Monday, September 30, 2019

My thoughts and ideas Essay

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on your excellent audition for the part of Juliet. As time is limited and due to our individual work commitments, we are unable to meet up before rehearsals begin. Therefore, as the stage director I thought it maybe helpful to discuss some of my thoughts and ideas for the play and give you some background information that will be useful in helping you prepare for the part of Juliet. Shakespeares’s Romeo and Juliet was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I although it is unknown exactly when it was set. During this time people were taught that there was a divine way of doing things and that God has instituted a church and ordained a monarchy so that the people could be ruled over in a proper way. Despite the country being ruled by a powerful woman, women had very little freedom socially, economically or legally. At the time of this play marriages were comparably different to today’s idea of marriage. Firstly the common age for girls to be married was fourteen and they had little or no say in the choice of husbands who were often chosen by families. Husbands were often chosen for their status in society so they could be rich and powerful allies to a family. Within families the father ruled over the wife and children just as the monarch did over the state. Religion played an important part in everyday life and children were taught about their duty to God and attendance at Church services was compulsory. Services were carried out by licensed clergy. This meant that the authorities were able to keep checks on citizens and monitor conformity. Julia, at this point a brief overview of the play maybe useful to you. Essentially it is about two chief families in Verona, the rich and noble Capulets and the Montagues. An old feud between the two families had grown in deep hatred that affected not only the family members but also anyone associated with each household, including the staff. Chance meeting often led to brawls and bloodshed disturbing the quietness of the streets of Verona. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. The play is a tragedy and the main theme is love and hatred. The first two scenes in Act 1 set the scene for the play and are mainly about the males and establishes the violence between the two families. Your first appearance as Juliet in this production is in Act 1 scene III. This scene is very important as we meet the main female character and two others: Lady Capulet who has a rather formal and distant relationship with her daughter and the nurse who is Juliet’s carer. We learn that Juliet is nearly fourteen years old in the play. In Act I Scene III Lady Capulet asks the nurse to summon Juliet then Lady Capulet asks the nurse to leave her and Juliet alone as they â€Å"must talk in secret† but then immediately asks her to â€Å"come back† as she has known Juliet from a young age. This demonstrates the nurse’s closeness to Juliet and the Capulet family. It also establishes her importance in the play. I would like you to portray Juliet as the young, polite and quiet girl she appears to be at this point although as we know her character changes after she meets Romeo. In Act 1 scene III Juliet is respectful and polite to her mother in a formal way. This is clearly demonstrated when Juliet replies to Lady Capulet after being summoned, â€Å"Madam, I am here, what is your will? † You should speak these words in a quiet soft voice and you could make direct eye contact with Lady Capulet before looking away towards the Nurse so the audience sense Juliet’s respectful but shy nature. Lady Capulet appears to want to stick to convention and asks Juliet to agree to look at a possible husband during the feast that night at the Capulet’s home. Lady Capulet reminds Juliet that she was the same age as Juliet when she gave birth to her. â€Å"By my count I was your mother much upon these years† and that girls younger than Juliet were â€Å"already mothers. † The nurse is present throughout this conversation and establishes her importance in the play. She cares for Juliet as she almost replaced the nurse’s own daughter who had died. At this point the nurse starts to tell stories about Juliet as a baby. Juliet is embarrassed particularly when she recalls how she got her to stop breastfeeding. There are some sexual implications in the nurse’s speech here and you need to show the shock and embarrassment that the naive Juliet will feel. We know that she has cared for Juliet since she was a baby as she talks about her childhood. You need to portray Juliet’s embarrassment about her childhood stories. The Nurse explains that it would be an â€Å"honour† to see her married. You may be taken by surprise at the abrupt way the question of marriage is asked by Lady Capulet. â€Å"Speak briefly can you like of Paris’ love? † You will need to convey that although Juliet’s in awe of Lady Capulet she seeks parental approval. So even though Juliet has not met Paris before and does not know whether she can love him she agrees to look at him during the festivities that night. After a quick glance at the nurse again I want you to pause slightly before replying to Lady Capulet in a soft, formal manner, â€Å"I’ll look to like, if looking like move But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly† This shows Juliet’s willingness to do as her mother says. The audience should sense your anxiety in anticipation of Lady Capulet’s response and then the relief you feel, when as you finish your sentence, Lady Capulet smiles with approval at your response. In Juliet’s reply there is some mirroring of language between her and Lady Capulet, words such as â€Å"look† and â€Å"like. † This adds to the idea that at this point Juliet is willing and keen to get approval from her mother. As Lady Capulet and the nurse leave you can show further relief as you relax the animated posture and drop your shoulders. After a few seconds you could portray a sense of excitement and anticipation of the dinner. The lights fade as you jauntily exit the stage. The next scene that Juliet appears in is Act 1 Scene V. In this scene Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. Romeo spots Juliet while standing to the side during the dancing at the banquet. He immediately falls in love with her. Romeo is so struck by Juliet’s beauty he is inspired to speak a monologue in tribute. He uses light and dark imagery to stress her beauty. He says it seemed to him that she could â€Å"teach torches to burn bright† and â€Å"she hangs upon the cheek of night as a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear†. Shakespeare continues this theme of light and dark imagery by using metaphors such as â€Å"snowy dove trooping with crows† to demonstrate how Juliet shines above the other ladies there. Though Romeo is awestruck by your perfection you are unaware that you are being watched so you continue to dance in the background however your movements must be light, graceful but spirited to convey your youthful innocence. Shakespeare uses metaphors to create a positive image about Juliet’s beauty. Romeo also describes Juliet’s beauty as â€Å"To rich for use, for earth to dear! † This is one of the many references to the theme of wealth in the play. This scene will be challenging for any actress as you are on the stage all the time. Eventually Romeo finds Juliet and touches her hand. At this point I want you to look at his hand and then slowly wonder your gaze up to make eye contact with Romeo. This is an electrifying point in the play and as such the audience need to be made to actually feel the sudden love at first sight. You and Romeo speak in a sonnet form to one another. Your tone is soft and flirtatious yet clear and precise. This makes the verse more noticeably poetic and allows the audience to believe in your love. At this point you are at the centre of the audience’s attention but you need to be totally focussed onto Romeo’s face. You need to make the audience believe they are almost intruding into your emotions and feelings. They need to sense the strength of your love. This is a very significant part in the production as Romeo and Juliet do not know each others status but the audience do. The audience will realise that it will be impossible for Romeo and Juliet to be together despite their passionate love for each other. This is known as dramatic irony as the audience knows something that the characters do not. Around you the festivities will be continuing with the other actors, dining and dancing. You and Romeo are totally engrossed in each other so much so that you do not notice that Tybalt has recognised Romeo as a Montague and is forced to restrain himself by Capulet not to cause a brawl in the middle of the festivities. Romeo eventually gets to kiss Juliet â€Å"Let lips do what hands do† that is join together. The poetry in lines 92-109 is between Romeo and Juliet. They share the same images and thoughts and their words flow together giving us the idea that they complete each other. The content of the sonnet has a religious theme and is an example of how religion is related to love. It uses imagery of saints and pilgrims. Romeo takes Juliet’s hand in the gentlest manner calling it a â€Å"shrine†. The use of religious words and references shows that Romeo sees Juliet as a blessing. The imagery for the audience needs to be that if Romeo is a pilgrim then Juliet is a saint and his love is holy devotion. Juliet tells Romeo that they should not kiss but she does not really mean this in fact she says â€Å"The have my lips the sin that they have took. † You need to show the contradiction in what you are saying and your body language should support this. Move your face closer to Romeo’s face as if inviting him to kiss her again. The couple are engaged in this loving exchange when Juliet is called away to her mother. You need to show reluctance in having to leave Romeo to respond to your mother’s call. Then hurry away after a little hesitance showing your desire for Romeo. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is a Capulet and he realises he has fallen in love with someone from the enemy but this does not lessen his feelings towards Juliet. Juliet also begs her nurse to find out who Romeo is. â€Å"Go ask his name- if he be married My grave is like to be my wedding-bed† The nurse returns and informs her that he is Montague. Juliet is taken back that she has fallen in love with someone that she has been brought up to hate. You need to react to this in a stunned manner moving onto momentary despair and confusion. â€Å"My only love sprung from my only hate. † Juliet appears to be thinking out loud. She realises that she must love her enemy even though family considerations should induce her to hate Romeo. The audience needs to sense your predicament leaving the audience wondering what she will do. By the end of the scene the audience will understand that Juliet is a stronger character than she appears to be in Act 1 Scene III. She is willing to break with tradition to be with Romeo. Juliet’s behaviour is changing, she is showing signs of defiance and her tone is more assertive. As the stage director I am attempting to send a message that despite this tragedy, love triumphs over hate. I want the audience to have warmth for Juliet as she dies for love and sense the needless tragedy that has occurred. I hope the information in this letter will help to you prepare for the production. I’m looking forward to working with you in rehearsals. Feel free to contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Boundary Issues Essay

When working in the human service profession you must understand the importance of setting boundaries. One of the most important aspects a counselor should instill into their work ethics is to build a strong, health line of communication and trust between themselves and their clients. This line of trust can determine whether there will be a therapeutic session and if it will end in success, or detriment. Professionals must understand that mixing a personal and professional relationship could produce a negative outcome. One of the easiest ways to prevent boundary crossing is to acknowledge, and adhere, to the Code of Ethics which is provided by the organization of employment. A Code of Ethics is a set of principles of conduct within an organization or business that guide decision- making and behavior. The purpose of ethic codes is to provide professionals, clients and other interested persons with guidelines for making ethical choices in conduct of his or her work. How can a counselor identify certain scenarios to protect themselves and their clients from such damage? As a counselor you should be clear on your limits as a provider. Make sure the client understands that boundaries are set to keep each party involved focused on the work at hand. Identifying poor boundaries: You and your client call each other friends and interact outside of the facility where you work. Valuable gifts are exchanged between you and the client. You reveal personal information that is not relevant to your client case. You find yourself discussing the client and his or her case during social interactions with your friends and family. Knowing the consequences of poor boundaries: Without professional relationship boundaries you may not provide appropriate services to your client. If you are acting as the client’s friend, and not his or her provider, you may not challenge the client to deal with presenting problems. Failure to set professional boundaries can cause you to burn out from caring for the client beyond what is required of a professional relationship. If you do not maintain a professional relationship you can find yourself acting in an unethical manner. How to prevent poor professional boundaries: Explain your role as provider and the limits of your availability to the client outside of office hours at the beginning of the relationship. Make it clear that the client will only be able to contact you at the facility and that your personal life (outside of  the relevant information you volunteer) is not up for discussion. Make sure any personal information you reveal (called self-disclosure) is helpful to the client’s case. For example if the client is a rape victim, it is important to talk about your history of rape (if any) and the resources you used to change your life. You are making the session about you if you discuss parts of your personal life that are not relevant to the client. When a client crosses the professional boundaries, redirect them by immediately clarifying your role and the limits of your relationships with the client. Discuss boundary issues with your supervisor, colleagues or your own therapist. Be sure to maintain good physical emotional and mental health so you work at your personal best. Review the code of ethics.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

How has the evolution of the internet and ethics changed the practice Essay

How has the evolution of the internet and ethics changed the practice of marketing communication - Essay Example eception doctrine has been relatively easier to substantiate compared to unfairness, and this is specifically applicable for electronic media (Johnson & David, 1996; Who’s Watching the Web, www.aaf.org/relations/onlineprivacy.htm). The current study seeks to evaluate the evolution of the internet and ethical and their implications on the practice of marketing communication. It presents the factors which are perceived as unethical by internet consumers, and the significant predictors of consumers’ evaluations of fairness and ethicality. The following section presents the review of related literature. The components of the unfairness doctrine suggest that an organization is in discordance only when â€Å"injury† is sustained as an outcome of the marketing communication under contention. A critical issue has been borne out of the tangibility of the requirements to justify injury, and the intrinsic intangibility of the internet. Particularly, this has reinforced the ability to concretely link an organization’s marketing activities on the internet to a monetary or physical injury inflicted on the consumers. This challenge has caused the FTC to dedicate substantial attention and energy to drafting standards for internet marketing communications, in that claims to consumers must be adequately justified through research. However, the issue remains regarding how such a policy that is drafted in the present will be transferable to unfairness issues in the future (McGrath, 1999). The FTC has very distinguished and specific principles and guidelines with regards to determining when marketing communications have committed a violation of fairness. The original policy has been drafted on December 18, 1980, with the intention of precluding â€Å"unfair†¦acts or practices in or affecting commerce.† Drafting a list that stringently expressed that all that is considered â€Å"unfair† would be unproductive due to very dynamic and fast changing market conditions in each industry.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Developing Artificial Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing Artificial Intelligence - Essay Example This is because it is yet unclear as to what comprises a human being’s thoughts, and what is the driving force behind his/her intelligence. Is it a manifestation of the immortal soul or is it just a complex network of nerves comprising the nervous system? To create an intelligent machine or a computer, it is necessary to grant it with thinking capabilities that are at par with humans. If such an intelligent machine is ever created, how can we test whether it can think on its own? How can it be certified as Artificial Intelligence? Alan Mathison Turing, a computer analyst, mathematician and cryptoanalyst, provided a simple solution to this problem. In a paper published in the Journal Mind, in 1950, Turing suggests that rather than creating complications by using the word â€Å"think†, defining it, or asking whether machines can â€Å"think†, it is easier to develop a task that requires thinking, and testing whether a machine can succeed in that task. Alan   Math ison   Turing,   a   computer   analyst,   mathematician   and   cryptoanalyst,   provided   a   simple   solution   to   this   problem.   In   a   paper   published   in   the   Journal   Mind,   in   1950,   Turing   suggests   that   rather   than   creating   complications   by   using   the   word   â€Å"think†,   defining   it,   or   asking   whether   machines.... Turing put forth the idea that machines could be devised to think and be capable of â€Å"rivaling human intelligence†. He writes: The original question, "Can machines think?" I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion. Nevertheless I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted (p. 440). This idea was revolutionary and contrary to the popular notions and beliefs of his time (â€Å"The Alan Turing Internet Scrapbook†). Turing suggested an imitation game that could be used to test whether a computer is as intelligent as a human being. The directions of the game are as follows: A human and a machine, labeled ‘X’ and ‘Y’ are placed in separate rooms. Another human, who is the judge/interrogator/observer, is placed in another room and is unaware of who is in which room. He only knows t he human and the machine by the labels, ‘X’ and ‘Y’. The judge/interrogator will have to find out who is the human and who is the machine based on the responses he gets from both, the human and the machine. The machine will try to make the judge conclude that the other human is the machine. The human will try to help the judge in identifying the machine (Turing, 1950). In simple words, a computer and a human should be placed in two separate rooms and should communicate through textual messages with a third human, who is the judge or the observer. The judge would interrogate both, the human and the machine. The judge will then decide who is in which room. If the judge fails to make the right judgment and fails to distinguish between the human and the machine, the machine is said to be successful and will have

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection - Essay Example As McClay (2012) has pointed out that religion is anchored on beliefs, I strongly believe in the existence of a Supreme Deity guiding various religious communities, despite the fact that no person has ever seen or spoken directly with Him. I believe in the religious concept that there is a supernatural entity that dictates the human destiny of any religious community. Although, most of religious communities are composed of people with divergent opinions and levels of belief in the existence of their Supreme Deity, I strongly believe that by practicing the same religion, people share more things in common than what separates them. Whether a religious community is composed of neighbors who worship in different ways or members of a smaller group of people neighboring one another in the pursuit of common religious goals such as monastery, I believe that members of a religious community must mingle with individuals with different philosophies and appreciate their religious inclinations as a yardstick for measuring righteousness (Drape, & Nichols, 2013). I believe in religious mythologies because they tend to offer answers to important questions whose solutions may not be readily available. Mythologies usually provide reasons behind various religion values and activities such as marriage rituals, morality, spirituality, and human experience. Despite the fact that mere myths often have little if any weight, Vickers (2012) argued that mythologies grounded on religious values help to elaborate the scriptures and emphasize their importance. From the mythical story of David versus Goliath, for instance, as a Christian I believe that God can give extraordinary strength to individuals who are deemed as too weak to confront major challenges in life. Rituals are an important aspect of religion. I believe they bring people closer to the supernatural being. Despite the existence of different religious rituals of religion, most important ones are applicable across religions. For instance, attending sacred places for purposes of worship, installation of the clergy, baptism, communion, and sacraments among others are important rituals that happen across religions (Drape, & Nichols, 2013). These common rituals, according to me, serve as constant reminders of the faithful to remain steadfast in the service of the Supreme Deity. Most of the rituals are accompanied by messages urging the adherents to follow religious ethics in order to remain moral in the treatment of humanity. Emotional experience, I believe, is common in religious teachings and practice (Vickers, 2012). For example, a former fornicator who suffers from a terminal illness caused by his or her sins may have an episode of emotional experience when he or she consciously repents. Similarly, an individual who empathises with starving people could have emotional experience of seeing them transform from a hungry, dejected community to a satisfied, smiling one. I concur with Drape and Nichols (2013) on the sacredness of places of worship and other material expressions of religious loyalty. Materials such as the Holy Bible, and Quran, offerings, the altar, church and mosque are some of the items of worship that are believed to be sacred. In light of these evaluations, I strongly believe that the eight elements of religion are all important and none is more important than the other.

Country's economy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Country's economy - Case Study Example The Figure below shows the economic growth in eight major countries from 1870 to 1996. In 1870, Australia was the richest economy whereas Japan was the poorest economy of the sixteen major economies of that time. In the same year, Australia’s real GDP per capita was almost five times that of Japan. Over the following 126 years, Australia’s economy grew by 1.3% which allowed real GDP per capita to increase by 5 times. However, during the same time, Japan’s economy grew by 2.7% which allowed its real GDP per capita to advance by 28 times. Likewise, Figure 11 also shows the progress made by United States from 1870 to 1996. The long-run rate of economic growth of the American economy was 1.7% which allowed it to raise its living standards by 8 times in 126 years. Therefore, the long-run rate of economic growth is an important measure of the nation’s wealth. (Bernanke, 2003) Figure 1: Economic Growth in Eight Major Countries The output of the economy depends up on the quality and quantity of labor and capital and on their productivity. If the inputs are constant, there is no economic growth in the country. Therefore, one of the inputs has to change along with the productivity for a healthier growth rate. The relationship between inputs and outputs of the economy are reflected in the following equation; which also shows the important factors that affect the long-run rate of economic growth. (Bernanke, 2003) Y= AF (K, N) Where: Y = Output of the economy A = Productivity N = Labor K = Capital Requirements Labor Labor refers to the working force of the nation-be it skilled, semi skilled or unskilled. Labor is one of the most important inputs into the economy. A skilled, educated labor force makes a strong contribution to the other factors of the economy. Along with them, the economy also requires semi-skilled and unskilled labor. However, the most important thing is their constant supply to the market. Similarly, the skills acquire must match the demand of the economy. (Bernanke, 2003) Technological Progress Technological progress refers to the ability of the nation to adapt to update infrastructure and equipments. No country can expect to progress without the necessary infrastructure for specific technology. In our globalized world, the economy needs to incorporate up-to-date technology replacing the obsolete machines to match the increasing demands. The smooth flow with the technological progress allows making the necessary progress. (Bernanke, 2003) Investment Investment refers to the capital requirements of the growing economy. The country needs consistent investment to make remarkable progress and achieve long-run rate of economic growth. Therefore, the nation needs to establish an environment that allows the continuous flow of foreign direct investment into the country and a credit history that allows it to raise the debt when needed. However, there needs to be sustainable amount of debt so that it does not hamper the growth in the long run. (Bernanke, 2003) Productivity It is another important factor for consistent long-run growth rate. This component refers to increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the same labor and capital inputs. Therefore, if the productivity of the nation increases keeping the labor and capital same, the economy will growth by a certain factor. (Bernanke, 2003) Answer 2 Gross Domestic Output (GDP) is defined as market value of all the goods and services produced by a particular nation within the domestic boundaries. (Amadea, 2011) There are four components of the GDP as shown in the following equation: Y = C + I + G + X Where Y = Total output C = Personal consumption expenditures I = Investment G = Government spending X =

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Compare the implications of negative and positive freedom for the Essay

Compare the implications of negative and positive freedom for the relationship between the individual and the state - Essay Example It is also widely claimed to pertain to exemption from the arbitrary exercise of authority in the performance of a specific action and the capacity to exercise choice. Out of this freedom comes a consideration whether to be free from authority or external governing forces or from the inner command which is rather controlled by oneself. In a situation where an individual is able to act freely under circumstances when elements of state, unless for the purpose of granting security, may not interfere with freedom, in terms for instance of speech, religious choice, self-expression, and of general learning which are all taken into account by the so-called negative liberty. Restrictions in this sense of negative freedom would thus necessarily be derived from the outside since a person for this case is assumed capable of executing an action by instinct or nature beyond any internal inhibitions. On the contrary, positive liberty is a consequence of freedom from boundaries set by convention in a society which establishes a standard norm that must be adhered to collectively or by the number of people making up a society of particular social structure. This mode of liberty is characteristic of an introspective condition and would not afford even a slightest resistance to implementation of freewill. Though one may feel free to participate in assimilation yet finds discomfort in the idea of conformity to a dominant group which supports advocacy for certain ideology, cultural belief, or a complex sociological framework which embeds inevitable division by race, sex, or class, freedom would not have a complete sense of positive identity for such an involved person. Commitment to liberty in this picture ought to be relieved of coercion and should, by all means, originate based upon sole discretion of freewill instead. Freedom in its positive trait further

Monday, September 23, 2019

Virtual Cemetery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtual Cemetery - Essay Example It is clear that members of the family were buried at a common ground. In addition, the graves of the people that belonged to a given family preferred to design their graves using the same materials, same shape, same size and the same design, it shows the commonness among the people of the family and their uniformity. This in most cases acted as a form of identity to a certain family. For instance, the Comings family that consisted of Lydia, Benjamin, Samuel and Josiah, all had identical graves. This shows the preference of a given family having identical graves. Hereunder is the clear data about the people, their ages, sex, date of death, the type of grave one was buried in, material used to make the graves, design of the grave, the condition of the grave, and the size of the grave and little in formation of concern (Dethlefsen and Deetz 1996). Gravestone design Shape Size Material Condition Design Biography Demography Gravestone design Surname First name(s) Sex Birth Date Death dat e Age Type Shape Size Material Condition Design Comment Hallet Warren M 1791 8th Feb 1811 20 H D S Tall Slate G U & W Hamblen Cornelius M 1752 30th May 1811 59 H D S Tall Sandstone F U & W Howes Ebenezer M 1737 20th Feb 1811 74 Ob SDWC Tall slate P U & W Lombard Caleb M 1736 14th Dec 1811 75 H D Tall marble P U & W Rich Rabeccca F 1742 18th Oct.1811 69 M DISC Tall Marble F M Bangs Benjamin M 1758 9th March 1814 56 Ob D Tall granite F U & W Gray Elizabeth F 1774 16th May 1814 40 H GDWC Short Slate E U & W Hamblen Ruth F 1755 20th Sep 1814 59 H DISC Tall Marble P Ch Knowles Elizabeth F 1738 29th June 1815 77 M DISC Tall Sandstone P Ch Rich Isaac M 1756 29th June 1815 59 P D Short Slate F U & W Atkins Silas M 1742 17th April 1816 84 M D S Short Slate F U & W Burges Thomas M 1748 11th Feb 1816 68 M D S Tall Slate G P Higgins Joseph M 1771 2Oth Nov.1816 45 Ob S D Tall Sandstone P U & W Snow Tamsin M 1811 11th April 1816 5 H D Tall Sandstone G M Collins Marcey M 1814 15th May 1817 3 H SDW C Tall Sandstone G U & W Collins Mary F 1794 20th Oct.1817 23 P GDWC Short granite P U & W Gross Thomas M 1740 17th May 1817 77 P Rectangular Tall granite F R Snow Mary F 1793 9th sept 1817 24 H SDWC Tall Sandstone F M Stevens Levi M 1747 16th March 1829 82 H S D Tall Granite G P Sears Elizabeth F 1782 24th Aug 1829 47 H S D Tall granite P U & W Comings Samuel M 1807 July 1829 22 H S D Tall granite p U & W Comings Benjamin M 1817 1839 22 H S D Tall granite p U & W Comings Josiah M 1810 1810 0.33 H S D Tall granite P U & W Comings Lydiah F 1826 1826 0.08 H S D Tall granite P U & W Damon Judy f 1750 19th Nov 1828 78 H S D Tall granite P U & W Coan Betsy f 1794 12th Dec 1821 27 P Rectangular Tall marble F Ch Hallet Charles m 1751 15 Nov 1821 70 Ob DISC Tall granite F U & W Hallet Elizabeth f 1732 9th March1821 89 H S D Tall granite F U & W Smith John C m 1783 4th Oct.1811 28 H S D Tall Marble F U & W Rider Ruth f 1791 6th Sep.1812 21 Ob Round Gothic arc Tall Granite p P Hall Bethiah f 1763 27th Sep 1813 50 H Rectangular Tall Sandstone p M Gray Elizabeth f 1774 16th May 1814 40 Oth Sharp Gothic arc Tall Sandstone f M The grave forms a sharp arch at the top and its tall. Rich Richard m 1739 1813 74 H S D Tall Sandstone f M Bangs Benjamin m 1758 1814 56 Ob Gothic discoid with caps Tall Sandstone f M Knowles Elizabeth f 1738 1815 77 Ob Gothic discoid

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ethics in Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethics in Law Enforcement - Essay Example Corruption is a term that springs easily to mind when one thinks of how law enforcement is usually applied. Popular culture is full of references to corrupt policemen and lawyers, especially in terms of how the police are often represented in movies and television shows, and also in terms of the numerous articles on police abuse that may be found in newspapers and other periodical. Especially after the events of September 11, 2001, and the racist attacks on Muslims and other Asian minorities in America came into the news, there has been a lot of negative publicity for the way in which minorities are apparently abused by many law-enforcement agencies. All these examples represent myths about law enforcement that are often belied by statistics. However, there is also some basis in reality for such opinions. In addition, corruption undermines respect for the rule of law and for the democratic process that are the very core of our system of government. Controlling this evil successfully is a constant challenge for any government. Yet any government that does not devote itself to this effort is in danger of sowing the seeds of its own destruction. (p. xi) The authors suggest, therefore, that instead of identifying the law enforcement system with corruption, there is the need to recognize that even the law is trying to fight corruption within itself. Corrupt practices are not an inherent or integral part of the law enforcement system. Rather, it is something that has crept into the system and must be weeded out. The corruption of law enforcement agencies is illustrated by the two interviews that were conducted as part of this study. The first will be discussed in the context of corruption. This instance is related to an interview with a twenty-seven-year-old white American woman who was a victim of hazing during her freshman year at a university in the U.S. Cindy (not her real name) recollects that she and her friends were wary of the senior students, because the college had a history of a couple of violent episodes of hazing. Apparently, the school authorities had done nothing about it. Cindy describes the night when she and her friends were abused by a large group of older students. They were forced to drink alcohol, and some of the senior students even urinated into their glasses and forced their victims to drink from them. They were also made to perform demanding exercises such as push-ups for almost three hours, and compelled to run around the campus a number of times. They were also verbally abused, many of the insults being gender- or race-based. Shortly after the incident, Cindy and a friend went to the neighborhood police precinct to lodge a complaint about what had been done to them. "I couldn't believe it," Cindy says. "None of the cops were ready to listen to us. Two who did pumped us for the 'juicy' details and then burst out laughing." Cindy's experience reveals that public faith in law enforcement authorities has diminished based on their reputation for treating victims badly. Although this was an isolated incident, there have been many reported instances of police cover-ups in similar cases, even in instances where students were killed or seriously injured as a result of hazing. Another instance in which law enforcement a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

IT Project Implementation Failures Essay Example for Free

IT Project Implementation Failures Essay Subsequent to a health care organization acquiring a new information system, is the system implementation process, the third of four stages in the systems development lifecycle. A significant amount of support and dedication is needed from senior executives and should take precedence within the organization. Adequate resources should be available to all individuals involved in the execution of the new system. User training, installing new networks, converting data, new procedures, and various other changes must be properly coordinated to avoid political, cultural and behavioral issues (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). Selecting an implementation team and appointing a system champion for the team is vital to an organizations success. These individuals plan, coordinate, budget and manage every phase of a new IT system implementation (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). The configuration of the team are different levels of the organizations workforce, for example; CIO, Physician, Radiology Director, Nurse, Business, and Lab Managers. A system champion views the IT system as a way to provide better patient care, is well respected within the organization, assumes the leadership role, and will be an advocate for the information system (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). Determine project scope and expectations are the implementation team’s first order of business. Reviewing the system goals, which were outlined in the system selection process, will give the team a better understanding of the organizations expectations with the information system (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). Meeting with senior health care executives to discuss relevant overall strategic goals and dedication to the new development. The organization has appointed  an implementation team and champion; objectives and achievements have been set; the last step is to establish and institute a project plan. The plan should be detailed and include: Target dates Time of each activity Milestones Budget and resources Major activities Responsibilities/dependencies (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). Components of the Implementation Plan: Workflow and process analysis System installation Staff Training Conversion Communications Prep for Go-Live Date (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009, Chapter 6, System Acquisition). According to Wager, Lee, and Burns (2009), only 35% of new IT projects are successful (Chapter 14 Managements Role in Major IT Initiatives), 46% delivered useful product, but did not meet timeline goals, went well over budget, and had system and user issues. The percentage of failed IT systems 19%. Strategy and implementation failures are at the forefront of the collapse (Wager, Lee, Burns, 2009, Chapter 14 Managements Role in Major IT Initiatives). There are numerous ways a heath care organization and the professionals encumber IT projects; Lack of clarity and purpose, inadequate leadership support, organizational baggage, lack of dedication, project complexity, and disinterest (Wager, Lee, Burns, 2009, Chapter 14 Managements Role in Major IT Initiatives). The majority of system implementation failures can be impugned upon management action or lack of. To limit the risk of failure, executives need to be clear about objectives, communicate often, eliminate disruptions, welcome debate, stay away from extra unwanted issues, and keep in mind no one is perfect and mistakes will happen (Wager, Lee, Burns, 2009, Chapter 14 Managements Role in Major IT Initiatives). When implementation teams and lead executives fail to follow  project plans or mismanage activities, the outcome is dissatisfied users, monetary suicide, and information system sabotage. Honesty, compassion for the project, and clear communication will keep the implementation process on track for success. The outcome for the organization is better patient care, higher revenue, and fewer errors with medications and prescriptions. Organizations will need time, dedication, patience and planning when implementing a new information system. References Wager, K.A., Lee, F.W., Glaser, J.P. (2009). Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection Database

Friday, September 20, 2019

Qantas worlds leading long distance airways

Qantas worlds leading long distance airways The Business Case Analysis: Qantas Airways Qantas is recognized as the worlds leading long distance airways which was established in Queensland in 1920, being the second oldest airlines of the world. Today, the airways provide flight services across a network of 173 destinations in 42 countries covering all over the world with approximately 35,000 employees. The Qantas group also offers subsidiary businesses such as budget airlines, Jetstar, and other businesses in specialist services: Qantas Catering and Qantas Holidays (Qantas, 2010). To analyze the changes and challenges that Qantas confronts in the marketing today, we should identify the range of products and services available by using Marketing Mix concept. Then, we will analyze the opportunities that may be available over the next 5 to 10 year by using SWOT Analysis. Lake (n.d) indicated that the marketing mix, or called as 4 Ps, is the combination of marketing elements that are used to serve customers and company goal. The company offers are controlled by the following variables in marketing: Product, Price, Place (Distribution) and Promotion. For Qantas Airways case, their marketing mix can conclude as follow: Product Qantas offers a wide range of products and services including premium brand, Qantas, and low cost brand, Jetstar. Qantas has divided in to international and domestic flight. In term of international flights, Qantas offers first, business, premium economy and economic class, which passengers receive different services of seat, dining, and amenity collections as they paid. In case of Domestic flight, Qantas offers two travel classes: Business and Economy. Domestic inflight services include meals, snacks and audio-visual entertainment. Qantas Cityflyer provides passengers travelling between Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney added more flights and seats than other airways with extra services such as complimentary newspapers on morning and complimentary wine and beer after 4pm weekdays. Jetstar is a low cost airline in Asia-Pacific and Australia. In Australia, its operation is entirely owned by Qantas Group. In Asia, the Qantas Group has extended the brand with their investments in Jetstar Asia (based in Singapore) and Jetstar Pacific (Vietnam). As a result, Jetstars operations have covered 50 destinations across South East Asia and Asia Pacific. Moreover, Qantas also offer non-flying businesses, which are and Qantas holiday and Qantas catering, making perfect products and services for traveling customers and other airlines businesses. Price The prices of flights are different according to the distance of destinations and the class of seat customers selected. Especially, for Jetstar, its prices are competitive with other low-cost airlines that make enormous profits to the company. As its prices are versatile, customers can make a decision based on the services Airlines offered. In addition, for Qantas holiday, it also offers ‘Price Promise program that customers can get guaranteed low prices on transfers, car hire, hotel or activities when they book on Qantas.com. Qantas will match price rate and give 1000 extra points to customers who find another website which provide better rate than Qantas. Place or Distribution channel Customers can book their flights via various different channels which are Qantas.com, Telephone sales, Qantas travel Centers, Qantas airport locations and other travel agencies. Customers also can manage their flight via the website and their mobile phone. Promotion There are many kinds of promotions to encourage sales such as discount air fare, buy one ticket get one free tickets, upgrading seat and loyalty program: Frequent Flyer member. Frequent Flyer program is very popular in airlines industry. Qantas offers three levels of memberships which are Silver, Gold and platinum, excluding Bronze entry level. Each membership has different privileges: Qantas Club and business/First counters, additional kilograms for baggage allowance, point bonus, priority check in and so on. The higher membership level the better privileges members can receive and earn awards. After we identified 4 Ps for Qantas, we will analyze the SWOT analysis to better understanding the organization. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors that the company can control, while Opportunities and Threats are external possibilities which need more company efforts: support opportunities, or prevent and reduce threats. Strengths Strong corporate image Qantas is the leader airways in Australia domestic and international and renowned as the second oldest airways. Moreover, the company is outstanding in strategic markets which are Asia-pacific and Western Europe. Frequent Flyer Program Qantas Frequent Flyer program, the most popular and largest airways loyalty program in Southern part of the world, possess approximately 6.8 million customers with more than 400 partners. This is an important marketing strategy to retain customers and crate brand loyalty to new passengers. Excellent customer service Qantas is devoted to offer passenger with a wide-range of outstanding services. It employs more than 700 international customer service managers and supervisors. Over 1,600 First and Business flight attendants were selected by their product knowledge and extensive service experience and trained to offer a premium service to passengers. Also, many flight attendants are multi-lingual. They can speak a number of languages such as French, Italian, German, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and so on. Furthermore, Qantas also has recognition for using inflight defibrillators and also on-board airplanes provide physician kits which include medication and medication. Corporate social responsibility Qantas are worried about the concern of environment changing and are dedicated to manage its operations and development in an environmentally sustainable approach. They have launched the program ‘Fly Carbon Neutral program to evoke people concerning on reducing carbon emissions that passengers can contribute small amount of money to offset their flight emissions. The Qantas group established the Qantas Environment and Fuel Conservation group to responsible for environment issues. They have decreased aircraft noise around airports, provided suggestion on acquisition assessment of new aircraft and new businesses, applied environmentally practices and performance, and to name but few. In addition, the company also donated to support various ‘not-for-profit programs or organizations such as Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Flora and Fauna International, Clean up Australia Day, and so on. Versatile businesses Apart from its main business, Flying Activity, Qantas also has invested in non-flying activities which are food catering, travel agency, airport and aircraft engineering that enable them to increase the companys profits and represent new opportunities to its present business. A lot of flight and routes There are many routes covering worldwide provided by Qantas. Qantas group operate approximately 5300 flight a week including nearly 60 cities domestically and over 900 fights per week in 173 destinations in 42 countries. This help the Airways is recognized in many countries and expand its market share. Dual brand strategy Qantas Group can cover a wide group of customers because it offers premium brand, Qantas, and low-cost brand, Jetstar. This creativity allowed Qantas to take advantage of target budget passenger and premium travelers to boost its profits and fulfill level of operation. Weaknesses Employees relationship Qantas had conflicts with its engineers in reaching an agreement on a wage dispute earlier in 2008. However, compromise was finally completed with a predictable annual wage raised between4 to 5.8 %(Brigden, 2009). This is an important issue if it occurs again; employees will have negative trust to the company that brings negative effects to overall operations. Dependence on single market In spite of expanding to international region, Qantas still depends on the domestic market for its main revenues. This over-dependence on single market leaves the Airways vulnerable to any politics situation or economic depression and in Australia. Spiraling costs Although in 2008 Qantas group has provided strategies to reduce the impact of increasing fuel costs, it was forced to cut down other operations cost such as jobs and flight capacity to continue competitive position in the market. Opportunities Open Skies Agreement There were many efforts between Australia and other nations such as the US, New Zealand, and so on to approve an open skies agreement. As a result, it has created new opportunities to operate unrestricted capacity over any routing they choose and with as many flights as they desire in beyond markets. Asia-Pacific potential market According to Datamonitor (2009), The Asia-pacific airlines industry had been growing at a healthy rate over 2005-2008, but showed a decline in 2009. This will increase once again in 2010Experts also predicted that the industrys volume is likely to increase to 794.3 million passengers by the end of 2013, showing a compound annual growth rate of8.6% for 2008-2013 period. Therefore, there will be enormous opportunities to increase company revenues and profits. Utilization new technology Technology is improving nowadays. The Airways can utilize it in many ways including increasing the service to customers and improving aircrafts design. In November 2009, Qantas reveal the project, which will begin in the mid-2010, to renovate domestic airport check-in times for passengers at Cityflyer ports across Australia. The membership cards including intelligent chip that can transform the data inside into personal boarding passes linked to the bag tags, and allow passengers to swipe their card on a reader and pass to an easy baggage drop. Non-frequent flyers will also satisfy with major upgrades to their check-in by using hosted kiosks and rapid bag drop. Strategic Alliance The growth of strategic alliances is expected to bring about several returns including an extended route network, more frequent flights and Frequent Flyer passengers and cost and efficiency benefits. Threats Excessive competition Low-cost airlines have become the main competitor of Qantas. Craigie and Bekiaris (2010) stated that Air Asia commenced flight between the Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, and Kuala Lumpur. In addition, Tony Fernandes, Air Asia CEO, said that Air Asia is going to start flying into Sydney by midyear of 2010. Besides, Air Asia X also provides cheap flight to London from Kuala Lumpur. This enhanced on the whole competition in Asia-pacific and Europe region. The competitors of Qantas are not limited only Air Asia, the other low-cost airlines such as Tiger Airlines and Virgin Blue also have offered the same routes as Qantas or Jetstar. Aviation Security issue According to the event of 11 September 2001, it decreased the demand for air travel because of the raised concerns about safety issue. Then, the cost of travel was raised as a result of the requirement of arriving earlier for departure, the increased rate of delays follow-on security breaches, and new protection surcharge (Coughlin, C.C. et al, 2002). Qantas also has flights service between Australia and the US, so the airways have been affected directly by the increasing in security cost. Shortage of pilots and staff Pearson (2008) indicated that approximately 19,000 pilots will need to be trained yearly until 2026 to meet estimated demand as airways grow agreeing to International Air Transport Association (IATA). As a result, it is important to note airways regulators will confront the challenge of training pilots better and faster which need more cost to absorb. Congestion and Airport capacity issue Because the industry developed rapidly, a problem of airport capacity is possible, limiting the total number of airplanes flying to Australia as occurred in other parts of the world. All things considered, after studied both marketing mix and SWOT analysis, I would like to recommend the company to improve its operations as follows: Focus on both domestic and international markets to diversify the risk of domestic economic, politics, social situations. Offer new promotions to passengers. For example, when it nearly reaches the date the flight taken place, company should discount air fare if those flights have remained too many seats to offset the cost of operations per flights. Consider about employees relationship, providing proper training, wages or benefits and number of working hours. Use new technology and well-trained employees for improving airlines services. Find new alliances and retain the relationship of current alliances that can share benefits to the airlines. Continue ‘company social responsibility and ‘Saving Environments projects to maintain good company image. Reference List Brigden, Cathy. (2009). Journal of Industrial Relations. Unions and collective bargaining in 2008, 51(3), 365-378. Coughlin, Cletus C. et. Al. (2002). Review. Aviation Security and Terrorism: A Review of the Economic Issues, 84(5), 9-16. Craigie, J. Bekiaris, M. (2010). Money. Qantas gets cosy with AirAsia, 2(120), 16-16. Datamonitor. (2009). Airline Industry Profile: Asia-Pacific. Airline Industry Profile: Asia-Pacific, 1-32. Lake, Laura. (n.d). Developing Your Marketing-4Ps of Marketing. [Online] Available from: http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingplanandstrategy/a/marketingmix.htm [Accessed 5 May 2010]. Pearson, David. (2008). Wall Street Journal-Eastern Edition. Airlines Face Shortage of Pilots, 251(95), p. B11A. Qantas. (2010). Qantas Fact file. [Online] Available from: http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/FactFiles.pdf [Accessed 5 May 2010].

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - Effective Use of the Cliffhanger :: free essay writer

The Tempest:   Effective Use of the Cliffhanger The first scene of The Tempest is unlike most of the openings in Shakespeare's plays, in that includes quite a bit of action. Instead of properly introducing some of the main characters, or setting up an important plot strand, this opening scene appears to be only an attention-grabbing device.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This statement can be made quite justifiably, due to the fact that all the events of Act 1 Scene 1 are recounted in the following scene, in the conversations between Miranda, Prospero and Ariel. Under ordinary circumstances, it is quite likely that Shakespeare would have removed the first scene and just relied upon the audience paying attention to what was being said in the second scene - indeed, if these events took place some way into the play, he may have considered doing this. However, as an opening scene, Scene 2 would have been rather boring and uninspiring - it consists almost entirely of lengthy explanatory dialogue from Prospero. Audiences would not have been drawn into the play very effectively; and at the time the play was written, during the 17th Century, audiences were not as reserved and polite as they are these days and they might not have reacted very well to being bored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scene 1 solves this problem by abandoning all explanation of the events unfolding, as well as much of the characterisation and concentrating on creating an exciting and tense opening scene which immediately engages the audience's attention. Theatres of the time when The Tempest was written were very basic, and would not have been able to achieve the special effects and clever sets that we see in modern theatres. Therefore, Shakespeare had to rely on more subtle, but equally effective, techniques to convey the correct atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most obvious things about this first scene is how short the characters'   lines are. There is just one moderately sized speech, lines 20 - 25, but the rest are all only four to six lines long. This hurried dialogue immediately signals that the characters are panicking, and that they do not have time for long conversations. From the script itself, we can see that there are an awful lot of exclamation marks in the dialogue; this is because the characters are shouting to be heard above the noise of the storm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While nowadays the storm would probably be created using recordings of thunder and crashing waves, perhaps along with creaking sounds of the ship breaking up, theatre in Shakespeare's day would not have had this luxury.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

mass commication and how it affects todays youth Essay examples -- ess

From Eminem’s hardcore explicit lyrics, to Lil Kim’s outrageous outfits to the late Tupac Shakur’s â€Å"thug life† image, the rap subculture has been under a lot of speculation. Many rappers lyrics contain violent messages that parents fear are encouraging youth to become violent. The media has a field day covering protests against rappers, such as Eminem about their explicit lyrics towards gays, women and their promotion of violence. The main concern is how rap is influencing today, particularly towards the youth community, and the answer can be found in the media. There are a lot of articles, books, movies and documentaries written and produced each year with hip-hop being the main subject. This great plethora of media not only affects the youth but other people as well. However, one needs to understand how the rap culture got started, and why the media found it interesting enough to give it a substantial amount of coverage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Webster, rap is rhythmic chanting of usually rhyming couplets to a musical accompaniment (Webster, 607). The rap subculture began in the African community residing in the Bronx during the 70’s with rappers free styling—when artists rhyme without memorization or writing down lyrics—in the park, on street corners and in apartment basements (Watkins, 63). This was a harmless way of determining who the best lyricist was. At the time artists such as Arrested Development made lyrics that sent a positive message to the African community. The group’s songs address topics ranging from homelessness to the search for spirituality and African Americans’ connection with Africa. Through their positive influence they received â€Å"Best New Artist† and â€Å"Best Rap Artist† during the 1993 Grammy Awards (Boyd, 44). During its birth, this subculture produced many other cultures such as graffiti art, break dancing and most notably rap music. This subculture was very expressive and paved the way for latter cultures’ success. In his book, Fight the Power, Chuck D (a member of rap group Public Enemy) states, â€Å"Hip hop is a subculture of Black culture. It’s another term for Black creativity. Rap music is here to stay because it’s vocal over music, and as the music changes the vocals can remain the same because it’s one of the few live vocal styles ever used for recording music† (p.g. 248). He was right because as the 80’s wer... ...l Publishing. 1998 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  S. Craig Watkins, 1998. â€Å"Balck Youth and the Ironies of Capitalism.† In Representing Hip-Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nelson George, Hip Hop America. New York: Penguin Books, 1998 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heru Ptah. A Hip Hop Story. New York: Pocket Books, 2002 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 Mile, starring Eminem and Malik Phieffer 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brown Sugar staring Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clarence Lusane. 1993 â€Å"Rap, race and politics.†. Black America: The Street and the Campus. Special Issue of Reace and Class: 35:1. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tricia Rose. Never Trust, 1996 page 60 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Todd Boyd. 1994. â€Å"Check Yo Self before you Wreck Yo Self:: Variations on a Political Theme in Rap Music and Popular Culture.† Public Culture. 7:1. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Connie Buck. 7 July 1991. â€Å"The Takedown of Tupac.† The New Yorker 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Randall Sullivan. 7 June 2001. â€Å"The Murder of the Notorious BIG.† Rolling Stone.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Fundamentalist Christians and Negative Conceptions of Dungeons & Dragons :: Christianity Religion Essays

Fundamentalist Christians and Negative Conceptions of Dungeons & Dragons This paper is an attempt to explain the negative conceptions about role-playing games, especially claims that the games are Satanic. I will be using many primary sources from the Internet, most of which are from Christian websites, to determine precisely what is being claimed about the games. I will be using more academic sources in order to try to explain where the claims are coming from. As the websites primarily focus on Dungeons & Dragons (henceforth noted as D&D), I too will focus on this game. First I will examine the most common conceptions one by one and try to determine the source of each, and then I will examine the claims as a whole to give an overall theory about them. The first claim that I’ll discuss is that D&D causes players to commit suicide. According to http://www.webzonecom.com/ccn/cults/satn10.txt, Dr. Radedki, â€Å"chairman of the National Coalition on Television Violence†, said â€Å"[t]here is no doubt in my mind that the game Dungeons and Dragons is causing young men to kill themselves and others.† A character in the Chick Tract â€Å"Dark Dungeons† commits suicide after her character dies in the game. The conception seems to be that players get so obsessed by the game, so enthralled, that when something goes wrong (like their character dying) they have difficulty dealing with the consequences. They have so much difficulty, it is claimed, that they sometimes kill themselves because of it. This claim appears to stem from a few different events. This brief history is agreed upon by a number of authors, but I am specifically using Brian Webber’s account, from http://www.voicesofunreason.com/essays/dungeonsanddragonsnotasatanicgame, and Paul Cardwell, Jr.’s article in the Skeptical Enquirer. The first event was in 1979, when a student named James Dallas Egbert III disappeared from Michigan State University’s campus. It was theorized by an investigator named William Dear that Egbert was lost in the steam tunnels under the campus, acting as a character in D&D. He was found about a month later, but his disappearance had already been highly publicized, starting a new public perception of the game. A year later Egbert committed suicide. In 1982, a boy named Irving Pulling II committed suicide.

Jones: Accounts Receivable Essay

QUESTION 2 Jones Electrical, though having more rapid growth and expected to increase in future would need more than 250,000 to meet his needs. First of all he has to repay his ex partner after buying him out. Jones bought Dave Verdent, his former business partner out for $250,000. 00. His repayment plan was a $2000.00 per month with 8% interest per annum. The interest rate he is paying is relatively high and this means it will take Jones over ten years to repay this loan with an interest payment in excess of $200,000.00 in interest only. From the financial information provided in the Balance Sheet of Jones Electrical Distribution it shows that there was an increase in accounts receivables, inventory, property and equipment. This increase would permit an increase also in liabilities and equity to be able to finance the assets. On the other hand, the balance sheet also shows in increase in accounts payable, line of credit payable and accrued expenses. The above increases would therefore warrant financial assistance from the Bank for the expansion of the business. With the loan, Jones will be allowed more flexibility in the operations of the business. He will then be able to increase his assets in the form of inventory and capital, which in turn will result in his business being in a better position to finance its operations. In addition, Jones Electrical will be able to benefit from the trade discounts which are offered by his suppliers because this arrangement would allow him to pay his creditors. They need the loan to help the company manage and expand its operations and pay off his debts. QUESTION 3 With respect to the early payment discount of only 2%, it is advisable that the Company, continue to credit its supplies and make alternative arrangements with respect of repayment to its suppliers. The company needs cash and the discount of the 2% does not put the company in a better financial position. It is always important to inject equity so that your company will be able to increase its assets, which will eventually lead to an increase in sales and revenue. Another issue is that with respect to the proposed growth of the company, Jones had predicted forecasting in sales to increase significantly therefore the urgent need for a very large cash flow into the company would help significantly. In 2006 Metropolitan Branch Bank issued a loan of $250,000 to Jones in order to finance its growth in sales. Heavy credit dependency on suppliers will continue to draw request for larger loans and Jones must keep its line of credit at a lower rate to increase cash flows. The risk in issuing a $350,000 loan with a company of Jones size could be decreased in hope of creating a long term relationship. Also, the company has also lowered the Cash Conversion Cycle from 100.12 days (during 2005) to 95.01 days (during 2006). In 2005, days payable outstanding was around ten days and fell under the discount agreement with suppliers. In 2006, the number of days it was taking Jones to repay its suppliers had increased to 24. The nominal cost lost in forgoing the discount was 37.2% of cost of goods sold, or $67,600. QUESTION 4 The line of credit can be lowered also by using a home equity loan in which Mr. Jones home is put up for collateral if he fails to make the payments. The line of credit you receive would be the net worth of your house minus the mortgage amount left on your home, which would be, $199,000 less $117,000 giving you a total of $82,000. When acquiring about a $350,000 loan being able to reduce that price by$82,000 is quite significant. After accepting a large loan of $350,000, the president of Jones Electrical Distribution, is going to have to make cut backs and changes in everyday life Jones Electrical forecasts predicted that its sales would increase with favourable prospects and at the same time the company was in dire need of a significant cash inflow. It is however advisable that Jones Electrical accepts the offer made by Southern Bank and Trust despite the specific restrictions that would be placed on the Company. This offer would provide for long term financing of the company and as a result the limitations with respect to borrowing would eventually be removed, thus enabling the Company to utilize the credit line specifically if it foresees forecast would be favourable. With the increase in bank borrowing, this can contribute to a number of aspects. One main aspect is the increase in sales, which in turn will result in increase revenue. Increase in bank borrowing can result in a decrease in cash flow and this will help them repay the loan. Another area of concern for us is your collections policy. We feel that if you enforced a more strict collections policy that it would improve other areas of your finances. By the looks of it, it appears that the lack of enforcement has deducted your available cash which has forced an inhibiti on of payment during the discount period on your credit line.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Economy of Uae

On what will the economy of the United Arab Emirates be based after the termination of oil resources? Among the independent states in the region of Persian Gulf, there are many countries which have achieved essential economics success, using the resource factor in their development. The Federation of the United Arab Emirates is considerably the best one. Owing to the richest oil deposits and the competent policy of using the given natural resources, it took them only 30 years to become one of the richest states in the world and reach the income level comparable with the highly developed countries.However, what will be the base of the UAE’s economy, when the world runs out of oil supplies? Before the discovery of oil and gas sources the Trucial States (which today form the UAE) had limited resources and its economy depended mainly on agriculture and the trade in pears, that is why that period reflected the state of a simple subsistence economy. Since 1970 the situation began to change. December 2, 1971 six of the seven emirates (the emirate Ras-al-Khaimah joined in 1972) announced the creation of the federation called the United Arab Emirates.This event coincided with a massive increase in oil production, followed by a further sharp rising of oil prices. This course of events allowed the UAE to achieve the economic prosperity. At the same time, the ruling Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, realizing that oil is a finite resource, commissioned to work out a plan which could reduce the dependence of the state on oil. The state budget revenue in 1980 was fully formed with the profits from oil and gas. However, it was decided to develop a plan of the diversification of economy.Trade and tourism were chosen as the general directions. From year to year, the dependence on petrol production in the state is increasing: in 1980 oil took about 80% of GDP, but today, according to a number of sources oil takes about 30 % of GDP. The reduction of oil industry is happen ing due to the intensive development of the following sectors: trade, tourism and construction activity. Transport infrastructure is fairly well-developed and the foreign investments are actively being involved to the economy. What is the future of the UAE?How is the economy of the state going to develop without oil, which supplies, according to Jack Gerard’s researches (2005) will be absolutely depleted in 50 years? What kind of challenges will the United Arab Emirates be forced to face? Every state is a part of the world community and problems which the world faces, sooner or later will be actual in a separate state. One of the world biggest threats is the food crisis. For some countries it is relevant today, for others it is something, which they will have to face in the nearest future.Every state that wants to get rid of this terrible problem should actively create alternative sources of energy and develop the agriculture, right now. The UAE is not an exception. The main problem the UAE faced on the way of developing this sector is climate. There is no doubt that the investment funds, emitted on the construction of desalination water factories, make the agriculture industry more independent. Unfortunately, that is not enough. While the state has the time and possibilities it is necessary to concentrate seriously on this problem.They have to coordinate the directions of the Science Researches and achieve the high level of different types of technologies that will help to improve the necessary sectors quickly. In the future UAE must become the leader in producing the food stuff and also dematerializing water. Time is flying but no one accepts the fact that soon people around the world will depend on the quality and quantity of water and food. Implementation of these plans will enable the UAE to become the highly industrial state in 21st century, regardless the oil. The production of food and water will definitely fix the state up with economical stabi lity.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

An Analysis of George Orwell’s “Why I Write”

George Orwell and Joan Didion, in their essay, â€Å"Why I Write,† imply that writing has affected each author to abdicate adversity and to accept failure. Orwell and Didion support their implications by explaining how each author attempted to embrace the abstract ideas in writing, but learned to view themselves as mediocre writers, neither good nor bad, whose self-reflection in writing produced a solemn atmosphere.Their purpose is to educate the reader on relevant motives and authenticity associated with writing to help them conceive a profound piece of work through self-reflection. Both authors establish a formal but moderately depressing tone, appealing to young Americans who hope to become writers.George Orwell, in the essay, â€Å"Why I Write† utilizes the rhetorical strategy of explanation in order to effectively deliver his message to the attending audience. Orwell, at first, introduces a statement about his childhood and his ambitious goals to become an inspirin g writer. Suffering from depression and solitude during his adolescent years, Orwell often constructed solemn pieces of literature in order to reflect upon his current lifestyle.This idea of self-reflection assisted Orwell in becoming an exalt writer. Through exemplification, Orwell introduced the â€Å"four great motives for writing.† Orwell reflects upon the subject of sheer egotism, arguing that writers often write to be remembered.The author further elaborates on this idea, stating that serious writers care more about personal self-reflection than making money. In the motive of aesthetic enthusiasm, Orwell views himself as a moderate writer, illustrating how writers make their writing sound and look good by appreciating the aesthetics.The author eventually provides an  example for these motives, by appealing to the pathos in his Spanish-civil war poem, often concentrating on emotion and expressing remorse. Through explanation, George Orwell was able to effectively deliv er his message to the attending audience.Joan didion, in the essay â€Å"Why I write,† utilizes the rhetorical strategy of explanation to appeal to her audience. Joan introduces her essay with the topic of self-reflection, by illustrating the act of saying I.In addition, Joan elaborates on this idea of self-reflection, explaining how writing allowed her to create a mind of abstract ideas. Similar to Orwell, Joan experienced several obstacles that impeded her writing. The author focuses on a particular issue, in which Didion became distracted while writing.The author reflects upon this idea, by providing an example of how her attention diverted simply to a â€Å"flowering pear outside her window† or the â€Å"lights on in the Bevatron† while writing at Berkley.Didion additionally conveys her attitude towards these distractions, often wondering why such events occur. As a result, Joan often ponders upon the abstract ideas in order to enhance her writing. Through t he use of explanation, Joan didion was able to effectively deliver her message to the attending audience.George Orwell and Joan didion, in their why I write, employ the rhetorical strategy of explanation in order effectively attend to their audience. Though each author provided examples in order to support their implication, their appeals to pathos and emphasis on pondering the abstract ideas in writing further attracted their audience.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Explore Shakespeare’s presentation of love in “As You Like It” Essay

Love has always been a foremost feature of the plays written by William Shakespeare and â€Å"As You Like It† is no exception with love regularly being represented throughout the play in a variety of ways. Just like in Shakespeares other works â€Å"As You Like It† is also broken down in to a main plot, which is then accompanied by smaller sub-plots that are scattered thorughout the play. Shakerspeare along with the play â€Å"As You Like It† skillfully uses these plots well to demonstrate various types of love. One variety of love that Shakespeare anylyses deeply is that of courtly love, whose ideas featured heavily around the fact that love brings suffering and agony to the lover and the theory that the male lover is controlled by his mistress to whom he must adhere to. Courtly Love had become a popular subject to write about during Shakespeare’s Elizabethan period and was also strongly evident in english literature for centuries previously. The concept of pastoral romance is also expressed in â€Å"As You Like It† , in which characters in rural countryside areas appear to act freely and joyfully , and this causes relationships to revel successfully and contently. In other words Pastoral romance seems to betray the countryside in stories as some sort of catalyst speeding up the progress and success of overall relationships. On the other hand life in the court seems to lack this optimism and instead living in developed areas (towns, villages, cities etc) seems to damage love between characters due to the stress and demand of court life. This type of romance is also strongly associated with disguise and the thought of characters falling in love with the opposite sex even when in disguise. The love in Shakespeare’s plays was recognised by the public of the Elizabethan period who had a good understanding about how genuine and pure love was between characters along with a good perception of the characters personalities (such as social status) just through the language they spoke during the play. The relationships in â€Å"As You Like It† are tested in one way or another, as most have to overcome obstacles and problems in order to succeed The particular relationships we see in the play symbolize and highlight the variant types of love that William Shakespeare wishes to explore. For example the familial love between the brothers of Orlando and Oliver, Duke Frederick and Duke Senior are emphasized due to the fact that both relationships are struggling and are under much tension when in normal circumstances you would presume this type of Familial relationship to prosper solidily, but alternatively have crumbled consistently. The relationship amid Orlando and his eldest borther, Oliver has reached an even more dire state, due to the recent event of their father Sir Rowland de Boys tragically dying for reasons unknown to us. Since this death of Sir Rowland de Boys Oliver and Orlando have been at conflict over the acts of Oliver who is restricting Orlando from receiving a gentleman’s education even though their father had wished him to have one. Both characters deal with this issue by becoming heated and ill-tempered towards each other. This is shown in Act 1 Scene 1 where Oliver says: â€Å"Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?† Oliver and Orlando’s relationship changes significantly during the course of the play and it is seen that the countryside and its links to pastoral romance are responsible for the reformation of their relationship. This is true because the turning point of their complex relationship takes place in the countryside to where Orlando’s act of decency, (when he saves Oliver’s life from a viscous Lioness) provokes Oliver to want to become a more amiable person. Also the romantic relationships of the brothers between Rosalind and Celia respectfully seems to show that the concept of pastoral romance is functioning between them and therefore causing them to be more loving people. Understandably this friendly environment causes their own familial relationship to blossom. This transformation in their relationship is represented well when Oliver is delivering Orlando’s bloody handkerchief to Ganymede in Act 4 Scene 2. In this scene he confesses about his shameful past by saying: â€Å"‘Twas I, but ’tis not I. I do not shame To tell you what I was, since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am.† This indicates that he is aware that he was in the wrong before, but now values and loves his younger brother, even more so that he obeyed Orlando’s order to deliver his handkerchief. Another familial relationship present in the play is that of Duke Senior and his younger brother Duke Frederick. This particular relationship is struggling due to the fact that Duke Senior has been exiled from the court by his usurping brother Duke Frederick. This unjustified act by Duke Frederick has left the two distant and bitter towards each other. This is shown in Act 2 Scene 3 when Duke Frederick is in the process of exiling Rosalind, the daughter of the banished Duke Senior. Duke Frederick’s tells Rosalind the reason for her being exiled is because: â€Å"Thou art thy father’s daughter. There’s enough.† This shows that there is obviously some hatred between the two brothers, especially on Duke Frederick’s part. Duke Senior and Duke Frederick react to this conflict in contrasting ways. Duke Senior seems to make the most out of the situation he has found himself in to positive effect. He does this to an extent that he’s actually enjoying life away from the court. On the other hand Duke Frederick deals with their dispute by becoming heated and showing irrational behavior (This is shown when out of blue he aggressively orders Rosalind to leave the court and even goes as far as saying he will kill her if she was not to obey) in play. The hatred of Duke Frederick towards Duke Senior is incredibly similar to that of Oliver towards to Orlando, in that there seems to be no obvious reason for why they should detest their brothers so much. But just like Oliver and Orlando, Duke Frederick and Duke Senior’s relationships turns around positively in the latter stages of the play. This turn of events is due to the remarkable change of mind from Duke Frederick who persuaded by an old religious man on the outskirts of the forest to not invade the Forest of Ardenne decides to conclude his search for his brother. Instead, as we’re told by Jacques de Boys in Act 5 Scene 4 that he: â€Å"After some question with him, was converted Both from his enterprise and from the world, His crown bequeathing to his banished brother, And all their lands restored to them again That were with him exiled† This act of love shown by Duke Frederick towards Duke Senior and his company could also be due to the powers the countryside possesses through pastoral romance. This could be explained by the way that Duke Frederick has a dramatic change of heart when entering the forest and he also wants to be â€Å"freed† from court life by deciding to join a monastery. A prominent relationship on display in â€Å"As You Like† is between the inseparable cousins that are Rosalind and Celia. This relationship is under strain mainly just because of the complications surrounding their father’s relationship. They have been brought in to the thick of their father’s own personal conflict due to Duke Frederick’s antics, referring to him wanting to exile Rosalind and consequently separate Rosalind and Celia. Rosalind and Celia respond to the antics of their fathers positively, by promising to each other that they’ll stand by each other religiously through the hard times that are facing them, causing them both to flee from the court together. This united type behavior form the cousins shows the audience that this love is extremely solid and their love for each other is cannot be doubted. This is shown when Celia responds to her fathers actions by saying to Rosalind in Act 1 Scene 3: â€Å"Prithee, be cheerful. Know’st thou not the duke Hath banished me, his daughter?† Furthermore Rosalind and Celia decide to overcome their complications by fleeing to the Forest of Ardenne to find refuge. This seems to work dividends, as when they are in the forest the pair seems more relaxed and joyful than they were when they were generating tentative feelings back at the court. This is shown through the way they act more freely and seem more comfortable expressing their views on topics than they were in the court. They also becoming more suspect to falling in love, and this shows in the way they fall in love with Orlando and Oliver. All this makes one presume that pastoral romance is in progress with this pair. A different type of alliance is show using Adam the servant and Orlando in the play â€Å"As You Like It†. Between these two characters is dutiful love shown from both sides. The obstacle that this exact relationships faces is down to the misbehavior shown from Orlando’s brother Oliver, who Adam says is plotting to kill Orlando. The pair then address this situation in the same way as Celia and Rosalind did, by escaping in to the forest. This is where Adam’s dutiful love is evident when he swears allegiance to Orlando in Act 2 Scene 3 by saying: â€Å"Here is the gold. All this I give you. Let me be your servant.† Theses words are very strong, as Adam shows he will give Orlando everything he has even his fortunes just so that Orlando is able to be content and safe. Further on in the play Orlando also shows loyalty pointing to Adam. This dutiful love is expressed in the way Orlando carries Adam in to shelter and vows to find his poorly servant food; he even makes a fool of himself in front of Duke Senior and his Lords purely in attempting to find his loyal servant some much-needed food. This dutiful love shown on Orlando’s part can be seen in the way he tells Adam in Act 2 Scene 6: â€Å"Come, I will bear thee to some shelter, and thou shalt not die for lack of a dinner if there live anything in this desert† Once again you can say that the concept of pastoral romance has left this pair living happily ever after as it looks to have solved all their problems, which they have now left at the court. A different relationship represented in â€Å"As You Like It† is that of Silvius and Phoebe. In this relationship the love is not shared from Phoebe in contrast to Silvius who seems to be suffering much grief and pain due to his immense and obsessive love for Phoebe. Both characters face their dispute concerning their conflicting views by becoming frustrated, Silvius because he cannot obtain Phoebe’s love and Phoebe because of Silvius constant pleas for her to welcome his fondness for her. The evidence to show that Phoebe does not show the same affection for Silvius can be seen when she comments on how much she’d rather not be in a romantic relationship with Silvius in Act 3 Scene 5 by saying to Celia (dressed as Ganymede): â€Å"Sweet youth, I pray you chide a year together. I had rather hear you chide than this man woo.† This idea that Silvius is suffering thanks to the elements of love is very similar to the objectives of courtly love. Obviously this situation proves problematic for it to be possible for Silvius’s and Pheobe’s relationship to advance, but a few twists occurring at the end of the play enable this couple to surprisingly tie the knot. The events which engineer Silvius and Phoebe to come together can be argued to be thanks to the pastoral romance theme, which is seen on a frequent basis in this play. This is true as pastoral romance is well known for its characters in disguise and it’s the disguise of Rosalind (Ganymede) that actually plays the vital role in bringing Silvius and Phoebe together. Thanks to Rosalind’s slyness Silvius finally is able to be with Phoebe and it seems that she shows some genuine affection towards Silvius. This is noticeable when she says in Act 5 Scene 4 to Silvius: â€Å"I will not eat my word. Now thou art mine, Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.† A relationship that does not develop until the tail end of the play â€Å"As You Like It† is between that of Oliver and Celia. Celia who is dressed up as Aliena looks to fall in love with Oliver at first sight and these provides an ironic end for the character Celia in the play. This is an accurate observation, because during the play Celia is seen teasing her dear friend Rosalind about the hastiness about her love for Orlando. This is another classic example of how pastoral romance is a striking feature of the play, because even though Celia has been ridiculing Rosalind love for Orlando it seems that even she is eventually bewitched by the powers of the countryside air and decides to marry a man whom she has just met. A unique relationship in the play is that of Pheobe and Ganymede. This is correct, as Phoebe is falling for Rosalind in disguise, without being informed. The relationship between these two characters is a clear example of the courtly love evident in â€Å"As You Like It†, because of the agony and frustration, which Pheobe endures due to her love Ganymede. Ganymede reacts to Phoebe;s attempts to win her heart by saying in Act 3 Scene 5: â€Å"I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine.† This dismissal of Phoebe’s love on Ganymede’s part shows that Ganymede has no interest in Phoebe at all, but despite this in true courtly love fashion Phoebe’s decides to persist with her quest to win Ganymede’s heart. In the end their relationship disintergrates when Phoebe says in Act 5 Scene 4: â€Å"If sight and shape be true, Why then, my love adieu.† The most influential relationship in the whole of the play is beyond doubt that of between Rosalind and Orlando. This is true, as this relationship seems to dictate the course of the storyline. This relationship falls down heavily in to the elements of stereotypical pastoral romantic stories. This is correct, as Orlando seems to endure a lot of agony and pain over the course of the play†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..I will finish this later In conclusion I believe Shakespeare has shown us that men actually behave in the same way as women when in love. The evidence ot prove this is the behaviour of most characters in the play. Most of these characters endure large amounts of suffering

Friday, September 13, 2019

Adidas Value Chain Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adidas Value Chain Analysis - Research Paper Example The value chain analysis of Adidas strongly borrows from Michael Porter’s perspective in that the company strongly maintains its primary activities since its beginning. For instance, the inbound and outbound logistics are increasingly strongly in the company and this ensures that it operates optimally in the current environment. Adidas Group has certain inbound logistics chain for raw material movement as well as un assembled products inside the organization. Further, the outbound systems logistics for finished products transportation is effective and timely. The main operations, sales, marketing, and related operations are increasingly strong and this has pushed the company to be the main sport industry in the sector. The team of researchers responsible for new and innovative product development and shifting market demands has been increasingly sustainable, and has assisted Adidas to maintain its position in the market and attain competitive advantage. Adidas Group has introd uced electronic sales, and continued to dominate the strategic marketing in e-sales. The company monitors service quality, staff training, and satisfaction of customers through the franchisees as a crucial aspect of value chain. Additionally, the supporting activities of Adidas Group, which includes procurements, research, human resource management and development as well as development of the company’s infrastructure and is well operated to ensure strong reputation of the company, value of the brand and status of market. Adidas mainly emphasize on materials procurement and all other activities related in the cost effective mode, making necessary use of worldwide strategies of off shoring and sourcing. For instance, Adidas Group put more emphasis, effort and resources on product innovation in ensuring competitive advantage in sport industry. Research and development will make the company produce better products and meet the goals and expected customer demands and preferences. Each year, the Adidas Group expands and procures new and innovative techniques to satisfy consumer needs. Similarly, Adidas has expanded some of its activities of manufacturing to nations such as China and Vietnam, considering c osts of labor. Additionally, the Adidas company workers are well treated and always satisfied, (Kaplinsky & University of Sussex. 2000). The organization believes that their workers an increasingly crucial resource for the organization and therefore, has a very string human resource management unit that performs activities such as recruitment, hiring, development, training, discipline, reward and dismissal of personnel. To attain employees’ welfare needs and attain the target in sporting product industry that is entirely depended on employees’ enthusiasm, well-being, and talents, the company boosts employees’ morale. This is done through compensations, medical insurance, and transport allowances. Moreover, Adidas

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Management Brief Essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The CEO Management - Research Paper Example Only a few decades ago, the people at the top of companies were called Managing Directors, now they have morphed into C.E.Os, and are expected to perform on a global stage. There is relentless scrutiny on what they do from shareholders, media and government (Tarpin 2006, p56). The change in the environment in which CEOs have to perform has necessitated a re-think of the whole experience of management and all the tenets that go into the successful running of a corporation. Among these are the decision-making process, managing information technology and picking up good examples from others and integrating them within the organization. In an age with so many pressures, is it realistic to have one person to be the face of a company or the one making all the decisions? There is no clear answer to this question. Different approaches have to be applied. In recent times, organizations have become ‘too big to fail’ it is unrealistic that all the important decisions must be made b y a single individual. It should be the case that an organization has several other people in its middle and upper ranks who are as knowledgeable as the leader of the organization so as to spread the burden of decision making. One of the renowned investors of worldwide, Warren Buffett once said that ‘every quarter a CEO is expected to land a 747 on a runway and have it come naturally to a stop six inches from a dime’. That is enough to demonstrate the high expectations CEOs are expected to fulfill. On the other hand, the case for iconic organizations being led by iconic individuals cannot be disputed. Steve Jobs is a good example. He alone is credited with making Apple the largest consumer electronic goods manufacturer. Ken Hopper in his book The Puritan Gift states that decisions are best made collectively. He refers to the collectivization of decision making as forming a kind of ‘fellowship’. The leader makes the ultimate call, but they have to come down and seek the opinion of members of the ‘fellowship’ before arriving at the final solution. (Hopper 2005, p64) As a result, organizations need no more be pyramidic structures but more of networks. The leader at the top of an organization does not have to be accountable for all the good and all the bad of the organization. Leaders should use the collective wisdom of the company, and even be ready to admit they do not know what a situation demands. They should collectively think and collectively approach an issue (Schermerhorn 2004, p40). This is a concept that traditional management could run a mile from, but as recent failure has shown us, new and radical approaches to management need to be explored. The decision-making process is not the only aspect of management that a leader of an organization engages. In today’s computer age, there is a torrent of information, all of which is demanding the organization’s leader attention. Vast organizations are being bu ilt on information to the extent that a few individuals view it as a currency or as a building block for a new economy. So, is too much information a promise or a threat? Well, that is part of what the leader of the organization has to determine. The catchphrase ‘information technology’ has really caught on, but it’s a fairly recent phenomenon.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Personal and Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Personal and Organizational Ethics - Essay Example Most of the organizations have company lawyers who advise them on how to function without breaking the law. The public relations office ensures that companies relate well with other organizations. Despite the growing competition, companies and organizations should maintain originality of ideas and products in the market (Velasquez, 2006). Everyone in the business world must have basic managerial skills that will enable each one to perform their delegations in the organization well (McDaniel, 2004). Currently am serving as the quality assurance manager of an industrial company. This is a demanding position and the concepts learned in this course have been effective in helping me develop a personal code of ethics. I have also developed a vision mission statement that serves as a guideline to keep me always in conformity with the organizational ethics. As a manager, I have a strong value system and the most important of these values is always upholding my integrity. In performing all my managerial duties, I make sure that I do not compromise with my integrity as this reflects the inner person in me and an individual without integrity is not worth holding a post in society. Upholding integrity entails doing what is right irrespective of the cost. When dealing with other employees, I try my best to remain fair and understanding but never to allow compromise on my integrity. Honesty is another value that I practice in my daily work. Irrespective of the situation, I am honest to myself and to others. An individual must accept the realities that cannot change from deep within and this involves accepting weaknesses and appreciating strengths. From such serenity, an individual can practice honesty to others. Sometimes I make mistakes and I try to be honest enough to accept these as well as listen to advice even from my juniors. Management requires one to be a good team player (Velasquez, 2006). A good manager must understand the strengths and weaknesses of his or her tea m members and be able to bring out the best in them. Since this position is not about me, but rather the people at my service, I ensure that I delegate duties according to abilities of different employees. I give them opportunities to take challenges that present chances for growth in terms of acquiring new skills. The team members must grow and become better people in terms of personality and professionalism and therefore I have a great challenge of ensuring that delegation of duties presents each member with an equal opportunity to grow. I am a friendly individual and this has helped me greatly. All the employees feel free to approach me and share their concerns. I try to understand their issues and discuss with them possible solutions. It is not only about being friendly and understanding, but solving issues of employees requires one to be reasonable. Rationality helps in balancing the interests of the organization and those of an employee so that none of them suffers. This trait is of great use when dealing with clients and other corporate. However, I never let friendships affect decision-making; instead, I have learned to maintain good professional relationships with fellow employees. Communication is the most important aspect in the smooth running of activities. To be an effective manager I have to listen to ideas and