Can Culture Be Caught or Taught Essay

A culture of an organization includes the norms, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, collective experiences, history, assumptions and values of an organization. Culture is something a new executive senses even before his first day on the job. That is, new employees are told ‘how things are around here’ by their colleagues and their team-leaders. â€Å"Caught and not taught† means you learn values or behaviors from the people that practice them, instead of by being told. You â€Å"catch† such values by seeing them lived. For example, if you were told (or â€Å"taught†) by someone, â€Å"You ought to live a certain way† (but you saw them not being a very good example of their teaching), chances are you won’t â€Å"catch† or consistently practice that value. On the other hand, if you see someone consistently living out what they believe, you might â€Å"catch† it. If their modeling of those values is powerful enough, their values c an be caught. The amount of catching and the amount of teaching is a balancing act that depends on any organizations existing culture (how entrenched it is, how far removed from the culture you need etc.), the degree of change that is required to make it happen and then the stage that you are going through. E.g. you will do more teaching in the early stages of rolling out a culture, but less when it is clear that influential people (top managers, team leaders etc.) have caught the gist of it and are out there passing it around. There is a well-known saying â€Å"You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink† Building a company culture is the aspect of strategic business planning that most employers feel is most important to their business. Companies that truly live their corporate cultures are higher performing and better places to work than companies that lack them. The 10 reasons why it’s important for a company to pay close attention to its solid corporate cult ure: 1.Generates positive public relations. Free PR creates visibility for a company. 2.Attracts ideal candidates. If the company’s corporate culture permeates everything from the way meetings are conducted to the format for the bios on the company’s Web site, candidates will know if they are a good fit. 3.Repels undesirable candidates. Without a clear corporate culture, undesirable candidates might join the company only to find months later that they do not fit in. 4.Rejects poor hires. Firing an employee is painful both financially and emotionally. Employees who are out of sync are often unproductive underperformers; they also disturb the established culture. 5.Fosters company loyalty. Employees who are a fit with the corporate culture will quickly integrate with the team and find their stride. This combination of ease and teamwork fosters employee loyalty. Loyal employees perform better, are more productive, are willing to exert extra efforts and are likely to influence others in a positive way, will spread po sitive energy throughout the office and attract top talent through word-of-mouth advertising. 6.Encourages dialogue between employees and management. A clear corporate culture opens the lines of communication for employees and employers to discuss what employees really want and what management expects of them, utilizing the right combination of coaching, knowledge and skills that focus on high performance. It communicates to employees what they need to do if they want to fit in, survive and become successful within the organization. 7.Facilitates creation of relevant benefits packages. When employers know what their employees really want, they can offer benefits that are customized to suit their employees’ needs. The benefits a company offers should be tied directly to what the employees want, making them a great recruiting and retention tool. 8.De-emphasizes the importance of cash compensation. A thriving corporate culture that fosters loyalty and provides intangible benefits to employees, such as work that is fulfilling and leaders they respect and trust, can actually reduce employee demands for higher compensation. 9.Encourages utilization of technology for productivity improvement. Leverage personalized, interoffice technologies that are customized to suit the company’s specific needs to save time, improve communication and enhance productivity. 10.Increases the efficacy of outsourcing. A solid corporate culture allows focus on the firm’s core capabilities. Hence, from the above discussion we can clearly state that solid, clear corporate culture has to be caught — not taught.

Longman Communication 3000 Essay

The Longman Communication 3000 is a list of the 3000 most frequent words in both spoken and written English, based on statistical analysis of the 390 million words contained in the Longman Corpus Network – a group of corpuses or databases of authentic English language. The Longman Communication 3000 represents the core of the English language and shows students of English which words are the most important for them to learn and study in order to communicate effectively in both speech and writing. Analysis of the Longman Corpus Network shows that these 3000 most frequent words in spoken and written English account for 86% of the language. This means that by knowing this list of words, a learner of English is in a position to understand 86% or more of what he or she reads. Of course, â€Å"knowing† a word involves more than simply being able to recognise it and know a main meaning of it. Many of the most frequent words have a range of different meanings, a variety of different grammatical patterns, and numerous significant collocations. Nonetheless, a basic understanding of the Longman Communication 3000 is a very powerful tool and will help students develop good comprehension and communication skills in English. ‘This [frequency] information is gold dust for the language learner. LDOCE shows in graphic and immediate form which words are really worth learning and knowing how to use.’ Jeremy Harmer, ELT author These frequency markers added to the headwords in the dictionary give users access to a wealth of information that can help the selection of the appropriate word or phrase in a variety of situations. Not only are the words and meanings given descriptive labels, for example formal or informal, AmE (American English) or BrE (British English), humorous, old-fashioned, but now they have the added information about relative frequency in spoken and written language. Take for example the verb book (in the meaning of book a table at a restaurant). It is marked as S2 – one of the top 2000 words of spoken English. Note that is has no marker for written English because according to corpus analysis, it is not part of the top 3000 most frequent words in written English. However, the entry also indicates that a synonym for book is reserve which is in the top 3000 most frequent words in written English. The conclusion to be drawn from this is that in speaking (for instance when phoning a hotel or restaurant), book is the most appropriate verb to use when asking for a room or table to be kept for you. In writing, however, it would be more appropriate to use reserve. ‘There are two distinct modes of English: thoughtful, accurate and more formal, reflected mostly by written English; and spontaneous, real-time, less formal language, typified by spontaneous speech and some informal writing.’ Professor Geoffrey Leech, Emeritus Professor of English Language and Linguistics – University of Lancaster To ensure that users have access to the appropriate information, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English marks all the words that are in the Longman Communication 3000 in red accompanied by special symbols: W1 , W2 , and W3 for words that are in the top 1000, 2000 and 3000 most frequent words in written English, and S1 , S2 and S3 for the top 1000, 2000 and 3000 most frequent words in spoken English. Nowadays, many learner’s dictionaries include information about the most frequent words in English, but Longman dictionaries are the only ones to highlight the differences between spoken and written frequency. Learning a language can be exciting, but also sometimes difficult and frustrating because there are so many things to learn and it is difficult to know what to focus on. The frequency markers that identify the Longman Communication 3000 help students see clearly which words are frequent in written and spoken English, and enable them to focus more attention on mastering the meanings, grammatical patterns and collocations of these words.

The Battle Of The Somme - 1473 Words

Prepare for war! That is what you hear and your heart stops, your jaw opens and you gasp for air that is not there. While the history and establishment of Camp Lewis is not as important or as serious as preparing for war, it is important to know the past. The past helps posture and mold the future of tomorrow as we learn and grow from the success and/or mistakes of those before us. In Washington State, the civilian populace fought for the idea of bringing a military base to the American Lake region. In late 1916, â€Å"Battle of the Somme† escalated and that rumored the possibility of other countries joining in to create a world war. A private group of concerned citizens got together at American Lake to organize a training†¦show more content†¦Major General J. Franklin Bell visited the area after hearing the recommendation of the site from Captain Parks. He met with Mr. Appleby and the league about the possibilities of the land use. In August 1916, the U.S. Sen ate passed a bill allowing the Secretary of War to accept donated land to the military for a supply station, mobilization, training, and other strategic military purposes. The General and the appointed members from the league of Washington State took their proposal for a military training post to Washington D.C. The negation with the Secretary of War, Chief of Staff, and President Woodrow Wilson ended in success. The president gave his blessing that set forth the beginning of a new camp. Part of the agreement for establishing the post was Nisqually Valley donating 140 square miles to the government for military use. Mr. Appleby and his league now had the daunting task of convincing the community members that purchasing and donating the land to the Army was the beneficial thing to do for Pierce County and the Puget Sound area. â€Å"On 6 January 1917, 86 percent of the Pierce County Electorate voted to bond themselves for 20 years for $2,000,000 to purchase 70,000 acres to be donated to the federal government for use as a military base† Lewis Army Museum (2015). The community agreed to the terms but could not give the land until the United States

Traum An Emotional Response Essay - 1736 Words

Research paper Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives. Psychologists can help these individuals find constructive ways of managing their emotions. Foster youth go through emotions trauma when they are taking away from their families. The cause of trauma can come before and after entering the foster care system. After the youth, has enter the foster care system, the social worker that is giving to the youth take them to a therapist, so they can be examine to find out what kind of trauma the youth experience. The therapist then set the youth on a plan to help them progress through the trauma. Once the youth placed on the plan, the social worker a nd therapist than review how the youth is doing with the progress. The goal of the foster system is to connect the youth with their parents or family. Although research gives an abundance of evidence declaring trauma a legitimate ailment which evokes intense symptoms, countless individuals overlook the thousands of foster youth that have been through. These are several reasons why children enter foster care. Sadly, many homes have more than one of the following issues why a child enters theShow MoreRelatedQuality of Interpersonal Interactions at the Front Desk Department at the Griffith Hotel2869 Words   |  12 Pagesdepartment, such as the night shift and the day shift, and a general absence of empathy among employees. Research shows that empathy can contribute positively to emotional well-being as well as improved levels of customer service by sensitizing employees to the needs, thoughts and feelings of co-workers and clients. It can also promote personal emotional well-being. E mpathy is therefore a necessary skill to be developed in managers as well as front-line employees. With a high level of empathy, MS Samantha

Why Private Troubles Become Public Issues - 1645 Words

Sociological Imagination is the way we learn and expound on social problems in order to decipher how and why private troubles become public issues. Private issues are the problems faced at the individual, or micro, level, while public issues are seen at a macro level, affecting institutions or society. With sociological imagination, we can begin to understand how different social problems came about from the individual level. A close friend of mine, I will call her Emily, loved running track, singing, and spending time with her close friends. One night while she was in the car with her boyfriend, another driver was speeding and hit her car head on after the other driver lost control. She doesn’t remember too much from the night of the crash, but she remembers waking up almost a month later in an intensive care unit with part of her head shaved, tubes all over her body, and only one leg. She came to learn that she had gone through thirteen surgeries while she was in a coma, two of them were brain surgeries, most were abdominal, and another took her right leg just below the knee. Not only is she suffering major medical problems, but now Emily also suffers mental problems such as depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Emily is not running anymore, but often uses a wheelchair to get around because her prosthetic is painful for her to wear. Emily has trouble singing notes she could previously hit, and gave up on some of her choir goals ever since the major carShow MoreRelatedThe Sociological Imagination And Me Essay1343 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween personal troubles and public issues. Next, I will use my sociological imagination to reflect on my personal biography. I will take an issue, incident, or circumstance from my own experience and demonstrate how it could be understood as a product of social and historical forces. I will use Mills’ conception of personal troubles and public issues to explain my own biographical detail socially. Lastly, I will explain the interplay between personal troubles and public issues. The SociologicalRead MoreCoffee growers Essay928 Words   |  4 Pagesglobalization, will your own consumption habits change at all? Explain why you would change or not your consumption habits. I prefer not to drink coffee as a result my consumption will not change. 3. In what ways is the â€Å"coffee-go-round† an example of what Mills called â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles?† The public issues are coffee growers in poor rural area are not paid reasonably for their crops. The private troubles are coffee growers are trapped to sell only coca because of the competitiveRead Moreweb dubois1041 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent cultures differ on social issues such as suicide? How does the psychological perspective view suicide? What is unique about the sociologist s perspective? On a social issue such as suicide, cultures differ because many people feel this is a personal problem whereas others feel that this can be a public issue. If a person commits suicide, it may have been as a result of his or her personal problems. In a larger society, this suicide is a public issue because the person who committed suicideRead MoreSociological Imagination Summary1307 Words   |  6 PagesWright Mills begins by describing the perilous situation of the American man during the 1950s. He describes they situation as one of internment and frailty. Mills sees men as restricted by the routines of their daily lives. They go to their jobs and become workers, they go home and are family men. The American men of the 1950s were in a state of powerlessness due to the effects of World War Two and the looming threat of nuclear warfare between the United States of America and the former Soviet UnionRead MoreAnalysis of the sociological imagination and its use in sociology.1483 Words   |  6 Pagesconsciousness for understanding social processes. It is a way for a person to look at their life as a result of their interaction with society. It can explain why a life is lived the way it is and all events, decisions, successes, and failures that have occurred. Further more it enables us to understand the relationship between private troubles and public issues. Only by understanding how society affects us as individuals can we ever hope to change society effectively. A classical approach to sociological imaginationRead MoreWhat Can We Do? Becoming Part Of The Solution1619 Words   |  7 Pagesmeaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals(Mills, 3). Sociological imagination helps individuals to contemplate their own troubles in a deeper level and view their daily routines in an entirely new perspective. Sociology imagination has also helped people to connect their personal troubles with societal issues. In the article, â€Å"What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution.† by Allan G. Johnson, a well-known author, novelist, and sociologist, indicates that, â€Å"PrivilegeRead MoreMarriage Is A Social Institution1078 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States. This phenomenon as a sociological imagination shows the marriage and divorce now are not only concern a private matter, it starts to translate to a public issue so this essay starts with how marriage concern a social problem. 2nd paragraph: The background of the author the summary of this articles --the background of the author ‘Marriage as a public issue ’ is written by DR. Steven Nock. He is a professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia and works in Federal DepartmentRead MoreIs Employer Monitoring of Employee Social Media Justified? Essay702 Words   |  3 Pagesa mountain out of a molehill.   While employees unquestionably have a right to express themselves in private about any issue they choose, if that employee is expressing an opinion in a public forum about their employer then it immediately becomes an area of legitimate interest for that employer. The key distinction seems to be between public and private.   If an employee posts content in a private forum – for example their personal Facebook wall with security settings on – then it is not appropriateRead MoreHomelessness Case Study1683 Words   |  7 PagesCase Study This report is concerned with the connection between homelessness its historical framework and the governance of the pervasive ‘victim blaming’ ideologies and the social issues it brings to society. Structural issues create different risk levels among certain populations. (Heinz, 2005, p. 61) The homeless have been regarded historically as objects of empathy and disparagement in the media, political, and the economic domains. (Farrugia, 2011a) These sentiments are tied to how homelessRead MoreOf The Sociological Imagination In Georges Dubys Madame Bovary1380 Words   |  6 Pagesemployment and unemployment rates, they can become more aware that they are not the only one having this â€Å"personal problem†. This way it will help to understand what social problems lead to an unfortunate social outcome. If people paid more attention to the social problems, it would help people to take actions and strategize ways on how to improve their society. However, people are t oo focused on their private life which enables them to focus on the global issues. Mills explained if a person has sociological

McDonalds Environmental & Stakeholders Analysis in Bangladesh

Question: McDonald's want to open a branch in Bangladesh. It has analysed the its environmental analysis but the Stakeholder analysis has not been done yet. Now provide a stakeholder analysis for McDonald's in Bangladesh based on recent condition of Bangladesh. Use framework or model to analyse it (for example : Mendelow's matrix, Freeman etc). Clearly indentify your all types stakeholder. Find out what relationship marketing will be appropiate for McDonald's in Bangladesh and suggest what relationship marketing they need to follow. Answer: McDonalds franchise in Bangladesh McDonalds, the worlds largest chain of fast food, serves around 68 million customers in 119 countries with the total outlet of 36,538, everyday(Kroc, 2016). Stakeholder analysis is a type of business technique which helps to identify people who the company has to keep satisfied, keep informed, apply minimum effort or consider as key players. As there isnt any specific law or a separate governing body that regulates the business, franchisees in Bangladesh have to agree upon every terms and condition that the parent company put forward. Majority of the population eats beef so McDonalds dont have to necessarily change their menu unlike India. The first step of stakeholders analysis is to identify major stockholders. The next step is to prioritize the stakeholders by following Mendelows matrix which basically shows the interrelationship between power of the stockholders and their interest. It helps us to know the people or organizations which may be affected by McDonalds decisions (Thompson, 2016). Using this categorization, we can plan how much resources we want to spend for each category. Let us start with the stakeholder analysis: Identifying the stakeholders, they are: Buyers (customers) Suppliers Employees Board of directors Creditors Shareholders Government Media Community Determining their needs and issues: Buyers and customer: the impact of change is significant for customers as they are the ones who regularly visit the store. Customers want new products and consistent products, it is important that McDonalds cater to their needs as they are the most important stakeholders. Suppliers: The impact of change is high for supplier as they work closely with mcdonalds and changes will have direct impact on the supplier. they want a consistent and a steady order from the vendor and prompt payment. Supplier can create issues for McDonalds by not providing consistent and quality products. Employees: Employees work day in and day out with McDonalds, so change will have a direct impact on them. Employees require a career growth, money and security from the employers whereas the issues could be the quality of experience the employees provide to the customers. Board of directors: board of directors are normally the creators of change, and but over impact of change on them is very little as they are not involved in day to day activities of the company. Their need is that the company grows every year sustainably. Creditors: Change will have limited impact on them, they are majorly concerned with the companys ability to pay what is owed. Creditors want the company to perform well so that it can keep on fulfilling obligations. Shareholders: Change will have an impact on shareholders, they need to be informed about what effect change will have on them. Shareholders like board of directors want to ensure that the company is perfoming well and giving good returns every year. Government: government is hardly effected by any changes in McDonalds, rather they are the creators of change. Government wants to promote foreign investment in the country, therefore it wants companies like Mcdonals to establish business in Banglash and grow. Media - Media is not directly associated with McDonalds so they have limited impact of change. Media basically wants advertisement and news from McDonalds and advertisement is something that McDonalds regularly provides to media companies. Community community will be affected because of the change as they are in regular interaction with McDonalds. The community that McDonalds wants McDonalds to give back to the society, and they are constantly involved in CSR activities to ensure that they are giving back to the society. Identifying power and responsibility: Buyers and Customers: they hold tremendous power as it is for the customers that the company is established. Their needs and desires need to be addressed all the time. Supplier Power of supplier is high as the quality of raw materials and supply chain depends on them, the interest is also high as their business is directly linked with McDonalds, so they fall under the category of key players. Suppliers play a critical role in the over quality and image that McDonalds has, the consistent their product and service, the better the brand image. Employee Employee have low power but high interest as their living depends on their job so they fall under the category of keep informed. Employees directly influence the business and therefore are primary stakeholders. Board of director they have both high power as well as high interest and fall under the category of key players. They directly influence the strategies of a company and have to be regularly informed. Creditor they have low level of power as well as low level of interest in the decision made by the company, though they are primary stakeholders, their direct intent in the company is less. Shareholder it depends on them as individuals, some have high power and low interest while some have low power and high interest(theexpgroup, 2014). But they have to be regularly informed as they collectively play a key role in the growth and future of the company. The secondary stakeholders are: Government the power is very high as they have the authority to change policy and have the power of withdrawing plans and also the interest is high due to tax income and environmental issues. Though they directly dont influence the everyday functioning of the company. Media- they have high power in terms of manipulation of news and though the Bangladeshi media has low interest in terms of fast food. Media will play a key role in maintaining a consistent brand image. Community- they have low interest and low power thus they fall under minimum effort. They fall under secondary stakeholders. Stakeholder Analysis Map Impact Of Change On Stakeholder High Employees Board of Directors Buyers Medium Stakeholders Low Creditors Suppliers Media Government Community Opponents Followers Enthusiasts Stakeholder involvement requirements: Buyers (customers): they are normally ok with the change as the change is good for them. They are normally informed through media and advertisements. Suppliers Suppliers are ok with any kind of change as long as it doesnt effect the operations and payment of the supplier. Their initial position would be neutral and the information flow has to take place through the procurement manager. Employees their initial position is resistance and they may object to change as its a human nature. They need to be handled really well and the information flow has to take place through supervisors. Board of directors their response can be varied based on the type of change that is about to take place. They may approve or disapprove the change, information flow is through the CEO. Creditors they are also not adversely effected by change, they need to be informed by the accounting team hareholders though they are not directly effected by the change, they need to be constantly informed and updated, the senior management has to do this job. Government The government is an important player, but they have minimal effect because of the change, if the change has an effect on the government policies, then the spokesperson should inform the government. Media the change may not effect the media, but the media can be used to help build a better brand image, so the spokesperson should inform the media. Community community may be effected by the change, if the change is positive then the community would easily accept the change and the spokesperson should inform about the change. Stakeholder Movement Planning Stakeholder Group or Name Anticipated or Initial Position Action Responsible for Action Buyers Neutral Inform about the change Media Suppliers Neutral Inform about the change Procurement team Employees Resistance Inform about the change Supervisor Board of directors Depends on type of change Inform about the change CEO stakeholders Depends on type of change Inform about the change Spokesperson creditors Neutral Inform about the change Management Government Minimal Not always necessary Spokesperson Media Minimal Not always necessary Spokesperson Community Affected by change Inform about the change Spokesperson Once the above is done, each stakeholder needs to be reviewed for a few weeks to determine if the change is working well with the stakeholders. McDonalds stakeholder analysis Organizations that are key partners need to communicate major decisions and planning issues. Organizations under keep satisfied should be informed as well as should be provided with incentives, companies under keep informed should be provided with plan justification, and implementation and organizations under minimum effort usually accepts the decisions made by the company. Relationship management is the facet of CRM which mainly focuses on customer loyalty and their retention, the goal of relationship management is to create a strong and emotional long term connection with their customer because acquiring new customer cost as much as 5 times as retaining them(Anon., 2012). Thus building a bond with them and making McDonalds their first choice is the main purpose as there are many new fast food chains like rush bowls, subway in Bangladesh . Technology has helped the developing country to boost the internal operation by tracking, analyzing data and making necessary changes to retain customers. If MacDonald decides to open up a new chain in Bangladesh it should: Involve in networking -expand potential customer base by building communities and involving in two way communication Cherish each customer-track the datas, choice, buying pattern of customers for better service Build brand identity-this will help the customer to focus on McDonalds and make it their first choice, McDonalds can also add selected Bangladeshi spices to twist the flavor Organize events -modify menus during festivals, organize exciting competition mainly in festivals like eid , durga puja etc. Proper customer service addressing their complaints, giving complementary goods, friendly staff, homely environment etc(Anon., 2012) References: Anon., 2012. accounting web. [Online] Available at: https://www.accountingweb.com/practice/practice-excellence/five-relationship-marketing-strategies-that-work [Accessed 23 August 2016]. Anon., 2012. Marketing schools. [Online] Available at: https://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/relationship-marketing.html [Accessed 23 August 2016]. Kroc, R. A., 2016. Mcdonald's. [Online] Available at: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us.html [Accessed 23 August 2016]. Peterson, H., 2014. business insider. [Online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-it-costs-to-open-a-mcdonalds-2014-11 [Accessed 24 August 2016]. theexpgroup, 2014. youtube. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yPji5L9f3U [Accessed 24 August 2016]. Thompson, R., 2016. mindtools. [Online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm [Accessed 23 August 2016].

Iran Essays - Pahlavi Dynasty, Western Asia, Iranian Peoples, Iran

Iran Iran is a country located in the Middle East. Below it is the Gulf of Oman and to the west is the Persian Gulf. On the east is Afghanistan and to the north is Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea. The total area of Iran is 632,457 square miles, which is slightly larger than Alaska and about 6 times smaller than the United States. Iran has about 65,612,000 people which is about 100 people per square mile. That means that the United States has close to 3 times the size in population than Iran. Climate and Geography Iran is split up into three regions of land forms. The first is the coast along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman which has high temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In the inland part of the plateau in can also hit 120 degrees. In the capital city Tehran, which is located at the edge of the Elburz Mountains, the average temperature is about 36 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in July. In the nearby city of Abadan, which is on the coast of Iran up in the corner of the Persian Gulf, the temperatures are about the same, even though it's right by the Persian Gulf getting the warm air from the the water. The Plateau of Iran is very dry throughout most of it because the annual precipitation is about 1 or 2 inches. On the coast of the Persian Gulf they get 10 inches to 15 inches per year. In the Zagros and Elburz Mountain ranges, the precipitation is about 50 inches annually. Rivers in Iran are low in the summer time because most of them are on flat land. The only rivers that stay high are the ones that run from mountains. Like the Karun River, which flows from the Zagros Mountains into Khorramshahr. It is supposedly the most navigable river in Iran. The highest peak in Iran is Mount Damavand at 18,934 feet, it is part of the Elburz mountain range. The second highest peak is Mount Kalar, which is 14,100 feet high. The Karun river flows southward from beside this mountain. History In 549 B.C. Iran was called Persia and ruled by Cyrus the Great. He united the Medes and Persians to make the country we know of today as Iran. In the process of doing this, he also restored Jerusalem to the Jews and conquered Babylonia. About 200 years later, in 333 B.C., Alexander the Great came in and took over Persia, but a century later the Persians regained Persia from the help of the Pathians. In 226 A.D. the Persians lost and gave over Persia to the Sassanian Persians. Later in the 7th century, Arab people brought over the religion of Islam to Persia, pushing aside their first religion of Zoroastrian. This initially dominant religion still stuck around for hundreds of years despite the Islamic take over. In the eleventh century, Seljuk Turks dominated for a Persia before overrun by Mongols under the rule of Genghis Khan. Then came Tamelane and his Mongol Hordes, and after that the Turkomans took over. The Turkomans were overrun by Ismail I, who said that he was a descent from the great Ali. He became extremely popular and began the Safavid dynasty which lasted from 1502 to 1736 during his rule Shiism became the national religion. In 1736 the Afghans conquered Ali and started the Afshar dynasty followed by the Zand dynasty in 1750. The Zand dynasty ended in 1794 when Agha Muhammad Khan, a ruler who was cruel to the people promoted himself to Shah which is ruler of the country, and began the Qajar dynasty. In 1923, Reza Shah Pahavi came into Iran and pronounced himself prime minister. In 1925, he became elected Shah and ended the Qajar dynasty. Pahavi?s son took over in the 1940s when World War II started. Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi married and had a son, Prince Reza Pahlavi in 1960. He maintained close alliance with the United States during this time by signing a defense agreement. In 1963, the Shah formed a committee to form a program of modernization through land reform and industrializing Iran. This plan caused corruption in many of