made and action taken is after a problem has been solved and a decision made. Problem solving and decision making are inseparable because one leads to the other, solving a problem and not making a decision is incomplete work.
The performance of any business is based on the techniques used to solve the problems and the tactic used in making the decisions. Different techniques and tactics are used for different businesses based on the structure, work culture and ethics and also the expected results (Brightman, p33). At the same time different people, especially in the management position make different decisions. This is the reason as to why one company can be crumbling under a specific management regime and can flourish when management is changed. A good analysis is that of Apple Inc, when the co-founder Steve jobs left the company, it underperformed however when he returned ten years later, he was able to bring the company back to its former glory. It was termed as the business turnaround of the 21st century.
Being in a group means that there are different personalities. There are some people who are natural decision makers; these are the people who work on making better quality decisions however people who are not natural decision makers have to work on actually making the decisions confidently. Equal chances should be given to all personalities because the natural decision makers are known for making very many mistakes which they are expected to learn from. At the same time those who are not natural decision makers are known for making quality decision. This is true because Steve Jobs being the great decision maker he was, he left Apple Inc, in 1986 because he had made several decisions that had cost the company a lot of financial loses and he had to be stripped off of all his power and authority in the company.
Problem Solving
Problem solving is termed as a process of using methods and techniques in a systematic and organized manner so as to find a solution (Brightman, p40). It is basically a step that is followed by the identification of a problem that is in existence and there is a need to have it solved.
SWOT AnalysisThis is an all rounded analysis of the problem in an effort to come up with a solution. However it focuses on the strengths and opportunities of the company or the group of people versus the threats (Fox, p19). It looks at both the external and internal environment as a problem can be as a result of poor interaction of the external and internal factors.
When all these factors are established the source of the problem can be determined and the solution can easily be found. When the problem is internal, management can be able to device a method of ensuring the source is eradicated (Fox, p27). When the source of the problem is external, the group can make a decision that allows for the business to go round it or reduce the effect it has on the business.
PEST AnalysisPEST focuses of the potentials and suitable opportunities of the market. Focusing on the external structure and dynamics can aid in coming up with a solution that is comfortable for all parties involved. In problem solving, PEST analysis aids in showing the correlation between the external environment and the opportunities available for the firm. PEST analysis is used by groups in making decisions on the viability of a project. Difficult problemsSome problems are very difficult that finding the solution at times can proof to be very difficult. Some of the characteristics of difficult problems include;
Lack of transparency – this means there is a problem but it cannot be detected especially the source. Once the source cannot be tracked, then the solution cannot be found because there is nothing to be diagnosed (Brightman, p56).
Lack of agreement- this is especially when the parties involved have different goals and objectives. The solution suggested by one party does not seem like the correct one for the other team. Coming to a unanimous decision by the group becomes the greatest problem in finding the solution.
Increased dynamics- when there are many constraints as to the solutions to be embraced, the problem is termed as complex and difficult. Some of these constraints include time, money and lack of personnel.
Complexity and unpredictability- when the factors are too interrelated that a change in one has immense effects on the other then the problem is complex. When the effect on one factor has no clear results on the other factors then the problem is unpredictable (Fox, p41).
Even though difficult problems always exist, they are also always solved by using the necessary strategies.
Techniques of Problem Solving
Abstraction- this basically involves conducting a small experiment to find out if the problem will be solved, before employing the solution to the real problem.
Brainstorming- this is very applicable in groups as people will be allowed time to think and give their opinions as per the best way out of the problem. The different suggestions are brought together and developed until the best and appropriate solution is reached (Robson, p67).
Hypothesis testing- this is assuming that there is a correlation between factors and that there is a solution to it. The solution is predetermined and proved later on.
Reduction- this is mostly when the problem lacks transparency, most of the time the problem is turned into another problem that has an already existing solution.
Decision Making Process
Group decision making is based on the opinion of several people that usually leads to a choice in the end. The decision cannot be attributed to a single person because it is as a result of discussion, however a group should have a leader who will be able to control the different individuals (Hwang, p112). Group decision making is highly encouraged because it has more loyalty. This is because the people feel they are more involved in the outcome. At the same time it creates a sense of responsibility and accountability to all involved.
Techniques in Decision Making
Democracy- this is where all the parties in the group have an equal chance of having their opinion heard. However it is based on a voting system where the group generally agrees on a number of choices and individuals are asked to vote (Troopman, p78). The method is used when making very important decisions that affect all those involved. However it requires a lot of time and other costs as well before the decision is made.
Delegation- this is when a group of people are chosen, mostly a committee, to make a particular decision. It is mostly when the decision requires some form of technical qualification that only a few member have. In this case they are allowed to make the final decision. However the final decision is usually subject to perusal by the larger group before it is passed on. A good example is when a constitution of a business is being passed; it has to be accepted by all the major stakeholders before it is passed (Hwang, 1987). The method is very effective because it saves on time and is gives fruitful results because those assigned are qualified. The only drawback to this process is that it can lead to resistance by those who feel their needs have not been properly addressed.
Averaging process- this is when the members involved will make a private decision and averages are done. Based on the conditions set before hand, the decision is made. For instance people are allowed to have their opinions and the one with the most proponents will be the one to be implemented. The only drawback in this case is that the decision is usually based on popularity and not on the best option, more often than not the decisions made are the opinion of the many but they are not the best and the choice does not lead to optimum results.
Unanimous decision making process- it is based on the premise that people in a group have several factors in common and eventually after proper discussion and analysis they all members will come to a unanimous decision. This means that during the time, cost- benefit analysis and strength and weaknesses are properly reviewed (Troopman, p200). The main advantage is that the decision is based on a proper evaluation of all the choices and the best one is picked. The drawback is that the process is time consuming as it requires people to be convinced from their opinions. Most often than not, a unanimous decision is a rare occurrence.
Random decision making- this is based on chance and it can be done by flipping a coin. It is usually done when there are two alternatives that offer the same results but require different implementation processes. It is a deal breaker because it is allowed when the people in the group cannot decide on which alternative is better than the other. The main advantage is that it is time and resource saving. The main drawback is that poor decisions are likely to be made because there is no analysis of the cost against the benefits.
Conclusion
Group decision making and problem solving techniques, all have one major advantage that there is a large pool of information that can be used to do a better analysis of the problem as opposed to if it was a single person. At the same time it offers the liability of disagreements and time consumption. The best way for a group to deal with making the proper decisions is to first have a leader that will be able to ensure that there is proper communication and coordination among the members. The leader should play the following roles; decide, facilitate, consult individuals, consult the entire group and finally delegate (Robson, p96). Once there is a good structure for the way forward, a solution will be easily found.
Work Cited
Brightman, J. H. Group Problem Solving: an Improved Managerial Approach, (1988), McGraw Hill Publishers
Fox, M. W. Effective Group Problem Solving, (2000), Oxford University Press, New York
Hwang, L. C. Lin, J. M. Group Decision Making under Multiple Criteria: Methods and Applications, (1987). Pauline’s Publishers
Robson, M. Problem Solving in Groups, (2002), Random House Publishers
Troopman, J. E. Effective Meetings: Improving Group Decision Making, (1996), Orthodox Publishers, New York