Who Were the Tangut in Asian History

The Tangut people—also know as Xia—were an important ethnic group in northwestern China during the seventh through eleventh centuries CE. Likely related to the Tibetans, the Tanguts spoke a language from the Qiangic group of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic family. However, Tangut culture was quite similar to others on the northern steppes—peoples like the Uighurs and Jurchen (Manchu)—indicating that the Tanguts had lived in the area for some time. In fact, some Tangut clans were nomadic, while others were sedentary. An Unreliable Ally During the 6th and 7th centuries, various Chinese emperors from the Sui and Tang Dynasties invited the Tangut to settle in what is now Sichuan, Qinghai, and Gansu Provinces. The Han Chinese rulers wanted the Tangut to provide a buffer, by guarding the Chinese heartland against expansion from Tibet. However, some of the Tangut clans sometimes joined their ethnic cousins in raiding the Chinese, making them an unreliable ally. Nonetheless, the Tanguts were so helpful that in the 630s, the Tang Emperor Li Shimin, called the Zhenguan Emperor, bestowed his own family name of Li on the Tangut leaders family. Over the centuries, however, the Han Chinese dynasties were forced to consolidate further east, out of the reach of the Mongols and Jurchens. The Tangut Kingdom In the void left behind, the Tanguts established a new kingdom called Xi Xia, which lasted from 1038 to 1227 CE. Xi Xia was powerful enough to levy a hefty tribute on the Song Dynasty. In 1077, for example, the Song paid between 500,000 and 1 million units of value to the Tangut—with one unit being equivalent to an ounce of silver or a bolt of silk. In 1205, a new threat appeared on the borders of Xi Xia. The previous year, the Mongols had unified behind a new leader named Temujin, and proclaimed him their oceanic leader or Genghis Khan (Chinguz Khan). The Tanguts, however, were no walk-over even for the Mongols—Genghis Khans troops had to attack Xi Xia six times over more than 20 years before they were able to conquer the Tangut kingdom. Genghis Khan himself died on one of these campaigns in 1225-6. The following year, the Tanguts finally submitted to Mongol rule after their entire capital was burned to the ground. Mongol Culture and Tangut Many Tangut people assimilated into Mongol culture, while others scattered to different sections of China and Tibet. Although some of the exiles held on to their language for several centuries more, the Mongol conquest of Xi Xia essentially finished the Tanguts as a separate ethnic group. The word Tangut comes from the Mongolian name for their lands, Tangghut, which the Tangut people themselves called Minyak or Mi-nyag. Their spoken language and written script are both now known as Tangut, as well. Xi Xia Emperor Yuanhao ordered the development of a unique script that could convey spoken Tangut; it borrowed from Chinese characters rather than the Tibetan alphabet, which is derived from Sanskrit. Source Imperial China, 900-1800 by Fredrick W. Mote, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003.

The Importance of Motivation in Organization Coursework

Essays on The Importance of Motivation in Organization Coursework The paper "The Importance of Motivation in Organization" is a good example of management coursework. One of the core functions of mangers or HRM is motivating employees to remain functional and effective in organizations. Diverse motivational strategies are available in organizations; they could be tangible or nontangible factors that lead employees to recommendable and sustainable motivational behavior. Inclusive are bonuses, promotions, recognition, pay raise, paid leaves, training, and development, health, and childcare insurance among other social welfare packages. Motivation has an effect on job performances, concentration, cooperation, production, workplace relations, and employees’ satisfaction and commitment. In the contemporary world, failing to address employees’ motivation would result in the loss of an organization’s competitiveness in production and the market. Motivation is critical for the organization, but it also supports and improves the well be ing of employees, who are essential assets and drivers of the business. The document addresses the importance of motivation in an organization, the challenges in motivation employees and how managers could improve it.IntroductionConcept of motivation and its association with the HRM.Globalization in the last few decades has made management in organizations to rethink of better ways to enhance motivation in the workforce. People are no longer highly restricted to move across the border in search of employment and better opportunities like before. As a result, there is a high movement of the skilled and less skilled labor force into the advanced, emerging and developing nations. This creates the need for human resource management to deal with diverse employees, with different cultures and behaviors that influence the personal characters, choices, and performance at work. Regardless of numerous differences, managers have to know their employees, adjust and adopt new mechanisms to achie ve the best through the workforce they lead. Basically, production and performances tend to fluctuate like a business cycle. This is stimulated by internal or external factors to the organization, impairing employees' focus on work and ultimately the output. Motivation comes in to influence employees’ behavior and assist solve the problems affecting them. According to Robbins, Millet, Boyle, and Judge, â€Å"motivation is the process that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal† (2011, p. 176). Employee motivation is one function of the HRM aimed at guiding the behaviors of subordinates. Such that they choose certain favorable behaviors not only to the organization, but also to improve they're well being. The first part deal with the roles of motivation in an organization, the second difficulties managers face in motivational function and finally how they can overcome them.

Sociological perspectives Free Essays

I have been observing the political events of many countries as they unfold. Among the most fascinating of all was that in Kenya, a country in Africa which drew attention of the whole world after being highlighted as a result of the post election violence. I watched the campaign rallies as they were captured by the TV stations that were mainly dominated by three political parties; the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement of Kenya (ODM – K). We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological perspectives or any similar topic only for you Order Now I then focused on the whole country as a social system and finally narrowed down my observation to the close competitors who eyed for the presidential seat( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-8434875422533573659 ) This paper examines all my observations as pertaining to the above highlighted situation through ‘a sociologist eyes’. As I watched the campaign rallies, I noticed that among the major political parties, there were common agenda. This were poverty reduction, job creation, fight against tribalism and inequality. In my quest to know more about the reason behind having common agendas, I realized that this country was stratified into different groups based on tribes, religious background and economic status. Economically, there were two major groups, the poor and the rich. The poor blamed the rich for accumulating large amounts of wealth through corrupt deals. They pointed out some major scandals that led to poor economic growth which resulted to increased poverty in the country. Examples of such corruption scandal include the â€Å"golden berg† and the â€Å"Anglo leasing†. The poor claimed that they were exploited by the rich, a situation that they said led to marginalization of some people and widened the gap between rich and the poor. The rich were supporting the political regime that existed at that time and they supported President Mwai Kibaki whom they said was the best president that people should support if they intend to achieve a high economic growth rate. Of course these were the owners of means of production and they intended to maximize on increasing their wealth. The poor were supporting Mr. Odinga who unveiled his plan to reduce poverty and inequality – something that the wealthy class in the country termed as a threat to investment( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-4385739074127652954 ) These two groups divided the country’s population into two antagonistic groups and initiated conflict between themselves. The campaign took a different dimension when two tribes in this country came came out to out do each other and muscle out their way to compeat for the prestigious political position, the presidency. These tribes included Kikuyu and the Luo(http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=6778777698786778125) As a result a debate for introduction of â€Å"Majimbo system† what can be referred to a Federal government came up. The two groups were once in another conflict since those behind PNU did not support a Majimbo government while those behind ODM and ODM -Kenya did( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-5553237563976614777q=kenya+politics+on+tv-+kibaki+and+railatotal=22start=10num=10so=2type=searchplindex=5hl=en . As the election neared, another conflict came up. This time round, it was the Muslim community versus the Christian community where the Muslims wanted to get freedom to exercise their Sharia Laws. They claimed that they were never given freedom like the Christians who are the majority in the country. The Muslims therefore chose to support the ODM leader, Raila who had promised to address their grievances. The Christians rejected Mr. Raila ‘s proposal and threatened to demand their Christian laws to be enacted into state laws if the Muslims were given that â€Å"Special treatment† ( http://video. google. om/videoplay? docid=-1185250696841707886 This reminded me of the social conflict theory which holds that no society can exist without conflict (http://www. allfreeessays. com/student/Consensus_Conflict_Perspectives_in_social_theory. html ) As I watched the political campaigns, it was clear that these political leaders wanted to create a positive image of themselves in order to win many votes. In the â€Å"Front stageâ⠂¬  as Erving Goffman calls it in his theory of impression management or dramatical approach to social interaction, they gave all sorts of good promises. They promised to create jobs, reduce poverty, fight tribalism and inequality. In the â€Å"backstage† they would go to their tribes and call for their support, promise their tribes how they would benefit more than the other Kenyans and how they will appoint people from their tribes in government offices, something which was contrary to what they were promising the citizens in general. Challenging each other in political arenas and their respective credentials further worsened the relationship between the â€Å"actors† When chaos erupted in the country and things seemed to run out of control, the former UN Secretary General, MR. Koffi Annan together with Graca Machele and Benjamin Mkapa led Mediation talks. The two political leaders, Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki appeared in Televisions as a way to inform the Kenyans that they were not enemies and were working together to put things in place. This was just a â€Å"front stage† since later on they both accused each other for what was happening in the country and clearly brought out a good picture of the ‘back stage’. These kind of actions by Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki is what Goffman said was analogously equated to theoretical drama. In this case, Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki together with their close supporters were the actors while Kenyans became the audience. This is the theory of symbolic interaction ism(Herman N, Reynolds L, pp. 76) Kenya is a society that is made up of individuals and groups of people who interact with each other and espouse a sense of ‘we feeling’. They share many things in common including laws, the presidency among others and they all work together to improve their welfare and the country as a whole. Within the system there are sub systems which include political system, religious system, education and economic system among others. All these have a function to perform in order to ensure the social system functions properly. It is important to note that all societies consist of social structures which play different roles but must depend on one another. In the case for Kenya, the disputed election results led to chaos. This paralyzed all sectors of the economy. Many families were forced to break especially where the Luo intermarried with the Kikuyu. This was a state of anarchy and anomie that led to high levels of insecurity and deaths of thousands of innocent Kenyans. All learning institutions were closed down churches were burnt down and in general there was social disorganization in the country. All structures that bond Kenya as a society were weakened and if it were not for the mediation talks led by the international society Kenya would have been torn apart. I observed it and the theory of structural functionalism crossed my mind. According to the structural functionalism school of thought, any society comprises of social structures. These social structures play specialized and important functions that bind the members of the society together. (Robinson W, pp 314) How to cite Sociological perspectives, Papers

Managing Human Resource and Organizational Behavior Issues

Question: Discuss about the human resource issues. Answer: Introduction The following assignment relates to the Human resource issues in the workplace that has a considerable implications on the existing business operations. HR and OB are the essential aspects in determining employee perception as well as productivity rate in any business enterprise (Dent and Whitehead 2013). There have been several such issues that can be identified in the course of the operational policies of a business entity. The pertinent HR issues have been the motivation levels of the individuals present in the business entity. Identification of Key Issues The following are the key issues that can be identified in the daily business functionalities of the business enterprise. Improved productivity - The unnecessary wastage of resources shall hamper the operational policies of the business entity (Flamholtz 2012). Therefore, it is necessary that the daily business functionalities of the business entity are managed as per the operational strategies to achieve the long term objectives and the goals of the business entity. This shall be only achieved through enhancing the motivation levels of the business entity. Employee outlook - It is necessary that the employee outlook is decided through the effective operational strategies of the business entity. According to Armstrong and Taylor (2014), the motivation and the organizational competitive strategies shall enable the business entity to determine a positive employee outlook towards the business entity. Analysis of Key Issues The key issues relate to the operational strategies of the business entity. In addition, there are pertinent issues that relate to the motivation levels of the individuals working in the organization. As such, it is necessary that employees are motivated enough to deliver their best in the context of the operational strategy of the entity. Besides this, they are able to work in a group and are able to coordinate with the team members in an organization. Armstrong and Taylor (2014) mentioned that the following are the essential motivation theories of an organization n Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, Alderfers ERG theory as well as the McCellands Theory of Needs. These theories have been of help to the management of the organization in analyzing the levels of motivation that would be required in a business entity. The organization behavior issues refer to the competitive strategies taken by the business organization in ensuring market survivability. As per these theories, the motivation can be assessed as per the following three levels - Expectancy theory, equity theory as well as the goal theory. In addition, Storey (2014) mentioned that the causes of conflict in an organization are the personality levels of different individuals in the organization, burnout and engagement as well as the essential work life balance in the organization. In this regard, Delahaye (2015) mentioned that the conflict in the management also relates to the interpersonal conflict as well as the conflict among the attitudes and the behavior in the organization. These can be solved in the organization through analyzing the motivation levels in the organization and responding appropriately Recommendation The following recommendations can be developed to assist the business entity in its growth. Human resource policies - Effective human resource policies can be developed to assist the business enterprise in its growth. As such, this shall assist the employees in maintaining an effective work life balance. In this regard, Armstrong and Taylor (2014) noted that it is primarily the responsibility of the HR department to address the employee issues and offer financial as well as non-financial issues to develop motivation among the employees. Communication Delahaye (2015) mentioned that communication play an effective role in developing coordination among the various departments in the business entity. Thus, proper coordination shall be because of effective communication among the employees in the organization. Conclusion It can be said that essential human resource and the organizational behavioral issues must be identified to ensure smooth business operations. In the above case study, the essential human resource and. This would assist the business entity in proper flow of communication from the top management in the organization to the middle ranked employees as well the staff working in the organization. As such , it is necessary that HR and the OB issues are successfully dealt with , to ensure the well being of the organization and its employees. References Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Bamberger, P. A., Biron, M., Meshoulam, I. (2014). Human resource strategy: Formulation, implementation, and impact. Routledge. Delahaye, B. (2015). Human resource development. Tilde Publishing. Dent, M. and Whitehead, S. eds., (2013). Managing professional identities: Knowledge, performativities and the'new'professional (Vol. 19). Routledge. Flamholtz, E. G. (2012). Human resource accounting: Advances in concepts, methods and applications. Springer Science Business Media. Kehoe, R. R.,and Wright, P. M. (2013). The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors. Journal of management, 39(2), 366-391.

George Bush Essays (2950 words) - Bush Family, Livingston Family

George Bush George W. Bush Politics have been the family business for more than one family in the United States. The familiar family of several generations is the Kennedy family who remains in the political spotlight for fifty-three years and running. As Elizabeth Dole attempts to gain the Republican nomination for the 2000 presidential race she hopes to continue the forty-nine year Dole family streak. Coming close to twenty-five years in politics Bill Clinton prepares to turn the scepter over to Hillary Clinton as she prepares for a possible seat in the United States Senate. Perhaps the most interesting dynasties are those carried on by father-son teams. Both John Adams and John Quincy Adams were United States Presidents. It also appears as though former President George Bush will be able to watch one of his two Governor sons take the presidential oath in the near future. His namesake child, the current governor of Texas, won in a close and hotly debated election. However, the Texas governor was not always in the limelight and known. According to the June 21, 1999 issue of Newsweek 65% of voters they polled still knew nothing or little of George W. Bush. When looking at a possible future President of the United Sates of America it is not uncommon to start with there past and works forward to see their progress and failures. George W. Bush attended a preparatory school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. At Andover Bush was an average student with high interest in sports. He successfully finished and the following year attended Yale. During Georges time at Yale he barely seemed to notice his father had been elected to Congress (1966). George, W as many refer to him, was not interested in any of the political organizations at the University. George W. Bush seemed to be more concerned with social matters than political matters. He knew stories about most people that would pass him by on the campus and was a fan of his schools sports teams. In the late 1960s he joined a fraternity of Delta Kappa Epsilon, a fraternity for sportsmen and those who loved to watch them. During his stay at Yale Bush had two encounters with the law including drunkenness and misdemeanor theft. After graduating Yale George moved to Houston to live at the ritzy Chateaux Dijon, a popular place for late baby bloomers to live in the 1970s. Not only was he changing girlfriends rapidly he was also changing jobs frequently. When he joined the Air National Guard in Texas many criticized him for overriding the long waiting list. The young man denied receiving any special favors from the Guard because of his fathers status. George worked in for an agriculture company at this time and then left calling the work dull and boring. He then worked for a group that mentored young minority athletes but also left that job not being fulfilled. After applying for University of Texas Law School and being denied he applied to Harvard School of Business. George W. Bush graduated from Harvard with his Masters in Business in 1975. After Harvard George returned to Midland, Texas where he grew up. There he thought that he would try his hand at the oil business. He had no experience in this field yet he insisted on jumping into to it without working his way up the ranks. At the same time he started the oil firm he married a young lady by the mane of Laura Welch, a quiet librarian. In Midland, George thought that he might run for Congress and in the 1977 race he went up against Kent Hance. He won much support in the Midland area but Hance took a huge lead in Lubbock and won the 1977 election. That wasnt the only misfortune he experienced during that period in his life. The gas prices were plummeting causing the price of oil to be forced down. Many people in the Midland area were losing jobs and very few oil companies could survive on their own. In 1982 George W. Bush sold 10% of his oil firm to a Panamanian investor. As prices began to fall further Bush began drinking heavier and more steadily. In 1984 he

Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons The controlling of nuclear weapons dates back to the first ineffective arms negotiations at the, â€Å"Hague Conferences which took place in 1899 and 1907,†1 as stated by Tom Bethell in his article â€Å"No Nukes America†. Many conferences such as the Hague Conference, have set a standard to the limitation of nuclear weapons throughout the world. Mr Bethell claims that, â€Å"Ever since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear warfare has declined,†1 despite the fact that at any second, any country can be destroyed with the push of a single button. Nuclear weapons are probably the biggest threat in the world today. The belief that there should be nuclear weapons in the world is supported by Tom Bethell who is a Washington correspondent for the American Spectator. Mr. Bethell basically writes about how the U.S. has practically stopped the production of nuclear weapons. He also explains that now that the U.S. has delayed production, they are behind in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons compared to other nuclear weapon countries. Mr. Bethell states the stoppage of testing by saying, â€Å"The refusal to allow further testing ensures that nuclear weapons technology will become increasingly outdated.†1 Mr. Bethell also claims that because of the shut down of the plants, the, â€Å"Weapons plants were stigmatized as contaminated sites, ‘hot spots,’ sources of hazardous waste.†1 Also, Mr. Bethell states that, â€Å"The Department of Energy has estimated that cleaning up these sites will cost $300 billion – more than the annual defense budget.†1 Mr. Bethell’s main point of the article is that because of the closing of the plants, and the stoppage of the testings of nuclear weapons, the U.S. will feel less secure because they will be so far behind the major nuclear countries (Russia, France, China) in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons. Mr. Bethell asks the question, â€Å"Will we feel more... Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Nuclear Weapons The controlling of nuclear weapons dates back to the first ineffective arms negotiations at the, â€Å"Hague Conferences which took place in 1899 and 1907,†1 as stated by Tom Bethell in his article â€Å"No Nukes America†. Many conferences such as the Hague Conference, have set a standard to the limitation of nuclear weapons throughout the world. Mr Bethell claims that, â€Å"Ever since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear warfare has declined,†1 despite the fact that at any second, any country can be destroyed with the push of a single button. Nuclear weapons are probably the biggest threat in the world today. The belief that there should be nuclear weapons in the world is supported by Tom Bethell who is a Washington correspondent for the American Spectator. Mr. Bethell basically writes about how the U.S. has practically stopped the production of nuclear weapons. He also explains that now that the U.S. has delayed production, they are behind in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons compared to other nuclear weapon countries. Mr. Bethell states the stoppage of testing by saying, â€Å"The refusal to allow further testing ensures that nuclear weapons technology will become increasingly outdated.†1 Mr. Bethell also claims that because of the shut down of the plants, the, â€Å"Weapons plants were stigmatized as contaminated sites, ‘hot spots,’ sources of hazardous waste.†1 Also, Mr. Bethell states that, â€Å"The Department of Energy has estimated that cleaning up these sites will cost $300 billion – more than the annual defense budget.†1 Mr. Bethell’s main point of the article is that because of the closing of the plants, and the stoppage of the testings of nuclear weapons, the U.S. will feel less secure because they will be so far behind the major nuclear countries (Russia, France, China) in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons. Mr. Bethell asks the question, â€Å"Will we feel more... Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Argument: States coexist in anarchy and the self-help principal action in an anarchic order is gained by security Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Defense equates to an ideal security since this combination presents both a strong guard in the presence of an attack while conversely equally strong prevention in terms of the effective punishment for the aggressor (anticipation of threat must be genuine). â€Å"Why fight if you can’t win much and might lose everything?†-exemplifies the authors mind frame in terms of the existence of nuclear weapons in war mentality. The concept of certainty becomes definable when using nuclear weapons in war. In conventional war an aggressor would pose war knowing that although uncertain about the outcome, destruction will be limited. With the introduction of nuclear warheads however the state and surrounding areas would be annihilated-with certainty! The knowledge of their being a severe outcome with the use of nuclear weapons, states would focus on avoidance when approaching the thought of war. Fear of nuclear weapons falling into wrong hands are unfounded due to the nature of a nuclear attack Use with â€Å"blackmail† would be a â€Å"cheap and decisive offensive force against conventional enemies† Theoretical Perspective and Why: Waltz is arguing from a realist theoretical perspective mainly because of his views on conflict. His essay is based around the use of nuclear weapons as a means to participate with other states in conflict. Where a Liberal Plurist would seek to explore cooperation and communication Waltz’s realist account sees the use of â€Å"blackmail† with nuclear weapon as an â€Å"offensive force†. Defining terminology for a realist emphasizes, â€Å"States, Power and Anarchy†. Waltz asserts that, â€Å"States coexist in a condition of anarchy†¦states must help themselves by providing for their own security†. His argument furthermore reflects the c...

Intercultural Conflict Resolution in Schools Assignment

Intercultural Conflict Resolution in Schools - Assignment Example Note that for research purposes, the real names of respondents were replaced. Justine: These programs help to establish peace, remove vehemence and create healthy relationships among students. In schools where cultural conflict is low, programs such as the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) have been implemented to help bring an understanding between students of different cultures. Justine: The schools address cultural conflicts by making sure these programs are run and encouraging teachers and parents to respect the diverse cultures within each school system. This starts by learning of the practices in other people’s cultures in order to ensure awareness. For instance, one’s culture may permit interaction of both sexes both in classroom sitting arrangements and the playgrounds while another culture is against this. The awareness by the students will ensure that the activities conducted by the students do not bring conflicts among them. The school should implement policies that respect each culture. They should educate on the harms of intercultural conflicts and penalize those who are intolerant to coexistence. Justine: The beliefs of some cultures lead to intercultural conflicts. This is for instance, in cases where big Korean girls share the same school with smaller Korean girls. According to their beliefs, the bigger girls are allowed to assault the smaller ones in case they believe they do not receive enough respect from them. This leads to conflicts. Justine: Students experience different conflicts in relation to cultural difference. These include socio-economic status conflicts, for instance as seen between Iranians and Soviet Armenians who share same cultural views but the conflict in socio-economic status from back in their communities. Conflicts are also evident in the formation of cliques, the rise of fights, formation of gangs, and even in assigning homework.