2. Critically examine the benefits that effective HR practices can Coursework

2. Critically examine the benefits that effective HR practices can bring to an organisation - Coursework Example all of them is human resource, that provides the organisation with continued competitive advantage (Inyang,2011).Thus there is a rising consensus that efficient management of an organisation’s human resources is important to its success (Inyang, 2011).Effective management of individuals as organisational assets as well as the adoption of suitable HR practices, strategies and policies greatly enhance the profitability and performance of an organisation. A rising number of researchers have studied the effect of particular HR practices on organizational performance .Even though there exists several HR best practices capable of affecting both collectively or independently on the performance of an organization; results are usually difficult to interpret. For the purposes of this paper we shall discuss 7 HR practices that were originally put forth by Pfeffer in 1998 and which can be anticipated to greatly benefit the performance of any organisation. In his influential research, Pfeffer compiled the following 7 HR best practices; firstly, employment security, secondly selective hiring, thirdly teams that are self-managed and decentralization in making of decisions, fourthly moderately high compensation subject to organizational performance, fifthly extensive training, sixthly minimised status barriers and distinctions including language, dress, office arrangements, differences in wages across ranks and finally widespread sharing of both performance and financial information through the entire organisation(Pfeffer,1998). The above HR best practices will be discussed below in detail together with the benefits that they can bring to the organisation. Through compensation policy as HR practice, the employees efforts will be evaluated and rewarded which will in turn impact positively both employee as well as organizational performance(Cardon & Stevens,2004).Employee incentives usually differentiates the rapid-growth firms from the slow growth ones. Organisations that are

Organizational Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Organizational Development - Research Paper Example In the last section, the study has recommended OD intervention strategies for the organization in order to improve its performance. The research paper has also suggested evaluation technique which can monitor the efficacy of recommended OD interventions for the organization. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Literature Review 5 2.1 Organizational Context 5 2.2 Theories of OD 6 8 3.0 Organizational Needs 10 4.0 Impact of Environmental and Internal Issues on OD 10 4.1 Labor Pool Diversity 10 4.2 Technological Advancements 11 4.3 Global Expansion 13 4.4 Ethical Standards 14 5.0 Recommended Intervention 14 5.1 Human process based intervention strategies 16 5.2 Techno-structural intervention 17 5.3 Socio-technical intervention 17 5.4 Organizational transformation (OT) 18 6.0 Success Factor for Recommended Intervention 19 7.0 Evaluation of Recommended Intervention 20 8.0 Conclusion 21 Reference 22 1.0 Introduction Gone are the days when organizations can stay at top of both organic and inorganic growth by banking on first mover’s advantage in sustainable manner, in hypercompetitive modern business environment, a particular organization need to be flexible and ready to change in order to keep going. The concept of organizational development (OD) was postulated by research scholars almost 50 years ago. According to supporters of OD, the concept can be used solving pertinent issues of change management for a modern organization as like other neo-classical concepts like business process improvement, business process re-engineering, organizational life-cycles and total quality management (TQM). According to Holland and Salama (2010), OD can be described as sustainable and one way improvement of activities for an organization. The scholars’ duos have also pointed out that, implementing OD process is a challenging task for an organization due to reasons like, First- the organization needs to breakdown its structure in partial or comp lete manner in order create room for newly implemented system, Second- the organization needs to adopt resource hungry intervention strategies in order to ensure efficacy of the change management process and last- the organization needs to influence its internal and external stakeholders to align their interest with common mission and vision statement of the change process. Holland and Salama (2010) have found that interaction of organization with the external environment decides the dynamics of OD process. Interesting fact is that, academic scholars state that OD is an initiative of top management to develop mid level and lower level organizational members but there are examples where employees develop themselves without seeking intervention from top management (Mulili & Wong, 2011). The concept of job security has changed after the recession during 2007-2009 and sovereign debt crisis and organizational members are enrolling themselves to flexible and lifelong learning process in o rder to remain employable in changing and harsh economic environment. Therefore it has been observed that employees are embracing various facets of OD process such as, off-the- job education, on-the-job training and many others. Now the question is can an organization improve its performance by using the theoretical framework of OD. Well, answer of this crucial question is the key essence of this research paper. Contextual analysis of OD process

Organisations - Contrast the Assumptions of Mainstream and Critical Approaches to studying Organisations Essay Example for Free

Organisations Contrast the Assumptions of Mainstream and Critical Approaches to studying Organisations Essay An organisation is a group of people intentionally organised to accomplish an overall, common goal or set of goals. Business organisations can range in size from two people to tens of thousands. Organisations are complex phenomena and understanding them – either from the point of view of academic analysis or as a basis for practical attempts to change them – is also complex. It is obvious that organisations vary in a number of key ways, for example structures, cultures, personnel systems, and so on. There are several important aspects to consider about the goal of the business organisation. These features are explicit (deliberate and recognised) or implicit (operating unrecognised, behind the scenes). Ideally, these features are carefully considered and established, usually during the strategic planning process. Vision Members of an organisation often have some image in their minds about how the organisation should be working, how it should appear when things are going well. Mission An organisation operates according to an overall purpose, or mission. Values All organisations operate according to overall values, or priorities in the nature of how they carry out their activities. These values are the personality, or culture, of the organisation. Strategic Goals Organisations members often work to achieve several overall accomplishments, or goals, as they work toward their mission. Strategies Organisations usually follow several overall general approaches to reach their goals. Systems and Processes that (hopefully) are aligned with achieving the Goals Organisations have major subsystems, such as departments, programmes, divisions, teams, etc. Each of these subsystems has a way of doing things to, along with other subsystems; achieve the overall goals of the organisation. Often, these systems and processes are defined by plans, policies and procedures. How you interpret each of the above major parts of an organisation depends very much on your values and your nature. People can view organisations as machines, organisms, families, groups, etc. The study of organisations draws on a number of disciplines: Economics Classical economics viewed the firm as a single decision-unit engaged in maximising profits. It ignored the possibility of conflict between owners, managers and employees. The obsession with competition failed to take into account the other goals which may take precedence in organisations. Organisation theory partly owes its existence to a reaction against such simplistic ideas. It became necessary to understand behaviour which seemed in classical terms to be irrational. Psychology Psychology is a wide-ranging subject. Early psychologists provided an insight into individual behaviour within organisations particularly on aspects of motivation and leadership. The Hawthorne studies led to a realisation of the importance of social phenomena, such as the informal groups, group norms and conformity. Valuable as these micro-level studies were, they only compounded to the issue by making it difficult understand the link between the behaviour of individuals and the structure of the organisation in which they worked. Sociology Organisational sociologists took a wider perspective, setting the organisation within its environmental framework specifically in relation to society and its institutions. Some sociologists have examined formal organisational structures, particularly in relation to technology. Dating from Webers early work on bureaucracy, sociologists have taken a particular interest in non-profit making organisations. Organisations as Systems (Systems or Mainstream Theory) Mainstream Organisational theory thinks of organisations as systems. Simply put, a system is an organised collection of parts that are highly integrated in order to accomplish an overall goal. The system has various inputs which are processed to produce certain outputs, which together, accomplish the overall goal desired by the organisation. There is ongoing feedback among these various parts to ensure they remain aligned to accomplish the overall goal of the organisation. There are several classes of systems, ranging from very simple frameworks all the way to social systems, which are the most complex. Organisations are, of course, social systems. Systems have inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes. To explain, inputs to the system include resources such as raw materials, money, technologies and people. These inputs go through a process where theyre aligned, moved along and carefully coordinated, ultimately to achieve the goals set for the system. Outputs are tangible results produced by processes in the system, such as products or services for consumers. Another kind of result is outcomes, or benefits for consumers, e. g. , jobs for workers, enhanced quality of life for customers, etc. Systems can be the entire organisation, or its departments, groups, processes, etc. Feedback comes from, e. g. , employees who carry out processes in the organisation, customers/clients using the products and services, etc. Feedback also comes from the larger environment of the organisation, e. g. , influences from government, society, economics, and technologies. Each organisation has numerous subsystems, as well. Each subsystem has its own boundaries of sorts, and includes various inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes geared to accomplish an overall goal for the subsystem. Common examples of subsystems are departments, programs, projects, teams, processes to produce products or services, etc. Organisations are made up of people who are also systems of systems of systems and on it goes. Subsystems are organised in a hierarchy needed to accomplish the overall goal of the overall system. The organisational system is defined by, e. g. , its legal documents (articles of incorporation, by laws, roles of officers, etc. , mission, goals and strategies, policies and procedures, operating manuals, etc. The organisation is depicted by its organisational charts, job descriptions, marketing materials, etc. The organisational system is also maintained or controlled by policies and procedures, budgets, information management systems, quality management systems, performance review systems, etc. One of the most common ways at present is to look at organisations is as organisational systems. This view is becoming more common among professionals who study, teach and write about organisations. Practitioners who work with organisational management to improve organisations also tend to view organisations as systems so it has been termed the mainstream approach. Note that machines, organisms, persons, groups, families, family dynasties are all systems, too. Probably everyone in the workplace has their own conception of what organisation means. As with most highly complex terms, everyone is right and everyone is wrong. The concept of organisational culture is much like an organisational personality. Organisations, like people, have life cycles. Many people view organisational learning much like we view organisms to be learning. Organisations can accumulate and manage knowledge as well. There are a variety of books that describe other traits of organisations much like traits of people, e. g. , depressed organisations, addictive organisations, etc. David Needle makes two important points about the dynamics and determinants of organisational structure and functioning: organisations are not simple unitary, consensual entities where everyone agrees on and focuses on shared organisational goals but where sectional, group interests and viewpoints exist and flourish. And although in many ways organisations are the most rational entities ever created where managers and employees strive to make sensible decisions about purposes and to design organisations and processes that efficiently achieve these purposes, in reality irrational forces also play a major role (Salaman, 2001). Setting organisational goals is a complex process whereby both external factors and internal politics need to be taken into consideration. As such, the system is highly dynamic and changes in the goals will occur with changes in the external environment, such as market demand, technology and government policy, as well as changes that take place between interest groups within the organisation e. g. , sales and production departments. A number of goals may operate at any one time. These may conflict, but in general the goals of a business follow closely those of the dominant coalition (Needle, D; Salaman 2001). A change in ownership or top management is likely to lead to a shift in emphasis of the firms operations too. The culture of an organisation refers to those factors which enable us to distinguish one organisation from another and are the product of its history, management, operating environment, technology, goals and so on. More recently the notion of organisational culture has been used in a more positive way and a set of principles have been developed which mark out the culture of a successful company from that of an unsuccessful one (Needle, D: Salaman, 2001). The goals, structure, patterns of ownership and size of an organisation both reflect and are reflected in its culture. The importance of the organisational culture is that it sets the scene for the determination of strategy and hence the operational aspects of organisational life. Mainstream organisation theory has attracted critical attention. Thompson and McHugh (Salaman, 2001), for example, have argued that there is a tendency for a narrow management plus psychology perspective which has little to do with real-life enterprises. In an attempt to produce a science of organisations, the main focus has been on identifying generalisations about behaviour in work situations and applying them to all organisations, regardless of their nature. In particular, theorists have paid scant attention to the differences between organisations which are subject to market forces and those which are not. Thompson and McHugh contend that it is not meaningful to treat organisations as diverse as scout troops and transnational companies within the same analytical framework and using the same domain assumptions (Salaman, 2001). This has been termed the critical approach. Let’s look into the critical approach a little more.

The Development And Growth Of Capitalism

The Development And Growth Of Capitalism I will look in particular at the works of Max Weber regarding his Protestant Ethic Theory and Karl Marx alternative theories to explain how capitalism came about in Europe. I will first look at the historical background of both theorists and the actual historical events which influenced central Europe during the 19th century. These events such as the industrial revolution are important to understand how capitalistic modes of economic and societal arrangements developed and what were the contributing factors to this development. It is important to also look at the present Modern Capitalism of contemporary society, and compare it to the past to see how capitalism actually developed and expanded, touching the important, often interlinked concept of Globalisation. Modern capitalist society is described as: The expansion of international commerce on a large scale, also the flowering of a large scale industry, the triumph of machinery, and the growing power of the great financial houses. In a word, it is the present day union of all these phenomena which really constitutes modern capitalism. Capitalism is the rational development of capital, commodities and means of production in a network of an interconnected markets. Both Weber and Marx offer valid explanations for how capitalism came about, they base their works on historical references and suggest different theories to explain this phenomena. To create a more clear picture I will also compare the works of other theorists such as Emile Durkheim and Simmel. These will be useful as they will offer alternative approaches and different points of view which can help to understand the main mechanisms which lead to capitalism development. I will conclude by giving my own opinion based on the constructed evidence from various theorists on how Capitalism came about in Europe. I will try to asses what have been the most influential factors that brought to this development in this specific part of the world. Weber Max Weber was a sociologist, he offered a theory which basically seeks to describe Capitalism. This theory is based on the process of Rationalization which Weber believes to be at the roots of Capitalism development. In order to understand Webers Protestant Ethic Theory, it is useful to have a quick look at his family background: Weber was born in a middle class family, his father was a business man and embraced liberal values, described as a man who enjoyed earthly pleasures. On the other hand, Webers Mother appeared to have contrasting ideologies with the husband. She was a strong Calvinist who embraced puritan values and absolutist ideas. While Webers father was the typical image of the capitalist entrepreneur which invested and indulged in the luxuries of life, Webers mother reflected the conservative, minimalist puritan Calvinist spirit. It is no doubt that Weber was thorn between these to views and much of his work is influenced by the discrepancies between his parents. Weber was also interested in how religion influenced identities and values in central Europe. This interest could be linked to his mother strong religious values and how Weber saw a connection between Protestantism and Capitalism. Weber constructed his idea of the Protestant ethic to explain how capitalism came about. He bases his work on the question :Why did Capitalism begin in Western Europe rather than Asia?. He argued that the Protestant religion, among with its branches such as Calvinism, created the perfect ideals and behaviours which helped spread and promote capitalism. And suggested that the existence and development of Protestantism in Western Europe, together with the development of Capitalism in Western Europe were two interlinked events. Weberss therefore describes religion as the core process which brought to capitalism development in Western Europe. Weber used his rationalization theory to compare religions around the world and found that the most rational religious system was Calvinism. He believed other world religions such as Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism were more irrational and therefore inhibited capitalism development. The nature of Protestantism and Calvinism does actually reflect possible rational behaviours; this is shown in the ideal of predestination which is embedded in Protestants, this means that ones position in society has been decided by a higher authority (God) and therefore individuals should not complain for their position in society. This merged very well with the development of capitalism as the process of industrial revolution in capitalist development involved large amount of property-less labourers which worked for the few rich property owners. While the concept of predestination helped to suggest an explaination for ones position in society, rationalization was manifested in Protestantism by the puritan minimalist ideology. Most protestants were afraid of divine judgement, unable to be forgiven by the priest like catholics, protestants searched for an answer in their behaviour. Many protestants lived minimalist lives to escape from lifes luxuries and therefore behaved in a rational manner by accumulating, working hard and creating wealth to prove to themselves and others that they were predestined to have success and go to heaven. A difficulty in using Webers works to understand capitalism is that his expalinations are very specific to the historical periods that he studied. Because of this it becomes more difficult to compare and place the protestant ethic theory into context with the capitalism of future periods. While the protestant ethic theory might serve an explanation for capitalism development at the time, it is harder to believe of Protestantism development as the driving factor for capitalism. Webers theory acknowledges that culture is therefore the driving factor for economic development and not vice versa. In my opinion Webers explanations are highly specific to particular historical periods and cannot be used to compare and describe capitalism at a later period in time. This is because ethical values and ideas are under constant change and evolve to fit with the contemporary society. More criticism on Webers theory is that capitalism began much earlier in history and that Calvinism alone did not serve in developing economic growth and capitalistic modes of production and consumption. Joseph Schumpeter argues that capitalism began much before the industrial revolution. Italy in the 14th century was composed of many small independent city states like Florence, Milan and Venice and these were the first forms of capitalistic societies which appeared; Through trade and high accumulation of capital these Italian city states represent the first capitalistic modes of economic organisation. Other empirical evidence shows how countries with a relative popular Calvinist religion did not always score high economically and in developing capitalism. For example Scotland and the Netherlands although predominantly Calvinist states, did not develop at the same speed of England or the mainly Catholic state of Belgium. Recent works have shown how Protestantism influenced capitalism not because of the protestant ethics and values, but more so because of the promotion of education and literacy that Protestantism brought in Europe. As capitalism was a process which had already begun before the religious Reformation, it is difficult to imagine that capitalism would not have developed under a Catholic religion. Contemporary empirical evidence shows how capitalism modes can be applied to almost any country disregarding religious differences. The spread of capitalism throughout the world does not need the protestant values in order to be ethically tolerable for people, therefore it is hard to believe that Protestant culture influenced the economy. Rather more plausible is Karl Marxs approach which describes how economical development and growth shapes cultures and values in society. Marx Karl Marx offers us a different approach than Webers which is useful in understanding capitalistic development in Western Europe. Marx was born in a middle class family, he was strongly influenced by Hegel. Unlike Weber, Marx sought to influence the masses rather than the elites of power. His ideas offer a theory of a capitalist society based on the simplistic nature of human beings. He believed that it is in the nature of human beings to be productive in order to survive, provide for themselves and live life. Marx argues that it is only in capitalistic society where the breakdown of human actions becomes so acute and rational that it creates negative effects. Marxs describes the process of Alienation as the crux of the problems with capitalist society. By Alienation he means the process where the worker feels alienated/foreign to his labour. He contrasts how previously workers were in close contact with their costumers and to a fuller part of business experience which supplied more gratifying incentives and values for the worker. Capitalism brought the alienation of the worked as with the industrial revolution masses of people became employed in jobs where producers do not have contact with consumers, therefore creating a dehumanising effect. Marx in the fetishism of commodities describes how the worker is alienated from his product because he no longer owns that product. This shift in ownership from the individual producer to a single individual (boss) who controls the production creates the alienation of the worker. Marx focus was directed more at the individual rather than to culture in understanding capitalism. He believed that economic development shaped culture and that religion was merely an epiphenomenon. The general Marxist view is that of a capitalistic boss which is lazy, tyrannical and demanding. This had a negative influence on the workers which were abused and largely exploited by capitalistic owners which benefited from this mode of production. This can be interpreted as a process of rationalization, this is shown in the way that it is more rational to have mass production instead of individual production. Workers required abilities were reduced and their tasks became more and more simple, repetitive and uniform, leaving most of the benefits of rationalization to the property owners, while negatively affecting the low class workers which were alienated from their labour and society. Simmel Simmel in his works touches what Marx had achieved with his works on alienation. Providing a micro point of view Simmel suggests that the Urbanization of society ( movement of masses from countryside to cities) which began with the industrial revolution, created capitalistic centres for finance, business and trade. This offers a theory which is based on the topic of migration. In my opinion it offers a more plausible explanation than Weber as it analyses broader events such as the industrial revolution and population density shifts which more strongly than religion influenced economys need for rationalization and more efficient modes of production in order to provide for all. The focus of Simmel on individual interactions rather than Weber and Marx preoccupation with large scale issues such as Capitalist Development and Rationalization of society, helped to actually create a broader point of view which stems from the individual to represent the reality of an entire society which is becoming more Blasà ©. This means that individuals, overwhelmed by the large amounts of commodities and stimuli present in urban environments are becoming more unaffected by society and the world around us. Basically it describes a process of increased individualisation where everything has become commoditised and capital is used in almost every relation in our life, making society blasà ©. This blasà © theory finds similarities with Marx theory of alienation. Both describe a problem of individuals relations in a capitalist society where feelings and ethics are given up for greater rationality, calculability and uniformity. These are the negatives of the process of capitalism which is growing more and more in contemporary society. Émile Durkheim Born from a high class background, Durkheim theories of Durkheim developed a theory of individual behaviour. He divided social facts in material and non material facts. Durkheim described non-material social facts such as institutions and culture and material social facts such as bureaucracy and law. In his work the division of labour in society Conclusion Looking at the four theorists which seek to understand capitalism development in Western Europe I have came up with critiques and praises for various theories. I find it hard to support Webers protestant ethic theory as it assumes that cultural development shapes economic development. There is a lot of empirical evidence which suggest that economic development was already running in West Europe under a capitalistic mode of production prior to the religious reformation which brought the rise of Protestantism, Calvinism and other branches. Weber fails to address the importance of migration, urbanization and the increase of rationalization as the main factors for capitalistic development, instead he seeks to find the origins of capitalism in a set of values and ethics belonging only to a section of society. Evidence shows that not always Protestant states dominated economically compared to Catholic states. The origins of capitalism date back to much earlier historical periods and can be explained by Webers theory of rationalization, but the empirical importance on religion in capitalism development is overstated and perhaps a broader view taking into account religion, economic development and rationalization is perhaps more useful. Marx theory of alienation is also useful in understanding capitalism development, indeed the increased rationalization brought by capitalism had a strong influence in workers alienation and in a increase of productivity in exchange for a loss in creativity and lead to the development of a mass production mass consumption system which laid out the foundations for a labour-capital intensive economic system that we call capitalism. Marx focuses on universal ethical values that clash with capitalism, these are Justice, Liberty and Equality, and sees capitalism as the process that undermines these ethical values. Marx solution involves the eventual rebellion of the masses against their capitalist employers, this phenomenon has not happened in most of the capitalist world and it seems that capitalism as we know today is the most Just system that is available today. Marxism perhaps gives too much importance to economic development failing to broaden itself to include cultural development and transformation in society during capitalism development, this cultural development is linked to increased rationalism which is embedded in human nature and the increased individualization of the individual which is a process which greatly influenced the development of capitalism together with economic development and profit maximisation.

Assisted Suicide :: essays research papers

Assisted Suicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jill Allene, RN, visited Gus, an elderly patient at a hospice clinic. The next day Gus swallowed a lethal mixture of medications that had been prescribed by his physician, and fell into a deep sleep. He died soon after. Because it was his decision to take his own life, doesn’t mean that he wins the battle with his disease, but he did win the war - a war of control. He wished simply to die on his own terms, under circumstances he chose. Like others in Oregon who have opted to use that state’s legalized physician-assisted suicide (PAS). It wasn’t the unrelenting surges of pain or incapacitating waves of nausea that encouraged Gus to call it quits; it was an unquenchable thirst for autonomy. Pulmonary disease didn’t kill Gus – Gus killed himself. (Nursing Spectrum 6)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assisted suicide is a very controversial issue, which always seems to be a topic at hand. Because this topic causes quite the up-roar, there have been very strong opinions form both for and against assisted suicide. Each side having justified reasons of why they believe that it should or should not be allowed. But the fact is, that some patients have respectable reasons for their request in their passing. There are people out there have very little of their life left to live, and like Gus would like to move along based on their own terms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like Gus, a terminally ill person with a sickness, leaves them with no choice but death. On the other hand, why not give these innocent people the right to make the decision themselves. These terminally ill people should be able to keep their dignity of life, and choose terms of their own and not have to live with the ones given to them unwillingly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand the action of assisted suicide is already occurring especially in the United States today. It deals with basically the same thing as assisted suicide, when a doctor consoles the patient’s family, and come to a decision of pulling the plug. The patient cannot help but lay there, helplessly, until total body failure. In this situation here the life of a person is placed in the hands of the family and doctor. In both situations here a life of a person is being place on the line. Which option sounds more just, the option of a person’s life being taken form them based on the decision of someone else, or the option of a terminally ill person choosing to die based on one’s own decision.

The Quest of the Holy Grail Essay -- Analysis, Galahad

Galahad was a Knight of the Round Table of Arthurian legend. He is almost always portrayed as the pure knight, and for this he is rewarded with the Holy Grail. He is mentioned in many writings in history including 12th century Cistercian monk writing The Quest of the Holy Grail, Sir Thomas Malory’s Selected Tales of King Arthur and his Knights, and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Sir Galahad. After reading the next several pages, one should begin to understand the similarities and differences portrayed in these writings, along with some others. The reader will explore how Galahad resists temptation, his quests including the Holy Grail, any romantic encounters including God, and how the writings presented may contradict. After completing the reading the reader should be able to note in what ways Galahad is similar or different in early and modern writings. The first writing selected is The Quest of the Holy Grail. An unknown author wrote this selection though believed to be a 12th century Cistercian monk. As the title implies the main story is in fact the spiritual quest for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail in this case being the platter from which Jesus Christ served bread at the Last Supper. The Grail is full of many rewards to whoever achieves it including eternal life, and the ability to heal some ailments. Galahad is first presented in this novel by three nuns, â€Å"a youth so fair and so well-made that it was hard indeed to find his peer (Quest 33).† Lancelot then knights him unbeknownst of who he is. A few pages later, a quest is presented to Arthur and his Knights. It is a sword inlayed into a stone, with gold writing that reads, â€Å"none shall take me hence but he at whose side I am to hang. And he shall be the best knight in th... ...alahad is portrayed still as a noble knight, however not that of the Lord, instead a Pagan. Galahad is also similar in age to Lancelot and Arthur, therefore making it seem that the reference of Lancelot being Galahad’s father is nonexistent. There is also no Grail quest, and thus eliminates the motive of God that drives Galahad in all other writings presented. In conclusion, Galahad is portrayed in the presented writings as pure, and the knight of God, for whom the Grail is saved. Throughout the selected readings, there are remarkable similarities showing this, however very few differences. As noted, Galahad does endure many tasks, and resists many temptations of sin. The reader should now have a better understanding of how Galahad is presented in early and more modern works, including each author’s depiction, and the qualities, which they entitle to Galahad.

Computer-Based Career Information Systems Essay -- Technology Internet

Computer-Based Career Information Systems The adage "information is power" can certainly be applied to the marriage of career information with computers. In an era that is characterized by a rapidly changing employment and occupational outlook, the ability to access computerized career information has been empowering to both youth and adults (Bloch 1989; Tice and Gill 1991). Defined as "all that people need to know to make choices and take action . . . in relation to their paid or unpaid occupational activities and in relation to their preparation for these activities" (Bloch 1989, p. 120), career information includes knowledge about occupational areas and specific jobs; information about career preparation and where to obtain suitable education and training; facts about employment, including work environments and appropriate job behavior; job-search skills; and self-knowledge such as individual interests, values, and needs. Computers are an ideal medium for delivering career information because they can present current info rmation objectively in an interactive format that is appealing to many clients (Harris-Bowlsbey 1992). Two classes of computerized systems that provide information for career planning are computer-based career guidance systems (CCGS) and computer-based career information systems (CCIS) (Harris-Bowlsbey 1992; Mariani 1995-96). Although CCIS and CCGS share some common features, they differ in two important ways: CCIS provide local labor market information, whereas CCGS teach career development concepts online (Harris-Bowlsbey 1992). Guidance counselors frequently use CCIS in conjunction with clients, but youth and adults frequently access CCIS independently to obtain career information. This Digest focus... ...t: Concepts and Practices. 2nd ed., edited by H. D. Lea and Z. B. Leibowitz. Alexandria, VA: National Career Development Association, 1992. Mariani, M. "Computers and Career Guidance: Ride the Rising Tide." Occupational Outlook Quarterly 39, no. 4 (Winter 1995-1996): 16-27. National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee. "Career Information Delivery Systems." <http://www.profiles.iastate.edu/ided/ncdc/cidstogo.htm> May 1996. Phelan, T. D. "Using Technology to Provide Self-Directed Learning Options for Power Utility Employees." New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education no. 64 (Winter 1994): 55-61. Tice, K. E., and Gill, S. J. "Education Information Centers: An Evaluation." Journal of Career Development 18, no. 1 (Fall 1991): 37-50. "Web Sites Link Job-Hunters with Career Possibilities." Columbus Dispatch, May 24, 1996, p. 3F.

Liberalism and Mercantilism Essay

International political economy is an important subdiscipline of international relation. It has three main ideologies, Liberalism, Mercantilism and Marxism. In this essay there will be three parts, first part is to demonstrate what the Liberalism and Mercantilism are on the perspective of international political economy and then the second part is to compare and contrast these two ideologies of political economy. At last, give a conclusion to the Liberalism and Mercantilism. Liberalism The liberal perspective on political economy is embodied in the discipline of the Western economics (Gilpin, 1987). It emphasizes the individual interests, the freedom and the maximization of economic benefit. Economic liberalism is based on the theory of â€Å"invisible hand† of Adam Smith and founded by David Ricardo in the seventeenth century. In the 1940s, Friedrich August von Hayek made a renaissance and a new explanation to it. Moreover, Milton Friedman made great contribution to the economic Liberalism in the 1970s. The basic standpoints of economic Liberalism are that people should be treated as the â€Å"rational economic animal† and market emerges spontaneously to satisfy human need. When the market running it develops according to its internal logical rule, rather than people’s will. Even through economic activity can enhance national power, the core of it is to bring beneficial to each consumer. Due to each person are both consumer and producer, so ev ery action of each person should be a rational choice in the market. Because resources are scarce, every decision involves an opportunity cost, a tradeoff among alternative uses of available resource (Samuelson, 1980, p.27). Get something at the cost of giving up something else. Hence everyone’s rational choices contribute to a balance among various powers in the market. The balance of these various powers makes the market have its intrinsic stability. That means the market is not only an automatic operation system, but also an autocorrection equilibrium system. Any intervention, especially from the government, is helpless to market development and destroys the intrinsic stability of market. Therefore, economic Liberalism opposes any form of government intervention strongly. Economic liberals claim that politics makes people separation while economy  makes people solidarity. A liberal international economy will have a moderation influence on international politics as it creates bonds of mutual interests and a commitment to the status quo. (Gilpin, 1987) Mercantilism According to Viner (1994), Mercantilism is a theory that state uses its economic interests widespreadly to regulate its economic activities. It emphasizes economic activities should serve for the interests of state and goal of state building (Gilpin, 1975). There are three theoretical points of Mercantilism (Magnusson, 1993). Firstly, Mercantilism pays attention to the currency and development of commerce. It regards the amount of currency (mainly gold and silver) as an important symbol to measure the degree of state’s affluence. Secondly, Mercantilism pays attention to foreign trade and seeks for trade surplus. It has no faith in market mechanism for state building. Thirdly, Mercantilism pays attention to the development of domestic industry, at the same time cultivates and protects the infant industry. According to Sen (1984), Mercantilism believes that industry has spillover effects and it associates the possession of industry with economic self-sufficiency and political autonomy. The most important, industry is prized because it is basic of military power and central to national security in the modern world. Actually, Mercantilism can be divided into two parts, â€Å"benign† Mercantilism and â€Å"malevolent† Mercantilism. The â€Å"benign† Mercantilism considers the safeguarding of national economic interests as the minimum essential to the security and survival of the state. It hopes to develop and protect domestic industry with the state power (like tariff, exchange rate, etc) and to prevent foreign product competition, for example, monetary policy. While â€Å"malevolent† Mercantilism advocates to build a powerful state and to ensure foreign trade unblocked with using of state power and regards the international economy as an arena for imperialist expansion (Hirschman, 1969). Even through there are differences between these two Mercantilisms, the goal of Mercantilism that makes state rich and powerful is clear and unified. (Magnusson, 1987) Compare and contrast of Liberalism and Mercantilism. The debate between Liberalism and Mercantilism has a long history. There are  three main differences between these two ideologies of political economy according to Goddard (2003). Firstly, Liberalism focuses on the market mechanism and believes that the economic role of government is limited. However, Mercantilism pays attention to the role of state and considers politics decide the economic activity. Secondly, Mercantilism regards world economy as a zero-sum game which means one country’s loss is as the prerequisite to another country’s gain. Moreover, Mercantilism thinks conflict between different countries is inevitable. Each country can only rely on its own resources to protect itself eventually. However, Liberalism opposes the zero-sum game. It believes the only consequence of the zero-sum game is war. Liberalism stresses the mutual benefit and a win-win situation which lead to international cooperation and interedependency. That is, dividing an existing cake is inferior to make a bigger cake (By promoting economy growth). Finally, Mercantilism focuses on the importance of military power and regards political and economic power as a way to ensure the security of state. Liberalism thinks accumulation of military power and other powers reduces the economic efficiency. Peace is more effective than war. The following table coming from Frederic shows the specific difference between Liberalism and Mercantilism (1999). Conclusion Even through the most of viewpoints of Liberalism and Mercantilism are different, these two ideologies of political economy have the value of existence respectively and are worth to research. In addition, Liberalism and Mercantilism have their own advantage and disadvantage. When begin to research them, people should have a critique view to accept their viewpoints. In summary, Liberalism and Mercantilism are two important ideologies of political economy Reference 1. Frederic S. Pearson and Simon Payaslian. International Political Economy: Conflict and Cooperation in the Global System. The Mcgraw-Hill Companies, 1999, P.33 2. Gilpin, Robert. 1975 U.S Power and the Multionational Corporation: The Political Economy of Foreign Direct Investment. New York: Basic Books 3. Gilpin, Robert 1987. The Political Economy of International Relations. Oxford: Princeton University Press. Chapters 2 P.33-P.79 4. Goddard, C. Roe; Cronin, Patrick and Dash, Kishore C. (eds.) (2003). International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in a Changing Global Order. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers (chapters 2-4, 6, 11-13). 5. Hirschman Albert.O 1969 â€Å"Effects of Industrialization on the Market of Industrial Countries† In bert F. Hoselitz, cd. The Progress of Underdeveloped Areas. Chicago: University of Chicago press. pp. 83-270. 6. Magnusson Lars. 1987. â€Å"Mercantilism and Reform-mercantilism: The Rise of Economic Discourse in Sweden During the Eighteenth Century† History of Political Economy 19: 3. 7. Magnusson Lars. 1993. Mercantilism. The Shaping of Economic Language. London: Routledge 8. Samuelson Paul A. 1980. Economics. With the Assistance in Statistical Updating of William Samuelson. New York: Mcgraw-Hill. 9. Sen, Gautam. 1984 The Military Origins of Industrialization and International Trade Rivalry. New York: St. Martin’s Press 10. Viner, Jacob. 1994. Power versus plenty as objectives of foreign policy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, World Politics, No.1 p.11

Lapu Lapu Reaction Paper Essay

II. Movie Characters/Cast Lapu Lapu Dinah Dominguez Ian Veneracion Lito Marcos III. Sypnosis Lapu-lapu was the king of Mactan , an island in visayas, Phillipines, who is know as the first native of the archipelago to have resisted Spanish colonization. HE is now regarded as the first Filipino hero. On the morning of April 27,1521 Lapu-lapu and the men of Mactan, armed with spears, and kampilan faced Spanish soldiers led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinan Magellan. In what would later be known as the Battle of Mactan, Magellan and several of his men were killed. According to Sulu oral tradition , Lapu-Lapu was a Muslim Chieftain and was also know as â€Å"Kaliph Pulaka† the People of Bangsamoro, The Islamic homeland in the Philippines islands. Consider him to be a Muslim and a member of the Tausug ethnic group. A variant of the name, as written by Carlos Calao, a 17th century chinese-Spanish poet in his poem â€Å"Que Dios Le perdone† (Spanish,† That God may Forgive Him†) is â€Å"Cali Pulacu†Ã‚  The 1898 Philippine Declaration of independence refers to Lapu-Lapu as â€Å" King Kalipulako de Maktan† in the 19th century, the reformist Mariano Ponce Used a variant name â€Å"Kalipulako†, as one of his pseudonyms. IV. Question/Answers 1. Which part of the movie do you like the most? – The part I liked the most is that when Lapu – Lapu rejected Magellan’s offer twice and waged war against the Spaniards. I liked Lapu – Lapu’s attitude because he is wise and care’s for his people at the same time he can be brutal to his enemies. 2. Will you recommend the video/ movie to your fellow AMAer? Why? – Yes, I would definitely recommend it because it is educational at the same time entertaining and this has a special part in our history considering Lapu – Lapu was our first Filipino hero.

Marketing Environment Essay

The Marketing Environment Learning Objectives 1. Describe the environmental forces that affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. 2. Explain how changes in the demographic and economic environments affect marketing decisions. 3. Identify the major trends in the firm’s natural and technological environments. 4. Explain the key changes in the political and cultural environments. 5. Discuss how companies can react to the marketing environment. Chapter Overview In order to correctly identify opportunities and monitor threats, the company must begin with a thorough understanding of the marketing environment in which the firm operates. The marketing environment consists of all the factors and forces outside marketing that affect the marketing management’s ability to develop and maintain successful relation ¬ships with its target customers. Though these factors and forces may vary depending on the specific company and industrial group, they can generally be divided into broad microenvironmental and macroenvironmental components. For most companies, the microenvironmental components are: the company, suppliers, marketing channel firms (intermediaries), customer markets, competitors, and publics. The macroenvironmental components are thought to be: demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces. The wise marketing manager knows that he or she cannot always affect environmental forces. Smart managers can take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to the marketing environment. As a company’s marketing management collects and processes data on these environ-ments, it must be ever vigilant in its efforts to apply what it learns to developing opportunities and dealing with threats. Studies have shown that excellent companies not only have a keen sense of customer but an appreciation of the environmental forces swirling around them. By constantly looking at the dynamic changes that are occurring in the aforementioned environments, companies are better prepared to adapt to change, prepare long-range strategy, meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s customers, and compete with the intense competition present in the global marketplace. Chapter Outline 1. The Company’s Microenvironment The Company a. In designing marketing plans, marketing management takes other company groups into account. These interrelated groups form the internal environment. b. Marketing managers must work closely with other company departments. Suppliers c. Suppliers form an important link in the company’s overall customer value delivery system. d. Marketing managers must watch supply availability. They also monitor the price trends of their key inputs. e. Most marketers today treat their suppliers as partners in creating and delivering customer value. Marketing Intermediaries f. Marketing intermediaries help the company to promote, sell, and distribute its goods to final buyers. i. Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. ii.

McDonalds and Burger king Essays

McDonalds and Burger king Essays McDonalds and Burger king Essay McDonalds and Burger king Essay Essay Topic: Marketing As part of my assignment I will compare Mc Donalds and Burger king. These two restaurants offer similar products and services . I chose to compare the two businesses because of the fierce competition and promotional strategies that they use. Mc Donald and Burger King are in direct competition with each other and always compete to be ahead of each other and gain customer loyalty. The first Mc Donalds restaurant opened in the UK in the 1970s. Mc Donalds states that customers convenience is the driving force behind new restaurant locations. The company is committed to responsible growth, and works closely with local planning officers and community groups when developing a new restaurant. McDonalds is the leading global food service retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants in more than 100 countries. Approximately 70 percent of Mc Donalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women through franchise arrangements There are currently more than 1,000 Mc Donalds restaurants throughout the UK, and the company continues to strive to offer greater convenience to customers while responding sympathetically to local circumstances. Mc Donalds strives to ensure quality from crop up to the counter. This means that the restaurant requires the highest standards and specifications, not just for product ingredients but also every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is also monitored. Mc Donalds also recognises the importance of a balanced diet and life-style and continues to seek quality new products. The restaurant says that this dedication to quality earns the degree of trust customers place in the Mc Donalds Brand. Burger king company information What started with one restaurant in Miami in 1954 has grown to more than 11,220 restaurants in 61 countries worldwide. And, like a small child who eats his greens, Burger king is still growing and growing. Burger king outlets number 523 in Britain out of more than 10,000 globally. Burger King mission Statement At Burger King Corporation, diversity is part of their foundation. We value, honour and respect differences in our employees, customers, franchisees and suppliers. By sharing a common vision, they have created a premier company with a harmonious working environment that achieves its business and diversity objectives. I couldnt obtain Burger King Market share. Mc Donald menu includes; chicken sandwiches, double cheese big Mac burgers this includes beef, fillet o fish sandwiches, fries, breakfast, happy meals and desserts. The restaurant also offers dairy products such as milkshakes, ice creams and yogurts. Burger King have similar menu, this includes whopper sandwiches, and flame grilled burgers, chicken, fish veggie, fresh baked baguettes, breakfast, beverages, and kids menu with desserts. It is quite clear that both restaurants offer practically the same products this has been the cause of fierce competition. Both restaurants compete on price as I previously mentioned and also the followings. Advertising Mc Donalds uses adverts to help boost sales and to aware their customers on new or existing products. The restaurant uses catch phrases such as things that make you go mhhhhhhh. This was a jingle used in February 2003; currently the company uses the phrase I am loving it This slogan was promoted by an RB artist (Justin Timberlake). I believe that this was a successful method of promotion because the sales increased and children all over the country were singing along. Other methods include using collectable toys, coupons, promotional schemes in schools and figures such as Ronald McDonald. Burger King also uses the same tactics they have collectable toys for the kids meals. The restaurant slogan is Have it your way. Burger King has used movies such as the Incredible Hulk to promote meals in 2004. This was a very successful action for the business it increased sales.

261 Zitkala Sa and The Soft-Hearted Sioux Professor Ramos Blog

261 Zitkala Sa and The Soft-Hearted Sioux Zitkala Sa 1876 1938 Quick Write What reading from unit one are you going to write about for your essay? Zitkala Sa 1876 1938 Zitkala Sa (Lakota for Red Bird) was a Sioux writer, editor, musician, teacher, and activist. She co-founded the National Council of American Indians in 1926 to advocate for citizenship and civil rights of native peoples. Zitkala-Sa Biography Impressions of an Indian Childhood: I., II., VII. Impressions of an Indian Childhood by Zitkala Sa (pronounced sha) was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in the year 1900. The Soft-Hearted Sioux How do you see cultural conflict being expressed in the short story? Cultural Conflict Essay rough draft due next Wednesday for peer review. In this essay, you will perform a close reading of a text (any reading from Unit 1). Focus on the conflict or cultural conflict as you see it. You can focus on one or all the criteria below. Nature of the Conflict Groups and the Conflict Causes of the Conflict Consequences of the Conflict Resolutions to the Conflict Whatever text you choose to analyze, make sure to use the Five Moves of Analysis to help you with the close reading.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Essays

Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Essays Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Paper Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology Paper The Handy scan (quick check) was brought into action in 1995 to improve till efficiency and other promotions. When we look at the handy scan (quick check) we can see that it seams very basic and simple to use and function. We can see that it can bring a lot of advantages internally and externally, but also disadvantages. Waitrose know that there are many advantages that can benefit the company internally. One of these advantages is that it will improve queuing times at the tills. This means that if more people have the handy scan (quick check) and are going around the store packing their shopping while they are shopping then it reduces the queuing times and provided a more customer efficient till service for other customers that are using the tills. Waitrose also know that many people dont like filling out surveys and carrying out market research. But the handy scan (quick check) acts as a way of carrying out market research for Waitrose, they do this by looking at the things that customers using the handy scan (quick check) buy and list what is being brought more or whats not. This is a good way of carrying out their market research but I think that this is a dishonest way because customers may not want to participate in market research, but they have no choice. Waitrose have placed a lot of trust in their customers to be honest in their shopping and scan every thing they place in their bags. Waitrose do this because they know that if the company place trust in the customer then they are building up a stronger customer relationship and customers like to feel valued, Waitrose know this so and thats why people come back to Waitrose because of the trust aspect. Another internal advantage is that the handy scan (quick check) cuts staffs from the tills into working somewhere were they are needed the most. Waitrose know that if one till can take 10 people and 10 people have the handy scan (quick check) then they have saved upon one member of staff to be place in the replenishments. Staff can be used where they are most needed. But there are advantages for the customer externally. The first advantage for the customer is that the customer can calculate their shopping while they are shopping. If they didnt have the handy scan (quick check) while shopping, as many people dont at the moment, they wouldnt be able to calculate how much they are spending is they are on a budget. But with the handy scan (quick check) they have control on the amount they spend. Many customers dont like spending to much time in the store, when they go shopping they want to be in and out thats why Waitrose brought in the handy scan (quick check), they did this so that the customer can limit the time spent shopping. Although the store would benefit from customers being in the store for one hour, Waitrose are placing the customers needs first, which a lot of supermarkets dont do. Waitrose are mostly interested in the customer efficiency and the store efficiency to make shopping for the customer as less painful as possible. A repeated external advantage for the customer is that the customer likes to feel trusted. The customer likes to feel that they are shopping in trust. Customers want to do their shopping and not queue, but I only see one problem, the problem is that if the customer is dishonest then Waitrose will fall in profit. One way that Waitrose beats this is by carrying out random bag searches. The key advantage for Waitrose is the fact that the system is completely wireless, communicating directly to the handy scan (quick check) PC over the RF network. The whole store design can be far more flexible because the need for cabling between the PC and the scanning rack is completely eradicated. Once an RF network is installed, it may be used for other equipment, providing the opportunity, for example, for additional temporary points-of-sale. Scanner racks can be mounted against a wall (not possible with batch handsets); and scanners do not need to be returned to the original location. In terms of service to customers, RF scanners have access to more information because they are not restricted to the product file downloaded to the batch scanner overnight. Information to customers given via the scanner may also be personalised to reflect data provided at time of registering for an account e. g. allergy sufferers can be alerted to traces of nuts in products they have scanned. Security (CCTV)- Introduced 1995 With this technology we couldnt really get a lot of information mainly because Waitrose feel this is a very private subject to discuss because they need to keep certain things private and confidential to the store in the interest of the customers and the staff. Waitrose in Surbiton is a big superstore and it would become very expensive to have security guards to cover the whole store. Waitrose have come up with a better idea, they have chosen to have CCTV (close circuit TV) covering the whole store. Waitrose have installed CCTV for the customers peace of mind and the stores peace of mind. Waitrose will always use CCTV for prosecuting someone who as been caught shoplifting because as we know the camera never lies. CCTV has saved the store a lot of money through not employing physical staff so the money that they are saving from security can be used in other parts of the store. CCTV comes in many shapes and sizes, as we know cameras are getting smaller and know cameras are getting small enough to hide. This is in Waitrose internally and customers externally benefit, because the store can catch more people thieving from inside the store be it products or personal belongings. Waitrose constantly are trying to look after their staff and customers, Waitrose have a policy of their employees and customers have the right to work and shop in safety and not in fear of being harmed or robbed. Electronic weighing scales With this technology there isnt really many advantages and disadvantages to the store internally or externally to the customers. The electronic weighing scales system was introduced in 1996 (when Waitrose in Surbiton was first introduced) to make the customers shopping more quicker and accurate, Waitrose also introduced the weighing scales because the old fashioned ones werent reliable enough and as the 20th century went on so did the stores technology. Waitrose knew that if they introduced electronic weighing scales then store efficiency ratings would rise and this is the main reasons why customers comeback to the store. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages affecting the store internally. One of these advantages is that it cuts queuing times. When they had their old system of the old weighing scales the till person would have to weigh the produce and type the code in to the till, now all the staff have to do is barcode the produce into the till and pass it on, this way of tilling is more efficient to the staff and customers. Another internal advantage is that it is quick. With the electronic weighing scales it saves time for till service and customer time. Another advantage is that with the old Weighing scales it used to round it up to the nearest whole number and this could mean that the store could be loosing money or making profit but now with the new electronic scales Waitrose can be guaranteed that they are not going to make a loss if anything they are going to make a profit mainly because they know that the electronic weighing scales are going to round it up to the nearest penny not down. But with advantages there comes disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that people could deceive the store by placing their first page upon the weighing scales, getting their first price and then adding more produces. This means that Waitrose losses out on profit, the only way that I see that Waitrose can battle this problem is by randomly weighing the products to see if the customer is being honest. But what are the advantages externally, the customer? Well there are many and the first one is that the customer feels responsible and this makes the customer come back. Another could be that it will save till services and queuing times because the customer isnt waiting for the till person to weigh the produce and then type the code in. Another would be that the customer can see what and how much they are spending on their shopping because the electronic scales gives out a sticker of the weight and price of the produce so that the customer can see what they are paying. But there are disadvantages externally. Customers who come into the store for the first time may not realise how to use the electronic weighing scales efficiently and safely. I think that if Waitrose are going to carry on with their technology then they may want to give demonstrations to people or new customers.

By the Waters of Babylon essays

By the Waters of Babylon essays Steven Vincent Benet, shows all of the different concepts and literary terms in this story. Some of the concepts and terms he uses are: Sequence, the order events happened in the story to make the ending good; Conflict, amongst John with outside forces; Rites of Passage, John has to be a man and leave fast. Theme, the changes and ways characters look at thing, which John and his father thought gods were east but they were really people and they were all dead. In order to show that Johns a man he travels east where it is forbidden. This is where people say the gods are. He first started going on trips with his dad, who is a priest, and who is not afraid of anything. He asks his dad if he can leave, and he starts traveling east. He walks back west to where he lives, and talks to his father. He tells him that the Gods were really people and they all were dead. He also told his father, that he did not know why they were all dead. His dad says to tell the town what his experience, but slowly enough so they can understand. On his way east, John encounters many Barriers that make it hard for him to travel. First, he meats a panther that is eating a fawn and the panther sees him and charges John, so, John shoots him in the eye. Second, he has to build a raft, to cross the Great River. He just hopes he will not be taken out into the land of the legends. Third, he woke up and saw a wolf lying there, and more wolves came and tried to kill him, but he ran into a house and shut the door. After all, of John's obstacles he finally gets to the forbidden land, and the land of the gods, New York. Everyone is dead, because of the destructive technology, which John does not know about. He finally realizes that the gods are actually human beings just like him. In conclusion, John traveled east to find out that the gods were actually humans and they were all dead. But in order to get there he had to be a man and ...

Review My LinkedIn e-book on Amazon.com - And Win!

Review My LinkedIn e-book on Amazon.com - And Win! My e-book, LinkedIn Power Tune-Up, has been very popular for a long time in its current pdf format. It has now been renamed and repackaged as How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile   and 18 Common Mistakes to Avoid now available in Kindle format from Amazon.com! I would be thrilled if you would purchase the book and encourage your friends to do so as well! And I have an even more pressing request. Many of you have already read my book. I would be most appreciative if you would take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon. Post a Review Here. As a special incentive, when you send me a link to your review, your name will be entered into a bi-annual drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card! You will also be entered into my monthly drawing to win Mary Elizabeth Bradfords Job Search Success System (winner of a 2011 CDI Career Innovator Award and a $97 value check it out here). My publishers tell me that good reviews are the key to success when it comes to selling e-books on Amazon. So Im hoping you will jump in and add your voice to the community of people who have found value in what I offer. I want as many people as possible to have access to the essential information in How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile so that they, like you, can find success in their LinkedIn networking efforts. If you havent read my book yet, please consider purchasing it on Amazon   or just sign up for my e-list to get the pdf preview for FREE! Questions or comments on my book? Please post in the comments! And thanks in advance for spreading the word about the value of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile. Category:Archived ArticlesBy Brenda BernsteinFebruary 27, 2012 2 Comments Jestine says: December 16, 2013 at 11:37 am Howdy! I realize this is kind of off-topic however I had to ask. Does operating a well-established website such as yours take a lot of work? I am completely new to writing a blog however I do write in my journal on a daily basis. Id like to start a blog so I will be able to share my own experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for new aspiring bloggers. Thankyou! Feel free to surf to my page :: seo (Jestine) Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 17, 2013 at 8:27 am Hi Jestine, my advice would be to put on your seatbelt! Yes, maintaining a blog in the long term takes a lot of work. If you want to build a significant list of followers, you will probably need to create a product or program to give away in exchange for signing up for your blog. And youll need to create unique content on a consistent basis. Of course if you are writing the blog as a self-expression and you are not looking to build a large audience, that makes things a lot easier! Log in to Reply

Definition and Examples of Vocabulary

Definition and Examples of Vocabulary Vocabulary refers to all the words of a language, or to the words used by a particular person or group. Also called  wordstock,  lexicon, and lexis. English has a stunningly bastard vocabulary, says linguist John McWhorter. Out of all of the words in the Oxford English Dictionary,...no less than ninetys and Observations below. Also see: Active Vocabulary and Passive VocabularyCommon Word RootsIntroduction to EtymologyLexical CompetenceLexicalizationLexicogrammar Vocabulary-Building Exercises and Quizzes Vocabulary Quiz #1: Defining Words in ContextVocabulary Quiz on the I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. EtymologyFrom the Latin, name Examples and Observations How many words are there in the English language?No easy answer is possible. In order to reach a credible total, there must be agreement about what to count as an item of vocabulary and also something physical to count or to serve as the basis for an estimate . . ..In effect, the overall vocabulary is beyond strict statistical assessment. Nonetheless, limited counts take place and serve useful ends, and some rough indications can be given about the overall vocabulary. The Oxford English Dictionary (1989) defines over 500,000 items described as words in a promotional press release. The average college, desk, or family dictionary defines over 100,000 such items. Specialist dictionaries contain vast lists of words and word-like items . . .. When printed material of this kind is taken into account, along with lists of geographical, zoological, botanical, and other usages, the crude but credible total for words and word-like forms in present-day English is somewhere over a billion items.( Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992) Vocabulary AcquisitionBy age two, spoken vocabulary usually exceeds 200 words. . . . Three-year-olds have an active vocabulary of at least 2,000 words, and some have far more. By five, the figure is well over 4,000. The suggestion is that they are learning, on average, three or four new words a day.(David Crystal, How Language Works. Overlook, 2005)A Bastard VocabularyEnglish, probably more so than any language on earth, has a stunningly bastard vocabulary. Somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of all the words in the OED [Oxford English Dictionary] were born from other languages. Old English, lest we forget, was already an amalgam of Germanic tongues, Celtic, and Latin, with pinches of Scandinavian and Old French influence as well.(David Wolman, Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. Harper, 2010)The vocabulary of English is currently 70 to 80 percent composed of words of Greek and Latin origin, but it is certainly not a Romance language, it is a Germanic one. Evidence of this may be found in the fact that it is quite easy to create a sentence without words of Latin origin, but pretty much impossible to make one that has no words from Old English.(Ammon Shea, Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation. Pergee, 2014) Canadian English VocabularyTo summarize the comparative status of the vocabulary of Canadian English, it may be said that, where British and American English differ, Canadian English inclines usually toward American forms; that the language brought by American and British settlers was transferred to Canada largely intact, without a significant degree of differentiation caused by contact with Canadian Aboriginal languages (or with French); and that the number of true Canadianisms, which is to say Canadian words for things that have other names in other dialects, is small, but nonetheless adequate for asserting the status of Canadian English as an identifiable dialect at the lexical levela distinct type of North American English.(Charles Boberg, The English Language in Canada: Status, History and Comparative Analysis. Cambridge University Press, 2010)British English and American English[T]here is a much greater number of American words and expressions in British English than vice versa . The much stronger flow of borrowing seems to go from American to British. Moreover, in general speakers of British English appear to know more Americanisms than speakers of American English know British words and expressions.(Zoltn Kà ¶vecses, American English: An Introduction. Broadview Press, 2000) Scottish EnglishThe official and usual literary language of Scotland has for three centuries been Standard Englishpronounced, though, with a Scottish accent and retaining a few Scotticisms in vocabulary. This Scottish English co-exists with Scots in an accent and traditional-dialect set-up comparable with that found in the north of England . . ..(John Christopher Wells, Accents of English: The British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1986)Australian EnglishAustralian English is particularly interesting for its rich store of highly colloquial words and expressions. Australian colloquialisms often involve shortening a word. Sometimes the ending -ie or -o is then added, e.g. a truckie is a truck or lorry-driver and a milko delivers the milk; beaut, short for beautiful means great and biggie is a big one. Oz is short for Australia and Aussie is an Australian.(Michael McCarthy and Felicity ODell, English Vocabulary in Use: Upper-Intermediate, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2001) The Lighter Side of VocabularyEd Miller: I was with a girl once. Wasnt a squaw, but she was purty. She had yellow hair, like, uh . . . oh, like something.Dick Liddil: Like hair bobbed from a ray of sunlight?Ed Miller: Yeah, yeah. Like that. Boy, you talk good.Dick Liddil: You can hide things in vocabulary.(Garret Dillahunt and Paul Schneider in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 2007) Pronunciation: vo-KAB-ye-lar-ee

Topic is the Vietnam war. The main thrust of your comment will be from Essay

Topic is the Vietnam war. The main thrust of your comment will be from the view point of the aggressor. For example, if WWII - Essay Example Ho Chi Minh being a communist and an aggressor, he started guerilla violence in opposition to the Japanese with the sustainability of the United States of America. Towards the end of the war, the Japanese began promoting the Vietnamese patriotism and in the end approved the country's ostensible independence. According to Caputo, in the subsequent years the Japanese were defeated and the French returned to occupy their colony (287). Viet Minh singly accepted their access into Vietnam after being assured that the country was to be granted independence as part of an agreement with the French union. However, negotiations broke down between the two warring factions and in December 1946, the French soldiers’ surrounded the city of Haiphong and compulsorily got back the capital city Hanoi. These events started the clash between the Viet Minh and the French, which resulted in the Indochina War. The French soldiers were at last defeated at Dien Bien Phu in the year 1954 (Karnow 501). D owns further illustrates that in the beginning, the United States of America had no interest in Southeast Asia and Vietnam (211). Nevertheless, it became obvious that after the World War II the globe would be subjugated by the United States of America and its allies. The Soviet Union together with its allies was at the opposite side of the fence. This isolated the communist movements as a strategy for their success. These concerns were in the end converted into the principle of domino theory; the only remaining option of containing the communist tendencies is to close them within their borders. Tonsenic asserts that these trends continued dominating the United States foreign policy for a long time (165). In 1950, to stop the spread of communism, the U.S began supplying weapons to the French military in Vietnam and financially assisting the French troops. This was meant to dismantle the Viet Minh; these operations continued into the year 1956, when highly trained advisors provided co aching facilities to the army of the newly established Republic of South Vietnam. In spite of their excellent hard work, the army of the republic of Vietnam was poorly equipped and, therefore, ineffective throughout its existence. Karnow shows how the US continued supporting the Diem regime as it battled against Ho Chi Minh’s Marxist military aggressors in the north (624). In the year 1957, a small guerrilla pressure group began to come forward in the south, led by Viet Minh’s soldiers that had not come back from the north after the accords. In 1959, these groups fruitfully pressured Ho’s administration into issuing an undisclosed resolution requesting for an equipped struggle in the south. Military personnel along with the Ho Chi Minh group began supplying weapons and troops into the south. The subsequent year, National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam began in earnest to carry on the fight (Downs 167-168). The situation continued to deteriorate in Sou th Vietnam, worsened by the corrupt regime of Diem government and the Viet Cong continued encroachment. In 1961, the Kennedy administration agreed to pump more aid, weapons, and additional financial support to the rebels. Washington had begun deliberations to force a government transformation in Saigon. In November 2, 1963, the Criminal Investigation Agency CIA of the US assisted the rebels to remove the Diem government from power. In order to mitigate the post coup d'etat chaos, President Kennedy enlarged the number of US soldiers in South Vietnam to

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

None - Essay Example In china, looking back historically, women underwent much degradation and prolonged oppression from the society as they were viewed as being lesser than their male counterpart. They never had equal rights as men, both in the social, political and economic spheres of the society. In this regard, the women become economically dependent and were never accorded any property or inheritance rights with no possession of an independent income source. Socially, the women were forced to subordinate to their fathers, husbands and sons, obey their fathers before marriage, and after marriage, their husbands and their sons in case they became widows. They had no rights in marriage and were forced to do odd and less important jobs. These marriages in the ancient times were arranged and were not in any manner dependent on the couple’s decisions. Once the females had moved into the marriage, they would then be denied any marital freedom with their task restricted to carrying out the household chores such as cleaning, preparing meals and looking after their children (Wang and Theodore, 19). Theirs was the manual labor in their homes. They never had too the right to education and to participate actively to social activities. The ancient Chinese never considered it serious to educate the females, and this had made their illiteracy levels very high. They underwent the retrogressive culture of polygamy and prostitution that tortured them mentally. For a growing young girl, one’s foot had to be bound on something too that affected their social lives, in order for them not to run or practice other customs. Males, on the other hand, were treated differently and with respect in the society. The male children were treated accordingly by their families as they were regarded as a gift from their gods. In the whole society setup, bearing of sons was much-preferred than the

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Sociology - Essay Example Mass production has become a repercussion of capitalism. Pro-capitalists argue it benefits to humankind by facilitating ease of use, cheaply available and within reach consumer products. On the other hand, anti-capitalists are of the view that capitalism has many downsides. It robs the average person of his/her individuality, of culture and tradition. This can be understood from a review of the following advertisements which demonstrate that capitalism has a great influence on the individual perception and expression. The innovation of line production by Ford during the 20th century has transformed not only the American population but also the world over. It has created a consumer society which is dependent on mass produced commodities. Stuart Ewen in his book Captain of Consciousness, theorizes that line production has been a way of mass producing consumers (24). Since goods are produced in huge quantitative, they need consumers to consume them. For this reason, mass production had become a device innovated by the capitalists, to artificially create demand by reducing price, increasing accessibility and creating a culture of consumerism. Over the years the ethics and moral behind this strategy have deteriorated to a great extent, that mass production has become synonymous with immoral and unethical business practices. These perceptions are warranted. Take the following advertisement by Wonderbra for example which blatantly declares the mindlessness of consumers of today. In the above advertisement, the message communicated indicates that those who buy Wonderbras need not have the brain or the inclination to be intelligent (to read The Economist, a business magazine). These are individuals who have no aspiration to be in the business arena. This is a product for the "average mindless" individual. Moreover, the message denotes the perception that only an elite group of individuals are intelligent enough to read or

Mentally Disordered Suspects, Defendants and Offenders Essay

Mentally Disordered Suspects, Defendants and Offenders - Essay Example As per Bibby v Chief Constable of Essex the court determined that the Constable could arrest a person who could commit an act of violence or could breach the peace (Jerrard, 2000). Under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act a police officer can detain a person who is considered to be mentally disordered. The police officer can remove the person from a public place (such as in this case) and take them to a â€Å"place of safety† including a police station or a psychiatric hospital ward. Further assessment can take place in these places in order to implement treatment under Section 2 or Section 3 of the Mental Health Act (Legislation Government of United Kingdom, 2012 a). b) Discuss police obligations in relation to vulnerable detainees, and with reference to research findings, evaluate the possibility of appropriate intervention being made in Wayne’s case. The police are under obligation of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act to go for an assessment as soon as the perso n is at a â€Å"place of safety† which could be either the police station or a psychiatric hospital ward. The assessment is carried out by two doctors, typically a general practitioner (GP) and a psychiatrist as well as an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) such that at least one doctor is a Section 12 approved doctor. The subject assessment may recommend treatment under Section 2 or Section 3 but given the current circumstances the possibility of Section 2 based treatment is high. Section 2 recommends detained treatment for patients who need to be monitored during treatment. Since Wayne has left the treatment system once before so Section 2 is more appropriate1 for ensuring that Wayne undergoes the entire treatment procedure. c) Critically assess the opportunities for diversion at this stage of the criminal justice process. The policemen attending the call for a â€Å"drunken homeless person† would have no idea of Wayne’s background unless he is brought to the station for identification. If careful attention is not paid to Wayne’s background as suffering from schizophrenia, there are chances that he would be prosecuted for breach of peace. This would preclude any chances of mental health assessment and would force Wayne into prison for his actions (though this may not be necessary). The eventual consequence of this approach would be that Wayne would be released back into society again without any changes to his persona. The brush with the criminal justice system may make Wayne more violent and thus a greater danger to public safety. Since Wayne is not involved in a serious crime so there are chances that police in more busy precincts may not adopt the complete procedure for mental health assessment. d) What after care provision should be available for Wayne when he is discharged from hospital? And is there any evidence to suggest that this will prevent the recurrence of these events? The Mental Health Act does not provide f or community intervention and when it does it is only weakly applicable. The real measure of after care provided by the community is â€Å"guardianship† that mandates that the patient will reside at a particular address, will attend a specific clinic regularly and may attend designated workplaces or educational institutions. However, all of this information must be tabulated and followed up after the patient is discharged from the hospital and such follow-up cannot be enforced onto the patient. Section 117 provides that patients who are

Select a (domestic)3 public limited company of your choice and analyse Essay

Select a (domestic)3 public limited company of your choice and analyse what price and non-price strategies it employs for its co - Essay Example On the other side, financial statements are very essential for different types of user in for different company. So, before preparing the financial statement the accountant must be clear that the users survive by the information. There are different types of group with a curiosity of different organisation called user group. The different types of user follows the financial statement for their decision making purpose. The company analysis is mainly based on the financial statements of the company (Chatton, 2008, p.125). Here the Researcher will analyse the different aspects of the National – Express Group like Customer profile, competition, social and technological issues, unique selling proposition, financial performance analysis etc. The researcher uses ratio and trend analysis to analyse the financial performance. General Description of the Company National – Express Group is a popular transport service provider company in UK as well as in Europe. The business networ k of the company spreads in UK, Spain, North America and Morocco. The statistics shows that there are more than 650 million journeys are made through the company every year. The transport services of the company categorised as trains, buses, coaches and light rail services. The primary strategy of the company is to offer quality products and services to the customers for the purpose of enhance the growth rate in the existing market. The company tries to win new bidding opportunity through rail, coaches and bus markets. Presently, the company has been able to recover the underlying growth in Spain and creating new bid opportunity by aiming to increase overall growth. Presently, the company introduces coach and rail business in UK which seems to be profitable and contributes in the growth success in long term basis. Presently, the company is able to recover the underlying growth in Spain and creating new bid opportunity by aiming to increase overall growth. Presently, the company intr oduces coach and rail business in UK which seems to be profitable and contributes in the growth success in long term basis. In past few years, the company tried to acquire different transport operator companies, whose operation, modes and geographies match with the existing business of the company. For the purpose of enhancing the value of shareholder, National Express Group implemented strict return criteria in the case of acquisition. In 2010, the company acquired bolt-on school bus acquisition in New Jersey in the value of US$13.3 million (William, 2009, p.45). The annual reports of the company show that 2011 is a successful year for National - Express Group. In this year, the company generated ?180.2 million EBITA (profit before tax and amortisation) which is more or less double than the previous year. The primary reason of enhancing the statutory profit before tax is three folds increase in sales revenue and the operating profit. The maximum level of profit from the UK Coach bu siness is also a reason for profit increasing (National Express Group PLC, 2011, p.67). There are significant improvements in each and every business of the company over the last two years. The bus services in UK and North America increased the operating margin. The

'Executive power in the UK is dominated by the Prime Minister' Essay

'Executive power in the UK is dominated by the Prime Minister'. Discuss - Essay Example According to Allen (2003), the monarch acts within the constraints of convention and precedent, and exercises prerogative powers on the advice of the prime minister. The prime minister holds a weekly audience with the monarch; the records of these audiences are not taken and the proceedings remain fully confidential (Stewart, 2010). The monarch may express their views, but as constitutional rulers, they must accept the decisions of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister dominates the executive power in the United Kingdom; however, there are cases where the Prime Minister does not have full control of the executive. Appointments The Queen appoints the Prime Minister, who then appoints all other members of the government. This power to hire and fire extends to all ministers and cabinet members, giving the Prime Minister substantial control over the careers of members of parliament and peers. The Prime Minister can also create and establish new posts, departments, committees, policy uni ts and even merge the existing ones at will (Allen, 2003). This implies that the Prime Minister controls most of the governmental departments and commissions. Additionally, the Prime Minister has the powers to appoint and dismiss the government ministers. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Prime Minister has been the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons. The power of the Prime Minster is based on the Royal Prerogative, where they exercise power on behalf of the monarch. Thus, the Prime Minister dominates the executive power of determining the members of parliament, cabinet, and ministers. As the head of intelligence and security services, the Prime Minister determines the composition of these agencies (Booth, 2006). The Prime Minister regulates their roles and functions and can deny permission if the security services want to carry out a particular task. The Prime Minister also appoints senior officers of the armed forces, and thus controls their functions. Other appointments carried out by the Prime Minister include top ecclesiastical, regius professorships, public sector, appointments to royal commissions and the Mastership of Trinity College (Allen, 2003). Giving the Prime Minister power to do all these appointments makes them to dominate the executive power. This is because the power to appoint is given together with the power to control. Head of the Executive The Prime Minister is the head of the executive. As the head of the executive, the Prime Minister is the chief policy maker because of the pre-eminence in making the government’s policy (Stewart, 2010). The Royal Prerogative gives the Prime Minister the power to make and break the composition of ministers and reshuffle the cabinet to meet the needs of government requirements. For example, Tony Blair decided to build the Millennium Dome when the cabinet stood against it (Stewart, 2010). Regardless of the fact that the announcement and the cabinet occurred simultaneously , the Prime Minister made the overall decision. Even though the prime minister can make such quick decisions, the cabinet can overrule their decisions, and they cannot impose policies through reluctant officials. Meetings must be conducted to make any ruling and the agreements from these meetings are bound to be followed to the latter. Conduct Parliamentary and Cabinet Business The Prime Minister

Drag racing in Terre Haute Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drag racing in Terre Haute - Assignment Example Nonetheless, I felt that we should have done more research before going to participate in the sport but we were too keyed up to be bothered. I hardly slept Thursday night as I anticipated the next day’s turn of events. Come Friday night and we were all geared up with our own street cars to take part in the race. Our excitement was however dialed down when we had to read the rules concerning the race. Any slight error could lead to disqualification. It was here where I learnt that drag racing was a type of motor vehicle racing where vehicles usually compete in sets of twos to cross a finish line that was set. The race followed a straight course that was short over a distance that was measured. Some of my friends were a bit disappointed with this information since they had hoped it would be a race like that of the world’s greatest drag race which involved more than ten vehicles at a time. Some even opted to be spectators in lieu of actual racing. I learnt that before a race began, each driver was given the permission to perform what was known as a burn out. This allowed the tires to heat in order to put down the tire’s rubber at the start of the track which helps improve traction. Both drivers then lined up at the starting point. I also learnt that the races were all started using an electronic system known as a Christmas tree. It consisted of six light columns for each driver. Three were amber, one blue, one green and a red one. They were all connected to beams of light on the race track. There was the blue light which was split into two halves. A vehicle’s front tires were what would break the light beam and would light up the blue light’s first half, staging the vehicle at the starting point which would then light up the blue light’s second half. Once there was this staged beam from the first competitor, the Christmas tree was automatically activated. The opponent then had less

Early Childhood Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Childhood Education - Essay Example Treatment of children in a family or society dictates how the family or society will be perceived in terms of success or failure. Isenberg & Jalongo, (1997) illustrate that childhood is the stage in life that is characterized by agility, curiosity and creativity. It is during this period of time that one decides on what to or not to be in future life. This therefore, implies that, a lot of attention is needed to get rid of undesirable characters which might associate with the child and grow with him/her to the future. Based on my profession and what I have gathered when learning this profession, given the opportunity to execute my duties, I will ensure that the children under my care obtain the best practices. This will be possible through incorporation of best learning practices such as practical learning methods into this system of education as echoed by Mallory & New (1994). According to Grotewell and Burton (2008), it is worth noting that not all children are born physically and mentally healthy. Some are born with physical disabilities while others suffer from mental disorders. In case this happens, it is possible that a child might be healthy both physically and mentally but born out of families which are not capable of providing for their basic needs. This can range from shelter, food, and clothing to comfort that they might need at some point in their childhood. The main objective of the early childhood initiative was to help young children and their families to survive which ever times they might be living. This is achieved through provision of support and intervention for the children and infants with priorities given to those who are disabled. Anning, Cullen & Fleer, (2004) explain that undertaking a course on early childhood education will open up opportunities in areas such as educational administrators, coordinators and librarians. Those trained