Monday, January 27, 2020

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR Organizational Behavior is the identification, analyzing and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act in organizations. It interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the person, group, organization, and whole social system. Objective of it is to build better relationships by achieving people objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. It encompasses a wide range of areas, such as human behavior, Training and development, change management, leadership, teams, Group behavior etc. In the study of organizational behavior is helpful in gaining a complete understanding of the business. It is not the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organization. This includes the study of how individuals be have alone as well as in groups. The main focus of the organizational behavior is to obtain a greater understanding of those factors which influence individual and group dynamics in an organization. Therefore individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. Organizational behavior research is ultimately focused at providing human resource management professionals with the information and techniques which they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion which gives maximum benefit for the individual employee and for the organization. Organizational behavior is a modern interdisciplinary field. It draws most heavily from the psychological and sociological sciences and it also looks to other scientific fields. The interdisciplinary approach is used because the field of organizational behavior involves multiple levels of analysis, which are necessary to understand behavior within organizations as people influence their environment as well as people are influenced by their environment. The business organization based on vales, missions , visions, objectives, goals and management philosophy which drives formal or informal organizations towards culture social environment The culture decides the type of leadership, group dynamics, communication, within the business organization. The employee perceives this as the quality of work type which leads their quantity of motivation, which will benefited to employee performance, individual satisfaction, and personal development and growth. The combination of all above elements will lead to build the model that the organization operates from. Following are the main features of the organization behavior Organization behavior analyzing the relationship between organization, individual and the group. It more concern about people attitudes, perception, feelings, learning capabilities and specific objectives goals.(Distinctly humanistic orientation) It consists of different techniques, methods theories to evaluate the performances. (Multidisciplinary) It provides vital answers to questions which arise when managing organization. It analyses the factors influence the performance of a organization and describe the way of improve the performance. It uses the scientific method to analyze the performance which helps to identify the variables and relationships. It creates to achieve the path of business needs as it is concern in understanding of organization processes and skills. Factors Influence the Organization Behavior The feathers of people at work- attitudes, individual Differences, attributes, roles of the people and direction The way people are motivated Organizational commitment Employment engagement process The way organizations factions Culture of the organization Models of Organizational Behavior There are four main models organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial: Autocratic this model is power with the management. The employees are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The performance result is minimal. Custodial this model is monetary resources with a managerial direction of wealth. The employees in turn are leaning towards security and reimbursement and dependence on the organization. The outcome is passive cooperation. Supportive this model is leadership with a managerial direction of support. The employees are leaning towards job performance and contribution. The member of staff need that is met is status and appreciation. The performance outcome is awakening drive. Collegial this model is related with a managerial direction of teamwork. The team also work oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The performance result is moderate Even though there are several models, most of the organizations used combination of above models. The organizational behavior does not depend upon deductions based on gut feelings where as trying to collect details, information for issue in a scientific manner under controlled situations. It provides information for the findings so that the behavior of personnel and group could be canalized as desired. Majority of psychologists, social scientists and have carried out research on various aspects related to organization behavior. Job satisfaction and individual performance are determinants of achievement of employee and organizational goals. Organizations are set up to fulfill the requirement of the people. In modern competitive world, the organizations should have growth task-oriented which can achieve at the time of productivity is ensured with zero defect in quality. Employee turnover and absenteeism has a negative impact on efficiency and productivity. It is required to motivate retained the skill workers by enhancing the job satisfaction. In formal structure of organization all divisions have to function in a coordinated manner to accomplish the organizational goals, vision and objectives. Due to that it is require maintaining positive attitude towards work. Also it is more valuables for managers to develop the suitable work culture by using authority, delegation of certain powers to team members. Benchmarking, re-engineering, job re-design and empowerment are some of the valuables factors. LEADERSHIP Leadership is most important aspect of organizational behavior which can be define as ability to influence, motivate others to achieve the set of organizational objectives or goals. In todays context the managers now are leaders of their groups, their divisions. Event though it may require certain specialist knowledge, the human relations part of the management job. Currently People have more flexibility and more options in their careers, which are them selves more fluid, so keeping employee motivated is very important, due to that Leadership is also important in attempting to minimize employee dissatisfaction. Leadership consists of the effective process of delegation and empowerment. Broad classification of leadership styles There are several dimensions to leadership style and different ways of describing leadership styles such as, bureaucratic, benevolent, charismatic, dictatorial, unitary consultative, participative and abdicator. The different types of managerial leadership towards subordinate staff can be classified in following heading. Authoritarian style which focus on all interactions within the group move towards the manager due to power is with the manager, in this style manager him selves exercises decision-making and authority for determining policy, procedures and regulations for achieving set of objectives. Eg- The employees achieve the task will be given rewards others who have not achieved punishments. Chemanex group allocating certain objective to be achieved by each employee for a given time, then evaluate the performance based on the task achieved. Evaluation as follows Marks Category 81-100 Excellent 61-80 Good 41-60 Average Employee who perform excellently, entitle 4 month bonus, good category 3 months, average category 2.5monthe less than average No bonus at all. It shows how above style is applicable in todays context. Democratic style leadership functions are shared with other staff of the group and the leader and focus of power is more with the group as a whole and there is high integration within the group. All members have a high decision-making, determination of policy and procedure. Eg- Janashakthi Insurance organize the foreign trips based on high performance team for the year .Laissez-faire style manager are observing that subordinate of the team are working well independently. The manager, enhance them freedom of doing the objectives to carry out they think best and without interfering where as it is required to provide support if help is needed. Where as some confusion over this style, since the word of Genuine is emphasized since which is contrasted with the manager who could not care, of results keeps away from the problem points and manager does not want to get involved. Eg; Vertusa -Employee has given the freedom to achieve the certain task Most of the organization having combinations of above styles employees are not interest to work under the 100% authoritarian style There are 4 main types of leadership behavior available in accordance with goal path theory Directive Leadership- Which consist of the way of directing to the subordinates to achieve the goals by considering rules regulations. Eg- This model applicable in the most of the government organization (The Department head is giving the instructions for its subordinates achieve the task with in the circulars or based on government rules policies. Supportive leadership which consist of open and reachable manner and displaying the needs and welfare of subordinate. Participative leadership which consists of consult with their subordinates and the evaluation of opinions and different ideas before the manager makes the final decision. Achievement-oriented leadership consist of setting demanding goals for subordinates, looking for development in their performance and show confidence in subordinates ability to perform well. Leader should identify the people capability, proper execution and continuous improvement People capability It includes setting up the ability, competencies and skills required for the modern world, and how to accomplish those requirements, including competencies evaluation, gap analysis, job and role definitions and career development. Those will lead the modern business is key to the success of this activity. Execution This consists of delivery of the new model. It includes both hard deliverables in the form of project plans, progress reports and budget variances, stakeholder management and soft deliverables in the form of communications Continuous Improvement This consists of measuring the effectiveness of performances and which ensure opportunities for the further improvements. Balance score card, Reward alignment and performance management are the key methods of evaluating the performances Every organization the leadership should delegate the authorities to subordinates by considering the capability of the employees leader should lead the team, motivated, review the out come , continuous training evaluate the performance. GROUP BEHAVIOR The basic character of a group is that its members regard themselves as belonging to the group. Although there is no exact definition for group it can be defined as follows. A set of people who interact with one another are psychologically aware of one another; and perceive them selves to be a group. Simply a group can be define as a set of people who share most following characteristics a definable membership; group awareness; interdependence; common purpose; interaction; and ability to act in a unitary manner. A social system contains all the people in system and their relationships to each other and to the external world. It is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. The behavior of individual affect on the behavior of others directly or indirectly. Groups has basic feature of the working style of any organization. Group Members as well as the managers must co-operate each other to carry out works to achieve objectives of the organization as well as the individuals. Group pressures influence over the performance of the organization as well as the individual members of the organization. Group performance id directly related with the leadership which influence the behavior of the group members. Pleasant working relationships and good teamwork help to improve the morale of employees and work performance. Successful teamwork is a basic feature of modern management practices such as total quality management, empowerment, quality circles and change management. Teamwork is very important as it increases the competitiveness power of the organization in following ways; increase the productivity improve quality encourage innovation motivate employees and improve their commitment TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS Employee training is most important aspect in any organization. Employees are key assts of the organization there are is direct relationship with organizational performance employee performances. As a result of that employee should improve the skills, capabilities, and strength to compete with technological global changes. Due to that employee should develop following skills, Computer skills: employee should develop computer skills which is most important to negotiate with global environment. Customer service: In today customer satisfaction is most key area of business environment due to high competition of global market, due to that it is required to give proper training. Diversity: It consist of explanation about how people have different views and perspectives, and includes methods to value diversity Ethics: It consists of a view about social and corporate responsibility. Further, todays employees bring a wide variety of values and morals to the organization. Human relations: Presently organizational employees work under pressure more stress on work load. Therefore there may be lots of misunderstandings and conflicts. Proper training will minimized the unnecessary conflict misunderstandings. Quality initiatives: It consist of basic training requirement about the quality concepts, Guidance for qualities, procedures Eg; benchmarking, Total Quality Management, Quality Circles.. Safety: Safety training is more important specially for the employees undertaking risk jobs eg: working with heavy equipment , chemicals, Fuel, gas or Electricity related employments Most of the organization has given safety equipments when doing the risk operations Eg Hayleys ADC PLC operating chemical related productions employees are given safety manual, safety equipments proper training Sexual harassment: This includes training about sexual harassment on inappropriate behavior. Normally this is included in organizational policies. Why training is important and Benefits from Employee by proper Training and Development There are several sources that the employee can train develop them selves. They can use organizational policies, procedures, safety manuals, online information on training and development. Employees are benefiting by proper training developments. It may increase moral , job satisfaction, motivation of employee, Enhanced the productivity, efficiency of employee resulting financial benefit to the organization, Minimized the employee turnover, due to the new technologies methods enhanced the production capacity Diversity Diversity energizes customer service, employee motivation improvement of moral of employee, decision making team performances. With rapid change of global market employment relationships have also emerged from the changing work force, information technology, and globalization factors. Currently most of the organization more concentrates on corporate social responsibility to compete with standardization of values and ethics of other organizations. Currently organizational behavior pushes the competitiveness. Considering the above facts organizational behavior, play major role in todays context

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Internet Security Enforced Essay

The advent of computers and their related technologies has greatly impacted on everyday personal, academic, and professional lives. The internet has become one of the leading sources of information as many people prefer to access and analyze the information they need from the World Wide Web. The internet has so much information which is very accessible to anyone who has a connected computer, and this includes small children. Teachers, students, and educational institutions have increasingly relied on the internet for learning both inside and outside the context of the classroom. How these technologies are implemented however determines if their application is good (ethical) or not good (unethical). In this essay, the author seeks to explain how technology might be in use to cause good benefits to the society and bad benefits. One major benefit of technology is that it has created efficiency in everyday life. Computers can process large amounts of data with minute precision, and this application is in use by business organizations all over the world (Cohen, 1995). However, the information in the World Wide Web is accessible to many people, and if sufficient security measures are not put in place, this benefit could end up being abused. There is thus a need for software developers, organizations, schools and governments to work together in ensuring that technological systems that protect the integrity, confidentiality and privacy of information posted on the internet is ensured. Many unscrupulous individuals like hackers, cybercriminals and cyber-terrorists are always lurking to seize personal information from the internet with the purpose of orchestrating several types of crime. With the amount of money being paid in the black market for private information, hackers are always on the prowl waiting for an opportunity to cause havoc on academic institutional, governmental and corporate websites (Guangrong, 1998). The information they obtain ends up being used to commit crimes like online fraud, identity theft and espionage. With this unethical usage being a very probable occurrence, very robust security software applications like anti-spyware and anti-viruses must be made so that the integrity of information stored in the internet can be protected. As I stated earlier, as long as the computers available in schools and libraries are connected to the internet, there is no limit to the diversity of information school children can gain access to. Any implementation of technology must be made with the objective of serving the community it targets with benefits. The objective of information technology services in schools is not that school children can access adult material or any other information that can be of bad influence. This is where technology steps in. ffective technologies of combating unethical sites (that is the ones with pornographic material, hate campaigns as well as a variety of other unsuitable content) should be implemented in schools and at homes to protect the innocence of children (Guangrong, 1998) The more the internet technology penetrates, the more teachers and students are finding it a useful tool for teaching and learning (Fung, 1998). The internet sounds and looks pretty simple to anyone who does not reall y understand the technicalities behind it. The use of persuasive technology on the internet is one example of technologies that could lure both teachers and students in orchestrating the practice of unethical activities. Persuasive technology as used in the internet poses a very serious challenge to educational instructors who choose to deliver their services through the internet. There is a very high risk of persuasive technologies being used to intentionally or unintentionally make children submit sensitive information about themselves or their families without knowing the risks they are exposing themselves and their families to. By definition, persuasive technologies are those interactive technologies which are intended to change an individual’s behaviors or attitudes towards specific issues including social, sexual and political beliefs and practices (Ellison, Steinfied, & Lampe, 2007). They can also be used to promote healthy eating habits and awareness on environmental conservation. These are examples of technologies which can be used to promote good use of technology and also bad use as explained below. Intelligence systems designed to monitor the activities of employees as they log in and out of the systems in the workplace constitute a healthy of ethical use of technology since it ensures they effectively use the resources at their disposal for the benefit of their employer and themselves (Cohen, 1995). With social networking sites and chat rooms increasing by the day, employees are developing the tendency to waste a lot of man hours on these sites. Their productivity therefore goes down and the effect is finally transmitted to the economy. Additionally, employees can use office systems to do illegal things like spy on their employers or other entities. If persuasive technologies are put in place to monitor their activities, then there will be less breakage of law and ethics. The same persuasive technologies can be put in place to monitor the movement of employees in service provision stores like supermarkets, restaurants and bars. This could end up ensuring that they stick to etiquette like washing their hands after visiting the washrooms or after getting into contact with other unhygienic practices, but it is unethical since it undermines their dignity and creates distrust. The same applies to companies who require visitors to their websites to submit their personal information before utilizing certain services before using a certain utility, for example downloading a software package or accessing a certain article. Legally, technology can be used to ensure adherence to laws especially those formulated to control the process of conducting or dissipating information on the web. If monitoring software can be installed at internet gateways to track any illegal undertakings being conducted in the web, the culprits can be tracked down and stopped to promote the safety of other internet users. However, this in itself has ethical implications in that every bit of content will have to be checked, and the privacy of information will be compromised albeit by a law enforcing agency. The motive of monitoring agencies may be good, but it may be used to conduct morally unacceptable activities by all or interested parties. Finally, there has been widespread condemnation of censorship, particularly in the case of Google Corporation and the government of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government stipulates strict censorship of the media including the internet. Not every type of information can be accessed, and this is achieved by the use of inhibitors to the various protocols used to search for and access information. This directly violates the people’s right to information and is therefore not only unethical but also illegal. From these examples, it is evident that the internet and other tools provided for by technology can be used to constitute good and bad use.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

British decolonisation in Africa Essay

Within the context of 1880-1980, to what extent did British actions accelerate British decolonisation in Africa? In the later years of the 19th century the scramble for the African continent by Western imperialist powers was reaching its climax. It appeared that the â€Å"dark continent† was to be no longer â€Å"dark†, but to be the product of Western colonial expansion with several European countries dividing up the land. No where was this more apparent than with Britain whose Empire was at its height at the turn of the century. Egypt, for instance, was a colony for 40 years (1882-1922) with its pinnacle at the turn of the century; however the decolonisation of the country as early as this is an anomaly in itself as only South Africa had previously been granted independence by the British, albeit as a self-governing dominion. In a bizarre turn of events which historians still debate today, the Empire crumbled and by the 1970s only two African states remained British colonies: Rhodesia and South West Africa. The Empire had taken the best part of a century to amalgamate, yet was mostly swept away in just over a decade. Many reasons have been proposed for the vast acceleration of decolonisation including economic difficulties at the metropole (Cain and Hopkins)1 and the rise of local nationalist movements (Hodgkin)2. More recently the actions of the British have been cited as a possible factor for the acceleration of decolonisation in Africa, marking a change in the historiography of the period. Turner3 and Lapping4 are promoters of this theory, which is gaining credence in the academic world. The 1945 election of the Labour party is a watershed in decolonisation acceleration. WW2 had recently ended which marked a shift in British culture and society, including a changed attitude to Empire. Interestingly, whilst many of the new Cabinet were anti-imperialists, the new government did not have a direct plan to fully decolonise. It was more a case of the Empire having to take a â€Å"backseat† to far more pressing matters: imperialism, in effect, slipped through the cracks of government. The party was elected on the mandate of and closely focused upon British welfare; the African colonies were working and therefore the government’s attention was deviated, however it was one of the actions directed at the metropole which accelerated independence for many colonies. The introduction of the Welfare State in 1948 led many Britons to consider the priority and indeed the importance of the Empire when compared to home-grown issues. WW2 brought increased globalisation and it is possible that through this many British citizens saw their needs ahead of the colonies: an archaic and out-of-date segment of British foreign policy. If the colonies had representation in the British Parliament and were a province of, rather than simply a colony of Great Britain, this attitude may have been different: French Algeria, for instance, was certainly more respected at the metropole then any of Britain’s African colonies. There is a debate however, as to whether the British public had undergone a liberal revolution or were simply acting with self-interest. White has theorised that the latter is true, citing that the reason as to why â€Å"the colonies were ditched was to release resources for domestic welfare spending†5. Moreover, the fact National Service was revoked in 1960 reduced Britain’s ability to defend its colonies against uprising nationalist movements: conscription was ended through self-interest, as the majority of British youths didn’t want to have to fight in the far off terrains of Sub-Saharan Africa. This further implies that the average British citizen was becoming disinterested by the Empire or, at the very least, impartial to its future. I will cover nationalism in greater depth below, but with such a lack of metropole interest, the Empire could not be expected to last long. The British action of electing a Labour government effectively, in an indirect form, acc elerated decolonisation for many of the African colonies. WW1 expanded the Empire both geographically and as a world power, with Britain gaining several new mandates from the Ottoman Empire. The geographical expansion of the Empire post-WW1 and the reluctance of the metropole to grant these new mandates independence6, imply that attitudes had not changed and many (both in government and in society) saw the Empire as a credible and useful segment of British politics: therefore, with the exception of the more economically advanced Egypt, African decolonisation by the British did not occur between the wars. Rather, many African colonies developed and became more stable societies. Take the Gold Coast for instance: between the wars its economy, communications and education became, to a certain extent, â€Å"Westernised† and the country flourished. Admittedly this led to the acceleration of nationalist movements in the area which, in turn, accelerated decolonisation, but the country was undeniably prospering due to the British-led government of the time.7 Many citizens of the African colonies (including Egypt and the Gold Coast) fought alongside British soldiers in WW1 and the respect and prestige for the peoples increased because of it. Indeed, the 1914-1939 era can be seen as one of the strongest periods of the British African Empire. This implies that a post-1945 factor (e.g. the Suez Crisis, see below) accelerated decolonisation. In comparison, World War 2 accelerated decolonisation at a far greater rate than many could have imagined just a few years prior. Effectively, the war established rather paradoxically that imperialism (both British and otherwise) was both positive and negative. Ferguson has noted that the British Empire sacrificed itself to stop the spread of the evil empire of Nazi Germany: indeed, the British Empire had â€Å"never had a finer hour†8 than when it was self-sacrificing. During the war it was inevitable that Britain would have to, to a certain extent, neglect the colonies to focus on defeating the enemy. Through this the colonies became more independent having to, for example, source resources and engage in trade without the aid of the metropole. Moreover, the colonial peoples had a greater influence on the running of their societies; in effect, many became informal dominions. This, combined with the policies of the 1945 Labour government, further fuelled nationalism which accelerated decolonisation; in a way similar to how the two World Wars improved women’s rights in Britain, the wars seemed to suggest that many colonies could govern effectively on their own. Previously, only the more economically and politically stable societies had been granted independence (e.g. South Africa, 1910) and several colonies (e.g. the Gold Coast) seemed to show similar traits during the war. The Second World War didn’t lead directly to decolonisation, but it is this British action which occurred because of the conflict that accelerated decolonisation in British Africa. The end of WW2 bought increased globalisation and a new world order, where the enemy didn’t appear to be Nazism or Fascism, but rather the expansion of the Soviet Bloc and the spread of communism: the Cold War was just beginning to ignite. Along with the notion of changed attitudes of the British people, there is also the argument that the Empire really didn’t fit into the new world. Now, the split between East and West had never been more apparent and British Africa looked like an oddity: along with the passing of new welfare legislation at the metropole and the changing attitudes of the British people, Britain needed to abolish the Empire for two reasons directly related to the Cold War: to concentrate efforts on halting the spread of communism and to appease the anti-imperialist US, who Britain now required as an ally more than ever before. Moreover, the world order was now unclear and Britain had far greater problems to worry about than what their small African colo nies were up to: put bluntly, the new threat of nuclear inhalation seemed more important than the political shortcomings of, say, Somalia. While WW2 does spell out more crucial factors for the acceleration of decolonisation, the Cold War is another smaller factor which just added to the need to decolonise. The post-WW2 economy is a further crucial factor in the acceleration of decolonisation. Britain was no longer able to withstand the fiscal costs of Empire; this was coupled with a lack of substantial profit coming into the metropole from the African colonies. Economically, WW2 was a great strain on Britain with the country coming out of the war in great debt; she required a loan of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½145million from the US alone9. Britain was exhausted and worn down, both figuratively and physically. Many cities required money to rebuild, some from scratch, plus food badly needed to be imported following years of intense rationing. Moreover, the introduction of the welfare state (see above) required significant funding. As said, attitudes to Empire were changing which, combined with the need for intense spending on the homeland, led to many seeing the African colonies simply as a drain on Britain’s already scarce resources. Britain made the situation worse: during the war she had und erstandably concentrated on producing munitions for her troops, resulting in fewer exports to the colonies. Many turned away from the metropole and looked to alternate suppliers, including their own land which inevitably fuelled nationalism further. Moreover, two acts (The Colonial Development and Welfare Acts of 1940 and 1945) were passed during wartime which forced the British government to further invest in the colonial economies10, therefore making an already problematic economic situation worse. It is possible that the government felt it was â€Å"backed into a corner† and simply did not have the patience or money to rebuild the colonies and the metropole: they had become, or at least had the potential to become, a major rupture on the British economy – a rupture Britain could not afford to fix, but only to cut out completely. In the early 20th century when British imperialism was at its height, Hobson11 saw the expansion of Britain in Africa as purely economic and an underhand method to help capitalists at the metropole – this opinion was endorsed by Lenin in 191 612 and, in an albeit modified form, by the historian Darwin in 1984: â€Å"more completely than ever before, economics and empire had come together†13. More recently, Cain and Hopkins14 have suggested that imperialism in Africa was established by â€Å"gentleman capitalists†15 who were simply aiming to make profit out of the African land. Of course, if this is the case, then with the post-war debt experienced in 1945 it would have been difficult to make money from these colonies, leading to decolonisation. The decolonisation of African colonies would effectively make Britain a richer country, therefore agreeing with the views expressed by Cain and Hopkins and others: the Empire had served its purpose of aiding Britain’s wealth but now it was draining it and, as such, it was time for it to go. The Suez Crisis of 1956 was one of the most decisive British actions in the 20th century to accelerate decolonisation in Africa. Former Prime Minister Harold MacMillan once remarked that it is â€Å"events, dear boy, events†16 which determine the success of a premiership. The term â€Å"event† is almost too light of a phrase to use when considering the Suez Crisis: not only did it annihilate Anthony Eden’s administration, but it was also the launching pad for many factors which saw British decolonisation vastly accelerated. There are two key elements of the crisis which paved the way to said factors: the deception employed by the imperialist powers of Britain and France, plus the apparent overreaction to a simple act of nationalisation by a head of state. Both these factors led to the reputations of the countries involved and international relations been damaged, as well as a decrease in trade. Britain was the driving force behind the attack hence she was particu larly wounded with the political and economic fallout: for one, the special relationship with the United States was harmed (Secretary of State John Foster Dulles claimed the British government had explicitly â€Å"lied to [him]†17) and, more critically for this inquiry, her reputation within the African continent was damaged. Britain looked small and corrupt, a mere shadow of her former colonial self; she was attempting to throw her imperialist weight around in a world which it didn’t seem to fit. Nasser had successfully stood up to the Western powers and won, thus undermining Britain and France, plus providing inspiration to the many oppressed colonies. However, it is possible that the reaction did not provoke the level of international condemnation that is contemporarily considered, showing a difference in historiography. To the African colonies, former British dominions that had experienced colonialism and anti-imperialist powers such as the USA, then yes, it is likely that Britain’s reputation was damaged. However, to other imperialists it is possible that the government simply appeared to be standing firm with a tyrant. World War 2 had been won only 11 years prior, hence the memory of what tyrannical dictators can achieve was still fresh in most leaders’ minds. Eden may have appeared noble and selfless, â€Å"destroying not just his own political career but a carefully-crafted reputation built up over more than 20 years†18 for the greater good of a safer world, or at least a more economically stable Great Britain. White has proposed that â€Å"there [were] a number of lacklustre continuities, rather than dramatic discontinuities†19 in imperialist policy following Eden’s departure: a government memorandum circulated in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, for instance, made no mention of impending decolonisation20. Suez was not so much a watershed, but a temporary setback in Britain’s imperial decline, indicating other factors are responsible. Economically, the Egyptian nationalisation of the canal posed a significant danger to Britain as 2/3 of the country’s oil utilised the waterway. The chief reason as to why Britain intervened in the first place (and, indeed, retained the Canal Zone in 1922) was that the government simply did not trust the Egyptians to efficiently control â€Å"the windpipe†21 of the British economy. Post-crisis, Britain’s humiliation resulted in a trade decrease and a â€Å"catastrophic†22 run on the pound, resulting in her appearing not only politically and militarily weak but also financially weak. This situation, which was caused by the Suez Crisis, meant that Britain could no longer afford to support the African colonies, implying that the British action of invading the Suez Canal Zone led to one of the factors which brought about the Empire’s collapse. Combined, these factors inspired nationalist movements within the colonies and general condemnation of imperial ism, which also accelerated decolonisation. The crisis is unique as not only did it, to a certain extent accelerate decolonisation, but it is also one of the very few examples of where a British action greatly damages the standing of the Empire. Prior to Suez, Britain was surprisingly cautious with decolonisation (with regard to Africa, only 4 of her 24 colonies had been decolonised at this point); arguably this was to retain an Empire, but also to ensure that the new societies were ready to govern. It was only following the Suez debacle that decolonisation accelerated, implying that previously Britain had took great care over the handovers of power. South Africa was a stable society when decolonised in 1910 and, looking further afield, so were Australia, Canada and India. To many other countries and colonies, Britain appeared now unable to continue to be the metropole of a successful Empire. After all, if the dictator of a former colony could cause a country such ridicule, how could they be expected to carry on maintaining a successful Empire? Comparatively with White23, Turner has called the crisis a â€Å"military failure and political disaster†24, whilst Lapping has referred to it as the â€Å"imperial cataclysm†25 in decolonisation acceleration. The crisis was highly influential in the eventual collapse of the British Empire in Africa but it did not lead directly to decolonisation, rather greatly accelerated it. The rise of nationalism within the African colonies inevitably accelerated decolonisation; advocates of this theory argue that for decolonisation to occur there needs to be an opposition force to the â€Å"status quo† government (in this case, colonial British rule), thereby giving the people a choice. Looking throughout history at the Empire as a whole gives this theory credibility: look at the violent independence battles of the 13 North American colonies in 1783 or India in 1947, and compare that to the peaceful colony of the Falkland Islands which still exists today. The previous decolonisation record of the British government, plus the 1947 granting of independence to India, no doubt sent the message that it â€Å"was only a matter of time† before the African colonies were decolonised. India specifically was the â€Å"jewel in the crown† of the British Empire and as such its decolonisation will have led many, both in the colonies and abroad, to see the Empir e as deteriorating. This accelerated nationalist movements within the African colonies, with India referencing the beginning of the end. After all, if India could be granted independence through a powerful and violent nationalist movement, then why couldn’t the other far less prestigious colonies? Indian independence inspired others to rise up and attempt to take back control of their lands, accelerating the decolonisation process for British Africa. Similarly, plus to reiterate an earlier point, the Suez Crisis accelerated nationalism: Nasser appeared to be the â€Å"David† who had managed to annihilate the imperialist â€Å"Goliath†. This inspired nationalism in other colonies to grow and attempt to take back control of their lands: after all, if Nasser could manage it then why couldn’t they? Harold MacMillan’s â€Å"Winds of Change† speech four years later further inspired this nationalism as, for the first time, the government officially acknowledged the ine vitability of decolonisation. The speech sent the message to many colonial peoples that nationalism was acceptable: for the first time in almost 100 hundred years, power was given to the Africans. MacMillan was acknowledging that the British government could no longer afford to sustain an Empire and would be willing to pass power to the local peoples if they should so wish. The speech had a great effect as over the next ten years 88% of Britain’s remaining African colonies were granted independence; by 1968, only two remained. Nationalism was suddenly acceptable which encouraged those who may have been content to be a colony to rise up against imperialism. This speech, combined with Britain’s poor economic situation and damaged credibility following Suez, vastly accelerated decolonisation. Moreover, the vast majority of British colonies were underdeveloped both economically and socially which further advanced nationalism. Take Nigeria for instance: the peoples were so against colonial oppression many began to â€Å"strike† from work – a surprisingly Western phenomenon implying the people were more integrated than they may have wished to believe. It is estimated that from 1945-50, over 100,000 working days were lost in Nigeria to strike action against colonial rule26. Even the Gold Coast (the â€Å"very model†27 of a colony) was not free of such demonstrations against imperialism: February 1948 witnessed a violent protest, resulting in the deaths of two British servicemen28. One only has to look at Kenya and the Mau Mau rebellions to see further evidence of increasing dissent with British imperialism. It had, to use the words of one modern historian, turned into a â€Å"rapid scuttle†29 of local nationalism. The Gold Coast was decolonized in 1957 but had been allowed to gradually master the art of modern government over many years, leading to a much more stable society post-independence, making it the â€Å"very model of decolonisation†30. In comparison, when Nigeria was swiftly decolonised in 1960 the government was a weak coalition with limited power – two army coups followed in 1964 and 1966. Britain’s damaged reputation in the continent prevented stable governments from being created, resulting in far more fragile states today. French Algeria (despite been a province of the metropole) saw terrible violence between the FLN and colons: to use a term of warfare, the Algerian nationalists utilised violent guerrilla tactics to spread their cause, resulting in a great amount of destruction and loss of life. Algeria bullied itself into independence in 1962 further showing that imperial metropoles were not as powerful as they once were. It is an exaggeration perhaps, but it can be said that the Suez Crisis was the first instance which led to these new states’ political and economic troubles which still exist today. Look at Egypt and South Africa today or, from a more international perspective, India and Australia, all of which were granted independence pre-1956 and compare them to the troubled states of Nigeria, Kenya (1963) and Somalia (1960). The acceleration of British decolonisation in the latter half of the 20th century is the opposite of what the government and imperialists like the legendary Cecil Rhodes would have imagined just 60-70 years previously. They had fought sometimes bloody battles for the expansion of the British Empire into the â€Å"less civilised† areas of the world, yet now the government was seemingly trying to get rid of the Empire in as rapid and inefficient way as possible. Multiple factors account for the sudden acceleration of decolonisation, but most come back to the actions of the British: if Britain had, for instance, provided more support and direct governance in a Westernised style (as seen in the Gold Coast), her colonies would have developed at a greater rate leading to a greater level of content from the colonial peoples. However her neglect and exploitation of her own people led to dissent within the colonies, leading many to â€Å"want out† before they were politically ready. The most pivotal British action which is continually referred back to is the 1956 Suez Crisis: for the first time in the Empire’s history, the British appeared militarily, politically and economically weak, causing many in the African colonies to quite fairly believe they could run their countries better. Nationalism was inevitable, and the international conflicts of the Cold War and the two World Wars couldn’t be stopped, implying that Britain herself was responsible for the downfall of her own Empire. If the crisis hadn’t occurred then the Empire would have faded away through gradual decolonisation as each territory became more economically, politically and socially developed; instead, the Crisis turned decolonisation of Africa into a â€Å"rapid scuttle†31, with Britain almost retreating into a corner trying to distance herself as far as possible from the embarrassment of 1956. Today, it is easy to see that decolonisation was inevitable; the Suez Crisis just accelerated that inevitability. One of the world’s greatest Empires was established by one of the most powerful countries in the world, so it is only fitting that it was destroyed by one of the most disgraced – it is just unfortunate they were both Great Britain. 1 Cain, P. J. & Hopkins, A. J., 1993, British Imperialism: Crisis and Deconstruction, 1914-1990 2 Hodgkin, T., 1956, Nationalism in Colonial Africa 3 Turner, B., 2006, Suez 1956: The Inside Story of the First Oil War 4 Lapping, B., 1985, End of Empire 5 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 32 6 Thorn, G., 2008, End of Empires: European Decolonisation 1919-80, Pg 16 7 McLaughlin, J. L., 1994, The Colonial Era: British Rule of the Gold Coast 8 Ferguson, N., 2004, Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World 9 Rohrer, F., 10/05/2006, BBC News [Online] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4757181.stm] [Accessed 25/04/2010] 10 Chamberlain, M.E., 1985, Decolonisation: The Fall of the European Empires, Pg 35 11 Hobson, J.A., 1902, Imperialism: A Study 12 Lenin, V., 1916, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism 13 Darwin, J., 1984, British Decolonization since 1945: A Pattern or a Puzzle?, Pg 197 14 Cain, P. J. & Hopkins, A. J., 1993, British Imperialism: Crisis and Deconstruction, 1914-1990 15 Cain, P. J. & Hopkins, A. J., 1993, British Imperialism: Innovation and Expansion, 1688-1914 16 Beckett, F., 2006, MacMillan, Pg 97 17 Wilby, P., 2006, Eden, Pg 79 18 Wilby, P., 2006, Eden, Pg 128 19 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 85 20 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 128 21 Wilby, P., 2006, Eden, Pg 96 22 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 84 23 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945 24 Turner, B., 2006, Suez 1956: The Inside Story of the First Oil War 25 Lapping, B., 1985, End of Empire 26 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 48 27 Thorn, G., 2008, End of Empires: European Decolonisation 1919-80, Pg 50 28 White, N. J., 1999, Decolonisation: The British Experience Since 1945, Pg 49 29 Lapping, B., 1985, End of Empire, Pg 227 30 Thorn, G., 2008, End of Empires: European Decolonisation 1919-80, Pg 50 31 Lapping, B., 1985, End of Empire, Pg 227

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Resolution of Conflicts - 1861 Words

â€Å"To live anyhow is better than not at all† (Chekhov 1) , the short story, The Bet commenced with the conflict when the person had no choice but to choose between the death penalty or life in prison. The Bet was originally written by Anton Chekhov, a profound Russian short-story writer who concentrated a lot on human values and the reflection of the extravagantly selfish Russian nobility. And through The Bet he was able to express all those ideas in two sides, the banker and the lawyer with the conflict along the story line. The author introduced the story with a momentary flashback that the banker recalled at night what happened in the past instead of going directly to the party from fifteen years ago. Well, this flashback style for†¦show more content†¦With the banker’s conspiracy, after finishing the elimination, he would blame all of the dirty works to the watchman. In the context â€Å"He groped his way into a little passage and lighted a match. There was not a soul there† (Chekhov, 4) even that the banker, a human-being with soul was there. The author used this saying as an innuendo, alluding that the banker had sold his soul to the devil for the money. According to the Bible (1 Timothy 6:10), The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. After the banker examined that the watchman and the lawyer were deeply asleep, he made up his mind to sneak in the imprisoned room. The banker saw the lawyer was sleeping in the desk with the note in front of his bowed head. Before killing the lawyer, the banker decided to read the notes. And surprisingly, on the contrary with the banker’s thought â€Å"he is asleep and most likely dreaming of the millions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chekhov, 4), the lawyer stated in the notes that he would renounce the money, break the contract by escaping before the stipulated time because he had achieved something more important than two million dollars and he was satisfied with that. The banker kissed the strange man on the head, got back to his room but could not stop crying for hours and hours until receiving the news from the watchman that the lawyer had fled through the windows. He arrived at the basement later, took theShow MoreRelatedConflict Resolution : Conflicts Resolution988 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to conflict resolution there are several ways to handle this. There’ve been several times that I’ve had to deal with conflict resolution. Conflict resolution also has several tips that you can learn to be able to handle a conflict. A conflict resolution can be handled in a positive way or a negative way. What is conflict resolution? In Community Tool Box it states â€Å"Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. 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