Corporate Manpower Philosophy - 999 Words

CORPORATE MANPOWER PHILOSOPHY The corporate manpower Philosophy is not mainly about manpower Function. It is more about the leadership style of the top management, the current corporate culture and values. It is about the vision of the leader of the organization. The modern leader usually requires a modern HR Management approach and builds the environment suitable for the evolution of the modern HR Management. This is the manpower Philosophy behind the scene. The development of the manpower Philosophy is a long term process. The philosophy is usually informal and respects values and opinions of the main stakeholders. The leader of the organization has a significant influence on the manpower Philosophy. The HR Leader is the next one†¦show more content†¦Instead, they strive to see how much they can get out of them with as little investment as possible. They see manpower as an expence. Manpower are assets. Organizations, especially those in retail, are dependant on employees for competitive differentiation . Employee’s knowledge, attitude and skills in large part provide an organization with its key points of differentiation. Organizations with highly skilled and knowledgeable employees have a tremendous competitive advantage. As a manager, one of the top priorities should be the continuous development of the Manpower assets. This involves focus in three areas.. First, The employees should be assigned to roles that maximize their strengths. People are unique. They each bring different capabilities to the organization. Get to know the employees and build reasonable flexibility into their assignments that enable them to leverage what they do best. Organizations that leverage the unique capabilities of their employees have a much higher overall capability than those that don’t. Two, Invest in employee training and development. High performing organizations offer training and education opportunities to their employees. The minimum training requirements such as one or two wee ks per year for each employee should be there. Identification of there training areas should be appropriate that would enable them to be more effective. Three, Coach the employees.Show MoreRelatedNucor960 Words   |  4 Pagestype or quality of materials. In terms of Operations, Nucor construct an efficient production system. They build their own equipment to have high control over cost of production and productivity of the machinery. All of it was done with minimal manpower, usually hired from the rural areas, to save cost. In addition, Nucor strives for both internal and external economies of scales to reduce production costs. They constantly engage in joint venture, as well as merger and acquisitions to expand theirRead MoreUnderstanding The Philosophy Of Human Resource Management980 Words   |  4 PagesWith the changing trends of industry in the competitive environment of open market, human resource management becomes a significant variable for the efficient growth of any organization. Manpower planning was the very first concept used in ancient eras with the passage of the trends changes and the concept of manpower planning changed and become personal management. Today personal management is known as Human resource management. Some of the factors or significant variables mentioned by the AmericanRead MoreArgues the benefits or disadvantages of Human Resources being a strategic business partner964 Words   |  4 Pagesand practices. HR is also important to being a strategic business partner because it considers as the use of planning, a coherent approach to the design and management of personnel systems based on an employment policy and manpower strategy and often underpinned by a philosophy, matching HRM activities and policies to some explicit business strategy and finally seeing the people of the organization as a strategic resource of r the achievement of competitive advantage. The importance of HR beingRead MoreHuman Resource Management, an Academic Theory and Business Practice1381 Words   |  6 Pagesit is preventative of potential problems, and secondly it should be a major aspect of the company philosophy, in which all managers and employees are champions of an HRM based policies and philosophy. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_resource_management Other related topics are: Personnel management Civil service—Personnel management Manpower Planning Knowledge Management Leadership Corporate Culture Organizational Change A. BOOKS (Located at the General Collection Shelves near the CirculationRead More Starbucks International - Foreign Market Entry Strategy Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesStarbucks International - Foreign Market Entry Strategy Starbucks International has gone beyond the normal philosophy of Starbucks, to create a re-birth of their product line in foreign countries. Typically in the United States, Starbucks owns its entire line of coffee-bar stores outright with no franchise investments or partnerships. However, their international operations are quite the opposite. Starbucks International has adopted a strategy of partnerships to create its line of internationalRead MoreInternational Human Resource Management1251 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween international and domestic environments. Not surprisingly, senior managers with little international experience may assume that there is a great deal of transferability between domestic and international HRM practices. The challenge for the corporate HR manager who wishes to contribute to the internationalization of their firm is to work with top management in fostering the desired ‘global mindset’. This goal requires, of course, a HR manager who is able to think globally and to formulate andRead MoreGe Jeff Immelt1815 Words   |  8 Pages3/25/2011 Ge Making Of Ceo Management of Organizations Case Write-up 1 – GE’s Talent Machine: The Making of a CEO http://www.papercamp.com/print/GeMaking-Of-Ceo/10993 1.What philosophy, policies, and practices have made GE a â€Å"CEO factory† as Fortune called it? General Electric (GE) has traditionally had a hands-on approach to talent management. There is a high degree of involvement of the top management in its people policies. There is a top-down approach to human resource policy. AlsoRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility At Adam Smith s The Wealth Of Nations Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The subject of corporate social responsibility raises a peculiar, yet necessary question if its concept is to be understood: why do businesses exist? There are several was to answer this question, but none comes as close enough as the content contained in Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. According to Smith (2005), all individuals work for their own interests. This is affirmed by Hodgson (2004), who states that opportunism defines the transactional world of economic man. In the yearsRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management1738 Words   |  7 Pagesone another. The strategic management process is typically broken down into five steps: 1. Mission and goals 2. Environmental analysis 3. Strategic formulation 4. Strategy implementation 5. Strategy evaluation. 1. Mission and goals At the corporate level, the strategic management process includes activities that range from appraising the organization’s current mission and goals to strategic evaluation. The first step in the strategic management model begins with senior managers evaluating theirRead MoreOrganisation Structural Study on Apollo Tyres5324 Words   |  22 Pagesautomobile segment have shifted to radial tyres and the usage of cross-ply is restricted to trucks and buses only. COMPANY PROFILE Apollo Tyres Ltd is a high-performance company and the leading Indian tyre manufacturer. Head quartered in Gurgaon, a corporate-hub in the National Capital Region of India, Apollo is a young, ambitious and dynamic organisation, which takes pride in its unique identity. Registered as a company in 1976, Apollo is built around the core principles of creating stakeholder value

Analysis Of Holden Uses Defense Mechanisms - 1157 Words

Jenny Jung Mrs. Kehrmeyer AP Language, Period 1 08 March 2017 Consequently, Holden uses defense mechanisms, â€Å"as a means of preventing anxiety that would result from conscious awareness of disturbing impulses, wishes, or ideas arising from the id,† (Nevid 471). Nevid explains that according to Freudian theory, defense mechanisms reside in the unconscious part of the human brain because if people were conscious of every single problem, people wouldn’t be able to function. Therefore, Holden is subconsciously utilizing defense mechanisms in order to shield himself from confronting his problems. One major defense mechanism present in Holden’s behavior is denial. Holden’s resides in an ivory tower, reluctant to accept that he’s actually hurt.†¦show more content†¦However, Nevid clarifies, â€Å"Though defense mechanisms may be a normal process of adjusting to the unreasonable demands of the id, they can give rise to abnormal behavior,† (471). Although defense mechanisms can help put off a cert ain problem for some time, relying on defense mechanisms is not always beneficial because it gives people reasons to act irrationally. This clarification of Freud’s theory is strongly portrayed in Holden’s exaggerated view of reality. His denial triggers delusional fantasies in Holden’s mind that he doesn’t seem to think deeply about. For example, when one rash thought entered into Holden’s mind, he delivers an ultimatum to Sally, saying, â€Å"...Tomorrow morning we could drive up to Massachusetts and Vermont...We’ll stay in cabin camps until the dough runs out. Then, when the dough runs out, I could get a job somewhere, and we could live somewhere with a brook and all and, later on, we could get married or something,† (Salinger 132). At the age of sixteen, as if it’s not unrealistic enough, he tries to persuade Sally. When Sally gives him a reality check, he practically rages at her. Holden is so blinded by the fantasy world he created for himself and his defense mechanisms were giving Holden an excuse to acting abnormally. As a result, he blames Sally for the unreasonable idea he proposed, calling her â€Å"a royal pain in the ass,† (133). This irrational behavior of Holden is exactly what Freud is illustrating in his theory of personality thatShow MoreRelatedHolden Uses Defense Mechanisms1372 Words   |  6 PagesConsequently, Holden uses defense mechanisms, â€Å"as a means of preventing anxiety that would result from conscious awareness of disturbing impulses, wishes, or ideas arising from the id,† (Nevid 471). Nevid explains that according to Freudian theory, defense mechanisms reside in the unconscious part of the human brain because if people were conscious of every single problem, people wouldn’t be able to function. Therefore, Holden is subconsciously utilizing defense mechanisms in order to shield himselfRead MoreThe Earthquake Of Christchurch Earthquake2405 Words   |à ‚  10 Pages An analysis on the mechanism of destruction, impact, recovery, responses and future steps of the 2011 M6.3 Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Helena (Jiahui) Zhang 250641678 November 18 2014 Geography 2152F Mark Moscicki Table of Contents 1.0 Description of Event 2 2.0 Causes 3 3.0 Impacts 5 4.0 Responses 7 5.0 Recovery 8 6.0 Suggestions for future steps 10 7.0 Bibliography 11 1.0 Description of the Event The Christchurch earthquake with a magnitudeRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Criminal Justice System3274 Words   |  14 PagesCriminal Justice System The technological advancement era that has marred the 21st century has seen heightened increased surveillance and proactive crime investigations. Such growth has seen positive legislative moves that have allowed the use of telecommunication gadgets in monitoring trends of criminal activities and criminal gangs[footnoteRef:1]. Most commonwealth nation which United Kingdom is a member have since passed and enacted laws that provide some sort of immunities and exemptions forRead MoreEffects Concerning School-Age Bullying: A Retrospective Examination of College Students Experiences3654 Words   |  15 Pagesand low social self-esteem. Teasing and other bullying issues in early childhood also tend to develop further difficulties for the college students. The less comfortable and minimal intimacy issues are also highlighted as a result of the research analysis. The lease amount or trust is also extended to the friendly and most close relations. The worrisome signs also include the unloved and abandoned in the relationships. The dominant nature of these issues and their relationships are investigated andRead MoreEssay on Jury Nullification and Its Effects on Black America3918 Words   |  16 Pagesbest for the American legal system, what legal precedents dictate, or as is most often the case, on what is right. It is, however, negligent to simply focus on these issues when examining the proposal of Professor Butler. Instead criticism and analysis must be based upon what is best for the Black community in this country. From this perspective it becomes clear that although race-based jury nullification has many attractive features, it must be modified to be truly beneficial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The firstRead MoreMaster Thesis Topic18078 Words   |  73 Pages Outside investors may not purchase shares in the IPO backed by venture capitalists who were previously involved in taking advantage of insider information and reducing the wealth of outsider investors. Besides venture capitalists also use IPO as an exit mechanism to optimally recycle investments and maximize future returns. Hence the length and expiry of directors’ lockup agreements will convey significantly different information than the length and expiry of venture capitalists’ lockup agreementsRead MoreChildhood Abuse and Neglect in an Outpatient Clinical Sample: Prevalence and Impact4707 Words   |  19 Pagessample revealed a distribution of 8.2% for sexual abuse before age 18 (Clemmons, Walsh, DiLillo, Messman-Moore, 2007). A study from New Zealand reported a 14.1% in the general population (Fergusson, Boden, Horwood, 2008). Finally a recent meta-analysis revealed that 7.9% of men and 19.7% of women had suffered from some form of sexual abuse before age 18 in community and student samples (Pereda, Guilera, Forms, Gomez-Benito, 2009). The same inconsistency is evident for childhood physical abuseRead More50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified (Gm) Foods14312 Words   |  58 Pagespotentially far outweigh that of chemical pollution. This is because chemistry deals mostly with things altered by fire (and then no longer alive, isolated in laboratories - and not infecting living terrains in self-reproducible ways). Thus a farmer may use a chemical for many decades, and then let the land lie fallow to convert it back to organic farming. This is because the chemicals tend to break down into natural substances over time, Genetic pollution, however, can alter the oil s life forever! Read MoreThe Effects of Advertising on Children33281 Words   |  134 PagesAdvertising to Children A review of contemporary research on the influence of television advertising directed to children Prepared for ACMA by Dr Jeffrey E. Brand May 2007  © Commonwealth of Australia 2007 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Manager, Communications/MediaRead MoreHistory of Management Thought Revision17812 Words   |  72 Pagesestablished by a study of the job, rather than by historical data, and if incentives could be provided. 3. Search for Science in Management (it is important to point out that management is not a science in an academic sense, but Taylor intended to use a scientific fact-finding method to determine a better way): a. Time study -- this was prescriptive in that Taylor sought to identify the time a job should take (contrast this with Charles Babbage who measured only the length of a work cycle).

Corporate Social Responsibility and Market †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Social Responsibility and Market. Answer: Introduction The United Kingdoms two leading oil and gas companies Shell and British Petroleum are taken into consideration for this assessment. Every organization publishes their sustainability report so that stakeholders of those companies can view their reflection on past performance and future initiatives in terms of social and governance (ESG), environmental aspects and corporate social responsibility to some extent. This assessment highlights the comparison of the two companies based on their sustainability report. The difference between these two companies based on the range of social, environmental and economic issues is also illustrated in the business report. Moreover, a difference between the reports that furthermore describes the differences of culture, attitudes, regulations and technology is also represented. The discussions of the differences in this sustainability report based on the Zadek et al.s (1997) criteria. Lastly, a group dissection based on the preferences of one of the t wo considered organization will also be discussed. Shell in the year 2016 had attained the annual revenue of $183,008 million which was $222,894 million in the previous year (Statista, 2017) The annual revenue incurred in the year 2016 by Royal Dutch Shell $233.59 billion; whereas, in the previous year the concerned organization have earned $ 264.96 billion (Statista, 2017). However, in terms of oil and gas sustainability ranking British Petroleum leads the Royal Dutch Shell. In this business report, the difference among the two companies is effective as both serve same performance and thus carrying a comparison between the two companies present a greater overview regarding the activities towards sustainability. Shell is associated with the business activity of oil exploration, development and extraction, manufacturing and energy production, transport and trading and sales and marketing. This information is present in the starting pages of the sustainability report of Shell. BP on the other hand is also liable for performing the similar job roles. Another fact that is necessary to address that is both the companies publishes their sustainability report from decades and thus it can be said that both these companies are aware of their responsibility towards the planet earth. Difference of the two companies based on range of social, environmental and economic issues Shell has mentioned the issue on climate change and energy transition, Business ethics, transparency and governance, environmental impacts, GHG and energy and Community engagement and societal impact. According to the CEOs letter, they are taking continuous effort to ensure safety so that they can work without causing harm to people and the environment. British Petroleum reported their social issues that are they have to play a crucial role in business for lower carbon future to take action on climate change, focusing on safe operations, maximizing value to society, respecting human rights and managing the local environmental impacts. The letter written by CEO of the concerned organization written that $1 billion of investment was made for formulating and implementing low carbon technologies to build a sustainable future. Thus, it can be said that both the companies are taking initiative for sustainable business procedure. Shell started their discussion of sustainability by representing their aim for running a safe, efficient, responsible and profitable business. The positive and unique attribute of this report is that they have presented their goals for the year 2016 and highlight the priorities for the year 2017. This approach shows that they have focused both on their current business strategies and future business plans. Shell also presented their work for addressing the climate change that is utilizing only the natural gas into different products that is liquid fuels, hydraulic fluids and lubricants for final use. The concerned organization also collaborated with government to create carbon pricing mechanisms. Moreover, they also have taken steps for demonstrating CCS technology with their global partners. British Petroleum highlighted their key issues prior to any other information. However, the report consists of the details of the business functions, their business trading throughout the world and segmentation of their employees based on region and segments, which is not required to be reported in sustainability report. In addition to that, there positive aspect of this report is that they have presented their green house gas emission and their breakdown along with their details for the year 2012 to 2016. British Petroleum also presented their timeline of two decades that illustrates their initiatives of tackling climate change. They have also represented a statistical representation of GHG movements from 2015 to 2016 along with their performance for reducing the climate change impact. Evaluation of social accounting approach according to Zadek et al.s (1997) criteria Lee and Vachon (2016) stated that there are total of eight principles under the Zadek et al.s (1997) criteria- inclusivity, comparability, completeness, evolution, management policies and system, disclosure, external verification and continuous improvement. Iannuzzi (2017) furthermore explains that these criteria assess whether or not an organization is auditing their sustainable report appropriately. In this aspect both the companies- British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell reported their issues, controversies and transparency in their business. Shell has successfully identified their Board of Directors (BOD) who is liable to assess the governance of tax. These members also assess system of risk management and internal control. However, the key members and their role in maintaining the sustainability are not present. The committee about which the details are given is for the corporate social responsibility. This committee is also responsible for measuring sustainability performance and audit results. Alike Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum also stated that their Board of Directors evaluate the carbon emission and carbon footprint research. However in this case also, the stakeholders details are not discussed. Shell has information about their corporate social responsibility along with their sustainable approaches. The details of the code of conduct is not discussed however a link is provided in which the values and business principles of shell is defined properly. British Petroleum does not include their CSR activities in their business sustainability report. On the other hand, details about governance of sustainability issues are given in the report. This committee is known as safety, ethics and environment assurance committee (SEEAC) but the details about code of ethics is absent in the report. In both the cases, the pictorial representation is not present for all the aspects. Descriptive detail is present that need much time to read and getting the information. In the sustainability report for Royal Dutch Shell, the information only focused on energy transition that is addressing climate change, utilization of natural gas, research and development for lower carbon alternatives. In comparison, British Petroleums sustainability report illustrates the sustainability in every aspect that is climate change, energy transformation, supply chain and inventory management. Details about freshwater consumption, water consumption intensity, air emissions and environmental expenditures are discussed properly that on the other hand is not present in Shells report. In both the cases the major accidents done by oil spillage is not highlighted in the sustainability report. Thus, it can be said that some important controversy is hidden in the report in both the case. Identification of the target line is not given in the report but the planning for reducing the carbon emission is present. However, the measures for reducing the number of accidents are discussed. Shell provides the details of their safety target in terms of road safety and oil spills only. British Petroleum in terms of major accidents consider vehicle accidents and traffic accidents is discussed. One positive aspect in this case is BPs report; the graphical interpretation of the vehicle accidents is given for the year 2012 to 2016. Management policies and system Shell have formulated energy and climate policy, retaliation policy, Health, Safety, Security and Environment and Social Performance (HSSESP) policy, child labor policy, employment policy, fair-work policy, policies for equal opportunities and supply chain policy. Policies in British Petroleum are formulated for risk management systems, greenhouse gas policy, consumer behavior policy, human rights policy and corruption policy. In both the reports there are definition of these policies are only present and the details of the implementation of these policies on breaching of the business approaches is not present. Thus, here also the sustainability report lacks some crucial details. In the report, Shell mentioned that they have disclosed their every details from their form 20-F, File No 1-32575 but the data is not present for public use or preview. The company also adhere Governments Regulations 2014 for disclosure related to payments. They have adhered to the transparency aspect under the initiative of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). GRI report is not present however only the Environmental data and social and safety data are disclosed for the year range of 2007- 2016. BP only follows Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for maintaining transparency. The suitability report of BP does not provide GRI index report which is necessary in resenting the sustainability report. External verification In terms of external verification, Shell has taken the help from EY to audit their performance in context of the sustainable business approach. British petroleum taken help from the Deloitte to audit the report of their sustainability activities. In both the cases, the CEO letter refers to the fact that they are taking initiatives for reducing the carbon emission and making their oil extraction process more eco-friendly and improve their system so that major accidents can be minimized. The value of the Royal Dutch Shell according to the sustainability report is to help shaping more sustainable energy for the future, sharing wider benefits in their business operation and executing a safe, efficient, responsible and profitable business. The value proposed by British Petroleum is focusing on quality oil projects gas, producing fuels and lubricants that can be used in cars, optimizing the growth of biofuel and transforming operational performance. Reflection of the group discussion There are two discussion sets among out team members regarding the preference company in terms of their sustainability approach. In the first session, we have decided to hold a discussion on their carbon emission approaches. It is found from the discussion that Shell has taken effort to present data in different aspect that is climate change, community engagement, social impact, safety measure, transparency policies. Whereas, there BP also focuses on the same but does not provide evidence of their initiatives. The second days we have decided to discuss about controversial things that newspaper article provide but are not present in the report. The discussion led us to the conclusion that both the companies have not illustrate the major accidents like transportation accidents and oil spill in that affects the climate more adversely. Thus, in this case, we found both Shell and British Petroleum to be unethical. However, in terms of more details about the sustainable activities and formulation of policies and maintaining transparency of data and business process, Royal Dutch Shell is considered to be more sustainable than BP. Conclusion Enormous challenge facing governments and compliance issue are present in the sustainability report for both the organization. Shell and British Petroleum are the two industries that are taken into consideration. There are much information present in both of the sustainability report but their initiative of reducing the problem of carbon emission is not present. Policy details are present in both the report but the utilization of these policies is not given in the report. In addition to that, the details about the all the crucial information related to controversy and adversity is not mentioned in the report. Thus, it is difficult to state whether their policy is effective to maintain the sustainability of the earth. Lastly, another important aspect that is absent from the report is the information about the code of conduct and data sheet of GRI index. Reference List Bp.com. (2017). British Petroleum Corporate Sustainability Report. [online] Available at: https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability.html [Accessed 31 Aug. 2017]. Dauvergne, P. Lister, J. (2013). Eco-business: A big-brand takeover of sustainability. MIT Press. De Brucker, K., Macharis, C., Verbeke, A. (2013). Multi-criteria analysis and the resolution of sustainable development dilemmas: A stakeholder management approach. European journal of operational research, 224(1), 122-131. Henderson, R., Gulati, R. and Tushman, M. eds., 2015. Leading sustainable change: An organizational perspective. OUP Oxford. Holloway, J. (2016). What stakeholder management should learn from sales and marketing. Further Advances in Project Management: Guided Exploration in Unfamiliar Landscapes, 236. Iannuzzi, A. (2017). Greener products: The making and marketing of sustainable brands. CRC Press. Kashmanian, R. M., Moore, J. R. (2014). Building greater sustainability in supply chains. Environmental Quality Management, 23(4), 13-37. Lee, K.H. Vachon, S. (2016). Business Value and Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan UK. Lee, K.H. Vachon, S. (2016). Integrated Supply Network and Business Sustainability. In Business Value and Sustainability (pp. 59-93). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Muller, A. (2014). Corporate social responsibility. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. Reports.shell.com. (2017). Shell Sustainability Report 2016. [online] Available at: https://reports.shell.com/sustainability-report/2016/ [Accessed 31 Aug. 2017]. Samuelson, P. A., Anderson, H. C. (2014). corporate social responsibility. Morality and the Market (Routledge Revivals): Consumer Pressure for Corporate Accountability, 43. Statista (2017). BP revenue 2003-2016 | Statistic. [online]. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/264185/bp-group-revenue-since-2003/ [Accessed 31 Aug. 2017]. Statista. (2017). Royal Dutch Shell revenue 2005-2016 | Statistic. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/268734/revenue-of-royal-dutch-shell/ [Accessed 31 Aug. 2017]. Steenkamp, J. B. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility. In Global Brand Strategy (pp. 209-238). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Suliman, A. M., Al-Khatib, H. T., Thomas, S. E. (2016). Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Performance: Reflecting on the Past and Investing in the Future, 15. Tai, F. M., Chuang, S. H. (2014). Corporate social responsibility. Ibusiness, 6(03), 117. Ziegler, J. Gerhartz, S. (2016). Sustainable Supply Chains-How do companies integrate sustainability into their supply chains?.

What Price Freedom Essays - African-American Civil Rights Movement

What Price Freedom? 3,974 lives were lost between 1778 and 1781 in the American Revolutionary War. During the Civil War 600,000 more were sacrificed. In World War I, 57,476 lives lost. Such a large number, and for what? Is 661,450 the price of freedom? 661,450! And that isn't even including lives lost during the women's rights movement, the anti-slavery movement, or the civil rights movement. Not to mention wars Americans fought for the freedom of other countries! World War II, Vietnam, the Gulf War! Can a single country, a culture, even one individual understand what sacrifice was made for this living generations freedom? With only 41% of Americans voting apparently the impact of what should be seen as a privilege has been lost in a sea of excuses and misguided opinions. The majority of Americans are descendents of, know descendents of, or personally know a veteran of war. We've all heard the stories, and seen the movies, we even get two days off of work and school, but how many people know that Memorial Day Weekend is more than just a long weekend, and Veteran's day isn't just another day off in November. What most people don't realize is that it is only through the courage of young soldiers; through the guidance of their elders; through the support of this country that we have gained freedom. In recent generations it seems the novelty of this privilege of freedom has worn off. Statistics show that 59%, that's over half of Americans, do not vote in national elections. Freedom and democracy represent having a voice in how our country is ran. When someone participates in an election, just by taking the time to fill out a ballot, they are expressing their pride in their country and support in their forefathers. How is it that someone can claim to be an American, or complain about our government, when they have not taken an active role in voting, one of the most important privileges of being free? This hypocritical take on our government is simply an unattractive display of inattention. Not voting is not the only problem Americans have with showing national pride. The pettiness that the justice system is used for today could put any proud man, or woman to shame. I once heard that a woman sued a McDonalds because her coffee spilled on her lap and burned her skin. She claimed her coffee was too hot and she should've been warned. I do not remember the outcome, or if I had ever known how that case came out, but that is beside the point. This woman took advantage of and manipulated the laws and system that was made to protect her. Not only does this look bad on the country, but where has her pride gone? This has been a problem for at least a decade, I remember, even in fourth grade I took a satirical attitude toward the use of the justice system. After being brushed up against, or having my toe stepped on I would jokingly say, ?I'm going to sue you!? When the constitution was written, I'm sure it was not intended that our judicial system was to be manipulated for persona l gain, but for protection of our rights. Obviously the loss of respect for our country is a problem, though it may not compare to world hunger, foreign trade, or even the problems we're having with the national election process, a revival of national pride may open the doors to solving bigger, more complex problems. With a new sense of unity among our country we may be able to compromise bigger things, and spread a sense of unity farther than the US borders. I've always believed that a smile spreads quickly so why wouldn't an idea, if just a couple of people started taking pride in their country, and doing their duty as an American, voting, respecting the land and the government, then their friends may take notice. When their friends take notice more people will realize the effect, and in the end hopefully we will find that the 41% of voters will rise in numbers. Then our freedom, the American privilege will once again be realized as it was intended since the