Operations And Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operations And Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Sydney is one of the most famous metropolitan, multi-ethnic, and cosmopolitan cities in Australia that comes under the location in the southeast portion of Australia. Moreover, it is considered one of the largest cities in Australia with a population of more than four million residents, which has also been popular for being a vivacious, dynamic, and lively city. It is a very diverse city with respect to its population where people of Australian, English, Scottish, Irish, and Chinese heritage are the usual inhabitants. Moreover, people from various other countries such as United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Philippines and few other are also migrated and live as the natives of Sydney.The topography of Sydney, Australia reveals the truth that locality comes under the surrounding by several national parks, coastal regions that incorporate rivers, bays, and beaches. Furthermore, it has also involved itself in sports activities and events and hosted quite a few out of them. The climatic c onditions of Sydney demonstrate the fact that it usually has a moderate and self-controlled climate with warm summers and mild winters; however, the city experiences the rainfall all over the year (Robinson & Bachman, 2000).One of the leading and vital reasons to open up the chain of hypermarket in Sydney is due to the reason that it has come under-recognition in the world rankings for its economic innovations. Moreover, Sydney contributes a huge proportion of the total GDP of the country. According to the statistics, Sydney has also gained the reputation as a worldwide center for commerce, arts, culture, music, and quite a few other aspects. Sydney has become a hub for the multinational corporations and top organizations including banks and shopping malls. Moreover, Sydney has become a place with major worldwide brand name labels (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2000). Therefore, it can come to the conclusion that the cream of the crop people is mainly the residents of Sydney. According to the information and facts of Sydney, it is significantly one of the most expensive cities in the world with a very high cost of living. However, this is one of the crucial reasons

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay Example for Free

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay This paper tries to point out the differences between what it means to know and to understand. These two subjects are preliquisite of one another in that it is impossible to understand what one does not know. The paper also outlines how these two subjects impart on teaching in our schools. Most of the schools teach by what is popularly known as, to learn by rote, which according to Webster’s dictionary, is to learn by memory alone without comprehension or thought. Key words: Understanding, Knowing KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The Difference between Knowing and Understanding The difference between knowing and understanding is evident. Knowing is akin to simply memorizing something and is a precursor for understanding. Understanding means that you can apply the knowledge that you have. Knowledge is absorption of data and understanding uses the knowledge as a foundation. It implies therefore, that understanding is absent without knowledge. It’s possible to know something without necessarily understanding it. For instance one may know that for living things to grow, they require nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and others, but they may not understand how this nutrient brings about growth. Wiggins and McTighe (2006) explains that to truly understand something, we must know it instinctively more than just being able to recite facts or theory, and do it unconsciously. When we know something, we can understand the concepts through practice and gaining experience. The ultimate purpose of learning in school is to understand important concepts in addition to knowing them. Students should be given an opportunity to practice the knowledge they have gained in class so that they can gain new skills and have an in depth understanding of the material that learn. This is because to understand something means that you can teach it, explain it and defend it. You can also connect any information that is related to it. This is only gained through practice and experience (Wiggins et al. , 2006). Teachers should teach their students to understand concepts, rather than presenting them with facts that are going to help them pass their exams. The reason for this is that the student is not able to grasp the concepts intellectually, and therefore they forget the material in long term. In order to understand concepts, we work against obstacles that limit our understanding such as beliefs, unproved theories and taboos set out by our cultural backgrounds. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The idea of education as a technique to sharpen intellectual discipline, to nurture higher cultural wellbeing or teach civic principals has simply vanished. To effectively deliver knowledge, teachers must ensure that their students understand the material. This can be achieved by setting up a curriculum that draws on an array of skills, stressing thinking and analysis over the rote of memorization. According to Wiggins et al. (2006), there are six facets of understanding; explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge. Any one of facets provides knowledge, but a masterly of all of them ensures understanding of any material. In essence teaching should be aimed at understanding, since retaining facts is much easier when you see how they fit into a larger picture that makes sense. To educate is to deliver knowledge in an understandable form which should be our main role as educators. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING Reference Wiggins, G. , McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding by Design. (2ed. ). Upper Saddle River; New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Leadership In The Small Business

Leadership In The Small Business Leadership is one of the important factors for the survival and success of entrepreneurial ventures. During the second half of the 20th century, there were a lot of literatures about leadership emanating from the United States. However, these researches mainly focused on the leadership in large companies and organizations. How relevant is the picture for small and medium business? Does the experience or lessons of large companies and organizations on management adapt to the small and medium business? These questions have attracted more attentions due to the development of the small and medium business. The definition of the small business varies in different countries and even in different industries. But the small business holds an important position for the development of domestic economy and even the global economy. Therefore, it is essential for scholars on management to study the leadership in the small business. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the importance of leadership in the small business in order to provide some suggestions for the small business on leadership. There are six parts in this essay. The first part is a brief introduction consisting of the writing significance, the writing purpose and the structure of this essay. The second part of this essay will introduce the leadership and its functions. The essay will introduce the small business and its features in the third part. The main part of this essay is the fourth part, where the importance of leadership in the small business will be analyzed, including the leadership in small business and the significance of leadership in the small business. And the fifth part will provide some recommendations to leaders in small business for bringing a success to their own companies in the future. And a conclusion will be made in the end. 2. Leadership and Its Functions This essay will represent some relevant knowledge about leadership and its function in this part. 2.1 The definition of Leadership Leadership is one of the most important factors for the development of each company and organization. Lots of researchers on entrepreneurship use the terms management and leadership interchangeably. However, the leaders and managers are not necessarily the same (Johnson, 2013). And according to Johnson (2013), the main distinction between leaders and managers are that the leaders have some followers they can inspire to action, but the managers have some resources that they can allocate. Therefore, the leadership can be regarded as a process by which the leaders take some measures to influence the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors of others (Mills, 2005). 2.2 The Types of leadership style Different types of leadership styles exist in the work environments. And each leadership style has the advantages and disadvantages. And the culture and goals of an organization are the two important factors to determine which leadership style is appropriate for the company or organization best (Johnson, 2013). In the following, this essay will introduce the leadership styles in a vague and general way. The leadership styles include the laissez-faire leadership style, the autocratic leadership style, the participative leadership style, the transactional leadership style, the transformational leadership style, etc (Goleman, 2000). The laissez-faire leaders often allow their employees to work by themselves. And sometimes the managers do not have enough control over their work and their people (Taleghani, Salmani and Taatian, 2010). The laissez-faire leaders will give complete freedom to their employees to do the work. However, in the autocratic leadership style, the leaders have complete power over their employees and the employees have few opportunities to make suggestions (Travis, 2013). In the transactional leadership, the employees will follow their leaders when their leaders distribute tasks to them, and therefore, the transactional leadership focuses on the short-term tasks (Taleghani, Salmani and Taatian, 2010). Whats more, a transformational leader pays more attention to the employees higher needs, such as fulfillment or justice (Travis, 2013). 2.3 The functions Significance of leadership Since leadership plays an important role on the success of companies and organizations, the functions cannot be belittled. The leadership functions are related with the functions of leaders management. The leaders have to set the goals for companies, motivate and inspire their subordinates, make plans for companies for more profits, and this essay will analyze the functions of leadership from these perspectives. 2.3.1 To develop company culture One of the functions of leadership is to create and develop company culture. The employees may perform as a team or perform as individuals. If the companys tasks need cooperation between employees, the leaders should implement some measures and adopt relevant policies to make employees to cooperate with each other, under which circumstance, the cooperation will become one key aspect of company culture. 2.3.2 To ensure the effectiveness of group-effort By management, the leaders should delegate the authority to take measures to make employees to contribute the maximum energy and time to jobs and the achievement of objectives of the companies (HubPages, 2013). Meanwhile, by management, the leaders can ensure the availability of resources and make sure that the resources can be used to the largest extent. 2.3.3 To make plans for the companies The leaders and employees need to aware of the schedule and their own responsibilities to complete the achievement, and then the leaders make plans for the company to ensure that the company can gain more achievement. 3. Small Business and Its features This essay has introduced the definition and functions of leadership in the second part. Simultaneously, the previous studies on leadership mainly focus on the large enterprises. Therefore, it is very important for researchers to analyze the leadership in the small business. Before this, this essay will mainly introduce the small business and its features in a vague and general way. 3.1 The definition of small business In accordance with the United States Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, more than 99.5% of all U.S. firms are small business (Cooper, 2013). Although the definition varies from industry to industry and is different in different countries, the small business refers to that the firms are with less than 500 employees in general issued by the United States Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy (Cooper, 2013). In Australia, the small businesses always refer to the companies with less than 100 employees (Gray, Densten Sarros, 2003). 3.2 The history of small business It is reasonable to gain the conclusion that the small business holds an important position for the development of gross economy from the statistics issued by the United States Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. And since the definition of small business varies from country to country, and therefore, the history of small business is also different in different countries. For example, the origin of small business can date back to the 17th century in the USA (U.S. Department of State, 2013). And in China, the origin of small business can date back to the 14th-15th century. In one word, the small business has a long history. 3.3 What are the features of small business? In order to analyze the importance of leadership in the business small business, the researchers should make acquaintance with the features of small business. Firstly, generally, the business owners always are the leaders of the companies or organizations (Vitez, 2013). The business owners have to make plans and set goals for the companies and organizations (Vitez, 2013). Secondly, due to its size and investment capitals, the small business always have limited resources and low-end technology, so it is difficult for the small business to compete with large enterprises and even the medium business. According to Vitez (2013), the operational management is one the most important parts for the small business management and due to the size, the small businesses are easier to operate. 3.4 The current issues on management faced by small business Small businesses always are confronted with lots of problems related to their size and limited investment technology. This essay will mainly analyze the current issues on management faced by small businesses. Firstly, because the small business owners must be the leaders of companies or organizations, the business owners have to pay more attention to the needs of their company on talents, the establishments of companies goals and other works, and due to the limitation of energy, the management of small businesses may be into chaos. Secondly, because of the limited capitals, it is difficult for small business to adopt the newest technology, so they may adopt lower-end management technology. The above-mentioned contents also can illustrate the necessity to update the leadership in the small businesses. 4. The Importance of Leadership in the Small Business This essay has introduced the functions of leadership and the features and the current management issues of small business. In this part, this essay will analyze the importance of leadership in the small business. And at first, this essay will represent the leadership in the small business, where the features of leadership in the small businesses compared with big and medium size enterprises. 4.1 Leadership in Small Business Due to its size of small business, the owners of the small business must be the leaders of the companies or organizations and the small business is easier to operate. There are some distinctive features of the leadership in small business. Firstly, the owners of the small business always provide the mission, values and goals for the small business (Vitez, 2013). And the owners should run the company and lead other employees to achieve the goals of company. Therefore, the leadership in small business demands the owners of small business to work through employees, not around them (Vitez, 2013). Secondly, the owners of small business also should attach importance on the human resource needs of their own companies or organizations. The recruitment of employees holds a key position for the development and expansion of every company and organization. Therefore, the leadership in the small business also requires the owners of the small business to lead the employees. Different from the human resource management, the owner of the small business should directly understand the current job market and the salary standard for different job positions (Dalglish, 2003). Meanwhile, the owner also should train new employees directly (Dalglish, 2003). Thirdly, the owners of the small business often are the leaders, and therefore, there are few other leaders in the small business. As a result, unlike the leaders in the large companies or organizations, the leaders in the small business should make decisions on the development and expansion on their own (Dalglish, 2003). Whats more, unlike th e large companies or organizations, the owners of the small business should pay attention to the cash flow, paying bills, collecting money from customers. Simultaneously, the owners of the small business should make decision in accordance with the accounting information. All in all, the owners of the small business are also the leaders in the small business. Unlike the leaders of the large companies and organizations, the leaders in the small business should make themselves acquaintance with business knowledge in various fields. 4.2 Significance of leadership in the Small Business It is reasonable to gain the conclusion that the leadership in the small business is very important and significant from the analysis in the prior parts. In this part, this essay will mainly analyze the significance of leadership in the small business from some perspectives. 4.2.1 To Help the Small Business to Win the Competition in the Market When researchers analyze the development and survival of the small business, they often attach importance on the entrepreneurial activity as a strategy to offset economic deterioration brought about by globalization. Under the circumstance of globalization, the small businesses are in an increasingly competitive market (Bolden and Terry, 2000). For example, in the study made by Centre for Leadership Studies, all the interviewed small businesses held the opinion that when they operate in the global market, they must gain competitive threats in every direction (2000). However, good leadership can help the small business to win the competition in the market because they the good leadership can make appropriate strategies to develop and attract more talents to work for them. On the contrary, if the leaders in the small businesses make inappropriate or wrong strategies to develop their business, they may fail the competition in the market and even go bankruptcy (Ingram, 2013). For example , the Apple Inc was a small business, and even just a workshop at the beginning and now has become a well-known high-tech company due to the management of Jobs Stevens. In one word, the leadership can enhance the small businesses to win the competition in the market. 4.2.2 To Manage Changes Because continuous organizational change is essential to guarantee the development and survival of the small businesses (Bolden and Terry, 2000), if there is no change happening to the small businesses, they may go backwards. Simultaneously, the organizational culture of change can be considered as one of the most important factors to the development and survival of the small businesses (Abbas and Asghar, 2010). As a result, the main task for the leaders is to develop an organizational culture of change within the organization. Whats more, if the leaders do not have the ability to develop the culture of change within the organizations and companies, the small businesses cannot adapt to the changeable environment. Due to the development of the globalization, there are more changes happening to the market for the small businesses, for example, the introduction of technologies, the competition from the international companies and the increase of comprehensive talents, etc. Therefore, th e leadership is very important for the small businesses to manage changes within the organizations and outside the organizations. 4.2.3 To Overcome the Current Restriction, Barriers and Weaknesses According to the study made by the Centre for Leadership Studies (2000), the increasing level of legislation and regulation are the main barriers to growth and competitiveness by the leaders in the small businesses, especially the leaders in the manufacturing industry (p.14). Due to the increase of the small businesses in the market, the governments issued some policies and regulations to specify the development of the small businesses, which can be regarded as one of the main current restrictions. Meanwhile, due to its size and scale, there are some their own defects for the small businesses. For example, the location of the small businesses may be more distant from the markets compared to the large companies or organizations, and the small businesses cannot attract more talents like the large enterprises because the small businesses may have better reputations. Therefore, the leaders in the small businesses should take some measures to overcome the current restrictions, barriers an d weaknesses. 4.2.4 To Deal with the Potential Threats and Challenges There is a wide agreement that the small businesses are confronted with some potential threats and challenges, such as that it is difficult for the small businesses to acquire more advanced technologies and more qualified staffs to work for them (Chen, 2006). Meanwhile, because the small businesses may not have better reputations and cannot provide higher salaries to the employees, the small businesses can not retain existing employees (Bolden and Terry, 2000). Meanwhile, the financial factor is also one of the main threats and challenges for the small businesses due to the shortage of cash flow and the threats of bad debtors (Gartenstein, 2013). Whats more, due to the limitation of capitals and staffs, the small businesses may have no money and energy to spend on innovation, which may cause them to fail the competition in the market. As a result, one of the main tasks for the leaders in the small businesses is to deal with the potential threats and challenges. Thus, the good entrepreneurial activities can help the small businesses to transfer the potential challenges as the strengths for the small businesses. 4.2.5 To Strengthen Company Advantages Although there are some limitations and challenges of the small businesses, the small businesses also have some advantages, such as that the small businesses are easier to operate (Vitez, 2013). Moreover, the owners of the small businesses attach importance on the relationships between customers and make every effort to understand the supply and demands in the market. The other perceived strengths of the small businesses include that the small businesses is flexible to response the change in the market and have the ability to make their own decisions. Whats more, the staffs in the small businesses can interact with the senior directors and managers directly (Bolden and Terry, 2000). Simultaneously, all the employees in the small businesses know one another, which makes it easier to cooperate with each other. All of the above-mentioned contents are the advantages of the small businesses, and therefore, the good entrepreneurial activities can strengthen the company advantages. 4.2.6 To make correct development strategies and the ways forward Nearly all the companies and organizations should make development strategies and plans aiming at company growth. And most of the companies always achieve the growth of companies through building the company and increasing the profitability (Williams, 2013). As a result, the companies should implement some measures to build the company and increase the profitability. Under this circumstance, the leaders in the small businesses should make correct development strategies and the ways forward. However, some small companies do not have any correct development strategies. For example, in the study made by the Centre for Leadership Studies (2000), among the 12 interviewed companies, the leaders in the company 9 stated that this company did not have a documented strategy although they would like to become the most profitable company in the UK. Therefore, if the company wants to grow, it should maintain correct development strategies. On the contrary, the company 2 took a conscious decision on the commercial side and then gained more markets in the competition from other small businesses (Bolden and Terry, 2000). This essay has introduced that there are some challenges faced by the small businesses in the part 4.2.4. Some small businesses make strategies to deal with the challenges, such as that a number of companies make every effort to keep up-to-date technology (Taleghani, Salmani and Taatian, 2010). For example, the famous high-tech company in the USA, Apple Inc, was a small company at the beginning and now its products have been used all of the world due to the correct development strategies made by Jobs Stevens. Therefore, the leadership can enhance the small business to own correct development strategies and ways forward. 4.2.7 To make appropriate HRM policies to attract more talents Almost all the companies considered that the staff as one of the most important resource although the small business generally employ less than a hundred people (BusinessBlogs, 2010). The number of employees in the small businesses is not insignificant but the appropriate human resources management policies and activities can help in streamlining the function of human resource of the small businesses (BusinessBlogs, 2010). Human resource can be the vital assets of each company. Therefore, human resource management can benefit every small business. Generally speaking, a company in the small business mainly consists of less than 1000 employees, and the operation of the small business should obey the rules and regulations established by the authorities. The appropriate human resource management policies may grant equal rights to employees (Buzzle, 2013). Simultaneously, the appropriate human resource management policies also can help in recruitment and motivation of best talents in the industry (Buzzle, 2013). Whats more, the appropriate human resource management policies can act as a guide for the small businesses to establish professional relationships with employees (Buzzle, 2013). On the contrary, the inappropriate human resource management policies may make employees disappointed. For example, a Chinese small company, Ganzhou JB Magneto-Electricity Limited Liability Company has attached importance on the establishment of human resource management policies, for example, the leaders of this company adopts the differentiation salary incentive mechanism to attract more talents (Yang, 2008). Therefore, the leadership is very important because the leaders can make appropriate HRM policies to attract more talents and employees. 5. Recommendations to leaders in the Small Business The prior part of this essay has introduced the significance of the leadership in the small businesses, and therefore it is essential for the leaders to improve the management strategies. Under this circumstance, in this part, this essay will provide some recommendations to leaders in the small businesses. 5.1 To Communicate with Employees The leaders in the small businesses should communicate with employees in order to implement leadership. The leaders should communicate exactly what they are doing and what they will do in the future (Wictor, 2012). The leaders can take email and written announcement to notice the employees. Meanwhile, the leaders in the small business can prepare and hold some meetings to make clear agenda items and clear next steps to employees. For example, the Zappos Company always provides open letters to staffs. Whats more, the leaders should explain to staff about companys tasks and business and the people should not be managed without notice. 5.2 To Believe in the Employees However, before communicating with employees, the leaders in the small businesses should believe in the employees because the employees in the small business should be noticed about the goals of companies. Whats more, if the leaders believe in the employees, the employees will have the opinions that they are serving for themselves. If the leaders believe in the employees, the employees will actively understand and fulfill the specific roles of their own (Smith, 2013). 5.3 To Promote Innovation During the current society, the technology is very important for the development and survival of the small businesses, and therefore, the leaders in the small businesses should promote innovation. Firstly, the leaders in the small businesses should hire people smarter than themselves (Smith, 2013). Secondly, the leaders should spend more time, energy and money promoting innovation. For example, the leaders can learn about the advanced technologies from large enterprises and even go aboard to introduce higher technologies into their own companies and organizations. 5.4 To Try to Predict the Obstacles Nowadays, due to the development of the small businesses and the appearance of more small businesses, some authorities have issued some regulations and laws to slow the development of the small businesses. Meanwhile, the small businesses have some limitations and deficiencies, and therefore, the small businesses are confronted with some challenges and threats. Under this circumstance, the leaders should try to predict the obstacles and then to deal with these threats and challenges. 5.5 To Make Plans The leaders should make plans through taking time for a regular evaluation and analyzing the general and exact situation inside and outside the small businesses. The leaders should be good in crises so that they should not sit around to let crises develop (Dowell, 2013). The leaders should involve identifying potential problems and solving them before the crises develop further and deep (McQuerrey, 2013). Meanwhile, the good leaders should analyze the plans and adapt the plans to new circumstances and opportunities (Dowell, 2013). 6. Conclusion The small businesses have different definitions in different countries and industries but in general, the small businesses have less than 500 employees in the USA. The small business has a long history and plays an important role in the development of domestic and international economy. However, the small business has some deficiencies and due to its size and investment capitals, the small business always have limited resources and low-end technology, so it is difficult for the small business to compete with large enterprises and even the medium business. And leadership is one of the most important factors in the survival and success of entrepreneurial ventures. Thus, if the small business wants to achieve development, the leaders should pay more attention to the establish leadership and take more and better entrepreneurial activities because the leadership can enhance the small companies and organizations to win the competition in the market, to overcome the deficiencies, to strengthen the advantages and even help small businesses to make correct strategies. In conclusion, the leaders in the small business should believe in the employees and communicate with them in order to establish leadership in the small businesses.

Portraying the Urban Envirnoment Through the Film Entre Nos Essays

The film Entre Nos has many global issues related to it such as how to succeed in new urban environment, surviving through a close knit of friendship while being unknown in a big city, and dense urban environments. Entre Nos demonstrates how living in a dense urban neighborhood is hard because the population is so high which makes it harder to get jobs and find housing. The film also demonstrates how having a close knit of friends in a big city can be beneficial and can help you succeed in the urban environment. The struggles of immigration are affiliated to Entre Nos along with the article â€Å"The Urban Prospect† by Lewis Mumford which discusses the population crisis in the dense urban environment. A dense urban neighborhood is defined as a geographically connected area with a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile. Entre Nos takes place in Queens, New York which is the fourth-most densely populated county in the United States. Living in such a populated area can cause many issues within itself but increases if you are not familiar with the area like Mariana and her children were in the film. Since there are so many people in these dense neighborhoods, work and living arrangements are hard to come by. With work, people in the general work force in the United States want someone educated who can speak English fluently. This is hard for people of immigration because the majorities of them are foreign and are having to pick up the language of English. The education part is also hard because normally they have been working all of their lives to support their families and so education was neither a necessity nor time manageable. In the article â€Å"The Urban Prospect† Lewis Mumford states â€Å"Given the high densities for... ...ck into our economy. In conclusion, Entre Nos demonstrated that the population in a dense urban neighborhood is the cause of the housing and work force being low. Without proper education and fluency in the English language, it is harder to become successful in the United States. The film also demonstrates how having a close friend while living in the big city can help you in the long run. Fellow immigrants are trying to work with each other not in competition. They share their experience and their knowledge with one another. The struggle of immigrants was the last issue that arose. While many immigrants are coming here to seek fulfillment in their lives, Americans have such a negative outlook on them that they are not willing to help them. They see them are thieves for taking our money rather than hard working people trying to create a better life for themselves.

Characters in Mayor of Casterbridge and Frankenstein Essay

I am going to use Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero in order to ascertain whether the main characters in Mayor of character of Michael Henchard as a tragic hero as he adopts fatal flaws which result in an eventual downfall. He then recognises his faults and inspires pity from the reader. This novel was first Casterbridge and Frankenstein can be viewed as tragic heroes. Hardy presents the published on the 2nd January 1886. To date, his fictional writing had received mixed reviews but this particular novel was well received by his contemporaries and critics alike and given high marks. In Hardy’s autobiography it states, â€Å"Others thought better of it than he did himself.† Mary Shelley’s fictional novel, Frankenstein was first published in 1818. In this novel I have focused Victor Frankenstein, the main character, and have studied him thoroughly throughout the events in the novel. There is an ongoing and controversial debate as to who actually is the tragic hero of the novel as both Victor Frankenstein and the monster both qualify. In this essay, I will discuss this view and indicate who I believe to be the tragic hero. The first element I will look at is Harmartia which is Greek, meaning fatal or tragic flaw of judgement. In the novel, Henchard makes many fatal flaws which, in turn, causes the occurrence of other tragic events. I will concentrate on his first flaw which we come across right at the beginning of the novel. Henchard actually sells his own wife and infant daughter at a furmity tent while he is in a totally drunken state despite being disapproved of alcohol consumption by his wife. His flaws in being disobedient and inconsiderate are completely evident when he shouts, â€Å"Will anybody buy her?† This not only humiliates Susan, his wife, but also shows us a very bitter side to his character which is most definitely flawed. According to Samuel Pyeatt Menefee, â€Å"Contemporary critics who could not believe, apparently, that such transactions had ever occurred on English soil in the nineteenth century.† Hardy surprises the audience as well as the critics with the use of thi s plot device and gives the audience something to look forward to later in the novel. The flaw of consuming alcohol itself is a tragic flaw as it leads him to insult and blame his wife during her presence and makes drastic decisions. Hardy also describes Henchard as a â€Å"women-hater† which shows us that he has little respect for the opposite sex and thinks that they limit his opportunities of being successful. This is also corresponds to what happened at the furmity tent with his wife and shows his attitude clearly towards women. From this we can see that extreme hatred is definitely one of his flaws.   In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is considered to be a tragic hero as he fits in the mould of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Frankenstein’s tragic flaw is that he is overpowered by his ambitions and aspirations which drives him to create the monster. This is highly evident when he says, â€Å"when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy.† This shows how he is driven by success and ambition and shows that his creation means everything to him. Critique, Anne K Mellor states â€Å"Frankenstein has clear ly substituted his scientific research for normal emotional interactions† in her thesis (Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fictions, Her Monsters (1988). This not only supports the fact that Frankenstein has flaws but also introduces the fresh idea of ignorance in Frankenstein which could be a potential and hidden tragic flaw. He also attempts to play god and mess with the beauty of nature which results in something extremely ugly. This is explored through after creating the monster, Frankenstein is unable to face the consequences of his own scientific actions and rejects the monster. It is evident that Frankenstein was only concerned about the outer beauty and we see this when he says â€Å"breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.† This expresses his emotions towards his own creation and highlights his error of judgement which proves that Frankenstein himself had flaws. Peripeteia is a Greek element which involves a tragic downfall of character. As we have already established, Henchard has many flaws which start a chain of downfalls for him in the novel. The first fall he experiences is when he loses Donald Farfrae as both a manager and a friend. This impacts on Henchard’s business greatly as Farfrae is a great asset to the business as a result of his rational decision-making. Due to Henchard’s flaw of jealousy, he loses Farfrae in both of these capacities. Henchard then proceeds to make very bad business decisions which result in bankruptcy and the eventual loss of the business. Just as we believe that he has nothing left to lose, we are surprised when his secret is revealed in court by the furmity women. The secret, of selling his wife and daughter, is now revealed. This then effects Henchard further as he loses his house, his position as Mayor of Casterbridge and loses his reputation within the community. Eventually, we see Henchard depicted as a beggar during the Royal’s visit and is described as wea ring â€Å"fretted and weather-beaten garments of bygone years†. This description contrasts greatly with Hardy’s earlier description of Henchard’s clothing when he first becomes Mayor of Casterbridge. This contrast shows exactly how much of a downfall he has suffered. In comparison, Frankenstein also has downfalls which are caused by his own actions. Frankenstein suffers emotionally when he loses his wife Elizabeth and his friend Clerval as the monster kills them both which in turn, kills his own happiness. He expresses his â€Å"Overflowing misery† and â€Å"Agony of despair† and this is an indication that he is suffering and the great pain he feels. The word â€Å"overflowing† also implies that the grief he is trying to endure can no longer be contained and that his misery is reaching insurmountable levels within him. The phrase â€Å"Agony of despair† also gives the impression that his tolerance towards his own unhappiness will be prolonged, permanent and everlasting. The third element I will look at is Anagnorisis which is Greek for recognition of fatal flaw of character. In mayor of Casterbridge, Henchard falls from a high social status to a low one but does become aware of his fatal flaws and wrong-doings to others. The first flaw he admits to is selling Susan in the furmity tent in front of a court of magistrates .This is apparent when he says in court â€Å"‘Tis as true as the light.† This quote shows how Henchard realises the mistake he made with Susan and surprises the reader with this truthful attitude. Here, we see him in a different light from the character we have witnessed and come to know. It also causes confusion for the reader as to why he actually told the truth at this point when he knows that it can remain concealed. Similarly, the element of realising own tragic flaws is present in Frankenstein but instead Frankenstein realises when it’s too late. After the death of several people, he realises that his own cr eation was a mistake and that he only deserves the same fate as those the monster had killed. He describes himself as being â€Å"Unfeeling, heartless creator!† This indicates that he regrets making the monster which contrasts with his attitude at the beginning when he is driven by excessive curiosity. Frankenstein also admits that he cannot play God through the quote â€Å"Fright must it be, for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.† The quote is his own realization that he, in his arrogance had mocked God, because the only consequence that can be had by playing God is frightful. It is true to say that Victor Frankenstein realises that his own creation was a mistake and that, as a consequence, he too deserves the same fate as those his monster has killed. He describes himself as being â€Å"Unfeeling, heartless creator!† This indicates that he regrets making the monster which contrasts with his attitude at the beginning where he was wholly driven by excessive ambition and curiosity. However, Unlike Henchard, it is evident that Victor has learned little from the suffering he has caused. This lack of self-awareness is indicated before his death when he speaks of â€Å"Another† who â€Å"may succeed.† This implies that he doesn’t recognise his flaws completely. or fear by the character. Despite his bitter character portrayal, Hardy also tries to create an innocent side Catharsis is an element of the tragic hero which is evident in the character of Michael Henchard. This forth element is Greek and it means to inspire pity ewual amount of sympathy towards the character. We come across this when Henchard states, â€Å"Here and everywhere are folk dying before their time like frosted leaves, though wanted by the world, the country, and their own families, as badly as can be; while I, an outcast and an encumbrance, wanted by nobody, I live on, and can’t die if I try.† Henchard feels like an outcast; no one cares whether he lives or die s, and yet he â€Å"lives on.† He uses the simile of â€Å"frosted leaves† to describe people â€Å"dying before their time,† perhaps because people have as little control over their deaths as they do over the weather. Henchard mainly inspires pity towards the end of the novel when he dies and leaves a will behind for his daughter and Farfrae. In this will he expresses his feelings of regret and starts to show that he thinks of others before himself. This is evident in the will when it states â€Å"that no man remembers me.† This particular line in the will is the last line of all of his other wishes that are completely selfless and expresses the hatred towards himself. This inspires pity in the reader as we feel a great amount of sympathy for Henchard when he wishes that no one would know and commemorate him regardless of his death. Henchard’s final will and testament sums up the dissatisfaction of his life. He doesn’t want to be remembered or mourned; he doesn’t even want a grave marker. In Frankenstein, the character of victor Frankenstein doesn’t entirely create sympathy for himself as he is responsible for his own actions but there are other things that we might empathise with. Frankenstein’s character shows determination and works hard when trying to create the monster. This is evident when he states â€Å"I failed; yet still I clung on to the hope.† For obvious reasons, his hard work was not reflected which is apparent upon seeing the monster. We can somewhat relate to this as he worked so hard and spent much time on his creation but the desired results were not shown at the end. This is where we might feel sympathy for him. Overall, in my opinion I believe that both characters adopt the necessary characteristics in becoming a tragic hero as they both fit in the mould of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Both characters do have fatal flaws and make errors of judgement which cause them to suffer a downfall in society. The characters then recognise their flaws and realise the wrongs they have done and try to make amends. They also inspire pity or fear, but in these cases, I feel sympathy for both characters, particularly, Henchard as we see a drastic change in personality from the beginning to the end.

Joshua MacAnespie Art History Course Project Essays

Joshua MacAnespie Art History Course Project Essays Joshua MacAnespie Art History Course Project Essay Joshua MacAnespie Art History Course Project Essay Essay Topic: Cane Consider the following questions: How do artists use their media, tools, and creativity to express the period in which they live and work? How do political events such as war, peace, and changes in political power effect the art of the time? How do cultural and religious beliefs shape the artistic expression of the time? How do advances in technology affect the artistic expression of the time? Step 1 Go to the Virtual Diego Riviera Web Museum and explore the murals of Diego Riviera. Note how various murals by Riviera express the artistic style and the historical, political, cultural, and religious influences of the time. Formulate your thoughts and opinions and note specific images that represent your ideas. Step 2 Go to Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo and explore the works of art. Note how Michelangelo work expresses the artistic style and the step 3 Develop an outline for your presentation: Title your presentation (include your name as the presenter and the date of the presentation). Clearly define the historical time in which each artist worked. Clearly define and contrast the political influences on each artist and his works. Clearly define and contrast the cultural and religious influences on each artist. Clearly define and contrast the artists artistic styles, including their use of media. Summarize your points in the conclusion. Step 4 Create your presentation. It should be approximately 20 minutes long. If you use slides as a visual for your presentation, include about 15 to 20 slides. Allot your time as follows: Introduction: about 2 minutes (1 to 2 slides) Defining the historical period of Michelangelo: about 2 minutes (1 to 2 slides) Defining the historical period of Diego Riviera: about 2 minutes (1 to 2 slides) Comparing and contrasting the political influences on the artists: about 4 minutes (3 to 4 slides) Comparing and contrasting the cultural and religious influences on the artists: about 4 minutes (3 to 4 slides) Comparing and contrasting the artistic styles of the artists: about 3 minutes (2 o 3 slides) Summarizing your conclusions: about 3 minutes (1 to 3 slides) Visit this website about creating and delivering a presentation for help in organizing writing, and delivering your presentation. Step 5 Edit your presentation to make sure it is accurate complete supported by details interesting and engaging Step 6 Deliver your presentation. The two artists, Michelangelo and Diego Riviera are very different. But similar in some key features that you may not have known about. How are they similar, you ask? Well, read on below and you will find the answer that you seek! Because these artists were way before you or I were born. Michelangelo was born in 1475, which should make you feel young comparing to him. Anyway on to our main topics since I seem to be boring you with this intro. So yes, again, Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 near Razor, Tuscany, Italy. He was once a talent artist. He did painting, sculptures, architect designs, poetry, and engineering during the Renaissance Era! Although at a young age, his mother died and because of his liking in art, he was beaten. When he turned 13 he became an apprentice for the painter Domenici Giordano. During this time he was living beside the conflicts of the wars between Spain and France. During this Renaissance was a time of coming out of the dark. It was the rebirth of education, science, art, literature, music, and better lives for the people. The era that bridged between the Middle and Modern Times started with the collapse of the Roman Empire. Part of this was also called the Dark Ages because so much of what was learned became lost knowledge. Diego Riviera was born in Conjugate, Mexico on December 8, 1886. During his lifetime he became a well acknowledged muralist His style mainly retained cubism, which is a type of art that is broken up, analyzed, and reassembled in abstract form. He participated in the founding of the Revolutionary union of Technical Workers, Painters, and sculptors in 1922. Later on he enlisted in the Mexican Communist Party. The Mexican Revolution in 1914-1915 strongly influenced him. So did the Russian Revolution in 1917. Diego was searching for a new style of painting, once that could show the complicated of his day and still reach a wide audience. It wasnt until be started to study the Renaissance frescoes of Italy that he found his medium. Mexican culture and history constituted the major themes and influence on Rivers art The political impact on Michelangelo was that many of his ideas were influenced by Neo-Platonism (which is a modern term used to determine the period of Platonic philosophy beginning with the work of Plotting and ending with the closing of the Platonic Academy by the Emperor Justinian in 529 C. E. ) Michelangelo three principles were: the One, the Intellect, and the Soul. He had more of a religious inspiration rather than political. During his time in the Mexican Communist Party, he became a political activist. The style of his art reflects the working class scenes that reflect his party as well. When he was married, his work started to become less political and more casual. His wife, Friday, used the styles of surrealism and symbolism. The religious impact on Michelangelo was major. His biggest works were David and the Sistine Chapel. David was based on the fable tale of David and the Goliath. The Sistine Chapel ex. bits Michelangelo knowledge of the Bible and Roman Catholic Doctrine. Many other works include the Pieta, Mannerist, Last Judgment Evaluation Rubric Criteria Quality Yes! Yes, but No, but No The introduction communicated the main points of the presentation in a clear, accurate, and interesting way. The introduction communicated the main points of the presentation but lacked some clarity or information. The introduction communicated some key points but missed others. The introduction didnt communicate the main points of the presentation. Body of presentation The body of the presentation made the main points accurately, had a clear and ordered structure, and provided supporting details. The body of the presentation made the main points but lacked some clarity, structure, or purporting details. The body of the presentation made some key points but missed other important points or lacked supporting detail. The body of the presentation missed the main points of the purpose of the presentation. Summary and conclusion The presentation summarized the main points and concluded in an effective way. The presentation had a conclusion, but it could have been more effective or complete. The presentation had a conclusion, but it was not effective. The presentation did not have a conclusion. Language The presentation was well written and delivered in an interesting and effective way. The presentation was accurate but the writing was not interesting and effective. The presentation was somewhat accurate but was poorly written and presented. The presentation was inaccurate and was poorly written and presented. Overall evaluation The presentation did a good job of answering the project questions and was interesting, informative, and engaging. The presentation answered most of the key project questions but could have been more complete and engaging. The presentation answered some of the key project questions but lacked interest. The presentation did not accurately answer the key project questions.

The Hundred Secret Senses essays

The Hundred Secret Senses essays In 'the hundred secret senses? by Amy Tan, it slowly shows how Olivia's character portrays the sister she was cut out to be. Amy Tan makes the readers recognize how Olivia treated her half-sister, Kwan and also how she progressed with her relationship towards Kwan. Olivia somewhat treated Kwan with disrespect, for example, she would tell her stupid meanings of things that did not make sense because she felt irritated or annoyed by her company. Olivia basically only thought of her own needs and was deeply frustrated with Kwan living with the family but there would be times when Olivia would feel for her and treat her with respect. In the beginning of the story, Olivia was very young and confused. She had lost her father at such a young age and did not understand why he had died. Her father's last wish to the mother was to look for his daughter, Kwan, whom he has not seen and bring her to live in America. Kwan was not that excited about having a new sister living in the house. She thought that her mother would have less time for her. Kwan's relationship with Olivia was thought to be wonderful for her. On the other hand, Olivia was practically annoyed and irritated by Kwan and her stories. Their relationship grew in ways that were unexplainable because of Olivia's actions towards Kwan. But I thought those actions of hers was her way of saying that she loved Kwan very much! Kwan was more like a mother for Olivia since her mom was hardly around. Kwan took care of Olivia through out the whole story. Olivia tried to be distant with Kwan as they grew older but Kwan always insisted on getting together or just making surprise visits. The tremendous outcome where Kwan and Olivia's relationship with each other even more or it deepened was when they had gone to China (Simon, Kwan, and Olivia) together. A terrible thing had happened when they had arrived in China and were on their way to Changmain to vis ...

History of the First Clocks

History of the First Clocks It wasn’t until somewhat recently- at least in terms of human history- that people felt the need to know the time of day. Great civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa first initiated clock making some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago.  With their attendant bureaucracies and formal religions, these cultures found a need to organize their time more efficiently. The Elements of a Clock   All clocks must have two basic components:  They must have a regular, constant or repetitive process or action by which  to mark off equal increments of time. Early examples of such processes include the movement of the sun across the sky, candles marked in increments, oil lamps with marked reservoirs, sandglasses or hourglasses,† and, in the Orient, small stone or metal mazes filled with incense that would burn at a certain pace. Clocks must also have a means of keeping track of the increments of time and be able to  display the result. The history of timekeeping is the story of the search for ever more consistent actions or processes to regulate the rate of a clock. Obelisks   The  Egyptians were among the first  to formally divide their days into parts resembling hours. Obelisks- slender, tapering, four-sided monuments- were built as early as 3500 BCE. Their moving shadows formed a kind of sundial, enabling citizens to partition the day into two parts by indicating noon. They also showed the years longest and shortest days when the shadow at noon was the shortest or longest of the year. Later, markers were added around the base of the monument to indicate further time subdivisions. Other Sun Clocks   Another Egyptian shadow clock or sundial came into use around 1500 BCE to measure the passage of hours. This device divided a sunlit day into 10 parts, plus two twilight hours in the morning and evening. When the long stem with five variably spaced marks was oriented east and west in the morning, an elevated crossbar on the east end cast a moving shadow over the marks. At noon, the device was turned in the opposite direction to measure the afternoon hours. The merkhet, the oldest known astronomical tool, was an Egyptian development around 600 BCE. Two merkhets were used to establish a north-south line by lining them up with the Pole Star. They could then be used to mark off nighttime hours by determining when certain other stars crossed the meridian. In the quest for more year-round accuracy, sundials evolved from flat horizontal or vertical plates to forms that were more elaborate. One version was the hemispherical dial, a bowl-shaped depression cut into a block of stone that  carried a central vertical gnomon or pointer and was scribed with sets of hour lines. The hemicycle, said to have been invented around 300 BCE, removed the useless half of the hemisphere to give an appearance of a half-bowl cut into the edge of a square block. By 30 BCE, Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius could describe 13 different sundial styles in use in Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy. Water Clocks   Water clocks were among the earliest timekeepers that did not depend on the observation of celestial bodies. One of the oldest was found in the tomb of Amenhotep I who was buried around 1500 BCE. Later named clepsydras or water thieves† by the Greeks who began using them around 325 BCE, these were stone vessels with sloping sides that allowed water to drip at a nearly constant rate from a small hole near the bottom.   Other clepsydras were cylindrical or bowl-shaped containers designed to slowly fill with water coming in at a constant rate. Markings on the inside surfaces measured the passage of hours as the water level reached them. These clocks were used to determine hours at night, but they may have been used in daylight as well. Another version consisted of a metal bowl with a hole in the bottom. The bowl would fill and sink in a certain time when placed in a container of water. These are still in use in North Africa in the 21st century.   More elaborate and impressive mechanized water clocks were developed between 100 BCE and 500 CE by Greek and Roman horologists and astronomers. The added complexity was aimed at making the flow more constant by regulating the pressure of the water and at providing fancier displays of the passage of time. Some water clocks rang bells and gongs. Others opened doors and windows to show little figures of people or moved pointers, dials, and astrological models of the universe. The rate of flow of water is very difficult to control accurately, so a clock based on that flow could never achieve excellent accuracy. People were naturally led to other approaches. Mechanized Clocks   A Greek astronomer, Andronikos, supervised the construction of the Tower of the Winds in Athens in the first century BCE. This octagonal structure showed both sundials and mechanical hour indicators. It featured a 24-hour mechanized clepsydra and indicators for the eight winds from which the tower got its name. It displayed the seasons of the year and astrological dates and periods. The Romans also developed mechanized clepsydras, but their complexity accomplished little improvement over simpler methods for determining the passage of time. In the Far East, mechanized astronomical/astrological clock making developed from 200 to 1300 CE. Third-century Chinese clepsydras drove various mechanisms that illustrated astronomical phenomena. One of the most elaborate clock towers was built by Su Sung and his associates in 1088 CE. Su Sungs mechanism incorporated a water-driven escapement invented around 725 CE. The Su Sung clock tower, over 30 feet tall, possessed a bronze power-driven armillary sphere  for observations, an automatically rotating celestial globe, and five front panels with doors that permitted the viewing of changing manikins which rang bells or gongs. It held tablets indicating the hour or other special times of the day.

Creating the Decision Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Creating the Decision Environment - Essay Example Groupthink occurs when the group is highly cohesive and when they are pressured to make better decisions .this occurs when pressure from the unanimity seem to be more influential. Additionally, the group pressure leads to carelessness and irrational thought since the groups experiencing the considerable group thinking fails to take the alternative as they seek to maintain unanimity. Most decisions that are shaped by group thinking have a lower probability of achieving successful results. Group thinking has become a consequential phenomenon that occurs because of the desired groups being in a consensus and therefore overriding the people’s common sense. The desire to represent the alternative and assessing critically the position, at the same time expressing the unpopular view of the group. The desires of the group that come into a common cohesion cause a very effective drive upon a good decision making strategy and an appropriate style to solve any arising problems. When pressures for unanimity seem overwhelming, members are less motivated to reasonably consider the alternative courses of action available to them.  These group pressures lead to carelessness and irrational thinking since groups experiencing groupthink fail to consider all alternatives and seek to maintain unanimity. In fact, groupthink is not commonly recognized in that Groupthink is a behavior that is found in some situations or even across several types of groups in the team settings. It is therefore important to look out for the key symptoms as group thinking involves the following symptoms: After a number of successes the group starts feeling like any decision that they make is the best and the most right one because of the common disagreement from any other source. The brainstorming technique has helped in allowing the ideas to flow freely with no disapproval. Peer pressure expresses itself in and opposing opinion of the team members and questions that are rationale behind their

City of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

City of God - Essay Example This paper will examine the planning dynamics of the urban setting with keen interest in the importance of education, the nature and role of government in public housing, youth engagement in crime, slum livelihood, social networks and the general environment of a slum in an urban area. Social networking is a major determiner of the attributes that people will develop, especially the youth. In the movie, youths are portrayed to hang out together in the slum region of Rio. These is a common scene in many areas of the slum as youths idle around and run errands for criminal gangs or conduct independent criminal maneuvers. Interaction within the slum setting helps in spreading the vice of criminality. The process of initiating young boys to crime is clearly depicted in the movie where a young boy is told to kill other young men to prove his commitment. That is a rite of passage in a group of young men who fancy getting money through criminal activities. It is the people that young men interact with and the glorification of criminality in the urban setting that makes the young population view it as the only means of making a living. From the film, social networking has created a culture that glorifies criminal ways of making a living or name in the society. It is a wide spread notion that crime can be very rewarding though full of risks. Murder and drug abuse seem not to bother the conscience of the youth in the favelas. The magnitude of the consequences has been reduced by circles of interaction in the setting ("In the Violent Favelas of Brazil by Suketu Mehta | The New York Review of Books"). The importance of education is a key element for emphasis in urban planning. The importance of this cannot be downplayed since the resulting behaviors of the residents depends on it. In the Movie City of God, it is evident that lack of education is catastrophic. According to the reasoning of Steak & Fries, a character in the

Hrm case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hrm case study - Essay Example Conclusion 9 1.1 Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to critically analyze the business operations of ‘High Street Heaven’ which is a high street retail store chain that has proved to be quite successful. Owing to the global economic scenario however, the retailer has been experiencing difficulties and facing problems in meeting its strategic goals. 1.2 Introduction The first part of the paper will discuss the problems being faced by High Street Heaven in meeting its strategic objectives, this discussion will be followed by recognizing the areas of strength for the retailer as well its opportunities. In conclusion, the report will put forward applicable plans of action and recommendations that are backed by extensive research and literature to suggest what the business can do in order to address its organizational issues. These recommendations and suggestions will specifically be in the context of how the Human Resources division of the business can contribut e in tackling the challenges being faced by the organization. 1.3 Strategic Objectives of the Business Before the problems and challenges being faced by High Street Heaven are identified it is important to establish the strategic objectives of the business, according to Bartol and Martin (2005) objectives and goals that are said to be strategic are extensive aims that are developed by the top management. Shrivastava (1987) suggests that the importance of these objectives is such that they include fundamental aspects related to the survival of even the most prolific businesses; therefore, the setting of strategic objectives is not only limited to small and medium enterprises but each and every organization, regardless of its size and scale of operations. From a market standing High Street Heaven seeks to focus on growth and expansion by stepping into the markets of 8 major cities in the United Kingdom by 2017. In analyzing the problems and challenges that the achievement of this stra tegic objective faces, it is imperative that the organizational and environmental factors of the retailer that are posing probable challenges should be analyzed. 2. Discussion of findings from SWOT and PESTLE analysis – Problems and Challenges A SWOT helps managers to understand the threats and weaknesses of a business along with its strengths and opportunities (Bartol and Martin, 2006). Anthony (2008) adds that another important tool in the overall assessment of the general environment is that of the PESTLE analysis, which focuses on political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that have a significant impact not only on the operations of a business but in the achievement of its strategic objectives. As this part of the report focuses mainly on the challenges being faced by the High Street Heaven, the threats and weaknesses of the organization would be assessed first along with an understanding of the shape of its general environment. 2.1 Proble m/Challenge A – The Global Economic Downturn From an external perspective, the business faces the global economic downturn which poses a grave threat to the prosperity of the retailer and its plans for expansion. Sloman (2005) reports that an economy in recession sees minimal growth or no growth and in turbulent scenarios the prevailing economic situation can even cause the overall output to diminish. This certainly is an alarming situation for the high street retailer owing to its primary

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 Essay

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 (United Kingdom only) - Essay Example Recent studies like the one above demonstrate the persistence of discrimination within the justice system. Attempts are presently being made to counteract the serious joint problems of discrimination and oppression with youth justice. Notions of justice and equality are at the heart of the reforms currently being implemented within the Youth Justice System (Dugmore, et.al 2006). Although the promotion of equality and anti-discrimination measures are not new to the Youth Justice System – they have in fact been under implementation for more than four years – these initiatives are important because they seek to tackle significant institutional issues such as discrimination against visible minorities within the UK’s Youth Justice Arena. Seeking to address the evolution of Youth Justice initiatives, this essay will discuss what has been introduced and evaluate the originality of these new initiatives. Accordingly, we will explore the principles underpinning the initiatives and discuss the consequences of these initiatives for both society and young people within the Youth Justice realm. The effectiveness of these initiatives in dealing with the problem of youth crime will be analyzed and we will critically evaluate what is missing from youth justice provision. Our analysis will focus primarily on the anti-discrimination measures presently being implemented in the United Kingdom’s Youth Justice System and key terms, including discrimination, exclusion, racism, sexism, prejudice, diversity and labelling will be defined to help outline the parameters of this essay. The legal framework for the application of anti-discriminatory practice in youth justice will be elaborated upon and followed by an analysis of the representation of individuals and groups within the Youth Justice System. Finally, this essay will consider why it is

Application and Technology Architectures Assignment

Application and Technology Architectures - Assignment Example Various research and anecdotal evidence is directed to software aging as a common element, in which the software state system degrades over time. Data corruption, exhaustion of system resources, and numerical error are the main signs of degradation of software performance, hang failure, or other effects. Software rejuvenation is a proactive method intended to lower the probability of unplanned outages because of aging. When the implementation plan for RPS materializes for the next a half decade it can reach new levels in business and survive in the market. RPS application architecture The Reliable Pharmaceutical Service has many existing systems and documents that undergo reviews. The company’s team will come up with the model of the entire organization. The application architecture for Reliable Pharmaceutical Service will help the company to map the business and operation functions that it performs. Additionally, the architecture shows the data type the entire company uses an d creates. The application architecture examines each and every location where the function of the business is carried out. Therefore, the plan puts together various integrated information system for the company. In addition, the architecture outlines the series required to implement the needed systems. For instance, the architecture has development and supply chain management (CSM). This is because knowledge management is one of the crucial factors in a pharmaceutical company. Real-time, customer integration, online, external service, and suppliers providers helps the company to have good customer connection with the suppliers, service providers, and customers (Fowler, 2003). The crucial components of CSM, especially the inventory management components, need further scrutiny before the support system for the customers project can begin. Other features captured in the application architecture include the accounting and finance (payroll, accounts payable, and billing), and marketing (investor relations, customer acquisition, and customer relations). The customer support system will implement the fulfillment system and order-processing that integrates the supply chain management to support web-based ordering, phone, and development of custom in-house. The retail store system is to replace the present retail store system that can be integrated with the customer support system. The human resources in the plan are to buy the package solution, to maximize the access of employees to benefits information, human resource procedures, and human resource forms. The accounting/ finance in the plan are to buy a package solution to maximize the access of the employee to financial record for control and planning (â€Å"Application architecture guide†, 2009). The figure below is an application architecture plan for RPS for the next five years. RPS technology architecture Reliable Pharmaceutical Service defines the technology architecture plan based on their information systems required. The plan includes the communication network, software and hardware needed to implement all the planned systems. The company looked at the technology trends and made commitment to technology vendors and other specific technologies. Creating the technology plan creates a comprehensive information for planning projects that would solve all the problems that the managers of

What is leadership ability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is leadership ability - Essay Example This ability involves exercising leadership skills and potentials over the subjects. If a person, for instance, has poor leadership ability, he or she will not be able to organize the subjects into maximized output. The lack of influence over the lead group will be an obstacle towards exploiting the capacity of the group towards output. A leader with strong leadership ability can on the other hand easily influence his group towards solving even difficult problems through motivational qualities. As a result, leadership ability is a measurable quantity that is determinable through its results. As Maxwell explains, effectiveness in organizational output is a result of leadership ability and is associated with measurable output values. A poor level of leadership ability therefore implies poor effectiveness into lower output of an organization while an effective leadership influences group members into high group effectiveness (Maxwell,

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 Essay

Write a report on the condition of Youth Justice Provision in 2009 (United Kingdom only) - Essay Example Recent studies like the one above demonstrate the persistence of discrimination within the justice system. Attempts are presently being made to counteract the serious joint problems of discrimination and oppression with youth justice. Notions of justice and equality are at the heart of the reforms currently being implemented within the Youth Justice System (Dugmore, et.al 2006). Although the promotion of equality and anti-discrimination measures are not new to the Youth Justice System – they have in fact been under implementation for more than four years – these initiatives are important because they seek to tackle significant institutional issues such as discrimination against visible minorities within the UK’s Youth Justice Arena. Seeking to address the evolution of Youth Justice initiatives, this essay will discuss what has been introduced and evaluate the originality of these new initiatives. Accordingly, we will explore the principles underpinning the initiatives and discuss the consequences of these initiatives for both society and young people within the Youth Justice realm. The effectiveness of these initiatives in dealing with the problem of youth crime will be analyzed and we will critically evaluate what is missing from youth justice provision. Our analysis will focus primarily on the anti-discrimination measures presently being implemented in the United Kingdom’s Youth Justice System and key terms, including discrimination, exclusion, racism, sexism, prejudice, diversity and labelling will be defined to help outline the parameters of this essay. The legal framework for the application of anti-discriminatory practice in youth justice will be elaborated upon and followed by an analysis of the representation of individuals and groups within the Youth Justice System. Finally, this essay will consider why it is

What is leadership ability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is leadership ability - Essay Example This ability involves exercising leadership skills and potentials over the subjects. If a person, for instance, has poor leadership ability, he or she will not be able to organize the subjects into maximized output. The lack of influence over the lead group will be an obstacle towards exploiting the capacity of the group towards output. A leader with strong leadership ability can on the other hand easily influence his group towards solving even difficult problems through motivational qualities. As a result, leadership ability is a measurable quantity that is determinable through its results. As Maxwell explains, effectiveness in organizational output is a result of leadership ability and is associated with measurable output values. A poor level of leadership ability therefore implies poor effectiveness into lower output of an organization while an effective leadership influences group members into high group effectiveness (Maxwell,

Tea Leaves Essay Example for Free

Tea Leaves Essay Fuente 4th block 18 February 2013 Divination by Tea Leaves The divination of tea leaves began in the 17th century when tea became a very popular drink. As people began drinking their tea, they came up with tasseomancy, or tasseography, which is just a type of tea leaf divination. People prefer divination by tea leaves because it is the easiest and most accessible for everyday people. It is a form of scyring. First of all, Tea is poured into a cup without a strainer, and the inquirer contemplates their issue and then drinks all the tea. With the moisture left in the cup, they then spin the leaves three times clockwise and turn the cup upside down. Then someone reads the pattern of the tea leaves and determines the inquirers fortune, be it good or bad. Many people do not use this form of divination for it takes more psychic ability than non-psychic. You read the symbols based on standard interpretations. It’s said that the closer to the rim the leaves are, the sooner they are to happen. The rim is labeled as the future, whereas the bottom of the cup is the distant future or the outcome of your conflict. The only problem is that there are different systems of symbolic interpretations. Choosing the right type of tea leaf divination is key to becoming comfortable with the system and get accurate readings. However, divination isn’t used to make your decision for you. Divination is merely used to help inspire you in making your own decisions. The tea leaves seen can be depicted in different ways depending on how open your imagination is. As said above, there are many different ways that you can read your tea leaves. You just have to find the one that is suitable for your situation and make sure you keep an open imagination. Works Cited www. divinationbytealeaves. com www. wicca-spirituality. com .

Effects of Outdoor Play on Child Development

Effects of Outdoor Play on Child Development The aim of this project is to explore the effect of outdoor play on childrens social, emotional and physical development. According to Bruce (2004) play is probably one of the least understood aspects of an early-childhood practitioners work (p.135). The conceptualisation of play is shared by many other early childhood practitioners for whom play is considered essential, as an activity promoting learning (p.135). Outdoor play is a much needed activity in the early childhood. You may have come across a child playing and you are sure he/she is having a fun time. Therefore, play is the building block of a childs intellectual skills. Through play child develops social, emotional and physical skills. The outdoors according to Letter Wyver (2008) presents obvious opportunities to move and be active, and for children to discover and engage with the natural environment, as well as the chance for open ended activities such as sand water play, construction and pretend play. According to Hutt et al (1989, p.10) the emotional and social development of pre-school children depends crucially upon play while Penn (2008) asserts that to learn about child development is to learn about Piaget (p.41). As Piaget focused on how children acquire knowledge, he tried to understand how children change the way they think, how babies show intense reactions to external stimuli them (Penn, 2008). Ibid (2008) asserts that it was Piaget who provided a theoretical legitimating of learning through play. In addition, Berk (2009), Keenan (2002) Bruce (2004) are firm believers that children actively explore their environment and are influential in shaping their own knowledge. They believe that it was through social interaction with more experienced and more knowledgeable members of the society parents, relatives, teachers, peers etc. that children are able to acquire the knowledge and skills that a culture deems to be important According to Bruce (2004) there is no clear definition for play. It is still an umbrella world (Ibid, 1991), while other early childhood practitioners defined play as childs work. Play is primary way children express their social nature (Strickland et al, 2003). Ibid (2003) argued that all kids enjoy playing alone some of the time; while some prefer to play with others (social play) much of the time. Play is an integral part of learning. Piaget defined play as a kind of scientific rehearsal (Penn, 2008; p.43). While Bitton (2010) stated that play offers a meaningful context for children and that it is only when a situation has meaning and purpose that children can function at a higher level (p.49). Childrens emotions are ways in which they react to situations while social development refers to how they get alone with peers and form relationships (Ashiabi, 2007). Furthermore, emotional and social developments are linked because childrens social interactions are usually emotionally cha rged (Ibid, 2007). To clearly explore the role of outdoor play on social, emotional and physical development. Strickland et al (2003) asserts that outdoor play is critical to the social development of 3-4 year old children, and to girls in particular when it comes to building self confidence (p.2). In addition, children learn to be more empathy and less egocentric through play and they develop more skills for coping with conflict while boys tend to engage in more social dramatic outdoor play than indoors; outdoor play allows boys who are more physical to assume leadership roles (Srickland, 2002) and perhaps get more positive affirmation than they do inside. White (2007) confirmed that when given the choice, the outdoors is where most children want to be and playing outdoors is preferable to indoors. In support of this argument, Eustice Heald (1992) argued that outdoor play is an extension of classroom activities which summarises the beliefs of early year management that children learn best by explorin g, investigating and solving problems outdoors (p.7). While Alfano (2010) asserts that playing outdoors is a form of exercise that promotes well-being and wholesome physical developments; and that children are naturally drawn to active play outdoors. One of the obvious benefits of getting kids outside to play is the increased exercise they will be getting as opposed to setting in front of the T.V. or computer. Most early years scholars have also assert that when children play outdoors they are developing mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. This view is supported by Johnson et al (2002) that children gain lots of opportunities outside to develop basic social skills and social competencies e.g. running, jumping cycling, hide and seek, sing; sensing, make noise, make mess, crawl, and explore the natural world unchallenged. While Brice (2004) viewed that through play, children develop initiative and are strengthened to face challenges in life (p.134). More so, playing outdoors reduces stress in kids. Children express and work out emotional aspects of everyday experiences through unstructured play (Levesque. 2011). Whilst Strickland (2002) argued that there are also opportunities for emotional development as children test their limit and challenge themselves to try things that may be just at the edge of their reach Moreover, most theorists found that pretend play outdoors was the most dominant form of play (Bulton, 2002). Perhaps thats why theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky assert that pretend play provides children with opportunities to practice grown up and perspective talking (Ashiabi, 2007; p.2002). Also, in pretend play a child is always above his average age (Penn, 2008; p.44) and above their daily behaviour. In addition, Wyver Little (2008) asserts that play also facilitates language development, creative thinking and problem-solving; and helps children deal with complex and competing emotions. In view of the above statement, parents should allow their children play with other children because it helps in the emotional and social development. Although social and emotional benefits of outdoor play may not be in clear cut, one benefit from research is that it allows kids to move freely, make noise and self-express themselves in ways that many not be encouraging inside. Outside play encourages logical thinking and the ability to reason through highly interactive activities such as building sand-castles, playing games with friends, playing puzzles with friends etc. Time spent outside with peers helps to create social skills that are needed for great healthy friendship (Brouillette, 2010). While Froebal cited by Bruce (2004) stated that play is the highest level of learning.activities of the child (p.132). While Siraj-Blatchford et al (2002) cited by Bruce (2004) shows that the richest play is found especially in nursery schools. According to Little Wyver (2008) the significanc e of outdoor play as an essential part of every childs life has also been acknowledged by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31 supports a childs right to rest and leisure, and to participate in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child. There are other reasons why playing outdoor is important for children, according to Stewart (2010) when children play outside, they are more likely to maintain a healthy weight because they get the chance to burn off extra calories by running, jumping, climbing, riding bikes, yelling etc. which can also lead to better sleep. Also, the above exercise help children to develop small and large muscles, strengthened bones, increases flexibility, fine and gross motor skills and improves their overall health (Ibid, 2010). In addition, outdoor play is important in early childhood because it helps in the physical development of the child as obesity is a common problem among children today (Pillar, 2010). Therefore, engaging in outdoor play helps in preventing childhood obesity. More so, Vitamin D is essential for the skin and can only be derived by playing outdoors as it is impossible to get an adequate amount from food and vitamins alone. Getting kids outdoor increases the exposure to sun and their natural production of Vitamin D. In contrary to the above advantages of outdoor play, White (2007) argued that today it seems that the motivation for childrens outdoor play has declined because global society is very busy in its day-to-day activities and over protected parents. Furthermore, many school age children have too much homework after school, therefore having less time for outdoor play. Whilst those without homework are too busy/lazy watching T.V, playing computer games, or pre-occupied chatting with friends on-line. Lastly, some parents are too busy with work and other activities (watching T.V, Football, cooking) to see to their childrens adequate outdoor play. Some parents are so paranoid that every man outside the street with big glasses/spectacles is a pervert or paedophile waiting to attack or abduct their children as they play outside. Furthermore, social and environmental factors have greatly impacted on childrens opportunities for outdoors play. Little Wyver (2008) asserts that where once children may have spent time playing in the street riding bicycle, playing chasing games, and hide seek etc, increased traffic has made these areas and play opportunities off-limits for children as the changes are far too great. Children are now confined to classroom, backyards or local parks for relatively safe places to play. Also, Ibid (2008) stated that increase demand for housing in many areas, particularly urban areas, is eroding childrens play ground. Lastly, according to Johnson et al (2005) providing for outdoor play needs for children is a complex and challenging task. A variety of factors must be considered, including the various play needs of young children, supervision, safety etc. while many educators, politicians, and parents believe outdoor play takes time away from academic activities; as a result, recess and physical education in many schools is limited or totally eradicated (Sutterby Frost, 2002 cited by Johnson et al, 2005).

Use of Metaphor in The Big Sleep :: sleep

Use of Metaphor in The Big Sleep Raymond Chandler wrote The Big Sleep as a piece of hard boiled detective fiction. This style was a reaction to the high style of detective stories such as those involving Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple. Writers often set hard boiled detective novels in a gritty world where everyone has a past. In The Big Sleep, Chandler keeps this edgy, lower class tone right down to the objects he utilizes for comparisons in his metaphors. Chandler is highly precise in his word choice and diction. Through his language his is able to craft a world that I as the reader am able to visualize. When I see this world, I see a black and white world filled with real characters who live life on the mean side of the streets. When I first read The Big Sleep as a reader who pays little attention to style, I was practically unaware of Chandler's precision in creating this mental image for his reader. However upon a second read, I began to notice that the reason I was able to have such a vivid mental image of this hard edged world is that Chandler's detail and imagery maintains this picture right down to his metaphors. Part of the attempt of hard boiled detective novels is to be more realistic partly in response to the audience the fiction was being written for which was a more working class audience that read magazines in which these writers often published this fiction. So, Chandler to be true to both his audience and the genre utilizes commonplace objects in his metaphors. This can be seen in metaphors such as "like the buzzing of bees" (218) which is not only a sound which any audience would most likely be familiar with but also a rather plain description utilized to create the metaphor unlike one that might be placed in a romantic poem for instance. Some of the other commonplace metaphors that Chandler use include: "like a window-dresser getting the effect of a new twist of a scarf around a dummy's neck" (225), "as if I was some kind of strange beast escaped from a traveling circus" (207), "like light filtered through an aquarium tank"(8), "like wildflowers fighting for life on a b are rock"(7), "like a fresh fall of snow at Lake Arrowhead" (17) "like a puppy at the fringe of a rug"(20), "like a footbridge over a gully" (33).

The Inferno by Dante Alighiere Essay -- essays research papers

The Inferno by Dante Alighiere Translated by John Ciardi „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary of plot, organization and resolution o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Inferno is the first of a three part series by Dante known as the Divine Comedy. In this Divine Comedy Dante chronicles his journey to God through the levels of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. The Inferno is his description of his journey through the levels of Hell. The Inferno begins with Dante lost in a dark wood, which possibly represented sin. Dante tried to exit the wood, but three impassible beasts blocked his path. Dante is rescued when the spirit of Virgil is sent to lead him to salvation, however, Dante must journey through hell to reach salvation. Dante and Virgil then journey through the levels of hell, with the occasional help of a heavenly messenger sent to aid Dante in his journey. Virgil describes Hell as cone shaped, made up of increasingly smaller levels depending on the severity of the sins which a person committed. The levels of Hell were often sub-divided allowing for even more discrimination depending on the severity of your sin. Dante com pletes his journey through hell when he and Virgil reach the deepest pit of hell, where they climb down the body of Lucifer to emerge in the southern hemisphere. „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tie to the middle ages and/or transition to the renaissance o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Inferno in some ways follows the mold of the middle ages, but the o...

Racism or Class Discrimination

Racism is an issue that has been prevalent within America for hundreds of years. We overcame slavery with the help of famous American leaders like Abraham Lincoln and fought for equal rights with the help of Martin Luther King Jr. Today we face the issue of a more discreet kind of racism- the kind of racism that is more felt than heard. A sales associate who may not ask a customer to leave because of the color of their skin, but follows the customer around the store to make sure he or she isn’t stealing is an example of discreet racism. This type of racism is harder to fight because it is harder to recognize than outward discrimination. It seems as though minorities, especially African-Americans, have a disadvantage from the time they are born. According to Leondar-Wright, â€Å"The median white family has more than $120,000 in net worth (assets minus debts), while the median black family has less than $20,000. † There are many reasons why black families’ net worth is so much lower than white families’, but among the most obvious reasons is discrimination. Children from low-income families tend to have more responsibilities than those from middle or high-income families. These responsibilities may take away from time spent on schoolwork. For example, if a fourteen year old must work to help pay household expenses because his or her parents are having trouble making ends meet, it is highly possible that time spent working could be taking away from time spent doing schoolwork. Even if a student does not have to work while in school, it is still possible that his or her parents (if the student is lucky enough to live with both their mother and father) work hours that would render him or her responsible for extended amounts of housework. Either way, it is likely that a low-income, minority student must work much harder than a middle or high-income student to achieve the same academic status. If and when African-American students are accepted into college, it is much harder for them to be granted a loan to help pay for their college education. Because loans are given based on current income to debt ratio, banks are more weary of lending money to low-income families for fear of not getting their money back. Even in college, many African-American students must work to support themselves, which takes up time. Time spent working, again is time that they could be using to study. Because of all the obstacles they face, African-American students must work much harder to accomplish the same achievements as white students. Once in the work place, whether it be after college or not, African-Americans still must work harder than Whites to attain the same level of success. Simply finding a job can prove to be a challenge for minorities. The old saying, ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ holds true for the job finding process. For many minority young adults, parents and relatives who may be able to assist in the job search have fewer connections than white families. Therefore, students from low-income families must work harder to find jobs than many students from white or middle-class families. Even the simple process of applying for a job proves to be yet another hurdle for minorities. In the essay ‘Institutional Discrimination’ by Robert Cherry, the term â€Å"statistical discrimination† is brought up. Statistical discrimination is referred to as â€Å"the process by which individuals are discriminated against when firms use group characteristics to screen individuals. † Because employers often have a large amount of applications to go through to fill one or just a small amount of positions, they often base their choices off ‘of group characteristics rather than individual information. ’ Because employers do not want to spend a lot of time screening potential candidates, they chose to discriminate against groups of people that, in their minds, are not as productive as others. According to a study by Irons and Moore, African-American workers tend to be left out of the â€Å"informal communications network. † This basically means they are left out of water cooler conversations that may provide valuable information to them pertaining to their work. The study also found that on average, it took much longer for African Americans to be promoted than their White co-workers, and that â€Å"They had to demonstrate over and over and over again that they were worthy of promotion. (Cose 78) Overall, the study found that success came later, harder, and at a lower degree for Blacks than Whites in America. Another point mentioned in Coses’ ‘Rage of a Privileged Class’ is something called the â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† (Cose 88), which basically states that performance is greatly based on expectations. For example, if someone believes they are expected to perform well at a particular task, they will most likely perform better than if he or she is expected to perform poorly. This concept can easily be applied to the classroom setting. If a teacher expects her white students to perform better than her minority students, this can have a great effect on her student’s performances. While racism is still an issue in the United States today, the main problem can be traced to the issue of class discrimination. The majority of minorities come from low-income families; â€Å"Poverty rates for Blacks (at 24. 3%) in 2006 were 16. 1% higher than Whites (at 8. 2%). † (H. T. Edney) Once born into a lower class family, your life will be filled with uphill battles and constant struggle. Lower class citizens are discriminated against everywhere in the United States. Banks hesitate to lend money to low-income students going to college, even though they must work harder to get into college than upper class students. Because they must work harder, low income students are more likely to appreciate the opportunity given to them and less likely to take advantage of any help he or she may receive along the way. If you are a lower-class African-American reading this essay, you may be wondering who today’s Martin Luther King Jr. ill be, or if there will be anyone from our generation who will pioneer for your rights. On the other hand, if you are a white, upper-middle class person reading this essay, you may not find racism to be an especially important issue in our society today. No matter your particular situation it is an inarguable fact that the socioeconomic class you are born into will become the chief factor in determining how far you will be able to go in life. Whether this is a good thing or not, may be up for some debate.