To What Extent Was The Economy Responsible For Rome s...

Rome was an ancient civilization so mighty its influence is still felt today. Rome was able to conquer much of the land around the Mediterranean. They were a people with advancements not seen during the time, introducing forms of science and war that are still seen today (Andrews)1. This society lasted for over 1,000 years, leaving its mark on the world for years to come. How could it be that this mighty civilization came to fall? The decline of a Rome is an often-debated topic due to the many factors, which were responsible for its downfall. Factors such as its corrupt political system, failing economy, over-extending borders, and general health problems prominent in its society all played a role in Rome’s decline (Andrews)2. The largest factor in the equation, the failing economy, played into the rest of the previously mentioned factors. This leads to my question, to what extent was the economy responsible for Rome’s decline? What is Rome? Roman mythology states that twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were said to have been raised by wolves, founded Rome (History Learning Site)3. This civilization was located along the Mediterranean Sea, in current day Italy. Throughout its history, Rome underwent many forms of government, including a republic, aristocracy, direct democracy, and monarchy. Machiavelli described the Roman society as a mix of aristocratic and democratic governments (Machiavelli on The Founders Constitution; vol 1, chapter 11)4. Since this essayShow MoreRelatedChristianity And The Fall Of The Western Roman Empire1349 Words   |  6 PagesIn my Theatre of History class, we briefly discussed Rome and the fall of the Western Roman Empire as it related to theatre but I was intrigued to learn more. It didn’t seem sensible that the fall of the Western Empire would be placed, even a little, on the rise of Christianity during that time. It didn’t seem sensible for two reasons. The first reason is that Jesus Christ, in whom the Christians believed, had been born, lived, and crucified over 400 years before the Empire fell. His lifetime spannedRead MoreThe Demise of the Roman Empire Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesA little over 2000 years ago Rome was one of the most important cities in the world. With its many emperors and armies it had gained control of a vast area of modern Europe known as the Roman Empire. Historians have linked several factors which led to the demise of the Roman Empire mostly associated with each other. Some of the reasons were the arrival of Christianity, lead poisoning and poor public health, political corruption with high military expenses, high unemployment with a rise of inflationRead MoreWithin the Context of 1474-1598 to What Extent Did Ferdinand and Isabella Lay the Foundations for a Golden Age?8020 Words   |  33 Pagestraditionalist historians identify as the decline of Spain. To consider the golden age of Spain on a purely art and litera ture basis however misses the point, the Golden Age in all contexts appeared from the development of the Spanish Empire. On the European stage Spain appeared at the height of its â€Å"Golden Age† during the reign of Phillip II, Spain was the centre piece of the world’s greatest power controlled by the Hapsburg dynasty. Outwardly Spain was a religiously unified nation of great powerRead MoreFiscal Policy Role and Development in Bulgaria and Eu7949 Words   |  32 PagesBulgaria and in the EU Fiscal policy is a set of measures by the government aimed to slow or stimulate the economy. Such measures are changes in tax policy and government spending. With the changes that are made the government influence directly to the demand. Fiscal policy is based on the theories of the British economist John Maynard Keynes. The idea is that the state can influence the economy by increasing or reducing the taxes and public spending. This influence is limiting the inflation (takenRead More Editorial: Ireland’s Past? Essay2614 Words   |  11 Pagesthe unusual liberation of place the people from history, and the novelty and freshness of Irish society. Ireland has also been portrayed as a young and vibrant society. Its recent experience of rapid economic growth (the so-called â€Å"Celtic tiger† economy), has facilitated the representation of its people as enterprising, at the cutting edge of technology and artistically creative.[5] In stereotype, Irish people have long been depicted as a people characterised by bouts of Bacchanalian hedonism, oftenRead MoreEssay about Implications for Economic Growth11178 Words   |  45 PagesIntroduction 2 Population-Control-Policies and their Eï ¬â‚¬ects on Economic Gr owth in China from 1979 to 2005 2.1 One-Child-Policy in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 How the One-Child-Policy changed China . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2.1 Decline of Fertility Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2.2 Development of the Dependency Ratio . . . . . . . . . 2.2.3 Inï ¬â€šuence on Economic Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Population-Control-Policy in the Solow Model 3.1 Theoretical Analysis ofRead MoreIn What Ways Can Organized Labor Constrain the Strategic Choices of an International Business? How Can an International Business Limit These Constraints?8367 Words   |  34 Pages This Cover Sheet does NOT need to be date stamped if you are placing in the Assignment Cabinet. STUDENT NUMBER: | NAME OF STUDENT: (PRINT CLEARLY)FAMILY NAME OTHER NAME(S) | COURSE: | NAME OF LECTURER:Mr SanjikaPerera | RECEIVED BY: | TITLE/TOPIC OF ASSIGNMENT:Group assignment – global financial crisis | â€Å"I certify that the attached assignment is my own work and that any material drawn from other sources has been fullyRead MoreEssay on Winter Olympics 2006 Marketing Plan16242 Words   |  65 Pages2006: What Kind of Olympic Winter Games Were They? A Preliminary Account From an Organizational and Economic Perspective Piervincenzo Bondonio and Nadia Campaniello  Citius, Altius, Fortius! To what extent does the motto of the Olympics relate to Torino 2006? Has the XXth edition of the Olympic Winter Games (OWG) continued the positive trend whereby each edition, with only a few exceptions, surpasses the one before? In which areas have there been improvements, if any? To what extent have Read MoreEssay on the Role of Women in Ancient Greece14417 Words   |  58 PagesAlthough they could not vote, Spartan women reportedly owned 40 percent of Sparta’s agricultural land, and enjoyed other rights that were equally extraordinary. We offer a simple economic explanation for the Spartan anomaly. The deï ¬ ning moment for Sparta was its conquest of a neighboring land and people, which fundamentally changed the marginal products of Spartan men’s and Spartan women’s labor. To exploit the potential gains from a reallocation of labor—specifically, to provide the appropriate incentivesRead MoreBusiness Environment of Pre-Britis h India13645 Words   |  55 PagesBUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF PRE-BRITISH INDIA PROJECT BY: BHAVANA BHATIA-7 REUBEN DANTES-9 CRYSTAL D’SOUZA-11 ALISHA PEREIRA-38 TANUSHREE SHARMA-47 GAURAV TALERA-52 Executive Summary It is the past which shapes what we become in the present. Most of what we do and follow today has been decided in the past which is why we have to understand who we were to become who we have to be. India is one of the few civilizations which has been in existence for more than 5000 years. India is a homogenous culture

The Future Of Us China Relations Essay - 1654 Words

â€Å"China Rising† is a non-arguable fact and the one of the most important subject in the twenty-first century. The rise of China is a relative threat to the neighbor regions or other great powers. Further, some scholars also comment that China either will replace or has already superseded the United State as the world’s only superpower. China’s growth is too rapid and massive that other nations have limited or no opportunity to compete with it. By using international relations theories to analyze US-China relations, there are three main stream theories commonly using to explain this case: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism. In addition, in the article â€Å"The Future of US-China Relations† composed by Aaron L. Friedberg, professor of politics and international affairs, he comments that people predict US-China relations with two different views – optimistic or pessimistic. However, which international relation theory applies this political p henomenon the best is still debatable. This paper will argue that the conflicts between the two nations are normal while China is growing, because the conflicts are derived from different perspectives. Pessimistic realism and optimistic liberalism are two main points that will be addressing when approach to this critical issue. Finally, the main argument in this paper is to show why pessimistic realism will eventually prove to be accurate and true to explain the future of US-China relationships. When encounter the issue of US-ChinaShow MoreRelatedQuestion: Compare And Contrast The Realist And Liberal1120 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion: Compare and contrast the realist and liberal approaches to International Relations. How might these approaches be used to understand the current state of US-China Relations? The Relationship between US and China brings many approaches to the current state between them. 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After a long era in which the US dominated the international system as a hegemonic power, China started to riseRead MoreLiterature About China s Rise Of East Asia Varies Across International Relations Essay1673 Wo rds   |  7 Pages Literature about China’s rise in East Asia varies along International Relations (IR) Theory methodologies, Think Tank papers, Government research, and media coverage. This literature review covers a period between 2000 and 2009 that establishes a baseline interaction, or ‘before’ (George and Bennett 2005, 166) outcome, among and between the key actors under investigation in this study. Use later in this predictive study, content post-2009 serves to judge a change in interaction. Many well-informedRead MoreWhy China Won t Overtake The United States Authored By Stephen G. Brooks1697 Words   |  7 Pages1. Introduction The article titled Why China Won’t Overtake the United States authored by Stephen G. Brooks and William C. 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Authors such as Mosher and Krauthammer see the rise of China as a threat to the West that must be contained, a view which is not widely accepted. With reference to New Zealand’s recent economic and strategic success this essay will suggest that future foreign policyRead MoreChin The European Union And The People s Republic Of China871 Words   |  4 PagesThis year, 2015, the European Union and the People s Republic of China celebrated their 40 years anniversary of diplomatic relations between one another. During these years, they have redefined their relationship, they have deepened their mutual understanding and today they share what both sides call a â€Å"strategic partnership†. 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Heart Of Darkness (1372 words) Essay Example For Students

Heart Of Darkness (1372 words) Essay Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessIn Heart of Darkness it is the white invadersfor instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness,selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where suchpositive phrases as to enlighten, for instance, are conventionally opposedto negative ones such as to be in the dark, the traditional expectationsare reversed. In Kurtzs painting, as we have seen, the effect of thetorch light on the face was sinister (Watt 332). Ian Watt, author of Impressionism andSymbolism in Heart of Darkness, discusses about the destruction set uponthe Congo by Europeans. The destruction set upon the Congo by Europeansled to the cry of Kurtzs last words, The horror! The horror! The horrorin Heart of Darkness has been critiqued to represent different aspectsof situations in the book. However, Kurtzs last words The horror! Thehorror! refer, to me, to magnify only three major aspects. The horrormagnifies Kurtz not being able to restrain himself, the colonizers greed,and Europes darkness. Kurtz comes to the Congo with noble intentions. He thought that each ivory station should stand like a beacon light, offeringa better way of life to the natives. He was considered to be a universalgenius: he was an orator, writer, poet, musician, artist, politician,ivory producer, and chief agent of the ivory companys Inner Station. yet,he was also a hollow man, a man without basic integrity or any senseof social responsibility. Kurtz issues the feeble cry, The horror! Thehorror! and the man of vision, of poetry, the emissary of pity, and science,and progress is gone. The jungle closes round (Labrasca 290). Kurtzbeing cut off from civilization reveals his dark side. Once he enteredwithin his heart of darkness he was shielded from the light. Kurtz turnedinto a thief, murderer, raider, persecutor, and to climax all of his othershady practices, he allows himself to be worshipped as a god. E. N. Dorall,author of Conrad and Coppola: Different Centres of Darkness, explainsKurtzs loss of his identity. Daring to face the consequences of hisnature, he loses his identity; unable to be totally beast and never ableto be fully human, he alternates between trying to return to the jungleand recalling in grotesque terms his former idealism. Kurtz discovered,A voice! A voice! It rang deep to the very last. It survived his strengthto hide in the magnificent folds of eloquence the barren darkness of hisheart. But both the diabolic love and the unearthly hate of the mysteriesit had penetrated fought for the possession of that soul satiated withprimitive emotions, avid of lying, fame, of sham distinction, of all theappearances of success and power. Inevitably Kurtz collapses, his lastwords epitomizing his experience, The horror! The horror! (Dorall 306). The horror to Kurtz is about self realization;about the mistakes he committed while in Africa. The colonizers cruelty towards the nativesand their lust for ivory also is spotlighted in Kurtzs horror. The whitemen who came to the Congo professing to bring progress and light to darkestAfrica have themselves been deprived of the sanctions of their Europeansocial orders. The supposed purpose of the colonizers traveling into Africawas to civilize the natives. Instead the Europeans took the natives landaway from them by force. They burned their towns, stole their property,and enslaved them. Enveloping the horror of Kurtz is the Congo Free Stateof Leopold II, totally corrupt though to all appearances established tolast for a long time (Dorall 309). The conditions described in Heart ofDarkness reflect the horror of Kurtzs words: the chain gangs, the groveof death, the payment in brass rods, the cannibalism and the human skullson the fence posts. .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .postImageUrl , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:hover , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:visited , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:active { border:0!important; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:active , .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u930e0b18d2ce75ae783ff11b2beb8e0d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Media Violence EssayAfricans bound with thongs that contractedin the rain and cut to the bone, had their swollen hands beaten with riflebutts until they fell off. Chained slaves were forced to drink the whitemans defecation, hands and feet were chopped off for their rings, menwere lined up behind each other and shot with one cartridge, wounded prisonerswere eaten by maggots till they died and were then thrown to starving dogsor devoured by cannibal tribes (Meyers 100). The colonizers enslaved the natives todo their biding; the cruelty practiced on the black workers were of thewhite mans mad and greedy rush for ivory. The unredeemable horror inthe tale is the duplicity, cruelty, and venality of Europeans officialdom(Levenson 401). Civilization is only preserved by maintainingillusions. Juliet Mclauchlan, author of The Value and Significance ofHeart of Darkness, stated that every colonizer in Africa is to blame forthe horror which took place within. Kurtzs moral judgment applies supremelyto his own soul, but his final insight is all encompassing; looking uponhumanity in full awareness of his own degradation, he projects his debasement,failure, and hatred universally. Realizing that any human soul may be fascinated,held irresistible, by what it rightly hates, his stare is wide enoughto embrace the whole universe, wide and immense. embracing, condemning,loathing all the universe (Mclauchlan 384). The darkness of Africa collides with theevils of Europe upon Kurtzs last words. Kurtz realized that all he hadbeen taught to believe in, to operate from, was a mass of horror and greedstandardized by the colonizers. As you recall in Conrads Heart of Darkness,Kurtz painted a painting releasing his knowledge of the horror and whatis to come. A painting of a blindfolded woman carrying a lighted torchwas discussed in the book. The background was dark, and the effect of thetorch light on her face was sinister. The oil painting suggests the blindand stupid ivory company, fraudulently letting people believe that besidesthe ivory they were taking out of the jungle, they were, at the same time,bringing light and progress to the jungle. Kurtz, stripped away of his culture bythe greed of other Europeans, stands both literally and figuratively naked. He has lost all restraint in himself and has lived off the land like ananimal. He has been exposed to desire, yet cannot comprehend it. His horrortells us his mistakes and that of Europes. His mistakes of greed for ivory,his mistakes of lust for a mistress and his mistakes of assault on othervillages, were all established when he was cut off from civilization. WhenConrad wrote what Kurtzs last words were to be, he did not exaggerateor invent the horrors that provided the political and humanitarian basisfor his attack on colonialism. Conrads Kurtz mouths his last words, Thehorror! The horror! as a message to himself and, through Marlow, to theworld. However, he did not really explain the meaning of his words to Marlowbefore his exit. Through Marlows summary and moral reactions, we cometo realize the possibilities of the meaning rather than a definite meaning. The message means more to Marlow and the readers than it does to Kurtz,says William M. Hagen, in Heart of Darkness and the Process of ApocalypseNow. The horror to Kurtz became the nightmare between Europe and Africa. To Marlow, Kurtzs last words came through what he saw and experiencedalong the way into the Inner Station. To me, Kurtzs horror shadows everyhuman, who has some form of darkness deep within their heart, waiting tobe unleashed. The horror that has been perpetrated, the horror that descendsas judgment, either in this pitiless and empty death or in whatever dominationthere could be to come (Stewart 366). Once the horror was unleashed, therewas no way of again restraining it. .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .postImageUrl , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:hover , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:visited , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:active { border:0!important; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:active , .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4d7ada5afc4a5a8a73750352e4965aca:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Edmunds Corrugated Parts Services EssayBibliographyDorall, E. N. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. RobertKimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 306, 309. LaBrasca, Robert. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 290. Levenson, Michael. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 401. McLauchlan, Juliet. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 384. Meyers, Jeffrey. Joseph Conrad. New York:Charles Scribners Sons, 1991. Stewart, Garrett. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 266. Watt, Ian. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. RobertKimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 332.

Safety Culture in Aviation

Introduction Safety in the aviation industry is of utmost importance. Mistakes arising from human error or technical problems can lead to loss of lives. Aviation is a high-risk sector that needs stringent measures to improve safety and prevent accidents.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Safety Culture in Aviation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, safety culture is important for aviation maintenance organizations, as it promotes their public image, which often translates into commercial success. Aircraft manufacturers and aircraft maintenance firms implement aviation safety regulations to minimize technical and human errors that lead to accidents. They adopt new technologies and enhance risk awareness among the crewmembers in a bid to enhance the safety of air travel. In practice, aviation safety relies on a number of factors, including technology, organizational culture, and regulations. Aviation crash probes reveal that combination of human and technical factors causes aviation accidents. Some of these errors can be traced to organizational and management practices that define a firm’s corporate culture (Kingma, 2008). In the aviation sector, the approach that an organization uses to address safety issues determines its corporate culture. However, the relationship between organizational culture and safety is an under-researched area. This paper reviews published studies that address the problem of safety within airline transport and maintenance companies. The aim is to identify gaps in research and propose the focus areas of a future study.Advertising Looking for article on aviation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Problematisation of Safety Culture Safety culture is often a problem during the initial stages of a firm’s growth. New companies, especially those that involve mergers, have a problem creating a sustainable safety culture due to weak change management structures. Thus, when the ‘old’ structures do not support strong quality assurance (QA) practices or improve aircraft production and maintenance issues, the development of safety culture is hindered. Furthermore, mergers shift focus to the pursuit of commercial interests, which create tension between QA and the management, and affect safety culture within the organization (Kingma, 2008). The tension results in the emergence of different in values and norms within an organization. While commercial interests may influence the management, the QA group emphasizes on strict adherence to safety regulations. For instance, QA may want production or safety to be done based on industry checklists without consideration of customer demands or pressure while the management may prefer flexibility to speed up production and meet commercial interests. The difference in focus may affect operations within the organization. In s um, the conflicting positions taken by different company departments, especially the QA and the management, affect the values and norms within the organization. The divergent values make safety culture a problem in aviation organizations. Moreover, since the management exercises the ultimate control over the other departments, QA may be forced to change its stance on aviation.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Safety Culture in Aviation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, values and norms may be eroded when commercial interests and external pressure override safety values and norms within an organization. Moreover, even though an organization may have a strong safety culture, external pressure coupled with commercial interests can affect these norms. Literature Review Aviation safety culture dominates many debates about air travel. Safety culture describes an organization’s position on aviation safety issues as indicated by the measures implemented to reduce technical and human errors. McDonald, Corrigan, Daly, and Cromie (2000) define safety culture as â€Å"the shared and learned meanings, experiences, and interpretations of safety, which characterize people’s attitudes towards risk, accidents, and prevention† (p. 154). This means that safety culture encompasses the practices that an organization implements to minimize danger to its clients and employees. On his part, Reason (1998) defines safety culture in an organization as the corporate system that shields an organization against unsafe incidents. Thus, safety culture, in an organizational context, is a component of corporate culture. The studies that examine organizational culture in the airline industry give various perspectives on safety. Glendon and Stanton (2000) view safety culture as a distinct, independent element in an organization’s corporate culture. The researchers argue that culture is an en tity found in firms that determines organizational outcomes. In comparison, Cooper (2000) views culture as a product of managerial decisions regarding safety. Thus, the development of safety culture in firms depends on organizational factors and managerial commitment.Advertising Looking for article on aviation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In view of this, Kingma (2008) regards firms as centres of cultural development that are influenced by social and economic factors. This perspective implies that, in aviation context, organizational outcomes, such as airline accidents/incidents and safety regulations, depend on organizational culture. In this regard, aircraft maintenance services, including technical inspection and repairs that promote safety, are determined by an organization’s culture. Other studies examine safety culture as an evolving concept. Richter and Koch (2004) state that culture in organizations is determined by the nature of a firm’s operations, the behaviour considered satisfactory, the norms practiced by employees, and the integration and adaptation approaches within an organization. They further identify various factors that define corporate culture. Artefacts such as posters, buildings, and dà ©cor tell a lot about an organization’s culture. In addition, the values and norms of a firm as spelt out in its mission, goals and strategies identify its culture. The employees’ values and behaviours also shape an organization’s culture. The authors hold the view that cultural meanings in an organization are integrative. Using the author’s perspective (integrative view), one can analyze the safety culture in airline companies. According to Gherardi, Nicolini, and Odella (1998), culture, especially safety culture, comprises of distinct constructs. The authors note that several internal forces, such as leadership styles, management skills and knowledge, and workforce diversity, among others, have a significant effect on organizational culture. In view of this, culture is fragmented into distinct sub-cultures each with a different set of norms and values. Thus, organizational culture is a combination of sub-cultures within an organization. On their part, Farrington-Darby, Pickup, and Wilson (2005) characterize safety culture as a combination of in ternally created sub-cultures in firms. They establish that safety culture is a constantly changing entity with far-reaching implications on organizational outcomes. Thus, the norms and values in each department create sub-cultures, which combine to form the corporate culture within an organization. Common Assumptions in Aviation Safety Four assumptions emerge from the review of literature. The first assumption relates to safety culture as a social construct. It is often assumed that culture is purely a social construct, whereby human factors, including managerial actions and employee values, shape an organization’s corporate culture. However, culture, especially safety culture, in the aviation industry, is a product of sub-cultures created within the organization. The relations among technological factors and human (management and employee) define an organization’s culture and by extension, its safety culture. Thus, an integrative approach would ensure that all differ ent offices in an aircraft maintenance organization collaborate in creating a sustainable safety culture. Another common assumption is that competition within the aviation industry promotes safety culture. It is assumed that aviation companies adopt regulations that create safety culture because they want to gain a competitive edge in the market. It is thought that production pressures and commercial interests motivate airline companies to develop a safety culture built around regulatory policies. However, safety culture, in the production context, is a product of the integration of values and norms within the organization, which translates to commercial gains. Although the improvements in internal safety measures and QA developed out of the need to gain a competitive edge in the airline industry, culture emerged from the integration of values. Thus, self-regulation in aviation maintenance firms involves internal safety controls and procedures. These safety controls depend on a firm ’s market strategy and commercial interests. Perspectives Emerging From the Research Overall, three perspectives regarding safety culture emerge from this literature review. The first perspective perceives culture as a consolidated entity that identifies an airline company or organization. In contrast, the second perspective views culture as a ‘disconnected’ concept that consists of sub-cultures. The third viewpoint holds that culture is an evolving entity with clear meaning in organizations. Because of advancements in technology and skills, organizational culture is an ever-changing concept. It can be argued that, because of the difference in logic, these divergent viewpoints cannot co-exist within a single organization. Thus, each organization employs a different perspective in creating a sustainable safety culture in its operations. Most safety studies involve the integrative view (Richter Koch, 2004). Other studies portray safety culture in aviation as a fra gmented entity (McDonald et al., 2000; Cooper, 2000). Only a few studies describe safety culture as an evolving entity (Besco, 2004; Gherardi, Nicolini Odella, 1998). Safety culture is a social construct that depend on human and technical factors. Since society is constantly changing, safety culture should be conceived as a changing system that keeps pace with advancements in technology and skills. Thus, safety culture is a product of social-technical interaction. Safety culture can also be viewed as a multi-faceted concept that encompasses many sub-cultures. The third perspective views safety culture in terms of the cultural meaning instead of a distinct entity within an organization as held by the proponents of the integrative viewpoint. Similarly, workplace functions in the aviation sector can be viewed in the context of meaning as opposed to distinct sub-cultures. Thus, aircraft maintenance firms can enhance safety by focusing on the cultural ‘meanings’ or ideas ge nerated within the quality offices. Similarly, aircraft manufacturers can create a safety culture by managing the meanings created in the production process. This requires an integration of all sub-cultures within an organization to create a uniform safety culture. In contrast, a disparity in the values and norms applied in different departments affects the development of safety culture in organizations. For example, a company’s management may focus on promoting integration in the production department alone. This may lead to ‘fragmentation’ in the quality unit, which may compromise safety. Some studies also establish a link between safety culture and management action. McDonald et al., (2000) argue that management factors are the leading causes of airline accidents. Management actions such as hiring and promotion of loyal employees often affect service delivery and organizational performance. On the other hand, Besco (2004) notes that organizational policies tha t are not integrative lead to misplaced priorities and create ambiguity in the implementation of safety procedures. It may also result in a clash of goals and affect employees’ consciousness of an organization’s safety culture. Gaps in Research The studies reviewed give different perspectives about safety culture. More specifically, the studies examine safety culture from three perspectives: integration, fragmentation, and meaning created within an organization. Only a few of the studies focus on the evolving nature of safety in an organizational context. As aforementioned, safety culture is not static; it keeps on changing based on industry needs and developments in technology. In this regard, the writer would want to examine the evolving meaning of safety and its impact on organizational culture. The writer would particularly want to know how safety sub-cultures affect on organizational development in the aviation industry. Multiple case studies would help the writer identify the rate at which aviation organizations implement safety measures recommended by aviation regulators such as the EASA. The writer would also want to know the how employee training on aviation safety contributes to the development of safety culture in organizations. Previous studies attribute the development of safety culture to the production and the management departments of an organization. However, the differences in values and norms create distinct safety sub-cultures in these two departments. Thus, the writer would also to identify the effect of these sub-cultures in the organization. In this regard, safety culture, as it relates to either the production or management departments, needs further investigation. While safety culture in the production context involves strict adherence to safety standards, safety culture at the management level is largely driven by commercial interests (Besco, 2004). In line with this assertion, the writer will not only examine safety cul ture as a multi-faceted concept, but also as integrated construct. Thus, in as much as safety culture may be fragmented into distinct sub-cultures, it remains a unified entity at the organizational level. This means that the sub-cultures in the various departments of an organization, including production and management, combine to form the organizational safety culture. Technical safety measures implemented in the production unit and regulatory compliance (management) define an organization’s safety culture. The proposed study will fill in the gaps in research, as it will focus on safety as an evolving entity in a socio-technical system. To achieve this, the research will examine the human (employee) factors that hinder the creation of a sustainable safety culture in aircraft manufacture and maintenance organizations. In particular, communication channels within and between the different departments will be explored. The use of memos among employees communicate safety procedu res will indicate a strong safety culture. The other human factors that the study will examine include teamwork and employee fatigue and stress, as they affect the employees’ attitudes towards safety. Organizational factors such as safety norms, communication channels, and knowledge management also determine a company’s safety culture. Thus, the writer will use an ethnographic approach in examining how organizational and human factors create or hamper the development of safety norms and values. The problem of safety in aviation is often associated with either technical failure or human error. In particular, the writer will consider safety culture in organizations as a product of management practices. However, research on socio-technical aspects of culture will provide new insights into the sources of values and norms that underlie safety culture in organizations. Because technical advancements and safety regulations have a huge impact on the aviation industry, an organ ization’s safety culture will largely depend on how it has implemented the safety protocols disseminated by the EASA. This will need a convergence of the sub-cultures within the organization to establish self-regulation norms that will identify the organization. Discussion and Conclusion In this paper, the problematisation strategy has helped reveal assumptions underlying safety culture in aviation organisations. Through this strategy, issues, such as quality assurance, personnel training, organizational communication, and technology adoption, which are thought to affect the safety culture in aviation organizations separately, were found to have additive effects. In this regard, the identification of the assumptions underlying the development of safety culture made the writer to challenge the existing perspectives on organizational culture. Therefore, because of the probematisation process, safety culture can be redefined as an aggregation of several psychological mechanisms within an organization. In other words, safety culture goes beyond the implementation of safety regulations, quality standards, and advanced technologies. It encompasses socially constructed norms and values that appeal to a particular organizational context. Thus, based on the interrogation of the various perspectives and assumptions about safety, in an aviation context, safety culture is a four dimensional concept that includes procedural (safety regulations/standards), informational (technologies), social (interpersonal communication), and strategic (commercial interests) aspects. The critical review of literature enabled the writer to identify the opposing views regarding safety culture in organisations. In particular, the characterizations of the different sub-culture within an organisation allowed the writer to discover how workplace relations and shifts, such as managerial action, employee values, and leadership styles, create sub-cultures within an organisation. In addition, through the critical review of literature the writer was able to describe the major perspectives on organizational culture. The three major perspectives (integration, fragmentation, and meaning) have been described in literature. The literature review made two major contributions to the understanding of the safety culture problem. First, it provided mainstream theoretical frameworks used to study organisational culture and the interpersonal factors that influence procedures and outcomes. Second, through the critical literature review, gaps in research were identified, especially with regard to aviation safety culture. In sum, the literature review enabled the writer to identify and evaluate common assumptions and perspectives, develop a new perspective, and redefine safety culture in an aviation context. In this module, the writer has learnt new approaches of developing research projects. In particular, the writer now understands how to identify gaps in research through a critical review of literature. Gap spotting in the field of organizational culture helps refine or complete past studies. Since organizations are constantly evolving, a systematic review of previous studies helps identify assumptions in research that need further investigation. At the organizational level, the module also has helped the writer to understand how to problematise a workplace issue in order to adopt a different perspective or corroborate the existing ones. At a personal level, the module also has helped the writer to hone his critical interrogation skills in assessing various dimensions of organizational culture. He can now challenge assumptions in organisational culture and point out weaknesses in the literature. The ideas and practices presented under this module have helped the writer to hone his problem-solving skills. A critical evaluation of the operations in an organization can reveal the causes of a workplace-based problem. Moreover, a critical review of the literature a nd a systematic problematisation technique can generally help to deconstruct the organizational factors, limitations, or contradictions underlying a workplace problem. Problematisation opens up a discussion about the theoretical underpinnings of a common organisational problem. This strategy will help the writer investigate masked managerial problems that hamper strategy implementation. For instance, operational problems are often associated with improper managerial practices. However, a critical examination of a company’s operations will reveal that other factors, including external factors, contribute to the said operational problems. In this regard, alternative assumptions and perspectives that would help resolve the operational problems. In conclusion, the writer intends to adopt a multi-perspective approach in solving the problems associated with safety culture in aviation organisations. A critique of the existing literature/systems and problematisation will help the wri ter in deconstructing disputes that arise in organisational settings. Moreover, these strategies will help uncover the wider organizational structures that lead to disputes. The development of a sustainable safety culture in aviation organizations is of utmost importance. The writer intends to use these two techniques to evaluate how sub-cultures affect the development of safety culture in aviation institutions. These sub-cultures play a crucial role in shaping organisational life and thus, a critique of the traditional approaches used to develop a sustainable safety culture at organizational level can help understand the choices available to organisations. Thus, in his final CAL report, the writer intends to explore the specific sub-cultures that define safety in organisations. References Besco, R. (2004). Human performance breakdowns are rarely accidents: they are usually very poor choices with disastrous results. Journal of Hazardous  Materials, 115(4), 155–161. Cooper, M. (2000). Towards a model of safety culture. Safety Science, 36(3), 111–136. Farrington-Darby, T., Pickup, L. Wilson, J. (2005). Safety culture in railway maintenance. Safety Science, 43(2), 671-677 Gherardi, S., Nicolini, D. Odella, F. (1998). What do you mean by safety? Conflicting perspectives on accident causation and safety management in a construction firm. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 6(5), 202–213. Glendon, A. Stanton, A. (2000). Perspectives on safety culture. Safety Science, 34(1), 193–214. Kingma, S. (2008). The risk paradigm, organizations and crisis management. Journal  of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 16(2), 164–170. McDonald, N., Corrigan, S., Daly, C. Cromie, S. (2000). Safety management systems and safety culture in aircraft maintenance organizations. Safety Science, 34(1), 151–176. Reason, J. (1998). Achieving a safe culture: theory and practice. Work and Stress,  12(2), 293–306. Richter, A. Koch, C. (2004). Integration, differentiation and ambiguity in safety cultures. Safety Science, 42(1), 703–722. This article on Safety Culture in Aviation was written and submitted by user Theo Pate 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.

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