Saturday, December 28, 2019

Rage in Baldwins Stranger in the Village Essay - 578 Words

Rage in Baldwins Stranger in the Village The rage of the disesteemed is personally fruitless, but it is also absolutely inevitable; this rage, so generally discounted, so little understood even among the people whose daily bread it is, is one of the things that makes history. -- James Baldwin, ?Stranger in the Village? (130) In his essay Stranger in the Village (1955), many of James Baldwin?s innermost feelings are exposed to the reader. One of the emotions I believe Baldwin feels most strongly is rage. He is angry at the fact that only whites are looked upon as humans, while the black man is looked upon as chattel. Baldwin mentions the word rage several times in his essay and discusses the reasons why he is filled†¦show more content†¦The past brings out strong emotions in Baldwin leading him to express his feelings by writing. In paragraph 10, Baldwin describes the feeling of rage explicitly. He explains that ?rage? is unavoidable and that one cannot ignore it. The rage of people caught in situations, as Baldwin puts it in the epigraph that frames this essay, causes ?rage? on an everyday basis but still cannot be fully comprehended. The rage of the American Negro can only partially be rationalized by the white people with complications and ?never entirely? subdued by the American Negro. This powerful anger cannot be concealed or disguised because it would become deceitful and invigorate ?rage? and add to its unpleasantness (130-131). Additionally, rage is by far the strongest emotion one can experience, especially if repressed. For instance, Baldwin had a lot of anger and hostility built inside of him because of his troubled past and agitated feelings. These feelings grow inside of Baldwin because he cannot fit into a society that accepts him as an ?exotic rarity? (131), not a human being. In paragraphs 7 and 8, Baldwin alludes to his hostility towards white people. Baldwin supposes that there is an immense distinction between being the first white person to be seen by black people and to be the first black person to be seen by white people. Baldwin asserts that it is not fair that a white man can come to a newShow MoreRelated James Baldwins Stranger in the Village Essays896 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwins Stranger in the Village In paragraph three of James Baldwins Stranger in the Village (1955), he alludes to emotions that are significant, dealing with conflicts that arise in the Swiss village. Of these emotions are two, astonishment and outrage, which represent the relevant feelings of Baldwin, an American black man. These two emotions, for Baldwins ancestors, create arguments about the Negro and their rights to be considered human beings (Baldwin 131). Baldwin,Read More`` Strangers `` By Toni Morrison And James Baldwin1400 Words   |  6 Pagessame opinions. Everyone carries a different opinion of a stranger in his/her mind depending upon there past encounters with strangers. This is evident in the works of Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. We encounter too many people everyday and it’s impossible to get to know them all. We observe and gauge them based on appearances, just like we do with â€Å" Books based on their cover † says Edwin Rolfe in â€Å"Murder in the Glass room†. In â€Å"Strangers† by Morrison, she meets a fisherwoman at her neighbor’sRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s The Shooting An Elephant Essay1946 Words   |  8 Pagesthe motives behind the action of â€Å"avoid looking like a fool† is to maintain his white dignity arose from â€Å"the principle of white supremacy† (Mandela 186). In â€Å"Stranger in the Village†, James Baldwin notes there is a â€Å"great difference† between the whites and blacks as he imagines â€Å"white men arriving for the first time in an African village†: The white man takes the astonishment as tribute, for he arrives to conquer and to convert the natives, whose inferiority in relation to himself is not even to

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Wall Street Is An Useful Tool For The American Economy

Pros of Wall Street Wall Street is an extremely useful tool for the American economy. It helps those who are in the lower part of the social ladder by giving them a chance to climb the ladder of economic opportunity. Wall Street also helps boost other industries within America, thereby making it vital for the American economy. As Wall Street is one of the most important financial institutions in the world and provides more positive aspects for the economy than negative ones. Wall Street is extremely important for the American economy. Jeff Madrick, the editor of Challenge: The Magazine of Economic Affairs, in his piece â€Å"Does America need Wall Street†, cites historian Alfred Chandler, who argued that the majority of the money put into America during industrialization came from corporate profits (Madrick).Those profits were able to make technological advances for all Americans. Daniel Indiviglio, former associate editor of the Atlantic, states that Wall Street is also important to the economy because it helps banks create capital (Indiviglio). That bank capital helps create jobs in the economy by causing more money to be available to be put into the economy. Wall Street plays an important part in the economy, and without it, America would face financial hardships. Wall Street also helps the American economy by providing the opportunity to be able to move up the financial ladder. Adam Davidson, a journalist who focuses on business and economic issues for National PublicShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Online News839 Words   |  4 PagesOn the front page of today’s online business section of the Wall Street Journal, two headlines were presented side by side. While one referenced the â€Å"Uncommonly Strong U.S. Economic Picture,† buoyed by strong job growth, the other, written a week later, lamented the â€Å"Sluggish U.S. Economy† that has consistently posted lackluster growth figures (). Both articles, written by respected economic corresponden ts at the Journal—itself a reputable paper—reference official, credible figures; yet, despiteRead MoreTheu.s. Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform And Consumer Protection Act930 Words   |  4 PagesThe pros and cons of many macroeconomic policies are frequently debated. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed into law in July of 2010 sparked bitter controversy. Appropriately argued by American Banker’s Capitol Hill reporter Victoria Finkle, Dodd-Frank is viewed as either a â€Å"landmark law that reined in the biggest banks† or an â€Å"economy-crippling overreach that burdened small institutions.† The Act intends to tighten financial regulation inRead MoreDollar General Case Analysis1059 Words   |  5 Pagesappropriate analytical tool. However, the four distinct types of retailers within the dollar store retail segment (original dollar stores, close-out retailers, limited assortment grocers, and extreme-value retailers) all compete on price. Dollar General is very competitive in this regard, but this alone has not rendered the company successful; price is not Dollar General’s competitive advantage amongst its competitors. Therefore, a demand-side differentiation analysis proves far more useful in addressingRead MoreDow Jones Industrial Average And Nasdaq1450 Words   |  6 PagesSecurities Dealers Automatic Quotation System. It is the first and largest electronic stock exchange in the world, consisting of more than 4000 stocks. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ are significant gauges of the current state of the economy. However, the NASDAQ is much larger and includes more than 4000 companies, while the Dow Jones only includes 30 companies. All of the NASDAQ stocks are also traded on the NASD AQ exchange, while the majority of Dow stocks are traded on the NYSE. TheRead MoreThe Dow Jones Industrial Index1420 Words   |  6 PagesSecurities Dealers Automatic Quotation System. It is the first and largest electronic stock exchange in the world, consisting of more than 4000 companies. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ are significant gauges of the current state of the economy. However, the NASDAQ is much larger and includes more than 4000 companies, while the Dow Jones only includes 30 companies. All of the NASDAQ stocks are also traded on the NASDAQ exchange, while the majority of Dow stocks are traded on the NYSE. TheRead MoreIncome Inequality Of The United States2013 Words   |  9 PagesA deafening and persistent roar reverberates against the glass walls, around the stone columns and through the rows of American flags, which billow above the financial hub of the United States. A sea of tens of thousands of American citizens begins below the iconic black a nd white sign that reads â€Å"Wall St†, and extends beyond the end of the block, filling each and every square inch of space in-between. Over and over again, in unison, they chant â€Å"We are the ninety-nine percent!† and collectively formRead More6.0Industry Trends And Agency Issues. 6.1 Industry Trends.1721 Words   |  7 Pagesneeds ïÆ'Ëœ Declining fuel tax revenues ïÆ'Ëœ Insecurities about Federal funding 6.1.2 American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) and Challenges Facing Infrastructure Nationwide, transportation infrastructure faces many challenges, including aging assets and reduced fuel tax revenues. As a result, aged highways and bridges require costly reconstruction and replacement with limited funds. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, nearly four in 10 of the nation’s 614,370 bridges are fiftyRead MoreSupply Chain Sector : Tb T s Mission Of Providing Safe And Efficient Facilities1724 Words   |  7 Pagesinvestment needs ïÆ'Ëœ Declining fuel tax revenues ïÆ'Ëœ Insecurities about Federal funding 6.1.2 American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) and Challenges Facing Infrastructure Nationwide, transportation infrastructure faces many challenges including aging assets and reduced fuel tax revenues. As a result, aged highways and bridges require costly reconstruction and replacement with limited funds. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, nearly four in 10 of the nation’s 614,370 bridges are fiftyRead MoreAnalyzing Current Situation Of Us Economy And Comparing It With Past Years3686 Words   |  15 Pagesfix it? 05 vi Alternatives 06 vii Financing Options 07 viii Tools and Methods 08 ix Analysis – Example 09 x Conclusion 10 xi Appendix Project Outline: Analyzing current situation of US economy and comparing it with past years and suggesting ways to improve the current scenario is the objective of this project report. Introduction What do you mean by Economic Analysis? The process of analyzing the strengths weaknesses of an economy is called as Economic analysis. Probably the most importantRead MoreThe Chronicle Gazette5193 Words   |  21 Pagessubscription and advertising revenues have been steadily declining. One of the main causes for this downfall is that readers are using the internet to get news and other information for free, and they are reluctant to pay. The current state of the economy in the United States and the global recession has cut down the advertising revenues for the newspapers. The cost of publishing has increased, which has caused the majority of the newspapers to increase their prices. This has further distanced consumers

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Corporate Objectives And Approaches To Marketing †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Objectives And Approaches To Marketing. Answer: Corporate objectives Corporate objectives can be considered as the coremarketing decision that can help a particular company to boost up their inner performances ("Target finds innovative ways to further CSR objectives", 2016). It can be said that a proper corporate marketing strategy can develop the business and can take the business to a different level of success. The corporate strategy actually anticipates the time frame and it also increases the performance and the flow of the business so that the targets can be reached within the given time period. In this case Marks Spencer is a famous retail business organization that has earned its reputation by making some famous strategic corporate objectives. It is basically a UK based company but the company is spread all over the world. Marketing orientation concept Marketing orientation concept can be classified in the mentioned ways, Product Concept The products should be like the way the customers demand. It can be said that the organization must have the products ready according to the daily needs of the customers and the products must at least carry the minimum quality so that the customers get the proper satisfaction. In this case, MS has maintained a good quality of products from the very first stage of the business. The prices of the products are also very versatile and it almost covers the entire stages of the society(Lemmerer Menrad, 2015). The high class people as well as the middle class people are satisfied with the servitude of the company. Production concept The production concept is totally based on the products those are demanded by the customers (Pooth, 2010). It is obvious that the company will target to produce those products more which have more demand. That is where the production concept lies. Selling concept The selling concept is totally depended on the concept of marketing. People will start to buy more products if the company is able to sell them in a proper mannerism. Proper marketing and proper selling concept can increase the business flow indeed. Marketing concept This is the most vital concept based on which the products of MS will be sold to its target customers. If the company wants to increase its sell then the concept of marketing must be taken very seriously and the authority of the company must try to bring out different marketing concepts(Schmitt, 2010). Societal Marketing concept This marketing concept actually focuses the different aspects of the society while attempting to make marketing of the products. MS should consider its competitors also in the field of this marketing concept and they must come up with new ideas. Core marketing strategy of the organization The marketing strategy of any particular organization is always effective in the field of business. In this case MS have been successfully adapted to all the best strategies those are available in the market. It can be segmented to into few categories, Strength Growth Strategies Growth is mainly based on some ideas based on which the company actually tries to expand the business venture. It can be said that the growth strategy starts from the very initial stage of introducing the product and it continues as the business goes on(Europe 2020, 2014). Innovation Strategies It is one of the most effective strategies where the company focuses to target the customers by producing innovative products. It can also be considered as the innovative strategies which mainly differentiates the company from its rivalry. Weakness Generic Strategies This strategy actually defines the core strategy that company must take while expanding the business area. It can be said that a particular business must put all its focus on the competitors and the situation of the market. That is the only way to build up the correct marketing strategies. The above mentioned strategies are more or less effective for MS but among three strategies, Innovation strategy holds the most advantageous position in the market (Chen Jaiprakash, 2017). Generic strategy is the most basic and amateur strategy so it is not as much effective as the other two strategies. References Chen, L., Jaiprakash, P. (2017). An Insurance Market Simulation With Both Adverse and Advantageous Selection.Risk Management And Insurance Review,20(1), 133-146. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rmir.12070 Europe 2020. (2014). Luxembourg. Lemmerer, A., Menrad, K. (2015). Customers use of prices and internal reference prices to evaluate new food products.British Food Journal,117(4), 1411-1424. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bfj-07-2014-0270 Pooth, O. (2010).The CMS silicon strip tracker. Wiesbaden: Vieweg+Teubner Verlag. Schmitt, B. (2010). Experience Marketing: Concepts, Frameworks and Consumer Insights.Foundations And Trends In Marketing,5(2), 55-112. https://dx.doi.org/10.1561/1700000027 Target finds innovative ways to further CSR objectives. (2016).Corporate Philanthropy Report,31(9), 1-12. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cprt.30102

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Nike Case Essay Example

Nike Case Paper What is the WACC and why is it important to estimate a firm’s cost of capital? Do you agree with Joanna Cohen’s WACC calculation? Why or why not? WACC is the weighted average cost of capital. It can be calculated as: WACC = (Weight of funding source 1) x (Cost of funding source 1) + †¦ + (Weight of funding source n) x (Cost of funding source n) Usually this will be simply: WACC = (Percentage of debt) x (Cost of debt) + (Percentage of equity) x (Cost of equity) It is important to estimate a firm’s cost of capital for the appraisal of new projects; a project should only be undertaken if the return from it is greater than that of the capital required to fund it unless there are other compelling (strategic) reasons. A firm should also be aware of it’s own cost of capital and try to minimise this. We do not agree with Joann’s WACC calculation: ? Her funding source weightings are wrong ? There is an argument that all debt (including accounts payable etc) or net debt and a blended return on this should be used The debt figure will only ever be an estimate as the balance sheet is one day in the year ? Her analysis assumes Nike debt is trading at par – it is not ? Equity should be based on market value, not book value ? Hence total will be based on market cap. , not balance sheet ? Her debt cost is wrong ? She should use the current or projected cost rather than a historic one ? i. e. use a Bloomberg terminal (other term inals are available) to research yields on debt of the same credit rating as Nike ? It is unlikely Nike has a cost of debt lower than T bills Raising debt in a foreign currency (Jap Yen) either carries an associated hedging cost or exposes the borrower to FX risk, hence the coupon rate on the notes is not the actual cost of the debt ? Her assumed tax rate is probably wrong, if a firm is paying anywhere near the statutory tax rate they are not doing their job properly. We would expect their actual tax rate to be much lower, even though the case does not show this ? Her equity cost is only an estimate and she has not used all of the tools available to her ? The CAPM only provides an estimate. Her inputs are based on assumptions: We do not know whether 20 year T bills are the most appropriate measure of the risk free rate. If NorthPoint is planning a 20 year investment they might be but we need more information. Any proxy for the RFR will only ever be an estimate ? The market risk prem ium is even harder to estimate. Although the geometric mean is the better measure she has used numbers based very old data. Markets may well have changed since 1926 and hence a more recent or even anticipated premium should be used ? Nike’s Beta appears to be on a downward trend so an average might not be the best estimate. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A forward looking Beta based on the outlook and expectations for the business would be better ? Because equity markets are forward looking (12 to 18 months) the current Beta is probably the best estimate ? Nike has been very volatile compared to the SP 500 so the historic Betas smooth reality ? By only considering the CAPM she ignores other methods for calculating the cost of equity and potentially makes a mistake ? A better approach would be to calculate the cost of equity using all available methods then make an estimate based on a larger range of data If you do not agree with Cohen’s analysis, calculate your own WACC for Nike and justify your assumptions [pic] Assumptions: ? Market value of debt ? Better reflection of actual value of source of funds ? We want to be forward looking, par is a historic number ? Running yield on bonds rather than YTM ? Quicker and easier to use ? Not much difference between them (7. 2 vs. 7. 0) o Capital gain on bond is small over life ? Any new debt would have an issue cost so YTM is not a true measure of funding cost ? Effective tax rate from 2001 The best proxy we have ? Still don’t like this number, feels too close to statutory rate. Interest is low so not much tax shield but what about capital allowances and general mitigation schemes? ? Most current equity market price ? Best information we have ? CAPM cost of equity ? See question 3 below for fuller description of methods ? CAPM is not perfect but: o Dividend Discount Model is too heavily dependent on a ‘black box’ nu mber for dividend growth – we have no understanding of this number o Capitalisation Ratio is quite a crude approach Calculate the costs of equity using CAPM, the dividend discount model, and the earnings capitalisation ratio. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method? CAPM: [pic] Risk Free Rate is an average of 1, 5 and 10 year T bills. We assume this as a proxy for Nike’s actual debt profile. We use the current Beta because equity markets are forward looking. If we assume efficiency then all known information is in the current Beta. Betas will change over time so historic data is less relevant; we need to predict the future. Using regression our forecast Beta is 0. 0 so the results are very close. We use 9. 2% as a risk premium. It comes from Brealey Myers (2000) and is for the SP 500. It is the number that would have been available and appropriate for Kimi at the time. We may use a different number today based on our expectations of market returns although Brealey Myers argue that the best approach is to use as much data as possible to remove the effects of market fluctua tions. We have to ask ourselves whether market behaviour from 2008 onwards is the new paradigm. Advantages: ? Recognises return for risk Only considers risks that cannot be eliminated by diversification ? Is the most simple way of doing both of these ? Widely used so widely understood ? Does not rely on company financial projections Disadvantages: ? More of an art than a science. Includes estimates and assumptions for ? Risk free rate. Govt. bonds are not always the best proxy, i. e. some European debt. Also, RFR is probably not a real return due to inflation ? Expected market return. If we knew this number we would not be working for a living ? Beta. Decisions a company makes will change Beta. Depending on what the company is doing historic data may be worthless and hence we need to make our own estimate ? Assumes that Beta is the only reason equity prices move ? Assumes equity indices as proxies for movements in all asset values. This is a simplification of reality as many companies are privately owned ? The perceived required risk premium will change over time ? Investors will have different required rates of return for Nike depending on whether or not they hold it in a portfolio Dividend Discount Model: Problem:Dividends have been constant for the last 3 years. We are being asked to believe a growth story and perhaps an increase in dividend from that. We have no guidance on future dividend levels so the best we can do is use the Value Line Forecast of 5. 50%. Assuming constant growth and using the Gordon Model: Expected Return = Expected Dividend Yield + Expected Growth = 6. 6% Advantages: ? Very simple (in the constant growth form) ? Based on actual cashflows to shareholders Disadvantages: ? The simplified version of the equation we have used assumes the stock is in equilibrium ? Assumes a constant dividend growth rate, this is highly unlikely We do not have sufficient information to predict non-constant growth dividends to put into the full DDM ? Highly dependent on the expected growth rate which we actually have very little idea about ? Assumes we hold the stock in perpetuity. This is not likely for NorthPoint; as a value based fund they will sell at some point to realise a gain (hopefully! ) and re-invest in something they perceive to b e undervalued ? Assumes dividends grow with earnings. We could negate this by assuming dividend irrelevance and basing the analysis on earnings per share Earnings Capitalisation Ratio: Capitalisation Rate = Projected Earnings / Price Method used:Divide forecast free cashflows by current EV Take average Capitalisation Rate = 8. 6% Advantages: ? Quick and simple ? Can be used when no dividends are paid, hence payout ratio is irrelevant Disadvantages ? Relies on projections which are subjective and uncertain ? Compares future earnings to current EV ? Ignores the time value of money ? Solving the Corporation Valuation Model for WACC would be a better approach What should Kimi Ford recommend regarding an investment in Nike? Based on our WACC of 10. % Nike appears to be undervalued (using Joanna’s model, which we have not checked) so Kimi should recommend a buy. However, Kimi should consider the following: ? Do you really want to buy into a promised growth story? Earnings have been flat for a while; do you believe the growth projections? ? How does market price compare to intrinsic value? ? Is the market efficient? Have we really picked up something that no other analyst has or is everything in the price? ? Does the market even recognise fundamental value or is it driven by other things (fear and greed)? Competitors – we have only analysed one company. It is not possible to invest on this basis alone. The price of Nike must be compared to a suitable peer group ? Other investment appraisal methods should be used for comparison – P/E ratios etc ? Charting (investing technique) could also be considered ? Use her experience (of competitors etc) to estimate a Beta Final recommendation: Growth is uncertain and hence the value of the equity may fall further. This business has low levels of debt (low risk) paying 7% while the required equity return is 11%. Do not buy the equity. Set up an SPV, leverage this as highly as you can and buy the debt. Even if you can only achieve 50% leverage and 5% cost of borrowing (which should not be too ambitious) then you will achieve an 18% return on your equity in the SPV, all whilst invested in a far safer part of the Nike capital structure. Bibliography BREALEY, R. A. and MYERS, S. C. (2000) Principles of Corporate Finance. Sixth Edition. London: McGraw Hill BRIGHAM, E. F. and HOUSTON, J. F. (2009) Fundamentals of Financial Management. Twelfth Edition. Mason: Cengage

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Les Miserables Essays - English-language Films, British Films

Les Miserables LES MISERABLES Les Miserables is a story, a very long story, which has been categorized as a classic. The story is about 1200 pages long. It is an epic saga, which covers about three decades in the early 1800's of France. The film is about the fugitive, Jean Valjean, following his release from jail after doing nineteen years of hard labor for stealing bread. Jean Valjean is chased by the cruel and self-righteous Inspector Javert, in a lifelong struggle to evade capture. The novel, Les Miserables is internationally known. That is because of its universal themes. These themes are: how society treats its outcasts, and how it views its criminals, prejudice, justice, doing what is morally right, and people can become better persons. The theme -how society treats its outcasts- can be seen in how the poor and homeless are are treated, and that is like animals. The rich treat them as though they are inferior and that they have no feelings or any form of intelligence. They are also not given the right to vote, which makes them not citizens of that nation. This theme is universal because every nation in the world has some sort of outcasts in their land. In America, this theme can be related to the blacks. In the beginning of the twentieth century they did not have as much rights and oppurtunities as the whites. Another example of how this theme can be related to America is how a person with a southern accent is perceived as less intelligent, which is a false misconception. The theme -how criminals are viewed by society- can be seen by how Jean Valjean is treated after he is released by prison. Although, he has served a sentence of nineteen years, he is still chased and wanted. In that period of time when a person commited theft it was viewed as a crime against the community and that person should be punished to the most extremes. That theme can be seen in modern America. When a person commits a federal crime he\she cannot hold a public job or teach for the rest of his\her life. Also, when a person commits a crime, that person and that person's career is scarred for life. The theme -doing what is morally right- can be seen in many instances in the novel. One instance is Valjean gives money to free Cozzette. Another instance is Valjean does not kill Javert to save his life. Also, Javert lets Valjean go free. There are also times where people do something that is morally wrong, but lawful. One might be when the students are executed. Another might be the arrest of the prostitute. A present time situation might be soldiers killing other soldiers. It is legal, but is morally wrong. In conclusion, the novel, Les Miserables, is a universal book with themes that many people from many countries can relate to. That is why it is put in the class of classics. It is also popular because it can be related with present time situations and events.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Second Inaugural Address o essays

The Second Inaugural Address o essays Lincolns Second Inaugural Speech, given before congress on March 4, 1865, was perhaps best noted at the time it was given for its extreme brevity. However, unbeknownst to most of the grand orators of the time who regarded Mr. Lincoln as an uneducated country bumpkin, the presidents speech spoke greater volumes of truth in the few minutes it took to deliver, than any one of them would ever accomplish in as many hours. With the end of the war in sight, Lincoln worked his purpose in the Second Inaugural to fit the needs of a country ravaged by war. Lincoln appealed to his audience to conduct reconstruction of the soon-to-be defeated Confederacy with compassion and forgiveness. By using word economy, simplicity, and avoiding extremes, Lincoln more than accomplished his purpose. He delivered what is now considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. At Gettysburg, Lincoln had demonstrated the virtues of economy in the use of words. Lincoln had aspirations of doing the same thing in his second inaugural speech. This is impressive when we consider the grand scale of nineteenth century oratory, and the fact that most presidents gave very few speeches of any kind (for fear of saying something divisive). Unlike twenty- first century politics, where presidential speeches are delivered to the masses on a regular basis, and every aspect of their speaking style is subject to public scrutiny, presidents of the Civil War era were rarely seen making a public speech. They did not speak on campaign tours. They did not speak to conventions that nominated them. They even didnt give their annual speech to Congress in person. One must conjecture that it was difficult for Lincoln to hold back, for he knew all too well the power of oratory (from the Douglass debates and the Gettysburg Address.) With this in mind, it is all the more impressive that Lincoln held back from saying all that he wanted to say in his s...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Evaluation and comparison of the marketing strategies of the two Essay

Evaluation and comparison of the marketing strategies of the two global companies P&G and Nestle - Essay Example Therefore, these three efficient tools of marketing will help to analyse overall marketing strategies of the two selected companies. Marketing strategy reflects the overall efficiency of a brand in the market in terms of demand of the products in the target market. It is one of the important areas of a business which drives the market demand and brand value of overall brand in the market. Nestle and P&G are two leading multinational FMCG companies which have been developing and implementing effective marketing strategies. Innovative marketing strategies by these brands create a benchmark in the market with their competitors. Through, both of these two companies operate in the same sector but there is substantial difference in main focused areas of business of these two companies. Main business of Nestle is confectionary food business whereas P&G’s focused area is beauty and household products. ... In terms of revenue and market, Nestle is the largest confectionary and notional food company in the world. The company has successfully developed a diversified portfolio of different popular brands. Major categories of products are starting from breakfast cereals, baby food, dairy products, bottled water, coffee confectionary, snacks, ice cream and pet foods. To compete with the regional competitors in foreign markets, the company has established production units in most of the foreign markets. It helps the company to offer competitive market price of its products. Nestle has developed 450 production units in 86 foreign countries. Demand of the Nestle product is so high that $1.1 billion revenue comes from only 29 brands. These brands include Kitkat, Nespresso, Nesquik, Nescafe, Smarties, Magi, Vittel etc. Nestle holds a large stake on world’s largest beauty product brand in terms of revenue and market share i.e. L’Oreal. Nestle has been followed acquisition aggressive strategy for rapid diversification into many foreign markets. The company holds the first position as world’s most profitable company in Fortune Global 500. The company currently has more than $200 billion market share and it helped the company to achieve FT Global 2011 ranking as 13th position. P&G Procter & Gamble is of the largest multinational fast moving consumer goods company in the world. It is a US based company headquartered in Ney York Stock Exchange. The company has successfully developed a large portfolio of diversified brands of different product ranges. Each of the brands holds wide numbers of products, most of that are very much popular in global market. P&G generated $82.6 billion revenue according annual report of 2011. The company ranked fifth position in the list of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Modest proposal , satire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Modest proposal , satire - Essay Example It is needless for them to secure a well-paying job at the dollar store and idle around watching television, munching their snacks, and getting fat. What they do is blend in and struggle to capture their prey. I like the way animals obey the survival of the fittest concept. If an animal is imperfect, it dies; be it of starvation or sickness. If not, it gets consumed by the strong ones, but still, it died because it was not worth living. This is the reason why imperfect animals are a rare species in this kingdom. They get sick, feeble, and when they are unable to be resourceful to find water or food, or can’t just fight it off, they die. Failure to run fast enough to outsmart or outrun their predators, they are simply killed (Simpson vii). Just like the case for animals, there are human beings who are of little benefit to any individual or to anything. How I wish there was a shopping mall, where 30% of all expired people could be disposed off and leave the fresh ones. What if all useless lives who are being wasted are gotten rid of and a world of perfection be created? Life would be so easy. If someone is too weak to fight off a disease, or if he or she can’t provide for the self or worse off, if such a person is simply stupid, he or she ought to be left alone to die or be killed. Both techniques work but I can suggest that they be ignored to death than being killed because it sounds more humane (Vernay 293). What is the point of leaving a street beggar to continue surviving instead of leaving? Just help by sending him or her to where there is a little comfort! I mean sincerely we spend a lot of cash and so much resources comforting and preserving things that should not even be living. It even gets worse when I think of the way more babies continue to be produced annually. It seems like every one is sleeping around with just everyone. I get pissed of more to see a couple

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Rhetorical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Rhetorical analysis - Essay Example The author of the tube effectively uses pathos and logos to convince students that they should stop drinking bottled water because it harms their finances, health, and environment. The rhetorical situation concerns the purpose of the video’s author, which is to persuade University of Arizona students that they should stop drinking bottled water because of the belief in bottled water’s numerous bad effects on drinkers and the environment. The author is a student of University of Arizona. He studied the pros and cons of bottled water using legitimate references. He concludes that bottled water’s disadvantages outweigh its advantages. The context includes the bottled-water drinking culture that is popular in developed countries, as well as in the university campus. The exigence is that not many people are aware of the negative impacts of bottled water, especially when clean tap water is available. The author wants to correct this lack of awareness through a YouTube video. The genre is through YouTube because it is easy to use and can reach a large audience. Since target audiences are common YouTube users, the author can access them through this video. The video can also include emotional elements that cannot be easily added to print materials, such as music and changing images. It is a genre that can have a large appeal to students. Furthermore, the author seeks to influence the target audience, who are University of Arizona students, to change their bottled-water drinking habits. Since there are around 40,000 students, the author believes that together, they can make a difference (Zhang). If they stop drinking bottled water every day, they can seriously reduce the effects of bottled water on their health, money, and school community (Zhang). In addition, the relations exist, where consumers have a large impact on the bottled water industry. Individually, they have no power. The bottled water industry is large enough to use advertisements and other marketing promotions to promote the pros of bottled water over tap water, without mentioning the pros of tap water at all. The power of the target audience lies in their number and collective action. Thus, the rhetorical situation relies on the need to resolve the problems of bottled water. The author effectively uses pathos, specifically through music, images, and emotional words, to inform students about the consequences of bottled water and to emphasize their role in stopping it. The music is soothing, as if trying to relax the audience. The aim is to open their minds to the realities of bottled water. The music seeks to emphasize that the beauty of their health and the world rely on their action of drinking tap, not bottled, water. The author also relates statistics to student lives. After computing the cost of drinking bottled water a year, the video says that the expense is equal to a student’s rent payment (Zhang). The result is a strong emotional impact due to t he connection between money spent on bottled water to money spent on rent. Images of students are actively used too to stress student’s participation in bottled water use. The images of happy students at the beginning indicate that they have an active role in ensuring this happiness through not drinking bottled

Friday, November 15, 2019

Personality Theories in Successful Leaders

Personality Theories in Successful Leaders Abstract One question that all good employee thinks is what makes a good leader and how do I become one. It is important to understand what makes a leader and are there certain personality characteristics that make leaders successful. Using the big five personality dimensions which are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience it will be explored what characteristic’s fit with successful leaders today. This study aims to quantify what of the big five personality dimensions are most present in successful and effective leaders today. It will take 4 teams from 100 organizations from fortune 500 companies to non-profit organization. Hypothesis This study intends to demonstrate with evidence that effective leaders have similar personalities traits based on the big five personalities dimensions. Leadership Was Steve Jobs a good leader or George Washington a good leader? What makes a good leader? Before that is answered, it must be understood what defines leadership and what qualifies as a good leader. Many scientific papers and books try to define leadership some define it as â€Å" leadership involves persuading other people to set aside for a period of time their individual concern and to purse a common goal that is important for the responsibilities and welfare of a group (Hogan, G, Hogan, 1994)â€Å" while others believe it stands it for â€Å"†¦inspiring followers to identify with a vision that reaches beyond immediate self-interest (Benoliel Somech, 2014).† Between the two definitions it is clear a leader must inspire a group of people to go above and beyond and do what is beyond what they will want to do. Not everyone can be a leader there are certain traits we expect out of them. In our everyday life we work for, learn from, and follow leaders. These leaders can be CEO’s, managers, teachers, or even the President of the United States. They should be intelligent, likeable, have strong technical skills to relate to their roles. There are many people in the world with these traits but not every one of them makes a good leader. Based on these assumptions there must some additional traits that separate good leaders from average leaders. A leaders personality must have an effect on how the lead and inspire people to go above and beyond. Looking at a leader from the aspect of the big five personality dimensions might shed some light on what makes a strong leader. Big Five Personality Dimensions For centuries people have classified personalities, even Aristotle have established several categories of classification. The current established theory has been created by Tupes and Christal (1961). This taxonomic structure has five personality dimensions which are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. The first factor of the personality dimensions is extraversion. Leaders who possesses high level of extraversion are described of â€Å"sociable, optimistic, expressive, active, and assertive (Benoliel Somech, 2014).† Salespersons often are high-extraversion employees because they enjoy person interaction and thrive in an environment that involves. These employees seek a positive environment to work in because it gives them a sense of security, The second factor of the personality dimensions is agreeableness. Agreeableness can be described as cooperative, trusting and flexible. Employees with a high level of agreeableness tend to be successful in roles that work in groups and require joint efforts between teams. Project managers are a great example of a role someone with agreeableness might hold. Similar to extraversion, agreeableness enjoys the interactions between people but focuses more in the intimacy of relationships between people. The third factor of the personality dimensions is conscientiousness. â€Å"High- conscientiousness individuals tend to be responsible, dependable, hardworking, persistent, and achievement oriented; low-conscientiousness individuals tend to be irresponsible, undependable, and lacking self-discipline (Benoliel Somech, 2014).† High- conscientiousness employees believe they are capable of doing the job and set high achieving goals for themselves. These will employees tent to dive in when the workload gets intensive and will work with others to relief the stress. The fourth factor of the personality dimensions is neuroticism. Neuroticism is a personality dimensions that unlike the other having a high level of is not necessary a good thing. People who have a high level of neuroticism are often described as a worry-ward and insecure. Those with low levels are neuroticism are calm individuals who can handle high amounts of pressure. This is important in a high stakes environment some occupations where one would expect to see people with low levels of neuroticism would be in the medical field such as doctors and nurses or traders on the New York Stock Exchanges floor. The final factor of the personality dimensions is openness to experience. These individuals are creative and the out of the box thinkers. They adjust to change fairly easily and are willing to adjust their behaviors to meet the environment they are in. Method This study aims analysis what big five personality dimensions are most common with effective leaders. An effective leader will add value to any organization and therefore it is important to understand what makes up an effective leader. Additionally it is vital to understand the employees think of this leader. Why is it important to understand an effective leader from one that is not so effective? If we go back throughout history and look at the effect a good leader on the outcome of a situation there is plenty of evidence that shows an effective leader will have a positive impact. To give some examples the explosive growth Steve Jobs had on Apple to in 1997 or George Washington entering the revolutionary war and become the first President. These leaders took a situation that was losing situations and thorough their leadership turns the situation around and makes it extremely successful through hard work and dedication. The first step of this study is to analysis what an effective leader is. To do this the study would work with 100 organizations from fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations such as universities, charities, and military. From each of the organizations select they study will review 4 teams, within these teams there will be effective leaders and teams and those who are not as effective. By understanding those who have successful leadership compared to those who are not the goal would be see what personality dimensions are prominent. To do these the leaders will take a big five personality test that will quantify how their personality matrix is built. In addition the employees of those leaders will take the test for their leader. This will aim to quantify what dimension of the big five personalities to followers look to the most. This will also help give an unbiased look because leaders might try to skew the results. Once the tests have been completed the study will focus on the effectiveness of those leaders. The study will analysis each team within their organizations to understand their effectiveness. The effectiveness of the team will look at the team’s productivity. The more productive the team the expectation would be the more the effective the leader. Besides the level of productivity the study will also look at the morale of the team. Expected Outcomes Once the data has been collected the results will be analysis to see if there is any positive or negative correlation between the big five personalities dimensions. Among these correlations it would be expect to see that effective leaders will have specific traits in their personalities that make them effective leaders. In the contrary the study will also show the dimensions are negatively affect leadership. Based on expectations I would expect to see the big five dimensions show up in leadership in the following ways. The first personality to analysis would be the extraversion. It would be expected that a leader should have a medium to high level of extraversion. Extraversion involves the socialness of the individual. A leader should be social with the team and keep the optimistic view that will drive the team going forward. The next attribute that is vital to a leader is agreeableness. The expected outcome would be all leaders would have a high level of agreeableness. They will work well with the team and keep everyone on track. There will also make the teams function more effective because leaders do not always have the correct answers and a good interaction between leader and the employees can create a good dialogue that will lead to the best solution. Conscientiousness is one trait that all company want out of their employees have and therefore would be a high expectation of any effective leader. Employee with high levels of conscientiousness are often described as dependable and organized. â€Å"Individuals who are conscientious also tend to preserve, work hard, and enjoy achieving and accomplishing things (BOOK).† Since all conscientious enjoy achieving their goals it is important that leads hold these values. Additionally all leaders should be able to keep their followers organized and focused on the goals ahead. Since cons Neuroticism is the one trait that would be advantageous to have in the lower spectrum. People in the high spectrum are often emotionally unstable. Leaders need to have their emotions in check all the times. The final personality dimensions is openness to experiences which like most of the other dimensions the expectation would be a leader would be on the higher side. Leaders should be open to change and also be a leader of change within an organization. A leader who cannot handle moving parts of everyday business will not be effective. Benefits of research There will be a lot of benefits from the research into what makes an effective leader. If an employee was interesting into taking a leadership role they can take a personality test and see if what areas they are strong in and where they are weak. This can then help them work on improving their skills. For example say an employee is lacking in extraversion assuming it is a primary measure of leadership skills. The employee can be put into situation to help then become more expressive or go to particular training classes to make then more expressive. This will help the organization put in leaders that will lead to change making the teams and organization more effective. Understanding the trains of an effective leader will help human resources as well. Understanding the personalities of employees coming in will help them understand the person potential. Another example is there is an opening for a senior vice president of operation. This department has been suffering for years under the lack of leadership. It will be helpful to know what traits to look for in the new leader. Supporting References The following studies have support this hypothesis and will help provide guidance. Study 1 –Five-Factor mode of personality and transformational leader In this study the authors explore the personality factors of transformational leaders. References Hogan, R., Curphy, G. J., Hogan, J. (1994). What we know about leadership: Effectiveness and personality. American Psychologist, 49(6), 493-504. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.49.6.493 Benoliel Pascale, Somech Anit (2014) The health and performance effects of participative leadership: Exploring the moderating role of the Big Five personality dimensions, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23:2, 277-294, DOI: 10.1080/1359432X.2012.717689

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman :: essays research papers

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† explores the restricted societal roles of both Jane and John. Gilman, a strong supporter of women’s rights, focuses on her account with depression through this story (Hill 150). Traditionally, the man must take care of the woman both financially and emotionally while the woman’s role remains at home. Society tends to trap man and woman and prevent them from developing emotionally and intellectually. Although Gilman focuses on the hardships of the woman, she also examines the role of the man in society. Repression generated by social gender roles hinders men and women from acquiring self-individuation. The repression of Jane ties into her lack of exposure to emotional and intellectual stimulus. Jane’s feminine emotions towards her environment aid in her restraint. Representing the dominance of masculinity over the restrained female, Jane observes the female figure, who looks as if she is behind bars, in the pattern of the wallpaper (1156). The woman who unsuccessfully attempts to climb out of the pattern symbolizes Jane’s frivolity in trying to alter feminine societal roles (1158). Significantly, the maternal instincts of Jane remain enslaved due to her surroundings. The nursery, containing windows â€Å"barred for little children,† represents the suppression of Jane’s motherly duties (1150). Jane is unable to take care of her own baby. The garden which Jane can view through her barred windows, stands for her fertility which she is incapable of obtaining (1149). Intentionally, Jane’s intellectual prowess remains held back. Beginning to â€Å"writ e for a while† in a journal against the wishes of those around her, represents the suppression of Jane’s attempt at creative stimulus (1149). The yellow wallpaper hinders Jane’s recovery in that it confuses her whenever she attempts to decipher its’ meaning (1151). John’s repression results from the absence of his feminine side. Spirituality, a part of the human psyche of which John lacks, accounts for his repression. Jane feels that John â€Å"has no patience with faith,† justifying his stubborn behavior and the detraction of his masculinity (1148). An ideal attribute for one attempting to obtain self-individuation is a concern for faith, which is not present in John (1148). John’s scarcity of feminine emotions accounts for his repression. John shows no understanding of Jane’s need for an intellectual stimulus, signifying his lack of intuition (1150). For John, everything must be â€Å"put down in figures† (1148) in order for him to make sense out of anything, illustrating his stronghold on the stereotypically obstinate man (1155).

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Beauty: Beheld in the Eyes of Society Essay

There is an old saying that â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† However, there are definite social concepts of physical beauty. Most of the time, people associate beauty with something that is seen, instead of tasted, or smelt. Therefore, a more precise definition of beauty would sound like, beauty is the quality or set of qualities that give pleasure to eyesight. Many things may not be as beautiful to one person as they are to someone else; people have many different outlooks on what beauty really is. Females in particular have historically faced pressure to conform to a particular standard of beauty. The media presents society with unrealistic body types promoting people, especially women, to look like them. The desire to be beautiful has received more attention by blinding the public with images of the â€Å"beautiful people.† The extent of the message the media portrays to our society is more harmful than beneficial to the average person. Many people will s ay that â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder,† however society has a great impact on today’s standards of beauty. Beauty is a collectively undecided conception, which implies that each individual may interpret the idea of beauty based on his/her own biased opinion. Humans appreciate beauty in many different ways. Some consider beauty to be seen through nature, others may see beauty in the ancient Grecian statue of the Venus De Milo. Someone, or something, that one finds beautiful another person may not. Beauty is something subjective. It has various meanings to different people because no one person is the same and their standards and tastes differ as well. In her essay Perceptions of Female Beauty in the 20th Century, Louise Wood references the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant by saying; â€Å"the judgment of beauty is different from cognitive or moral judgment because it is affected subjectively, that is, exclusively in reference to the person making the judgment. For a judgment to be truly â€Å"aesthetic†, rather than merely idiosyncratic, the person making the judgment must be adamant that their opinion be consensus.† In simpler terms, Wood is saying that, one’s perception of beauty is different from their mental or moral perception because, it is based on emotion instead of reasoning. This statement is what has lead to the many different interpretations of what true beauty is. Since there are many conflicting views, the true meaning of it has been lost and therefore skewed by the opinions of others, and in some cases for the worse. Cultural standards have led to perceptions of beauty or the lack of beauty for as long as the human race has existed. Culture is defined simply as a way of life, or how people do things such as, how they eat, celebrate festivities, their behavior, their attitudes, moral values, and religion. People will tend to look at their own natives in their culture as beautiful because their notion of beauty may be different than another culture’s perception of what is beautiful. In some African countries, a big body and big buttocks would be considered beautiful for women. In western countries however, there is a tendency for women to starve themselves to comply with the misconception that being extremely thin or slim is beautiful. Many people might share the opinion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned, but this mindset might not fit everyone’s standard of beauty. Paul Ford states in his article Beauty in Different Cultures that: In Nigeria, women are encouraged to be more full-figured as it demonstrates fertility and the ability to carry and birth many babies. In some Southeast Asian cultures, wherein war resulted in a lack of food, a more full-figured woman demonstrates a higher social status. Being thicker in frame can boast of being well fed and healthy. In these ways, beauty implies superiority and cultural status. However, standards of beauty depend upon the social conditions of the times in which one lives. Still, different cultural groups think, feel, and act differently. There is no right or wrong standard for considering one group’s idea of beauty to be superior or inferior to another. Either way, the essence of beauty is pervasive throughout the many distinct communities around the world. The majority of this eras perception of beauty is spread throughout the media. Since the beginning of â€Å"The Age of Media† media has both empowered and limited woman. The media constantly alters how individuals view themselves and others. In the Social Psychology Quarterly volume 62 it states, â€Å"With their power to frame, define, and neglect aspects of the social world, the mass media are a principal social and cultural institution† (Milkie 191). It has been proven that media images do have a powerful effect on young women today, due to the extensive reinforcement on our everyday lives. Milkie states in her article that; â€Å"The central position of the media in everyday life ensures that symbols distributed through the media become points of focus and interaction in the population† (191). Television, magazines, and advertisements are the most common medium for which these standards are displayed. A person cannot escape these magazine covers, constant adv ertisements, or the entire entertainment industry in general. All aspects of the entertainment industry overwhelm today’s society and are highly responsible for its changing perceptions and trends. Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women and their body parts sell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. These media outlets are all setting standards of beauty that are not only unrealistic but could prove to be dangerous in an effort to be attained. In Frank Biocca and Philip Meyer’s article in the Journal of Communication, they listed that â€Å"When Glamour magazine surveyed its readers in 1984, 75% felt too heavy and only 15% felt just right. Nearly half of those who were underweight reported feeling too fat and wanting to diet. Among a sample of college women, 40% felt overweight, while only 12% were actually too heavy† (125). This article also reported that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery (125). While television can be said to reflect the standard of beauty for women, it seems to portray them in a light of approval or disapproval, positive or negative, that affect women’s views on how they should look. It is clear that throughout history, the role that society plays has had a great impact on what is considered beautiful. Although physical beauty is unquestionably important in the minds of today’s society, more people are willing to embrace it in many different forms. Today’s â€Å"Pretty Woman† is gradually stepping away from the mannequins with sex appeal and glamorous movie legends that are shown worldwide. Today’s beauty represents a new breed. Though the criterion of what is considered beautiful has come a long way some still feel that the standards of beauty remain subjective. Because of this, no one person’s perception of beauty is considered superior or inferior, right or wrong. However, as long as society’s standards continue to play a significant part in American culture society will always have a great impact on what one deems as beautiful. Works Cited Biocca, Frank A., and Philip N. Meyers Jr. â€Å"Journal of Communication.† The Elastic Body Image: The Effect of Television Advertising and Programming on Body Image Distortions in Young Women 42.3 (1992): 108-33. Print. Ford, Paul. â€Å"Beauty in Different Cultures.† N.p., 22 July 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. . Milkie, Melissa A. â€Å"Social Comparisons, Reflected Appraisals, and Mass Media: The Impact of Pervasive Beauty Images on Black and White Girls’ Self-Concepts.† Social Psychology Quarterly 62.2 (1999): 190-210. Print. Wood, Louise. â€Å"Perceptions Of Female Beauty In The 20th Century.† Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. .

Friday, November 8, 2019

Noncompliance in Patients essays

Noncompliance in Patients essays The advances in medical science now allow people to live longer than ever before. With the treatments and medications available people who used to only live a few months with chronic illness are now living for years and within those years having active lives. It is an amazing breakthrough and one that promises to keep moving forward however, with those advances come some issues. One of the things that health professionals are dealing with is the problem with non compliant patients with regard to taking medications as directed. Non compliant patients are that way for many reasons. Sometimes they are non compliant because they start to feel a little better and believe they no longer need the medication. This can be a common issue among the mentally ill and is a significant issue with diagnosed schizophrenics. Other times patients may be non compliant because the medications they are supposed to take have side effects that they do not want to deal with. Whether the medication causes ext reme fatigue, nausea, dizziness or other physical manifestations many patients believe the side effects are not worth the potential benefits of the medication and stop taking the medication. In other instances noncompliance may come from a misguided decision by the patient to try and hasten their own death so they will not be a burden on their family and in still other cases noncompliance may just be forgetfulness or lack of maturity and responsibility on the part of the patient. Whatever reason there is for a patients noncompliance it is important for the health care professionals to work with the patient and if needed intervene so that the medication will be properly administered to the patient. This is not only for the safety and well being of the patient but in cases such as Tuberculosis it also becomes a public safety factor. In looking at the issue of non compliant patients one can examine the drug AdvancePCS which is a drug commonly prescri...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Vaccines and Autism Professor Ramos Blog

Vaccines and Autism Vaccines and Autism Do vaccines really cause autism in children? What are Vaccines? Vaccines stimulate the making of antibodies and provide immunity against diseases. It prepares your body to fight the disease faster and more effectively so you won’t get sick. A vaccine is made from small amounts of weak or dead germs such as viruses, bacteria, or toxins that can cause diseases. The system of vaccinations in the U.S. is one of the great public health achievements of our time.    Common Ingredients contained in Vaccinations Aluminium MF59 Thiomersal, also called Thimerosal Gelatine Human serum albumin and recombinant albumin Sorbitol and other stabilisers Emulsifiers Taste improvers antibiotics Thimerosal Thimerosal is an organic mercury compound that has been used for many years in the U.S. in more than one dose of vaccines. This type of mercury does not stay in your bloodstream and it is not the type of mercury found in the earth’s crust. Thimerosal is added to vaccines to prevent bacteria and fungi growing in them. If these specific germs grew on the vaccines and they were injected into a human, then the person would experience severe reactions, illnesses, or death. Children six years and younger are recommended by their doctors to their parents to avoid vaccines containing thimerosal. Thimerosal is also used as a preservative in other medical products such as some throat and nose sprays. Other than minor side effects that can be treated with medicine, thimerosal has been tested safe. Ethylmercury Thimerosal contains ethylmercury, a metal that is cleared from the human body more quickly than methylmercury, and is therefore less likely to cause any harm. Methylmercury is the type of mercury that is contained in certain fish and high exposures of this metal can be toxic. Methylmercury constantly gets confused with ethylmercury and parents get worried for the safety of their children. Vaccines (MMR) Side Effects Although vaccines provide immunity from getting diseases, there are also side effects. It really does depend on the type of vaccination a person is getting and how they react to it. The main vaccines that parents question due to side effects is the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. According to: â€Å"MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) VIS.† Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Feb, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/mmr.html. this vaccine has three types of levels for side effects- minor, moderate, and severe. Minor events can cause a sore arm from the injection, fever, redness/ rash, or swelling in the cheeks or the neck. Moderate events can cause Seizures that come with a fever, Temporary pain or stiffness in the joints, or blood clots which can cause unusual bleeding or bruising, and Rash all over the body. Severe events rarely happen. They are Deafness, long-term seizures, comas, or lowered consciousness and brain damage. It has no t been confirmed that autism is the result from brain damage. Risks of Not Being Vaccinated   Risks of not being vaccinated are not too common and are portrayed as non realistic side effects because it is hardly ever seen. Therefore people do not see the possible birth defects, hearing loss, paralysis and death that can be caused by MMR. Most of the U.S. citizens are well vaccinated, therefore they are almost  protected completely from getting diseases. Choosing not to vaccinate is a risky choice for the individual and the community. If a child is not vaccinated then they are at risk of catching a disease and contaminating other children. It is possible to catch a disease even if you are vaccinated. The sickness will not be as strong as someone who is not immune but a small portion of the disease still affects the other person who got contaminated by the person without vaccinations. A healthy parent will try to protect their children and infants by making sure their car seat is buckled in tight, they make sure to keep them censored from violence and nudity, they feed them s everal meals a day, and they make sure their environment is as safe as they can possibly provide for their little ones. So why are vaccines not a part of the safety list? A child is more likely to die from all types of diseases because their immune system is not as strong as the immune system of an adult. A child’s body has not experienced as many illnesses compared to older people who have dealt with plenty of flu, colds, and have been exposed to many more different types of environments. -If an infected mother has her baby in her womb, there is a big risk the baby will be born sick. Even though the baby might survive painful illnesses, he or she will grow up with health problems or will be more at risk to develop illnesses in their later years. *According to Szabo, Liz. Full Vaccine Schedule Safe for Kids, no Link to Autism. Gannett News Service, 28 Mar, 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com., there was a study done through a pediatric department about babies who received all of their immunizations within the first year compared to babies who missed a few. The study found no differences between health problems, face symmetries, or IQ differences. There is no reason to delay immunizations from the day they are meant to get them. â€Å"When you delay your childs vaccines, you put them at risk†. Do Vaccines Cause Autism in Children? Some parents lack the confidence to vaccinate their children according to their pediatrics schedule because they fear their children may never be the same after a dose enters their system. But Scientific studies have shown no relationship between vaccinations and the risk of autism. The removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines over 15 years ago has had no effect on the rising rate of autism in the U.S.. In the 1980’s, autism was diagnosed one in 10,000- now it is one in 59 children. There is a rise in autism and the cause is unknown but scientists have proven autism not to be the cause from vaccines and it has been ruled over as a myth. Work Cited Wharton, Melinda. Truth Revealed: New Scientific Discoveries regarding Mercury.. Truth Revealed: New Scientific Discoveries Regarding Mercury in Medicine, 08 Sep, 2004. SIRS Government Reporter, https://sks.sirs.com. -Thimerosal has been eliminated from most vaccines for children under six years young.   This happened because after an FDA analysis of the amounts of mercury exposure that were being contained in vaccinations became a worrisome in the U.S. Public Health Service Agencies. They took action to remove thimerosal preservatives being contained in vaccines. Now, if a person goes to to a pediatric clinic, there are vaccines that still contain thimerosal but a parent can now request to get an immunization without it. Side effects to thimerosal are redness in the body, inflammation and on rare occasions- allergic reactions. our body easily eliminates the thimerosal by being removed by our blood and quickly excreted in your waste. Thimerosal does not build up in your system like other mercury-based compounds can. Austin, David. â€Å"An epidemiological analysis of the ‘autism as mercury poisoning’ hypothesis†. international Journal of Risk Safety in Medicine, Vol. 20 Issue 3, 2008, p.135-142. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=33945774site=ehost-live -Mercury occurs in three forms: Organic, Inorganic and elemental. Though, organic elements such as thimerosal have been discovered in vaccinations, the percentage of mercury being contained is insufficient to the percentage that has been collected through children with autism. It has been proven children who develop autism in their future years could have slowly gotten to where they are through mercury poisoning. Elemental mercury is more common in our food and water sources, and can affect the way our brain is progressing. Parasidis, Efthimios. â€Å"Public Health Law and Institutional Vaccine Skepticism.† Journal of Health Politics, Policy Law., Vol. 41 Issue 6, p1137-1149, Dec. 2016. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=119443430site=ehost-live. -This article is demonstrating vaccines are unknown to be linked to autism. â€Å"Vaccine-hesitant parents are often portrayed as misinformed† because every doctor is sharing different information about their own studies and beliefs. Something we are introducing to our bodies is causing harm to the way our brain develops. In the early 1990’s children who were diagnosed with autism might have been misdiagnosed with a type of learning disability. Our technology and knowledge were not advanced to the level our current science and medical field is now. But through studies and years of observation there have been many debates if vaccines are linked to autism through mercury or an unknown supplement being contained.   Vaccines could or could not be the answer but it is not- not impossible. Autism Science Foundation.† Searching Solving Sharing, 2018. https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-is-autism/how-common-is-autism/. -Autism has been on the rise ever since the 1980’s when the disabilities statistics were gathered and recorded. ASD has been changing because there were certain symptoms that were originally counted as the disease but later doctors and scientists ruled it as another disability. Now it is more noticeable to recognize autism due to the technology advancement and the knowledge of doctors passed on through generations and information gathered compared and studied. Autism is more common in boys than girls. Szabo, Liz. Full Vaccine Schedule Safe for Kids, no Link to Autism. Gannett News Service, 28 Mar, 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com. -This site explained there is no difference in a person who receives immunizations during their entire childhoods or getting them all in one day. Vaccines were much more dangerous when they were first exposed to the public but throughout the years of experimenting with antigens, there are only very few put into the vaccines that help stimulate the immune system to fight block infections. This article mentions vaccines linked to autism is a myth because autism is caused before a baby is born. Autism is usually diagnosed during the 12-18 month mark but a doctor can spot it as early as six months.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Report - Coursework Example The period is deemed to be the duration taken for one complete oscillation. The frequency can be deemed to be the number of oscillations that the pendulum can make per unit time the inverse of which is the period i.e. f = 1/T. The amplitude is the longest distance that is traversed by the pendulum in reference to its equilibrium position. The displacement causes the exertion of force that tends to restore the pendulum to its equilibrium position (Nethercott & Walton 2013). The sum vector of the gravitational force of the mass of the pendulum (mg) and the tension force (T) shown in Figure 1. They constitute the restoring force whose magnitude depends on the displacement from the equilibrium position. Therefore, the restoring force F can be calculated as The negative sign is an indication that the restoring force is in the opposite direction of the displacement. For small amplitudes, ÃŽ ¸ is small and therefore ÃŽ ¸ can be used in place of sinÃŽ ¸. Therefore, the resulting equation is The aim of this experiment is to estimate the acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum. For purposes of this experiment, the independent variable is the length of the pendulum whereas the period is the dependent variable (Bolton and Bolton 2012). The table top stand with clamp was placed on a flat working surface. The string was then passed through the pendulum bob and knotted as appropriate to hold the bob in position. The string with the pendulum attached to one end was passed through the split cork, and the length of string adjusted to 0.85m before being clamped onto the retort stand. A Vernier calipers was used to measure the diameter. The length of the string was adjusted to about .8 m. Therefore, the length of the pendulum is l = ls + r .where r is the radius of the bob. The pendulum was then displaced approximately 5Â º from its equilibrium position and left to swing back and forth. The time taken for 6 complete oscillations was recorded

Friday, November 1, 2019

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Summary - Essay Example Firstly there is a task of Ubiquitous computing. This is creating software to allow machines of all sizes to communicate with each other across vast networks. Secondly they need to ensure net sourcing. This involves architecting simple and sophisticated applications that benefit targeted end-user markets worldwide. Then there is the challenge of open source. There has to be a distribution of source code for computing applications so customers can make local modifications easily and reliably. Lastly the coming of a new economy is also a challenge. Engineers have to build applications that facilitate mass communication and mass product distribution using evolving concepts. Plan to build high quality software products is a software process. Software processes adapted to the needs of software engineers and managers, as we undertake the development of software. Process software provides a framework of governance within the Authority who can easily get out of control. Different projects re quire different software processes. Software engineer working products (software, documentation, data) produced a result of the activities defined in the software process. The best indicators of proper functioning of the software process have worked in the timeliness of quality and long-term viability as a result of the software product.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Referring to academic theory and drawing on examples of practice Essay

Referring to academic theory and drawing on examples of practice provide a detailed discussion on Learning and and demonstrate how it relate to the context of entrepreneurship - Essay Example This paper will explain the theory based approaches to seek clarity of custom subject-object relation. The paper will also exhibit practical applications of agnosticism and a list of differences. The narrative based theory presents a structure where a given business individual’s perception is the entrepreneurship role. The theory’s practical application justifies that an individual’s perception transforms to a reality. Another approach of the same theory reveals that given experience and expertise is significant for identifying opportunities within a community to form ventures of beneficial influence. The third application focuses on the exchange of labor, ideologies and capital investments among individuals (Scheer, 2009). Other reflective entrepreneur fields view the learning process as platform to exercise individual learning to seize opportunity and employ the same for critical decision-making. The collective learning is also a fundamental pillar of entrepreneur learning. This involves generating certain behaviors to sensitize a given entrepreneur who later incorporates available resources within a network system. The general view is to implement ski lls and expertise within disposal to improve a business entity. Entrepreneur learning is a difficult field without embracing entrepreneurial identity. The area of study requires pragmatic engagements from the theoretical approach. This concept entails establishing businesses for the applicable concepts. Entrepreneur learning equips individuals by use of tactical approaches to sustain different organization or business entities. Entrepreneur learning requires investigational or reflective phases to build an individual’s attitude for effective change and management within a business premise. Team working emerges as a major pillar to incorporating entrepreneur pillars. The overall approach to entrepreneur learning originates from the individual perspective,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Example for Free

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Victorian era literary has produced many different masterpieces from many different writers who focused mainly on the emergence of interpersonal issues involving love, money and social status, usually backdropped by a historical event with national relevance at the time of the story telling. Vanity Fair is one of these types of this kind of work. And even until today, Vanity Fair is one of the materials referenced by critics during literary analysis involving the role of women in the society, the role of patriarchal influence in the Victorian era social politics and the presentation of different women stereotypes in literature. Vanity Fair is a serialized literary material written by William Makepeace Thackeray, published initially in the pages of Punch Magazine in the United Kingdom, beginning at the start of the year 1847, the final instalment appearing a year later in July. The initial title of this masterpiece was Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero. A popular saying describes vanity as the favorite sin of men and women, a line of thought which will be heavily discussed and supported in this particular paper through the analysis of the presence of vanity and the role of men and women inside the society on the propagation and existence of vanity. Vanity Fair is a very interesting book that attacks personal and societal illnesses that causes the corruption and corrosion from the inside of what was believed to be a socially-shared moral right. The author attacked the issues and the personal and social crises by pointing out the role of individuals as well as the role of the structure of the society that influences the lives of the individuals in the story. â€Å"Almost every sin in Vanity Fair can be traced, beyond personal weakness, to the fundamental laws of money and class The poison in Vanity Fair infects the bottom rungs of the social ladder as well as the top (Dyson, 1973, p. 86). † The role of women in William Thackeray’s â€Å"Vanity Fair† There are many different women found in the novel Vanity Fair. But there are some key female characters that provided significant roles in the story so that the novel can depict the real life situation in the Victorian era and in the process provide whatever moral lesson it can about the aspects of life that it managed to discuss and tackle. The list of key female characters that require scrutiny and analysis is topped by the three women characters that possess any or all of the traits that made them important, like personality, influence, cunning and power: Miss Crawley and the contrasting Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Becky Sharp – In a novel without a hero, Becky Sharp was the heroine, even if for some she is the anti-heroine. Becky was one of the two lead women characters who are central to the story. The two girls are opposites in many different ways, and their lives continue such path, with Becky becoming the most villainous of the two and Amelia Sedley her exact opposite. Indeed, the character of Becky Sharp was the catalyst for social abrasion. Some might feel that Becky represents everything that is morally bad and undesirable in the society inside Vanity Fair. Sharp’s character also reminds the readers that people cannot ignore people like her and the characteristics that she displays, dismissing it as a characteristic that is a mere product of a fictional character. Her character represents a type of individual who is alive in the real world. In some twisted consideration, Becky can be considered as the source of â€Å"life† – if life means the presence of constant conflict and the consistent surfacing of anything unexpected – inside a society because Becky does not let social norms get in the way of what she wants. â€Å"The woman who goes after money and status but finds that they do not satisfy her a woman like Becky Sharp is allowed to be at least morally interesting (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Whether readers admit it or not, Becky’s character is an important pull to the consciousness of the readers; she provides the intrigue and sin that readers on the outside condemn but diligently follows through in the next episodes of the novel. Becky seduces and elicits the feeling of scorn and hate so much that she makes the readers always eager to know what happened to her, largely because real life readers are as vain as her. Becky taunts the devil in the readers, making them think and reconsider the â€Å"what ifs,† the things that Becky is not afraid to do which the readers are having second thoughts of doing. Becky triggers the fantasies. For the women readers, it is the fantasy of being able to pull of seduction and gain worldly possessions, to bed many different men and feel a different kind of power, to be free from the shackles and restraints the patriarchal society placed upon women and to be largely free and unaccountable to anything. For male readers, the fantasy is to be seduced by a Becky Sharp, to be offered body and lustful obedience in exchange for money and power that not every man can have in his lifetime. Becky made the world go around inside Vanity Fair, even if the sad part is that as a whole, she is still a mere part of the patriarchal society that used her as much as she used it to her advantage. â€Å"And what else creates change in Vanity Fair if not Beckys subversive sexual behavior? It is she deprives Amelia of a loving husband well before Thackeray has him killed off on the battlefield at Waterloo (Armstrong, 1990. p. 178). † Amelia Sedley – Amelia contradicts Becky in comparison in many ways. Amelia always opts to live in the past and is tied with the memory of past while Becky is always looking ahead into the future. Amelia is always passive and easily contented, while Becky is always on the move, always hunting or scheming so that she can get what she wants. Amelia is the prototype for the docile and meek domestic housewife, during and after her married life with George, while Becky was â€Å"anything but. † Amelia gives the readers hope that there are still people who walk the straight path of morality, while Becky is jumping up and down, always falling far from where morality wants her to be. Amelia’s role in the novel is more than just as an individual who represents everything that Becky is. Amelia, to some extent, was also the symbol of the ills of the life of being meek and sulky. She is the anatomy of the unknowing victim, the unwitting casualty to the moral massacre that poverty, indebtedness, puritanism and being overly morally upright undertakes in everyday life. She was an angel all right, but Thackeray made sure that even with wings it is easily discernable that Amelia is far from being in heaven largely because of her personality. Amelia, as a character, lived a life that was far from being the ideal married life, and the story was as unkind to her as the critics of the symbolism of woman to which she stood for. â€Å"Late-Victorian women writers contributed to the fight for womens rights by creating representations of women that confronted the self-abnegating, submissive, housebound image of middle-class Ideal Womanhood. This ideal was epitomized at mid-century by William Thackerays Amelia Sedley from Vanity Fair (Mangum, 1999, p. 2). † Becky and Amelia: The analysis and profiling of the real heroine The heroine in the story can either be Becky or Amelia, depending on the reader and the readers perspective and moral standpoint. This is because the identification of the heroine type between the two female characters in the novel speaks a lot about the personal characteristics of the person making the difference between the two. The reader would be placed in a dilemma wherein the reader has to choose which personality she would approve between the polar characteristics of Becky and Amelia. â€Å"Plot in Vanity Fair is primarily the histories of two women: one, the shrewdly competent Rebecca Sharp, consistently exploits the conventions of high society to rise within it; the other, the compassionate but vulnerable Amelia Sedley, is exploited by Rebecca and others in their campaign to achieve social prominence (Lund, 1992, p. 23). † The author was consistent with what critics call as rule in the creation of fictitious married female characters. The story divides the desire for love and for materials goods between two individuals who are vaguely antagonists or protagonists in the story. The clear idea to the readers is the priorities of the women as human characters, looking at them outside the scope of gender. As a human character, Becky was the one who puts material things above all, while the character of Amelia puts love above all providing not just a state of realism but also a sense of balance to the presence of contrasting but significant roles in the novel. With this the reader, male or female, would knowingly or otherwise pick one of the two to become his/her heroine largely on the identification of the same grounds where the character and reader stands. A reader will hardly choose both because like the rule of the fiction writing, the reader will only empathize with the predicament of the character with whom he or she relates the most. â€Å"The rule in fiction is that a female character cannot want both love and luxury. Rare indeed is the novelistic heroine who genuinely loves her husband but who at the same time desires and frankly enjoys the goods that he is able to buy her (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Thackeray makes it more difficult for the readers to pick which is the heroine between the two opposite characters because an important characteristic of the difference between the two is that the author created characters which are neither white nor black. Becky and Amelia are both neither strictly good nor straight-out bad. The differences of the two candidates for heroine-ism also made implications that altered their state of being good or bad as their state of lives moves forward in the story. There is a sense of goodness in Becky as much as there are some things in Amelia which may merit disapproval from the readers. Because the story is centered on domestic life of couples and the complexity that the society and the personalities of the people in it contribute to the lives of married individuals, the personalities of Beck and Amelia as wives are just as important pieces of consideration as much as their own personal characteristics are in the pursuit of defining who is the more suitable heroine between the two. And like their personalities as single individuals, how they were as wives is just as complicated, Thackeray became consistent with the idea of ending up with having no real defined hero (or heroine for that matter). It forces the reader to take a very good look at real life before finally judging who between Becky and Amelia deserved to be raised in the pedestal as the ideal woman and wife. â€Å"The role she plays perhaps most productively is that of the faithful and charming little wife to Rawdon Crawley. Ironically, as long as she finds it advantageous to play this role, she is a much more effective domestic angel than Amelia Osborne, whose devotion to her husband George is heartfelt but sterile, who maternal affection is positively destructive, and who is quite unable to repay Dobbin for his years of devotion. In contrast to Amelia, Becky brings out the best in her husband, transforming Rawdon from a randy roue to a contented husband and a devoted father (Garson, 2007, p. 99). †

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Divisibility Argument :: essays research papers

DIVISIBILITY ARGUMENT This paper will discuss the dualism’s Divisibility Argument. This argument relies on Leibniz’s Law and uses a different property to prove the distinctness of brain states of mental states. Mary, who is a materialist, presents several objections to that argument. Her main objection corresponds to the first/third-person approach. She believes that Dave presents that argument only from the first-person approach, which is introspection, and totally disregards the third-person approach, which is observation of another mind. Mary’s objections will follow by the Dave’s response on them from the dualist’s point of view. The purpose of the Divisibility Argument is to prove that mental states are different from the brain states. My body, which includes my brain, is divisible. However, I cannot conceive of my mind as divisible. Therefore, my mind is distinct from any part of my body. Descartes was the first who established the Divisibility Argument. He held that the two components which constitute man had an independent origin and are of a fundamentally different nature. The body is divisible, since it can be separated for example, my leg or my hand can be cut off; my brain can be cut on half. However, the idea of the divisible mind is inconceivable. This argument relies on the Leibniz’s Law. It is a principle about identity, which says, â€Å"if an object or event X is identical with an object or event Y, then X and Y have all of the same properties.† So if X and Y have any different properties, then X can not be identical with Y. Divisibility Argument uses a different property to prove the distinctness of brain states and mental states: the property of being indivisible. In this case, the mind has a property and brain lacks it. The body can be divided, however, it cannot be done with the mind. Mary has several objections to this argument. First, she believes that the mind is an entity, which is composed of several mental states: thoughts, beliefs, memories, desires, etc. Mary strongly disagrees with Descartes’ claim that the mind employs itself in its different properties: willing, desiring, understanding, and so on. Secondly, she clarifies the meaning of the word â€Å"conceive† in the Dave’s argument. The term â€Å"conceive† might mean either â€Å"imagine† or â€Å"understand.† Imagining literally involves â€Å"forming an image of† or â€Å"picturing† in one’s mind, whereas understanding is more â€Å"conceptual† and does not require the ability to picture something.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay

Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the company’s sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is ‘finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the ‘corporate attitudes’ (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the ‘1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing’ (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the ‘forefront of quality improvement efforts’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in ‘service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions’ (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing ‘soft and hard’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with ‘improved organizational performance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a ‘recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is ‘a fundamentally different way of working together’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 271) and ‘quite different from the traditional notion of control’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to ‘none managerial roles’ such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having ‘increased authority’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or ‘power’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees ‘the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that ‘Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change’ (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is ‘management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control’ (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment ‘is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are ‘truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more ‘flat democratic organisational structure’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These ‘attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development’ (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees ‘become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a ‘quality management system’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the ‘results are not always impressive’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because ‘people do not think it through’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are ‘middle managers’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a ‘flatter organisational structure’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may ‘resist these new responsibilities’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, ‘the fear of one’s own greatness’ (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be ‘cynical and suspicious of this approach’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the ’employees feeling too empowered’ (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to ‘speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to ‘release the creative and innovative capacities of employees’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for ’empowerment emerging as a concept for our time’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisatio ns are driven by profit generating, cost reduction and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has ‘greater justification for management in HRM terms’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time ‘not undermining managerial prerogatives’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) ‘suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide ‘an opportunity to empower and motivate employees’ (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued ‘as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that ‘job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through ‘quality management’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in ‘workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the ‘increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become ‘an important Human Resource Management tool’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees ‘growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations’ (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of ‘self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead ‘forced to submit to another’s will and think and act under constant supervision’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring ‘organisational survival’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employee’s maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly ‘for their own good’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to ‘enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations ‘delayer’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare ‘may encourage union member ship’ (sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to ‘avoid collective action by employees’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The ’employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can ‘increase efficiency and effectiveness’ inside an organization (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. ‘salaries, rent, heat and advertising’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the ‘shared knowledge of workers’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time ‘develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes ‘between companies and their customers’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will ‘improve profits through repeated business’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase ‘revenue and improve the bottom line’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to ‘promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a ‘sense of personal and professional balance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees’ minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in ‘personal growth’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a ‘win-win situation’ (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organization’s culture itself. Benefits require ‘changes in management and employees’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the ‘management pyramid’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see ’empowerment as a threat’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the ‘rules and decisions always came from above’ (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to ‘enhance job responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to ‘increase their contentment with the job’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be ‘effective members of the workforce’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be ‘now shared with employees’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to ‘solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees’ jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under ‘high commitment management’ workers would be committed to management’s vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment ‘will feel more secure and empowered’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a ‘restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, ’employees feel more valued’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s overall success (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find ‘new ways to express their creativity’ (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a ‘profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives ’employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in ‘negotiating an effective team contract’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the company’s objectives. ‘Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are ‘commonly promoted’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as ‘praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to ‘give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to ‘restrict its best people’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. ‘The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are ‘learning to give up control’ and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to ‘communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as ‘stakeholders for the road of success’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. ‘Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful’ (Erstad, M, 1997). 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