Non profit organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Non profit organizations - Research Paper Example Non-Profit Organizations Every firm is driven by a motive. The early stages of business school usually teach students only about one such motive, which is profit. They learn the marketing strategies, management techniques, and accounting methods as required by profit-driven organizations, because such firms make up majority of the firms in existence today. There is, however, a whole other side of business, which involves in running a business for reasons other than profit. The reason may be to collect charity, provide a social service or to bring together a certain community of people (Anheier, 2005). These organizations are non-profit organizations, and carry out their operations and procedure very differently than those carried out by profit-driven firms. Non-profit organizations operate for the good of community usually, instead of any personal interests, which are why they are not required to pay taxes on their incomes to the government (Holland & Rivto, 2008). The money they ear n is not called profit, but income, and they are not allowed to distribute this income amongst owners or other stakeholders; instead, they have to invest that income back into the organization, in order to accomplish the mission that the organization revolves around. For example, a cancer research organization will work on raising funds through donations and fund-raisers, which it will then invest in research to find the cure for cancer. Any money it raises that is left over after their expenses have been covered, will all be invested in research once again, and will not be claimed by any party as ‘profits’. Non-profit organizations typically take up causes, which they feel are important but not given the required attention by the government or those responsible. These motives can include a variety of causes (Holland & Rivto, 2008). One common example is organizations aiming to conduct research on highly dangerous diseases with no known cure, such as AIDS or cancer, in order to find a cure and decrease the number of sufferers per year. This includes organizations such as AKDN, founded with the aim to continue research to find the cure for social, cultural, and economic poverty. Other examples include those organizations who are dedicated to preserving some form of nature before the constant industrialization and reckless treatment of animals and their habitats leads to their extinction. Examples of such organizations and societies are those who aim to prevent the extinction of animals, which are dying off, such as rare birds or insects such as WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature. Other types of non-profit organizations are those firms, which work to provide a service to the community, which they feel that it needs but is incapable of providing for it, or a service, which they feel the government should be providing to the community but is not. This includes organizations that provide scholarship funds to deserving students who cannot afford educat ion. They also include organizations, which form schools and similar organizations for special children belonging to poor families who cannot afford to enroll them in proper institutions, which will cater to their needs and educate them in the manner that they require, such as different societies for rehabilitation of special children. These are all a few examples of the many

Something Beautiful Is Coming Essay Example for Free

Something Beautiful Is Coming Essay HTC was founded in 1997 by Cher Wang and her husband. Wang wanted to manufacture personal digital assistance under contact of established brands. However, the company failed to convince buyers. Instead remained focused on contract manufacturer’s mobile phones according to its customer’s strategic priorities. Cher approaches the business with the eyes of the customer. HTC had nututred contacts into valuable business relationships, creating products that combined customer-oriented design with advanced technology to cast a reputation for consistency and excellence that many industry valued and applauded. In mid 2000, HTC started making customized smart phones running on windows operating system for Deutshe Telekom and Vodafone. This proved strategically shrewd, creating potential growth without having to rely on handset manufacturers. Facts and Figures HTC started making customized smart phones running on windows operating system for Deutshe Telekom and Vodafone. This proved strategically shrewd, creating potential growth without having to rely on handset manufacturers. Under this ‘operator business model’, sales exploded, growing 100% annually, with net profits rising some 300% per annum since 2003. HTC soon became darling of the market, with share prices soaring 1000% in March 2006. Mission A customer oriented positioning that communicated its strengths and tapped into the zeitgeist of its target market- tech savvy trendy customers interested in performance and design. Strategy Business Strategy- Sustained on ‘operator business model’, proved immensely successful. Functional (Marketing) strategy- The key to its strategy was its partnership with networks such as vodafone Internet and viral marketing proved effective Sponsorship of the Columbia –HTC cycling team in 2009 ensured messaged reached millions of viewers worldwide

Of mice and men-Discuss the importance of the American dream Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men-Discuss the importance of the American dream Essay Dictionary: the American dream An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes Dictionary: dream a cherished desire The American Dream is a dream of success, fame and wealth achieved in the United States of America. Its thought to be achievable by hard work, courage, and determination, or by getting rich quick. The concept often involves moving upward in the social classes, and may involve icons such as car, house, partner and pet. This definition of the American dream is universal, but it can have a different meaning for different classes of people. People have dreams The novel of mice and men, written by John Steinbeck, is set in 1930s California during the Great Depression. The two main characters called George and Lennie are migrant workers travelling from ranch to ranch just to get by and make a little money so that one day they can live their own American dream. Throughout the book, Lennie always asks George to tell him and re-tell him their dream of someday owning their own land. Someday were gonna get our jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs. The use of the word someday shows a sense of longing and uncertainty; he doesnt know if it will happen soon or even at all. Because of the time the book is set or George and Lennies lifestyle, their dream is not the exact definition of the American dream. It is more to do with freedom and the amount of land owned which equals a higher status in society the more land you owned. George and Lennies dream is motivated by the fact that they have no stability in where they live or work. Being migrant workers, they have a very unsettled lifestyle because they dont know how long they will be needed to work there. After they arent needed or if they get fired, it could take a long time to find another job. Their dream of owning a rural house on their own in the Salinas valley is a comforting thought of stability and not having to worry about nowhere to live. The Salinas valley is not a typical rural setting of America, but as George and Lennie have not traveled far, it is their idea of perfect. There are no comfortable houses, but vast orchards, vineyards, and ranched thoroughly tended. In the book, the Californian countryside is described in vast detail at the beginning and end of every chapter. Steinbeck uses description of the surroundings as he, like Lennie developed a close bond with nature. In my opinion, this is Steinnbecks dream Other characters living on the ranch also have similar dreams. The migrant worker candy for example is afraid of being alone and dreams of living out the rest of his life with company. When he hears about George and Lennies dream asks them if he can join them so he wont be lonely. Spose I went in with you guys. Howd that be? When they can me I wont have no place else to go an I cant get no more jobs. He is desperate so he pleads with them even though he hasnt known them very long. Another person on the ranch with a dream is Curleys wife. Her dream is of fame and fortune Nother time I met a guy-he was in the pitchers. He said hed put me in the movies. Said I was a natural. Soons he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it. I never got that letter. I always thought my ol lady stole it. She has this dream as an escape from her husband who is very sexist and discriminatory against women. At the time the book is set, women were treated poorly and only thought of as housewives for bringing up children and were used commonly for sex purposes. Curley treats Curleys wife poorly so she dreams about being rich and famous being a movie star. Ironically, this is the dream of many American people nowadays; to be rich and famous as they aspire to be the everyday celebrities we see today. Another dream of hers is also not to be lonely. She explains to Lennie I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely. This shows that she is lonely because she confides in him about her problem and she doesnt know him at all. Crooks is the Negro stable buck. He has a separate room away from the white people living and working on the ranch. This also shows the amount of racism at the time the story is set. It seems his dream is to not be treated differently because of his skin colour. He says I aint wanted cause Im black. They play cards in there, but I cant play because Im black. They say I stink. It is obvious that he doesnt agree with these comments by the way he speaks. He speaks sharply showing he is angry about these comments. He talks about everyone else except for him playing cards implying that he would like to play cards too, along with everyone else. In conclusion, I think that the American dream is important to different characters in different ways and different interpretations.

Coach Variables Effect on Motivation and Performance

Coach Variables Effect on Motivation and Performance An Experimental study of the Independent and Interactive Effects of ‘Coach Variables’ on the motivation and performance of Rugby ‘Forwards’ INTRODUCTION Rugby is a hugely popular international sport (UKRFU[1], 2006; USARFU[2], 2006). Two teams of 13 players each, play the sport by kicking, passing, or carrying a ball. In order to win a team must score more ‘points’ than its opponent. Points can be achieved by a ‘try’ (5 points) or a ‘goal’ (3 points). The former entails touching the ball to the ground beyond a line in the opponents half (more points can be earned by performing a ‘place kick’ or drop kick’ conversion). A goal involves kicking the ball over the opponents cross bar (in the form of a penalty kick or drop kick). It is essential that the players are motivated. Research has shown that player motivation is partly dependent on coach variables (Tammen, 1997; Allen Howe, 1998; Cumming, 2002; Reinboth et al, 2004). In particular player aggressiveness, an important aspect of rugby, is influenced by coach input (Abd-Aziz, 1998; Guivernau-Rojas, 2001). Certain coaches are better able to ‘drive’ their players to victory than other coaches, for example by providing better feedback, frequent praise and encouragement, tactical advise, and corrective information. How players perceive their coach is critical (Mavi, 2004). Social psychological on literature (Norman, 1976; Lui Standing, 1989; Aronson, 1995; Eagly Chaiken, 1993; Pornpitakpan, 2004) suggests that characteristics such as credibility, likeability, and trustworthiness, may significantly determine a coaches’ motivational effectiveness. For example, a likeable coach may be more effective at encouraging his ‘forwards’ (‘tight-five’/’front five’ and ‘loose forwards’) to achieve successful try’s and goals. A review of the relevant literature (e.g. ‘PsychINFO’, ‘Academic Search Premier’), revealed a paucity of rugby research in this area. AIMS/HYPOTHESES The study proposed here aims to evaluate the effects of coach variables – credibility, likeability, and trustworthiness – on the performance of rugby players, particularly the ‘tight-five’/‘front-five’ and ‘loose forwards’. Consistent with previous research on communicator variables (e.g. Pornpitakpan, 2004), the following hypotheses are proposed with respect to player/team performance: A credible will achieve more try’s/goals than a non-credible coach. A trustworthy coach will achieve more try’s/goals than an untrustworthy coach. A likeable coach will achieve more try’s/goals than a disliked coach. Interactions (two-way and three-way) between these coach characteristics will influence the achievement of try’s/goals. METHODOLOGY Setting The study will be set up as a field experiment. The setting will be the premises of several local rugby clubs. Design The study will be based on a between-groups experimental design. There will be three independent variables: coach expertise (high/low/placebo/no treatment control), likeability (high/low), and trustworthiness (high/low). This will translate into a 4 x 2 x 2 between groups factorial design, using multivariate analysis of covariance (Coolican, 1994). Thus, in effect, there will be 16 experimental conditions. The dependent variables will consist of players reported motivation (after a match) and the number of successful try’s and goals during a match. Attempts will be made to control for important background variables, including player experience, weight, height, and, baseline motivational levels, and score history. Sample The sample will comprise several different teams of rugby players, recruited from schools, universities, and clubs in the local area. The target (i.e. minimum) sample size is 160 players, with at least 10 players per factorial cell. Stimulus Materials Prior arrangements would have been made with team officials to substitute the original team coaches with a stooge coach. Players will be informed that a new coach will temporarily ‘substitute’ their regular coach, who is unable to attend due to a prior family engagement. Two or three stooge coaches will be used, one for each team. Manipulation of independent variables will occur as follows: (Expertise): players will be informed by the researcher that their new coach is an ex-rugby player with either ≠¥10 years coaching experience or a newly qualified coach with (Likeability): Each stooge coach will act in either a friendly fashion (e.g. smiling, encouraging players), or an unfriendly manner (frowning, denigrating players). (Trustworthiness): Players will be informed either that the stooge coach is getting paid a substantial amount of cash for this one-off job, or is working for free (Aronson, 1995, pp.80-81). (Placebo): Players will receive irrelevant information about the stooge coach (e.g. where they live and marital status), who will act in neutral fashion (i.e. neither friendly or unfriendly). (Control): No information will be provided about the stooge coach, who will try to act in a neutral fashion. A self-report questionnaire will be used to collect baseline data from players on the following: perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and likeability of the stooge coach, and background variables including prior rugby experience, weight, height and score history. This questionnaire will also be used to assess current (i.e. pre-treatment) motivational levels and perform manipulation checks for each coach variable (i.e. expertise, likeability, trustworthiness). The study will be carried out during a series of rugby matches played in the local area. A ‘Game Day Check List’ (USARFU, 2006) will be used to work out the most appropriate time to brief players. Prior to each match each participating rugby team will be randomly assigned to one experimental condition. Particular attention will be paid to the ‘forwards’ or ‘pack’ (i.e. players 1-8). Players will be asked to complete the baseline questionnaire, as part of a general survey on the profile and interests of rugby players in the UK. They will also be informed about the use of a substitute coach, and given the appropriate background information regarding expertise and trustworthiness. After each match players will complete the baseline questionnaire, and then be debriefed. Data will be analysed using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), performed on SPSS (Field, 2002). Background variables will be treated as the covariates (i.e. control variables). A local Ethics Committee will review this project. It will conform to ethical guidelines of the British Psychological Society (BPS, 1993). Thus, the study will not involve any unnecessary deception, invasion of privacy, pain, injury, or discomfort, or violation of any legal requirements. Furthermore, all information collected from subjects will be strictly confidential. TIME SCALE The study will be conducted over a 12 month period. Month 1: Pilot study Month 2 to 3: Administration of Stimulus Materials Data Collection Month 4 to 5: SPSS Data Entry, Editing, and Analysis (MANCOVA) Month 6 to 8: Write Up Month 9 + : Dissemination of Findings DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS Findings will be disseminated through conference presentations and Journal publications. It is planned that a paper will be presented at the 12th European Congress of Sports Psychology (4-7 September, 2007, Halkidiki, Greece). A paper will also be submitted to the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology or British Journal of Sports Medicine or International Journal of Sports Psychology, all of which are particular useful outlets for targeting academic audiences. REFERENCES Abd-Aziz, S.B. (1998) Aggressive tendencies in Malaysian youth soccer: an  examination of individual and contextual factors. Dissertation Abstracts  International: Section A:- Humanities and Social Sciences. 59 (5-B), 2480. Allen, J. Howe, B.L. (1998) Player ability, coach feedback, and female adolescent  athletes’ perceived competence and satisfaction. Journal of Sport Exercise  Psychology 20, pp.280-299. Aronson, E. (1995) The Social Animal. New York: Freeman. BPS (1993) Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines. Leicester: British  Psychological Society. Coolican, H. (1994) Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Hodder   Stoughton. Cumming, S.P. (2002) A bio-psychosocial investigation of self-determined  motivation in recreational and travel youth soccer programs. Dissertation  Abstracts International: Section A:- Humanities and Social Sciences. 63 (5-A), 1765. Eagly, A.H. Chaiken, S. (1993) The Psychology of Attitudes. Fort Worth, TX:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Field, A. (2002) Discovering Statistics using SPSS for Windows. London: Sage. Guivernau-Rojas, M. (2001) The impact of motivational and moral variables on  aggressive tendencies in sport. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section  A:- Humanities and Social Sciences. 62 (6-B), 2990. Lane, A.M., Rodger, J.S.E. Karageorghis, C.L. (1997) Antecedents of state anxiety  in rugby. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 84, pp.427-433. Lui, L. Standing, L.G. (1989) Communicator credibility: trustworthiness defeats  expertness. Social Behaviour Personality. 17, pp. 219-221. Mavi, H.F. (2004) The relationship among dispositional, contextual variables, and  intrinsic motivation in high school teams sports. Dissertation Abstracts  International: Section A:- Humanities and Social Sciences. 65 (3-A), 876. Norman, R. (1976) When what is said is important: a comparison of expert and  attractive sources. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 12, pp.294-300. Pornpitakpan, C. (2004) The persuasiveness of source credibility: a critical review of  five decades’ evidence. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 34, pp.243-281. UK Rugby Football Union (2006) Play [online] RFU Official Site,  http://www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby/index.cfm/Fuseaction/Home.Home/StoryTypeId/98/SectionId/575.cfm [Accessed 31 July 2006] USA Rugby Football Union (2006) USA Rugby [online] Rugby Channel,  http://www.usarugby.org/collegiate/manage/gameDayChecklist.html  [Accessed 1 August 2006]. Tammen, V.V. (1997) Coach and athlete goal orientations: congruence of orientations  and affects on athlete satisfaction and commitment. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section A:- Humanities and Social Sciences. 57 (11-A), 4687. Footnotes [1] UK Rugby Football Union [2] USA Rugby Football Union

Affirmative Action :: essays research papers

Affirmative action is a growing argument among our society. It is multifaceted and very often defined vaguely. Some can define affirmative action as the ability to strive for equality and inclusiveness. Others might see it as a quota-based system for different minority groups. Is affirmative action fair? Are minority groups on equal footing? Is gaining employment for minorities difficult? Is education easily obtained for the minority groups of people? Affirmative action endeavors to answer all these questions, while allowing society to believe harmony exists. Affirmative action has definitely helped women and minorities in their careers, but it has yet to succeed in the goal of equality in the business world for women and minorities. As more and more women are faced with discrimination in large firms, more have decided to strike out on their own. Today employers both private and public require individuals to take a test before entering their place of employment. For example, if one were to apply for a job in a supermarket a test for your basic educational skill is required. To become a fireman, policeman, teacher, or Kentucky Fried Chicken employee you are required to take a test before being hired. To further your education you need to take a test to enter a University. Jobs for today are in the technological, computer, and Internet areas. The need to be educated is a part of life. In our society there are difficulties with basic education. Affirmative action gives minorities the right to equal education. Is affirmative action fair? Affirmative action has become a tool for minorities to use for equality in the business world. Women, African Americans, Hispanics and the like now have a level tool that would support their rights as individuals in the business world. Yes, affirmative action demonstrates fairness. Are minority groups on equal footing? Today, affirmative action is recognized however, the 'glass ceiling' is still there. The glass ceiling refers to "you can see it, but you can't get it". Minorities can reach for the ceiling but still have difficulty actually trying to touch it. Unfortunately affirmative action cannot tell society to behave in a way that would place every individual, every minority group on equal footing. Affirmative action is a great tool for minorities. It encourages equality in humanity. I agree and support affirmative action in that individual's should be treated equally. Affirmative action is still needed. Although women and people of color have come a long way in the decades since the Civil Rights Act was passed, discrimination still exists.

The Mayans :: essays research papers fc

I heard the familiar sound of the back door closing gently. My father was returning from weeding the vast amounts fields, with is old sickle, and planting more corn crops in one of our fields. He usually starts his day at 5:00 a.m. every morning, he wakes up to the superb aroma of a sweet honey that fills the whole room and which drags him into the kitchen, the smell of hot tortillas. â€Å"Good Morning father† greeted by his beautiful wife and children. They are wearing loose dresses that reached their ankles; his wife’s clothing was embroiled with elegant ornaments, and both females wore stunning necklaces made from the finest green jades in Guatemala. It has been almost 30 minutes since the Komatuk family have been enjoying their tortillas and balche (alcoholic drink). â€Å"Ok dear ones its time to get ready† the lady of the house would exclaim. It was time for the family to pay a visit Jolomk’u. Jolomk'u, according to the stories of the grandparents, was the name of a village situated on a tall ridge among a multitude of hills and mountains. It was a colorful village, woven with the work of men and women, with their lives, illusions and failures. Cold air rode freely among the savage hills, coming face to face with the people of Jolomk'u. The Komatuk family walked down the dusty brown road with his family as the hot bright sun shined on to them. As the enormous temple on top of the great sandy pyramid, they would then climb up the great sandy pyramid to get the sacred temple. When they reach the top of the pyramid they meet hundreds of other Mayans who are waiting in line to get their blessing from the high priest. After waiting in line as the scorching and sizzling sun shined on them. As Mekel and his family enters the sanctified holy temple he prays with the hundreds of Mayans as they worship their god as animals and prisoners of wars were being sacrificed to tribute and honor their great god. The crowd at the base of the enormous blood red pyramid has been standing for hours in the dripping heat of the Guatemalan jungle. No one moves; every eye stays fixed on the building's summit, where the king, his head adorned with feathers, his scepter a two-headed crocodile, is about to emerge from a sacred chamber with instructions from his long-dead ancestors.

Benefits of Cholesterol to Brain Development Essay -- Biology

What do you think of when you hear the word cholesterol? It's pretty common to think that it makes you gain weight, it is bad in large quantities, and it is generally unhealthy. But a recent experiment has shown that although it can be bad in some ways, it is good for you in other ways. One of the most important parts of your body is your central nervous system (CNS). It includes your spinal cord and your brain, and it is run by cells called neurons. These neurons, with the help of synapses, send electrical signals throughout the body. So what do neurons and synapses have to do with cholesterol? If you do not have cholesterol during certain parts of your life cycle, you actually do not develop many synapses. Even those that do form are destined to be inefficient at transmitting signals to the brain and body. Who cares if you have a lot of efficient synapses? An easy comparison is between the CNS and a computer. The brain thriving off of a lot of synapses, a computer running much better with more RAM. Your computer still works if it does not have a lot of RAM, and it will do what you ask it to; however, if it does have a lot of RAM, it will do what you ask more efficiently and faster. Likewise, if you do not have many synapses, your brain and CNS will still work at a much lower level. If you do have a lot of synapses, everything will work faster. Your brain will send signals to the rest of your body efficiently so you can react faster, think faster, etc. This leads us into the article that you should be able to understand completely by the end of this web page. Before this discovery was made, scientists had no idea that cholesterol was responsible for these events. Follow along with us to an explanation of the previous ... ...a viable solution. Now that you know that your brain is all you have, there are some considerations to be made. Do you really want to smoke marijuana when you consider that being high means killing off neurons? What about that kegger next weekend? That kills brain cells too. More specific than the ties to drug and alcohol abuse, this article talks about the gray areas of life. The human body is an amazing machine. It is extremely adaptive, and it requires a lot of fuel to run. Avoid entirely wiping out a common substance from your diet without doing the proper research. Who knows, perhaps cutting that food from your meal might put you in deeper trouble than you thought possible. References "CNS Synaptogenesis Promoted by Glia-Derived Cholesterol." Science Magazine. 9 Nov 2001: 1354-1357. 3 Nov 2003 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5545/1354. Benefits of Cholesterol to Brain Development Essay -- Biology What do you think of when you hear the word cholesterol? It's pretty common to think that it makes you gain weight, it is bad in large quantities, and it is generally unhealthy. But a recent experiment has shown that although it can be bad in some ways, it is good for you in other ways. One of the most important parts of your body is your central nervous system (CNS). It includes your spinal cord and your brain, and it is run by cells called neurons. These neurons, with the help of synapses, send electrical signals throughout the body. So what do neurons and synapses have to do with cholesterol? If you do not have cholesterol during certain parts of your life cycle, you actually do not develop many synapses. Even those that do form are destined to be inefficient at transmitting signals to the brain and body. Who cares if you have a lot of efficient synapses? An easy comparison is between the CNS and a computer. The brain thriving off of a lot of synapses, a computer running much better with more RAM. Your computer still works if it does not have a lot of RAM, and it will do what you ask it to; however, if it does have a lot of RAM, it will do what you ask more efficiently and faster. Likewise, if you do not have many synapses, your brain and CNS will still work at a much lower level. If you do have a lot of synapses, everything will work faster. Your brain will send signals to the rest of your body efficiently so you can react faster, think faster, etc. This leads us into the article that you should be able to understand completely by the end of this web page. Before this discovery was made, scientists had no idea that cholesterol was responsible for these events. Follow along with us to an explanation of the previous ... ...a viable solution. Now that you know that your brain is all you have, there are some considerations to be made. Do you really want to smoke marijuana when you consider that being high means killing off neurons? What about that kegger next weekend? That kills brain cells too. More specific than the ties to drug and alcohol abuse, this article talks about the gray areas of life. The human body is an amazing machine. It is extremely adaptive, and it requires a lot of fuel to run. Avoid entirely wiping out a common substance from your diet without doing the proper research. Who knows, perhaps cutting that food from your meal might put you in deeper trouble than you thought possible. References "CNS Synaptogenesis Promoted by Glia-Derived Cholesterol." Science Magazine. 9 Nov 2001: 1354-1357. 3 Nov 2003 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5545/1354.