Of Kind and Cruel Fates Essay

Irony, in its essence, is the humor of contradiction. It is contradiction, in the sense that where we would expect events to lean on one way, events instead completely take the opposite direction. A crude example would be where a string of freak accidents occur at a factory where the manager is showing off to his potential clients that his company is â€Å"accident-free†. Irony is humorous because if one saw it with impartiality, one would find it funny. Having a car accident right after a road is â€Å"improved† to avoid further accidents, would be funny. To study irony further, one could study an average person’s sense of humor. While as a child, he may delight in the curiosities of the environment, eventually he becomes adjusted to seeing it everyday, and eventually his enjoyment of it fades. Humor takes on a different characteristic for him. There is the slapstick comedy, where he finds the antics of the performers as funny and absurd, and there is the situational comedy, where he finds funny ordinary people falling to ridiculous situations. The common thread to this humor is that it attacks at something. Whether it is to ridicule a person behaving out of the social norm (as the slapstick), or to ridicule a person’s belief or principle that is generally viewed as absurd (the parody), the higher the degree of abuse at the object of humor, the funnier. Irony, then, is humorous in the sense that it attacks something, through its contradiction. As an impartial viewer, we may find funny things that we know to be true as envisioned by the ironic set-up, but which is obscured in the minds of those who are involved in the irony. Humor moreover has intrinsic values it seeks to instill to its impartial witnesses, and consequently irony occurs as some way to inform the viewer of a cosmic lesson. We can delve in this further through the study of three stories, Tartuffe, The Princess of Cleves, and Nathan the Wise. There are several ironic situations that occur throughout the play Tartuffe. The story revolves around a household scandalized by having its head (the father) entertain and welcome as part of the family a man who openly and vocally shows his displeasure at what he deems as vices borne by the various members of the family and the house. One of the first ironic situations occurs with the son, Damis, who hides in the room while Tartuffe has a private conversation with his mother, Elmire. His intention is to unmask Tartuffe to his father as a hypocrite and get him out of the house (Moliere, 39-46). When he finally sees evidence of the man’s scandalous behavior towards his mother and reveals it to his father, not only does his father not believe (owing to the hypocrite’s skillful use of words), but has Damis instead kicked out and even encourages Tartuffe to continue his scandalous behavior towards his wife, in order to spite his family (47-51). The humor in the situation centered on how big a fool the father was to believe in Tartuffe’s virtue, and an even bigger fool not to see the truth when it is right in front of him. This is further stressed in the next ironic situation, where after Orgon (the father) finally realizes the extent of his friend’s deceit, he tries to tell his mother, who was also fooled by the hypocrite. For all his protestations she does not believe him until she sees it herself (Moliere, 68-71). The irony is that where he once ignored the loud protests of his family, likewise his mother does not believe him, even for his loud protests. The final ironic twist, however, turns out for the good as the hypocrite Tartuffe, having been unmasked and set his plans for revenge, intrigues on the King and plans to have them all arrested, only to have him as the object of arrest, as the King was â€Å"wise† to his intrigues (77-80). The play has these alternating reversal of fortunes, and its ironic humor attacks two things: that blind faith without reason in open Virtue is folly, and that any malice masked in virtue never remains unpunished. A more tragic tale of irony is that of the Princess of Cleves. Introduced to a court as Madam Chartres, she wins the affection of the Prince of Cleves, who endeavor to marry her despite the protests of his father; she falls, however for someone else, the Duke Nemours (Lafayette, 15-17). The story then centers around him trying to find the opportunity to confess his love, and she, now married, desperately tries to stave off his affections while suppressing hers. We do not see the irony unfold until the very end: the Princess anguishes over her affection for the Duke throughout her marriage, but following the death of her husband suddenly she has a change of heart and is convinced that her husband was a far better man than the Duke (101-107). It is only after the husband dies and they finally have an opportunity to be together does she decide not to be with the Duke. The irony here attacks the notion that love borne from adulterous intention will eventually bear fruit. It might have been attack towards the growing acceptance of the public towards the notion of infidelity, (almost every character is involved in an affair with someone else) and their giving it idealistic fervor. The Princess of Cleves, despite the best of her intentions, continued to bear her love to someone else, and pined for that other person, and consequently, in her husband’s death she realized her folly too late, and chose to suffer the rest of her life in that guilt. Nathan the Wise has such a complicated string of ironies, that one who skims through even the slightest of details would not appreciate the ironies that eventually occur. Originally, the story of the Jewish merchant Nathan centered around the Muslim conqueror Saladin trying to fool him out of his money—and this tale has found itself in the pages of Boccaccio’s Decameron. Nathan answers so skillfully that ironically it was Saladin who was put to shame by his own question and humbled before the Jew (Lessing, 90-97). This story is, however, expanded by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and this encounter between the Egyptian conqueror and the Jew becomes the main theme. The tale then revolves around a Templar, who was pardoned by Saladin for the reason that he resembled the conqueror’s brother (Lessing, 36); the consequences of his rescue of a Jewish maiden (and subsequent encounter of the grateful surrogate father Nathan), and the intrigues of the Patriarch who would have him either kill Saladin or turn over Nathan, who he found had raised a Christian child to the Jewish faith (the same Jewess he rescued) (37-40). The irony, from an impartial point of view, might have been to some degree absurd. The Templar, in almost the fashion of Oedipus, tries desperately to seek the truth, and unmask what he sees in his prejudice as malice committed by the Jew Nathan (Lessing, 109-127). And, also in the fashion of Oedipus, not only does he discover that the girl he was trying to save (and hope to marry) was his sister, but Saladin who he would have killed had he agreed to the Patriarch, was his uncle after all (165-172). The irony also hits Saladin, as his pardoning the Templar Conrad because he looked like his brother, redounds to the truth that Conrad was his brother’s son. While the ironic twist might seem ridiculous to the trained eye, in the sense it fits to the lesson first imparted by Nathan to Saladin: that all men are equal before God, regardless of Faith. This is a happier chide at the Medieval sensibility of hostility between Faiths. Irony is humorous, because we find that the contradiction it creates makes sense. We might have felt our sensibilities offended when we saw that the Princess of Cleves did not end up with the Duke Nemours, but the cosmic twist was to show to us that infidelity was wrong. We would have preferred that the Templar should have instead ended up marrying the Jewess, but the irony was there to impart the lesson that prejudice has, after all, no place in the world. We sometimes do not find ironic circumstances that funny, as if we lived the life of Duke Nemours or became as aghast as the Templar Conrad. But eventually, we will learn that the contradiction was to impart to us that our plans may go completely the other way, because they may not have been right in the first place. And, the wiser we become to this truth, the more we will realize that irony, though it might strike sad for us, has a reason. The better we accept this, the more we will be prepared to just take a step back, take a view of the bigger picture, and laugh. WORKS CITED Lafayette, Madame de. The Princess of Cleves. New York: Project Gutenberg. 27 Sept. 2008 . Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim. Nathan the Wise. New York: Page, Curtis. Project Gutenberg. 01 Mar. 2003. . Moliere, Jean Baptiste. Tartuffe. New York: Project Gutenberg. 26 Oct. 2008. .

Participatory Notes †Concept Essay

Participatory notes are issued by FIIs to their unregistered clients who want to invest in the Indian equity market but do not want to meet the disclosure requirements to do so. Thus the modus operandi they opt for is to invest their money with the fund companies (FIIs), who will invest in Indian market on their behalf. The fund company is registered with SEBI in India and issues participatory notes to these investors as a proof of their investment. Participatory notes are instruments used by foreign funds not registered in the country to trade in the domestic market. SEBI’s Concern and rulings regarding these notes: Participatory Notes have always been a bone of contention for SEBI as the identity of the investors is not known. In 2003, there was a boom in the stock market mainly due to a lot of foreign funds. This also led to a lot of volatility in the Indian market because a lot of Investment was done through Participatory Notes. So in 2003, SEBI amended regulations relating to foreign institutional investors to incorporate a new 10 point code of conduct and inserted a clause seeking disclosure of information with regard to participatory notes. The code seeks compliance to good corporate governance standards and SEBI regulations. SEBI has clarified that there is no change in the rules relating to FIIs except for the strengthening of KYC Norms. They have also given a ruling which states that from Now on, The PNs can only be issued to Registered Entities. The actual investing parties must be registered with the regulator of their country of Incorporation. In addition, to facilitate the process of transition, derivative instruments already issued and outstanding against un-regulated entities will not be required to be terminated immediately. It has been decided that the said contracts will be permitted to expire or to be wound – down on maturity, or within a period of 5 years, whichever is earlier.

Assess the Importance of Developments in Military Technology as a Factor in the Changing Nature of Military Strategy in the Period C1850 â€C1985.

Assess the importance of developments in military technology as a factor in the changing nature of military strategy in the period c1850 –c1985. The development of military technology can undoubtedly alter the way in which a war or battle is fought. Major military innovations have allowed for strategies to be adapted and refined. For example the invention of tanks allowed for strategic usage of movement to end the stalemate of World War One. The advances in technology have reformed the way in which a war is fought in the air as well as on the ground and sea. If one side was in control of more advanced technology, it could be said they had a greater advantage over the enemy, with increased military capability. However the relationship between the technology and the strategy behind its deployment is essential. For the technology to achieve its goal, the planning, conduct and organisation must be beneficial. Technology however is not entirely responsible for the changes in military strategy, Leadership and tactics also play a part, but which is ultimately the most accountable? The key technology that fundamentally affected the battles of the Crimean war was the invention of an effective rifle. Neil Stewart states that â€Å"The greatest change in land warfare was the substantial increase in the range, accuracy and firepower of the percussion cap rifles and the rifled artillery. † This resulted in the attacking force standing little chance of succeeding and enabled the British to fight from greater distances with a higher chance of hitting the enemy. The infantrymen no longer had to load one bullet at a time, as a magazine could now take up to nine bullets in their magazine. This meant loading time was reduced and the British were more likely to cause greater damage to the enemy over a shorter period. Furthermore Massie announces â€Å"The introduction of the Minie rifle and then the Enfield, revolutionised the battlefield. The ordinary infantry soldier now possessed a weapon long-ranged and accurate enough to enable him to operate it independently. † This shows that now lines of infantry were now not needed and concentrated fire was not used. From the Crimean war, it is clear one strategy should never have been used. The charge of the light brigade saw a cavalry charge against infantry and artillery. A report by Lieutenant-General Liprandi states â€Å"The English cavalry appeared, more than 2,000 strong†¦The enemy made a most obstinate charge†¦notwithstanding the well-directed fire from six guns of the light battery No. 7, and that of the men armed with carbines†¦In this attack the enemy had more than 400 men killed and sixty wounded, who were picked up on the field of battle, and we made twenty-two prisoners. † Thus by the First World War, the cavalry were no longer used to attack against enemies laden with artillery. The dominance of the machine gun in the First World War led to great strategic changes. Whereas a rifle could fire around fifteen rounds a minute, a machine gun could fire six hundred. The stalemate of the War meant that the guns could be set up in permanent positions resulting in the war becoming a defensive one. Stewart states â€Å"Unprotected troops could not expose themselves to this deadly onslaught of fire for long†¦and this meant digging into the ground. † This explains how trenches became a popular method of escaping machine gun fire. Trenches were not only a defensive method, but were ideal for launching an attack from within. The machine gun meant that military strategy was now in fact to keep killing until there was nothing left of the enemy, otherwise known as a war of attrition. The Battle of the Somme was designed to simply mow down as many of the German enemy as possible and try to break their morale. However this tactic proved to unsuccessful by Corporal W. Shaw. Shaw states â€Å"Our artillery had been bombing their line for six days and nights†¦the result was we never got anywhere near the Germans†¦they were just simply slaughtered. The stalemate of trench warfare leant itself for the reintroduction of mobile tactics. Stewart explains â€Å"By 1918 the British troops had moved away from the long linear advance; their attacking force was now built around a heavily armed, mobile, semi-independent platoon of 40 men. † It could be said that long range tactics were now used, making the attac ks depersonalised. The introduction of tanks meant that a preliminary barrage was no longer needed and attacks often now had the element of surprise. Their main tactic was to clear the trenches of the enemy and make a clear pathway for the infantry to follow behind. A report by the war office in 1918 states, â€Å"At the end of the campaigning season of 1917 we tried the experiment at Cambrai of using tanks in large number to take the place of artillery bombardment. † The use of tanks meant that there was a saving to be made in infantry, compared to that required to follow up an artillery bombardment. To finally break the Hindenburg line, the coordination of sophisticated artillery cover along with tanks, aeroplanes and armoured cars was used as the military strategy and according to Stewart â€Å"The battle tactics of the Second World War had emerged at the very end of the First World War. The tactics and strategies used in the Second World War were often based upon those used in the First World War. Many of the weapons used were simply the same but improved versions of those used before, thus you would think the same military strategy would be used. However the main military strategy of World War Two was to use the coordination of all available weapons and forces to strike the enemy at its weakest point instead of over a long front. The British and French went into the war believing it was going to be a defensive one; however the Germans were planning on it being an offensive one and to win it quickly. According to Foley â€Å"The Allied armies, completely unprepared for the rapid, mobile operations of the Germans, had simply been out-fought at every turn. † Stewart backs this up with his quote â€Å"A large part of the effectiveness of blitzkrieg was the panic and confusion produced by this unimagined mobility and advance. Opponents became quickly demoralized and surrendered rapidly. † It can be said that this strategy was only effective with the use of advanced technology. Stewart states â€Å"A number of strategists†¦had advanced the theories of rapid mobile attack based upon concentrations of tanks. Putting this military strategy into practice resulted in the success of blitzkrieg. For example the French and British may have a higher number of tanks than Germany; however they chose not to concentrate them into large masses. Therefore it was not am advance in technology that forced the military plan to change, it was in fact then way in which the leaders chos e to deploy it. Stewart also states â€Å"The intensification of the bombing offensive in 1943, however, had only limited results and incurred disastrous losses. This produced a change of strategy by the allies. This explains that perhaps Germany had superior technology in the air and therefore the Allies formed a military strategy which consisted of the total destruction of the German air force to achieve air supremacy. The commander in chief of the American air forces issued the instruction to â€Å"Destroy the enemy air force wherever you find them in the air, on the ground and in the factories. † This shows how the Allies military plan was adapted to fully concentrate on the effectiveness of how to attack Germany’s air force. Leadership could also be considered a factor as to why military strategy changes. For example Haig has often been criticised for the tactics he used in the First World War. Laffin says â€Å"A great commander knows exactly what he’s sending his men into but Haig didn’t. The principle which guided him was that if he could kill more Germans than the Germans could kill his men, then he would inevitably win. Now that is an appalling kind of strategy. It’s not a strategy at all, it’s just slaughter. † Therefore it could be said that others would have chose a different strategy to Haig and not risked thousands of lives, meaning different leaders would address situations differently. However on the other side many have argued that in fact Haig’s tactics did finally work in 1918 when he had more tanks and artillery to support him, perhaps making technology responsible. Furthermore Clarke tells of a conversation apparently held between Hoffman and Ludendorff. â€Å"Ludendorff: ‘The English soldiers fight like lions’ Hoffman: ‘True. But don’t we know that they are lions led by donkeys. ’ This shows perhaps if the leaders had provided a better military strategy, the brave soldiers could have been ‘lions’ which accomplished greater achievements. Moreover Spilsbury states â€Å"Raglan†¦arrived at the top of this elevation Raglan was now in one of the most extraordinary positions ever taken up by a commander on the battlefield†¦Calthorpe reported ‘Lord Raglan at once saw the immense importance of getting guns up here, where they could enfilade all the Russian guns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows Raglan to be an intelligent leader who could formulate and execute military strategy well and therefore having considerable influence in the way in which the battle was fought. Logistics should also be considered. Johnson states â€Å"The logistical difficulties of the war prompted army reform in Great Britain. † Speaking of the Crimean War, this quote shows that military strategy had to be adapted to fit around these problems. He then goes on to say â€Å"The first, and most important was the rationalisation of the chain of command for organisation in the field. † This shows how rationalising as a strategy was bought in due to complications with logistics. Moreover Overy states â€Å"Yet an operation designed to move 4000 ships, 2 million men and 12000 aircraft to France, from a base only a few minutes flying time from German airfields, appeared an impossible secret to keep for six long months. † This is regarding the d-day landing of World War Two. A large amount of men and supplies had to be landed without being seen by the Germans, which would mean an excellent military strategy would be needed. The moving of these men and supplies resulted in a strategy being produced like no other. Overall the tactics in Second World War had changed dramatically from the First World War. The technology was present in the First World War however its full potential had not been realised until later. From that it could be concluded that it was in fact factors other than technology that changed the nature of military strategy, such as leadership for example. If the leaders in the Second World War had not realised the mistakes made in tactics of the First World War, then perhaps they would not have been successful with their military planning. However as technology progressed, its users were capable of achieving success in many different ways. In the Crimean War, due to the innovation of a successful rifle, strategy changed from fighting together to being able to fight independently. Tanks and armoured cars brought back mobility and therefore strategies changed to overcome the stalemate of trench warfare in World War One. A good leader could be assessed by the way in which he managed to supply his troops, in other words logistics. So therefore logistics itself may have limited effect on military strategy as it is in fact the way in which a leader uses logistics to their advantage which is responsible for the change. To conclude, technology is forever changing and will carry on doing so long into the future. As it does so, the strategy behind the way it is deployed will have to change with it if it is to be a success. However whether or not a leader produces a high-quality military plan that supports the deployment of this new technology will also play a role in the development of military strategy.

This is a discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

This is a discussion question - Essay Example A is much higher which is 1.89 years than Project B which is 3.75 years but an investor would give least attention to this and would consider Net present value and will go for Project B which is $114.409 which in comparison to Project A ( $56.922 ) is much higher than Project A. If an investor is keen to go through the details except than just considering payback period so investor will look at the internal rate of return of both the project to decide further which should be greater than given interest rate. In this case, internal rate of return of both projects is greater than the given interest rate of 12%. Considering specifically, Project A have a higher percentage which is 26.72%, whereas Project Bs is 19.74%. But investor would again justify Project B because it is widely known in business market that big investment at low percentage has a higher turnover than a small investment at 100% profit return for example $1 at 100% profit will return $2, whereas $100,000 at 80% will return $180,000. This shows that low rate of return is better on huge investment which is again justifying project B with an investment of

Immigration in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration in America - Research Paper Example This stark increase in immigration quantities poses a variety of problems in the United States, including economic issues, concerns associated with law enforcement, wages provided to native citizens, and even problems with drugs and criminal behavior. VOLUME OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY According to a 2006 report, there were over 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States (Kane and Johnson 2). By March of 2011, this number was estimated to be at 11.1 million (Passel and Cohn 1). The volume of immigrants currently residing in the country is representative of approximately 3.1 percent of the total American population, including native citizens. PROBLEMS WITH MEDICAID PAYMENTS Having established volume of immigrants entering and currently living in the U.S., it is important to identify the plethora of problems associated with illegal entry into the country. One of the main problems is the burden placed on state-level and federal-level governance related to economics. An a dministrator of the National Policy Institute identifies that illegal immigrants put a significant burden on the Medicaid system, a government-funded health care program designed to ensure that native citizens living below the poverty level maintain access to affordable health care. In 2005, it was estimated that state budgets would be burdened with a 12.1 percent increase in total Medicaid costs, with an expectation that costs would double every six years. This has significant ramifications for state-level budgets, in today’s society, many of which are already fraught with large-scale budgetary problems. It is estimated that 21.8 percent of all immigrant households are receiving Medicaid assistance (Rubenstein 9). This is a substantial problem as many illegal immigrants have children while living within the borders of the United States, therefore automatically making their children legitimate U.S. citizens. This makes the child, and the household caregivers, eligible for Med icaid when their incomes fall below poverty level. Currently, the federal government is concerned about long-term sustainability of Medicaid reimbursements during a period of economic decline stemming from a variety of different factors including decreased taxation revenues and over-spending at the Federal level. CONCERNS OVER WAGES FOR NATIVE CITIZENS In the United States, there is a very large segment of the native population that maintains low-level job skills and do not have the benefits of holding a college degree to improve their standard of living that is dictated with higher wage provision. Because of this, they are forced to take low paying jobs in a variety of sectors, with a majority in the service sector. When illegal immigrants enter the United States, employers have significant incentives to hire these aliens since they can provide them with very low-paying jobs without having to provide legally-mandated supplementary benefits such as business-sponsored insurance. It b ecomes more advantageous for businesses to choose illegal immigrants over low-skilled native citizens since native workers are entitled to certain benefit packages. A whopping 20 percent of all workers in service, construction and manufacturing production are immigrants (Gans 2). The demographic that is most significantly impacted by increases in immigration is the low-skilled black worker in the United State

Strategic and Financial Analysis of P&G Research Paper

Strategic and Financial Analysis of P&G - Research Paper Example P&G offers more than 250 brands to its customers. The net sales of the company were recorded to be more than $1 billion in 2011. The product portfolio of P&G can be segregated into divisions based on the usage of the products. It offers washing or laundry products, hair care and grooming products, health care products, and personal care products. In the hair care product category, P&G holds the maximum market share of 34.6 percent, as can be seen in Figure 1. The competitors such as L’Oreal, Unilever, Alberto Culvert, and John Frieda are some of the popular market players in the hair care segment holding lesser market share than P&G. The top hair care brands of P&G are Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Aussie and Silvikrin.   In the washing and laundry category too, P&G is the market leader. As can be seen in Figure 3, P&G rules on 46 percent of, the detergent market. The most famous laundry brands of P&G are Ariel, Tide, Bold, Fairy, Lenor, etc. In the household cleaning category, P&G has 11.6 percent market share. The best brands of P&G in this segment is Flash. Lastly, in the personal care, skin care or grooming segment, P&G has around 1.4 percent market share among the other companies. The Product Life Cycle determines the position of the products or brands of a company in the market. In case of P&G, most of the brands sold under its product portfolio are in their maturity and growth stage, as P&G’s products are generating huge profits for the company in most of the segments and are among the market leaders (P&G, 2012d). In order to validate the position of most of the P&G’s products in the PLC, the revenue and profit figures for the last 5 years have been considered.

Assessment and intervention in Addiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assessment and intervention in Addiction - Essay Example Paul, a 27 year old, has been an injecting drug user and has been presented at a local Alcohol and Drug Assessment Service, six weeks after release from prison. He opposes treatment but attendance is a condition of his parole and has numerous convictions for burglary, assault and possession of drugs for supply. Paul has been convicted for burglary, assault and possessions of cannabis, numerously. Initially, he had had a motor cycle accident at 19 and has not worked since. Since then, he has had anger and impulse control problems. Assessment reveals that Paul had no specific plans to harm anyone in particular, but possesses a firearm and states his willingness to shoot himself and others with him. The head injury also left him prone to anger, impulse control problems, short-term memory impairment, poor concentration and inability to work. Paul has a history of childhood conduct disorder and abuse of drugs and substances such as alcohol and cannabis, benzodiazepines and polydrug. He also used intravenous opioids regularly from 19 years of age and continues to use cannabis daily and occasional benzodiazepines. On direct questioning, Paul has admitted to depressive symptoms since his most recent incarceration, and met DSM IV-R criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Episode over the past six weeks. The patient is also hepatitis C positive and admits to having shared needles, besides engaging in unprotected sex especially when using benzodiazepines. He has also had little contact with his family and lives with friends who use intravenous opioids on a daily basis. From the foregoing it is clear that there may have been correlations between the prevailing affairs in Paul’s social environment and his penchant for substance reliance and drugs abuse. This is underscored by the fact that Paul began to engage in drugs abuse and substance reliance at a relatively young age. Particularly, Paul has a history of childhood drugs and substances abuse of such as alcohol

Recruitment and selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Recruitment and selection - Essay Example is mandated to ensuring that the organisation acquires quality workforce to enable the organization achieve some of its primary objectives and the company’s vision. However, getting the right people for the job has always been a major challenge for most organisations. This explains why most of the organisations have invested heavily in human resource. McDonalds began operations in the early 1954 and subsequently grew to become the world’s leading food retailer with over 30,000 food outlets in over 199 countries. It is estimated that McDonalds serves approximately 47 million customers on a daily basis. In addition to its retail success, McDonalds has become a global brand a situation that is evidenced by the increasing share capital of the firm. According to McDonalds & Hite, (2005, p.437), the department of human resource in any company is accountable for the management of the workforce to ensure that employees work effectively to achieve the company’s mission and vision. In view of this, the HRM department plays a key role in the management process of an organisation. Some of the responsibilities that the HRM department is charged with include; recruitment, selection, performance management, employee training and administration. The HR process of any organisation aims at recruiting skilled labour to help an organisation achieve competitive advantage particularly in competitive sectors. The process of recruiting new employees at McDonalds runs through the entire year. The process is often both internal and external. However, most of the management team at McDonalds is picked internally which implies that there is employee appraisal. By picking the management team internally, the management team ensures that those selected to the organisation are knowledgeable of the restaurant’s operations in the food industry and also maintain the organisational culture. The recruitment process at McDonalds is broken down into smaller and manageable departmental

Do humans need to eat meat to have a healthy diet Essay

Do humans need to eat meat to have a healthy diet - Essay Example They may lead different lifestyles that may effect their health beyond issues of diet. Nevertheless, as one study recently put it â€Å"there is some evidence that including lean meat in weight-loss diets may be advantageous, as high protein intakes may increase satiety and help with appetite regulation . . .† (Stanner). When it comes to improving the iron count in women's blood, for example, meat plays a very important role. A recent study indicates that compared with a vegetable diet, a meat diet improves iron uptake (Tetens, et al). These are important considerations to take into account when thinking about the role of meat in any diet. There are a plethora of dietary fads out there. Many people wish to sell their diet to you, but there is little science to support the idea that a meat-based diet is bad. In fact, the evidence points the other way. Meat, in appropriate quantities, has positive health effects and should be part of a healthy and balanced diet. Work consulted S tanner, Sara. â€Å"Red meat: facts not fiction.† Practice Nurse. 34 (2007). Tetens, Inge, et al. â€Å"The impact of a meat- versus a vegetable-based diet on iron status in women of childbearing age with small iron stores.† European Journal of Nutrition. 46 (2007): 439–445

Philosophy Term Paper on Stereotype Encounters

Philosophy on Stereotype Encounters - Term Paper Example Individuals being stereotyped will feel that their behaviors are judged on the basis of their negative attitude instead from the basis of their personal merit. When people feel stereotyped their performance is undermined as they will feel their actions are under a lot of scrutiny, and this makes them loose their self esteem which will undermine their productivity (Dovidio et al, 2010). Stereotyping will make a person feel like a victim of social identity, and they will feel inferior if they are not able to cope with the stereotype and this will undermine their capability to make sound decisions and their productivity in the activity they are undertaking (Kemick, 2010). I have encountered various stereotypes the first one being that all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists. After the September 11 attacks in the United States, Muslims and Arabs have been stereotyped and have been rejected by other communities. The attacks were staged by the al-Qaida, which is a Muslim group and from this d ay people have had the notion that all Muslims are terrorists. This has denied Muslims many opportunities as people fear that they will attack them as they are connected to terrorists. After the attacks Muslims were under great scrutiny and they are treated with fear and rejection. Even the authorities at airports double checked their luggage and this made them fall victims of sterotyping.it was evident to note Muslims being stopped by police more than people from other cultures. This stereotype has had a negative impact on Muslims as it messes up with their self confidence caused by the belief that they are being sidelined or rejected by the community, and this undermines their

Being Virtuous Though Confucius, Krishna and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Being Virtuous Though Confucius, Krishna and Socrates Essay From the beginning of time, the quest of all humans has been to discover how to live the good life. What is a good life exactly? This term will mean different things to different people, and yet I believe there are the same ingredients that all â€Å"good lives† share, even from the classic Eurasian time until present day. Virtues of character, which are also called ‘moral virtues’, seem to be more complex and are an integral part of the completeness of life that is said is necessary for a good life. There seems to be a pattern with people of always trying to achieve being a good person. Is being a good person the answer to having a good life? The Author, Robert W. Strayer makes the point that Confucius, Krishna and Socrates had opinions of ways to a good life but they are all different from one to the other. I will argue that there is a pattern between the three and that the belief to the good life is the same throughout the writings. The saying that history repeats itself is certainly true, but it is also true that people all want to live good lives. Confucius believes living a good life is being virtuous and treating others with respect creates the kind of person that then is given the good life. Being a leader he believed that ruling under an iron fist didn’t create people that respected him and that listened to the law, instead using kindness and sincerity gave the people an example of how to live. He says, â€Å"Let him be ? nal and kind to all; then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous† (pg. 218). He also goes on to describe forgiveness which is an essential component in all of the opinions on what is a good life. If one is not being virtuous they can change, which tells us that people are never intended to be perfect but to continue to strive for goodness is always better than to never attempt to be good. That same ideal is true to our modern world. â€Å"To subdue one’s self and return to propriety is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him† (pg. 219). According to Confucius seeking to be virtuous will bring the good life. In Strayers words he associates the ideas of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as being different than those of Confucius. I believe that essentially they are one in the same. Krishna says, â€Å"a man possessed of a pure understanding, controlling his self by courage discarding sound and other objects of sense, casting off affection and aversion, who frequents clean places, who eats little, who’s speech, body, and mind are restrained who is always intent with meditation and mental abstraction and has recourse to unconcern who abandoning egoism, stubbornness, arrogance, desire, anger and all belongings, has no thought that this or that is mine, and who is tranquil becomes fit for assimilation with the Brahmah† (pg. 21). Krishna is telling us that controlling one’s self and the environment one keeps one’s self in, the abandonment of being stubborn and arrogant all contributes to a virtuous soul, which in turn leads to the good life. This point is exactly what Confucius and Krishna share the same opinion finding that mean or middle ground, that balance or yin and yang, is essential to establishing a completeness which develops virtue is vital in order to lead a successful, fulfilling life ultimately leading to happiness. Socrates also collaborates these same thoughts He states, â€Å"For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons and your properties, but ? rst and chie? y to care about the greatest improvement of the soul† (pg. 223). He spent his life trying to convince people to strive to be better people. This is one of the most important things to do in order to find happiness. Socrates believed that the state of one’s soul is the answer to happiness and that there is always improvement that can be made to one’s soul. His mission was to encourage people to think for themselves and thus become more virtuous. Socrates was sentenced to death and as he is near his final moments He says, â€Å"The dif? culty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness† (pg. 223). He also shared the same ideas of Confucius and Krishna that living righteously is the key to the good life. In conclusion what creates a good life for an individual person? It appears to be the same answer that Confucius, Krishna and Socrates had during each of their lives. They learned the same thing that people look for and believe in today. We continue to search for the same answers, but I think the answers are very clear in what history tells us and we learn from these brilliant men, Confucius, Krishna, and Socrates. To be virtuous is having a life with moral integrity and having or showing moral goodness or righteousness. It means being honorable to others and yourself in which will gain the honor and respect from others. Virtue is a belief used to make moral decisions. It does not rely on religion, society or culture; it only depends on the individuals themselves. Virtue has more to do with the character of a person than their earthly riches and possessions. As people continual strive to become a better people, practicing virtuous acts regularly helps develop the good life and they are examples to others striving for the same thing. I believe in what Confucius, Krishna and Socrates taught us, that being a good person is the foundation on which everything else in life is built on, and this I believe is the answer to having the good life.

Philadelphia family Essay Example for Free

Philadelphia family Essay Born in 1856 into a wealthy Philadelphia family, Taylor disappointed his parents by working in a metal products factory, first as a machinist and next as a foreman. Shocked at the factorys inefficiency, and the practice of its skilled workers of purposely working slowly. As an engineer he was more interested in the practical outcome and not the psychology Taylor proposed solutions that he believed would solve both problems. By studying the time it took each worker to complete a step, and by rearranging equipment, Taylor believed he could discover what an average worker could produce in optimum conditions. The promise of higher wages, he figured, would create added incentive for workers to exceed this average level. Taylors time-and-motion studies offered a path away from the industrial wars of a century ago. Now what was needed was a way to apportion the wealth created by manufacturing enterprises. Taylors answer sidestepped the class struggle and interest group politics. He believed his principles would create a partnership between manager and worker, based on an understanding of how jobs should be done and how workers are motivated. These workers are motivated by money. He believed a fairs day work deserved a fair day bonus. He thought keeping his workforce happy would keep them producing at a high quality. He died in 1915, whilst on a speaking tour in the mid west he contracted influenza, he was admitted to hospital and celebrated his 59th birthday there and died the next day. Taylors second and third theory is used in the McDonalds. The McDonalds ethos is that the food preparation must be done to specific instructions. For instance the fries must be cooked for a 3 minutes at a temperature of 175o, then the buzzer tells the employee to take them out and salt them. Throughout all McDonalds are a series of dedicated, purpose-built machine for producing milkshakes, toasting buns and squirting chocolate sauce and much else. After 150 years this is the most active period working in industry, F W Taylor would feel very much at home ordering a Big Mac. The biggest person that Taylors theorys influenced was Henry Ford. Henry Ford was the first person to try mass production and it was a massive success. Taylors practices were first used in 1911 in the factory; by 1913 Ford had introduced a conveyor belt system and had achieved the ultimate Taylorite idea. This method was also used in Nazi death camps. They did not plan whom they would kill until the day they did it. Both Mussolini and Stalin both used his techniques during their communist uprisings. Taylor also wrote many books of these the most famous is The Principles of Scientific Management he wrote this in 1911. He split the book into two chapters the first the fundamentals of scientific management and the second The principles of scientific management. In the first chapter he stated that the principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee. In the second chapter he stated that people should be told what to do and how they do it. They should be motivated by a money incentive. Before Taylor, skilled workers chose their own methods of work, but after Taylor workers were far more likely to have limited, repetitive tasks and were forced to work at a pace set by their manager. To maximise efforts of workers Taylor introduced an incentive system known as a differential piece-rate. This offered a meagre payment per unit produced. 2p per unit for the first 500 per day 5p per unit all those above 500 per day The threshold was set a t a level which those producing barely 500 received barely a living wage. To make 700 was a great incentive, as you would earn double what you would at the 500 mark. But the workers in many places resented this theory that the theory was abandoned soon after introduction. Problems with Taylors methods With Taylors notion of a quickest and best way for all workers does not take into account individual differences. There is no guarantee that the best way will suit everyone. Also some people naturally will be able to work faster than others creating a disadvantage for those he is not so fast. Taylor also viewed people as machines, with financial needs, than as humans in a social setting. People felt pressured and did not like being treated this way. He also overlooked the fact that some people work for other reasons than money. In a financial survey in 1982, a large sample of British people were asked whether they would carry on working if they financially did no need to. Nearly 70% of men and 655 of women said they would. Taylors Core values The rule of reason, improved quality, lower costs, higher wages, higher output, labour management, co-operation, experimentation, clear tasks and goals, feedback, training, stress reduction and the careful selection and development of people. He was the first to present a systemic study of interaction an d job requirements, tools, methods and human skills, to fit people into jobs both psychologically and physically, and to let data and facts do the talking rather than prejudice, opinions or egomania.

Cadburys Business Functions

Cadburys Business Functions Within every company there are organisational functions. I am going to investigate the main functions of the famous chocolate company Cadbury. Cadbury is a very successful business and have over 70,000 employees working for them. For Cadbury to remain a successful business it has to maintain some structure and business functions to be able to meet their aims and objectives. Throughout my findings of Cadbury the main activities of the following areas are what help and maintain the objectives that have been set by the business and allow Cadbury to continue to have a success an reach their aims. The production department is the department that produce the products. The department has to be in control of the turnaround of the production. When producing a product, materials and labour values are added so that the products can meet customers needs. The production team need to have a high maintained system to be able to provide, produce and reduce the amount of food waste within Cadbury. You would find that the production team in Cadbury would be concerned with the following issues: Cost of production The condition of the means of production Keeping production going Health and safety Keeping employees motivated Keeping up to date with technology Satisfying the requirements of customers Maximising the use of plant Minimising the waste of materials Finance: The finance department is the department that controls and deals with the money. The finance department are responsible for keeping all financial records and documentations of money that comes in and out of the business. The finance team are responsible for submitting tax reports and company registration. Once HR have agreed the salaries and bonuses that the staff at Cadbury are entitled to they then would issue all wages and preform the relevant tax reductions or national insurance contributions. The finance department control all giving budgets to each department, this is set in place so each department can achieve their objectives and do not waste money. Managers see these budgets and compare the sales and targets that had been met and the finance department then make plans for the future that will help the business to achieve its objectives. Human Resources One of the key roles of this department is the ability to keep everyone happy; they are concerned with the welfare of the staff, people whom come in contact with the company and welfare of the business by following employment laws and ensuring health and safety. When you have happy staff you have motivated staff and this helps to achieve the objectives. HR is also responsible for all training that has to be taken to ensure the company are up to date with the way the company functions and that all health and safety is being met. HR department employ and deploy staff as they would be fully trained in ethical issues and again the employment laws and ensure the equal opportunity procedures are in place and being followed, this avoids any law suits and trade union issues. Administration and IT The administration department within Cadbury are the department that provide support to all other departments within the organisation, they create a working order, which provides routine and functions smoothly. This support could be invoicing, photocopying, letter writing, posting the mail, collecting the post and distributing it correctly throughout the departments, attending meetings and taking minutes and then typing them up, keeping records of relevant information on the business, maintaining the computer systems, software, the security of the systems and the building and security and cleaning. Marketing and sales Marketing is the department that identifies the customers needs by carrying out marketing research alongside the research and development department, they develop the right products and promotions that need to be focused on within the needs and requirements of products requested by the companys customers and this helps to increase profit and keep the sales teams achieving their targets and objectives. To achieve the companys objectives the marketing team must get 4 main areas right: Products they must identify what is suitable for the target market, what brings total satisfaction to the customers, what customers would like them to produce, what is selling the most or what could do with some extra support due to low sales. Price- They must investigate the going rates or other suppliers to assure they dont overprice or under-price a product. Place- To identify where and what areas are selling certain product this would benefit the production team as they could work a system out to avoid waste and additional losses. Promotion-To identify where and when to promote a product, for example if a Christmas limited addition product became available, it would be irrelevant to advertise or promote this product in February. The above 4 areas help Cadbury to achieve at least 2 of their objectives: to be the number one product in a given market maximising profit Research and development Within the research and development department is where the staff at Cadbury investigates new products and try and improve the sales of existing products, this would involve going out and using different research mythologies, the staff in this area would perform surveys, experimental research and even observational research. They would examining competitors and try and find a gap in the market for any new product. The research and development department have to work very closely to marketing and productions to be able to achieve the right results to turn the findings of the research into useful products that will help Cadbury to achieve their objectives. Customer services The customer services department is to assure the customers are 100% happy with the products and services that Cadbury provide; within in this department they deal with customers questions and concerns. This department will help to gain a customers trust back if an unfortunate error has occurred. Having un-happy customers can affect Cadbury objectives, and having well trained professional staff to assist in certain areas of customer services can help promote and regain customers trust, to be able to meet the objectives. The managers This would be the people who wants order, control they love structure and high performance they like everything to be out into its place, unlike the technician who strives off of detail and knowledge and how to perform the task, the manager loves the order and they want everything to be done in a manner that gives consistency. The Entrepreneur This would be the person inside of you that strives for the business, dreams and focuses on the business becoming bigger and more known to the world. Sometimes you would find that the technicians and the manager seem to take over and forget about the person striving to make the business more of a success, to provide them with more jobs that can resolved or more jobs to organise, going out there to market the business, to make a business a really great business, you have to allow the dreamer to dream, you have to be able to work on your business not just in your business. As you can see from my examples above the manager and the technician work in the business and the entrepreneur works for the business. Each person has relevant tasks so that the objectives can be solved so the aims can be achieved Business Objectives of Cadbury and how they relate to the stakeholders Cadbury aims and Objectives Cadbury aims are what they want to achieve in the long run, and objectives are used to high light how those aims are going to be achieved. Objectives can be in a form of targets and challenges for the business to achieve the aims. Cadbury aims are to: Maximise profit To be the number one product in a given market To maximise sales To grow To operate in a wide range of markets Have a good reputation To provide freedom for workers to express themselves and suggest ideas to help the business Achieve best possible financial return on capital Boost or maintain share market values Cadbury use aims and objectives as they are the foundation for decision making within the company. It provides long term thinking its measurable and controlling and it motivates and inspires workers and employees, its direct, it focuses on efforts and unifies the company and most importantly it communicates with shareholders and employers regarding the businesses future. Cadbury use the S.M.A.R.T objective method to set their short term objectives. These objectives have to be set for the business, products or services. Specific The objectives should specify what Cadbury want to achieve, for example they may want to achieve a 3% market share in 12 months. Measurable The objectives should specify how you are going to measure whether you are achieving the objective. For Example a 3% market share over 12 months means that each month market share targets can be measured. Achievable The Objective must be achievable and attainable. For example Is the 3% objective for the 12 months achievable? Does Cadbury have the resources, man power and finances to achieve it? Realistic Can the objectives realistically be achieved with the resources you have? For example: Is the 3% objective over a 12 month period realistic or does the company need longer? Does the company have the skills and resources to achieve this over the time period set. Timely When do you want to achieve the set objectives? Without a timescale it is difficult to set dates for the achievement of key tasks and milestones. For Example: In our company have set themselves a period of 12 moths to achieve the 3% market share. Stakeholders A stakeholder is a person or an organisation that takes interest into a business and are there for effected by the way that it may be run; this would be in the areas of success and failure. Stakeholders can be people within the business or outside of the business; the different types of stakeholders can hold different views and can affect the way the owner wants to conduct the business which can affect the aims and objectives. I am going to give some examples on stakeholders and how they can affect the aims and objectives of Cadbury. Workers/employees To be able to give the workers/employees a sense of ownership the company must keep them up to date with what is going on with the business; this helps to improve performances and motivates the employees. The workers/employees are main stakeholders in the business because their motivation and happiness keeps the performance of the business running smooth and relies on them for the business to survive. Employees at Cadbury are called internal stakeholders; Cadbury have meetings to inform colleges about any changes and hear their views on the running of the company. Cadbury use research skills to find out if the employees are 100% satisfied or to enquire how they feel within the company. They provide the employees with newsletters and access to forums and account information to keep them informed with what is going on. This helps Cadbury to achieve their aims and objectives as it keeps the staff motivated and satisfied that they know what is happening within the company, if this did no t happen then employees would feel confused and this would affect their skills to perform the tasks. For example: if Cadbury was to introduce a new machine to make the work more efficient and faster, then the employees will require training as soon as possible to ensure that the production will run smoothly and effectively. If this was not done you would find that the employees would be stresses from trying to learn the machine themselves, errors could lead to faulty equipment and the company could lose profit due to the fact the employee was either slow or made an error as he was never given training. This would also make the employee feel very disappointed and could lead them to feel they were not doing their job correctly. In a worse situation the employee could have an accident on that machine, which could lead to a law suit. An employee to a Cadbury would want to achieve the best possible results, to gain profit and ensure the Cadbury is a success so it could continue to provide an income, if Cadbury was to collapse then the employee would then be affected as they would have to seek further employment. Customers A customer who is interested or purchases a product that Cadbury provided, also become stakeholders. Customers are external stakeholders of Cadbury which does not directly link them with the company, but have a major part of helping Cadbury meet their aims and objectives, without customers none of the aims could be met and Cadbury SMART objective method could not possibly be met and the business would just collapse. Cadbury customers are mainly interested in the price of the product and the hygiene of the factories and the machinery. Managers Managers have a key part in Cadbury as a stakeholder as they are interested how the business is run and how the employees are being motivated, to achieve the targets set by the company; they are interested in the control of the company, salaries and bonuses that could help them to influence the staff to perform the relevant objectives. The managers have a fear of loss profit as they want job security as it would be hard for them to find another job especially if the company have to re-locate or stop producing. Owners Owners are also stakeholders and these are the people who can control what Cadbury achieve and how they run their business, an area of interest for the owners of Cadbury is to maintain a good relationship with the suppliers and keeping financiers happy as Cadbury are always marketing and researching new ideas for chocolate products that having a well-established and not in debt with suppliers or other financiers ie: banks, taxman or employees, with provide them with bigger opportunities and the flexibility to produce the products when and when they can, so owners of Cadbury must make sure they use their money wisely. Local Community The local community can play a major part in Cadbury business objectives as they are stakeholders, who live in or work in the area where the factories are producing the products, this could have interests in the pollution or the traffic that the factory is creating, leading to complaints. The owners could decide they want to work all night and this could affect the residents who wish to sleep but cannot due to the noise that the factory works are making. Yet on the other hand Cadbury could open up a new factory in a new area, and this could create jobs and provide them people with an income lower the employability statistics in the area of job seekers and improve their quality of life. Government The Government are also stakeholders and take interest in the laws and legislation of Cadbury, the governments decisions can have an impact on the aims and objectives as the laws they enforce can actually shut the company down, they have to ensure the factory is following the health and safety and that the hygiene levels are met as they are producing a food product. The government also have a interest to see Cadbury achieve there aims and objectives as if the company stops producing products, staff would then be made redundant and then the employment rates will drop and no contributions will be made to the gross national product. Another interest that the government would have is that the company achieve their aims and objectives as they employ a lot of staff and each staff member would have to pay tax that would then be used for healthcare and education. Suppliers Suppliers are stakeholder within Cadbury. Cadbury are currently buying products from over 40,000 suppliers around the world; Cadbury strive to work with their suppliers giving them the opportunity to give suggestions on how they would improve quality of efficiency, this gives the supplier the ability to be flexible and feel appreciated and allows room for a very solid business relationship. Cadbury undertakes an evaluation on all potential suppliers to ensure that they are a fair trade company, such as standards that have to be met by the environmental protection and ethical labour practices. Suppliers would take interest into Cadbury as they supply the materials to Cadbury to produce their products, they want to see the business succeed, so that their orders dont stop coming and they still receive a regular income.

Morality and Destiny in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Morality and Destiny in Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They are questions as old as civilization itself. Does man have control over his own destiny? Is man ultimately held accountable for his actions by a higher power? Within the plays of William Shakespeare can be found such fundamental questions and conflicts of humanity, as well as situations, attitudes, and problems that continue to hold strong universal meaning to this day. During his lifetime, morality was at the forefront of society's concerns. Outstanding men such as Newton, Copernicus, Bacon, and Locke were leading great advances in science and reason, and these new ways of thinking, combined with the need for order and religious stability provided the perfect foundation for the development of the morality-based style of writing which is especially evident in his powerful tragedies.    ..........Shakespeare's tragic heroes and villains have flaws which are synonymous with Christian sins. Greed, lust, envy, and jealousy are consistently among the issues that arise with these characters. The idea that improper dealings with such evil emotions must surely lead to a terrible fate is consistently demonstrated. Sylvan Barnet notes that after creating this world of certain consequences the author adds a special "twist" to his tragedy "for it insists that the good are rewarded and the bad are punished" (227). In William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Othello, the playwright emphasizes the belief in man's inability to control his own destiny because of the actions of rivals, the emotional conflict within himself, and the moral guidance of the universe.    ..........From the onset of this tragic play, conflict begins to brew in the soul of the title character's ensign, Iago. ... ...use of the actions of rivals, the emotional conflict within himself, and the moral guidance of the universe. Introduction I......Iago plants the seeds of hate. .......A..... Iago plots against Othello. ......B......Others are affected by Iago's web of revenge. ......C......Coincidence and opportunities for deceit arise. II.....Emotional conflict brews within the minds of the characters. ......A......Othello struggles with trust and honor. ......B......Iago is a product of his own insecurities. ......C......Roderigo, Emelia, and Cassio fight their emotions. III....In a triumph of morality, God's justice prevails. .......A.....Desdemona dies an innocent death, and Othello commits suicide. .......B......Cassio's honor is reinstated. .......C. ....Iago declares his silence and realizes his punishment. Conclusion

Essay --

Sondra Haywood 11/21/13 English period 3 Research Paper The Pros and Cons of Standardized Tests Every year, the average American student who attends public school is forced to prepare for standardized tests even though it is not necessarily beneficial to his or her education. Standardized testing has become a main focus in modern day schools across the U.S nation, causing a monumental increase in the amount of time a student prepares for a test. On an estimate, students are expected to study a staggering amount of 60 to 110 hours a year in order to get decent, meaning and average C or higher, on the standardized tests. Not only is standardized test producing a large amount of unnecessary work in order to score the apparent intelligence of the body of students, but it also comes at a high expense. â€Å"Including the cost of lost instructional time (at $6.15 per hour, equivalent to the per-student cost of adding one hour to the school day), the estimated annual testing cost per pupil ranged from $700 to more than $1,000 per pupil in several grades that participated in standard ized testing†. (Strauss). Even though standardized tests are commonly known for benefitting the country as a whole, it is not improving the education in America because it is not enabling young American students to reach their full potential. Even though standardized tests often decrease the potential ability of students all over the U.S, it does improve the educational system in some areas. For example, standardized test can be a reliable and consistent mean for education to students who attend underprivileged schools. That means, young students of America who attend schools that would ordinarily be below the educational standard bar, are not falling behind d... ...very poorly. Standardized tests have done more harm than good in numerous ways including diminishing the chance of opportunity, bringing down the standard bar of schools across the nation, and creating a boring perception of knowledge. Even though standardized tests can bring up schools education in some cases, it would be better if standardized tests were discontinued. Discontinuing the use of such harsh and prioritized tests will promote a good sense of opportunity to both low-income and high-income students, bring up the standard bar of schools, and provide a creative educational environment where students strive to learn. The thirst of knowledge is so critical to the world today because it provides an inspiration to make the world a better place. The use of standardized test diminishes the chance of creating a better education for the students of the modern day.

Christians And Non-christian Culture Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

In the world today there are believers and non-believers. There are those who devote themselves whole-heartedly to God and those who choose the lukewarm approach to Christianity. Regardless, humans are all from God and God is in all of them. It is the duty of the human race to unite as one under God and rise up against the evil forces of the world. In order to do this everyone, both religious and the not religious, need to be aware of and recognize the lifestyles of each other. Non Christians should at least study the Philosophy of Christianity, as Christians should explore the philosophy of infidelity. Justin Martyr found discussion with Tryphno very stimulating because the two ended up sharing similar viewpoints on important religious philosophies. (Justin, Dialogue with Tryphno, Ch.1,2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, as in any intelligent discussion or argument, each opponent can use the knowledge of the other to put their own claim in understandable terms and analogies. (Tertullian, Apology, ch.21) By gathering facts about the non-Christian culture such as social interactions and entertainment sources, Christians can understand what kind of mind set the non-Christians are in and better explain how Christianity can improve their life. While Christians should build up relationships with other Christians, they should not limit themselves from the entire non-Christian culture because they can use it to understand the world and why God is needed. Looking into ...

 Organizational Teams Essay

Teams are an integral part of the success of organizations today. There are various types of teams found within today’s companies, and some teams perform at higher levels than others. The performance of a team can depend largely on its structure. To understand what makes a team operate be effective and productive requires looking at the various types of teams. Organizations typically developing the following types of teams: manager-led, self-managing, self-designing, and self-governing teams. Not all teams are equally effective for all organizations, and it is important to understand the distribution of authority within the teams. In the manger-led team, the manager acts as the team leader and is responsible for defining the goals, methods, and functioning of the work team (Thompson, 2011,p. 8). Self-managing teams are similar to manager led teams, but team has more flexibility and the manager acts more like guide. This style of team place more responsibility on the individual members to define how the goals and objectives will be met. Self-directing teams operate in the absence of a clearly defined leader and the members share responsibility to state objectives and methods to achieve them. The final type of team is a self-governing team. Self-governing teams and boards of directors are usually responsible for executing a task, managing th eir own performance processes, designing the group, and designing the organizational context (Thompson, 2011,p. 12). Of the various types of teams an organization can implement, manager led teams are often the most common type of team. This is not to say they are the most efficient or productive, but they offer control and are the cost effective. In a manager-led team the manager is responsible for the design of organizational context, team design, and monitoring and managing team performance. The team is responsible for the execution of the assigned task. The advantages of a manager-led include but are not limited to: control over the team, work being performed, efficient, and low cost. In providing one clear responsible party for the team decisions can be made more quickly and the team can quickly change its focus. Potential conflicts may also be resolved in a more efficient manner by having a single  responsible manager to handle situations as they arise. Everyone looks to the manager for instructions (Denning, 2009). Organizations implement this traditional type of team because it works and t o avoid the risk of negative impacts in changing to a new team style. Manager-led teams are not without their own disadvantages. These types of teams have less autonomy and individual freedoms. The ability of team members to trust that the manager can treat members fairly without showing favoritism can create tension. Manager-led teams are not best suited for detailed assignments and are appropriate for clearly defined tasks. Placing sole responsibility upon the manger can limit particular individual’s ability to grow and develop. Even though manager-led teams demonstrate several disadvantages they are still the most frequently style of team within organizations. It is difficult to understand why more organizations do not favor using other team types in place of manager-led teams. Research has indicated that manager-led teams are some of the least productive. The previous chart from The Denning (2009) website indicates that only one other team is performs at a lower rate than manager lead teams. Manager-led teams may have a highly qualified proven leader running the team and still are unable to provide improved results. Manager-led teams require the building of relationships and trust to be successful. Self-managing teams are fast becoming the management practice of choice for organizations that wish to become more flexible, push decision making to the front lines, and fully use employees’ intellectual and creative capacities (Wageman, 1997, p. 1). Business is a constantly changing environment and they must be prepared to adapt accordingly. Although manager-led teams will likely remain the most traditional team used in business because of their advantages, larger more competitive business see the benefits of slowly transitioning to self-managing teams. These teams are very similar in that both use a manager to lead the team, but more responsibility is given to individual team members. Self-managing teams have the ability to increase  productivity, quality, saving and employee morale (Thompson, 2011,p. 9). Employees and managers take more ownership in how the team will function and the methods and practiced used to reach the goals and objectives. Businesses may be reluctant to change the structure largely due to cost. The goal of any business is to make a profit and in an increasingly competitive global business environment there is a reduced appetite for change. Having said that those businesses willing to be more creative and implement self-managing teams could benefit as a result. The type of business, size of organization, structure, and willingness to take some risk are all factors in determining what type of teams will be best suited for their success. It is possible and often likely that business will implement more than one type of team depending on the area of business. Task oriented functions such as order entry, collections, and shipping are best suited for manager-led teams. Research, design, and marketing would appear to benefit from self-managing or self-directed teams. There is no one size fits all team structure and organizations must have knowledgeable understanding of their employees and customer base. References Thompson, L. L. (2011). Making The Team: A Guide for Managers (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Denning, S. (2009). SteveDenning.com. Retrieved from http://www.stevedenning.com/Radical- Management/most-high-performance-teams-are-self-organizing.aspx Wageman, R. (1997, Summer). Critical SuccessF actors for Creating Superb Self-ManaginTg eams. Corequniverse, (), 1-13.

Marco Polo’s Influence on Christopher Columbus Essay

Marco Polo’s Travels formulated in Europe of the fourteenth and fifteenth century a new perception of the Eastern world, a world just as advanced and sophisticated as that of the West. Yet, another two centuries were needed for a significant change to take place; this was Christopher Columbus’ voyage. For Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo’s travelogue was a valuable and solid resource that contained the necessary details of the East. The geographical descriptions in his writing generated a basis for Columbus’ scientific calculations for his expedition and the explicit depictions of the luxury of Cipangu and Cathay, flawed though they were, created a strong motivation for Columbus. In the 12th of May 1492, Christopher Columbus, accompanied by the writings of Marco Polo, sets sail to change history forever. Marco Polo’s travelogue was the only written account to have enlightened the European world with details of the Eastern world. In the year 1254, when Marco Polo was born in a noble family of Venice, the public knowledge of the East was close to nothing. Ever since the years of Alexander the Great, Europe had scarce information about its neighboring civilization. Although basic trade routes were present along the Silk Road, â€Å"no one in the West seems to have had any notion of the country from which it had come or those through which it had passed.† Islamic countries that surrounded Europe, along with the Atlantic Ocean created a natural barrier, isolating the Europeans from the rest of the world. Even the vigorous merchants of Venice, Genoa, and Constantinople could not penetrate beyond the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. â€Å"The religion and commerce of Islam were flourishing throughout that continent† after the first Crusades. Due to this strong â€Å"Islamic curtain†, the Europeans were unaware of the existence of the Mongol empire gradually rising as one of the world superpowers until Marco Polo came back with fascinating stories after his service under the Great Khan. The seventeen years of service under Kublai Khan safely and conveniently provided Marco with a wide range of experiences in the Asian continent. The Polo brothers, Maffeo and Nicolo Polo (father and uncle of Marco Polo) had initially met with the Khan some years before they took Marco on their second journey to China. Let me tell you next of the personal appearance of the Great Lord of Lords whose name is Kubilai Khan. He is a man of good stature, neither short nor tall but of moderate height. His limbs are well fleshed out and modeled in due proportion. His complexion is fair and ruddy like a rose, the eyes black and handsome, the nose shapely and set squarely in place. The Khan was a wise and brave man, and Marco being a master four languages and young and healthy as he was, the Khan appointed him to a high post in the administration. Marco was given a golden tablet in the shape of a tiger’s head, â€Å"which grated Ch’ang Ch’un a free pass and the right of assistance everywhere in the Mongol Realm.† With sufficient access, Marco was able to visit various places in Asia and gained an abundant amount of experience with its culture. He illustrates the geography, climate, people, and religions of the East in depth, even mentioning the recipe of Mongolian dried milk. Marco Polo’s achievements were only completed after his return home, when encounters Rustichello of Pisa, a romance writer who became his collaborator in putting his stories into a book. Two years before the death of Kublai Khan, the Polos were assigned their last mission to escort the Mongol princess Kokachin to marry the Persian prince, and then to return home. Painstakingly, they accomplished their mission and arrived home in the winter of 1295. Marco begins a new life with the jewels and gold acquired in his journey. When a war between Venice and Genoa starts off, Marco is captured and imprisoned for a year in the Genoese prison. Here he meets Rustichello, to whom Marco tells the stories of his great journey. After his return home, Marco, although Rustichello did most of the work, publishes his travelogue: Marco Polo Travels. Marco’s book remained more for entertainment purposes until the 1450s and 60s when Johann Gutenberg invents the letterpress and catalyzes its spread. At first, many people were skeptical about his book. His writing contained many mentions of legends and myths that seemed to be quite exaggerated. Neither did Marco include any descriptions about the Great Wall. Regardless of these  controversies, his book became one of the first books to be massively published through the Gutenberg’s letterpress. Travels spreads out through Europe in no time. By the time all of Europe is shocked by his book, Marco approaches his death, leaving the last words: â€Å"I have only told the half of what I saw!† Whether or not Marco’s words were reliable was not an issue at this point. In the years following Marco’s death, immense changes occurred in the minds of Europeans including the perception of world geography, directly affecting Columbus’ preparations. The TO map best represents the medieval understanding of the world. (Diagram attached to the back) The circle O, represents the world and the branches of the T, the Don and the Nile. Asia fills the upper semi circle and in the left and right of the upright section of the T, which represents the Mediterranean, lays Africa and Europe. In the center is Jerusalem and at the top is Earthly Paradise of Adam and Eve, believed at the time to be the source of great rivers such as the Tigris and the Euphrates. Images of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, and others of the bible can be found on the map. As presented, the TO map signifies the primitive form of the world map before the years of Marco Polo. The world map rapidly evolved starting from the publishing of Marco’s book to the time of Columbus. The impact of Marco Polo’s works is displayed in these maps. Among the numerous versions of different maps, â€Å"the first maps known to us†¦ strongly influenced by Marco’s Books and which still remain to †¦[is]†¦ the Catalan Atlas,† drawn up by the Majorcan Jew Abraham Cresques at around 1380. Here is introduced for the first time, India, in the form of a peninsula and images and lands of the Great Khan. The map also includes on it images of traditional legends of the area. Great resemblance can be found between them and those of Marco’s book. Representations of the world grew bigger and wider until finally, even the notion of a path westward to Asia is brought up. When the impact of Marco Polo started to take place, a physician of Florence by the name of Paolo Toscanelli, played the role of transforming the ideas of Marco Polo into the scientific inspirations for Christopher Columbus.  Toscanelli was one of Marco Polo’s believers, who supported Marco Polo’s estimate of the length of Asia to be correct. He argued that, according to his calculations, â€Å"a voyage of 3000miles from Lisbon to Cipangu and 500miles from Lisbon to Quinsay† was possible. With this calculation, he urged men that an expedition for the search of Japan, described as the â€Å"most fertile in gold,† should be organized. Among these men was the young and ambitious Christopher Columbus. The theories of Toscanelli stimulated the intellectual interest of Columbus and soon Columbus was determined to find out more. Columbus wrote Toscanelli questioning him for more comprehensive information. Toscanelli replied with an encouragement of Columbus’ aspirations and a chart of calculations, which he carried with him on his voyage. By this time, Columbus was determined to put his thoughts into action. Although Columbus’ calculations were carefully made, most of it was erroneous. One of his major calculations was his misconception of a degree. He thought the length of a degree was 562/3 Italian nautical miles. (â€Å"the Italian nautical mile used by Columbus contained 1480 meters† ) This was not his own idea, but of the general public of his time. According to Henry Vignaud, he obtained his results â€Å"because he knew in advance what he wanted to find.† Based on his degree and other elements including the calculations of Toscanelli, Columbus’ conclusion came out to be far from the truth. It came out that Tokyo would be on the meridian that runs through Western Cuba, Chattanooga, Grand Rapids, and Western Ontario. In other words, â€Å"he underestimated the size of the world by 25 percent.† Yet, until his actual departure, he had no clue whatsoever of his mistakes or of the American continent. Marco Polo had provided Columbus with crucial information of the East, but Columbus had not known that there were so many more things to consider, such as the existence of another world in the West. Fifteenth century Europe was an age of exploration and discovery; interest of the Eastern world was increasing rapidly everyday. Trade with the Indies, which referred to most of Eastern Asia, flourished during the time of Columbus, especially in Portugal and Spain where spent most of his life. â€Å"The account of Polo’s travels told how to buy spices from the East,† and  other goods such as silk, gold, silver, or perfumes were also taken by caravans across Asia to Constantinople and then redistributed through Europe. Although the price was costly due to long and burdensome process of shipping and handling, the demand for these merchandises continued to rise as the amount of luxury and wealth of Europe also increased. Thus, it was soon evident for a new and shorter route for the importing of these valuables. Repeated attempts were made to get around Africa to India. Columbus, however, â€Å"decided that the African route was the hard way to the Indies.† He was thinking of an easier and quicker way to reach the East; he proposed to travel west. His rather rash plot satisfied the desires for expansion of the people of his time. After Columbus made up his mind, his next task was to convince the wealthy Princes to provide the necessary equipment and money for his expedition. Unfortunately, Columbus was turned down in the Portuguese committee, where he had gained a certain level of respect as a merchant. He, then moved to Spain, and started his six years of persuasion. It was hard for Columbus to support with solid evidence his requests at first. He, thus, turned to Marco Polo. Columbus used the tempting descriptions of the Cipangu, or today’s Japan, for his first argument against the princes. By the time of Columbus, â€Å"The Travels of Marco Polo became one of the best-known tales in western Europe.† One of the biggest issues of Marco Polo’s book was whether or not its magnificent portrayal of Japan’s luxury was true. According to Marco Polo, wealth of no other civilization matched that of the Japanese. They have gold in great abundance, because it is found there in measureless quantities†¦so much indeed that I can report to you in sober truth a veritable marvel concerning a certain palace of the ruler of the island. You may take it for a fact that he has a very large palace entirely roofed with find gold. Just as we roof our houses or churches with lead, so this palace is roofed with fine gold. Even the most stubborn princes gazed open-mouthed at the imagination of such  luxury. Certainly, the search for Cipangu sounded much more convincing after such descriptions. Another part of Columbus’ argument was based on religious reasoning. The failure of the Crusades was a huge disgrace for the Christian ruling class of Europe and many attempts to regain control of the Holy Land, which was then occupied by the Turks, were made. The Mongol empire, which the Europeans still believed to exist way after its actual downfall, sounded like a strategically profitable deal. Horrific impressions faded away as benevolent descriptions of Kublai Khan and the rest of his subjects were made in Marco Polo’s book. Now let me tell you something of the bounties that the Great Khan confers upon his subjects. For all his thoughts are directed towards helping the people who are subject to him, so that they may live and labor and increase their wealth. Likewise, Europeans were shocked at the incredibly civilized qualities of the Mongols they previously considered barbaric. In 1492, after six years of tenacious persuasion, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain finally accept Columbus’ proposal. The end to Columbus’ persuasion of princes only brings forth about a new beginning of an arduous journey of exploration and a new world. Marco Polo’s Travels acted as a basis for Christopher Columbus’s achievement and the Age of Discovery. Columbus may have formulated a flawed theory of the world, but it was convincing enough for the princes who bought into it. This surely could not have been done without evidence found in Marco Polo’s book. Without Marco Polo, there would not have been Columbus, and furthermore, no America. Marco Polo’s possibly false information has made one of the biggest changes in history.

Globalization

Energy and Matter Exchange in the Biosphere Project: Building a Self-sustaining Aquatic Ecosystem Question: How can you design a model aquatic ecosystem (a biosphere) that can survive as a self-regulating system In a completely sealed container? Section A – to be completed as part of a group Part 1: Proposal Before you can build your ecosystem, you must first create a detailed proposal outlining your intended design. This should include: A list of factors that you think will influence the success or failure of your ecosystem.How will you attempt to intro each of these factors? Which ones are out of your control? A list of required materials A detailed description of how each of the materials will be used, and why you have selected specific materials and/or organisms A labeled sketch of your aquatic ecosystem Your proposal should indicate that you have done sufficient research to support your design. A minimum of three references are required, and must be cited correctly.Date D ue: Part 2: Building your Ecosystem According to your design specifications, construct your aquatic ecosystem and choose our ecosystem's location within the school (your teacher will Inform you of available locations – choose wisely) Part 3: Journal Entries and Observations Throughout this project from the initial planning day to completion, your group should complete a Journal entry in Model each time that you meet. The entries should record your topics of discussion, actions, and future plans.Once your ecosystem Is self-sustaining, you will need to make observations of your ecosystem dally for two weeks, and twice weekly thereafter. Observations should Include data such as Include, species counts, ecosystem temperature and appearance and any changes that are occurring In your ecosystem. These observations should be recorded in an organized manner (a table) within your Section B – to be completed individually Part 4: Analysis Using a method of your choosing (poster, P erez, written paper, another method discussed with your instructor), show your understanding of each of the following: 1 . ) What atrophic levels are represented in your ecosystem? What roles (producers etc) are present? B) If this were a natural ecosystem, what other types of organisms might you expect to see? What atrophic levels might they represent? Show your understanding with 3-4 possible food chains or a food web. 2. How is energy is transferred within your ecosystem? 3. Represent your ecosystem with a pyramid of numbers, of energy, or of biomass. What were your reasons for choosing the pyramid that you did? 4. What biochemical cycles are represented in your ecosystem?Represent them visually. . What factors affected the productivity of your ecosystem? Without opening the bottle, how could you make your ecosystem more productive? Would this be a good thing for the self-sustainability of your ecosystem? Why or why not? 6. How successful was your biosphere overall? What changes would you make to your biosphere if you were to have the chance to perform this experiment again? Assessment: Your work on this project will be evaluated by the rubrics below: Section A (group work) rubric: Section B (individual work) rubric:

The Decline of Literacy and Education in America

The Decline of Literacy and Education in America Attention Getter: One of the major problems in America today is the decline of literacy and education. A recent study found that only 50% of high school students in major cities graduate. A 2007 study by the National Endowment for the Arts proved that Americans read less and not as well as previous generations. Americans teenagers are ranked behind countries such as Poland, Korea, France and Canada in reading. Many educators believe illiteracy is to blame for negative teen endeavors.Literate, educated people are more like to partake in positive activities because they are more confident. Psychological Orientation: Education is taken for granted in America. Americans are worried about all the wrong things and that is why our country is suffering. Speaking correctly is laughed at. Memorizing historical events and multiplication tables is outdated because we have Google and calculators. We would rather read pre-digested textbooks than ori ginal sources. We spend more time on our phones and watching reality shows than visiting libraries.We are not concerned with spelling because we have auto-correct. It has become difficult to put in the hard work of literature because we spend our time writing in 140 characters. We believe school should be entertaining, if learning is not fun it is not effective. That education is the job of the professionals and not the parents. Statistics don’t lie. Our modern education system is not working. We are failing to demand the best in students we let them get by instead of making them do what they are capable of. Resulting in our failure to compete in the global economy.We are far less literate and educated than our competitors. Logical Orientation: There are many reasons for the decline of literacy and education in America but I believe technology, parents, and unqualified teachers hold the biggest responsibility. Body I. What impact does technology have on literacy and education ? A. New media- radio, cinema, television, computer are making writing obsolete. B. Lack of reading causes our brains not to decipher the meaning of words. II. What impact do parents have on literacy and education?A. Today’s parent does not work with their child. B. They use technology as a baby sitter instead of using it to educate their children. III. What impact does people with learning disabilities not being taught properly have on literacy and education? A. The teachers do not care are not qualified. B. Their parents feel it is professionals job to help their child learn and not theirs. Logical Closure: I believe that the way for Americans to increase literacy is to stop taking education for granted. Technology is not all bad.Parents should use technology to educate their children instead of using it as a baby sitter. Teachers should truly care and Truancy laws should be enforced. Psychological Closure: Instead of being brainwashed with fashion, reality tv, and cell pho nes we need to be brainwashed with math, reading, and science. Clincher: It was Clive Lewis that said â€Å"We all want progress but if you are on the wrong word, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road. † It is not to late to stop the decrease in literacy. Promote education not entertainment.

A Managerial Strategy Essay Example for Free

A Managerial Strategy Essay Health care (764) , Manager (226) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? The principal purpose and function of healthcare organizations is to ensure that their services. Above all their duties is geared towards caring for their patient’s health and emphasize the ability of the organization to serve their patients skillfully and responsibly. Further, they offer different types of services which include medical and behavioral health care services, accordingly, this includes public and community health care programs and in the contemporary scenario, corporate power. As a matter of fact, it has been stressed in The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization that in order to ensure that a healthcare organization is really doing its task of safeguarding the health of its patients (and not really attracting them to be its client), a health organization should improve the quality of its services (Griffith & White, 2006), which strengthens the argument of harnessing the managerial skills of healthcare practitioners. Moreover, it should also maintain a well-facilitated plant in which the patients are being accommodated.   Given with such instances, it highlights the perception that healthcare organizations are mandated to implement certain administrative methods to meet the mounting complications derived over by societal challenges (Griffith & White, 2006). One of the cited feasible and efficient techniques in achieving managerial success is proper organization of the activities and the developmental plan of the entity.   It is through the alignment of program objectives that the goals are obtained and prevents the rise of problems which deals with conflicts or miscommunication. If the programs are aligned well, then the members of the organization shall have a clear vision on what to expect, and oversee necessary changes so as to improve their performance.   Simple logic basically revolves in the verity of the strategy; common problems arise when the organization has no definite goals which lead to disorientation. Similar to that of business entities, healthcare practitioners must also take the challenge of facing the waves of managerial confrontations. Griffith, J. R., & White, K. R. (2006). The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization (6th ed.). New York: Health Administration Press. A Managerial Strategy. (2017, Feb 17).