Monday, September 30, 2019

DNA †Modified Food Essay

Some vegetarians do not prefer to consume genetically modified vegetables or food products because they contain other genes which they have no idea about. The consumers find these genes unsafe for their health. The people must have the knowledge that the addition of these genes into the plants is done only to give them a better food product, but it’s therefore important to label genetically modified foods because it enables the consumer to determine and know the right choice of food information that is needed. Genetic modification is the technology by which the genetic makeup of the living organism such as plants and animal’s bacteria is changed. Thus the resultant organism is called genetically modified, genetic engineered or transgenic. Source citation (http://www. ext. colostate. edu/pubs/foodnut/09371. html). First of all Consumers have a right to know what’s in their food, especially concerning products for which health and environmental concerns have been raised, this I think is one of the most important reason why individuals will prefer the labeling of genetically modified food, and also to know the condition of the environment of which the product was made from weather is a place with good sanitation or not. Mandatory labeling will allow consumers to identify and steer clear of food products that cause them problems because some people who with medical problems or allergic to some product will have to know before using them in order not to get themselves in trouble or contracting any form of diseases Surveys indicate that a majority of Americans support mandatory labeling. (However, such surveys often do not specify the effect on food prices.) Least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling source citation (Gruere and Rao, 2007; Phillips and McNeill, 2000) For religious or ethical reasons, many Americans want to avoid eating animal products, including animal DNA. For example some religious beliefs enact laws for people to avoid eating some certain products due to this labeling of genetically modified food will help consumers know the right choice of product to consume example are the jewish and the buddist.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Chiaroscuro: The Beauty in a World of Gloomy Grey

Defined as a technique of contrasting dark and light to highlight elements within a piece of art or a story, chiaroscuro is displayed throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Also prevalent in many masterpieces created by Rembrandt during the 17 century, Rembrandt uses chiaroscuro to create a focal point in his paintings and evoke personal thought. Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to focus on the element of overall sin and to illustrate conflicts between characters.A comparison of chiaroscuro in Rembrandts paintings and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, provides a deeper understand of how light and dark play a key role in the development of characters and theme. Sin is one of the most important themes in The Scarlet Letter. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne presents nature as being evil. For example, the forest displays a moral wilderness that is encompassed within a dark and gloomy atmosphere. However in Chapter 18, Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro as a device to show a change i n the forest as Hester succumbs to the evil of nature and of her sin.â€Å"†¦she undid the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter, and, taking it from her bosom, threw it†¦All at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  During this scene, Hester releases herself from the burden that the scarlet letter brings. As Hester gives into her natural instincts, the forest around her slowly begins to brighten and become overcome by light. This new found light in the forest that grows hand in hand with Hester’s happiness is shown to be good and/or normal based on Hawthorne’s tone.He focuses on the beauty of the light and how it highlights every living thing in the forest, almost in an angelic way. The tone and use of chiaroscuro in this passage allows the reader to believe that giving into your natural instincts and wants is not necessarily wrong or sinful, but nothing more than a part of life. Rembrandt uses a similar approach in using chiaroscuro in his painting Nightwatch (1642). Rembrandt does not use the light to focus on a certain character or object in the painting; rather he exemplifies the different patterns of the painting by creating a battle between light and shadows.The effect of using light and dark in this painting is not meant to provoke meaningful thought, but rather to display an almost chimerical union between the light and dark, similar to the effect displayed by Hawthorne in the forest scene. Hawthorne also uses chiaroscuro to show conflicts between characters and the difference in their personality or spiritual well-being. â€Å"Old Roger Chillingworth, throughout life, had been calm and temperament, kindly, though not of warm affections†¦.Sometimes, a light glimmered out of the physician’s eyes, burning blue and ominous, like the reflection of a furnace†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, is presented to the readers as a respectable man that was very upright and devoted to his job and those around him; however, he lacked any sense of passion or love. Once Chillingworth found out that Hester had committed adultery and would not name the father of her bastard child, it became Chillingworth’s mission to uncover the man that had lain with his wife in sin.He must search deep within Dimmesdale, minister for the town and who Chillingworth believes is responsible, using both human and supernatural remedies to extract the secret with no intention of forgiving Dimmesdale. Whereas Dimmesdale is seen as a trustworthy man for the Puritan citizens to bestow their own sins upon, ones of which Dimmesdale helps them to repent. Dimmesdale committed a sin in the eyes of the Puritan society, one born from his need to follow his natural instinct in which Hawthorne states to be good and later admitted to the masses that he was indeed the father and the second perpetrator in this earthly crime.â₠¬Å"And, as he drew towards the close, a spirit as of prophecy had come upon him†¦it was as if an angel, in his passage to the skies, had shaken his bright wings over the people for an instant- at once a shadow and a splendor- and had shed down a shower of golden truths upon them. † This quote displays the way that the Puritan people saw their pastor, a man that was both physically decaying before their eyes, but yet lit up by the word of the gospel. Dimmesdale would then follow his sermon with the confession of his sin, the last act of his mortal life.Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to depict the difference in the type of evil within the characters of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Chillingworth is a man that did not sin in the terms that Dimmesdale did, however, he searches for it without the intent to forgive. Hawthorne expresses this as true evil and sin compared to Dimmesdale’s act of following his natural instinct, which is not a sin. Rembrandt uses chiaroscuro to d epict the character or personality within his paintings. In Self Portrait as St.Paul (1661), the man in the panting is lit while the background and his facial features are considerably darkened. The dark eyes and background represent a type of detachment, whether the detachment is due to an outward or inner struggle. The light of the picture gives one the sense that the man is important or respected. However, the dark causes the audience to believe that the man is in a great deal of struggle or woe, possibly causing him to be dark and cold in the sense of personality, like the depiction of Chillingworth depicted by Hawthorne.Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a device known as chiaroscuro, contrasting light and dark elements, to help develop the characters and theme within The Scarlet Letter. The way Hawthorne displays this development can also be viewed in pieces by Rembrandt. Sin is portrayed in many ways throughout the novel. The forest is used as a symbol of moral bareness of which Hester succumbs to when she takes off the scarlet letter and releases herself from her sin. At this moment, the dark dreary forest is flooded with heavenly beauty of light and life.This play with shadowing and light elements can be viewed in Nightwatch by Rembrandt. This paitning expresses a link between the light and the dark and how they can exist at the same time, however one will always triumph. In the case of the forest scene, the light and the happiness of Hester triumphed over the evil that surrounds her. Hawthorne draws his characters out by having one behold elements, Roger Chillingworth, and the other character behold elements of light, Minister Dimmesdale.Hawthorne then goes deeper to express that the darkness of one might not be of evil intention, but rather dulled by everyday sin of which the light could be redeemed. Rembrandt displays this in the paint Self Portrait as St. Paul, showing how shadows can make one look disconnected and spiritually or emotionally barren. Chiaros curo is a tool used in both the literary and arts world that can help to evoke more emotion and audience thought. Without it, the characters and imagery would all be caught between shades of gloomy greys.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Epistemology and Metaphysics Schools Paper Essay

The nature of skepticism in real-life today, on a daily basis goes mostly unnoticed. People react to environments of skepticism differently and could become biased upon the subject discussed. According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2011), â€Å"skepticism is defined as 1: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object 2 a: the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain b: the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics† (Dictionary, para. 1). People are inclined to accept ideas in society today without questioning what is actually being presented. It is very important to question or think critically when confronted with authority because the issue at hand may not always be right. Imagine if Philosophers, such as Copernicus did not hypothesize that the earth is not the center of the universe. We would still be living with various points of views on the subject. People should not accept ideas of others without questioning the ideas first. Unfortunately, we do this everyday unconsciously. At work our supervisors make requests to perform certain tasks, which most of the time we do not question the outcome. We take for granted that our supervisor knows what he or she is doing because of the authoritative figure that he or she plays. Skepticism could have quite an impact on the way employees perform his or her job. In the work environment employees usually take for granted that the boss knows best, and depending on the situation might not question the reason for his or her position on the process. For instance, when a supervisor implements a new job and informs his or her employees on the due date without asking for input, it is with reasonable doubt that one would be skeptical. The employees could have questioned the boss’s process such as whether he or she maintained good judgment on the direction that he or she takes on-the-job. Questions could also be raised in regard to the types of consequences employees will have if the job is not performed well. Employees could be skeptical of the job and ask if it is in the best interest of the company, especially if the supervisor did not have input from the employees prior to the start of the job. Employees typically become skeptical and doubt the authority figures of most bosses. Skepticism also plays a role in our schooling. We usually take the teachers role and the information presented to us to be correct even though the information could be incorrect. Our society has come to trust what others have told us to believe in and our minds have been trained to believe the information to be correct. Everyone should be valued for his or her own opinion and healthy skepticism in real-life environments. References Encyclopedia Britannica. (2011). Encyclopedia-Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/bps/dictionary?query=skepticism&header_go=

Friday, September 27, 2019

Langston Hughes College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Langston Hughes College - Essay Example Hughes published more than thirty-five books that utilized such diverse formats as poetry, scripts, operas, essays, and musicals aimed at both children's and adult audiences. Langston Hughes was able to not only illustrate what it meant to be black, but he was also able to show blacks what it meant to be American. Langston Hughes's love of writing and his social consciousness were formulated during his early years as a black child living in the early 1900s. Born in 1902 to a family with a deep literary tradition and a convention for education, Hughes gravitated towards writing at an early age. Hughes's father, James Nathaniel Hughes, studied law and moved to Mexico after being denied admittance to the bar in the Oklahoma Territory, leaving his wife and young Langston behind. Unable to support her young child, Carrie Hughes moved from job to job in Missouri and Kansas, while young Langston stayed with his maternal grandmother for most of the next decade in Lawrence Kansas. Langston was briefly reunited with his father in Mexico in 1908, but by this time he had already begun to reject the materialism sought by his father (Tracy 25). Langston had become keenly aware of the difference between wealth and poverty, and the social value of both. Langston Hughes was exposed to other writers in his family at an early age. His mother "demonstrated a dramatic imagination through writing poetry and delivering monologues in costume" (Tracy 25). His great-uncle, John Mercer Langston, attained some literary notoriety with an autobiography published under the title From the Virginia Plantation to the National Capital in 1894 (Tracy 25). Hughes's imagination was spurred on further by his grandmother's imagination and a visit to the Topeka library. He would remark later in life that, "even before I was six books began to happen to me, so that after a while there came a time when I believed in books more than in people which, of course, was wrong" (Tracy 26). Hughes briefly returned to Mexico in 1921 to live with his father, and it was then that he penned "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", arguably his first important work. It was published in 1922 by the W.E.B. DuBois publication Crisis, thus launching his long literary career. Hughes's early childhood experiences and his literary success with the Crisis placed him as a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. By 1920 several major black organizations such as the NAACP and The Urban League, had located their offices in Harlem, New York. Harlem had become a magnet for black America as African-Americans were defining their American identity. Taylor describes the rising tide of black dignity as follows: As Harlem consolidated its role as a "black belt," it took on a powerful significance for writers and artists. From 1919 to 1929 the cultural movement defining the neighborhood's heyday took place: the Harlem Renaissance. Those were the years, wrote Langston Hughes, when "Harlem was in vogue." The philosophy and art that came out of Harlem at this time have had a lasting significance for the development of modern black consciousness. (7) The crucible of Harlem with its conflict and fury would propel Hughes to develop an individual style that shaped the future of black America, black literature, and the Civil Rights movement. It was in Harlem that Langston Hughes gained widespread acceptance as an important American writer. During the early 1920s,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Public affair class source report 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public affair class source report 5 - Essay Example The information informs the agency on the economic significance of international students to U.S, U.K, and China. Gil, Natalie. â€Å"International students: a guide to social success.† The Guardian, 19 September 2014. Web. 30 November 2014. Summary: International students face huge challenges in integrating themselves into the social scene of a foreign nation. The international office and international student committee encourages international students to join culture and language societies that promote social interactions between cultural backgrounds. Relevance: The information is relevant to the department of international student U.S since it manifests how international offices and international student committees can help international students from integrating themselves into the U.S social scene. Konrad, Matt. â€Å"How U.S. Students Can Find College Scholarships to Study in Europe.† U.S. News & World Report LP, 30 October 2014. Web. 30 November 2014. Summary: The article confirms that U.S students who seek higher education in different countries across Europe suffer from financial aid complications than international students seeking higher education in U.S. U.K is the best destination for U.S students seeking higher education in Europe since it provides educational scholarships to students from U.S. Relevance: The information is relevant to the department of international student U.S since it manifests the financial challenges faced by U.S students and presents educational scholarships offered to U.S students by U.K. Lu, Yao. â€Å"3 Rules for International Students Using U.S. Social Media.† U.S. News & World Report LP, 9 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 November 2014.

A critical evaluation of infection control issues for the patients Essay

A critical evaluation of infection control issues for the patients withconjunctivitis - Essay Example In so doing, the said specialty nurses are expected to attend to the actual and potential needs of the clients who are experiencing visual impairment or deficits. As such, this paper aims to critically analyze infection control issues pertaining to conjunctivitis, which is one of the ophthalmic ailments that are of major concern to ophthalmic nurses. ANYONE can get conjunctivitis (Health Protection Agency [HPA] North West, 2007) — students in school, patients in hospital or long-term care facilities, and even doctors and nurses in any health care institution. Due to its highly infective nature, prompt intervention and appropriate management are definitely indispensable. In this regard, nursing interventions that are particularly focused on infection control issues in clients with conjunctivitis shall be typified in due course of this paper. Hence, the discussion and critical analysis herein shall be guided by reputable references and relevant literatures in order to exemplify the aforementioned purpose of this essay. Conjunctivitis, which is commonly called â€Å"pinkeye†, is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the eyelids― bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva― and extends over the white of the eye (sclera) (Berman et al., 2008). In general, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) North West (2007), the characteristics of conjunctivitis are (1) swollen eyelids - sometimes causing the eye to almost fully close, (2) pink/red eyes, (3) sore, itchy and sometimes painful eyes, (4) a discharge causing the eye to be sticky and crusty, and (5) sometimes the sticky discharge may cause the eyelids to stick together after sleeping (HPA, 2007). Moreover, conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria, virus, allergy, chemical, or other irritants (San Diego City Schools Nursing and Wellness Program, 2002). On the other hand, conjunctivitis can also be caused by foreign bodies (HPA, 2007; Berman et al., 2008: 586). An example of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Pulmonary ventilation, spirometry and pulmonary physiology Lab Report

Pulmonary ventilation, spirometry and pulmonary physiology - Lab Report Example Pulmonary ventilation is the exchange of air in and out of the lungs. The average human breathing rate is 30-60/minute at birth, while in adults it falls to 12-20/minute. Normally the amount of air that flows in and out of the lungs per breathe is 500ml (Tidal Volume air). Hence the minute ventilation or maximum respiratory volume is 6 litres considering breathing rate to be 12/minute. Pulmonary ventilation enables the flow oxygen to the lungs, which further helps in oxidative phosphorylation and at the same time causes removal of carbon dioxide from the lungs, helping to maintain the acid base balance in the body. Mechanism of pulmonary ventilation involves three scenarios: quiet inspiration, quiet expiration and forced inhalation or exhalation. During quiet inhalation the diaphragm contracts, the external intercostals muscles contracts, pulling the ribs outward and upward. This causes the volume of the thoracic cavity to increase with adjacent fall in the intrapulmonary pressure. ( George,2005)(Miller,2005) Hence, as the atmospheric pressure is more than the intrapulmonary pressure air flows into the lungs. During quite exhalation, diaphragm and the external intercostals relax and expiration occurs passively. This occurs as the lung volume now decreases causing rise in intrapulmonary pressure above the atmospheric pressure and air is exhaled out. Forced inhalation/exhalation occurs in certain diseased conditions and during exercise. During this condition the accessory inspiratory and expiratory muscles aid in the contraction process to take place faster in order to increase or decrease the intrapulmonary pressure.(George,2005)(Miller,2005) The act of pulmonary ventilation is limited by the elastic recoil of the lungs which is measured by lung compliance. By definition compliance refers to the increase in the pulmonary volume per cm H2O rise in transpulmonary pressure. The intrapleural pressure is held negative with respect to the intrapulmonary pressure by the mechanics as described above. Even after that the lungs may not expand as desired if he elasticity or in other words the compliance is decreased. (George, 2005) (Miller, 2005) Compliance might decrease or increase in various pulmonary diseases limiting pulmonary ventilation. Compliance is ensured by Surfactants which are phospholipids like lecithin that maintains the alveolar stability by reducing or increasing the surface tension in the alveoli. This means when the alveoli try to collapse due to forced expiration, the surface tension is increased but surfactants reduce the tension. On the other hand when alveoli try to expand during forced inspiration the effective surfactant concentration/area of the alveoli decreases and hence surface tension increases causing the alveoli to revert to original position. (George, 2005) (Miller, 2005) Pulmonary ventilation is controlled by neural and chemical pathways that acts as effectors ad sensors to influence the intercostals muscles and diap hragm mechanics as described earlier. Whenever there is increased pCO2 and decreased pO2 in the arterial blood the central and the peripheral chemoreceptors situated in the medulla oblongata and carotid/aortic

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Operations management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations management - Coursework Example Moreover, if a company does not take care of variability the customer may not get everything he or she expects in every purchase. Most businesses that perform several activities such as offering goods on credit, advising customers, providing debt solutions and lending money to customers will in general be practicing what is referred to as customer credit activities. This for instance includes credit card issuers, log book lenders, debt management and collection firms, Payday-loan companies, pawnbrokers, offering hire purchase agreements, peer-to-peer lenders and credit brokers businesses. It is important to note that companies will lose more money by providing more than the product specification needs (Binder 67). Of late, software has become a key asset for various competitive products. This is practical in the general overview of every industry. This has become a concern for various companies due to the competitiveness in the software development. However, there two ways of dealing with this concern. The first way can be by increasing the competitiveness internally (Binder 67). This is through the large-scale reuse of existing software assets. The other ways is by externally outsourcing the software development activities to third party merchants. The first strategy is mainly focused of although the other strategy is not always completely ignored. Software product line engineering is different from a single systems engineering in two main ways. First, software product line engineering needs two different development processes. These two processes are domain engineering and application engineering. The domain engineering first defines and acknowledges the common invariant artifacts importantly the variability of basic software product line. In simple terms, it means establishing a common platform for software development and mass

Monday, September 23, 2019

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

Exam - Essay Example They instead went against their initial agreement with the Palestine a deal that did not augur well with the Palestine and instead of fostering peace in the territory, the concession become a precursor of conflict that has persisted in the region for more than half a century (Gavish 88). Cause of the Conflict- Agreement with the Husayn When the British wanted to have control over the Palestine, they were made to make some concession with the local rulers that were part of the Ottoman Empire. For instance, the then the British high commissioner Sir Henry McMahon made surreptitious visits to Husayn ibn ‘Ali who was the patriarch of the Hashemite family who also doubled up as the governor of Mecca and Madina (Eini 103). The British used Husayn in this case to pursue a revolt against the Germany who was opposing the British and the French in the area. He was promised that with his support to overthrow the Ottoman Empire in the area, he would be supported din the establishment of an independent Arab country in Palestine. In this regard, an Arab revolt was organized in the area under the leadership of Lawrence of Arabia and one of the Huseyn’s sons, Fayal. The two succeeded in defeating the Ottoman Empire and the British then took full control of the area during the period of World War I. After the revolt, the British instead of remaining committed to their initial agreement, faulted and made some other agreements that contradicted the first position of the agreement with the Husayn and this brought troubles in the region instead of inculcating peace in the area as would be thought to be the British. Other Agreements that Jeopardize the Initial Agreement Signing of other agreement by the British was the culmination of conflict seed between the Arab and the Palestine. In the 1917, the British again entered an agreement that was dubbed Balfour Declaration. In the declaration, the then British foreign minister Lord Arthur Balfour consented in the establishm ent of the Jewish national home in Palestine and agreed to support the move. The establishment of the Jewish home in the area, which was highly resented given that they had been assured of the independent Palestine territory (Eini 113). The Jews that were facing persecution in Germany were given a safe haven in Palestine but this is what triggered the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews. Again, the British also made a third promise in the same breadth, in this agreement, both the British and the France made agreement to have a full control of the Palestine. They made the agreement to divide the territory for their control-a territory that was under the control of Ottoman Empire (Miller 57). British and France in this regard convinced the league of nation to grant them a quasi control of the region in the region that was formerly under the control of the Ottoman Empire. In the reference of this, the regimes of the France and British were known as mandates and France obtained cont rol over Syria with Lebanon not included in the territory because it was predominantly Christian. British on the other hand were given the mandate over Jordan, Gaza strip, Israel, and West Bank (Miller 67). These other concessions that were made by the British after the Arab agreement led to the conflict in the area that is dominated by the Arabs. The current tribulation that the British and the Arabs have faced for the last more than half a decade is necessitated by the so-called Palestine

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Learning Natural Resources and Energy Essay Example for Free

Learning Natural Resources and Energy Essay A Paper on the Ecosystem and on the Biodiversity General Questions General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resources in that ecosystem.  · Identify the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one type of renewable energy resource from that ecosystem, or in areas near that ecosystem. Include at least two outside references. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. You can have a ton of fun in college, but it also involves a lot of work. Stay focused on the end result: a diploma. There will be many roadblocks along the way, and how you choose to approach them is important. Use the tips you have seen here to make college work on your behalf. This pack of SCI 256 Week 3 Learning Natural Resources and Energy Paper  contains: A Paper on the Ecosystem and on the Biodiversity General Questions General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for To download this tutorial follow the link https://bitly.com/1oJKyIe You can have a ton of fun in college, but it also involves a lot of work. Stay focused on the end result: a diploma. There will be many roadblocks along the way, and how you choose to approach them is important. Use the tips you have seen here to make college work on your behalf. General Questions General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resources in that ecosystem.  · Identify the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one type of renewable energy resource from that ecosystem, or in areas near that ecosystem. Include at least two outside references. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Language And Gender Sociology Essay

The Language And Gender Sociology Essay Language, gender and society are three complex and closely interwoven terms that I will attempt to explore in this chapter. The question of whether language reflects or shapes the social life and consequently gender relationships and expectations is a central one which I will also attempt to tackle. In other words, is it language which transmits gender thoughts, beliefs and actions? Or, conversely, does language determine men and womens relationships and behavior? Is it possible to define language as a naÃÆ' ¯ve mirror translating the social and cultural reality? Or it is the norms, traditions and values that introduce a basis for the creation of any language? Does society define women and mens language, choices and action? Or it is simply the interaction between language and society which gives birth to gender stereotypes and sexist language? The answer to these questions will help us understand how men and womens space, speech, perspectives and choices are both determined and reflected by language. There are so many questions that I would like to answer and examine in this chapter, but will not be able to answer them all. Instead, I will try to highlight some important notions related to the subject. For example how do the socio-cultural factors interact with language in order to determine men and womens relationships in society? Why and how is gender deemed to be an important and powerful component in social interaction? How does its influence go beyond peoples thoughts, attitudes and beliefs? How can society explain the learning and maintenance of gender? How is gender negotiated in language and across cultures? How does the social construction of society shape women and mens personalities in terms of social roles, expectations, language choice, traditional beliefs and so on? The aim of my work will basically be to explore the importance of both language and society in determining and reinforcing female and male differences in speech (form and content), beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. The emphasis will be on how gender is negotiated and represented in language and society, and how the linguistic form may reflect and shape the social and cultural conditions under which women and men live. Language, a product of society, is considered to play a significant role in human interaction; the human being, language and society are an interwoven texture. (Bennouiss, 2001:20). Accordingly, society is conceived to be the mold which shapes people through determining not only their behavior, but also their identity. Society controls individuals through gendered practices, which are defined as a social process created and renegotiated in interpersonal relationships and encouraged and maintained through social interaction (Weatherall, 2002: 85). Therefore, gender is considered to be social because it connotes all the complex attributes ascribed by culture (s) to human females and males (Lott Maluso, 1993: 99). One may conclude from the two quotes that gender is used by society as a basis or a support to the socialization of both females and males, and is also maintained by social and cultural forces. Gender issues and stereotypes seem to be universal. They are heavily rooted in history and through the social and cultural life, which has a strong influence in defining the individuals identity, behavior, role and occupation. All societies consist of men and women who use language in the interaction of everyday life, and develop ideas and thoughts about how women and men should think and act in relation to social norms. Therefore, it is believed that gender is socially constructed and is reinforced by cultural forces; however, gender contents may differ across cultures. Beall (1993: 131-132) argues that across cultures, ones biological sex does not necessarily imply that one will engage in certain activities or that people will believe that one possesses certain attributes. She goes on to say that some cultures perceive more than one gender, and cultures vary in their beliefs about the nature of males and females (1993: 134). This means that cultures are rich and curiously different from each other. Womens beliefs and actions in Morocco are different from womens thoughts and behavior in England, even if sometimes it seems that British women are not so different from the Moroccan unveiled women in physical appearance. However, there are many variations concerning their ways of thinking and acting. In the Muslim society, boys are given more independence and freedom, and are expected to achieve or occupy different roles and positions. The difference between the two sexes in terms of appearance, behavior, role, and occupation is very much strengthened and encouraged by the traditions, the customs and the habits of the Moroccan society, whereas in the British context, norms and traditions are transgressed, and modern ideologies present men and women as equals in all life spheres. Besides, the authority or dominance of one gender over another is not practiced openly anymore. In other words, the strength and activity differences between the male and female stereotypes are greater in socioeconomically less developed countries than in more developed countries. It also tends to be greater in countries where literacy is low and the percentage of women attending the university is low (Best Williams, 1993: 227) although in many cases, the education people receive in school and universities does not mean that they are not influenced by gender stereotypes. In short, there is a lot to be said about the universality of gender prejudice. Class, education, religion and geography all play a part in determining subtle differences and peculiarities, some of which this work aims at revealing. First, some claims: 1) Men interrupt women more than vice versa. 2) Women are more communicative than men. 3) Men do not give verbal recognition of the contributions in the conversation made by women. 4) Men curse more than women. 5) Women gossip more than men. 6) Women talk more with one another than men do. 7) Men speak more comfortably in public than women. Gender and sex Sex: a biological condition, i.e. defined as a set of physical characteristics Gender: a social construct (within the fields of cultural and gender studies, and the social sciences) Today a return to separate single-sex schools may hasten the revival of separate gender roles Wendy Kaminer, in The Atlantic Monthly (1998) General usage of the term gender began in the late 1960s and 1970s, increasingly appearing in the professional literature of the social sciences. The term helps in distinguishing those aspects of life that were more easily attributed or understood to be of social rather than biological origin (see e.g., Unger Crawford, 1992). Linguistic origins of Gender According to Aristotle, the Greek philosopher Protagoras used the terms masculine, feminine, and neuter to classify nouns, introducing the concept of grammatical gender. Many languages specify Gender (and gender agreement) (1) Greek o andras i gyneka to pedhi the.masc. man the.fem. woman the.ntr. child (2) German der man die Frau das Kind the.masc. man the.fem. woman the.ntr. child (3) French l(e) homme la femme the.masc. man the.fem. woman  Ã¢â‚¬   Indoeuropean had gender distinction; Swahili has 16 gender distinctions. And many others dont! (e.g. English, Astronesian languages) But gender appears on pronouns: (1) He left. (2) She left. (3) It left. (what types of things does it refer to?) Gender correlates with other perceptual (and possibly grammatical) categories like humanness, agentivity, and animacy.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Strategy in Practice â€Amazon

Strategy in Practice –Amazon STRATEGY IN PRACTICE – Amazon.com Introduction to Strategy In the Words of Johnson Scholes (2002), Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantage for the establishment through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. In some respects strategy can be seen as a reflection of the attitudes and beliefs of those who have the most influence on the organisation. According to Lynch (2000), the essence of corporate strategy is the identification of the purpose of the organisation and the plans and actions to achieve that purpose. Corporate strategy is often perceived as one of the most critical managerial activities that bring together the organisation’s internal resources and its external relationships with its customers, suppliers, competitors and the socio-economic environment in which it exists. In his conceptualisation of the Strategy concept Lynch (2002) clearly identifies three distinct aspects that have been discussed below: Resources Strategy – Companies, Businesses and firms hold or acquire a wide range of resources. A firm’s resources and capabilities include all the financial, physical, human and organisational assets used by a firm to develop, manufacture and deliver products or services to its customers Barney (1991). The purpose of strategy is to make the best use of the available resources so as to outperform competition. Environmental Strategy – The term environment includes every aspect external to the organisation. No organisation can gain competitiveness with a lack of vision for its environment. Focus that is restricted merely to what lies inside the boundaries of the firm is best criticised as incomplete and insufficient. Organisations need to and must be in synchronisation with their surroundings. It is here that strategy comes to play a major role. Adding Value – Lynch has stressed on the notion of value addition. Apart from the above corporate strategy must meet the need to add value to the supplies brought into the organisation. To ensure its long term survival, the organisation must take the supplies, add value to them through its operations and then deliver its output to the customers. The purpose of corporate strategy is to bring the conditions under which the organisation is able to create this vital additional value. It must also ensure that the organisation adapts to the changes in the environment so that it can continue to add value in future. In essence Strategy provides Decision Support (Grant, 2004) â€Å"to the extent that decision makers are limited by bounded rationality, strategy in the form of guidelines and decision criteria can enhance the quality and consistency of strategic decision making. It also helps in better decision making by pooling together the knowledge of many individuals and by facilitating the application of various analytical tools.† Strategy also acts as a Co-ordinating device. The many tools and components of strategy i.e. Vision, Mission, Objectives etc. bring together the entire organisation as a single locomotive headed in one direction. With all departments and personnel aiming towards the common goals, co-ordination can be achieved with greater ease. Strategy provides the organisation a target to work for. Strategy is forward looking; it establishes a direction to guide actions. It also sets aspirations for the company that can act as motivators for the whole organisation. The strategy function, as is evident from above, permeates through all organisational membranes to pervade into all levels and is not restricted to any particular zone. Practically all authors in field of Strategic Management acknowledge the prevalence of varied levels of strategy. Johnson Scholes (2002) believe that Corporate level strategy relates to â€Å"the overall purpose and scope of an organisation and how value will be added to the different parts (business units) of the organisation. It is also likely to be concerned with the expectations of the owners. It is the basis of other strategic decisions and may well take the form of a mission statement.† Corporate strategy deals with the ways in which a corporation manages a set of businesses together. (Grant, 1995) Business unit strategy is about how to compete successfully in particular markets. Business Strategy deals with the way in which a single business firm or an individual unit of a larger firm competes within a particular industry or market. Operational strategies are concerned with how the component parts of an organisation deliver effectively the corporate and business level strategies in terms of resources, processes and people. They deal with the day-to-day working of the various sections in a firm. Operational strategies are more about implementation than planning. Thus, â€Å"Strategic management involves understanding the strategic position of an organisation, making strategic choices for future and turning strategy into action. The strategic position is concerned with the impact on strategy of the external environment, internal resources and competences and the expectations and influences of stakeholders. Strategic choices include understanding the underlying bases for future strategy at both the corporate and business unit levels and the options for developing strategy in terms of both the directions and methods of development. Strategy into action is concerned with ensuring that strategies are working in practice.† (Johnson Scholes, 2002) This report aims to analyse the strategy in practice at Amazon.com. Amazon.com is one of the most successful e-businesses and undoubtedly the champion of all online retailers or e-tailers as they are often referred to. It has revolutionised the retail sector of business and is a subject of innumerable studies and research in the current e-commerce era. The material used for study has been drawn from the Amazon.com case study[1] and the web based portal for the company Amazon.com[2]. The report shall use existing theory as a basis to realise how strategy has worked for Amazon.com in practice. Although it is challenging to capture every aspect of the organisation’s life so far, effort has been made to cite relevant examples so to get a glimpse of its strategic approach. The Amazon.com Case A summary[3] of the Amazon.com case shall prepare the grounds to lay the analysis in the light of theories discussed. A number of strategic concepts shall be cited to gain deeper insights to particular issues. With the explosive growth in internet companies’ market capitalisation positions, one would ask if some hype is at play. But the trend data clearly reveal that the internet is for real. According to Forrester research the total value of goods and services purchased online exceeded US$43 billion in 1998. Amazon.com believes that it is well positioned to capitalise[4] on this growth. According to Media Metrix 16% of web users visited Amazon.com’s stores in December 1998. ‘In a very short period of time Amazon.com has become one of the world’s most recognised brands’, said Jaleh Bisharat, Vice-president, Marketing, Amazon.com. With Amazon.com’s current strategy combined with the ongoing recruitment of entrepreneurial top management team for each business segment, the challenge for Amazon.com is on the strategic implementation front. Bezos had always been fascinated with technology. He came up with the statistic that the electronic world would grow at the rate of 2300% monthly. Bezos said, when something is growing that fast, every second counts. Bezos considered selling a variety of products online, but he settled for books because the worldwide market is large, the price point is low and the range of titles is large. Being unsure of the ideal location, Seattle was chosen because it was the location of book distributor Ingram, which has continued to provide 60% of Amazon.com’s books. Seattle also provided a favourable sales tax climate and a high-tech workforce. â€Å"I know nothing about the book industry†¦I can get them to the customer and forget about bricks and mortar†, said Bezos in an attempt to raise funds for his venture. After its entry into the market, Amazon.com had no significant rivals and there were no dominant traditional players. Even at this time Amazon.com was providing a powerful search facility as well as a host of services not provided by other online competitors. Analysts warned of a volatile internet sector with strategic plans constantly being revised. Despite aggressive competitive entry, Amazon.com passed many milestones in 1997. The most notable of these was its ability to raise net proceeds of almost US$50 million in May. This enabled aggressive investment in building the business. Amazon.com focussed on establishing its executive team, which included the recruitment of Richard Dalzell of Wal-Mart. In the same year, 1997, Amazon.com offered the lowest book prices anywhere in the world. Extensive promotional relationships with other dominant internet players were concluded which reinforced Amazon.com’s momentum, e.g. Yahoo!, Excite, AOL etc. In 1998 the company launched music, video and gift stores in the US and expanded operations to UK and Germany. Jimmy Wright of Wal-Mart joined the company in the same year. Amazon.com’s expansion programme is evidence of a growth strategy via acquisitions, strategic relations and internal development. It received the Computerworld Smithsonian Award for having demonstrated vision and leadership in the innovative use of information technology. With its highly qualified top management team and the success trends, Amazon.com continued to enhance the total customer experience of shopping, giving them wider product range to choose from and more sophisticated services to complement them. The case study then goes on to list the various achievements of the company. It also provides detail information on the financial and personnel aspects of the organisation. These details have been passed over as they are beyond the scope of this paper. The Analysis of Strategic Practices The Basic Approach The Internet is one of the most fascinating products of the developments in information technology. It received mixed reactions from the public and the entrepreneurs. While most of them were overwhelmed with the possibilities and others called it â€Å"an over hyped mania†, only a few saw it as a business opportunity. Jeff Bezos had the vision that created â€Å"Ex ante limits† to competition (Peteraf, 1993) and gave Amazon.com the â€Å"First-mover advantage†. Among the various lenses or attitudes towards Strategy that have been theorised, Amazon.com’s approach can be regarded as that of an Ideas lens. The ideas lens (Johnson Scholes, 2002) sees strategy as a result of new ideas that can come from anywhere in the organisation. It promotes innovative thinking and does not inhibit experimentation. This is well evident in the very start-up of Amazon.com as an enterprise. Further, this approach is better characterised as â€Å"Emergent† than â€Å"Prescriptive† (Lynch, 2000). The dynamic nature of the internet environment makes a planned and prescribed approach unsuitable. Amazon.com’s strategy evolved largely during the course of its life depending on its position at that instant in time. In the words of Miles Snow (1987) Amazon.com as an entity is a â€Å"Prospector† who looks for new opportunities and is willing to take risks to be able to exploit the same. Stated in general, Amazon.com’s strategy is an ambitious one. Pattern of Strategy development In his business development Bezos attempted a â€Å"Transformational change† in strategy through the creation of an entirely new service. The change resulted in success because it created new expectations that did not exist earlier; Amazon.com was ahead of its time. Further, the ability to convert the transformational change into a business winner comes from the fact that as the strategy for the firm was emerging, there was little mismatch between the intended and the realised strategy (Mintzberg Walters, 1985). It is important to strike harmony among the understanding of the environment, identified opportunity, the strategy intended to capture such opportunity and finally the actual resultant strategy that was implemented. Without this happening, the transformational change would most often end in a failure. Stakeholder Mapping â€Å"Stakeholders are those individuals or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfil their own goals, and on whom in turn the organisation depends† (Johnson Scholes, 2002). For Amazon.com the major stakeholders were its customers, investors and Jeff Bezos himself. With respect to the Stakeholder Mapping drawn up by Savage et al (1991) Bezos and the investors can be referred to as â€Å"Dominant Stakeholders† while the customers would identify as â€Å"Dependent Stakeholders†. Environment The internet industry is characterised by a high degree of â€Å"Changeability† (Lynch, 2000) i.e. there is a greater number of new problems and each problem is more complex than in other sectors. Moreover it is not very â€Å"Predictable† due to a high rate of change and uncertainty of future circumstances. This made Amazon.com’s business environment highly turbulent. As a new entrant Amazon.com had to cope with all these difficulties; but once settled these factors acted as â€Å"Barriers to entry† (Porter, 1985) for its competitors. Culture Culture within an organisation consists of the shared basic assumptions that have worked well enough to be considered valid and passed to fellow employees over time (adapted from Schein, 1985). It refers to â€Å"the way we do things around here†. While there can be several factors affecting the culture at a work place, in case of Amazon.com it is the ownership and technological factors. Jeff Bezos is the leader of the organisation and also the cultural head bringing in ambition and motivation to the organisation. The work practices, routines, plans, the entire business is largely governed by the technological abilities inside and the advancements outside the organisation. The Cultural web is another important aspect that has a definitive impact on the strategy an organisation pursues. The Cultural Web (Johnson Scholes, 2002) consists of the Routines Rituals, Stories, Symbols, Power Structures, Control Systems and the Organisational Structure. For Amazon.com its brand name acts as a major symbol that binds together the various components of the system. It symbolises the scale of operations that Bezos aimed at, thus cultivating an aggressive work culture. If one was to draw out the power structure at Amazon.com, it would be a flat pyramid with Jeff Bezos at the peak. Although the investment came from outside, Amazon.com was his dream and â€Å"his† venture. He did not promise any profits in the first 5 years, but his faith in the idea won the investors’ confidence. All this clearly indicates the prevalence of a â€Å"Power Culture† at Amazon.com (Handy, 1993). Key Strategic Highlights Based on its first mover advantage Amazon.com was able to capitalise on the heterogeneity of its resources. It reaped benefits from the Ex post and Ex ante limits to competition (Peteraf, 1993). Its technological knowledge behind the search engine was imperfectly imitable for the competitors. Even if the rivals came up with substitute systems, the â€Å"first mover† position always allowed an edge in favour of Amazon.com. Employees and technicians at Amazon.com learnt to adapt and innovate better than the competitors, simply because the latter were merely copying what Amazon had done. The Knowledge at Amazon.com was rare, valuable, not easily imitable and well organised to allow the company to enjoy a resource based competitive advantage over its rivals (Barney, 1995). The technological skills were Amazon.com’s core competence that was used to create the Search facility – their core product which was at the heart of Amazon’s web based store/services – the end product (Hamel Prahalad, 1990). However, it also needs to be mentioned here that the Amazon.com was rich in dynamic capabilities (Teece, 1997) to be able to successfully carry out the above. The top management team which consisted ex-Wal-mart employees, were aware of their strengths as well as the business environment to be able to identify their core competence. They ensured carrying out the best use of their resources and maintained the momentum gathered from the initial push. Even with the best resources and opportunities a business may not succeed, if those managing it are not aware of their responsibilities. It is the management that lays out the strategy and takes all decisions that are critical to the overall success. Expansion Given the knowledge of Ansoff’s Matrix Amazon.com for a start pursued Market development i.e. offered the existing products to new markets. It also used Cost leadership (Porter, 1985) to expand its customer base. As the website served more and more customers over time, Amazon.com introduced new products to the existing market – a product development effort. Finally, with a secure market position Amazon.com was capable of Diversification i.e. offering new products to new markets. Not all of Amazon.com’s offerings were indigenous. It had partnered with several other wed based companies. While most of the early partnerships were aimed at gaining a greater exposure to the target audience, later excusive relationships were created to add to the existing list of products and services that were offered on the website. The motive behind these alliances was largely â€Å"Exploitative† (Koza, 1998). Such business alliances were primarily aimed at tapping into each others’ customer bases and render mutual benefits to the parties involved. Amazon.com’s approach to collaboration is well explained by the M-B-A (Make, Buy, or Ally) matrix. It allied with services such as Yahoo and Excite because the service was not important to Amazon’s business – it sought more traffic. However, in case of similar companies such as Bookpages and Telebook, Amazon.com preferred a â€Å"Buy† because of the importance to the business activity. It also had the requisite skills to run these companies. Amazon.com did not want to allow these smaller companies to grow and later pose a threat to them. Conclusion Amazon.com can be easily regarded as a strategy champion. It had all the components of a great Entrepreneurial tale, and shall be cited in many more academic works in future. However, it must not be overlooked that for the first five years Amazon.com did not make any profits. Moreover, with the growth in market share, loss per share also grew. If all other competitors would have grouped together to attack Amazon from all fronts, it could have been a different story. Essentially, Amazon’s first mover advantage was crucial. The fact that Amazon possessed the above resources and capabilities at the emergence of e-commerce is of vital importance. Therefore, it is questionable whether or not Amazon would have managed to achieve similar results if it were to launch today in 2004 in such a hypercompetitive market. Primarily, Amazon’s success was due to effective leveraging of its resources, especially knowledge and managing the capabilities derived from these resources. REFERENCES Barney, Jay B.. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage From: Journal of management vol 17 (1) 1991 p.99-120. Grant, R. M. (Robert Morris), 1948- Contemporary strategy analysis : concepts, techniques, applications / Robe.. 5th ed . Oxford : Blackwell, 2004 Johnson, Gerry. Exploring corporate strategy / Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes. 6th ed.. Harlow : Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002. Lynch, Richard L.. Corporate strategy / Richard Lynch. 3rd ed. Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2003. Mintzberg, Henry. Strategy safari : the complete guide through the wilds of strategic manage Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001. Mintzberg, H. and Waters, J.A. Of strategies, deliberate and emergent Strategic management journal. John Wiley and Sons Inc. Vol 6 (1985) p.257-272 Peteraf, M. The cornerstones of competitive advantage: a resource-based view Strategic management journal. John Wiley and Sons Inc. Vol 14 (3) 1993 p.179-191 Porter, M.E. From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. Harvard business review Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 1987 Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. The core competence of the corporation Harvard business review. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Vol 68 (3) 1990 p.79-91 Schein, Edgar H. (Edgar Henry), 1928-. Organizational culture and leadership. 2nd ed. San Francisco, Calif. : Jossey-Bass, 1992. (Jossey-Bass management series). Teece, D. et al Dynamic capabilities and strategic management Strategic management journal vol 17 (7) 1997 p.509-533 Whittington, Richard, 1958- What is strategy and does it matter? / Richard Whittington 2nd ed . London : Thomson Learning, 2001 1861523777 Footnotes [1] Amazon.com – from start up to the new millennium, Stockport Street in Johnson Scholes (2002) [2] www.amazon.com [3] This is a self prepared summary using the information provided in the Amazon.com Case study by Stockport Street. The purpose of the summary is informative and allows connection with the report – it has therefore been included in the main text. [4] Such text in bold are exhibits of strategic highlights

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Introduction From single mothers and fathers to working Husband and wives who work long hour and spend along hour away from their family are effected by work and family conflict. Parent is unable to assist with homework, school project, and community issue to do work and family conflict. What is work and family conflict? It is when an individual is working to the point where their personal lives and family member are affected by their absences. The work and family conflict causes multiple problems in both the home and on the job. Many individual affected by the work and family conflict on the job for an example the employee come be frustrated on the job because they have a family emergency that they cannot handle. They boss or employer may become restless do to the missed time from work to handle family situation, doctor appointment, or school matter. The conflict could come from the family member for example the child or children could misbehavior in class do to the lack of attention in the hom e. The other spouse could feel neglected do the missed hour of quality time from the work mate. Work and family conflict can affected all parts involved whether it is the employer, co-workers, spouse, children, or even friends. The main idea will be to gather some background information and literature to see how they contribute to work and family conflict. Also discover some action to take and steps to detail with this issue. Background Many different acts in the United Stated history play a major part in the events that place in today’s society. Work and family conflict has not always been an issue because before 1848 women were not allow to be a part of the working force and African American were not notice in the community as a helpi... ...The community worker has the worst time with separating work and family conflict. The problem is that the danger of the job causes them to be over protective over their families and it makes it difficult for them to divide the two. The action that is taken to take care of the problem on the job will be to change the scheduling on the job. Have flexible hour to work and save time for the family. The next step would be to make time to spend with your family because valuable time spends with them saves the conflict in the relation. Learn how to communicate with both the job and the family. Communicate is the key to saving any relationship from falling apart. Work and family conflict can be control if individual take the time to make sure that they receive stress before they go home, talk it out with the family and with the supervisor. If the problem cannot be fix QUIT.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Witchcraft of the Past Essay -- Essays Papers

Witchcraft of the Past What images does the word "witch" create in a person’s mind? Most people would tend to think of an old woman wearing a black, cone-shaped hat, with a large mole on her face, and perhaps flying on her broom. This is the stereotype of witches, and although some witches of the past may have fit into this category, one must remember witchcraft is a religion with a variety of followers. On the Covenant of the Goddess website, the basic philosophy of witchcraft is stated in one simple sentence: "Our religion is not a series of precepts or beliefs, rather we believe that we each have within ourselves the capacity to reach out and experience the mystery – that feeling of ineffable oneness with all Life." 1 This website is devoted to finding the origins of witchcraft, specifically faith and reason, and how it has affected society over the past 700 years. In the thirteenth century, witches, then called cunning folk, "played a positive role in helping people cope with calamity."2 They provided hope to townspeople that through magical means, natural disasters might some how be avoided. The cunning folk provided this important service that kept village life moving ahead. Possession of these so-called magical powers made one an important member of village society. People in need of "security and influence, namely, the old and the impoverished, especially single or widowed women" most often made these claims.3 In the late thirteenth century, the Christian church "declared that only its priests possessed legitimate magical powers," and "those who practices magic outside the church evidently derived their power from the Devil."4 The church wanted to rid society of the witches’ influence, and thus witch-hunts began. .. ...tion." 8. "The Burning Times." 9. Kagan, 491. 10. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud, http://popeye.cc.biu.ac.il/~barilm/witches.html (8 March 1999). 11. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud. Bibliography "About the Covenant of the Goddess." Covenant of the Goddess. http://www.cog.org/general/iabout.html (8 March 1999). "Beliefs & Superstitions." The Library of Witchcraft. http://witchcraft.simplenet.com/belief.html (9 March 1999) "The Burning Times." The Library of Witchcraft. http://witchcraft.simplenet.com/burningtimes1.html (9 March 1999). Kagan, Donald, Steve Ozment and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage Volume II: Since 1648. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud. http://popeye.cc.biu.ac.il/~barilm/witches.html (8 March 1999).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

What Kind of a Learner I Am

Throughout life everyone learns. How we learn and whether we are able to retain and recall that information is the problematic part. The way we absorb, analyze, and retain information is what makes each individual unique. What is successful for one individual may not be the most optimal way of learning for someone else. Therefore, everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. Through identifying our learning style, we will be able to capitalize on our strengths and improve our self-advocacy skills. For example, I am visual type of a learner. For me it is better to read something to memorize it and then it is easier for me to recall that information. I think this method is helping me a lot through my life because such a way I can use my advantage everywhere where it is possible. As concerns studying, I can pertain myself to 3 types: instrumental, achievement-oriented, and intrinsic. I am studying because it is interesting, but at the same time I want that my efforts were appreciated with a help of good grades and by getting a good job. One of the basic skills for success in the knowledge society is the ability to learn. With increasingly rapid changes in the work place, people must learn to learn in order that they can maintain their full and continued participation in a society. In conclusion, I can say that we all have elements of each learning style. But the truth is that one or two types stand out in each of us. Having determined which style of learner you are, and figure out ways to incorporate that learning style into your studying process. I will continue to encourage myself to figure out alternative styles, and try to bring each type into my life.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ethnic Marketing in Indonesia Essay

Indonesia’s national slogan  « Bhinneka ika tungat.  » that means unity and diversity, is a strong local motto that celebrates differences, specially the demographic one. This slogan was adopted at independence in 1945. This can indicate in a first approach a strongly united population, a country where people are allowed to practice and conserve their ethnic Identity. But this never was the general case in Indonesia. There is this insidious ordinary racism in the country that takes place in their everyday living. Because this sacred diversity is however limited to ethnic groups with claims to a territory: this includes the Javanese, the Sundanese and the Madurese. There are other local groups that are not as significant. For the other groups that can not have the same claims, it is another story especially when it comes to the Chinese Indonesian. Being migrants with powerful and strategic positions, they are often excluded by the population or they exclude themselves. If this is how the Indonesian society can be perceived, it isn’t the same when it comes to the marketing approach. It can be said that it is not that simple to talk about ethnic marketing in Indonesia when it is related to physical characteristics. If the comparison was made with Singapore, It is much easier to identify that a person belongs to a certain ethnic group when she is shown in an advertisement. It becomes more delicate when the ethnic groups have a lot of similarities. Even if Chinese, Indo or Arab origins Indonesians are not accepted everywhere or not recognized as true Indonesian by a part of the society, they still have their place and are represented for marketing purposes. We can give an example of Western Union: For the first Ad, adressed to the chinese Indonesian poulation, the person is an office working man, we would rather think that he has a good salary and is educated. The emphasis here is about the importance of the speed of the transaction. For the second Ad, more adressed to Indonesians with claims of territory, The main character is a little girl that due to the received money, could go to school. It shows the importance that is taking girls education in those groups. When it comes to the language, companies that operate at a national level generally use Indonesian or English for their advertisement campaigns. The use of a specific language related to a group is more likely to stay in the frame of small companies that operates in very restricted areas.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Wal-Mart Scandal

New York Times reporter David Barstow uncovered a shocking story against retail giant, Wal-Mart. His investigation started after Wal-Mart shut down its internal investigation over the possible bribery of Mexican officials. Wal-Mart used these bribes to accelerate growth in their Mexican zoning areas. These allegations surfaced when a Hispanic lawyer contacted Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville Arkansas. This lawyer had inside information on Wal-Mart’s bribes, as he represented them in their acts. He was used as a middle man for Wal-Mart’s payoffs to these officials.Wal-Mart took action in defending its image. In 2005 the company launched an internal investigation that dug into the operations of Wal-Mart de Mexico. The reports put together obvious signs that the company had, in fact been bribing the city officials to open up zoning areas and to swiftly create building permits. These bribes reported to total above $24 million. Wal-Mart’s lead investigator had thi s to say after the investigation was conducted, â€Å"There is reasonable suspicion to believe that Mexican and USA laws have been violated. When Wal-Mart’s leaders were faced with the decision to continue the investigation, they gave it to Wal-Mart de Mexico to investigate; it was shut down. Wal-Mart didn’t notify Mexican or American law enforcement with the information and none of these wrong doings were brought to the public eye until the publication of Barstow’s article. Wal-Mart would obviously face critical examination by the public if the allegations were true; reasoning behind closing the investigation. Wal-Mart told the justice department that the investigation was unnecessary and the cases were minor where they did occur.The Time’s had a view in their investigation as they found substantial evidence supporting the bribes taking place. It’s believed that these bribes were the jump start Wal-Mart needed to gain its huge standing in Mexican society. 1 in 5 Wal-Mart’s are located in Mexico. The Times interviewed Sergio Cicero Zapata, who resigned from Wal-Mart de Mexico in 2004. Cicero told them of personal instances of him giving lawyers envelopes of money to pay off government officials. Cicero said that he had done these deals for years while working for Wal-Mart. Along with the information they received from Mr.Cicero, the times also found government documents with evidence of payoffs. These documents showed that within days of the money being given to the lawyers the permits were granted. The Times have published new stories exposing the company further with deeper information that they have gained through their investigation. Some of the information includes: * Wal-Mart pays $341,000 to officials in Mexico City to build a Sam’s club. The building was put in a densely populated area, and was done without a construction license, or an environmental permit or and urban impact assessment, or a traffic p ermit. Wal-Mart bribes officials to build â€Å"a vast refrigerated distribution center in an environmentally fragile flood basin north of Mexico City in an area where electricity is so scarce that many smaller developers turned away. † The bribe for this case was $765,000. * A zoning situation in Teotihuacan caused Wal-Mart to make a payment of $52,000 to enable them to build a store near a famous pyramid site. The citizens were enraged by the location of the store but the protests were ignored and the Wal-Mart was built.The mayor of Teotihuacan spent $77,000 buying and renovating a ranch the next year. Unexpected on a $47,000 yearly salary. * There have also been reports of Wal-Mart building on ancient ruin sites. They have been obtaining the permits to do so illegally. Now that the statements have been made public, Wal-Mart de Mexico has been under investigation by the U. S. and Mexican governments. The leadership is questionable within both Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart de Mexico . The high members of Wal-Mart de Mexico made a choice to shut down the investigation to cover up their tracks.The consequences of being discovered breaking the law to this extreme would put a huge chip on all of the Wal-Mart leaders’ shoulders. The growth of their business is also at stake. Apparently these bribes played a major role in the expansion of Wal-Marts across Mexico. The leaders located in Arkansas will more than likely be held accountable for irresponsible actions as well. If the allegations are true they could be found out for knowing about the illegal bribes. Ethical issues do not look good for leaders; it can dramatically impact the way the company is viewed.The actions of Wal-Mart making deals in Mexico could greatly affect the way the company is viewed and its overall standing to the public. With the investigation still ongoing it has yet to be clear what leaders at Wal-Mart are tied to the bribes in Mexico but it is undoubted by the New York Times that ther e are several people accountable for the actions. It is also possible that Wal-Mart has been doing this in other countries as well, but will only be confirmed when and if the government can obtain the information they need to prove wrong doing against Wal-Mart. Works Cited City. David Barstow; Alejandra Xanic Von Bertrab And James C. Mckinley Jr. Contributed Reporting From Mexico. â€Å"Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle. †Ã‚  The New York Times. 22 Apr. 2012. The New York Times. 04 Mar. 2013 . Radcliffe, Dana. â€Å"Leadership Lessons From Wal-Mart's Bribery Scandal. †Ã‚  The Huffington Post. 16 July 2012. TheHuffingtonPost. com. 04 Mar. 2013 .

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Bankruptcy Court in Richmond

In the Eastern Edition of Wall Street Journal, an article was published on April 14, 2009 with reports that Circuit City sought the permission of U. S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia to sell the â€Å"Circuit City† and â€Å"The City† brand names and related Web sites, phone numbers, and trademarks to Systemax Inc. , the same company who bought the CompUSA brand name in 2008. This kind of scenario in the business world is an example of acquisition.As defined by the Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms, the term â€Å"acquisition† refers to a process where: â€Å"†¦one company taking over controlling interest in another company. Investors are always looking out for companies that are likely to be acquired, because those who want to acquire such companies are often willing to pay more than the market price for the shares they need to complete the acquisition† (2006). In this project, the acquiring company is Systemax Inc while the target c ompany for acquisition is the Circuit City. Systemax Inc.(NYSE: SYX) is a Fortune 1000 company and leading retailer of brand name like TigerDirect, CompUSA, MISCO and Global Industrial Equipment, and of private label products including personal computers, notebook computers, consumer electronics, computer-related accessories, technology supplies and industrial products. Systemax sells these products through Integrated Marketing mix such as: branded e-commerce websites, direct mail catalogs, relationship marketers and retail stores. The company also manufactures and sells personal computers under the Systemax logo and computer components under the Ultra Products brand.The company reach extends to a wide range of customers from individual consumers, to small-to-medium sized businesses, to major corporations, to government organizations and to the educational market. On the other hand, Circuit City Stores, Inc. (Pink Sheets: CCTYQ) used to be the second largest U. S. electronics retail er, after Best Buy in brand-name consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software, and large appliances. At the time of liquidation, there were 567 Circuit City Superstores nationwide with store size ranging from 15,000 to 45,000 square feet (1400 to 4000 m?), when the company announced total liquidation. When the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2008, an additional 155 stores were closed with the intent of continuing business operations. However, as a consequence of global economic recession during the late 2000s, the lack of consumer spending and overall economic downturn resulted to the demise of the company. When the company shut operation, a small staff remains active at corporate headquarters to complete the company's business such as the termination of its many leases, and the sale of its company-owned real estate and Canadian subsidiary.From the acquisition and take over that happened between Systemax Inc. and Circuit City, we can now see h ow the managers of these two companies strategically implemented their business plans and goals. As for the Systemax Inc, the bankruptcy of Circuit City is a blessing not only because a giant competitor has closed operations, it can now enjoy the existing infrastructures and other stakeholders of the said company. With 14 million dollars cash plus a share of future revenue generated from those assets over a 30-month period, the managers of Circuit City can now address its internal concerns with the employees and customers.The employees can now receive separation payments as deemed by the Labor laws and the customers can now ask for refunds for the defective products sold at Circuit City. References ACQUISITION. (2006). In Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://www. credoreference. com. ezproxy. stedwards. edu:5000/entry/barronsfin/acquisition Morath, E. (2009, April 14). Circuit city aims to sell br and name to systemax. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. B. 6. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Wall Street Journal database. (Document ID: 1678320131).

Friday, September 13, 2019

Is Inheritance Justified Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Inheritance Justified - Essay Example This discussion has been very common among scholars, especially philosophers, and economists and some of them have gone to the extent of publishing scholarly works either discrediting or in support of this longtime practice. This paper seeks to dissect this topic from a philosophical perspective- employing ethics and critical thinking- so as establish whether inheritance is a just or unjust practice. In â€Å"Is Inheritance Justified?† Haslett D. W. introduces his work by noting how income is not distributed equally in the United States (Isbister 143). This unequal distribution is, indeed, a problem experienced by all the governments of the world and is a point of concern to every global citizen including myself. So as to address this issue, the government has dished out gifts and introduced the idea of estate taxes to tame the inequality. Haslett contends that giving gifts does not solve the problem because he believes inheritance just worsens the inequality. The question, therefore, is that â€Å"is this skewness brought about by inheritance?† should the unequal distribution of income be a reason to abolish inheritance? I don’t know what other people would say, but I think that would be harsh and would hurt our economy big time. Haslett seems to be a staunch believer in capitalism as a model for economic growth even though he does not demonstrate this. He borrows heavily from the principles of capitalism to support why inheritance should be abolished. According to him, there are three fundamental principles of capitalism that inheritance is inconsistent with. The first principle is that an individual’s income should be commensurate with his productivity, and Haslett firmly believes inheritance does not encourage this. The second ideal, which is also contravened by inheritance, is that people should be given equal opportunities to produce. The third ideal is freedom, that is, people should be allowed to engage in transactions that benefit them so long as

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Advanced Obstetrics for Paramedics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Advanced Obstetrics for Paramedics - Essay Example In certain cases, the signs and symptoms typically occur in 6-8 weeks after the normal menstrual period, but ectopic pregnancy may occur later. In some of the cases, nausea along with breast discomfort, low blood pressure, weakness, dizziness and pale skin can be noticed amid the patient (Stà ¶ppler, 2013). Considering the fact that different sites of possible ectopic pregnancy implantation will influence patients’ presentation, it can be ascertained that the treatment of ectopic pregnancy requires implantation and actual removal of the affected parts of a body. In some of these cases, Fallopian tube requires either pharmacologic or surgical management. Pharmacologic management with the doses of methotrexate is necessary for effective treatment. Sometimes, the linear salpingostomy surgery is performed, if a patient desires to become pregnant in future. It is thus anticipated that proper treatment and effective nursing care will certainly help in providing effective and proper treatment to the patients under the circumstance of ectopic pregnancy (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2014). It is worth mentioning that the notion of Perinatal morbidity and mortality includes stillbirth and the death of newborn babies within the first 28 days of the birth. According to the latest report of the Australian Bureau of Statistics published in the year 2012, 2,558 perinatal deaths were reported due to Perinatal morbidity and mortality (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014). Again, these 2,558 deaths constituted around 1,355 males and 1,203 females. It will be vital to mention in this similar concern that one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in varied regions of Australia is the haemorrhage from placenta percreta, which results in causing haemoperitoneum, a sign of perinatal morbidity and mortality (Government of South Australia, 2013). Thromboembolic is a disease, which occurs during

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Compare and contrast the accumulation of engineering ethical issues Essay

Compare and contrast the accumulation of engineering ethical issues leading to the Katrina Hurricane response versus the TVA's Kingston ash spill - Essay Example ganization’s integrity by assisting individuals conform to the professional norms, avoid misdeeds and mistakes (such as nepotism and corruption) that go against public trust. Deontological ethics also ensure that the public officials within the constitutional republic are accountable to people (Adams and Balfour 4). A good example is the failure of the levees after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans (Schwester 348). There are people who argue that the city of New Orleans should not have been located in such vulnerable environment. New Orleans is located below-sea level which is a factor that could have contributed to the vulnerability of New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. The important factor is perhaps the New Orleans system of floodwalls and levees, which were built in the 1920s and in the 1930s. The Corps of Engineers and the levee districts did not maintain the levees and the floodwalls adequately. Furthermore, the soil structure initial assessment indicates that the system was built on substandard soil. This means that the levees could be overtopped by Category 3 storm. Multiple breaches in a number of waterways and from Lake Pontchartrain offered substantial evidence of inadequate risk assessment and failure to sufficiently protect the waterways (Adams and Balfour 8). The engineering ethical issues in regard to the Hurricane Katrina have accumulated since the construction of the floodwalls and levees during the 1920s and 1930s. Due to the economic significance of New Orleans, Morgan City, and the Baton Rouge, a system of levees was constructed in the past years to keep the river in its current bed and also to manage, or control frequent flooding. To make matters worse, flooding can result due to the Mississippi River large spring flows, and from storms blowing from the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, the operators and designers of a New Orleans flood control system are faced with sophisticated design conditions (Christian 6). In the early 20th century, pumping

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Identity Theft - Essay Example Identity theft victimizes nearly 10 million Americans each year and costs businesses and individuals an estimated $53 billion (Crosby, 2005). A person’s identity can be stolen either in the real world or in the digital world (online). Although many would believe the digital world is the most common place that a person’s identity is stolen this is not true. The most common place that a person’s identity is stolen is in the real world when their wallet, checkbook or credit card is lost or stolen. The internet always grabs the headlines, but it is individuals who are close to the victims, such as family and friends, that are doing most of the crimes (Lai, 2006). Social Security numbers are at the heart of the issue because it is our sole code for identity. It’s very easy to obtain Social Security numbers. Non-Social Security Administration uses of Social Security numbers have not been prohibited, so Social Security numbers are used as identification and account numbers by many entities (Walsh, 2004). Counterfeit Social Security numbers are on the rise because the Social Security number is the national identifier and it gives individuals a reason to use it for illegal purposes. Stolen Social Security numbers have been used to establish credit, gain employment, hide identity to commit crimes obtain benefits and services. Thieves will attempt to get information on their potential victims in many different ways. They may steal your bank statements or pre-approved credit card applications out of your mailbox or they may do what is known as dumpster diving which is when the thief will go throw your garbage to look for potential information with your identification on it. The most difficult type of identity theft is fraudulent accounts being opened in a person’s name. It takes an average of 152 days for victims to find out

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Hired as a political consultant to pick a party and outline its Essay

Hired as a political consultant to pick a party and outline its chances of winning - Essay Example The development of the blanket primary was as a result of the enactment of the Top two candidates Open Primary Act. The rule of the law was to develop a system that encourages competition among the participants and encourage the development of increased participation between the people of California. The act gives an opportunity for a candidate to advance into the general elections using the majority votes (Arnold 56). However, the law has not lived up to its expectation because of several challenges. It increased election spending because the election campaign period was extended to one year. From the research, conducted on the new enactment may lead to the development of increased power of the particular interest groups that fund the participants. The resultant effect of the blanket primary was the establishment of the same party candidates battling in the general elections which affected the success of the parties in the election process (Karol 43). In the past elections, the demo crats had seven candidates, and it led to increased competition. The political history of California District The district was created in 3rd January 1963 and has redistricted several times since its creation. However, the political climate of the district indicates strong affiliation to the Republican Party. The first two representatives were from the Republican Party, but were later followed by a reign of two Democratic representatives. Since then, the district has oscillated between republican and democrat and is currently under the leadership of Janice Hahn a democrat. Looking back at the last elections republicans led to the development of ideas and strong belief that the next election will have a republican representative taking over. The democrat reign in the House of Representatives will come to an end in the next election because there is a likelihood of the voters to change party from Democrat to Republican. However, from the trend illustrated above there is a high likelih ood of the voters, to vote in a republican representative. However, on the recent times,, the Democrat has benefited in winning the house of representative several times because of the consistency developed (Bishin 34). However, the population is getting tired with the increasing democratic representation. However, one vital issue evident in the election is that the president, governor, and house of representative votes of the district has shown similarities in the sense that; in most cases, they vote in the same party for president and governors. The success of the whole process of the campaign will be dependent on the ability to address issues of governance such as leadership and development. The success of a candidate depends on the ability to address the issues of the district differently from the set performance. Success will be if the candidate offers insight into the social issues. Current situation of the district The district was the 9th competitive congressional primaries in 2012 with the focus being the focus of the situation is based on the ability to solve the district problems. The success of the current candidates is based on the successful campaign process developed by the candidate. The success of the candidates in articulating the social issues was vital model for success. For a Republican Party candidate with the focus to win the next electio

Monday, September 9, 2019

Delegation Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Delegation Nursing - Case Study Example This should not narrow us down only to the environment provided to the patients alone but supervisors have to make sure that there is self moral respect like professional growth and maintenance of competence. With the above highlighted factors in place, good interdisciplinary care in the clinic is guaranteed. It is good to recognize the efforts put in place by Ms. W in trying to help Ms. R to recover from her health problem. â€Å"Thank you for being patriotic to your job.† Richard Lennon in his book entitled, â€Å"Twelve rules of delegation,† says that delegation is a two-way street. That is, it develops you and the people you are working with (Lenon, 2008). It is fine if you delegate duties to your subordinate staff to help you keep track of Ms. R progress. Yes, she is absconding appointments, always late on appointments, sometimes she misses on important test and she does not have her dose as per your instruction. Now that you have known this, it will be wise if you will delegate duties to yours subordinate staff. They will help you in the follow up of the patient. Whereby, this subdivision and sub allocation of power will give you positive results. Referring her to another clinic might not be the solution because she might repeat the same habit again. In return after referral, it might not be the best decision ever on patient optimization. Having a subordinate staff is a true assurance that they are there to help you. Referral of patients might bring out a filling of intimidation among the subordinates. Remember that duty delegation enables employees to be empowered with tasks, which helps production and improves there morale. Further more keep in mind that you are dealing with patients, and some have hopes with you. If you refer them to other clinics, it might make them loose the confidence they had with you and seek services somewhere else. Having

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Ethical and Unethical Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical and Unethical Decision Making - Essay Example The given case includes an ethical dilemma which will be thoroughly analyzed using the relevant theories of ethics. It will mainly involve the employee’s duty to the employer. Stakeholders in this case study include Zach Micheals who is a graphic designer; Altiora University where Zach studied; XJ7 Studio where Zach did his internship and worked on a major project; Tangent where Zach works after completing the degree and The Charleston Technical University, for which Zach creates a web portal using his previous work. In the given case, the ethical dilemma arises when Zach Micheals is asked by his boss to work on a new project using the files of his earlier work for Altiora University. The files were unlawfully stored by Zach when he was working on this project, but his intentions were only to keep backups for safe-keeping. Moving the project files outside the company was unlawful as it was against one clause of the signed agreement. After passing out from the Altiora University, he receives a job in Tangent Studio, a rival of XJ7 Studio, where Zach completed his internship. Zach uses his previous work and modifies it for Charleston University web portal. In other words, he unethically and unlawfully uses the intellectual property of someone else without taking any permission from the real owner. Zach may not be considered ethically wrong when he created backups of the project since his intentions were good, but later, when he uses this for Charleston University web portal, it was not only unethic al and an unlawful act. This is called â€Å"computer theft†. According to Manuel Valasquez, â€Å"to convert company resources to the employee’s own use are forms of theft because to do either is to take or use property that belongs to another (the employer) without the consent of its rightful owner† (Velasquez, 2006).

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Benefits and cost in quality management systems Essay

Benefits and cost in quality management systems - Essay Example Traditionally quality management was confined to a quality control department, the job being to keep proper checks and balances on the product or service being sure, the customers are being provided the quality they wish to attain while purchasing a distinct service or product. Now, with the passage of time, This Quality management has evolved and emerged as a complete system of its own. It has now become a whole Quality management System. 'The term ISO 9000 has two major connotations. One is specific standard called ISO 9000 'Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and the vocabulary and the second Connotation is a family of standards that compose the ISO 9000 series related to quality management systems . (Cobb, Charles G ,2003 ) Quality management systems have evolved and Total Quality Management System (TQM) have been developed which in Totality tend to manage and deliver the best quality standards of service and products. There is an ongoing debate about how vital these Quality management systems are for organizations. And how proper structuring of such Systems can enhance efficiency of an organization, hence help succeed in the goals short term and long-term. The notion stated above is true to some extent, as some companies fail to actually realize how vital Quality management systems are. For the success of the organization and sustenance in the customer market. For It is simple business rule , once if any organization is unable to satisfy its consumer in regards to the value and quality of the service and product being provided , the customer would not need to wait longer for the product or service to improve , as there are possible better substitutes available in the market . The product and service market captures a huge market share. The market is seen to be full of competitors at each level. All trying their best to excel. Hence, if in such a scenario, organizations do not invest in a quality management system continuously, it would not be a surprise if companies would fall out of the market. The reason behind, organizations failing to recognize the vitality of such an investment can be many. But to be really specific, we can say that all Quality management systems (including the implementation of TQM) can be costly to some organizations, and are thus avoided. The fact, that by implementing such a system the organization can expect far more benefits both then and the longer run. "Management system" refers to what the organization does to manage its processes or activities to ensure the products or services meet the objectives it has set itself, in particular: satisfying the customer's quality requirements, and complying to relevant regulations. In a very small organization, there is probably no system, as such, just "our way of doing things," which may not even be written down, but all in the owner's head. The larger the organization, and the more people involved, the greater the likelihood that there are some written procedures, instructions, forms or records. These help ensure everyone is not just doing his or her own thing, and that the organizati

Friday, September 6, 2019

A Life Lesson from My Grandma Essay Example for Free

A Life Lesson from My Grandma Essay The tears rolled down profusely as I held the telephone receiver in my hand. My aunt was still on the other end, demanding that I immediately rush over to Grandma Mary’s house. At this instant, my gut instinct responded by tightening up indicating that something was definitely wrong. And it was only then; memories of her youthful days flashed across my mind, reminding me of her mantra, â€Å"You must never allow anyone to steal your joy†. And it appeared as if she was standing right beside me, but I knew it was just a fragment of my imagination. I confirmed there and then to myself, I recognized now that I had lost someone, but I would have something with me for life, the value of unconditional love my grandma often displayed amongst her family and her neighbors by extension, and she would always reiterate how much she wanted it to live on. Granny Mary was like a female Goliath. Blessed with a dark chocolate skin tone, moles and wrinkles canvassed her face which we often referred to as the storylines of her life. But the positivity she gave off could connect a grounded wire on a cold winter night. How she did it, she alone knew. I remember her making ends meet, and providing food for her family after two failed marriages. As the other half of her twin, Uncle John would pay his sister to do his laundry, cook his food and maintain the downstairs of the home which he occupied. And yes, pretty amazing how this money brought up six kids and assisted my sister and I as the two first grandchildren in the family. Not only did she raise her grand kids, but the entire neighborhood’s children were taken care of by â€Å"Aunty Mary† also, a name she would always be remembered by. I can still recall how many days the neighbor’s kids will come without food or clothes, but when they left, their tummies were filled, and late evening shower already taken. We would all surround granny as she read a bible story and explained the role of each person mentioned in the  bible. It was as if her joy was ensuring that all children were always happy and knew the value of love. And yes, this stood out most, because to this day, I share the same sentiments when dealing with my daughter and my niece, or all children I interact with on a daily basis. To this day, I could count the number of times I saw a toothy smile on her almost daunting face, after that late December afternoon when the hospital called to say my Uncle Brian passed away after being involved in a motor vehicular accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway. She continued to emphasize that we were totally in control of our own happiness, and we should live life to the fullest always displaying love and making sure all is well with our soul as we never know when the good Lord will call us home. I remembered her kneeling to pray with her every night before we go to bed. She embedded that prayer was the answer to every problem you can ever encounter in this life and happiness is within one’s self. Grandma Mary would often have us assist her when she picked peas or fed the chickens in the backyard. We watched the chickens developed from baby chicks to mealtime. And yes, we’d joke about it when it was time to catch them to have grandma prepare some great soul f ood for us. In April 2012, I was able to display the said qualities Grandma Mary embedded in us. I gave birth to a still born baby boy, and all I saw after giving birth, was my grand-mother’s face. How she’d often say God is ever to wise to make a mistake, and God sees what we don’t. Although I didn’t want to hear that at that time of grief, I clearly remembered dreaming her one night, giving me confirmation that all would be well, and continue to love and have faith in God. And as I thought about her the morning after I was discharged from the hospital, I made hot cocoa, and the aroma took me back to twenty years ago when my grandmother was alive. We’d wake up to the aroma of hot cocoa and her favorite Jim Reeve would be blasting through the house, â€Å"If heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?† And it was as if she strengthened me to look forward and not regret. I remembered her mantra, and I did not allow the death of my son to steal my joy. I still had my daughter to brighten up my days, and prayers assisted me in trusting and believing that God had better plans for me. As an individual, I can associate part of my grandmother’s journey to that of mine. No mother comes on this earth with the intentions of having to bury their own child, but all in all, life has to go on. And not just go on, but I am in control of my own joy. The qualities she left us with have continued to reign throughout my family, and every time I sit to tell a story about Grandma Mary, I can safely associate her with love, faith and God. The aroma of hot cocoa today brings a smile on my face, and each time I hear a Jim Reeve play, I’ll see her wrinkled face. There is no greater joy in having a loved one live on although they are no longer with us in body. I am one hundred percent guaranteed she is indeed happy with the positive value we continue to display. And the deep voice ringing through my head, â€Å"You must never allow anyone to steal your joy†.