The Ugly American William J. Lederer And Eugene Burdick

Diplomacy is the art of dealing with foreign countries and their people in a sensitive and effective way. The ability to influence people and situations contributes to effective American diplomacy. In The Ugly American William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick comment on the nature of American diplomacy in 1950s Southeast Asia. They identify the characteristics and effects of both inept and skilled diplomacy. The book highlights knowledge of language, history, and culture as critical components to the ability to influence indigenous populations. In many ways the situations and characters described in the book mirror situations and challenges faced by Special Operations Forces (SOF) today. Special Operations Imperatives are a planning tool that SOF use to influence people and situations they encounter. In order to understand the influence and effects of proper application of the Special Operations Imperatives the stories of Homer Atkins, Colonel Hillandale and Solomon Asch provide a set ting to compare and contrast with my own experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan. Homer Atkins understood the needs of the Sarkhanese people. He identified small-scale local options to address challenges affecting the day-to-day lives of the local population. He used local materials and sought out and accepted input from the local population to ensure long-term sustainment of a bicycle-operated water pump system. Homer Atkins treated the Sarkhanese with respect and as equals. Whether it wasShow MoreRelatedSpecial Forces Soldiers Used in Book, The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick1331 Words   |  6 Pages Through this essay I will use the novel â€Å"The Ugly American† (William J. Lederer Eugene Burdick) to provide context to the benefits of applying such imperatives and the consequences of improper application. I will bring to light the actions of the characters and depict the reasons why the application of the imperative made the character succeed or fail in his desired goal. The first character that I will discuss is Honorable Louis Sears, American Ambassador to Sarkhan. He received the AmbassadorshipRead MoreUgly, Ugly American, By Robert J. Lederer And Eugene Burdick s Genius Novel, The Ugly1732 Words   |  7 PagesZachery Ringstrom Professor Sullivan English 5-01 10/2/14 Ugly, Ugly Americans At the heart of nearly every world conflict, the United States of America is either at the epicenter, or in some way, majorly involved; this has caused disdain among many nations of the world—and their disdain for the United States and her means has been demonstrated in various attacks, kidnappings, and other acts of terror. And while there are plenty of Americans going off into the world making effective, meaningful changeRead MoreThe Ugly American By William J. Deming And Eugene Burdick1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ugly American, published in 1958, by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, depicts the many United States foreign policy errors of the time. Counterinsurgency is a parallel to the novel while the novel depicts the failures of American diplomats during a time in which Communism was succeeding. The diplomats’ lack of knowledge and sensitivity to the culture caused the U.S diplomatic corps to fail. Communism was particularly succeeding in Southeast Asia when Vietnam split in two along the 17thRead MoreThe Ugly Americ Influence And Effects2054 Words   |  9 PagesThe Ugly American: Influence and Effects Diplomacy is the art of dealing with foreign countries in a sensitive and effective way. The ability to influence the people contributes to effective American diplomacy. In, The Ugly American, William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, comment on the nature of American diplomacy in 1950s Southeast Asia. They identify the characteristics and effects of both inept and skilled diplomacy. The book highlights knowledge of the language, history, and culture as critical

Training For A Training Program - 1479 Words

A training program can be used to effectively improve the ability of an interviewer to conduct more accurate interviews with job candidates. To attain this accuracy, it is important to base a training program on well researched and empirical data. In developing a possible program for training interviewers, it will be necessary to discuss some of the elements that can be used for a training program. Additionally, training programs will need to be comprised of key components and a solid process to ensure the program is effective. However, a training program is only as successful as the results it produces. Therefore, the last section will explore ways to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program. Training Program Elements and†¦show more content†¦Each of these elements play an important role in the overall training process and will serve to assist interviewers in achieving more consistent ratings. Training is important because interviewers gain very little useful information from their day-to-day interviewing experiences (Cascio Aguinis, 2011). Minimal gains from going through multiple interviews makes sense, since interviewers would have nothing to compare their interviewing experiences to, or have any consistent method to learn more effective ways of conducting interviews and assigning ratings. Furthermore, training is necessary for interviewers to improve their skills, rather than perpetuate poor ones, and is best when experience combines with high levels of cognitive complexity (Cascio Aguinis, 2011). Therefore, it is critical for an interviewer training program to have elements like learning and analysis, which adds cognitive complexity by providing a base of information and c lear examples for participants to observe. Overall, experience alone will not suffice in allowing improvements to occur for an interviewer, and training is necessary to improve decision making and accuracy during interviews. Key Components As mentioned previously, a key component when conducting a training program is to clearly define the purpose of the training. The role of interviewers is to accurately rate their perceptions of an applicant and evaluate those perceptions in relation to job requirements, as outlined by a jobShow MoreRelatedTraining Program For Training Programs Essay706 Words   |  3 PagesGiven that many organizations view training as a way to gain competitive advantage, and considering the costs associated with training development and implementation, it’s important that trainees learn the necessary knowledge and skills and transfer what they learned to the job successfully. Traditional training research has focused on ways in which training programs can be designed to improve learning. Over the past 20 years, practitioners were routinely suggesting that it’s vital for traineesRead MoreTraining Programs : Effective Training Program1548 Words   |  7 PagesEffective Training Programs Training is defined by Webster s Dictionary as, a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession, or job. (Websters.com). In a professional sense, training refers to a planned effort by a company to facilitate learning of a job-related competencies, knowledge, skills and behaviors by employees. According to ETT Training works, there are several reasons a company has a training program for their employees. To Increase productivityRead MoreTraining And Development : Training Program Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesTraining and development is a very important aspect when it comes to building on the skills of a company’s employee’s in order to improve the firm’s performance. Feedback is another important component when it comes to quantifying a training program. â€Å"[So], training and feedback not only individually strengthen the employees’ performance but also they collectively work for creating the environment which is compatible with all level of employees, and they also continually nourish their work attitudeRead MoreTraining Requirements For A Training Program1073 Words   |  5 PagesTRAINING PROGRAM Introduction A training arrangement documents the goals of the training program, the training needs of the organization, the training to be conveyed, and strategic techniques for completing training exercises. It contrasts in degree from a task or individual training arrangements in that it takes a gander at how training can serve the strategic hobbies of the organization in general (Anderson, 2011). Training is a standout amongst the most critical parts of enhancing a product. SatisfactoryRead MoreTraining Programme And The Training Program Essay1732 Words   |  7 PagesThis training programme aimed to teach a four year old Labrador retriever cross (named ‘Poppy’) to lie on her side and ‘play dead’ in response to the command â€Å"Avada Kedavra†. The phrase comes from the celebrated ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, in which it was a curse that killed the unfortunate recipient. Such a task was achievable as Poppy already knew the â€Å"lie down† com mand and was trained to imitate death from this position. Though the objective of this programme doesn’t have any extremely pragmaticRead MoreTraining Programme And The Training Program Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Avada Kedavra† This training programme aimed to teach a four year old Labrador retriever cross (named ‘Poppy’) to lie on her side and ‘play dead’ in response to the command â€Å"Avada Kedavra†. The phrase comes from the celebrated ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, in which it was a curse that killed the unfortunate recipient. Such a task was achievable as Poppy already knew the â€Å"lie down† command and was trained to imitate death from this position. Though the objective of this programme doesn’t have any extremelyRead MoreOn the Job Training: Orientation and Training Program1521 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: ON THE JOB TRAINING: ORIENTATION AND TRAINING On the Job Training: Orientation and Training Program On the Job Training: Orientation and Training Program Any company that has hired employees knows how important orientation and training can be. Without the proper training employees will always be one step behind. The proper training early on can save countless hours of error correcting and re-training. Explaining the company policies and expected work ethic early on can make theRead MoreMarketing Training : Sales Training Program1206 Words   |  5 Pageschallenges, and training their sales force is definitely high on the agenda of most organizations (Rao, 2010). The increasing interest that firms have been showing over recent years in employees and in practices related to their management, especially training, can be explained by the general acceptance of the fact that human resources and organizational knowledge are, at present, two of the main sources of sustainable competitive advantages for the company (Singh, 2015). Sales training is a challengeRead MoreTraining Program Development1050 Words   |  5 PagesTraining Program Deve lopment and Delivery The senior leadership of the customer service call center has realized that current practices are damaging the organization’s reputation and without making some serious improvements in training and development the organization will not have a future. Hiring a HR advisor to progress from their current state is the first step in the right direction. The HR advisor is responsible for providing the customer service call center with valuable practices to establishRead MoreEvaluation Of A Training Program1140 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction What is a training program? A training program are programs created for teaching employees in particular skills. Employee training is an essential in maintaining a great staff and keeping everyone communicating. Having a training program that is well created to establish and achieve maximum results. The requirements of the training program are recognized during a training needs analysis (TNA). When a training program is executed properly, it would increase total production and provide

Financial Ratio Analysis Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Financial Performance and Ratio Analysis. Answer: Introduction Financial analysis is critical in the context of evaluating the financial performance. One of the key tools that is deployed to carry this analysis is known as ratio analysis. This tends to compute the underlying ratios that tend to highlight the various aspects of the working of the company so that the respective strengths and weaknesses of the given entity can be identified. In this background, the objective of this report is to carry out an analysis of a company named Gelato Industries based on the respective financial statements provided for 2014 and 2015. Additionally, to facilitate performance benchmarking, the respective industry averages have also been provided. The report presents the observations in this regards. Further, the report also highlights certain key aspects about Warren Buffet as an investor. Analysis The financial ratios for the company in 2015 and 2014 are highlighted below. Ratios 2015 2014 Current ratio 0.90 1.84 Quick ratio 0.24 0.78 Average collection period 18.98 30.42 Inventory turnover 4.06 3.10 Debt ratio 61.30% 50.00% Interest coverage ratio 4.62 3.15 Operating profit margin 10.50% 9.60% Total asset turnover 2.05 1.33 Fixed asset turnover 3.50 2.42 Return on asset 11.74% 6.11% Return on equity 30.32% 12.23% The evaluation of the performance of the firm on various parameters in comparison with the industry is carried out below. Liquidity It is apparent that in terms of liquidity, the performance of the company is far inferior to the peers. This is because the current ratio in both the years is lesser than the industry average of 2 which is especially true for 2015. A similar trend is noticed in the context of the quick ratio. As a result, it would be fair to conclude that the company needs to take measures to improve the liquidity or it could face potential cash crunch especially in the short term (Arnold, 2005). Capital Structure The debt ratio is indicative of the capital structure of the company. While in 2014, the debt level seems to be fine, but in 2015, the leveraging of the balance sheet seems to have increased due to which the use of debt is higher than the industry average. Also, a key risk is with related to the interest payment default and hence interpretation of interest coverage ratio becomes essential. The interest coverage ratio has undergone improvement in 2015 when compared to corresponding value in 2014. The value in 2015 is clearly superior than the industry average which augers well for the company with regards to availing debt funding (Berk et. al., 2013). Asset Management These ratios essentially capture the extent to which the assets are used efficiently for sales generation. The asset management ratios i.e. fixed asset turnover and total asset turnover both are superior to the industry average in both the years. Further, this reflects the superior ability of the company to generate sales from the available assets which provides this a competitive edge over the peer group companies (Damodaran, 2010). Efficiency The efficiency ratios tend to reflect the operational efficiency particularly in relation to the management of the cash cycle. It is apparent that the efficiency ratios of the company are superior in comparison to the industry average. This is true for both average collection period and also inventory turnover. Hence, the company is able to covert inventory into sales in a quicker manner as compared to peers. A similar conclusion can also be drawn in relation to the ability of converting sales into cash as the collection period for company is lower than the industry average. Both these aspects tend to contribute to a lower cash cycle for the company which limits the working capital requirements (Lasher, 2007). Profitability The profitability ratios of the company tend to suggest that the performance of the company in this regards in 2015 is superior to the industry. This is true for return on asset, return on equity along with operating profit margin. However, certain profitability ratios such as operating profit margin and return on asset were lower for the company than the industry average in 2014. However, the company seems to have improved the business operations and underlying strategy which has led to better margins and higher profits on account of top line growth (Beck et. al., 2013). Price of each share at the end of 2015 = $ 15 Number of outstanding shares = 5000 Earnings per share = (Net profit /Number of outstanding shares) = (22884/5000) = $ 4.58 Price-earnings ratio = Price per share/ Earnings per share = 15/4.58 = 3.28 Market to Book Value = (Market Value/Book Value) = (5000*15)/ (195000-119535) = 0.99 On the basis of the above, it can be concluded that while the balance sheet of the company seems a little higher in leverage and also the liquidity ratios pose some concern, the performance of the company in other aspects is superior to the industry average. Also, it is noteworthy that in the year 2015, the profitability, asset management, efficiency ratios have seen significant improvement which is very positive for the shareholders. However, considering the improvement seen by the company (Damodaran, 2010). in 2015, the share prices of the company seems grossly undervalued especially seen the low P/E. Also, the book value of the company is slightly higher than the market value which indicates that the market believes that the management is not generating any value which is not supported by the 2015 financial statements. It seems that in the near future, the stock price of the company would improve especially if the management could replicate the performance level at 2015 standards (Arnold, 2005). Some of the interesting facts in relation to Warren Buffet are highlighted below (Kirkham, 2014) More than 99% of his current wealth has been turned after the age of 50 as the value of the holdings along with Berkshire Hathway shares has shown immense growth in the last two decades. Rather than giving his wealth in inheritance, Warren Buffet has made a pledge to donate 99% of his wealth for charity work. He made his first stock investment at the age of 11 in the year 1941. Buffet is an avid reader and more than 60% of his time is devoted to this activity. Buffet does not have a computer in his office or desk and prefers to analyse the financial statements without the same (Alkins, 2015). By the age of 16, Buffet has warned a wealth of about $ 53,000. His first job was with the Washington Post. (ii) The key points which Warren Buffet makes in relation with investments are summarised below. Investment must always be made in a business which the investor can understand. This is the reason why Buffet never invested in new age businesses driven by internet including Microsoft (YouTube , 2009) Once a stock is bought, a person should usually have a very long investment horizon as wealth is typically built over a large time period (YouTube , 2014) The management quality and ethics are absolutely critical for Buffer and no matter how good the business is, but if the management is bad or unethical, then a person must not invest in the business (YouTube , 2009) Warren Buffet does not believe in diversification and instead focuses on a concentrated portfolio with few stocks but only those ones which can be understood (YouTube , 2014) Further, it is essential to take investment advice only from trustworthy sources. Conclusion On the basis of the above discussion, it would be appropriate to conclude that Gelato Industries has significantly improved performance in 2015. This is especially visible in the context of profitability, efficiency and asset management. Even though the liquidity ratios and debt ratio are a little inferior to the industry, but it does not pose any significant issue. Also, the current market value seems less for the company considering the growth it has shown in 2015. It may be expected that the price of the stock would increase going forward. Further, the various key investment advices by Warren Buffet can also be useful for creating wealth in the long term for investors and should be adhered to. References Arnold,G. (2005). Corporate Financial Management (3rd ed.). Sydney: Finaicial Times Management. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P., Harford, J., Ford, G., Mollica, V., Finch, N. (2013).Fundamentals of corporate finance. London: Pearson Higher Education AU. Damodaran, A. (2010).Applied corporate finance: A users manual(3rd ed.). New York: Wiley, John Sons Elkins, K. (2015, September), 22 mind-blowing facts about Warren Buffett and his wealth, Business Insider, Retrieved on September 22, 2017 from https://www.businessinsider.in/22-mind-blowing-facts-about-Warren-Buffett-and-his-wealth/articleshow/49082296.cms Kirkham, E. (2014, November), 21 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About Warren Buffett, Go Banking Rates Website, Retrieved on September 22, 2017 from https://www.gobankingrates.com/net-worth/21-fun-never-knew-warren-buffett/ Lasher, W. R., (2007) Practical Financial Management (5th ed.). London: South- Western College Publisher YouTube (2009), Warren Buffett's Financial Rules to Live By, You Tube, Retrieved on September 22, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUAtVyWS_4Y YouTube (2014), Warren Buffett's Best Advice on Successful Investing, You Tube, Retrieved on September 22, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5VQPIeZhMc

The Old Guitarist Essay Example

The Old Guitarist Essay Pablo Picasso is one of the most world-renowned artists and possibly the most famous artist of the 20th century.I know that when I think of art thefirst artist that comes to mind is Picasso.He was a Spanish artist that started his career at a young age during the turn of the century.Since his father was an art teacher he was supported heavily and learned the different styles and techniques from somebody that knew them best.Somebody even once said that Pablo knew how to draw and paint before he could talk.Picasso had about three main stages in his career.They were the Blue Period, the Rose Period, and Cubism.Picasso also had very erotic overtones in his artwork, mostly towards the end of his career.The painting that I will be analyzing is from the beginning of his career, toward the end of his Blue Period, so the eroticism is absent from this work of art.The painting is titled The Old Guitarist and depicts a homeless man playing the guitar.He is dressed in rags and looks like he is po ssibly blind.The painting is monochromatic with the dominant color being blue.The Old Guitarist is one of Pablo Picassos most famous works of art and represents his feelings and mood during the period of his life and career known as the Blue Period. During Picassos Blue Period he drew homeless and decrepit people.He drew a lot of street people and prostitutes.He was mostly concentrating on painting pictures that represent pain and suffering.This period lasted from 1901- 1904.The Old Guitarist was painted in 1903, so it was during the tail end of his Blue Period.This painting got across his mood and the type of feelings he wanted to portray more than out of all the paintings during this period.Picasso had a hard time trying to sell some of his work during this period of his life, but in recent years these paintings from his Blue Period

The Class Structure of the Society

Free Essays on Miranda

Miranda v. Arizona This Supreme Court case deals with the rights of accused. This case mainly encompasses one’s Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate one’s self. Ernest Miranda, a twenty-three year old drifter was arrested and taken directly to a Phoenix, Arizona police station. There, after being identified by the victim of a rape kidnapping, he was taken to an interrogation room, where he was questioned about the crimes. At first, Miranda maintained his innocence, but after two hours of questioning, the police emerged from the room with a signed written confession of guilt. At his trial, the written confession was admitted into evidence and Miranda was found guilty of kidnapping and rape. The United States Supreme Court was then faced with Miranda’s claim that the confession was self-incrimination and in violation of his constitutional rights. The police’s admission that neither before nor during the questioning had Miranda had been advised of his right to consult wi th an attorney before answering any questions or his right to have an attorney present during the interrogation solidified Miranda’s argument. The Court decided that prosecutors could not use statements stemming from interrogation unless proper procedure, such as the notification to the accused of his right to refuse to answer the questions given by the police and his right to have an attorney present, the ruling was in favor of Miranda; 5-4. The decision of the Miranda case has three parts, which have changed the procedures of police stations across the United States. The Court ruled that the Fifth Amendment privilege is available outside of court proceedings and serves to protect persons in all settings from being coerced to incriminate themselves. The privilege also applies to questioning after the accused has been taken in to custody. The Court also ruled that a confession by the accused could only be admitted if it is voluntary and no coercion ... Free Essays on Miranda Free Essays on Miranda Miranda v. Arizona This Supreme Court case deals with the rights of accused. This case mainly encompasses one’s Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate one’s self. Ernest Miranda, a twenty-three year old drifter was arrested and taken directly to a Phoenix, Arizona police station. There, after being identified by the victim of a rape kidnapping, he was taken to an interrogation room, where he was questioned about the crimes. At first, Miranda maintained his innocence, but after two hours of questioning, the police emerged from the room with a signed written confession of guilt. At his trial, the written confession was admitted into evidence and Miranda was found guilty of kidnapping and rape. The United States Supreme Court was then faced with Miranda’s claim that the confession was self-incrimination and in violation of his constitutional rights. The police’s admission that neither before nor during the questioning had Miranda had been advised of his right to consult wi th an attorney before answering any questions or his right to have an attorney present during the interrogation solidified Miranda’s argument. The Court decided that prosecutors could not use statements stemming from interrogation unless proper procedure, such as the notification to the accused of his right to refuse to answer the questions given by the police and his right to have an attorney present, the ruling was in favor of Miranda; 5-4. The decision of the Miranda case has three parts, which have changed the procedures of police stations across the United States. The Court ruled that the Fifth Amendment privilege is available outside of court proceedings and serves to protect persons in all settings from being coerced to incriminate themselves. The privilege also applies to questioning after the accused has been taken in to custody. The Court also ruled that a confession by the accused could only be admitted if it is voluntary and no coercion ...

Debate notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Debate notes - Essay Example At the University of Colorado, football coach Bill McCartney was accused of publicizing his religious views and giving priority in hiring, recruiting, and playing time to individuals sharing his religious attitude. [FN1] While similar practices might have gone unchecked in the past, several recent Supreme Court decisions have limited the days of blind indifference to these rituals. Pre-game prayers are regularly held in public high school and university locker rooms throughout the United States. These rituals are often undertaken without any thought to possible legal consequences because the coach, team, or school have never received any complaints from concerned athletes or parents. However, the Supreme Court has recently limited the various avenues by which prayers can enter into public school activities. [FN2] The First Amendment protects student-athletes by providing them with certain safeguards against state endorsed adherence to a specific religion, most often the coachs religion. This constitutional protection must be balanced against the coachs right to effectively run his or her team without having every word or action scrutinized. The conflict of prayer in a public university locker room centers on the students right to be free from state imposed religious indoctrination and the coachs right to free speech. This conflict can be examined through the eyes of the First Amendments Entanglement, Free Exercise and Free Speech clauses. Courts have yet to specifically address the topic of prayer in a public universitys locker room. Since there are no cases on point, this article will attempt to present the possible legal arguments that would be presented by the two sides of this debate. The players interest in practicing their religion is weighed against a coachs right to motivate his/her team. Both of these rights have to be examined in light of any action undertaken or attributable to the state, and whether those actions constitute endorsement