Internal & External Organizational Forces

As one of the nation's leading wireless and technological service providers, Verizon Communications is one of the most successful examples of rapid expansion in the years since they first opened their doors in 1983. With 93. 2 million customers, Verizon has grown into a massive organization that continues to expand and change. These changes are a part of the organization's plan, but are and will continue to be influenced by Internal and external factors along the way.Organization Mission Verizon's mission may appear simple yet to live up to this mission is no daunting ask in an industry that is rapidly changing with technology advances. They exist to provide customers with great service and communication possibilities while following their core values of integrity, respect, performance excellence, and accountability (Verizon, n. D. ). These values are expected to be followed for not only external customers but internal customers as well.To be a leader in their industry Verizon listen s to customers, embraces diversity, demonstrates honesty, takes responsibility for their actions, and pursues the highest standard in their services. Verizon's session lays the foundation for the organizational behavior that must be accepted and demonstrated from all Verizon employees. Restructuring In early fall of 2009, Verizon announced that they were restructuring two of their business groups Into one known as Verizon Hireling.This realigning was planned to capitalize new avenues for growth and to improve productivity according to Verizon which also moved marketing execution closer to the customer-facing operations (Verizon, 2009). The restructuring included a shift of seven executive positions. Although the announcement did not state how these shifts would affect other employees and reporting chains It is probably safe to say that the restructuring brought concern and questions to their minds.Reporting chain of commands and Job duties would have been affected by Verizon's restr ucturing. According to Shoehorning (2008), restructuring, while needed to remain competitive within an industry, creates emotional conflict. Role, interpersonal, and intercrop are other types of conflict that can occur with change. Verizon management had to plan out how to deal with the conflict that would have been a common result of their restructuring transition phase. Competition Verizon has always been a leader and an Innovator In the wireless communication industry.But lately their sales have seen a decrease due to the popularity of Apple's Phone and its exclusive contract with AT&T. Even though the Phone and AT&T aren't the only competition they are the biggest for the top of the line smart phones. Other competitors in the cell phone market include T-mobile, Metro PC'S and Sprint. These companies compete by offering lower all inclusive plan rates and month to month contracts or pay as you go service. Even though these companies offer lower rates tenet coverage Is not as Drama as Verizon Ana Al& I cross the U.S. And the world. AT&T has also been widely criticized about their coverage versus Verizon's. When Apple released the ‘phone on June 29, 2007 it revolutionized the cell phone industry and raised the bar for all other manufacturers, but the biggest hit to the competition of carriers was that the only provider of the Phone would be AT&T. Research in Motion the maker of Blackberry and Verizon's biggest seller launched their own version of the touch screen phone called the Storm which paled in comparison to the Phone.Verizon started an all out aiming against AT;T and their lack of coverage for cellular use across the country which AT;T vigorously defended but seems to be true according to reports in the magazine Consumer Reports. Verizon could be on the verge of ruling the cellular industry with the impending negotiations with Apple and allowing Verizon to sell the Phone and it could be soon since Verizon is now selling the Pad. They have also see n sales rise with the ETC touch screen phone with the Android operating system that has gone toe to toe with the Phone and offers better g coverage with Verizon.The economy has taken its Economy OLL on not only the housing market and employment but all the way down to how we live our lives on basic necessities. People have had to cut back on how they shop for groceries, cutting back or even canceling cable service and adjusting their cellular plans. This has affected Verizon by customers decreasing their plans minutes or going to a cheaper competitor that will offer the same package at a lower price.Other carriers such as Metro PC'S and Sprint offer the same package of talk, text and data plans as Verizon for half the cost but the coverage is not as good so customers are willing to give up coverage for cost. The economy has also affected the products that Verizon sells as less people are upgrading their phones and holding on to the ones they have for longer periods of time and more people are opting for monthly contracts as opposed to lengthy 2 year contracts offered by the major carriers like Verizon and AT&T.Every facet of our lives has been affected by the recent economy and how we communicate is one of them. Customer Demands In recent years, Verizon has become more than Just the nation's leading wireless service provider by simply listening to customer demands and taking notice of customer's needs. The have expanded to providing internet service, television, wireless service, and landlines service. Verizon has been the first to address our nation's demand for bundling services to save money and to simplify lives. There are many factors that influence how Verizon handles the demands of customers.Being that they are the nation's leading wireless provider, the will also require a lot of support to keep customers happy. No matter what kind of service, Verizon offers customer support via phone, internet, and house calls. Customer support is available to all typ es of customers, residential, small business, medium genuineness, or even for enterprise & government sized accounts. The size of the organization indicates that there will always be unsatisfied customers, and in recent news many of these customers have banded together to file a lawsuit against Verizon for the monthly data plans being charged when services winner down. 0 take Acton Ana TIC ten customer service approver to Verizon customers, the organization has stated that they are in the process of De-automating their telephone systems so that customers can get to a live person more easily. As a highly publicized issue, this external factor has demanded that Verizon revamp the ay they handle customer service over the phone. Globalization Verizon's name is not only a household name in the United States. The organization has over 300 offices in 75 countries across 6 continents of the world. There are many reasons that Verizon has chosen to take business across seas.The most obvious i nfluence would be an internal desire to expand and prosper as a business. The second factor that leads them to globalization is the external force of growth in need for international communication. As technology and trade evolves, the need for efficient international communication has and will continue to grow significantly. Technology influences the globalization need by the way it changes the kinds of services traded. No longer are we only exporting and importing goods from countries, with the aid of technology we are seeing an increase in service trading.India has been the leading example of the need for organizations to communicate overseas. With the increase in out sourcing work to countries overseas, American countries need to communicate in order for the services to be unison. Although there has been a lot of debate over the quality of service provided by other countries, with the aid of Verizon this cultural hurdle can be nonexistent. Conclusion Although it is true that the organization's mission, reconstruction, competition, the economy, fiscal policies, customers, and globalization will always influence how Verizon continues to develop, their original mission's intentions.

The Importance of Leadership in the Organizatio

In every organization, whether small or large-scale, there is an unambiguous need for a leader. This leader is usually the owner or manager of the business but in some instances may also be an employee who possesses the ability to influence the actions of his or her co-workers. Effective leadership generally makes for a successful business organization. Conversely, the absence of, or ineffective use of leadership can have dire consequences on the organization for without leadership, organizations may move too slowly, stagnate, or lose their way. Leadership is defined as â€Å"the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement† (Stogdill, 1950, p. 3). Hogan et al (1994) posit that leadership is persuasion not domination, and so true leadership only occurs when others willingly adopt the goals of a group as their own. In a group setting, the individuals who make up the group all have different experiences, values, beliefs and needs. As such, they all have unique views of the world and will support differing ideas. The role of the leader in these instances is to point the individuals of the group in the same direction and harness their efforts jointly. The leader must ensure that each member of the group has an equal opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas. Therefore, a successful and effective leader must be patient and open-minded. If employees perceive that the leader is being unfair or biased, conflict will arise as they (the employees) react to the perceived injustices. It is important to note that the positions of manager and leader are entirely different. Leaders develop visions and drive changes while managers monitor progress and solve problems (Zalenik, 1977). However, sound leadership is a key skill which all managers should possess. A manager can not effectively perform his duties without the ability to lead the individuals in the organization. A leader must be someone respected and looked up to by those in the organization. Thus, the employees will freely follow the path charted by the leader in order to achieve organizational goals. Moreover, a well-liked leader usually means that employees are satisfied with their job environment and are therefore more motivated and determined to see a task or project through to the end. Employees who feel appreciated in the organization usually display a higher quality of work and also higher levels of productivity are also associated with workers who favour their leader. On the other hand, ineffective leadership can result in reduced motivation and dissatisfaction of employees. Unclearly defined goals and an unsatisfactory work environment, symptoms of improper leadership result in frustrated workers which will eventually result in workers exiting the workplace or neglecting their duties. As a result the output efficiency of the organization suffers and its yield will decline.

Dell Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dell Corporation - Essay Example However the company needs to take action fast. The main business is generated from PC sales. Most of Dell’s revenue stream is generated from sales of personal computers. The global economic downturn is having the greatest effect on PC sales as companies are reducing their spending on personal computers. Their spending may be going up in other product categories, but investments in PC are being reduced industry-wide. Because Dell’s main business is in PC sales, it is a strategic imperative for the company to craft a new strategic direction. The company does have diverse product offerings but the most important part of its resource base is dedicated to manufacturing personal computers such as desktops and laptops. Dell’s main competitors are HP, Acer and Apple. Dell faces rising competitive threat from these companies because they have invested in a wide variety of products and services. For example, Apple is generating profitability at the same level despite the e conomic downturn. This is because Apple maintains diverse product offerings based upon continuous innovation. HP is diversifying into service business. Because the western market is saturated, Dell has to focus on the fast growing markets of China and India. However in China Dell faces a major competitive threat from Lenovo. Therefore Dell Inc. ... Therefore the company has a skill in retaining large corporate accounts which will enable the company to face the competitive rivalry from HP. Dell also has core competencies in transferring knowledge across divisions in order to facilitate the highest level of quality in all the product categories. The company has shown great success in product diversification. These capabilities and resources form the core competencies of Dell Inc. The company’s strength is in the market leadership position that it holds in the industry with a loyal customer base of large commercial and institutional investors. The company has also been successful in diversifying into additional product categories. The company’s weakness may be its over-reliance upon PC sales which are being affected by the economic downturn. The opportunity is provided by the large corporate accounts which will enable the company to invest in additional product and service categories to strengthen the revenue base. T he threat is the rising level of competitive rivalry in the industry. Although Dell might reduce the competitive threat to some extent by expanding to growing markets these markets also have their share of competitors, two examples being Acer and Lenovo. Dell is customizing its products by providing value-added services in the enterprise market. This market has been growing steadily because corporate customers are looking for ways to cut IT costs. Therefore, by customizing its products for the enterprise market, Dell will be able to make up for the loss of revenue from decreasing PC sales. However the disadvantage is the possibility of over-diversification. In that case the company might lose money in areas which are not its

Catcher in the Rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Catcher in the Rye - Essay Example He allowed Holden to use a lot jargon or street lingo to give an uncanny realism to the novel. The novel seems to have an overwhelming sense of doom and gloom. The character of Holden Caulfield wants to get out of his familiar surroundings because he was not satisfied. In a sense, he seems to be going somewhere else but with no definite direction or destination. Holden feels an unsettled spirit, he wants to go from here to there and is always in the habit of saying goodbye to someone or someplace he had been to before. His restless spirit wants to be always on the go but he lacks a certain motivation, like he is lost to the world. â€Å" . . . I mean Ive left schools and places I didnt even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I dont care if its a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know Im leaving it. If you dont, you feel even worse.† This line sets the tone for the rest of a story that is one of unmitigated ennui. Boredom, restlessness, insecurity and emptiness had pervaded the novel all throughout except when Holden is with children whom he is fond of. â€Å"I dont even know what I was running for – I guess I just felt like it.† With this line, it is quite obvious that Holden wants to get away from something but he just cannot put his finger on it or what he was running away from. Perhaps he was running away from himself as he is mostly disgusted with the ways things are in his life, especially with the death of brother Allie to sickness (leukemia). He is merely ambivalent with anything and everything, from his own father, himself and also with the whole world itself. Holden had been traumatized by this death but he does not even know it or will admit to it (Bloom 8); he is haunted by it. In a sense, Holden wants to disappear from this world, perhaps to stop his worrying. He is always worried, â€Å"when I really worry about

Marketing Planing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Planing - Essay Example It is expected your report demonstrates strong evaluative style you should draw on the relevant theories covered within the course (course book attached) you must relate your answer to your chosen organization ( eg : Barclay's, HSBC U.K etc) Harvard referencing Stlye This paper is aimed at looking at how the recent credit crunch is affecting banks and how this in turn affects international business. The paper argues from a marketing point of view. Here the paper looks into how marketing can help restore confidence and competitive advantage into some of these troubled banks. The recent credit crunch in the U.S is a cause for concern for governments, regulatory bodies, businesses, individuals, stock markets, etc. This issue is affecting world trade in that it is currently making it difficult for banks to provide loans to businesses given the significant losses encountered so far as following prior sub-prime mortgage lending. The first part of the paper looks into the institution in question. Here our institution under case study is the Barclays bank. The first part of the paper discusses the various ways through which Barclays bank could be affected by the crisis. The second part of the paper discusses the role of marketing towards restoring a com petitive advantage and creating value for Barclays bank. The last part of the paper presents the conclusion and recommendation. Bar... The last part of the paper presents the conclusion and recommendation. 1.1 Overview of the institution under case study -Barclays Bank Barclays PLC (Barclays) is an international and major player in the world financial system. It is headquartered in the United Kingdom, a global financial services provider and is engaged in retail, commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. (Report 2008). The bank is present in Europe, United States, Africa and Asia using different strategies with respect to different markets. According to an independent analyst review, the Company operates in business segments: For example, UK Retail Banking, Barclays Commercial Bank, Barclaycard, Global Retail and Commercial Banking (GRCB)-Western Europe, GRCB-Emerging Markets, GRCB-Absa, Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Investors and Barclays Wealth (Company's Report 2008). Today, Barclays Plc is listed in major stock exchanges in the world such as the London, the Tokyo and the New York etc. Barclays Plc has consolidated its position through a series of mergers and acquisitions. For example, according to the company's web page, in November 2008, Barclays PLC announced that it has completed the purchase of the Italian residential mortgage business of Macquarie Group Limited. According to the company's (2008) report, Barclays PLC was ranked as the 25th largest company in the world according to Forbes Global 2000 (2008 list) and the fourth largest financial services provider in the world according to Tier 1 capital ($32.5 billion). It is the second largest bank in the United Kingdom based on asset size, although its

Absorptive Capacity in Knowledge Management Essay

Absorptive Capacity in Knowledge Management - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that the final result of absorptive capacity is thus innovation and already performance. Absorptive capacity may be construed as a four-tiered concept. It requires acquisition, proceeded by assimilation followed by transformation and eventually exploitation (Smith et. al., 2005). Acquisition involves the process of obtaining knowledge from external sources. The organization needs to have mechanisms for identifying that knowledge first. In essence, the acquisition process should be related to their core operations. Assimilation ought to follow this process; here, firms must capitalize on their processes and routines in order to interpret, analyze as well as understand the external knowledge. Once assimilation has occurred, the company ought to combine current and assimilated knowledge into one platform through transformation. This may involve a modification for existing practices. Finally, exploitation needs to take place, where a company leverages on its t ransformed capabilities by placing them into their operations. Acquisition may be influenced by a number of variables. The intensity and speed of knowledge acquisition has an effect on the outlook.  

Industry and Company Analysis - strategy of management Assignment

Industry and Company Analysis - strategy of management - Assignment Example Customer loyalty is not really an issue in this sector as convenience stores will sell the same or similar produces across the board, leaving no buyer switching cost (IBIS World Market Research, 2011b). The second force is the threat of substitute services. The biggest threat to the convenience store sector is supermarkets, which have reported an annual growth of 3.4% in the last 5 years (compared to the -0.4% of convenience store sector). This is because of a general move towards supermarket sales in general, plus many of the supermarket chains entered into the convenience store sector. There is little to no cost to the consumer to change to a substitute service, increasing the threat. The bargaining power of the customer is dependent on many factors, including the location of the convenience store and surrounding options. However, in many cases (particularly in urban areas) customers will have a price sensitivity that may cause them to move to another rival chain. The buyer volume is much lower than for supermarkets, which means that the convenience store sector can be more sensitive to changes in customer power. The bargaining power of suppliers in this sector is interesting, because many of the companies within the convenience store sector will be using the same suppliers. This is because many stock brand name goods. This means there are strong distribution channels and almost no supplier competition. The impact of inputs on cost is high, but will affect all areas of the sector, plus the competing supermarkets (IBIS World Market Research, 2011b). The intensity of competitive rivalry is interesting in this sector. Whilst there are advertising campaigns for 7-Eleven and the other major convenience store chains, the main choice for a customer is the location and ease of access to the store. This means that much of the competitive rivalry in the sector is accumulating property in convenient

Wedding Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wedding Photography - Essay Example raphers to capture the images that will have meaning for the couple, such as allowing the event to unfold as it does rather than trying to direct it for the ‘perfect’ shot. Finally, it is important to consider the ethics of the situation – are you the first photographer, how do you respond to Uncle Charlie peering over your shoulder and should you digitally enhance images with minor flaws in them in order to provide a more pleasing picture. Examining some of the more important techniques and tips available will help to produce more satisfying results while an understanding of some of the ethics questions involved may help alleviate future problems. As has been mentioned, the wedding photographer must combine more than one role as he or she attempts to capture images of someone’s big day. They must have strong knowledge of portrait photography in terms of lighting and composition. â€Å"Portrait photographers learn lighting ratios such as the normal 3-1 ratio for lighting the face, as well as portrait composition. They then spend time setting up their shots for a desired lighting effect. †¦ They strive to control every aspect of the portrait† (Lee, 2004). This knowledge is often necessary in establishing the group shots of the wedding party and many images of the bride. However, this does not capture the sense of the joyousness of the moment nor does it complete the professional photographer’s duties at a wedding. This is where the photojournalist must come into play. â€Å"The photojournalist on the other hand is ‘quick to draw’ you might say. He or she is able to capture a fleeting mome nt in time. They are on their toes looking for the chance shot† (Lee, 2004). The degree to which a photographer must be a portrait artist or a photojournalist depends greatly on the general trends in society as well as in the wishes and personalities of the couple involved. The more the photographer is able to key in to the mood of the event, the better

Discuss the IOM(institute of medicine) reports and how the reports Assignment

Discuss the IOM(institute of medicine) reports and how the reports apply to your specific practice area. Do you agree with the recommendations - Assignment Example The report also discusses the education of the nurses and their views to enhance their education. The nurses should be allowed to work along with the physicians and health care professionals in designing health care (Davis, Davis, & Williams, 2010). Registered Nurses (RN) are qualified and trained to perform an initial assessment of the patients. It is a part of their job to make health care plans for the patients. They are not allowed to do so in various states of US. The report also discusses the barriers that the nurses face in carrying out their duty. It is a reality that nurses are not given equal rights to practice their duty, and IOM and RWJF has joined hands and taken initiative to transform the nursing profession (Muehlbauer, 2012). The recommendation provided in this report is fair and just. The regulations of the state and its conflicts with APRNs must be resolved, so that the nurses can practice what they are trained to do during their education. If the nurses are trained to perform some task, which is a part of their course, then, they should be allowed to apply that part of the training in her professional life (Baljekar & Malet, 2014). Davis, S. P., Davis, D. D., & Williams, D. D. (2010). Challenges and Issues Facing the Future of Nursing Education: Implications for Ethnic Minority Faculty and Students. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 7 (4),

Love in Pride and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Love in Pride and Prejudice Essay Marriage in England in the nineteenth century is much different than it is in today’s world. Almost everyone wants to marry for love and happiness. During this period of time, beautiful women would marry a man because he is rich or the opposite. A nice looking man would marry a woman because she comes from wealth. Love is left out of these marriages. Some thought they would soon develop love along the years. Mrs. Bennet’s main priority throughout the book was to make sure here five daughters were married to a rich suitor. Money was the main concerns for her not love. Her marriage was based on the principle of monetary gain. She thought her daughters would not be able to survive if they remained unmarried. For any woman of her time marriage on any terms was often the only getaway from a miserable life of poverty. Elizabeth did not want to marry for money. She wanted to marry for love. She turned her first proposal down from Mr. Collins because she had no feelings for him. Elizabeth shows a lot of pride throughout the book. Even though her family was not of upper class, she still held her head high with pride. She is a middle class woman who wants to be treated the same by every one no matter who it is. She believes herself to be good enough for any man. When she first meets Mr. Darcy, she says that he is very attractive. Prejudice blinds her and leads to false opinions of Mr. Darcy. She overhears him say, â€Å"She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me. † Darcy is very blinded by his inferior standards. Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley are happy when they are together. Mrs. Bennet was so sure they would marry within months. They were so shocked to hear that he had left town so suddenly. Mr. Darcy breaks them up before their relationship could get as far as marriage. He didn’t honestly believe that Jane was truly in love with his good friend Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth believes that he did this because of his prejudice for the lower class. Mr. Darcy believed that Jane was only after his money. Jane is very broken up over Mr. Bingley leaving town. They both loved one another. Mr. Darcy later writes a letter to Elizabeth, explaining the real reason why he broke them up. After reading his letter, she begins to understand the pride that Mr. Darcy has for himself. This is where she begins to have feelings for him. Her youngest sister Lydia runs away and marries Mr. Wickham. Soon Jane and Mr. Bingley reunite and he proposes to her. Elizabeth finds out that Mr. Darcy had bribed Mr. Wickham to marry her sister. She soon realizes Mr. Darcy isn’t a bad person after all. He is a great person and a romantic at heart. After his second proposal to Elizabeth she agrees to marry him, not for money but for love. Happiness does not come from a marriage based on money.

Mukia Maderaspatana Antioxidant Properties

Mukia Maderaspatana Antioxidant Properties Plants have the ability to synthesize a wide variety of chemical compounds that are used to perform important biological functions and to defend against attack from predators. Mukia maderaspatana (L.)M. Romer, is an annual monoecious climber, belonging to Cucurbitaceae family. This plant specify many medicinal properties such as constipation, cough, vertigo, burning sensation, dyspepsia and dental pain.. In this study, ascorbic acid content from fresh leaves and fruits were carried out. Also, the phytochemical analysis such as Total flavonoid, total phenolics contents of the plant were characterized, and found that leaves of M.maderaspatana is rich in ascorbic acid, an antioxidant than that of fruits and also contains adequate amount of phenolics and flavonoid contents in leaves as compared to fruits. Keywords: Mukia maderaspatana, Phytochemical activity, Antioxidant activity. Introduction: Plants (fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, etc.) may contain a wide variety of free radical scavenging molecules, such as phenolic compounds (e.g. phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, tannins), nitrogen compounds, vitamins, terpenoids (including carotenoids), and some other endogenous metabolites, which are rich in antioxidant activity (; Zheng and Wang, 2001; Cai et al., 2003). Phytochemicals present in plants have been shown to have diverse biological activities like cardioprotective, cancer prevention and inhibiton of bone resorption. One of the most common activities of the phytochemicals is the antioxidant .(B.R.Srilatha and S.Ananda., 2012). The total antioxidant activity of plant foods is the result of individual activities of each of the antioxidant compounds present such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, the latter being the major phytochemicals responsible for antioxidant activity of plant materials (Javanmardi, Stushnoff, Locke, Vivanco, 2003;) Plants are the natural source for many biochemicals, fragrance, food coloures ,flavors and medicines with less side affects. Most valuable phytochemicals are the products of secondary metabolism .The use of plants as medicines predates written human history. All the plants produce chemical compounds as a part of their normal metabolic activity. The scientific interest in identifying novel natural antioxidants for use in foods has considerably increased in recent years, because the use of synthetic antioxidants as food additives is limited by specific regulations in various countries, established on the basis of their safety.(Spiridon Kintzios et al.2010). Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and other animals. Compounds like flavonoids, phenolics are widely distributed in plants fulfilling many functions. They are most common group of polyphenolic compounds in human diet, and are known for their antioxidant activities. Pharmaceutica ls and food manufactures have become interested in these compounds for their medicinal properties especially their putatitive role in inhibiting cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Antioxidant plays an important role in the living system and it prevents the oxidative damage that may result in cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. (Sangilimuthu Alagar Yadav et al.,2012) Ascorbic acid , which is commonly known as vitamin C is common antioxidant . Ascorbic acid present in medicinal plants has attracted the attention of many researchers because of the wide range of their biological activities. (Mallika Jainu et al., 2008). Many studies have correlated high intakes of vitamin c, with low rates of cancer, particularly cancers of mouth, larynx and esophagus. Use of plants to treat diseases is almost universal among non industrialized societies, and are often more affordable than purchasing expensive modern pharmaceuticals. Many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to physician s have long history of use as herbal remedies including aspirin, digitalis, quinine and opium. Leaves and Fruits of Mukia maderasapatana Melothria madraspatana (Syn. Mukia maderaspatana L.) is an annual climber with hair shoots. It is an edible plant typically low in calories, low in fat, high in dietary fibre, high in iron and calcium and very high in phytochemicals such as Vitamin C, vitaminK, carotenoids, lutein, folate and polyphenolics compounds such as flavonoid etc. The whole plant is useful as it has valuable medicinal properties, cough, dental pain, burning sensation, and ayurvedic properties such as Rasa, Guna,Virya, vata, pita. In scientific literature M. maderaspatana has been shown to be anti-inflammatory, anti arthiritic Immunomodulatory, anti platelet ,hepato protective and antimicrobial. (B.R.Srilatha and S.Ananda., 2012). So the present study was carried out to evaluate the total phenolics, flavonoid and ascorbic acid contents in the leaves and the fruits of the plant. Materials and methods Plant material: M.maderaspatana were collected from vellore institute of technology (VIT) garden, vellore, Tamilnadu, State of India. Chemicals: Ascorbate, Trichloroacetic acid, DNPH (2,4 Dinitro phenylhydrazine) reagent, Thiourea solution, FC ( Folin ciocalteau)reagent, Catechol, Sodium carbonate, Ethanol, Quercetin, Aluminium Chloride, Potassium acetate. Estimation of Ascorbic acid The amount of ascorbic acid present in leaves and fruits of M.maderaspatana was estimated by method of (Roe and Keuther1943).Fresh leaves and fruits (1gm) were homogenized with 10ml of 4% TCA and centrifuged at 2000 rpm. The supernatant obtained was treated with pinch of activated charcoal for 10 min. Centrifugation was repeated and clear supernatant was obtained. Two different aliquots of supernatant (0.5 and 1.0ml) were taken as test sample . The volume was made upto 2.0ml with 4% TCA ,0.5ml of DNPH, 2drop of 10% thiourea solution was added and incubated for 3 hour at 37ËÅ ¡c . 2.5ml of 85% sulphuric acid was added and absorbance was read at 540 nm against blank . Ascorbate was used as standard. The ascorbic acid was expressed as mg equivalent per gram of extract. Preparation of ethanolic extract for phenolics: The leaves and the fruits of the plant were shade dried and powdered in the grinder. The powder leaves and fruits (25gm) was extracted with 85% ethanol (100ml) and kept overnight. The ethanol was evaporated next day using water bath and the residue was dried and used for further analysis. Estimation of phenolics: The total phenolic content present in leaves and fruits were assayed by (Mallick and Singh 1980). 10mg of plant extract was dissolved in 1ml of 80% ethanol. Further dilution were made up to 1mg /ml and different concentrations ( 10 µl,50 µl,100 µl and 250 µl) were taken and made up to 3ml with distilled water. 0.5ml of Folin ciocalteau reagent was added and incubated for 3min at RT. 2ml of sodium carbonate was added and kept in boiling water bath for 1min, cooled and absorbance was measured at 650 nm against blank .Catechol was used as standard. The total phenolic content was expressed as Catechol equivalent in mg per gram of extract. Estimation of flavonoids: The total flavonoids contents present in leaves and fruits were assayed by (Chang et al.,2002).10mg of plant extract was dissolved in 1ml of 80% ethanol, further dilution were made upto 1mg/ml and different concentrations ( 10  µl,50 µl,100 µl and 250 µl )were taken, 0.1ml of 10% aluminium chloride and 0.1ml of 1M potassium acetate and reaction mixture were made upto 3ml with distilled water. After 30min incubation at RT, the absorbance was measured at 415nm, against blank. Quercetin was used as standard. The flavonoid content was expressed as Quercetin equivalent in mg per gm of extract. Results: Standard graphs of Ascorbate, Catechol and Quercetin for Ascorbic acid, Phenolics and Flavonoid respectively are shown below, and The total content of these phytochemicals, present in M.maderaspatana were assayed using these standard graph The amount of Ascorbic acid, Total Phenolics and Flavonoids present in the leaves and fruits were investigated. The amount of Ascorbic acid is expressed as mg ascorbate /g. Graph1: (Standard curve equation Y= 0.007 x, r2 = 0.992), The total amount of phenolics is expressed as mg Catechol/g. Graph 2: ( Standard curve equation Y = 0.029 x, , r2 = 0.995) and The total amount of Flavonoid is expressed as mg Quercetin /g. Graph 3: (Standard curve equation Y = 0.012 x, r2 = 0.993) is tabulated below. Discussion: Medicinal plants are reported to be rich in antioxidants, namely polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin A, C, E and several other constituents, which are necessary for maintaining good health and useful for therapeutic purposes against various diseases (Scalbert, Johnson, Saltmarsh, 2005) Medicinal plants are gaining a lot of importance as an alternate medicine against therapy and prevention from various diseases.(Raj Kumar Dutta et al.,2012). The result of present study in quantitative analysis of Ascorbic acid in leaves of Mukia maderaspatana were high (99.046  ± 1.413  µg/g) comparatively to that of fruits, (24.52  ± 1.43  µg/g) and various studies have revealed that ascorbic acid is an antioxidant vitamin that acts synergistically with tocopherol to preserve antioxidant function in chronic disease states (Bruno et al.,2006; Traber Stevens, 2011, Nuri Andarwulan et al .,2012). And Total Phenolics (31.08  ± 0.5291  µg/g) and Flavonoid (25.388 à ‚ ± 0.0174  µg/g) contents were also high in leaves to that of fruits (14.97  ± 1.127  µg/g ),( 6.47  ± 0.012  µg/g ) respectively .In the whole, leaves showed the higher amount of contents as compared to that of the fruits, and the antioxidant property of ascorbic acid were high when compared to phenolics an flavonoid contents in M.maderaspatana plant. Conclusions: The data presented in the study showed that Mukia maderaspatana is rich in antioxidant properties, especially Ascorbic acid, which is necessary for the treatment and prevention of scurvy and reduce neurological defects. The plant also contain adequate amount of flavonoid and phenolic content, which have anti-germ activities, anti tumor and anti inflammatory properties with reduced risk of heart disease  and many chronical diseases. Thus determining the antioxidant activities from M. maderaspatana could be valuable for pharmaceuticals and even for the food industries as they are abundantly found.

C. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career of Jim Crow Essay example -- Str

C. Vann Woodward's The Strange Career of Jim Crow In the months following the Brown v. Board of Education decision C. Vann Woodward wrote a series of lectures that would provide the basis for one of the most historically significant pieces of nonfiction literature written in the 20th century. Originally, Woodward’s lectures were directed to a local and predominantly southern audience, but as his lectures matured into a comprehensive text they gained national recognition. In 1955 Woodward published the first version of The Strange Career of Jim Crow, a novel that would spark a fluid historical dialogue that would continue for the next twenty years. Woodward foresaw this possibility as he included in the first edition, â€Å"Since I am†¦dealing with a period of the past that has not been adequately investigated, and also with events of the present that have come too rapidly and recently to have been properly digested and understood, it is rather inevitable that I shall make some mistakes. I shall expect and hope to be corrected.† Over this time period Woodward released four separate editions, in chapter form, that modified, corrected, and responded to contemporary criticisms. Although some of Woodward’s peripheral ideas may have been amended in varying capacities his central and driving theme, often referred to as the â€Å"Woodward Thesis,† still remains intact. This thesis states that racial segregation (also known as Jim Crow) in the South in the rigid and universal form that it had taken by 1954 did not begin right after the end of the Civil War, but instead towards the end of the century, and that before Jim Crow appeared there was a distinct period of experimentation in race relations in the South. Woodward’s seminal his... ...tional level, and articulates a distinctive view of the Civil Rights Movement and the federal government's renewed and expanded commitment to the integration and the protection of the rights of African-Americans as a Second Reconstruction. The only flaw that I can find in this highly regarded and seemingly impenetrable work is that Woodward treats African Americans as passive agents in a rapidly changing environment. He gives the impression that African Americans were less participants and more like pawns in a large chess match controlled and governed by these competing ideologies. Although he does make concessions on this point in the final chapter, which was a later addition, throughout the book he consistently describes how external forces were acting on freed slaves and what little role they played as actors in the racial struggles of the Jim Crow era.

The Escalation of Piracy :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Escalation of Piracy    Copyright laws were created in the late 1700s to protect authors from having their work reproduced without their consent. These laws have been in effect ever since in most parts of the world and have done little changing to keep up with the times. Piracy is the unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted or patented material. Piracy has been an issue for many years, but is gaining more and more press recently because it is getting out of control. Everything from books to video games are being pirated and it is costing their respective industries billions of dollars. There are varying degrees of piracy, and can be considered anything form downloading an artist’s song form KaZaA or mass distributing illegal copies of expensive business software.I will first discuss the casual pirate. This can be defined as anyone who violates copyright laws and steals intellectual property for their own use. This includes downloading music, movies, or software, or burning copies of these. The second form of piracy is the pirate that distributes this material for a profit. These pirates will buy or steal a copy of a program, and sell it on the internet for a fraction of the actual selling cost. The thing with digital reproduction is that a copy is exactly the same as the original, no quality loss. On top of that it costs the pirate nothing to produce, max 40 cents. That way he can sell the pirated software for whatever he wants. A 6000 dollar program can sell for anywhere between 100-500 dollars. The latter of the two of these forms of pirates have historically been the target the industries and government have been trying to stop. But recently most of the press has been going to the causal pirate. Peer to peer networks and the increasing popularity of faster broadband connections have led to a dramatic increase in illegal downloads. Anyone with an internet connection has instant access to music, movies, software, even video games to download for free. The most popular of these downloads however is by far music downloads. According to a February 2004 article form Wired Magazine’s website on a Monday morning at 10:00 there were about 3.1 million people sharing on KaZaA. And that is not peak time. This number far surpasses Napster’s numbers in its hay day. The fact is that peer to peer sharing is here to stay and there is vary little the RIAA can do to stop it.

Analysis of Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use

Analysis of Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walker's Everyday Use In a critique titled â€Å"Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walker’s ‘Everyday Use’† (Short Story Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers, 1990), the authors reveal that tradition and the explanation of holiness were key elements throughout the story. The writers began the analysis by discussing the significance of a quilt; a quilt is a complete piece of artwork that is essentially made up of fragments. These patchwork quilts, when effectively put together, exposed a way of life. The Africans traditional way of life was one of sacredness and usefulness. By using scraps from old clothes they were able to create a masterpiece that could be passed down from one generation to the next. The title â€Å"Everyday Use† implies that quilts, while they may be priceless heirlooms, are also made to function. The Johnson’s are a typical African family that has settled in America. The mother, and narrator of the story, is a working woman who often imagines herself as someone else, someone who her children would not be ashamed to be seen with. While awaiting the arrival of Dee, her eldest daughter and a â€Å"goddess† (415) in the eyes of her family, she dreams of being on a TV program where a host reunites long lost family members. As she greets her daughter who has been away at college, she is not only one hundred pounds thinner but is beautiful in the eyes of her children. Howeve...

Build-a-Bear Summary Analysis Essay

Build-A-Bear workshop stores were first established in 1996 by Maxine Clark whose influence came from former CEO of May Department Stores who had stated, â€Å"Retailing is entertainment and the store is a stage – when customers are happy, they spend more money† ( Dess, c261). Build-A-Bear’s intentions were to differentiate themselves by giving people the feeling of bringing their teddy bear to life. You could give it a heart, a name, a wardrobe and many other personal touches. Build-A-Bear is about two things, â€Å"entertainment and customization† (c261). At the time of its introduction, following their differentiation strategy, there was not much competition for customized children’s toys. However, after the concept of customization caught on they faced competition from companies such as American Girl and Vermont Teddy Bear. American Girl was marketed to young girls who could make dolls that look like them and even buy matching clothes that the girls and the dolls could both wear. One advantage that Build-A-Bear had against American Girl was the fact that they marketed to all genders and appealed to a wide variety of ages. Parents would bring their young children, both boys and girls in to make dolls and teenagers would bring their boyfriend or girlfriends in to make customized bears as presents. You could even build a bear for your parent or grandparent. As the Build-A-Bear company grew they faced problems, such as a changing industry and a changing market which left them losing edge in their financials. Environmental Analysis. Build-A-Bear started with a handful of stores and it grew to 150 by the end of 2003. They capitalized on the upward trending consumer demand around the holidays when they would rent space in busy malls for their pop up stores. These temporary stores brought increased revenue and gave the company the idea for its current corporate strategies of expanding to more permanent stores. They had 344 stores in the US, UK, and Canada by 2010. They set goals that would allow a Build-A-Bear store to be within 30 miles of 75% of the US population. Though these new permanent stores usually paid for themselves within the first year their â€Å"wow factor† and financial performance quickly diminished time and time again. This no loss expansion worked while saturating the market but was not cutting it when their market further matured. A main reason for the growth is because new stores brought in greater profits which gave the impression that rapid expansion was a wise strategy. They may have expanded too fast though. They lacked the necessary ingredient in producing repeat customers and this was becoming a major problem while strict reliance on overexpansion seemed to be clouding the fact they needed another competitive advantage in the quickly changing toy industry to stay competitive. The real question was how to increase repeat customers and/or increase profitability of their current operating stores. We devised two solutions that could help BearFinancials alleviate the problem of their not so attractive earnings beyond the first years. Strategic Alternatives Alternative Solution #1. One option to get the finances in line would be a retrenchment/turnaround strategy in which the underperforming stores would be closed freeing up resources to explore other options for expansion into different markets. Very similar to Subway and Starbucks, Build-a-Bear wanted a store close to a large percentage of the population and expanded too far and the companies saw it hurt their finances. Build-A-Bear has the unique features to be a thriving, profitable company for a long time but it needs to be careful not to expand too far where it cannot maintain its current culture and core competencies and this can be done by reducing costs through restructuring. Closing underperforming stores and exploring destinations like international airports where people from all over the world will see their product would be a good starting place. Since people do not frequent the airport so much as other retail establishments they could continuously capitalize on the â€Å"wow factor† because new people would be subjected to their stores every day. By reducing fixed costs and exploring new marketplaces Build-a-Bear should be able to boost financials immediately with little investment. Alternative Solution #2. The next solution would be to fashion a new line of accessories and programs that promote repeat consumer visits. Build-A-Bear needs to be viewed as a collectible and something worth traveling for. This was not the case which was why stores started to lacking performance after being open a certain amount of time. Accessories and maintenance programs could be a way to get people to continue to give Build-A-Bear business even f they are not actually purchasing a new bear. Implementing new programs such as wardrobe changes, where people would come back to get Bear-makeover, would bring repeat customers. These programs could offer matching apparel for the bears and the kids who own them. Children and their bears could then wear matching t-shirts which could also first time sales from consumers ‘marketing’ the product. Another idea would be a BearWash. Children can be hard on their stuffed animals and sometimes they end up getting dirty. They could set up a â€Å"bear wash† where people would bring their furry friends in for a fur-flush and get it back all nice and clean. All of which would be geared at upselling the consumer upon return in order to maximize on that repeat visit. Initial investment would be substantial due to acquiring clothing line and additional costs to provide repeat programs. Recommendation Alternative solution #1 would be the best choice for Build-A-Bear at this time. By cutting underperformers they will save millions in fixed costs alone. They could then use this money to expand into locations such as airports and hospitals where it will be easier to maintain that ‘new’ appeal that made the company so much money in the first place. This solution requires the least investment in a monetary sense. Underperforming stores should be closed immediately upon identification and new stores should be in operating order by the end of this calendar year. Build-a-Bear has the right ingredients for continued success they just have to strategically place themselves in markets with the most exposure to non-repeat customers in order to maintain high operating margins beyond the first years. By reducing number of stores in operation they can concentrate on staying profitable and advancing into the future where they will then have the means to pursue other avenues such as improving repeat customer sales described in alternative #2. The focus now should be to stop wasteful spending on underperforming stores as soon as possible in order to open up more possibilities and greater flexibility in the future.

Lord of the Flies by William Goldings: Keywords Essay

Lord of the Flies was written in 1954 as William Goldings debut novel. It was written and set around the time of the Second World War. The keywords in the essay title are ‘order’ and ‘deteriorates, therefore in this essay I intend to look at first how order is established and will then show how order deteriorates. I will do this by looking at the individual episodes and themes throughout the book that I believe show law and order. Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys aged between five and twelve, who survived a plane crash during their evacuation from England. They crash on a small tropical island. The story begins with Ralph and Piggy getting to know each other. The topic of class then becomes apparent, Piggy is very ‘working class’ and has a strong cockney accent, and whereas Ralph is middle class and uses more sophisticated language but they are both of similar intelligence. Ralph begins to think of what may lie ahead of them and says, ‘No grown ups!’ (P12), this is the boy’s first realisation that they are alone and have complete freedom, however what will happen now that there are no adults? After a while a large group is formed, off all the boys from the plane, the choir all in black capes led by Jack come across the beach all marching together. This symbolises order, they are all wearing the same outfit of the same colour and mimicking each other and there is an obvious and strong leader whom they are following and obeying. The choir could also represent a presence of danger on the island as they have a sinister uniform and the contrast o f the black uniforms against the white sands is strong. Ralph finds a conch, which to the group means whoever has the conch may speak this shows that leaders and order are trying to be created. Ralph uses the conch to assemble the boys for a meeting to decide who will be leader. Jack, the head boy, feels he should be chief as he is older and has a position of responsibility within the choir, ‘I’m chapter chorister and head boy, I can sing a C sharp’ (pg 29) jack seems arrogant and immediately assumes he will be leader. There is a democratic vote and Ralph is made leader. Ralph however realises he needs to work together with Jack not against him and says, ‘Jacks in charge of the choir, they can be†¦what do you want them to be?’ (Pg 31), jack decides they will be hunters. The whole process is very democratic and mature, and with the absence of parents the boys are trying to bring in order and discipline and by choosing a leader they are creating a parental figure that they can look up to. The conch has by this point become a symbol of order and to speak at a meeting one must hold the conch. Ralph then selects jack to go and explore the island with him, this is an attempt at sharing the role of leader and is a friendly gesture to try and remove any bad feelings for each other. Ralph also chooses Simon to take with him, Simon is a member of the choir and earlier in the novel fainted, Ralph chooses Simon to show he is fair and sympathetic. Ralph leaves Piggy to collect the names of the other boys. As the bots explore the island there are many subtle references to the outside world, ‘Like a bomb!’ (Pg 37) this is an ironic reference to the real atomic bomb, which occurred in 1945. They also give a hint of religion or god, ‘The coral was scribbled into the sea as though a giant had bent down†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Pg 38) this is like god being the creator of nature and moulding the land it also poses the question, how long will this paradise last after the arrival of the boys. It was mentioned earlier that Jack chose to make the choir the hunters, the hunting brings the boys together in a positive and constructive way, it relieves boredom and it is a focus for the boys. It also brings a stable food supply to the boys, and makes everyone feel they have a role to play on the island. But why are they hunting? There are plenty of berries to keep everyone happy and healthy, it may possibly be due to freedom from parents and rules that makes them want to hunt for the pigs or maybe because its what they have read in books or heard stories of and hunting is what they believe they should do. The next theme that represents order on the island is the fire on the mountain. The group assemble at the end of the day, ‘the choir, noticeably less of a group had discarded their cloaks’ (pg 42) this represents the group working together and order being present now within the whole group and them becoming equals. Ralph starts to develop their plans for rescue and takes on well his role of leader, he also boasts about his father, ‘My fathers in the navy. He said there aren’t any unknown islands left†¦and sooner or later a ship will put in here. It might even be daddy’s ship,’ (pg 49), he is showing off to the other boys that are mostly younger than him, he is trying to earn their respect and be seen by them as a good and strong leader. He is obviously quite intelligent as he decides they need to build a fire on the mountain so that passing ships will see the smoke. The boys were really keen, there was riot and noise, the novelty and rules with the conch had been forgotten and now the idea of building the fire. They worked as a team to collect leaves and logs and completed the fire. I am now going to talk about how order first starts to deteriorate, and what first starts the breakdown of order on the island. After the fire has been made, it was figured out then that they could use Piggy’s glasses to light the it, they wrestled him for them, ‘Here let me go! His voice rose to a shriek of terror’ (pg 53) this incident shows possibly a mob nature emerging, they have become so obsessed with the fire now that they have lost all sense of order. Ralph holds the conch and says, ‘ We need special people for looking after the fire,’ (pg 55), and this shows that there is a hierarchy or ‘pecking order’ beginning to develop on the island; Ralph is taking control by deciding who is special and who is not. The fire rages out of control, it spreads and sets light to the trees and creepers on the island, ‘Beneath the capering boys a quarter of a mile square of forest was savage with smoke and flame’ (pg 57). One of the small boys dies, Golding never named him he is only ever referred to as ‘the boy with the birthmark’ the boys reflect on the boys death, ‘The crowd was as silent as death,’ (pg 60) this is using strong irony because of course there had actually been a death. I think the boy is never named so that he isn’t seen as a real person and therefore is almost seen as a symbol, a symbol of control and order he dies, therefore control is seen to die with him. The fire also symbolises control, and it raging out of control represents the feeling of order on the island raging out of control. Its almost as if the fire and order on the island mirror each other throughout the book, order is built up, the fire is built, order begins to lose control, the fire rages out of control; the fire is an extended metaphor. The beast is discussed at a meeting at it unsettles a lot of the boys and is the, the beast is seen as something beyond their control and therefore Jack and Ralph really don’t want to believe its real. The boys reassure each other that it’s not real, but inside every one of them there is doubt. Following this meeting and the fire incident shelters are built on the beach, I think they symbolise the boys protecting themselves from the fire and the beast. It also shows them trying to create a civilisation, and trying to create home. Jack becomes obsessed with hunting; he desperately wants to catch a pig so that he can be seen as fulfilling and being successful in his role on the island as leader of the hunters. He also wants to succeed in hunting to show Ralph that he is a success and earn respect from the boys and possibly even take their attention from Ralph and make them see him as being the natural leader. Jack fails to catch a pig for the second time he is not used to dealing with animals and definitely not used to killing them. Him and Ralph argue as they both have different priorities on the island Jack’s is hunting and meat, ‘We Want Meat’ (pg 65), and Jacks priorities are the shelters and keeping the fire alight, ‘We need shelters’, (pg 65). Ralph’s ultimate goal is rescue and to do this they need the fire so Ralph’s idea is definitely the better one. The argument they have over this shows that there is fierce competition between the boys, and while they are busy fighting and competing for control, order and control is actually being lost. Jack takes all of the choir or the hunters as they are now known off on a hunt; he is determined to catch a pig. Therefore while they are hunting there is no one tending the fire. Ralph checked the fire from the beach, its almost as if he was checking up on Jack, and he realises it is producing almost no smoke. He tells Jack but he is distracted by his plans for catching a pig Ralph gets annoyed, ‘I was talking about the smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!’ (Pg 68). Hunting gives the boys power over life and death, and as their lives are out of their hands it gives them back a feeling of control. Jack introduces camouflage to his team of hunters, they paint their faces with mud, charcoal and clay they go off to hunt with Jack’s plan. Painting their faces represents them going feral and going back to nature, ‘For hunting like in the war – like things trying to look like something else’ (pg 79). It creates the feeling of a gang or tribe, all working together and it makes them quite aggressive. The paint hides their faces but it also hides their individuality and identity and gives them an excuse to kill, they mould into one great gang. A while later they return from the hunt and it was a success they killed a pig, ‘We hit the pig – I fell on top, there were lashings of blood,’ (pg 87). Jack is so proud of the result and boasts to Ralph and the boys expecting a positive response, Ralph is angry and really doesn’t want to talk about the hunt all he wants to talk about is the fire going out. A ship had sailed past without stopping on the island, due to the fire going out Jack had taken all of the boys on the hunt, ‘We had to have them for the hunt, or there wouldn’t have been enough for the ring,’ (pg 87). The boys see it as that was their only chance for rescue and all hope is lost. Piggy is really frustrated and angry with Jack, ‘You didn’t ought to have let that fire go out, You said you would keep the smoke going,’ (pg 89), Jack got angry and lifted Piggys glasses ff his face and threw them on the rocks. Piggy has been the main source of intelligence on the island and is the one staying very controlled and organised, but without his glasses he cannot use his intelligence. The group is slowly splitting into two the hunters, which are Jack and the choir, and the others which still go by the rules of the conch, which are Piggy, Ralph and the younger boys who build the shelters and try and manage the fire. Ralph calls for a meeting, he outlined all the concerns he has been having, he doesn’t really want to direct this at the whole group I think he is just trying to get his point across to Jack and by holding a meeting he is showing that he is the leader and he makes the decisions. His five issues he brings up at the meeting are, fresh water, shelter, lavatory area, fire to burn constantly and to deal with the beast. Ralph tells the group that the fire is the key to being rescued, ‘How can we ever be except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make?’ (Pg 101) throughout his time on the island he has remained focused and not got carried away by hunting or another pointless craze, he is intelligent and knows the fire is their only chance, ‘You’ve got to make fire up there or die,’ (pg 101). He then moves on talk about the beast at which point Jack joins in, Jack believes that the beast is just in peoples minds and that they’ve created it. Maybe with absence of secure homes and adult figures to look after the children they fear that they are not protected and so they create scenarios in their heads. Ralph is unsure about the beast but he cannot let the group be scared he tries to convince them that there is no beast on the island, ‘Course there isn’t a beast in the forest. How could there be?’ (Pg 104). The beast is still on the minds of everyone and when the twins Sam and Eric are tending the fire, they catch sight of what they believe is the beast. ‘They became motionless gripped in each others arms, four unwinking eyes aimed and two mouths open,’ (pg 122). Everyone is thinking about the beast and their minds are probably playing tricks on them and with the heat, lack of water and pure insanity of the situation its no surprise that they aren’t going to be thinking straight or logically. The twins alert the group and Ralph calls an assembly immediately and it is decided that Jack is going to hunt the beast, ‘This’ll be a real hunt, who’ll come?’ (Pg 125). Jack, Ralph and the hunters went to search for the beast, they don’t find it, but while searching the island Jack finds a spot which he thinks would be great for a for fort. Him and the hunters move away from the rest of the group and live on the other side of the island; this is where order is absolutely destroyed. The two natural leaders are now enemies; one is focused on rescue the other turning savage. Jacks and his group of hunters form into a tribe and tempted by hunting and feasting and not having to work many of Ralph’s group join Jack’s. Ralph’s group are still aiming towards rescue and stand for order and fairness but being the smaller less powerful group they are at a huge disadvantage. Its becoming war between two armies and Jack is still trying to prove that he is leader, and trying to take the control and power. The newly formed tribe spend the evening doing a ritualistic tribal dance, they paint their faces and its like a re-enactment of the time when they succeeded in killing the pig, and its also like a build up to the war between the two sides and a build up to the killing of the beast. Ralph approached Jack and his tribe and asked him to hunt for the beast with him, ‘I’m going up the mountain to look for the beast, coming?’ (Pg 148). This is a huge test and Ralph’s desperately trying to keep the group together because he knows that he cant make any changes or achieve any of his goals on his own, such as keeping the fire alight and building shelters. Jack agrees to go with Ralph, Roger went with them too as they walked through the forest they were picking up on every sound and every thing they saw, which shows they were on edge and frightened. They crawled on there hands and knees towards a figure, ‘there was confusion in the darkness and the creature lifted its head, holding towards them a ruin of a face,’ (pg 153), throughout the hunt Jack and Ralph are competing for power and control, courage and leadership, ‘if you don’t want to go on,† said the voice sarcastically â€Å"I’ll go on my own’ (pg 149) this is what Jack said to Ralph, neither of them wanted to make fools out of themselves or give the other any clue of how scared they were. They call what they found a beast and it was actually the pilot from the plane that crashed on the island, he was wearing a parachute and when the wind blew it pulled the figure making it seem like it was moving. They were terrified and fled from the figure almost immediately. War is now declared between Jack and Ralph after an argument they had after they found the ‘beast’, ‘I’m going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too,’ (pg 158). After this the divide is definite and there is no going back. Along with the hunters Roger and Bill go onto Jack’s side, Ralph’s group concentrated on the fire and didn’t notice Simon wandering off into the vegetation. Simon is seen as a Christ like image in this part he has gone into the quiet and tried to get away and reflect on the situation. I really don’t think he wants to take anyone’s side and doesn’t want all the violence and bitterness. Jack’s side concentrate mostly on hunting but they do make a fire, only their fire is purely for dancing around and showing their tribal nature whereas Ralph’s fire is for purely practical and even life saving reasons. Jack plans to kill a pig and leave some for the beast to eat so that it won’t bother them; this is a very primitive and pagan ritual. Jack puts the head of the pig on a stick; it is elevated and treated as a god like creature. ‘They listened and the loudest noise was the buzzing of flies over the spilled guts,’ (pg 169) this is why the book is named ‘Lord of the Flies’ the lord is the pig. To the boys the lord of the Flies represents their whole reasons and achievements on the island, which is the hunting. The use of the animal a pig is to mirror Piggy, they are both exploited for the groups own needs and the group see both the animal and the boy as dirty, common and coarse. Golding also uses pigs because they are mammals and therefore are similar to humans and hunting pigs is linked and similar to killing humans. Simon is still alone in the forest and he comes across the ‘Lord of the Flies’ he hallucinates it may possibly have been an epileptic fit or maybe a spiritual awakening. In Simon’s hallucination the ‘lord of the Flies’ talks to him, ‘There isn’t anyone to help you, only me, and I’m the beast,’ (pg177), the links between the beast and the pig is, they have both distracted the boys and therefore affected the rescue attempt with the fire and they are both hunted by the boys and when Simon becomes conscious he finds the parachutist they both are covered in flies. Simon realises it’s the dead pilot and realises there is nothing to fear. Simon walks towards where Jack’s camp is; he wants to tell them that the beast isn’t real. Jack and his tribe had painted their bodies and were re-enacting the murder of ‘Lord of the Flies’ they were shouting, acting dancing and were really carried away, ‘Do our dance! Come on! Dance!’ (Pg 88). They had made a chant which they bellowed as they danced, ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’ (Pg 188). Jack spotted Simon and the whole grouped moved in on him thinking he was the beast they crowded round him with sticks and spears and stones, ‘the beast was on its knees in the centre, its arms folded over its face’ (pg 188) it wasn’t the beast it was Simon they continued to beat the ‘beast’ until there was no movement. The hunters killed Simon, they were so carried away with the tribal or mob nature they let it take over them and made them murderers. In the book Simon was always neutral he ne ver took sides and was the only person who didn’t get swept away with all the conflict, he was like the small bit of purity on the island, and this made him the Christ like character. Now on Ralph’s side there is just Piggy, Sam and Eric, Piggy and Ralph speak about the occurrences of the night before, Piggy says, ‘there was that – that bloody dance. There was lightning and thunder and rain we was scared,’ (pg 193). Only Piggy recognises what really happened and that was murder. Jack and his hunters attack Ralph and Piggy in there own shelter, it was all quite violent but it ended quite quickly, but Piggy’s glasses were broken and taken by Jack. I think Jack does regret what happened but he’s not going to give up the war between him and Ralph, he wants to keep control and he’s not going to back down. Ralph and Piggy sum up all the crimes that Jack has committed, ‘at night and in darkness, and stole our fire, they stole it,’ (pg 209). He has also killed pigs unnecessarily, killed Simon and stolen Piggy’s glasses. Ralph and Piggy decide to go to Jack’s side of the island with Sam and Eric too, when they reached Jack’s area Ralph called for an assembly obviously with no results because Jack is their leader they don’t take orders from Ralph any more. Roger begins the attack he throws stones from above Ralph’s group, but aims to miss. ‘I’ve come to see about the fire and about Piggy’s specs Ralph said,’ (pg 216) all he received was laughter. Ralph confronted Jack and left Piggy below near the bottom of the cliff. Ralph and Jacks argument gets quite physical but Ralph defends himself well, he is trying to be strong but he is now the minority and although he carries the name of leader he really isn’t any more. Piggy tried to speak but he was being aimed at with stones, ‘which is better law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up’ (pg222) I think this statement sums up the book, Piggy is really quite intelligent and even with all the panic, excitement and hysteria he can see through that and spot the underlying point. This statement enrages Roger and he levers a huge boulder off of the top of the cliff and it hits Piggy, he was killed. By this point Jack is used to seeing death he has no reaction to this, his compassion for people has gone consumed by his tribal nature and devoted to hunting. With Piggy the conch was also smashed and so have Piggy’s glasses been broken, the conch represented purity, control and order and now that Piggy has gone those things have gone too. Now that Piggy is dead, Ralph hasn’t got his intelligent partner and the glasses represented his intelligence and they have been smashed too, will Sam and Eric stand by him or will he be on his own? Both the deaths of Piggy and all of the pigs have been pointless and the victims have all been helpless this shows strong irony. Sam and Eric do join the savages because they know that is their only chance of survival if they stayed with Ralph they would be hunted down and killed too, Ralph is now alone. All that awaits him is to be hunted like one of the pigs, hunted down and killed like an animal. It would be another pointless murder of an innocent and helpless victim. He is no threat to Jack now; he is alone so Jack is only hunting him to show that he is leader now and that he holds all the power and control. He goes to try and talk to Sam and Eric he finds them and they tell him to hide, get away and hide because they are going to hunt him down tomorrow. He goes to Castle Rock where Jacks tribe are the next day, they hurl a boulder off the cliff at him in an attempt to kill him, and they try again with another stone it misses again but only by inches. Jack and the hunters made a fire now in an attempt to smoke him out, the metaphor of the fire is used again, and the fire gets out of control just like the order on the island has. The fire rages out of control, Ralph escapes and runs as fast as he can to the beach where he stumbles upon a naval officer. Ralph is a strong person and he survived being hunted, his only goal all the way through was rescue and close to his last minutes of life his wish comes true. In conclusion, in the beginning of the story the boys try to mimic the order the experienced at home with parents and school, partly because of their immaturity and inexperience and partly due to Jack and Ralph’s fight for control order is not kept and this is symbolised by the conch and the fire. Jack becomes the dominant force on the island purely due to his brutality and violence, in the end they are even prepared to kill jack, the only remaining sign of order on the island.

How Does Globalization Impact Consumers? Essay

How does globalization impact consumers? This question has been highly debated by economists. Some believe consumers will be negatively affected by globalization with greater economic instability and multiple financial crisis’ while corporations receive record profits. Other experts are of the opinion that globalization will provide customers with more wealth, more goods at lower costs, and will end poverty. Globalization gives customers the advantage of getting the best products at the best prices, per many economists and theorists. Each country, in a global market, manufacturers a product (or products) that they are best and most efficient at producing. As a result, consumers have affordable products that were previously out of their price range in some cultures (i.e. cars). Thus, the standard of living in each country is raised due to the positive effects of globalization. According to this perspective, the new global economy will shift millions of people from absolute poverty to the middle class. Another predicted benefit of globalization is that it will increase global salaries of managers and professionals and provide an increased market for international positions. Consumer access to disposable income will increase demand for technological advancement and new and improved goods. Further, lower prices give consumers the benefit of being able to save money or spend money on things they want instead of only things they need. In the article â€Å"Global Marketing and Advertising,† de Mooij suggests (Sage, 2005) that â€Å"wealth brings choice† and she believes consumers will choose to bring back old values to contain or in an effort to halt the westernizing of their culture. Harvard Professor Samuel Huntington agrees that globalization will cause a renewed interest in local traditions. In his article, â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations and Remaking of World Order† (Simon & Schuster, 1997), he opined that modernization encourages local social confidence and a resurgence of faith in local traditions and customs. Some see many disadvantages of globalization. Opponents of globalization state that it makes the rich more wealthy and the poor even poorer, particularly in cultures without ethical protections of its workforce. The opponents believe poor cultures will become too dependent upon other cultures because they cannot keep up. For example, India’s poverty in factions could worsen due to becoming more dependent on imports from other countries that could lead to high inflation. Instead of India’s  manufacturing sector expanding it could cause India’s people greater disadvantage due to not being able to complete with other nations technologically or scientifically. Another opponent of globalization stated that growth in Third World exports will create more oppression of workers because cheap labor will be more common and in more demand. Thus, common people in Indonesia and Bangladesh will suffer more harshly. Put in another way, cheap labor will be the demand, not efficiency of industry, and will be the new â€Å"cotton†.

Why Do I Want to Teach

I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. I attended NYC Public School 77, JHS 127 & Alfred E Smith Technical & Vocational HS. The Glee Club under the direction of Edna Floyd was my first step in to the world of music. It was in elementary school, that I received valuable training in singing as well as music theory and history. I marched in the drum line as a member of the New York Lancers Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps based in the Bronx where many of my instructors where themselves, public school educators. After 3 years with the Lancers, I decided to Audition for the Garfield Cadets, a drum corps from Garfield, NJ. Garfield competed on a national level where the competition level was very high. We captured the world championship title four out of six years as a marching member and one of two years as an instructor. We won the best percussion trophy twice scoring a perfect score for one of the wins. It was at Garfield where I began to develop very valuable teaching skills under the direction and guidance of some of the best educators in the activity. I have taught many young people in various places of different ages, races and economic position. Young people want to be challenged and they love to develop skills they never knew they had. Most of all, they love to play music. The benefits conveyed by music education can be grouped in four categories: * Success in society * Success in school * Success in developing intelligence * Success in life I can teach & train your percussion ensemble if one already exist, or we can start one up, either way the students get great training and information but most of all we have fun. We can have the group training culminate with a recital where the musicians get to perform live. Students learn a combination of marching and hand percussion techniques. It’s fun for those looking for a musical outlet as well as those who desire to study music in college. I believe that music education is a very important element to the development of a young mind. Scientific evidence proves that an education in the arts makes for better math and science students and enhances spatial intelligence.

Sicily Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sicily - Research Paper Example While being a highly-developed cultural nation, Sicily represents an agricultural type of economy. It specializes mainly on exporting orange and lemon. Moreover, the beautiful orchards of Sicily attract many tourists mainly to the rural regions. There are also places of great historical interest such as Necropolis of Pantalica and Valley of the Temples. Excavations keep going on the island bringing out new evidence from history. The Sicilian people are honored to be citizens of the islands, though they identify themselves as Italians but not Sicilians. â€Å"Despite the existence of major cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina and Syracuse, popular stereotypes of Sicilians commonly allude to ruralism, for example the coppola is one of the main symbols of Sicilian identity; it is derived from the flat cap of rural Northern England, which arrived in 1800, when Bourbon king Ferdinant I had fled to Sicily and was protected by the British Navy†. (Spadi 2001) The majority of Sicilians have two native languages Italian and Sicilian. Despite the relative balance between these two languages, Italian has the dominant position - it is even taught at Universities and in schools as the language of mass media. Sicilian is mainly used by youth in every-day life. Speaking about religion it is necessary to point out that Roman Catholicism is widely spread on Sicily. The church weddings are even more popular than civil ceremonies and people usually visit church at least once a week. Jewish people, who appeared on Sicily 1,400 years ago, possess the second place in religion. The third place belongs to Islamic faith since many Arabs came to Sicily in the 19th century. And the minorities are represented by Eastern Orthodoxy, Evangelist Church and Sikhism. When it comes to national cuisine it should be mentioned that this island is called ‘God’s kitchen’. The reason for this is the abundant amount of wines, pizzas and other meals that originated on Sicily and have

A Moment of Self Awareness Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Moment of Self Awareness - Personal Statement Example Because I consider myself to be goal driven and an industrious person, it is difficult to communicate with others without a defined goal. I found that going to the grocery store was equally easy. It is simple, I just go and purchase my groceries, check out what is on sale and go about my business. It is easy for me to ask someone where an aisle is because there is a goal to be met at the end and honestly, the conversation is innocuous and quick. I don't feel as if I am being put on the spot. Likewise for the library and at a house I visited that was for sale. "While you are not born with a self-concept, you certainly do play a key role in building one. Even though you are constantly undergoing change, once built, the theory or picture you have of yourself is fairly stable and difficult to alter". Most people would describe me as an outgoing individual, easy to talk to and on the whole, easy to get along with. What most do not know, is that I am absolutely at a loss when placed in an environment that I am unfamiliar with. I therefore attempt to control the conversation or topic of conversation. I suppose that this would be my hidden quadrant according to the Jahari Window. I am not so sure that this is something that is built deliberately. I think that because I am outgoing, I would like to be able to initiate conversations in any area and with ease.

Case study 3... I have copy and paste the instuctions below

3... I have copy and paste the instuctions below - Case Study Example This has increasingly attracted much focus as the next target by majority of Asian automakers. According to current statistics, several young people aged between 22- 30 years plan to purchase motor vehicles. Further, the same statistical data indicates that about 64% of females within this age group have already purchased a motor vehicle compared to 44% of their male counterparts (Nickell, 2012). In this regard, Asian automakers try to fulfill the desires of Gen Y by availing them with what they need in a unique way. According to Beard (2003), Gen Y possesses purchasing power to a tune of $170 billion which is expected to continue growing as they progress in their careers. Moreover, by Asian automakers targeting Gen Y, this could be a sign of trust that Gen Y is a brand royal whose desires are not only to serve them as individuals, but the entire community. Marketers continue facing a big challenge in handling Gen Y who does not prefer advertising since they believe advertising cause s them to purchase products they do not require. Moreover, they view advertising as one way of increasing product price which goes contrary to their desire of lowest price possible. Analysis of the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion By both Honda and Toyota manufacturing motor vehicles such as Element and Scion, it shows their efforts in establishing a relationship with Gen Y with a view of improving their brand name (Rechtin, 2009). Notably, Honda’s strategy acknowledges Gen Y varied preferences. According to Keegan and Green (2011), Toyota and Honda are using adaptation and extension strategies to access the global market opportunities. Both automakers seem to have noted the increased purchasing power of Gen Y by becoming more innovative in meeting their needs. In this regard, they have introduced new automobiles in the market at a price within reach of majority of this age group. The rationale behind Toyota's decision t o limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale In 2006, Jim Press, a top executive with Toyota, United States commented on limiting the number of Scion motor vehicles. He explained that any further increase in sale of this brand could only accrue benefits to the Japanese automaker although he stressed that this decision would not lead to loss of customer preference for Scion. Additionally, Jim Press said that â€Å"Scion is an incubator† that was meant to help Toyota understand the preferences of the younger generation. The rationale behind limiting Scion’s sale volume could be explained in various ways including: Scion brand could have attained maturity stage and, to remain popular with Gen Y, Toyota had to create exclusivity image for this brand (Mandel et al., 2006). If Toyota continued with production of more Scions, it could have suffered diseconomies of scales. This is because, as it continued pursuing the growing market demand, at some point the rate of input increase could equal the rate of output increase - leading to rise of unit cost. What this means is that Toyota could be needed to produce more to meet the market demand. This would also require the company to increase labor and build additional plants in order to produce more cars. More so, by limiting Scion sales volume, Toyota could build long-term brand loyalty from its existing clientele. This is

Humerous essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Humerous - Essay Example I waited for the Colonel to go on his walk and then telephoned him. You answered the phone. I kept on talking asking irrelevant questions. Of course you did not know it was me. Your voice, I swear, was sweet. Seeing that you visited the temple, I started visiting too. I developed devotion and started praying devoutly to God almighty to join us in holy wedlock. Whenever you saw me, your eyes used to light up with recognition and respect. I knew you loved me. I was sure. I had no doubt of it whatsoever. I belong to a well-to-do house and we were eight children. I was the eldest, and the others were girls. So I was too busy settling their marriages to think about my own. I was sacrificing my life for them. But I am not sorry about it. My sorrow is that those sisters do not care for me. I am not bothered about that, either. For, now I have you. And you are equal to a thousand sisters. I retired from government service last month. I get a handsome pension and this will be there for my wife too till her death. I am sixty years old. But what of that? I am hale and healthy. I used to play hockey and tennis. And badminton too. They say badminton is the game for pregnant women. So when you are in the family way, you won’t have to look for other pregnant women to play with. You can play with me. You are about 55 unless my eyes deceive me. I had a cataract operation last year, and they generally don’t. You are beautiful. Your strands of white hair, your dark complexion and the mole on your chin add to your beauty. But the thing that clinched the issue was the dimple on your left cheek. Whoever heard of a single dimple? And that dimple I am sure contains the whole universe and will show me everything that Yasoda saw in the Lord’s

What is the Enlightenment project and how did it impact upon Christian Essay

What is the Enlightenment project and how did it impact upon Christian Theology - Essay Example Creative and critical thinking is an essential tool in analysis of theology, since all its aspects are related to the basic human understanding the origin of all creation and nature given the universal belief of a superior being. It is in this perspective that the philosophy of the holy trinity resulted in a deep examination of the biblical information and the church in general. Two different factions of Christians have come up, one group believes in the trinity that has God the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This group is referred to as the Trinitarian group (Leupp 2008). The other group which believed that God is one distinct being has come to be referred to as the Non Trinitarian group. A heated debate has always ensued when the existence of the two groups is discussed or debated. The Trinitarian group can never visualize God as a single distinct person. Olson argues that a non-Trinitarian creator God would need a world as his counterpart because personhood is a mystery of r elationship.The statement further says that man is equal with God and his Godhead and with humankind in his manhood. The existence of the two groups is actually the origin of Christian theology. As Christians realized that different groups had different beliefs, the early scholars dug deeper into the Bible history and in particular the different propositions it had. This started out as reflections on the implications and what the Christianity faith means. This insight started out as early as in during the era that the New Testament was written. Different episodes that Jesus taught on the Christian living guided the early church on the way they could live their lives in a way that their faith and convictions supported. Similar any other area of study, Christian theology has evolved from early introduction to Christian theology over the years, patristic theology, medieval Christian theology, western theology and ultimately into the modern Christian theology. It is in the context of mo dern theology, that the enlightenment project first emerged. The enlightenment project has dominated philosophy in the recent three hundred years promising a conception of rationality independent of historical and social context and independent of any specific understanding of man’s nature or purpose (Costa 2005).The enlightenment indicated tremendous changes which were known as the Copernican Shifts. These changes signified complete shifts in how the Christians viewed the world. These changes brought sharp differences between various scholars and Christian theology experts. People abandoned their earlier ways in the wake of the new beliefs. An aspect of the Christian living that changed is the revolution in thinking. This revolution brought about some significant shifts: A shift in authority. Before the enlightenment, two traditional sources of authority existed; the classics and the bibl

The Industrial Revolution and its Impact on the United States Research Paper - 1

The Industrial Revolution and its Impact on the United States - Research Paper Example On the technology front, the biggest advancements were in steam power. New fuels such as coal and petroleum, were incorporated into new steam engines. This revolutionized many industries including textiles and manufacturing. Also, a new communication medium was invented called the telegraph. This made communicating across the ocean much faster . The invention of steam power gave momentum to the development of rail transport in America. Moreover, petroleum and diesel engine engines were also discovered followed by the steam engine. All these discoveries contributed heavily to the development of transportation facilities and infrastructure. Before the introduction of these engines, Americans were using other means of transport which were comparatively slower that that with automobiles. In other words, the distance between different places appeared to be more than what it is today, before the introduction of of engines and the subsequent discoveries of automobiles. Along with the discovery of automobiles, industrial revolution brought another major breakthrough in communication in the form of the discovery of telegraph. Telegraph and automobiles contributed heavily to the development of communication and transportation which in turn gave momentum to the development of manufacturing units or industries and businesses across Amer ica. The full impact of the Industrial Revolution would not begin to be realized until about 100 years later in the 1800s, when the use of machines to replace human labor spread throughout Europe and North America .

Survey Article - Lexical System Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Survey - Lexical System - Article Example Number of times the given word is mentioned and finally the ability of to learn and to understand and use the learned vocabulary. This research paper aims at analysing the L2 lexicon system. How different components interact with others within this complex system. In order to understand the power of lexicon system, this research paper is going to analyse case studies of the academic English (L2) vocabulary. It has taken a lot of studies to study the development of vocabulary. Main emphasis has been on the active and passive setting of vocabularies, how people learn and acquire vocabularies. Over the several years, the Dynamic Systems Theory has been used to study the development of L2 vocabulary. This method focus on the process itself rather than the end product of the process. In order to understand how DST model influences development of L2 vocabulary, certain aspects have to be considered. This are, the ability to remember words that were said in the past and use them in the current environment (Schreuder & Weltens, 4). This paper will prove that the two environment are related and that patterns of variation between them are in accordance to the lexicon development system. Language and vocabulary exists in many spheres of life, ranging from medical, biology, geography among others. It is true to assert that language is dynamic and this dynamism gives birth to vocabularies. Be it to and individual or to a given community. Vocabulary development is not linear and is adversely affected by the interactions within the system. This is because factors that affect the ability of one to learn like memory capacity vary from one person to another (Read, 10). Secondly some factors like motivation, given to people so that they can learn something, is affected by the sociolinguistic environment from where this language is developed. Language growth

Industrial and Personnel Psychology Essay Example for Free

Industrial and Personnel Psychology Essay 1. Personal biographical characteristics of note are factors that describe an individual. Factors such as age, gender, marital status and tenure. These characteristics have an impact on the attitudes that an individual may have towards work and dependent variable such as productivity, absenteeism, and turnover and job satisfaction. The relationship between age and job performance is of great importance because it is believed that job performance decreases as age increases. Though not all employers have perceptions of older employees. From a positive perspective it is noted that older employees have more experience, judgment, ethics and commitment. In addition, with older employees, labour turnover is reduced. Because of their longer tenure within the organization they tend to enjoy increased wages, pension and many other benefits and are therefore less likely to leave. With regards to absenteeism and older employees, the evidence is however mixed. Although there are decreases in avoidable absenteeism rates compared to younger employees, there is an increase in unavoidable rates due to poor health due to age, and longer recovery periods. However from a negative point it is noted that older employees lack flexibility, there is a decrease in their productivity due to decreased speed, agility, strength and co-ordination and resistance to change in a changing environment. Consequently, organizations are reluctant to hire older employees. In addition, they tend to retrench them first when it comes to downsizing. Gender in job performance has no evidence that it affects job satisfaction. However there is a difference in work schedules because women mostly prefer part time work or work flexibility due to family responsibilities. With regards to absenteeism women usually have a higher rate of absenteeism than men as women traditionally care for the family. For example when children are sick, it is the mothers who tend to take off work in order to take care of such sick children. Married employees generally have a decrease in absenteeism, turnover and an increase in job satisfaction. This may be due to increased responsibilities. With regards to tenure, there is a positive relationship between seniority and job performance and a negative relationship between tenure and absenteeism. That is an increase in tenure and seniority tends to lead to better performance and an increase in tenure to lead to decrease in turnover. People are organization’s most valuable and expensive resource, but they are the most difficult element of an organization to manage. Individuals are almost infinitely different, they act differently in different circumstances and are, in many ways, entirely unpredictable. This means that, unlike machines, they are not interchangeable or able to be easily designed to do the jobs required of them. In terms of the organization, what we are interested in is the way in which people behave at work-that they perform effectively in pursuit of the organisation’s goals. The starting point for this is an understanding of what makes people behave in the way they do. Although psychologists do not agree on a single definition of personality, there is some consensus that it is concerned with characteristics patterns of behavior and modes of thinking that determine a person’s adjustment to the environment (Hilgard et al 1979:108). Two features of the above definition are noteworthy. In the first place, the word â€Å"characteristic† suggests a degree of performance in personality. In the second place, â€Å"environment† suggests that personality is displayed in a social and physical context. Beyond this consensus, there is a great deal disagreement over the development, structure and dynamics of personality. The correct interpretation and use of the results of personality measures and tests depends a great deal on the theory or approach on which the instruments are based. Without this knowledge, the description of personality may well be miused. Personality can therefore be referred to a dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person’s whole psychological system. It looks at the whole person rather than at the sum of the individual parts. It is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his or her unique adjustments to his or her environment. An altogether different approach to personality concentrates on identifying and classifying those features that individuals may share. The different categories or types serve to emphasise the similarities within each group and the differences between the groups. These attempts to classify personality features are often referred to as the type or trait approach. There are a number of personality determinants, namely, Heredity, the Environment, or the Situation. Heredity is the process of transmitting biological traits from parent to offspring through genes, the basic units of heredity. Heredity also refers to the inherited characteristics of an individual, including traits such as height, eye color, and blood type. Heredity accounts for why offspring look like their parents: when two dogs mate, for example, they have puppies, not kittens. If the parents are both Chihuahuas, the puppies will also be Chihuahuas, not great Danes or Labrador retrievers. The puppies may be a little taller or shorter, a little lighter or a lot heavier than their parents are. Their faces may look a little different, or they may have different talents and temperaments. In all the important characteristics, however—the number of limbs, arrangement of organs, general size, fur type—they will share the traits of their parents. The principles of heredity hold true not only for a puppy but also for a virus, a roundworm, a pansy, or a human. Genetics is the study of how heredity works and, in particular, of genes. A gene is a section of a long deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule, and it carries information for the construction of a protein or part of a protein. Through the diversity of proteins they code for, genes influence or determine such traits as eye color, the ability of a bacterium to eat a certain sugar, or the number of peas in a pod. A virus has as few as a dozen genes. A simple roundworm has 5000 to 8000 genes, while a corn plant has 60,000. The construction of a human requires an estimated 50,000 genes. Personality characteristics are not completely dictated by heredity however, as otherwise they would remain the same throughout life despite the experiences we have. Environment is referred to all of the external factors affecting an organism. These factors may be other living organisms (biotic factors) or nonliving variables (abiotic factors), such as temperature, rainfall, day length, wind, and ocean currents. The interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic factors form an ecosystem. Even minute changes in any one factor in an ecosystem can influence whether or not a particular plant or animal species will be successful in its environment. Organisms and their environment constantly interact, and both are changed by this interaction. Like all other living creatures, humans have clearly changed their environment, but they have done so generally on a grander scale than have all other species. Some of these human-induced changes—such as the destruction of the world’s tropical rain forests to create farms or grazing land for cattle—have led to altered climate patterns. In turn, altered climate patterns have changed the way animals and plants are distributed in different ecosystems. Scientists study the long-term consequences of human actions on the environment, while environmentalists—professionals in various fields, as well as concerned citizens—advocate ways to lessen the impact of human activity on the natural world. Situation is one of the determinants of personality which influences the effect of heredity and environment on personality. Personality, which is generally stable, often changes in different situations.  For example, we may behave very differently at a party with our friends as opposed to how we would do at a social gathering of work colleagues and our managers. 2. Attitude refers to an opinion or general feeling about something. Attitudes are, essentially feelings towards people or things. How people feel, what they believe, what they intend to do, and whether and how they do it may all be connected, and may all be related to the process of perception. To try to reduce the confusion in this area over the use of words and concepts such as â€Å"feelings† and â€Å"beliefs†, Fishbein (19670 put forward the following hierarchical model. Beliefs What we think about people, things, relationships etc â€Å"My work provides no challenge† Attitudes Affective responses to those people, things, relationships etc. â€Å"I see work only as a means to getting money† Intentions Congnitive states â€Å"I will look for my challenge in my leisure time† Behavior or Action Observable events â€Å"I take up mountaineering† Attitudes are learned. They derive from our personal reaction to information and events, which manifest themselves as beliefs and feelings about a particular subject. We learn many of our attitudes when we are very young. They are conditioned by those around us and the conditions or situations in which we find ourselves. Some-particularly feelings-are so strong that they stay with stay with us and affect us for the rest of our lives. The range of influences is complex, but it includes the following: * The groups to which we belong-most notably, in early life, the family, but also friendship groups, work groups * Education * Life experiences- particularly the most profound personal ones such as bereavement, etc. but also those experiences which we observe e. g on Tv, or read about. We are aware, too, that our attitudes change over time as a result of the influence of the above factors. For example, it is very often the case that young people have more liberal attitudes than older people, but as they enter work and acquire family and financial commitments and responsibilities they tend to become more â€Å"conservative†. One of the key elemen ts of management in organizations is how to modify or change people’s behaviour. This is central to such features as motivation, securing effective performance, introducing change, etc. whilst as noted above, attitudes do not necessarily condition behaviour, and they are a significant determinant. In organizations, managers use attitude survey to measure and thereby predict behaviour. Managers use information gathered in attitude surveys to guide them in decisions relative to employees. Attitude surveys elicit responses from employees through questionnaires about how they feel about their jobs, work- groups, supervisors and or the organization. Attitude surveys provide managers with valuable feedback on how workers perceive working conditions, and alert them to problems or employee intentions early so that action can be taken in time. Increasingly, attitudinal surveys are being used within organizations to find out about the potential reactions of staff to particular courses of action (for example, organizational change) or to form judgments about their suitability for particular posts (in a similar way to how personality tests are used). Operational methods for attitude surveys generally seek to measure fire components for each belief. Thus, attitudes to work could be measured as follows: * Strength of feeling about the job itself. The strength with which various attitudes are held about different aspects of the job which are listed, measured on perhaps a seven point scale, from â€Å"agree totally† through neutral to â€Å"disagree totally†. * Value of job to self. Evaluating various aspects of the job, again, but in relation to its meaning to the individual. * Social factors. Attitudes and behaviour do not depend on inner perceptions alone, but also upon surrounding social pressures-the person’s perceptions of what others think he/she should do. The social factors must be investigated in order to understand all the factors determining behaviour. * Overall attitude An overall assessment of the respondent’s attitudes to the contex of the job and to work itself, for example, the value and meaning it has in his/ her life. This is a useful measure as it allows more generalized attitudes to the job to be explored. * Intended behaviour Potential reactions to different scenarios about the job or its context. Although hypothetical, this prediction makes an interesting correlation with actual behaviour. Surveys must have a very clear specification of what they are seeking to measure. Just as with personality tests, there is the ever present danger that the way in which questions are phrased, or the underlying assumptions made, will influence the outcome. Job satisfaction and its opposite, job dissatisfaction, refer to the attitudes and feelings job holders have towards their work. Morale can be viewed as a state of mind dependent on the dependent on the degree of job satisfaction experienced by an individual or group. There is general agreement that job dissatisfaction can have harmful effects on both job holders and the organization. Research has associated job dissatisfaction with all the indicators of low morale-high labour turnover, skills wastage, absenteeism, high accident rates, poor timekeeping and a lack of commitment to quality. An individual with low job satisfaction may suffer frustration and stress. Although stress may arise from many quarters, it is the inability to deal with and manage stress that afflicts the individual who suffers job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction is determined by a number of factors namely, mentally challenging work, equitable rewards, supportive working conditions, and supportive colleagues. Research has shown that employees prefer jobs that give them opportunities to use their abilities and skills. Characteristics such as freedom, feedback and a variety of tasks make work mentally challenging and allow employees to feel pleasure and satisfaction. On other hand, jobs that are not mentally challenging create boredom, frustration and feelings of failure. Employees want rewards (e. g. pay, promotions) that they perceive as just and in line with their expectations. Satisfaction will occur if pay is seen as based on job demands, skill and community standards. It is not the actual amount of pay that counts, but rather the perception of fairness. Individuals that also perceive promotional decisions as fair will be job satisfied. Employees are concerned with working conditions that are comfortable and that enable one to do an optimal job. Environmental factors such as temperature, light, noise should not be too extreme. Factors such as proximity to home, cleanliness, technology and adequate tools, help increase job satisfaction. As well as tangible achievements, employees also work for social interaction. Therefore having friendly and supportive co-workers and superiors also lead to increased job satisfaction. On many occasions managers’ interest in job satisfaction centers on its effect on employee performance. Therefore studies have been made to identify the relationships between satisfaction and performance. Organized studies in particular have focused on the effect of satisfaction on the dependent variables such as Productivity, Absenteeism and Turnover. There is no real proof that satisfaction leads to productivity. The saying â€Å"a happy worker is a productive worker† is wishful thinking. Often productivity leads to satisfaction and not the other way around. Productivity leads to increase in rewards, recognition, which in turn increases satisfaction. Satisfaction may lead to productivity on an organization level rather than on an individual level. Dissatisfied workers are more likely to be absent. This relationship can be affected however by sick leave benefits which might encourage workers to be absent. While satisfied employees are less likely to leave work. This can however be affected by, labour market conditions, expectations about alternative job offers and length of tenure. Level of satisfaction is less important in predicting turnover for superior employees as more effort is made to keep these individuals. Satisfaction-turnover relationship is also affected by the individuals disposition towards life. If two people are dissatisfied the positive one is more likely to leave.