The Australia Post †Case Study

Executive Summary There are many organizations that have been able to stand the test of time in business. This enables them to remain strong and competitive in business. One such organization is Australia Post. This paper presents a comprehensive case study of Australia Post. The paper concentrates on change aspects in the organization that have enabled it to remain strong in the competitive mail delivery industry within Australia.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Australia Post – Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper is divided in several parts. The background part of the paper gives the general overview of the organization. The introduction part of the paper introduces the general organization. This part goes further to narrow on change that has occurred within the organization. It gives a transition into the main body of the paper. This presents a deep look into how change is being i ntroduced and implemented by Australia Post. The main body analyses the major strategic change initiatives that have been taking place in the Australia Post. In addition, the way these change initiatives have helped the corporation to position itself within the industry is analysed. There are several changes that are noted and analysed under this section. They include partnerships that the company has entered into, adoption of information technology in its functions, and the integration of e-commerce in diversifying the organisation’s operations. The other change initiative analysed is how the corporation is working on improving the delivery of its labour force. A number of recommendations are crafted at the end of the paper. These could serve as a basis for future development initiatives by the corporation. Background Information The Australia Post is state owned agency in Australia. The name Australia Post is the brand name of the Australia Postal Corporation. It operates i n the Australia mail dispatch industry. This is one of the oldest agencies under the Australia Public sector and which has been operating since the early 1800s. Since then, it has managed to undergo transformation in order to cope with the changing business environment. The agency deals with the delivery of a wide range of mails in the country. Also, the company has been expanding its business operations, which now include electronic mail delivery services and the distribution of electronic mail services (Herr and Herr, 2011). Introduction Australia Post is operating in an industry that is very competitive. The competition arises from active firms in the industry including TNT, DHL and FedEx. The company has undergone transformation that has greatly contributed to its success. Most of the changes have been aimed at broadening and diversifying the range of service delivery by the company. The company’s operations are focused on various aspects.Advertising Looking for repo rt on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the areas of focus is letters. It also focuses on parcels and logistics services among other areas. The firm has expanded its operations, which are now discharged via various subsidiaries and joint ventures (Brimson, 2008). Overview of the organizational structure of the Australia Post The Australia Post has an elaborate system of corporate governance that is stipulated in the way it spreads and discharges organizational responsibilities. The organization has various administrative hierarchies eminent in the administrative bodies running the company. These include the shareholder ministers and the board that has two administrative committees. However, it is evident that there is little hierarchy in the organization due to the little number of administrative organs. This denotes reduced centralization in the organization which is a precursor to faster communication an d discharge of duties for improved performance of the corporation (Financial Review, 2012; Australia Post, n. d). Many organizations are working on de-bureaucratization as a means of pacing up work and delivering best results. Australian Post has little bureaucracy that is contrary to many other government agencies. This is the reason why the corporation has managed to position itself in the industry which has many private and competitive firms (Palmer, 2007). The overall administrative body of the company is the board which is led by a chairman and deputy chairman. There are nine directors who form the board of the Company. Out of the nine directors, eight of them serve as nonexecutive members. The only executive member who sits on the board is the managing director who is also the chief executive officer of the corporation. The board is the overall decision making organ of the organization. It deliberates on the strategies of the companies before either approving or disapproving t hem (Australia Post Website, 2012). The second powerful organ of the Australia Post is the executive committee, which is chaired by the chief executive officer of the company. This committee is composed of executives heading different operational sections of the company. They are the main strategists of the organization. The committee meets to deliberate on the strategies of the company and then forwards their recommendations to the board, which further deliberates on them and makes the final recommendations. Each operational section of the company is headed by the general, chief executive officers who are directly accountable to the chief executive office of the company. The chief executive officer of the company is answerable and accountable to the organization’s board (Australia Post Website, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Australia Post – Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The board is the chief accounting body to the shareholders of the company. It sets the objectives of the company and lays down the strategies to help in meeting the objectives. Planning is done on a three year basis. The board prepares and rolls out its corporate plan after every three months. The plan is closely monitored as it continues to be implemented. A progress report is prepared quarterly and forms a basis on which the plan is streamlined. There are two main board committees for the organization: the human resources committee and the audit and risk committee. The audit and risk committee concentrates on handling matter to do with finance, accounting, auditing and risk control for the organization. The human resources committee concentrates on the matter to do with the employees of the corporation. These include the formulation and deliberation on human resource policies, remuneration and structural issues. The formulation of different administrative units in the organizatio n helps in the deliberation of different issues in the organization (Australia Post Website, 2012). The organization has many employees working on both permanent and temporary basis. By end of the year 2011, the organization had 23,369 permanent employees and over 10, 000 non permanent employees (Australia Post Website, 2012). Operating as a government agency and utilizing the government resources, the Australia Post has undergone tremendous strategic changes that have helped to position the company in the industry. This has enabled it to become self sustainable in the sense that it funds its own operations and makes profits (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, 2006). This has enabled the company to have the widest coverage and clientele in Australia which surpasses the clientele of the private competitors by far. This is a great achievement for an agency of the government that offers services at subsidized rates. From simple delivery of parcels and mails, the Australia Post now deals in a wide range of business activities that make the company match the prevailing demand for services. Financial and banking services have been fully incorporate into the operations of the company. Also, direct marketing functions and database management operations have been fully adopted and are being discharged by the company. Logistical and fulfillment functions are also among the operations of the company. All these denote huge growth and the aspect of business adaptability by the company. The company has had a strong transformational growth curve that has been prompted by the strategic changes that have been implemented by it (Australia Post, n. d).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Notable strategic, organizational development and change in the Australia Post In the year 2009, the National Archives of Australia joined hands with Australia Post in developing the Records Authority. This set the requirements and guidelines for either keeping or destruction of records in the core areas of operation. These areas include commercial operations, customer relations, corporate governance, collection management, mail operations, external relations, stamp management and post fleet and logistics management and strategic management. Under this deal, the National Archive of Australia was to commit to understanding, creating and managing the records on behalf of Australia Post. This eased activities for Australia Post as it gave the company the permission for the destruction, retention, and even the transferring of records to the National Archives of Australia. The authority assesses the records and sets timelines of the retention period for the records. The assessment report is the basis on which Australia Post disposes records that are no longer in need. This has improved record management by Australia Post. Therefore, this has positively impacted on the general, administrative practice of the company. Important information is sorted and safeguarded for future reference (Australian Government and National Archives of Australia, 2009). Areas of focus for the company as it enters into the future Bryan (2005) noted that futuristic prospects are important for any company that has a vision, and which intends to have sustainable growth. The future prospects of growth are based on the present developments and the opportunities that are imminent in the industry. So far, it can be argued that the organization has done well in capturing a number of opportunities that are prevailing in the business environment in which it exists (Australia Post, 2009). The company needs to work on broadening of its market and business shares in certain business segments which lo ok more promising. These include the banking and the financial services sector. More customers are found here, and the company can attract if it deeply ventures into offering these diversified services. Strengthening the market share in the delivery of express mail is another can further enhance the performance of the company (Australia Post Website, n. d). The prospective areas of growth for the Australia Post lie in the improvement and upgrading the way they deliver their services. Improvement of service delivery systems is one of the most effective ways through which an organization can improve its performances. Effective organizational change often originates from within the organization. Internal change strengthens the internal systems thus fastening the quality of services that are delivered by a company. One way of improving efficiency in the organization is by strengthening of automated systems to enhance the speed and efficiency of delivering services to customers. Automate d systems are faster and result into a cut overhead costs that emanate from the use of analog systems of delivering services to customers. Automation can be a precursor to attaining one-stop shopping services. This is in respect to the range of services that the company is offering (Waddell, Cummings and Worley, 2011). Organizational transformation using Information Technology Child and McGrath (2001) observe that information technology is the key too that is being used by organizations to transform their services and improve the performance. The Australia Post is one of the organizations that have realized the essence of employing information technology in service improvement. The program to use information technology in improving service delivery was fully initiated in the year 2006. This was to serve as part of a retrenchment program that was supposed to relieve the inefficient staffs by replacing them with IT systems controlled by few employees (Tay, 2012). As of today, the orga nization has approximately 1000 IT staffs. However, the overhead costs of the organization have not significantly dropped as was expected. This is because the organization has been forced to retain most of the staffs by reassigning them to other tasks within the organization. Sizable progress has already been made in improving the service delivery using IT systems in the company. In addition, significant progress is projected to come from the projects being initiated. More positive outcomes from IT projects are expected as the company continues to embrace it. The overhead costs or operation costs are often higher in the initial stages of application or use of IT in the organization. It takes quite a long time to realize the full benefits of information technology use in business. The introduction of technology into the operations of an organization is a whole business process and a big step in organizational change (Hutchinson, 2011). One of the major information technology projects that are being implemented by the corporation is the offering of digital mailboxes to their customers. This mailbox is expected to enhance timely and fast delivery of mails to customers. This digital service is aimed to foster secure access to mails by customers. Physical mails will be availed digitally to customers in a single location on the web. Therefore, there will be no need for multiple password and login details as has been the case. A single secure channel will be used by customers to access their bills, notices as well as other statements. The corporation has in the recent times been capitalizing on e-commerce. This has been aimed at expanding the company’s business range of products. This has also aimed at improving service delivery to customers hence raising profits for the company. The corporation has already begun implementing its plan to venture in online marketing business. The company has already opened over 30 superstores in the country (Chillibreeze, 2012) . Online marketing was seen as an opportunity by the corporation due to a substantive increase in the number of online shoppers in Australia. The new superstores are well furnished with diversified services in the offing to attract a significant number of customers. The stores have 24-hour shopping zones with parcel lockers, vending merchandises and self-service terminals. Also, postal services will be accessed in these stores. Online services will be available to allow for online product research by the customer and ordering of the products (Stafford, 2012). Present in the stores are also Australian Post Automated Teller Machines and the American Express currency exchange. This is a well planned venture especially in this modern business era. In this era, one stop shopping is becoming a business trend that is enormously applauded by customers. This venture is helping the company in exploring many business opportunities that are present both in the industry and outside the industry. Child and McGrath (2001) noted that the major goals of change strategies of organizations are to identify, learn, and capture new opportunities that exist in the business environment. The Australian can be considered as a business development benchmark for many government-owned corporations in Australia and the entire globe (Chillibreeze, 2012). Australian post has launched a renewal program dubbed â€Å"future ready†. This is a business development program that aims to propel the company into the future. It is meant to help the organization to focus and position its operations in accordance to the prevailing and expected changes in the industry and market. It is vital for companies to plan into the future because the business environment presents both opportunities and challenges (Dunford, Palmer, Benveniste and Crawford, 2007). The initiation of the program was done three years ago to aid the organization to become more customer-centered and by effect more sustainable. One of the main divers in the program is the embracing of digitalization of operations due to availability and importance of information technology. Physical operations have been the modalities of working for the company for a long period of operation. They are seen as having inconveniences and prevented the corporation from reaching and serving more customers as they as they are slow and inefficient. The program focuses on strategic units of operation in the corporation which are retail services, postal services, e-services and express distribution services (Australia Post Website, 2010). Collaborations and partnerships are founded ways in which firms breach obstacles and enhance the development of business projects. Australia Post has not working solely particularly on projects do with the adoption of information technology systems in service delivery. As a component of strategic development, the firm has signed a strategic working partnership with Telstra concerning the use of IT ne tworks and mailboxes. This agreement was signed in January this year and was meant to enhance the sharing of network in discharging services to customers of both companies: Australia Post and Telstra. The channels of provision of information to customers are being enhanced as the partnership is streamlined. This will be more beneficial to the company as the customers continue to realize improvement in service delivery of the company (Australia Post Website, 2012). The labor problem The major problem that has been hindering change in the organization is the problem of labor. The company has been having many cash-in-workers who are often blamed for poor service delivery. This is coupled with the earlier mentioned problem of hardship in replacing the underperforming employees even amidst the introduction of information technology systems. However, negotiations between the corporation and the union representatives representing the employees of the organization have been in progress. Ear ly this year, the union recommended that the casual workers be replaced with more qualified staffs who will be employed on a permanent basis by the corporation. This has been thought to be a positive step which will help eliminate inconsistencies in service delivery to customers by the corporation. As the company works on the modality of implementing the recommendations, it remains with one major challenge. The casual employees form a reasonably large percentage of the staffs of the organization. Therefore, it is difficult for the organization to lay them off (Ham, 2012). Conclusion Australia Post is a state owned company that has been in operation for almost a century. This can be cited as one of the best performing government agencies, not only in Australia, but also on the global scene. It can serve as a benchmark of how government agencies ought to embrace change and operate for profits. The corporation operates under a limited bureaucratic structure. Therefore, it has been easy for Australia Post to effect change that has helped the company deliver good services to its customers. This has also helped the company in improving its services and remaining competitive in the industry. Recommendations The effectiveness of change and improvement in an organization is dependent on a number of things within the organization. One of them is the organizational structure of the organization. Therefore, it will be important for Australia Post to continue embracing de-bureaucratization of operations. The company has to enhance its human resource practices. This will help it get employees who are modern and competent enough to handle the tasks. Embracing modern human resource practices can help Australia Post to solve the labor problem. Strategic partnerships are also important for a company that aims to expand its operations. Australia Post can develop business partnerships with like minded companies especially in the IT sector. This will help it in upgrading and usin g information technology while hastening the delivery of services to its customers. E-commerce seems to be promising for the corporation. Therefore, the company is likely to increase and diversify its operations by investing heavily in e-commerce related investments. This includes venturing significantly in the e-marketing business that has been initiated. Reference List Australia Post 2009, Getting Future Ready. Australia Post n. d., The Strength Within. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2006, Assessing cross-subsidy in Australia Post, An ACCC report. Australia Post Website 2012, Australia Post and Telstra sign strategic partnership on Digital Mailbox and IT network. Web. Australia Post Website 2012, Corporate governance. Web. Australia Post Website 2010, Future Ready – Australia Post’s business renewal program. Australia Post Website, n. d., Banking and identity. Web. Australian Government and National Archives of Australia, 2009, Records Authority â₠¬â€œ Australia Post. Brimson, C 2008, ‘An integrated action research action learning leadership development program for managers of Australia Posts’ delivery business unit in SA/NT,’ Gibran Journal of Applied Management, vol.1, pp. 85-108. Bryan, L 2005, ‘The 21st century organization’, McKinsey Quarterly, no. 3, pp. 24†33. Child, J and McGrath, RG 2001, ‘Organizations unfettered: Organizational form in an information†intensive economy’, The Academy of Management Journal, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 1135†1148. Chillibreeze, 2012, Australia Post reveals digital mailbox plan. Dunford, R, Palmer, I, Benveniste, J Crawford, J 2007, ‘Coexistence of ‘old’ and ‘new’ organisational practices: Transitory phenomena or enduring feature’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 24†43. Financial Review, 2012, Australia Post: The enduring power of paper as an effective means of communication. Financial Review. Ham, L 2012, Stamp out illegal posties: union. Herr, P and Herr, P 2011, U. S. Postal Service: Foreign Posts’ Strategies Could Inform U. S. Postal Services Efforts to Modernize, Diane Publishing Company, Washington D. C. Hutchinson, J 2011, Australia Post eyes billion-dollar e-commerce, IT News for Australian Business. Palmer, I 2007, ‘New organizational forms: towards a generative dialogue’, Organization Studies, vol. 28, no. 12, pp. 1829†1847. Stafford, S 2012, Australia Post losing $70 million a year on international pricing structure. Tay, L 2012, Lessons from Australia Post’s IT â€Å"transformation†. This report on The Australia Post – Case Study was written and submitted by user M1racle to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Front Street Hospital Case Study Essays

Front Street Hospital Case Study Essays Front Street Hospital Case Study Essay Front Street Hospital Case Study Essay According to Kaiser Family Foundation (2013), more than 47 million Americans were uninsured in 2012. These gaps in health insurance undoubtedly increase healthcare costs, discourage the use of preventative care, and negatively impact the lives and health of the American people. One way to combat this issue is for hospitals and providers to offer charity care to those who qualify and are in need. Non-profit hospitals are organized to serve a charitable purpose to meet the needs of the community and serve indigent patients that would otherwise go without care due to lack of insurance. In return, these organizations receive tax exempt status on  all of their earnings. However, some hospitals have fallen short in terms of fulfilling their obligations to the community and the patients in need. The revenue function of healthcare organizations is extremely complex. Part of this issue can be attributed to the different sources of revenue payers: self-pay, Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, and managed care contract payers. Health economist Gerard Anderson notes that â€Å"uninsured patients and those who pay with their own funds are charged 2. 5 times more for hospital care than those covered by health insurance and more than 3 times the  allowable amount paid by Medicare† (Anderson, 2007). : Front Street Hospital has most certainly contributed to those staggering figures researched by Anderson. For example, Jane Adams, a young uninsured patient spent two days at Front Street for an appendectomy procedure. An insured patient undergoing the same procedure would have been expected to pay close to $2500 after Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to the hospital. Instead, Adams was left with a $19,000 bill for the appendectomy. Like all other uninsured patients, Adams didn’t benefit from discounted rates. To add insult to injury, Front  Assignment 6. 2 Chapman 3 Street is known for its intimidating collection tactics against patients who are unable to finance their care. Similarly there is Lori Duff, an uninsured Ohio resident who was barely able to make ends meet. After seeking treatment and not being able to pay her hospital bill, she was threatened with a 25% wage garnishment and continuously harassed by Mount Carmel Health System. Being a part of the uninsured population I empathize with self-pay and uninsured patients. Many people delay treatment to avoid outrageous bills and the financial burdens associated with them. So, I completely disagree with the billing and collection policies of non-profit hospitals related to the uninsured. The uninsured patients are the ones who need discounted services most. It creates a catch 22 situation when choosing to seek care. Avoiding care will only deteriorate an individual’s health, while seeking care creates financial problems. I don’t believe that hospitals should not try to collect on past due bills; however they should go about it in a different way than Front Street has. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act grants creditors the ability to seek to collect on outstanding debt in a number of ways (FTC,2014). Hospitals are known for providing a substantial amount of uncompensated care and it is their job to reduce these types of liabilities. Therefore, Front Street was not unethical in their efforts to collect debt through communications with the patients. I disagree with how far they have chosen to go to collect on bad debt and believe that there are different methods that could have been used. If I could act as the ultimate authority in this situation I would create a stringent law that requires hospitals to fairly set prices for uninsured patients, monitor compliance, and add  penalties for those who disregard the law. Thankfully the new healthcare reform has addressed Assignment 6. 2 Chapman 4 the issue related to hospitals and their obligation to provide charity care. Under the new rules nonprofit hospitals are required to comply with the following four provisions (Gold, 2012): 1. Prohibited from charging uninsured low-income patients higher rates than the lowest amounts billed to individuals with insurance. 2. Required to have a clearly written financial assistance policy describing who is eligible for free or reduced cost care. The policy must be widely publicized in the community  served by the hospital. 3. Prohibited from enforcing extraordinary collections actions against patients before determining whether the patient qualifies for financial assistance. 4. Required to conduct assessments on the health needs of the community they serve and implement a strategy to meet those needs. One thing that I would focus on due to my experience is closely monitoring how well hospitals implement their financial assistance policies. A few years ago I was denied assistance for an emergency room visit and without being given any explanation as to why. Based on my  understanding of the policy, I qualified for assistance, however, my bill was never reduced and it eventually went to collections. I would also reevaluate the needs of the community and see how the organization can meet those needs. It is important to educate the community on the organization’s obligations to the patients and community, patient responsibilities, and ways to utilize available resources. Many patients don’t know about the financial assistance policies that hospitals have. This creates a huge disconnect between the patient and the hospital or providers treating the patient. Assignment 6. 2 Chapman 5 References  Anderson , G. (2007). Hospitals charge uninsured and â€Å"self-pay† patients more than double what insured patients pay. Retrieved from jhsph. edu/news/news-releases/2007/anderson-hospital-charges. html Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (n. d. ). Fair Debt Collection Practice Act. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from ftc. gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/fair-deb t-collection-practices-act-text Gapenski, L. (2010). Cases in healthcare finance. (4 ed. , pp. 239-241). Health Administration Press. Gold, J. (2012, April). Nonprofit hospitals faulted for stinginess with charity care. Retrieved from npr. org/blogs/health/2012/04/27/151537743/nonprofit-hospitals-faulted-for-st inginess-with-charity-care Kaiser Family Foundation. (2013, October). The uninsured: A primer key facts about health insurance on the eve of coverage expansions. Retrieved from http://kff. org/uninsured/report/the-uninsured-a-primer-key-facts-about-health-insurance-o. n-the-eve-of-coverage-expansions/ HCM 733 Domonique Chapman Case Study: Front Street Hospital, Week 6 Learning Outcomes: advocate courses of action regarding finance-related ethical issues in health services organizations. Score  Below Expectations 0 – 10 Approaches Expectations 11 Meets Expectations 12 13 1. Evaluation of billing and collection policies of not-for-profit hospitals related to the uninsured Evaluation of billing and collection policies is insufficient1. Evaluation of billing and collection policies is sufficient2. Evaluation of billing and collection policies is comprehensive3. Below Expectations 0 – 10 Approaches Expectations 11 Meets Expectations 12 13 2. Discussion of ethical issues Discussion of ethical issues is insufficient. Discussion of ethical issues is sufficient. Discussion of ethical issues is comprehensive. Below Expectations 0 – 10 Approaches Expectations 11 Meets Expectations 12 13 3. Decision regarding billing and collection policies of not-for-profit hospitals related to the uninsured Decision regarding billing and collection policies is insufficient. Decision regarding billing and collection policies is sufficient. Decision regarding billing and collection policies is comprehensive. Quality of Writing Below Expectations 0 – 8 Approaches Expectations 9 Meets Expectations 10 11 Lacks professional quality; evidence of disorganized thought processes; major grammatical, spelling and/or typographical errors  Average professional quality; evidence of organized thought processes; relatively few grammatical, spelling, and/or typographical errors Excellent professional quality; evidence of highly organized thought processes; no grammatical, spelling , or typographical, errors Total possible points: 50 Comments 1 The discussion is insufficient in that it lacks specific detail and/or does not address the question. 2 The discussion is sufficient in that it contains minimal detail, but lacks additional contextual information. 3 The discussion is comprehensive in that it is substantive and includes additional contextual information.

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Taoism, The Principle of Wu-Wei Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taoism, The Principle of Wu-Wei - Research Paper Example This paper will shed more light upon Taoism and the principles of Wu-Wei. Confucianism is a term which is very closely related to Taoism, a lot of can be learned about the Chinese people just by knowing more about Taoism and Confucianism. These are terms which reflect the spirit of the Chinese people and what they are made up of. The ancient Chinese society must be given credit for coining the term Taoism, the ideology and the beliefs of the Han nationality is often portrayed when people talk of Taoism. Ancient people in China used to worship spirits and gods and this was how this term originated. â€Å"Daoism encompasses thought and practice that sometimes are viewed as philosophical, as religious, or as a combination of both.   While modern scholars, especially those in the West, have been preoccupied with classifying Daoist material as either â€Å"philosophical† or religious, historically Daoists themselves have been uninterested in such categories and dichotomies.  Ã ¢â‚¬Å"(IEP.UTM) Taoism has raised a debate for the scholars across Europe; they have been completely discombobulated as to whether Taoism falls under religion or whether it falls under philosophy. Some scholars in Europe say that it should be classified under religion while some others say that it should be classified under philosophy so there is no general consensus when it comes to the classification of Taoism and much debate is going on amongst top scholars in Europe. It is very important to know more about the Han dynasty in order to know more about Taoism, no traces of Taoism were found when the Han dynasty ruled China but the beginning of Taoism can be found in important texts like Daodejing and the Zhuangzi. The Chinese people unanimously believe that a teacher by the name Laozi was mainly responsible for writing Daodejing, he was a very dedicated teacher who also opened a school for the Chinese children and single-handedly wrote Daodejing, it was a great achievement but not too many people know of this incredible achievement. People who followed Taoism were called Taoists and they had some similar beliefs, they understood the connection between nature and their bodies and this again was a great achievement. They also knew that God had not made them immortal and they trotted on the difficult path to become immortal. Taoists also believed in experimenting with their bodies, they found new exercises to keep themselves fit; they were also responsible for discovering interesting and new sexual positions. Chemistry was one subject which fascinated the Taoists and quite a few of them tried new experiments to discover something new which would help them but these experiments did not go down too well and many of them lost their lives trying to do too much. There were emperors who were also fascinated with Chemistry and they met with the same fate when they tried doing the same experiments, this clearly goes to show that there were hungry for success and wanted to find new things which would help their fellow human beings. Self-cultivation was a major objective of Taoism, every Taoist wanted to inculcate this quality in him and pass it on to their family members. â€Å"The teachings that were later called Daoism were first known under the name of Huanglao Dao in the 3rd and 2nd cent. BCE. The thought world transmitted in this stream is what Sima Tan meant by Daojia. The Huanglao School was a center of Taoist practitioners in the state of Qi (modern Shandong). Huangdi was the name for the Yellow

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For example, a society is composed by a large number of individuals as a complete functional group.  In human body, many cells and tissues form the organs of the organism, such as hands, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, etc. Various organs of the organism have its unique features to meet the needs of the organism and to maintain its survival.  Similarly, various social structures have its unique features to meet the needs of the community and provide a stable and balance society.   Case Study of Structural-Functional Paradigm The social structures of marriage and family create deep social and emotional bonds that give individuals in depth systems of support and generate expectations of  social responsibility  within their members, achieving the function of creating social cohesion. Basically, spouses support each other financially, socially, emotionally and physically and are driven to achieve by socially defined expected standards of married life. Families provide the same systems of support for all of their family members, providing healthy settings and opportunities for individual growth for the children.   The structural functionalism perspective sees the family doing its part by preparing its members in a way that will benefit the society. The family is like a body or system and each member performs vitally important functions. Similarly, the heart is dependent on the lungs and brain for the body to function properly. If one part or a person is not doing its or his/her part then it is said to be dysfunctional. The family is said to be not functioning as a whole and something is wrong with that family. Social-Conflict Paradigm The social-conflict paradigm is also a macro-oriented paradigm. The social-conflict paradigm is one of the ideas of Karl Marx. He believes that social-conflict is unavoidable. It is the driving force to improve and progress to a better society.  Human beings compete with each other to acquire the maximum benefits. The social-conflict theory opposes with the structural-functional theory where the social components work together to stabilize the society. A person who poses powers and resources tend to oppress other groups which are lower social class and this resulting in social-conflict. One will also be able to force others to accept his/her views if they have the authority.   Social-conflict not only happens between different classes, it can also occur in various religious, ethnics, cultural, etc. The demand of human beings is endless, when the most basic desires are met, new needs will then emerge. For example, pacers want to have a bike; bicyclists want to have a motorbike; mo torcyclists plan to buy a car  The needs and desires of humans are endless caused humans have to work hard every day to fulfil their desires. However, this phenomenon eventually leads to a progressive society because everyone strives to achieve their needs. Case Study of Social-Conflict Paradigm A conflict theorist might ask, Who benefits from the current higher educational system? The answer, for a conflict theorist attuned to unequal distributions of wealth, is the wealthy. The educational system often screens out poorer individuals, not because they are unable to compete academically, but because they cannot afford to pay for their education. Because the poor are unable to obtain higher education, they are generally also unable to get higher paying jobs, thus they remain poor. The functionalist might say that the function of education is to educate the employees, a conflict theorist might point out that it also has an element of conflict and inequality, favouring one group (the wealthy) over other groups (the poor). Thinking about education in this way helps illustrate why both functionalist and conflict theories are helpful in understanding how society works. Symbolic-interaction Paradigm Symbolic-interaction theory focuses on the study of the relationship between the individual and others. It is a micro-level orientation which emphasizes the social interactions between the individuals in some specific situations. As people interact with each other, a persons self-awareness is the result of the judgement from the surrounding people. The symbolic-interaction theory advocate humans have their own self, and because of this self people play a role of others, and they gain the ability to look at themselves through the eyes of others.  If one does not have the ability to interact with the people and society, the social stability cannot be maintained.  Because of the shared reality that human created, the human social interaction can be stable, expand and maintained. George Herbert Mead says that symbolic-interaction has three characteristics: It has an explanation on the behaviour of others; there is a definite process, which means one is ready to tell others when they do something; have a prediction on others reaction, which is able to predict what they do will cause what responses from others. This depends on the interaction between two individuals have a shared meaning of the symbol system.  Mead sees society as an organized interaction between different individuals, this interactive form of organization depends on the role of the spirit, but also to establish an internal communication process on the basis of the use of meaningful symbols. Case Study of Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm Consider applying symbolic interactionism to the marriage. The things such as, commitments between spouses, a white bridal dress, a wedding cake, a wedding ceremony, a wedding band and flowers are the symbols of marriage. People relate some general meanings to these symbols. For certain individuals, they maintain their own perceptions of what meaning are these symbols carrying. For instance, one of the spouses may see their wedding rings as a symbol of endless love while the other may just see them as a simple financial expense. Much faulty communication can result from the perceptions of different people on the same events and symbols. Besides, the people choose to marry symbolizes that human beings need a companion for their life. It symbolizes that every individual needs financially, socially, emotionally and physically supports to lead a balanced and steady lifetime.

Oedipus the King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus the King The uniqueness of the story of Oedipus the King lies in the fact that it is not told, but uncovered. Intertwined within are the workings of fate, which ultimately propel the uncovering of the story (Driver 247). The past is relied upon to solve the mystery of the present; however, it is learned by all that actions taken in the past will not change the fate of the future. The gods of Sophocles are the forces which operate within the cosmos, thus giving its consistency and order. Therefore judgment is the work of fate (Driver 247). Every detail of the story is contrived as to reinforce the conception of order disturbed and order restored (Driver 247). Oedipus's parents were told early of their son's fate, as a result they sought to destroy him and thus inhibit the horrors of fate. Their plan was interrupted and in the end, order was restored because fate was allowed to take its course. When Oedipus later heard of his fate, he decided to return to Thebes, his birth town, in order to escape his fate. As Oedipus would find out later, his actions only propelled his fate to become true. As a means of aiding in the uncovering of the story, the past is imbedded in the center of the play, which is the key to the mystery. The overall form of the play shows the past enclosed with in the present (Driver 249). But the actions of the play show that in reality the present is enclosed in the past (Driver 249). Throughout the play every decision that affects the outcome of the present, was made in the past. The past decision to keep Oedipus alive severely affected the present. Oedipus's past decision to return to Thebes resulted in the later unveiling that on his journey he had killed his father. But it was not revealed until Oedipus had wed his mother.