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Saturday, December 28, 2019

A Report On Organizational Environment Essay - 1537 Words

a. Organizational Environment (1) Product Offerings: â€Å"What are your main product offerings?†, (Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, 2015). The agency provides law enforcement and security services in the protection of government employees and GSA owned and leased facilities. The main product offerings are: †¢ Enforce Federal Laws, conduct criminal investigations, serve warrants through law enforcement authority granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security derived from Section 1315 of Title 40 (40 USC 1315) of the United States Code. †¢ Provide law enforcement coverage for high security events to include major sports events such as the Super bowl and Final 4. †¢ Provide special operations utilizing FPS K9 support. †¢ Law enforcement response to crisis events and natural disasters. †¢ Provide training to tenant agencies in crime prevention, active shooter and Occupant Emergency Plans (OEP). †¢ Conduct Facility Security Assessments (FSA) for government tenants. †¢ Provide armed contacted security services for federal facilities. (2) â€Å"What is the relative importance of each to your success?†, (Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, 2015). Each service that we provide is essential for securing federal assets from potential terrorist threats. (3) â€Å"What mechanisms do you use to deliver your products?† (Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, 2015). FPS services are provided through daily interaction with our stakeholders in the form of law enforcement patrols and response,Show MoreRelatedCompany Restructure Summary Essay example1714 Words   |  7 Pagessummary The purpose of this report is to reorganize the company for growth, higher revenues, profitability and for greater competitiveness as well as give recommendation. This report has considered the organizational features to be re-modified and challenges to encounter This report summarizes the process that will follow and the proposed restructures. The proposed restructure reflects the need for new ‘‘organic’’ organizational forms. Not only does a company’s organizational structure help determineRead MoreTerm Paper of Coca Cola1494 Words   |  6 PagesA Report On FORCES OF ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR IN COCA-COLA COMPANY [pic] University Of Information Technology and Sciences University of information technology sciences Term paper On Coca-cola company ltd. Role of the Forces of organization behavior Read MoreLead And Manage Organizational Change1540 Words   |  7 PagesLead and manage organizational change Assessment task 1 Requirements for change which are linked to the organisations strategic plan goals: ZieTel Logistics’ strategic goals are: †¢ To design and accommodate the current product lines to meet the required standards of food safety guidelines and procedures. †¢ To implement and maintain a CRM system to ensure 100% of business data capturing and communication process. The corporate strategy is to ensure that the basis of changes in the organization isRead MoreAn Organization Of United Way1703 Words   |  7 Pageslocally(â€Å"United way worldwide,† n.d.). Organizational theories all address several main questions about how a company works. They assume an organization has structure, goals, and members, but focus on the efficiency of the organization, how it achieves its goals, how its environment affects its operations and how it survives in the face of outside challenges. Theories can be usedto match the goals, business environment and the personnel of the company with the organizational structure best able to meet theRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Social Environment Of The Workplace1590 Words   |  7 PagesFoundation Organizational culture was discovered to be an important factor in the social environment of the workplace. The attitudes and beliefs of employees and management are what have shaped the culture of an organization. The culture of an organization has been particularly important in the healthcare setting because it has shaped the type of healthcare that the patients receive within the healthcare organization (Sovie, 1993). The construct organizational culture was developed after theRead MoreInternal Environment Of Apple Inc. Essay839 Words   |  4 PagesThis section of the report will examine and analyse the internal environment of Apple Inc. which will cover the organisation structure. The internal environment of Apple Inc. would be examined through the use of SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is used to analyse an organisation s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, in this case, the organisation is Apple Inc. however for the purposes of this section of the report, only the strengths and weaknesses will be examined and analysed. MeyerRead MoreOrganizational Structure Of A Successful Business924 Words   |  4 Pages Discussion A well designed organizational business structure is considered to be the heartbeat of a successful business today. The organizational structure is the foundation for every compartment within a business. Everything from the number of employees, to the titles and positions for each employee, the policies and procedures of how the business with operate, and who will report to who. The organizational structure is to help with the uncertainties. Management should have a sense of how eachRead MoreOrganizational Structure, Culture, And Theory Of A Corporation Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pagespurpose of this paper is to define and report, both, similarities and differences among three specific organizations. I will compare organizational structures, cultures, and theories between the specified healthcare organizations. I will then discuss challenges and opportunities for improvement. I will use these concepts to exemplify my learning process through prospective leadership plans, which could improve my healthcare organization. The organizational structure, culture, and theory of a corporationRead MoreThe Moral Code Of Ethics924 Words   |  4 Pagespatients and the others we serve and they are: â€Å"Work to ensure the existence of a process to evaluate the quality of care or service rendered; to avoid practicing or facilitating discrimination and institute safeguards to prevent discriminatory organizational practices; work to ensure the existence of a process that will advise patients or others served of the rights, opportunities, responsibilities and risks regarding available healthcare services; work to ensure that there is a process in place toRead MoreSTRATEGIC LEADER COMPETENCIES 1696 Words   |  7 PagesArmy War College to produce a report which identified Strategic Leader Competencies for the post 9/11 Army. Dr. Leonard Wong and four U.S. Army War College students prepared a report under the direction of the Director of the Strategic Studies Institute. That report produced a list of six meta -competencies.3 Although the title of that report and the materials presented here have a similar name, that report dealt with soldiers operating in a strategic environment, where tactical and operational

Friday, December 20, 2019

Has Technology Made Americans Lazy - 925 Words

Technology has become a significant attachment in our lives. According to an article titled â€Å"U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015† by Aaron Smith, he states â€Å"nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, and 19% of Americans relied to some degree on a smartphone for accessing online services and information and for staying connected to the world around them.† Even with all of the wonderful advancements in technology, one question that seems to arise is: has technology made Americans lazy? One of the purposes of technology is to make people’s lives simpler but could it actually make our lives less active? By observing the type of people we have become, the evidence or effects that occur from using technology, and future consequences, an answer might be obtained. Americans use technology every single day whether it be for business or leisure purposes. Because of this daily usage Americans’ reliance on technology increases exceedingly each day. Even thoug h a machine may be able to complete a task twice as fast as a human, banking upon a machine is a very foolhardy decision. Not only does it yield torpid employees; but in the case the machine happens to break down, there is a high probability the employees will be inexperienced and have trivial knowledge on how to take on the position of the apparatus thus resulting in a massive decrease in production within that establishment. We have also become inactive people. In an article titled â€Å"11 Ways Tech has made Us Lazy† by SherilynnShow MoreRelatedTechnological Lazieness Essay1336 Words   |  6 Pagespeople so lazy? Could it be from the rapid development of technology? It seems these days that people do things the easiest way possible. With all the modern day advances that we’ve had people spend more time on the couch and less time at work or play. Is technology making us lazy? Has technology made life too easy? Some may argue that technology is suppose to make life easier, but technology is crippling are way of life. Technological advances are making people lazy. The more technology people haveRead More Lazy is the American Essay1117 Words   |  5 PagesLazy is the American Today’s American society consists of many technological achievements. The cars we drive, the classes we take, and even the things we do in our spare time has changed due to the increasing amount of technology that is available to us. Technology is a wonderful thing to behold, but then we can look at the one thing technology has done to humans and especially Americans. Technology has created a society of many lazy people. In order to support my argument, I believe thatRead MoreTechnology Has Made Us Lazy And Dependent By Dominique Jackson889 Words   |  4 Pages The presupposition that technology has made people lazy is a categorical truth. Based on The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan and â€Å"Has Technology Made us Lazy and Dependent† by Dominique Jackson. The both authors indicate that technology has affected the way humans interact and communicate. According to Marshall McLuhan, â€Å"It [The printing press] created the portable book, which men c ould read in privacy and in isolation from others.† As the printing press mass produced books, peopleRead MoreTechnology’s Detrimental Effect on Society Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesThese days, technology seems to be almost everywhere we go. With advancements to cell phones, computers, video games, cars, and our iPods, our lives have become much easier than ever before. Technology is made because the society always wants to find more efficient methods of doing certain tasks. Without technology, mankind would not have discovered things that the majority of us now know, such as the world, animals, science, and the like. However, the society doesn’t gain much benefit, besidesRead MoreThe Harmful Effects Of Overusing Technology1546 Words   |  7 PagesThe Harmful Effects of Overusing Technology The discovery of technology has had plenty of so called positive effects on us Americans. Due to new technology based inventions, coming out every other day. We Americans are able to get places every day without much physical movement. We talk to each other without getting out of a chair or picking up a pencil, do our jobs quicker; easer; or with less people to deal with, create ways to carry our money and personal information without dealing with paperRead MoreTechnology Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesIn todays world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in ever yones lifeRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed Our Lives991 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology has come a long way since the days in which people considered the radio a phenomenon, but advancement is not always positive. The human species has always thrived on human interaction; positive relationships are paramount to the quality of life. Although technology has altered the way we, as a species, interact and work, it has brought about more negatives than positives. The multitasking ability the technology of today has granted people has separated us from our real life situationsRead MoreTechnology : We Can No Longer Live Without It?1217 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology: We can no longer live without it. Society has come a long way with the use of technology. In 1876, the first phone arose. 95 years later the personal computer was also invented in 1971. Now 45 years later we have the capabilities of both in the palms of our hands. It used to take us weeks to communicate with someone a few cities away. It now only takes a few seconds to communicate with someone in a completely different country. Where it used to take hours to research information inRead MoreThe Importance Of Technology839 Words   |  4 PagesHumanity has evolved since the beginning of time. We went from using rocks and other objects to create tools that would ensure our survival to producing technologies unimaginable to the human mind. It’s apparent that things are a lot different than they were hundreds of thousands of years ago. Technology is essential to the lives of today’s modern Americans. Because of this, we’ve become so dependent on technology that it controls our day-to-day activities. Try standing still in an open public areaRead MorePrivacy Is Truly Lost Its Value890 Words   |  4 PagesPrivacy has truly lost its value. The advance of technology leaves nothing unturned. Electronic devices is the main source of violating privacy such as social media. Social media has made it easy to advertise our personal information for the world to see which may hinders our interaction with society. What we tend to forget is that our privacy and personal information should be valued and protected. Society today always state claims to privacy or being private but turn right away and post everything

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Business Ethics for Case Study of Michel - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Ethics for Case Study of Michel. Answer: Introduction Business ethics are the ethical and moral principles, which guide an organization towards right direction (Su 2014). This study will assess the ethical dillemma in the case study of Michel, who is a product manger of a technical start up company and handed by his boss with the confidential and private information of the competitive companies. Moreover, his boss has unethically accessed the confidential and private information of competive firms from their company server (Weber 2001). This study will also discussion Michels dos as per relevant ethical theories. The study will also assess the boss of Michel as either ethical or unethical. Apart from that, the study will also suggest wheather Michel should whistleblow in such situation or not for preventing the unethical action of the boss in future. Furthermore, the study will also provide four reasons for which business ethics are relevant to the business. Ethical Issue in Case Scenario Ethical issue defines a problematic situation, which requires an individual or an organization to select between alternatives that must be assessed as ethical or unethical. In business or organizational context, it involves decision making, which is actually aligned with sense of right or wrongness (Floyd et al. 2013). In the case scenario, the boss of Michel has unethically accessed important and private information of competitor organizations. Moreover, the boss has accessed the private and confidential data of the competitor companies without taking any permission from them. The boss has answered Michel that he has not personally broken any password. However, he has obtained the information through electronic access via a colleague. It may not create any serious legal complication but it is obviously a serious ethical dilemma in the organization. As per the organizational code of conduct, no organization has right to access any private and confidential information of other companies (May, Luth and Schwoerer 2014). Therefore, in this case, the boss of Michel has obviously breached the ethical boundaries of the organization by accessing the private and confidential information of competitor companies without any permission from them. On the other hand, the boss has also asked Michel not to pass on this matter to anybody else. In this way, he is also breaching the transparency of the organization. Moreover, it can create a situation of mistrust among the employees. Therefore, it is leading to ethical dilemma in the organization. Michaels Dos Using Ethical Theories Michels Dos Using Justice Theory of Ethics The unethical activity of Michels boss can be effectively assessed through Virtue Theory of Ethics. According to Rozuel (2016), virtue theory of ethics highly focuses on the moral character or mind of an individual rather than the result of their actions. Moreover, honesty and generosity lead a person towards ethical actions. However, in this case scenario, the boss of Michel has dishonestly and unethically accessed the private and confidential information of the competitor companies. The case scenario demonstrates a wrong and dishonest intension of the boss towards gaining competitive advantage through unethically imitating the business plans and resources of other competitors. On the other hand, Alwi, Ali and Nguyen (2017) opined that virtue theory also indicates moral traits of a person, which can lead to happiness for others. However, in the case scenario, the boss is going to create major issues for the competitors though unethically accessing theory important data and using the ir business plans. In such situation, Michel should ask for justification to his boss for his unethical behavior. Moreover, he should be firm on his own ethics and do not agree with the unintentional activity of his boss. Michels Dos Using Duty of Care Ethical Theory According to Robertson, Voegtlin and Maak (2017), duty of care ethics suggest people to adhere with standard code of conduct, while they are performing some activities. Moreover, the actions should not harm others from any angle. As per this theory, the responsibility of an individual is to avoid any act, which is likely to cause harm to others. In this case scenario, the boss of Michel has unethically accessed the private and confidential information of the competitor companies without their permission. Such activity of the boss can actually harm the business success of the competitor companies, while the same business plan will be executed by other companies. Therefore, as per this theory, the boss has conducted an ethical activity. On the other hand, Michaelson et al. (2014) opined that the action of an individual is considered to be negligent, if it does not meet the standard of care for others. In this case scenario, the unethical access of competitors confidential information c an also ruin the reputation of his organization, if such confidential data goes out. The activity of the boss does not meet the standard of care even for his own organization. In such situation, Michel should make his understand about the disadvantage of ethical information access of other companies. On the other hand, Michel should also suggest his boss some other alternative suggestions for gaining competitive advantage, so that the boss never repeats the same for gaining competitive advantage. Perception for Michaels Boss The boss of Michel has accessed the private and confidential data of competitor companies from the competing companies servers. He has not personally broken any password, but he obtained the electronic access from a colleague. However, accessing private and confidential data of others without their permission is always an unethical activity whether be it in business context or in personal context (Brenkert 2016). Therefore, there is clear evidence that the boss of Michel is completely unethical. On the other hand, Wang and Calvano (2015) opined that organization should always maintain its transparency with all of its stakeholders. Lack of transparency indicates ethical dilemma in an organization. In this case scenario, the boss of Michel is hiding the unethical access of confidential information from the organizational stakeholders. It indicates an unauthentic and dishonest mind of the boss, who wants to gain competitive advantage through unethically accessing the confidential inform ation of the competitors. Moreover, unauthentic access of confidential information can also hamper the competitive advantage of the competitor companies. Apart from that, the unauthentic and unethical access of information can also hamper the corporate image of the organization, if this action goes out to media. Therefore, the activity of Michel boss is actually being harmful for both his competitors as well as for his own company. It proves that the boss of Michel is obviously unethical. Whistleblowing At certain situation when an employee finds violation of ethics within the organization doneeither knowingly and unknowingly by managers, seniors or other peers, which might trigger imminent danger for the company, he raises the concern. This is known as whistleblowing, which helps in protecting corporate image. According to Near and Miceli (2016), employees of an organization take pride in achieving corporate success however, since violation of ethics leads to damage of ones own morale, it leads to whistleblowing. On the other hand, Campbell and Gritz (2014) pointed out that when an employee finds proven ethics violation that might lead to hamper stakeholder moral and create negative publicity, it motivates whistle-blowers to raise the concern. While considering the viewpoint of Kaplan (2015), it can be said that whistleblowing is justified when a policy, product or document creates considerable and serious harm to stakeholders. A situation when ones morale concern contradict with ethical sustainability, whistle-blowing is justified. On the other hand, Gao, Greenberg and Wong-On-Wing (2015) pointed out that one must have documented evidence regarding the ethical issue before fighting for its justification. Exchange of confidential information in favor of competitive edge that might lead to violation of data protection must be escalated through whistle blowing. Therefore, under the mentioned circumstances whistleblowing is justified. Considering the situation of Michael, it can be said that whistleblowing is justified. This is because he has the document and supporting evidence. Also, it must be said that there is a contradiction between Michaels morale and organizational ethics. On the other hand, the main concern will be the impact on corporate image once the documents are known by the media. Such ethical issues once highlighted by media, will be known to public and other stakeholders, which will surely impose a negative impact. Therefore, Michael needs to whistle blow so that both his own image and corporate image does not get affected. Importance of Ethics in Business Firstly, it must be said that ethics forms the morale and positive attitude while making decisions regarding organizational sustainability, thereby enhancing corporate governance.Managers while taking any decision if found to possess positive and innovative ideas that might not violate data protection and copyright notions, then surely there will be no negative publicity. This will ensure ethical business proceedings and eventually reputation will be restored. Secondly, corporate culture enriched with ethics will surely create a sense of pride among the employees. Morally sound individuals when find organizational proceedings to be quite justified, then surely it will enhance the transparency among employees. Ethical business will help in creating strong bond among the stakeholders as well, which will in turn result is corporate sustainability. Thirdly, ethical business will help in creating positive publicity and stakeholder attraction. Brand image will be enhanced and customers will be more attracted. This will in turn help in earning revenue. On the other hand, positive publicity will attract potential candidates, due to which cost of recruitment and training will be reduced. Investors can also be attracted as there will be less risk from negative publicity. Finally, business ethics is extremely important for building corporate sustainability. No business can survive without support from stakeholders and therefore ethics will lead to brand loyalty and stakeholder retention. Often there might be crisis but reputation and image in the society will help in continued business process outcomes. Therefore, business ethics is extremely important for organizational growth, stakeholder retention, publicity and sustainability. Conclusion While concluding the study, it can be said that the boss of Michel has unauthentically accssed the private and confidential information of competitor companies. Moreover, he has accses those information unethically from the server of the of the competiting companies. As per virtue theiry of ethics, the boss of Michel has accessed the confidential information of the competitive firms with a dishonest mind to use those information towards gaining competitive advantage. Therefore, the boss has obviously conducted an unetical activity. On the other hand, as per durty of care ethical theory, the boss has conducted an action, which can harm the business profit potential of the competitive companies. In such situation, Michel should suggest some better altrenative options to his boss for gaining competitive advantage without unethically accessing the cofidential information of competitors. Michel can also whistleblow the unethical matter of his boss for preventing him from repeating such un ethical action in future. Business ethics can mainatin transpaerncy of the organization with the stakeholders. On the other hand, business ethics can build corporate reputation of the organization in the market for better business sucess. Reference List Alwi, S.F.S., Ali, S.M. and Nguyen, B., 2017. The importance of ethics in branding: Mediating effects of ethical branding on company reputation and brand loyalty.Business Ethics Quarterly,27(3), pp.393-422. Brenkert, G.G., 2016. Business Ethics and Human Rights: An Overview.Business and Human Rights Journal,1(2), pp.277-306. Campbell, J.L. and Gritz, A.S., 2014. Culture corrupts! A qualitative study of organizational culture in corrupt organizations.Journal of Business Ethics,120(3), pp.291-311. Floyd, L.A., Xu, F., Atkins, R. and Caldwell, C., 2013. Ethical outcomes and business ethics: Toward improving business ethics education.Journal of business ethics,117(4), pp.753-776. Gao, J., Greenberg, R. and Wong-On-Wing, B., 2015. Whistleblowing intentions of lower-level employees: The effect of reporting channel, bystanders, and wrongdoer power status.Journal of Business Ethics,126(1), pp.85-99. Kaplan, S.E., 2015. Discussant Comment on Whistleblowing Intentions of Lower-Level Employees: The Effect of Reporting Channel, Bystanders, and Wrongdoer Power Status by Jingyu Gao, Robert Greenberg, Bernard Wong-On-Wing.Journal of Business Ethics,126(1), p.101. May, D.R., Luth, M.T. and Schwoerer, C.E., 2014. The influence of business ethics education on moral efficacy, moral meaningfulness, and moral courage: A quasi-experimental study.Journal of Business Ethics,124(1), pp.67-80. Michaelson, C., Pratt, M.G., Grant, A.M. and Dunn, C.P., 2014. Meaningful work: Connecting business ethics and organization studies.Journal of Business Ethics,121(1), pp.77-90. Near, J.P. and Miceli, M.P., 2016. After the wrongdoing: What managers should know about whistleblowing.Business Horizons,59(1), pp.105-114. Robertson, D.C., Voegtlin, C. and Maak, T., 2017. Business ethics: The promise of neuroscience.Journal of Business Ethics,144(4), pp.679-697. Rozuel, C., 2016. Challenging the Million Zeros: The Importance of Imagination for Business Ethics Education.Journal of Business Ethics,138(1), pp.39-51. Su, H.Y., 2014. Business ethics and the development of intellectual capital.Journal of Business Ethics,119(1), pp.87-98. Wang, L.C. and Calvano, L., 2015. Is business ethics education effective? An analysis of gender, personal ethical perspectives, and moral judgment.Journal of Business Ethics,126(4), pp.591-602. Weber, K., 2001. What Would You Do?: Gold Mine or Fools Gold?.Business Ethics: The Magazine of Corporate Responsibility,15(1), pp.18-18.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

The Expansion of Europe and China in the 15th Century free essay sample

The mariners compass, so crucial to navigation out of sight of land, was developed from the Chinese magnetized needle of the 8th century, and it traveled via land route to the Mediterranean where about the 12th century the Europeans or the Arabs developed the true mariners compass (floating), but China soon received the improved model. 27 So both East and West had the mariners compass in the 15th century. We will write a custom essay sample on The Expansion of Europe and China in the 15th Century or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stern post rudders, which are a significant advantage over steering oars in steering larger ships in tumultuous seas, were utilized in China as early as the 1st century A. D. These were not developed until about the 14th century in Europe, but stern post rudders were available to both East and West in the 15th century. Knowledge of wind and sea currents was considerably more advanced in the West by the Portuguese and Dutch than by the Chinese in the 15th century. 8 The West also had superior knowledge of celestial navigation, that advantage being shared by the Arabs; the Chinese were reduced to utilizing Islamic astronomers and mathematicians at the Imperial Observatory, but had not extended celestial work to the practical work of navigating as of yet. The Arab and the Portuguese cross-staff or balestilha developed in the 14th century, and the astrolabe for even better measurement of the angle of celestial objects in the early 15th century. 29 In military technology, both East and We st had cannon, armor and horses. In summary, before the 15th century, the Chinese were ahead in oceangoing ship technology, with larger compartmented ships and efficient fore-and-aft lugsails on multiple masts. In the 15th century, the Chinese and the Europeans were in rough overall parity. The Chinese were ahead in ship size and hull construction, and the Portuguese were ahead in the arts of navigation, and there was parity in sail technology (the Chinese with battened lugsails, the Portuguese with lateen sails). Neither had a distinct overall advantage. Both were technologically capable of great voyages of discovery, mercantile enterprise, and colonization. In tracing the developments, what is distinctive is that the rate of progress in nautical technology of the West was considerably faster than that of the East. By the 16th century, the West was clearly superior in ocean-going maritime technology (especially considering the regression that occurred in China due to policy influences). During the fifteenth century, Europe began a process of nprecedented expansion that by 1650 had affected all areas of the world. This was actually part of a global tendency towards complexity among many human societies. Matching the empires of the Aztecs, the Inca, and the West Africans were rising states on the Eurasian fringes such as Japan or the European monarchies in England, France, Spain, and Portugal. In Eurasia, developing navigational technology, along with expanding trade, encouraged long sea voyages by Arabs, Japanese, Chinese, and Europea ns. But only the Europeans linked up all the continents in a new global age, when sea power, rather than land-based armies, was the main force in empire-building. Overseas expansion was obviously related both as cause and effect to the European transition from medievalism. The Crusades and the Renaissance stimulated European curiosity; the Reformation produced thousands of zealous religious missionaries seeking foreign converts and refugees seeking religious freedom; and the monarchs of emerging sovereign states sought revenues, first from trade with the Orient and later by exploiting a new world. Perhaps the most permeating influence was the rise of European capitalism, with its monetary values, profit-seeking motivations, investment institutions, and constant impulse toward economic expansion. Some historians have labeled this whole economic transformation the Commercial Revolution. Others have used the phrase in a narrower sense, referring to the shift in trade routes from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Interpreted either way, the Commercial Revolution and its accompanying European expansion helped usher in the modern era.