Should Friends or Couples Start a Company

Should Friends or Couples Start a Company An increasing number of couples, regardless of whether they are married or not, are venturing into new businesses as partners. Whether it is an online retail store, coffee shop or a local restaurant, couples or friends like to do business together these days. For instance, couples owned 20 million of 22 million new startups in the year 2000 in United States.There is no denying the fact that running a business as a couple is totally different compared to a traditional team. It is also worth mentioning that the success rate of startups owned by couples is very low. In this regard, 70% of businesses fail to survive to the second generation, whereas 90% of them dissolve before making it to the third. It sounds really bleak but it is also a fact that family businesses are much more likely to survive than businesses which are not run by friends or couples.The flexibility offered by deeply attached and related employees as well as closely related managers make your business more resilient. Having the same surname on all letterheads also offers an unsurpassable competitive advantage because the customers know that they are dealing with someone who cares about them and will go out of their way to provide the best possible services to them. © Shutterstock.com | Rawpixel.comIn this article, you will learn 1) how couples or friends can start a business, 2) advantages and 3) disadvantages of starting a business with friends or as a couple, and 4) examples of companies founded or run by couples.HOW CAN COUPLES OR FRIENDS START A BUSINESS?Businesses owned by couples, friends or families also incorporate some really intense and unique challenges, such as problems with succession planning and emotional dilemmas. There are many things you need to consider when you are going to start a new business together with your friend or life partner, some of which are explained below.Keep Your Relationship and Business Separate.  It is always nice to have intimate relations with your partner or friends but these relations should, in no way, have any effect on your business. Business matters and your personal relationships are totally different things and you should be very clear about it. Your love, emotions or respect for someone should not cloud your judgment or managerial sense if you want to make your business successful.Discuss the Strategy Thoroughly.  No business can be successful if it is not based on a comprehensive and result-oriented strategy. You must sit together with your partner to formulate a strategy for marketing, sales, internal accounting functions and customer service. You should thoroughly discuss all the methods and tactics you are going to employ to run your business. It is always important to put an effective and efficient strategy in place, and the same is true for family-owned businesses.How Viable Is Your Business Plan?  While discussing your business strategy, you should also talk about the worst case scenarios. In this regard, you can also consult a trusted business expert to discuss the viability of your business plan and how you are going to implement that plan. You cannot achieve the desired results if you simply try to convince each other without getting external help. You also hav e to identify the roles each of you will play in addition to understanding the marketplace you want to venture into.Plan for Your Personal and Business Life.  You should also have a separate spending plan for your personal and business life, and this is particularly true for couples. Again, an experienced financial planner can help you establish a good spending plan and adequate emergency funds for both home and work, since startups often have unpredictable cash flows.Set Aside Your Pride.  One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the way of your success will be your pride. Both of you have to set aside your pride because excessive pride always hath a fall. If you cannot let your pride go, you will never be able to anticipate the greater needs of the business or your own shortcomings. Once your pride or ego is out of control, you become too scared to ask for help. You start making major decisions without consulting your partner or team and as a result, your business will ultimately fa il.Don’t Ignore Each Other’s Mistakes.  Calling out each other’s mistakes in a kind and effective way can help you prevent a lot of problems in the long run. Instead of blaming each other for business mishaps, you have to recognize your mistakes and learn from them. Try to be as patient as possible with each other because it is necessary for the good of your business. If you lose patience, stress will creep in and you will not be able to concentrate on more important tasks at hand.Always Delegate Tasks.  It is extremely important for you to delegate tasks to yourself according to your particular strengths and weaknesses. One person may be great at budgeting while another may be good at managing employees. You have to figure out what each of you can do in the best possible manner otherwise you will just leave your business in the lurch.Never Publicize Your Disagreements.  Disagreements among business partners are inevitable no matter if you are husband and wife or lifetime frie nds. But you should try to prevent your disagreement from becoming public at any cost. It will give an impression that you are not on the same page, adversely affecting the performance of everyone, including your employees.Don’t Lose Sight of Your Goals.  Every successful business makes a lot of money, but you need to remember that the main goal of starting the business was to make your lives better. If you think that your business has made your lives worse than ever before, there is no point to continue.Define Your Boundaries.  Finally, you have to set boundaries right from the start and always work within those boundaries. For instance, some people are comfortable with discussing their personal life at work while others simply won’t talk about their personal matters at the office. You have to do what you think is right despite the fact that there is no right and wrong in this case.ADVANTAGES OF STARTING A BUSINESS WITH FRIENDS OR AS A COUPLEThere are many benefits of starting a business with your friend or life partner and some of them are explained below.You Already Trust Each Other: As a matter of fact, there is no better person to be with when you start your business than someone you dearly love and trust. Similarly, your friend or partner is the best person to have around when things get really tough. Trust needs to be the cornerstone of your organizational culture. Starting a business with your friend or loved ones means that you are laying strong foundations for trust right from the start of your business.You Recognize Each Other’s Strengths and Weaknesses: If you are working with a person you have no prior knowledge about, you will take a long time to recognize his or her strengths and weaknesses. In the case of couples or friends, you already know where each of you perform brilliantly and where you struggle. You have seen each other in good and bad times, probably went to school together and played sports with them. This makes it possible for you to assess things quickly and settle into your respective roles easily.You Know How to Resolve Matters: As mentioned above, disagreements are commonplace in today’s fast paced business environment. Again, you will have to learn how to resolve matters with someone if you don’t have a personal relationship with him or her. You get to the root of the problem faster when you are working with your friend, husband or wife. You already know how to handle the other person and the best ways to resolve matters.Successes are Sweeter: Against common perception, the true joy of business success lies in the hard work you put in and the challenges you overcome during your journey to success rather than the ultimate destination. But â€" achieving big things with your wife or best friend is a totally different story. Feelings are simply unexplainable when you get your first customer or launch your website and celebrate the success together.Appeal of Working Together: It is a fascinating idea to work with your friend or spouse or anyone else you have known for years. You know how the other person likes to go about his business and you also know how to compliment him for his achievements. You know each other’s foibles and strengths, and can openly call him out if something wrong is going on.Softer Tax Requirements: Last but not the least, record keeping and tax requirements are much less stringent for startups owned by couples as compared to traditional partnerships. This allows you to attend to more important business needs at the start of the business rather than worrying about tax returns and keeping your books in order.Medical Coverage and Exemptions for Social Security Credits: One of the biggest reasons why businesses owned by couples crumble is self-employment taxes. However, if both partners are separately paying medical and social security taxes, you are very likely to get credit for medical coverage as well as social security. Similarly, these credits are vali d as long as both partners are actively participating in business affairs.DISADVANTAGES OF STARTING A BUSINESS WITHFRIENDS OR AS A COUPLEIf you are thinking about forming a business partnership, it is always great to start with your friends or life partner. However, chances of attaining success are more remote than the possibilities of failure, and the following explains why.You Cannot Separate Personal and Business Life: Most couples find it hard to separate business life from personal life. No matter how bad matters at work are, you should not discuss them at home and destroy your private life and vice versa. Both the partners have to develop and exercise greater control and patience regardless of how your business is doing.You Can Lose Your Partner’s Trust: It is often said that you should not invest the money which you are not prepared to lose and this is particularly true if are thinking about giving money to your relatives or friends. Your relationship will become strained f orever if anything goes wrong. As a matter of fact, both of you will not only lose your money but will also lose each other’s trust.You Cannot Run Your Business Normally: The moment you start doing business with your spouse or friends, you are set on a journey which is almost impossible to reverse or stop. It is always difficult for you to ring the bell or highlight your partner’s mistakes. Similarly, problematic assumptions and unrealistic goal settings on the part of your partner make life even harder for you. As a result, your business will not run as normal businesses do.Legal Agreements: It is absolutely important for you to put all necessary legal agreements in place no matter how much you trust each other. People tend to behave differently and often get greedy whenever money is involved. Fulfilling legal requirements may offend your partner but it helps prevent a lot of problems in the long run.Responsibilities Are Not Clear: Most couple-owned businesses suffer a terrible fate simply because none of the partners is willing to take ownership or any kind of responsibility. It is imperative for you to clearly assign responsibilities if you are starting a business with your friend or spouse.You Can’t Add Value: One of the biggest drawbacks of such businesses is that friends or couples don’t consider each other a partner or boss as they would do in a regular business. You might take more vacations than normal or may not adhere to business hours. You may also hire friends or other family members as employees which are not suitable for the job at all. Consequently, you may not be able to add real value to your business.EXAMPLES OF COMPANIES FOUNDED OR RUN BY COUPLESThere are many husbands and wives or groups of friends who have teamed up to establish some of the most successful companies in their respective industries. Following are some well-known companies established by couples or friends.Cisco SystemsLeonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner, husband and wif e, founded Cisco in December 1984 when they were working at Stanford University. As their offices were located in different buildings, they were finding it hard to smoothly email each other due to technological shortcomings at that time. To solve this problem, Bosack devised a method to connect the local area networks of the two building where he and his wife used to work.Initially, it was not easy for Leonard to sell his new technology to companies that were already providing internet networking services. Therefore, Bosack and Lerner decided to launch their own organization called Cisco Systems. With the passage of time, Cisco Systems has become the biggest manufacturer and provider of internet networking services, systems and products.EventBriteThe success story of EventBrite, an online ticketing platform for event organizers, is very strange, to say the least. Kevin Hartz suggested Julia run a company with him instead of formally proposing to her. Julia married Kevin and agreed t o establish EventBrite with him because he strongly believed that she was going to be the perfect co-founder. Today, the value of EventBrite exceeds $1 billion, and the company has sold more than 100 million tickets.EventBrite quickly grew in popularity as it provided people with an easy option to sell online tickets for an event and also to bring people together. For many years, EventBrite also remains in the limelight as one of the best businesses to work for in the Bay area.SlideShareFounded in October 2006, SlideShare has become the largest platform in the world to share slides and all types of other professional documents and content such as infographics, webinars, PDFs and videos, etc. Jon once attended a conference but could not find a place where he could share the resulting slides online. Therefore, Rashmi Sinha and Jon Boutelle established SlideShare as an online community where people could share their slides.Today, more than 60 million people visit SlideShare each month and 215 million pages are viewed on average. Similarly, SlideShare is one of the top 150 most popular websites on the planet. It is also pertinent to note that SlideShare hosts more than 15 million uploads from organizations as well as individuals on topics ranging from business to travel, technology, health and education, etc.As you can see, establishing a business partnership with your friend or life partner entails many advantages as well as disadvantages. Sometimes the experiment works out fine, but sometimes it does not. It all depends on how both partners take this new relationship. If you are serious in making this venture a success, you must anticipate all the worst case scenarios and consider all the benefits, alternatives and ramifications. You also have to decide whether you can live with the consequences and how deeply they will affect your relationship. Finally, if you believe that the risk is worth taking even after considering all these points then there is no reason for holding back.

The Dangers Of Cigarette Smoking Essay - 1669 Words

People smoke cigarettes for various reasons. Some smoke only when they are drinking alcohol and others smoke regularly. The level of smoking among the regular smokers varies from individual to individual. There are those who smoke a cigarette or two during the day and their others who smoke at least a pack a day. How people start to smoke varies. The main entry point however is peer pressure. Many smokers came to be introduced to the habit at a young age in either high school or in college or to better state it, while in that age group. Over the years, cigarette smoking has become associated with lung cancer, other forms of cancer and health issues. The number of deaths that come as a direct result of smoking has been very high. The families of those affected are left without their loved ones and with their financials significantly depleted from attempts at treatment. It is these health concerns about cigarettes that makes it an interesting topic that needs to be looked at from a historical microscope. Origins of Cigarette Cigarettes seem to have originated from parts of Mexico and Central America in the 9th century (Proctor, 2012). Some of the famous tribes and people known to have smoked cigarettes are the Aztecs and the Mayas. According to Proctor (2012) they smoked tobacco and other drugs with psychedelic effects when they performed religious rituals. This is actions have been depicted on their temples and pottery. In North America, tobaccos started being grown as aShow MoreRelatedThe Dangers Of Smoking Cigarettes786 Words   |  4 PagesDangers of Smoking Cigarettes are everywhere. They’re sold in almost every gas station, pharmaceutical store, and even ordinary grocery stores in the United States. Cigarettes have endorsements from celebrities, big tobacco companies, advertised on billboards, and through commercials. Smoking is a problem because it causes diseases which cost billions of dollars a year in healthcare. It is also the leading cause of diseases and deaths in the US. Smoking cigarettes is an unhealthy habit that unfortunelyRead MoreThe Dangers Of Cigarette Smoking1417 Words   |  6 Pagesrisks of smoking (Doll 1998). Links between smoking and malignancy of the lip and mouth were made as early as 1795 (Sà ¶mmering), with more recent studies linking smoking with lung cancer and vascular disease (Doll 1950, Doyle 1962). Smoking was initially an accepted ‘social norm’ in society, viewed simply as a glamourous habit, with little attention paid to tobacco’s addictive nature (Cummings 2016). The conc ept of physical, and more so psychological, addiction in relation to cigarette smoking is a relativelyRead MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking Cigarette Smoking Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesbecome popular around the globe, such as cigarette, cigar, e-cigarette, and chewing tobacco. The origin of the tobacco plant was in North and South America where the American Indian utilized tobacco for religious and medical purposes. Later on, many forms of tobacco have been created and harmful substances have been integrated in. After world war 1, the use of cigarette became significantly notorious. Several decades later in 1964, the hazards of smoking cigarette became known to the public (Boston universityRead MoreThe Dangers of Cigarette Smoking1040 Words   |  5 PagesCigarette smoking is a dangerous habit that most users regret starting on. Nowadays, smoking can cause health problems for any human. Whether or not cigarette smoking should be banned completely, has become an object of controversy in many countries. Some people think that smoking cigarettes are a helpful way to reduce stress for the moment. In my point of view, tobacco smoking has seriously negative effects such as smoking-related cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and it costsRead MoreA Study On Death Rates Essay1554 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing accompanied by Lagavulin 21 scotch or smoking a cigarette after a fulfilling dinner. Stress fallows everyone and ways to coping the pressure can be tremendous and dangerous to our health for example smoking of the cigarette. Smoking is a kind of reliance depending upon the opiate effect of nicotine on the brain and tangible framework. Cigarette smoke is tremendously hurtful to your health. There is no sheltered approach to smoke. Supplanting your cigarette with a stogie, channel, or hookah wouldRead MoreEssay On Cigarettes Should Be Banned707 Words   |  3 PagesIf you had the chance to save your own life, or even the lives of everyone around you, would you take it? Choosing to light another cigarette is choosing to commit another murder and taking another stab at your lungs. Smoking is the cause of one in five deaths each year in the United States alone. Since cigarettes can be considered a mass murder, they should be banned. They are dangerous to smokers and everybody around them, and that makes them vulnerable to secondhand smoke. Smokers are more proneRead MoreEffects of Banning Smoking Advertising Essay1657 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of Banning Smoking Advertising Cigarettes are some of the most abused drugs in the world and the effects associated with smoking have greatly influenced the intervention of health professionals concerning the legality of smoking advertisements. Ethical and legal issues have come up over the essence of restricting or completely banning cigarette advertising to reduce the number of affected individuals. Cigarettes have since time immemorial been established to cause a wide range of infectionsRead MoreElectronic Cigarettes Vs. Conventional Cigarettes928 Words   |  4 PagesAn e-cigarette is a device that some are using as their alternative to smoking a traditional cigarette. Using electronic cigarettes is commonly known to the younger demographic as â€Å"vaping†. The theory? It’s a stepping stone to ultimately stopping the addictive habit of smoking altogether; by offering an alternative that is supposedly less damaging in the long run. According to the National Institute Drug Abuse website (2015 ), the outer structure can either resemble a â€Å"traditional† cigarette orRead MoreTobacco And Its Effects On The American Economy968 Words   |  4 Pageshand-rolled a cigarette or stogie. On the normal, individuals smoked around 40 cigarettes a year. The principal business cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-section of land ranch in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to warriors toward the end of the Civil War. It was not until James Bonsack concocted the cigarette-production machine in 1881 that cigarette smoking got to be broad. Bonsack s cigarette machine could make 120,000 cigarettes a day. He startedRead MoreThe Cipollone Vs. Liggett Group, Inc. Case Against Three Tobacco Companies749 Words   |  3 PagesCipollone, due to lung cancer. Mr. Cipollone claims that the tobacco companies had failed to inform his wife of the risks that came with smoking. The jury agreed that the tobacco companies had failed to warn smokers of the dangers prior to 1966. â€Å"The jury also found that Mrs. Cipollone had voluntarily and unreasonably encountered a known danger by smoking cigarettes and that this conduct by Mrs. Cipollone proximately caused her lung cancer and death† (CIPOLLONE v. LIGGETT GROUP, INC†). It was decided

The Invention of the Atomic Bomb

During World War II, American physicists and engineers conducted a race against Nazi Germany to become the first to exploit the newly understood process of nuclear fission for military applications. Their secret endeavor, which lasted from 1942 to 1945, was known as the Manhattan Project. The effort led to the invention of atomic bombs, including the two that were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing or injuring over 200,000 people. These attacks forced Japan to surrender and brought an end to World War II, but they also marked a crucial turning point in the early Atomic Age, raising enduring questions about the implications of nuclear warfare. The Project The Manhattan Project was named for the Manhattan, New York, home of Columbia University, one of the initial sites of atomic study in the United States.  While the research took place at several secret sites across the U.S., much of it, including the first atomic tests, occurred near Los Alamos, New Mexico. For the project, the U.S. military teamed with the best minds of the scientific community. Military operations were headed by Brig. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, and physicist  J. Robert Oppenheimer  served as the scientific director, overseeing the project from concept to reality. The Manhattan Project cost the U.S. over $2 billion in just four years. German Competition In 1938, German scientists had discovered fission, which occurs when the nucleus of an atom breaks into two equal parts. This reaction releases neutrons that break up more atoms, causing a chain reaction. Since significant energy is released in only millionths of a second, it was thought that fission could cause an explosive chain reaction of considerable force inside a uranium bomb. Beginning in the late 1930s, a number of scientists, many escaping fascist regimes in Europe, immigrated to the U.S., bringing with them news of this discovery. In 1939, physicist Leo Szilard and other American and recently immigrated scientists tried to warn the U.S. government about this new danger but did not get a response. So Szilard contacted Albert Einstein, one of the best-known scientists of the day. Einstein, a devoted pacifist, was at first reluctant to contact the government. He knew that he would be asking them to work toward creating a weapon that could potentially kill millions of people. Einstein was eventually swayed by concerns that Nazi Germany would develop the weapon first. U.S. Government Gets Involved On August 2, 1939, Einstein wrote a now-famous letter to  President Franklin D. Roosevelt, outlining the potential uses of an atomic bomb and ways to help support American scientists in their research. In response, Roosevelt created the Advisory Committee on Uranium the following October. Based on recommendations of the committee, the government outlaid $6,000 to buy graphite and uranium oxide for research. Scientists believed that graphite might be able to slow a chain reaction, keeping the bombs energy somewhat in check. The project was underway, but progress was slow until one fateful event brought the reality of war to American shores. Development of the Bomb On December 7, 1941, the  Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet. In response, the U.S. declared war on Japan the next day and officially entered World War II. With the country at war and the realization that the United States was three years behind Nazi Germany, Roosevelt was ready to seriously support U.S. efforts to create an atomic bomb. Costly experiments began at the University of Chicago, the University of California Berkeley, and Columbia. Reactors, devices designed to initiate and control nuclear  chain reactions, were built in Hanford, Washington, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Oak Ridge, known as The Secret City, was also the site of a massive uranium enrichment laboratory and plant to make the nuclear fuel. Researchers worked simultaneously at all the sites to devise ways to produce the fuel. Physical chemist Harold Urey and his Columbia colleagues built an extraction system based on gaseous diffusion. At Berkeley, the inventor of the cyclotron, Ernest Lawrence, used his knowledge and skills to devise a process for magnetically separating the fuel:  uranium-235 and plutonium-239 isotopes. Research kicked into high gear in 1942. On December 2, at the University of Chicago,  Enrico Fermi  created the first successful chain reaction in which atoms were split in a controlled environment, renewing hopes that an atomic bomb was possible. Site Consolidation Another priority for the Manhattan Project soon became clear: It was becoming too dangerous and difficult to develop nuclear weapons at these scattered universities and towns. Scientists needed an isolated laboratory away from the populace. In 1942, Oppenheimer suggested the remote area of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Groves approved the site and construction began at the end of that year. Oppenheimer became the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, which would be known as â€Å"Project Y. Scientists continued to work diligently, but it took until 1945 to produce the first nuclear bomb. Trinity Test When Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, Vice President  Harry S. Truman  became the 33rd president of the United States. Until then, Truman had not been told of the Manhattan Project, but he was quickly briefed on the atomic bomb development. That summer, a test bomb code-named The Gadget was taken to a location in the New Mexico desert known as Jornada del Muerto, Spanish for Journey of the Dead Man. Oppenheimer code-named the test â€Å"Trinity,† a reference to a poem by John Donne. Everyone was anxious: Nothing of this magnitude had been tested before. No one knew what to expect. While some scientists feared a dud, others feared the end of the world. At 5:30 a.m. on July 16, 1945, scientists, Army personnel, and technicians donned special goggles to watch the beginning of the Atomic Age. The bomb was dropped. There was a forceful flash, a wave of heat, a stupendous shock wave, and a mushroom cloud extending 40,000 feet into the atmosphere. The tower from which the bomb was dropped disintegrated, and thousands of yards of surrounding desert sand was turned into a brilliant jade green radioactive glass. The bomb was a success. Reactions The bright light from the Trinity test stood out in the minds of everyone within hundreds of miles of the site that morning. Residents in faraway neighborhoods said the sun rose twice that day. A blind girl 120 miles from the site said she saw the flash. The men who created the bomb were astonished. Physicist Isidor Rabi expressed worry that mankind had become a threat to upset the equilibrium of nature. The test brought to Oppenheimers mind a line from the Bhagavad Gita: Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds. Physicist Ken Bainbridge, the test director, told Oppenheimer, Now were all sons of bitches. The unease among many witnesses led some to sign petitions arguing that this terrible thing they had created could not be let loose in the world. Their protests were ignored. 2 A-Bombs End World War II Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, two months before the Trinity test. Japan refused to surrender, despite threats from Truman that terror would fall from the sky. The war had lasted six years and involved most of the globe, resulting in the deaths of 61 million people and the displacement of countless others. The last thing the U.S. wanted was a ground war with Japan, so the decision was made to drop an atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, a bomb named â€Å"Little Boy† for its relatively small size was  dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, by the Enola Gay. Robert Lewis, co-pilot of the B-29 bomber, wrote in his journal moments later, My God, what have we done? traumlichtfabrik / Getty Images The target of Little Boy was the Aioi Bridge, which spanned the Ota River. At 8:15 that morning the bomb was dropped, and by 8:16 over 66,000 people near ground zero were dead. Some 69,000 more were injured, most burned or suffering from radiation sickness, from which many would later die. This single atomic bomb produced absolute devastation. It left a total vaporization zone of one-half mile in diameter. The total destruction area extended to one mile, while the impact of a severe blast was felt for two miles. Anything flammable within two and a half miles was burned, and blazing infernos were seen up to three miles away. On August 9, after Japan still refused to surrender, a second bomb was dropped, a plutonium bomb named â€Å"Fat Man† after its round shape. The bombs target was the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Over 39,000 people were killed and 25,000 injured. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945, bringing an end to World War II. Aftermath The deadly impact of the atomic bomb was immediate, but the effects would last for decades. The fallout caused radioactive particles to rain on Japanese who had survived the blast, and more lives were lost to radiation poisoning. Survivors of the bombs passed radiation on to their descendants. The most prominent example was an alarmingly high rate of leukemia among their children. The bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki revealed the true destructive power of these weapons. Though countries throughout the world have continued to develop nuclear weapons, there have also been movements to promote nuclear disarmament, and anti-nuclear treaties have been signed by major world powers. Source Manhattan Project. Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Video Game Ethical Issues Free Essays

Kuan-Yu Lin Brenda Varda HMN-101-01 10/28/2012 Ethical Issue Essay: Final Draft Video games have always been an important part of the entertainment industry since its appearance in 1970’s. They have been played worldwide and effect many people. While the children are already playing the games, the number of women gamers, as well as the age level of gamers in general is increasing. We will write a custom essay sample on Video Game Ethical Issues or any similar topic only for you Order Now As technology advances, video games with more diversity and real-life experience are slowly creeping into parts of our life and gaining its momentum in the society. Due to its quick development, many ethical issues associated with video games have been brought to our attention. Therefore, we should understand how video games are ethically influencing people within its realm. The four major ethical issues which will be discussed are issues of violence, education, stereotyping and addiction. Video games are enjoying fast-growing popularity, becoming a major component of young people’s social lives and leisure activities. First of all, a major concern which has been discussed continuously regarding video games is violence. Violence in video games is considered as the visual presentation of characters fighting, gun shooting, physical injury or death to characters. Recently, more and more video games involving violent behavior are taking over the game selection on the shelves. Comparing to games made in the 70’s, 80’s, recent games feature tougher, more aggressive heroines and more games are made specifically for adults. Research consistently declares that most top-selling video games involve violence. In order to prevent the potential harm to children, youth and society of this negative influence, lots of research has focused on the consequence of violent video games. Video game research indicates that playing violent video games increases aggression, hostility, and aggressive thoughts. (Anderson, Buckley, Gentile, 2007; Anderson Bushman, 2001; Anderson, Carnagey, Flanagan, Benjamin, Eubanks Valentine, 2004;Anderson Dill, 2000). In their research, they conclude that engaging games which have content related to violence may possibly increase a person’s aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in real life. Some other studies focusing on college student playing video games also point out that students playing violent games are also engaging in more aggressive behavior. It has been claimed by many critics of the media industry that the incident at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999 was caused by the influence of violent video games. It was shown on BBC news that both students shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, had played and enjoy violent video games. â€Å"Relatives of people killed in the Columbine massacre are seeking damages from computer game makers, claiming their products helped bring about the killings. † Although video games can help players relieving stress, they can also affect gamers in a harmful way. It is both the players’ and the game makers’ responsibility to be aware of the negative effects of video gaming. Games with harmful content might be leading negative effects; they still have values considered being beneficial in certain aspect. Games are popular in the community of youth and have many qualities that make them wonderful teaching tools. Through the educational perspective, both adults and children learn many things by playing video games. Games with positive content show positive effects. For example, playing a dancing video game can help children lose weight (Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution, 2007; O’Hannon, 2007; Epstein, Beecher, Graf Roemmich, 2007). As mentioned before, videogames could be an excellent tool for learning. In particular, players are learning in an active way with practice and feedback. Because they are fun, children are highly motivated with video gaming, when people are motivated, they usually perform better, thus lead in to a better result. Also, games usually have clear objectives with adaptable difficulty levels. Games with increasing difficulty across levels allow player to apply past learning. Lastly, games allow children to apply to what they learn in different problems and contexts. Some believe that video games help improve life skill such as logic and problem solving. They also can improve hand-eye coordination and leadership skills, which can be useful for military training purposes. Having realized the efficiency and the joyful quality of learning experience in gaming, educators are able to take advantage of the positive learning characteristics of games by using the well-designed software in order to teach children more effectively. While the issues associated with violence in video games have caused huge concern among children, gender, and racial stereotypes in video games are also causing problems which require more attention. There is an unbalanced proportion between male and female game players and developers. According to a recent study the average gamer age was in the mid to late 20’s with 60% men playing and 40% women. †2 The whole gaming industry is overwhelmed by the male population. Most of the games on the market are targeted to only male players. Dietz’s, one of the earliest studies to examine stereotypical portrayals in video games, analyzed the depiction of women in a sample of 33 most popular Nintendo and Sega Genesis video ga mes. The study categorized the female characters in those games into four possible stereotypes based on their appearances and behaviors. Females as sex objects or prizes, females as victims, females in feminine roles, and females as heroes or action characters. Not surprisingly, Dietz (1998) found that 41% of the games were devoid of female characters. Only 15% (5 out of 33) portrayed women as heroes or action characters, while 21% (7 out of 33) portrayed women as victims or as so called ‘damsel in distress’. At the same time, in 28% of these games, women were portrayed as sex objects based upon physical appearance or sexually-oriented actions. Following the discussion of female character as indicator of sexuality, most of the female characters in video games have clothing that exposed more skin than the male characters. The research also found out that the female characters appearing in gaming most likely wear low-cut clothing. About half of the female characters have bare arms and legs with big busted figure. * In essence, these female characters in video games were portrayed in a stereotypical way in which they were exaggerated by sexy attire. That leads to the exclusion of female players in video game industry. Although the number of game designed for female gamers is increasing slowly, it is crucial for both consumers and game makers to make the video games more engaging for both sexes either by changing the content of the game or by expanding the choice of games. They should be designed in a way that they are attractive for both male and female players. Finally, the last ethical issue I want to talk about is the addiction of engaging video games. Some people spent immense amount of time playing video games and caused them to lose valuable time participating in activities which are more beneficial for them. However, video games could be considered as one of social activities because friends, siblings, and other relatives can play with it. Bibliography (not yet in proper MLA format, I will work on in for the final paper) http://evvy09. hubpages. com/hub/Video-Games-Have-Changed-the-World http://www. ethicapublishing. com/ethical/3CH12. pdf https://www. msu. edu/~pengwei/Mou%26Peng_gender%20and%20racial%20stereotype. pdf http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/science/nature/1295920. stm How to cite Video Game Ethical Issues, Essay examples

Organization Development and Change Diversity Management

Question: Discuss about the Organization Development and Change Diversity Management. Answer: Introduction: In a highly competitive market, each organization is trying its best in order to ensure the maximization of its profit. However, an organization will fail to achieve organizational success, if it does not take into consideration the satisfaction level of its employees that in turn can help in enhancing their productivity, and improving their efficiency rate at workplace. This is exactly the problem with the small, emerging organization of Australia, The Yum, specializing in the production and sale of healthy and yet dainty food items, such as snacks and sweets, rich in nutritious content. Though the organization is an emerging one set up in the year of 2006, it has a huge prospect in future, as by exploiting innovative strategies, the organization has been able to boost its sales growth, boasting of a high rate of profitability. However, despite the rise in the revenue earning capacity of the organization, one major obstacle of the company impeding its growth in recent times, has bee n a sense of discontentment arising from lack of unity among the diverse workforce (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2015). The organization hires a diverse workforce, whereby the employees hired, belong to different ethnic groups, possessing various cultural identities. It has been observed on various occasions, that there is a lack of unity among the employees forming the workforce, and most of the employees do not feel a sense of belonging, while working for the organization. While most of the employees are highly professional at workplace, their competitive spirit, and almost a hostile attitude towards the employees, belonging to a different ethnic group, is de-motivating the employees (Senge 2014). This is having a direct impact on the productivity and efficiency rate of the employees (Cameron and Green 2014). Further, it has been observed that since the majority of the employees working in a subordinate position are native Australians, the appointment of a CEO and an administrative manager, belonging to the indigenous origin in the year of 2012, has also created unwanted difference among the employe es and the managerial heads. While the employee relation is at stake, the possibility of the smooth operation of the business activities of the company, in a systematically organized way is being challenged. Some of the employees, especially belonging to the minor ethnic groups, have also complained of being victimized by workplace abuse, that has led to the high employee turnover rate problems, within the company. Hence, taking into consideration the adverse impact of employee relations on the productivity of the organization, an internal organizational change management program has been proposed. As far as the internal organizational change is concerned, it can be of various types, including structural change, strategic change as well as people change (Cummings and Worley 2014). However, in case of The Yum, the people change strategy will be adopted, that will aim to achieve employee cohesion, developing a sense of belonging among each of the employees. The management of a heterog eneous workforce comes off as a huge challenge, and hence proper organizational change management programs are required to be properly addressed. Kotters 8 Step Model: Change has become the new success formula for organizations operating in the competitive industries. Each company is trying its best to change, innovate and re-invent its strategies, to stay ahead in the competition. While some organizations are trying its best to implement technological improvements, other organizations are deeming the idea of introducing change in the leadership style (Mishra 2013). As far as The Yum is concerned, the organization is doing well in generating profit for itself, and hence the change in the administrative or financial section of the company is not required immediately. Hence, the change in the organizational culture is required, which will be implemented, by employing the use of the famous model, Kotters 8 Step Model. While an organization considering introducing change at workplace, may employ the use of various models, the most effective model for this case is the 8 Step Model of Kotter. According to John Kotter, the eminent professor of the Harvard University, it is not sufficient to introduce change by formulating and implementing a strategy, as there are several important steps involved in the middle that should not be altogether overlooked (Hickman and Ojo 2014). Before explaining each step involved in the change management program implementation, it is important to state and comprehend the proposed changes. First of all, a set of stringent workplace policies should be introduced, that will mandate the recruitment of an inclusive workforce. There should be strict rules that as and when the organizational vacancy arises, employees should be recruited, making a separate reservation for the ethnically minor groups of people. These policies will render a legal framework to the organizational problem, and hence it will reduce the possibility of policy violation within the organization. It should be noted that The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act of 1986 as well as the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975, have mad e it mandatory for the organizations, operating in Australia, to introduce an inclusive workforce (D'Netto et al. 2014). Besides, making stringent rules is not sufficient, and hence a supervisory committee will be set up, that will be entrusted with the duty of monitoring the employee relations within the organization, and whether each policy is being properly followed by the employees. Again, the organization will arrange a variety of workshops, seminars and training programs that will help in developing the cultural awareness and a sense of unity among the employees, of the diverse workforce (Whitworth et al. 2014). It is not sufficient to train and educate the employees regarding the needs to be friendly with the co-employees, but The Yum will also ensure that the employees enjoy a sense of co-ordination and collaboration for accomplishing a single task. Accordingly, each week, the organization will arrange interactive sessions and fun, interesting activities, whereby each employ ee will learn and explore about his colleagues, and the participation will be mandatory for all. In accordance with the 8 steps involved in the diagram, the implementation of the organizational change will be introduced. Create an Urgency: First of all, it should be noted that none of the employees will agree to participate in the seminars, or stay back after scheduled official time, for participating in the interactive sessions, if the employees do not feel a sense of compulsion. Hence, the management authority must adopt an organized approach, whereby the employees will be asked to attend important meetings at least two times a week, before the change is being introduced. The meetings can be hosted by the managers, whereby they will communicate how diverse workforce benefits other organizations, and hence should be implemented in The Yum as well. Form a Powerful Coalition: The importance of the coalition cannot be understated. For the successful implementation of the plan, it is highly important that a group of change leaders is being chosen who will have a clear idea about the scope and direction of the plan (Calegari et al. 2014). Since the CEO and the administrative manager themselves have been victimized by the problem of cultural differences, it is discreet to choose the HR managers and the Directors of the organization. Besides, a few employee relation experts should also be hired who will also explain the benefits of having an organized workforce, and will motivate the employees to participate in the workshops and training programs. Create a Vision for Change: The introduction of a sudden change can lead to undesirable resistance from the employees. The employees may not comprehend the importance of the proposed change, unless they are being convinced of a meaningful vision (Calegari). Accordingly, a vision will be created, focusing on the importance of achieving employee unity in increasing the profitability of the organization. Communicate the Vision: The vision will be communicated by the higher authority to the employees, explaining both the importance of accomplishing the vision, as well as mentioning the time period within which the organization aims to achieve the vision (Osiyevskyy and Dewald 2015). Empower and Remove the Obstacles: Once the vision and the change are being introduced it is important to inspire each employee to follow the change. Hence, accordingly, even after the change is being implemented, the organization will ensure that it holds meetings at regular intervals, for the purpose of motivating the employees, to embrace the change. Besides, the employees must be encouraged to provide their feedback, doubts or queries regarding the change, if any. Create Short-Term Wins: The generation of the short-term wins is important for incentivizing the employees to work harder for the change (Osiyevskyy and Dewald 2015). As and when slight improvements in the employee relation is being observed, the organization will build momentum and enthusiasm among the workers. For example, The Yum can announce a monthly award for The Friendliest Employee or The Best Partner to Work with, so as to improve employee relation. Build on the Change: Even after the change is being implemented, the organization should keep on building on the change, by hiring employees belonging to the indigenous groups, or promoting employees of minor ethnic groups to managerial designations, provided they possess the required skill and professional expertise. Make it Stick: The proposed change should stay with the organization. Hence, the supervisory committee should regularly monitor and supervise the change within the organization. In case of the violation of the policies, it should be ensured that immediate action should be taken (Calegari et al. 2015). The implementation of the change is expected to bring about organizational success. Cultural diversity in workplace implies the diversity of skills, professional expertise and knowledge, that is sure to benefit the organization. The Yum is expected to benefit as a result of the multiple perspectives and professional knowledge of a variety of employees. Besides, cultural diversity is an important issue that each Australian organization is needed to be taken into consideration. Since Australia is one of the most culturally diverse nations, workplace diversity is a very sensitive issue. In case, any emerging organization is being accused of having workplace diversity problems, the organization may lose its brand recognition in the consumer market (Barak 2013). On the other hand, a more unified diverse workforce will always feel motivated to increase its efficiency, ultimately benefitting the organization. Many Australian organizations have been found to have participated in a national t elevision campaign, for promoting the economic benefits of hiring a diverse workforce. The campaign has rightly emphasized that a well-managed workforce also helps to reduce the huge cost involved in case of high employee turnover problems. With the introduction of a well-organized culturally diverse workforce, the return on investment as well as the share price is expected to increase. Besides, Australian government has strict rules that mandate the existence of a highly diverse workforce, and hence even recognizes companies by offering ACLWs Diversity Award and AHRI HR Awards for promoting workplace diversity (Mason and Aramovich 2013). Needless to state, these awards and accolades will help the organization gain recognition in the local as well as overseas market. This will definitely have a desirable impact on the economic realm of the organization. A sense of unity and a sense of belonging help to motivate and enthuse the employees, who intend to work harder for the accomplishm ent of goals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an organization suffers from a huge financial expenditure, if it loses a single employee, while on the other hand, the retention of the employees, helps in ensuring organizational success in the long run. By introducing change in the organizational culture, the company will be able to motivate its employees, by creating a positive work environment to work in. Besides, as a culturally diverse workplace, the organization will also be able to gain easy recognition among the masses, which will have a direct, positive impact on the consumer purchasing behavior. As and when a strategy is being formulated, its successful implementation will not only rely on the individual employee, but also on the shared vision of the employees. In case the employees have differences among themselves, it will be difficult to accomplish the tasks that require joint effort and coordinated approach (Tynjl 2013). In absence of employee unity, the organ ization is likely to encounter challenges such as employee conspiracy, backstabbing and hypocrisy. As and when the employees will be working with selfish interests or biased attitudes, they will fail to contribute to the overall success of the organization. As far as the external factors are concerned, it should be noted that the Australian government follows a strict legal framework, that seems to justify employee equality and fair treatment at workplace, and hence the implementation of the proposed change will be legally supported. However, on the other hand, since the majority of the employees at The Yum are native Australians, the employees may show resistance and reluctance during the initial phase. Hence, the selection of the most suitable change agents, for persuading the employees to embrace the change, and accomplish the common goals is highly important (Bond and Haynes 2014). Conclusion: Each organization works on the principle of team work, as the employees are required to accomplish the tasks by co-coordinating with each other. Since there is a continuous sense of collaboration needed, for implementing any strategy, the organization should necessarily introduce a well-organized diverse workforce. A sense of unity and belonging created by an organization, is important, if the organization intends to achieve success. The organization, by implementing the proposed change, will be able to enhance the employee engagement. While the training programs can train the employees about the benefit of having a diverse workforce, the workshops and seminars will be able to potentially influence the behavior and the communication style to be adopted by the employees. Again, the unification of team can be easily achieved by the incorporation of the fun, interesting activities, such as games, quiz shows or family get together activities. These steps help in developing mutual love, c are, trust and co-ordination among the employees, ensuring a healthy workplace. Besides, the implementation of the strict workplace policies, encouraging and promoting employee unity, also helps in increasing shareholder value of the organization. The more culturally aware the organization is, the more will the organization succeed in attracting the attention of the consumers. Reference List: Alvesson, M. and Sveningsson, S., 2015.Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge. Barak, M.E.M., 2013.Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Bond, M.A. and Haynes, M.C., 2014. Workplace diversity: A socialecological framework and policy implications.Social Issues and Policy Review,8(1), pp.167-201. Calegari, M.F., Sibley, R.E. and Turner, M.E., 2015. A Roadmap for Using Kotter's Organizational Change Model to Build Faculty Engagement in Accreditation.Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,19(3), p.31. Calegari, M.F., Sibley, R.E. and Turner, M.E., 2015. A Roadmap for Using Kotter's Organizational Change Model to Build Faculty Engagement in Accreditation.Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,19(3), p.31. Calegari, M.F., Sibley, R.E. and Turner, M.E., 2015. A Roadmap for Using Kotter's Organizational Change Model to Build Faculty Engagement in Accreditation.Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,19(3), p.31. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Chrobot-Mason, D. and Aramovich, N.P., 2013. The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity.Group Organization Management,38(6), pp.659-689. Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014.Organization development and change. Cengage learning. D'Netto, B., Shen, J., Chelliah, J. and Monga, M., 2014. Human resource diversity management practices in the Australian manufacturing sector.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(9), pp.1243-1266. George, P., MacDonnell, C., Nimmagadda, J., Murphy, J. and Dollase, R., 2015. Designing interprofessional education curriculum using multiple conceptual frameworks.Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education,21(1), pp.9-13. Hickman, S. and Ojo, O., 2014. Implementing Early supported discharge, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Community, Primary care, Multidisciplinary team, Change management, Kotter's 8-step Model.GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health Care (JNHC),1(1). Mishra, S., 2013, September. Relevance of Kotters Model for Change in Successfully Implementing Lean. InIFIP International Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems(pp. 540-547). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Osiyevskyy, O. and Dewald, J., 2015. Inducements, impediments, and immediacy: exploring the cognitive drivers of small business managers' intentions to adopt business model change.Journal of Small Business Management,53(4), pp.1011-1032. Senge, P.M., 2014.The dance of change: The challenges to sustaining momentum in a learning organization. Crown Business. Tynjl, P., 2013. Toward a 3-P model of workplace learning: a literature review.Vocations and learning,6(1), pp.11-36. Whitworth, A., Torras I Calvo, M.C., Moss, B., Amlesom kifle, N. and Blsternes, T., 2014. Changing libraries: facilitating self-reflection and action research on organizational change in academic libraries.New Review of Academic Librarianship,20(2), pp.251-274.

During The 1980s, Japan Had One Of The Most Profitable And Efficient

During the 1980's, Japan had one of the most profitable and efficient economies in the world. But a recent recession has forced Japan to make changes and pushed them back, out of the realm of being an economic superpower. This leaves just one question; when analyzing Japan's strengths and weakness, is it likely for them to return to the economic status they enjoyed during the 1980's? The answer is no. Because of Japanese false illusions, increasing national debt and deflation, combined with other factors, it is unlikely that Japan will be able to make a full recovery. When analyzing something as complex as a country suffering from a national recession, it is important to note their various strengths. During the 1980's, Japan exploded onto the global economic scene. The Japanese established themselves among the ranks of the United States and various European powers. One of the greatest strengths enjoyed by Japan is the absence of any military institution. After World War II, the United States, in congruence with the other allied powers, declared that Japan was no longer to have a national military. Just think about that, military expenses account for a great portion of any countries national budget. Japan, now without military, had large amounts of money freed up by this policy (Nishiyama, 2). They no longer had to endure the expenses of maintaining any standing military, nor did they have to invest money in keeping pace with military technological advancements. Instead, Japan was promised military assistance by the United States, if any situation were to arise. With more money available to the Japanese government, they were able to distribute more to other sectors of the country. This was an extreme boost for the economic situation of Japan and their citizens (Nishiyama, 2). But as time moved on, the United States slowly moved to lessen it's role in the protection of Japan. They allowed Japan to form what is called Self Defense Forces, and gradually began to transfer the responsibility of national security back to the Japanese (Alexander, 3). The concept of Self Defense Forces is pretty evident. It means that Japan is know capable of defending themselves against attack, but cannot make an attack of their own. This has placed a burden on Japan, one that they have not had since the conclusion of World War II. This can be compared to an individual that has worked for the last 50 or so years for the same wages, and then suddenly he is informed of a large expense that he would have to endure, using only his previous wages. This is what Japan had to deal with, and is still trying to deal with today. Probably the most important strength of the Japanese economy is their relation both economically and politically with the United States. The United States, for one thing, has been one of the most prominent importers of Japanese products (Motohiro, 1). The United States rely on a number of Japanese goods, ranging from automobiles to electronics. Japan, being the small country that it is, needs to export a majority of its domestically produced goods. The United States satisfies this need through their dependence on Japanese goods and by imposing minimal tariffs and taxes on Japanese products (Motohiro, 1). The United States has been a stable and reliable market for Japanese goods. Before Japan feel into deep recession in the early 1990's, Japan was often relied upon to keep the global economy intact (Yomiuri Shimbun, 1). But in recent years, Japan has not been able to contribute at the same levels as it had in prior years. Presently, the United States has shouldered the weight of the global economy, providing relief to Japan during their own personal downward turn (Yomiuri Shimbun, 1). What is meant by relief is the United States contributing more to the Global economy, so that Japan doesn't have to maintain its previous contributions. The United States realized that if Japan had continued its immense role in the global economy, it would have eventually meant the overall demise of Japan's national economy (Yomiuri Shimbun, 1). With the United States taking on this extra burden, they are allowing Japan to attempt to rebuild their own economic system, without any

The Bomb That Saved Millions Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

The Bomb That Saved Millions Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers The Bomb That Saved Millions The Terror that Saved Millions The atomic bomb and it's use over the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still a source of heated debate even over fifty years later. Many people on both sides -Japan and The United States- hold the belief that Truman's decision to drop the bomb was a mistake and that under no circumstances should such drastic measures be taken in war. What these people do not realize are the far more horrible alternatives than the destruction of just two cities: an invasion of mainland Japan where millions of more deaths would have occurred, Soviet aid resulting in the division of Japan into a communist nation and the destruction of their culture, the deaths of thousands of Allied prisoners of war held in Japan, and the threat of renewed hostilities from Japan not to mention the possibility of several more years of bloody conflict. Throughout the course of this paper all of these examples will be discussed, as well as why Truman's decision was the most humane and rational for all the n ations involved, including Japan. Axis power in Europe was destroyed, Hitler and Mussolini were dead, their armies annihilated, their nation's in ruins, Japan however was not. Though weakened from a near four year long war with the Allies, the Japanese continued fighting, as was their code, to fight to the death, and never surrender. President Harry Truman in the interest of saving both American and Japanese lives from an invasion of mainland Japan, authorized the use atomic bombs against Japan. The first atomic bomb to be used on Japan was composed of uranium. It was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. The explosion, which had the force of more than 15,000 tons of TNT, instantly and completely devastated 10 square kilometers of the heart of this city of 343,000 inhabitants. Of this number, 66,000 were killed immediately and 69,000 were injured, more than 67 percent of the city's structures were destroyed or damaged. The next atomic bomb to be exploded was of the plutonium type, it was dropped on Nagasaki three days later, producing a blast equal to 21,000 tons of TNT. The terrain and smaller size of Nagasaki reduced destruction of life and property, but nevertheless 39,000 people were killed and 25,000 injured, while 40 percent of the city's structures were destroyed or seriously damaged. Preceding the bombing of Hiroshima the Americans had pledged that if the Japanese did not agree to an unconditional surrender and an immediate conclusion to all hostilities that they would bomb Japan with atomic weapons. The Japanese called the Americans on a bluff or simply dismissed the American's words as tough talk and nothing more, unfortunately for the Japanese, the Americans did have the weapons they claimed they did, and weren't afraid to use them. Hiroshima was destroyed, though a catastrophe for the Japanese, it still did not mean their surrender. The Japanese, urged by their military establishment to continue the pursuit of victory still did not respond to the American threat. It took the Japanese another lost city in Nagasaki three days later to commence peace negotiations. It was too late for over 100,000 people by the time the treaty was signed aboard the American Battleship U.S. Missouri on September.2nd 1945. Japan had in essence, been defeated months before the bomb was dropped, the problem no longer existed to defeat Japan, but to secure her surrender- a far more difficult task. Quite simply, the Japanese did not believe in surrender. Their nation had never lost a war. In addition, Japan's fighting men held ingrained beliefs that to surrender was to disgrace one's self and one's nation. So deeply were these thoughts held that even after both bombs had been detonated and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war, the Japanese military still opposed surrender bitterly, and would prefer death than dishonorable capitulation. With a foe with a mind set such as this, only two options could be considered by the United States government. One being the use of atomic weapons and the other being the invasion of mainland Japan. According to Truman's top military advisors, an invasion of mainland Japan would cost