...Throughout history there have been varying opinions on what constitutes as a successful existence, none more than in North America where the two have become practically synonymous with each other. In his book “ The Way to Wealth” Benjamin Franklin introduces ideas about not only surviving, but flourishing economically that still are still applicable today. Contemporary Society would benefit greatly from following the wisdom of Franklin, which emphasizes diligence, frugality with one’s finances, while refraining from falling into the pitfalls of slothful behavior. In the time of Franklin his way of living was quite common with those who sought to achieve wealth needing discipline less they fail. And during this time failure was not something...
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...his experiments with electricity and lightning. Franklin was one of fifteen children in his family. Because he was from such a large family he was sent out to work at a very early age. He only had a few years of grammar school education when he started working in his father’s business. During his days off he educated himself through books. He worked as an apprentice in his brother’s print shop for several years until tension ended their relationship. He moved to Philadelphia to continue in the printing business. The book portrays a picture of life in Philadelphia, as well as literature, philosophy, and religion of America colonial and revolutionary periods. Franklin discussed his life-story as an example to illustrate the most important American qualities and values, like determination, self-sufficiency, perseverance, hard work, frugality, and reliance on a sound code of ethics are the ingredients of success. Benjamin was always teaching and leading by example. One way Franklin started his self-improvement was when he worked at his brother shop he begin to read and imitate the style of professional authors. This was a personal improvement for franklin. At a young age Franklin was instilled with a good work ethic. In Grammar school he would have a hard time with math but he excel in writing. Ben constantly checks himself to see if he was improving, by seeking the help of his father. In the book franklin says “reading is a means to true freedom...
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...Canton, Ohio, by a group of seven individuals representing four clubs in 1920. The league began with 14 teams and after eight decades since its inaugural season, the NFL has grown to 32 clubs and has become America’s biggest and most popular sports league. According to a recent Harris poll, 30% of those surveyed selected the NFL as their favorite sport, equal to the popularity of professional baseball (15%), professional basketball (7%) and auto racing (7%) combined (Harris Poll). Roughly 120 million fans watch NFL football on television or in stadiums every weekend during the season. The top 10 most-watched television shows in history are all Super Bowls. Telling people one thing when one looks at the NFL logo: it epitomizes sports in America. That is one thought that can come to mind when one views the NFL logo. Many believe the NFL is a prosperous business full of wealthy, honest and hardworking individuals. However, if one were to dig a little deeper into the NFL organization, one would find that the NFL is far from hardworking and honest. To be honest, the NFL works pretty hard to screw everybody over, and take their money in the process. A deeper look into mind of an NFL exec, one would find that the NFL is nothing but a group of frugal, deceptive, egotistical, billionaire snobs. Not the players necessarily, but the head of the ultimate kingdom: the NFL owners. At this moment in time, the NFL owners and its players’ union are going through a labor dispute, on its collective...
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...not tolerated. The Amish are a horticultural-based culture that consists of a society that is very conservative and strong on religion. The intent of this paper is to focus on the Amish culture, their primary mode of subsistence, and to identify three aspects of it impacted by this mode. History The Amish are a peace-loving, upright, religious group of people, settled happily in different parts of the United States and Canada. They disregard the modern way of life and are content to live their lives preparing for death and heavenly rewards by going without modern conveniences, such as electricity. However, despite their simple way of life, the Amish have thrived since their founding (Foley, 2003). Although the Amish have been in America for over two hundred years, they remain one of the least known of America's Protestant groups (Wittmer, 1970, p. 1063). The Amish faith was founded in Europe between 1644 and 1720, by Jacob Amman. It was a spin-off from the Mennonite faith by a...
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...Amazon.com and Borders Books Professor Business 302 Management Concepts Week 4 Assignment Angela Reed Amazon Amazon is a Fortune 500 company; it is the largest online electronic retailer in America. Amazon is credited with popularizing online shopping. Amazon.com considers itself a completely customer centric company, its company values statement is: * Customer Obsession: We start with the customer and work backwards. * Innovation: If you don’t listen to your customers you will fail. But if you only listen to your customers you will also fail. * Bias for Action: We live in a time of unheralded revolution and insurmountable opportunity - - provided we make every minute count. * Ownership: Owners matters when you’re building a great company. Owners think ling-term, plead passionately for their projects and ideas, and are empowered to respectfully challenge decisions. * High Hiring Bar: When making a hiring decision we ask ourselves: “Will I admire this person? Will I learn from this person? Is this person a superstar? * Frugality: We spend money on things that really matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention! Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeffrey Bezoes; the website was launched in 1995. It began as an online bookstore, it has grown to sell many other products, such as: clothing, gourmet food, watches, jewelry, baby products and apparel, beauty products, sporting goods, music CD’s, DVD’s, video...
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...philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer. The social Darwinists—notably Spencer and Walter Bagehot in England and William Graham Sumner in the United States—believed that the process of natural selection acting on variations in the population would result in the survival of the best competitors and in continuing improvement in the population. Societies, like individuals, were viewed as organisms that evolve in this manner. The theory was used to support laissez-faire capitalism and political conservatism. Class stratification was justified on the basis of “natural” inequalities among individuals, for the control of property was said to be a correlate of superior and inherent moral attributes such as industriousness, temperance, and frugality. Attempts to reform society through state intervention or other means would, therefore, interfere with natural processes; unrestricted competition and defense of the status quo were in accord with biological selection. The poor were the “unfit” and should not be aided; in the struggle for existence, wealth was a sign of success. At the societal level, social Darwinism was used as a philosophical rationalization for imperialist, colonialist, and racist policies, sustaining belief in Anglo-Saxon or Aryan cultural and biological superiority. Social Darwinism declined during the 20th century as an expanded...
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...Rather than leave his life story to biographers and historians, Benjamin Franklin, ever the artisan, took the raw material of his recollections and from them carefully shaped the myth that has come to represent his life. (Isaacson 2) His use of thirteen virtues (Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility) by which one could improve one’s life became an integral part of his image. In his Autobiography, he claims to desire to “acquire the habitude (emphasis original) of all these virtues…” (Franklin 65) Yet it is only a few pages later when he admits having failed, adding “on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it…” (Franklin 70) Ironically, Franklin has established a program that even by his own standards is impossible to complete, while still critical to the development and long-term success of the participant. This program of unreachable self improvement goals became foundational to the Franklin Myth....
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...In 1722 an American patriot was born, not yet knowing that his intelligence, stubborn attitude, and fiery temper would send America into the biggest revolution recorded. In Samuel Adams earlier life he found a passion in brewery as well as a newspaper publisher, even though his parents wanted to send him on the path of ministry. He lived a life of modesty, and was financially poor, but that did not stop him to continue fighting for his independence and liberty for all mankind. In 1740 he graduated from Harvard University, where he defended the thesis that it is "lawful to resist the Supreme Magistrate"(History.com). It was then that Adams realized his true calling was in politics. Adams played a key role in the War of Independence in the Patriot opposition in 1765. His second cousin, John Adams, signer of the declaration of independence, was "recognized by his contemporaries as the first form advocate of independence from Britain"(Marianne Kunnen-Jones; History Brings Forgotten Forefather Back into Spotlight). It...
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... Mission statement Their mission is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.com is a digital colossus. [pic] Organization Structure Amazon started as Simple structure & then changed to Multi-Divisional structure. Divisions include: ▪ Seller Division ▪ Consumer Division ▪ Developer Division Each division has a vice president that reports directly to the CEO. Amazon currently employs more than 51,300 people around the world. Their employees work in corporate offices, fulfilment centres, customer service centres and software development centres across North America, Europe and Asia. Employees in their...
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...white people to receive respect and rights for his race; to be an accommodationist. His most famous speech "The Atlanta Compromise" had been a staple of his beliefs; 'Cast down your bucket where you are,' work behind the scenes, adjust to segregation, and abondon agitation. "It was about black people working but on white peoples terms" (Rivalry, 1:42). One of those ways to 'accomodate' was for African Americans to get an education in agricultural farming. To learn normal farming skills rather than trying to become a doctor or lawyer. When Plessy V. Ferguson had deemed segregation constitutional the ruling "reinforced Washington's view that African Americans had best concentrate on economic progress, not legal and political equality. Frugality, intergrity, and job skills... would bring success in the only areas in which black Americans could control their destiny" (Carson, 326). Although Washington had been an accommodationist, when he died it was revealed that he had "secretly contributed to efforts challenging grandfather clauses,... met with industralists to improve conditions for black train travelers,... and donated money for court battles against segregation and disfranchisement (Carson 346-347). Like Du Bois,...
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...from his church and wrote his own prayer entitled “Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion” Franklin’s most arduous project was his attempt at moral perfection. He established his thirteen virtues to guide himself onto the right path. By charting his journey for moral perfection, Franklin was able to examine himself and learn from his faults. However as time went by, Franklin realized that it was not possible for him to become perfect. He acknowledged his failure and pointed out that his journey toward moral perfection shaped him to become a happier man. Franklin concluded in his memoir that pride was a moral imperfection that was difficult to subdue. Franklin uses ethos to establish credibility as role model for the young men of America to become successful. By highlighting his own experience with family, education, morals, and religion, Franklin establishes his authority on success. The library that Franklin began from scratch served to emphasize the importance of contributing to society and education. Even todays’ libraries exist to provide books to people. Franklin’s dedication to the...
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...Josh Maynor Bradford vs Franklin American Literature, in its early period, had a great deal in common with the settlers of America in its beginnings. Authors and settlers alike both were teaming with new ideas and thoughts of change to this new world. Starting with the earliest authors, most wrote on the spiritual and divine way of life, but as the years passed more and more writers seemed to direct their focus toward logic and reason. William Bradford was a very influential writer in during the time of Early American Literature and maybe even perceived as the greatest in the early period despite his differences of style when compared to others writers such as Ben Franklin. Among the many successful writers of this period, these two historical figures played a major role in early American literature. Although both Franklin and Bradstreet were closely related when speaking of time periods, they were different when it came to views on certain topics, one of which including knowledge. William Bradford, who was a leader of early English settlers, was born in 1590. He, along with many others, wanted to leave the English church and be able to get to the new world where freedom of religion reigned. Bradford and countless others were now known as the Puritans and also known as “Separitists” for leaving “The Church”, as to say it was viewed to be the one and only right church to be a part of. These so called “Separitists”, didn’t like the views of the Church of England and...
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...The pursuit of money is one of America’s most ingrained sources of conflict and its consequences can be seen in Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons. Set in an idyllic neighborhood of a post-WWII America, it follows the turmoil that Joe Keller and his family must face after his decision to send out faulty aircraft parts that caused the deaths of 21 pilots, allowing him to grow his business. Despite his definite role, his involvement in the disaster did not stem solely from personal avarice. Underlying Joe Keller’s obvious financial greed is his desire and struggle to maintain his American Dream, the deeper cause behind the disaster. Money and the pursuit of it, is the driving force behind Joe Keller’s rise and fall. From the very first set of stage directions, it seems as if his life is the epitome of ideal suburban life. The source of his wealth lies with his successful manufacturing company which he shared with his former business partner, Steve Deever. After knowingly selling faulty parts to the...
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...efficiency and quality. Four management principles (the 4P model) were at the core of TPS and guided employees: problem solving, people and partners, process, and philosophy. The idea behind these principles was that “Good Thinking Means Good Product.” Taiichi Ohno, a long-time Toyota executive, is widely credited as the innovative genius behind TPS. During the 1950s, Ohno, along with a small core of other Toyota executives, developed several principles of car-making efficiency that became what is now known as lean manufacturing and just-in-time inventory management. “Ohno’s ideas not only changed the auto industry, they changed late-twentieth-century manufacturing.” At the very core of these concepts were attention to detail and a “noble frugality.” However, over the years, it appears that Toyota’s executives slowly lost the “purity” of that approach as the once-strong commitment to quality embedded in Toyota’s corporate culture became lost in its aggressive moves to grow market share and achieve productivity gains. From about 1995 to 2009, Toyota embarked on the “most aggressive overseas expansions in automotive history” and at the same time had a laser-like unparalleled focus on cutting costs. Four major cost-cutting and expansion initiatives severely strained organizational processes and employees. One...
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...think that Benjamin Franklin had an easy life after reading my first paragraph, but thinking that is far from the truth. Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston, Ma. Everyone knows that life in Colonial Times wasn’t the easiest of living. The early settlers had no idea how to survive in the wilderness, and they had no experiences in preparing for the bitter winters that lye ahead. They didn’t know how to hunt, fish, or farm the land in order to survive. As a result, many died from diseases and malnutrition. “By the 1700s, small cities and towns were established. The colonists slowly developed their own customs and lifestyles. Eventually they began to feel that this new land was now their true home. Life in colonial America centered on the family.” (1)....
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