Medicalization Essay

Medicalization describes a process by which a non-medical problem becomes defined and treated as a medical problem, usually in terms of illness and disorders. Medicalization used to be focused on deviance, now it focuses on a range of human problems. Medicalization is increasing as technology advances. There are many things that have become medicalized such as Alcoholism, mental disorders, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, etc. There are three degrees of medicalization. 1. Fully medicalized, example would be severe mental illness. 2.  Partly medicalized, example would be menopause. 3. Minimally medicalized, example would be sexual addiction. The factors that affect the degrees are the support of medical profession, available treatment, and medical insurance. In the end medicalization has increased the profitability and markets of pharmaceutical and biotechnological firms. Many factors have contributed to the rise of medicalization. For instance the loss in religious, the increase of faith in science, rationality, progress, increased prestige and the power of the medical profession. The medical profession and the expansion of medical jurisdiction were prime movers for medicalization. Medicalization has also occurred through social movements. Doctors are not the only ones involved in medicalization now, patients are active collaborators in the medicalization of their problem. The Vietnam veteran movement medicalized PTSD; AIDS treatment was done by the gay and lesbian movement, and PSM with the woman’s movement. There are both positive and negative consequences to medicalization. With everything being medicalized, some people have a better chance functioning well in society. If they are really shy, they will be diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder, and will be medicated to interact efficiently in society. People are no longer depressed, disoriented because of medical intervention, for example, menopause and anorexia. It can really improve the self-esteem of some individuals. Those were some of the positive consequences of medicalization. There are a few negative consequences as well. For instance, medicalization transforms human differences into pathologies. Example, a child with a different learning size will be accused of having a learning disability or having ADHD. By transforming all of these differences into pathologies, it will diminish our tolerance for and appreciation of the diversity of human life. Eventually every person will be labeled as sick. In the Dr. Jarvik article, the speaker demonstrates how old age is being medicalized. It isn’t acceptable to age, because one should stay young. Medicalization has brainwashed people into thinking that somethings aren’t normal when really they are. As people age they are pushed to take all of these medications to stay young and feel good, when it should be socially acceptable to age. A good example of a way medicalization has been resisted would be demedicalization. Gays have changed the definition of homosexuality from illness to lifestyle. Same thing with masturbation, it used to be considered an illness, now its something natural that most people do. These examples contradict medicalization since they have been demedicalized. Disabilities went from medical problem to societal problem. Childbirth used to have been done in a hospital under drugs. Now woman have many options on how they would like to give birth. Parents have refused to give children medication for their ADHD because they belive it wont benefit them. One example from the article would be the â€Å"ana is my friend† website that they mentioned. It is a website that helps anorexic people learn to live an anorexic lifestyle. They don’t promote it they just help anorexics adjust. In the end, Medicalization plays a huge role in todays society. It will keep on expanding from here, and along will come its consequences.

Black Hawk Down Essay

The name Black Hawk Down used as the title of this book in our context originated from the helicopter (UH-60 Black Hawk) used during the raid in Mogadishu. This raid is said to be one of the most combative war Americans have ever engaged in from that of Vietnam. The mission took place in October 1993 when helicopters dropped American solders in the heart of Mogadishu with aim of abducting top lieutenants of Somalia Warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. This was under leadership of Thomas Matthews who was deployed in Mogadishu, he lead Task force Ranger. This war was referred to as Operative Gothic serpent although it was later referred to as Battle of Mogadishu by international opposed media to this battle. â€Å"The most significant combat action took place on October 3, when Task Force Ranger captured six of Aideed’s [sic] lieutenants and several militiamen in a daylight raid. During withdrawal operations, the Somalis shot down two UH-60 helicopters and U. S. forces remaining on the ground came under heavy fire as they attempted to carry out rescue operations and consolidate their positions† (Spiller, para 4). This episode translated to intense fire fight which saw about 300 Somali nationals killed and others seriously injured. On the side of Ranger several were killed and others wounded before intervention of Pakistan and Malaysia intervened hence withdrawal of the forces. The story on modern war by Mark Bowden, a report with the Philadelphia inquire tries to analyze battle of Mogadishu which started with attempts of the American solder to capture aides to Aidid. The operation strayed with Delta force personnel through help of US army Rangers entered Mogadishu through helicopters to start the operation. This entry surprised Somali who were not were not aware of this mission. This called for rehearsal for using grenade and was successfully able to bring chopper down hence there capability in fighting new enemies invading their soil. The shooting of Back hawk helicopters through use of grenade formed a battle field where the American fought frantically to ensure they salvage there comrades. In his book Bowden tries to give a narrative of this war through reconstruction of the materials he was able to get through intensive interviews to the participants of this war. In his story he divert from the notion military history which always portrays glory of war without disclosing episode of horror which always engulf these kind of wars. Black hawk down story is literally distinctive in its style and this can be attributed to the fact that Bowden is a journalist but not a historian and writes his description of the combat as a tale, relatively like a fiction story. This book is set to represent the actual event and happening of the battle of Mogadishu. Bowden accomplished this through widespread research, consultations with accomplices from the two sides of the conflicts; this is also done through help of footage recorded by aerial observation aircraft at the fight as well as from recordings of the radio traffic from the clash. This book represent a parable of leadership which was unable to control the discipline of military personnel giving a picture of failure of the so perceived as strongest army in world. This is because military was unable to contain undisciplined militia putting the most powerful military in a precarious circumstances. The author demonstrates a situation of overconfidence since American military from the word go never expected the situation can in any way go against them. On the side of Rangers and delta forces soldiers in Mogadishu battle has elaborated as failure. The leadership controlling the war to command daylight raid has been describe as failure in military point of view. This raid on the side of America army cannot boost of victory since the only achievement attained was only seizing and imprisoning Somali clan officials who part of the mission of the war. In return to this achievement, a body of dead American member of Ranger squad being drugged in the street watering small achievement realized before the massacre. Mogadishu Massacre was motivated by the silencing of Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid who was wrongly perceived to have Hitler like trait, and was said to be responsible for thousands of brutal killings. There was information that this warlord ruled Mogadishu and hijacked UN food shipment acting in aid of war causalities. Aidid was also accuse of waiting the US Marine withdrawal and declaring war on U. N. forces ensnaring and killing of Pakistan peacekeepers. This is the incident which translated to sending of Ranger on mission to dismantle advancement of Aidid and ensure restoration of order within Mogadishu and its environs. This was meant to stop Aidid force from disruption of Red Cross distribution centre and killing of innocent civilians. Aidid was a powerful leader of Habr Gidr a large clan with political control within Mogadishu which controlled past as well as present political activities in this region. â€Å"The Habr Gidr were the militarily more powerful of two main groups contending for control of Mogadishu. If the U. S. had killed Aidid, citizens of the Habr Gidr areas wouldn’t generally have felt liberated, like Afghans freed from the Taliban† (Kaus, 2002 para 6). This book highlights phases of US and UN activities in Somalia. Firstly there was humanitarian phase where unite nations use military for to ease deliveries of food with aim of controlling deaths which could have emanated from starvation. This initiative was carried beyond from provision of food to the nation building mission in Somalia by UN. National building can be termed as the second phase with ambitions of restoration of entire country. From the ambitious mission of rebuilding entire Somali country Aidid claimed of UN official being against his and his clan of the said links with the former Somali dictator Siad Barre who was Aidid rival. From these suspicions intimidation of nation building started from the Aidid and his clan making effort to be at risk. National building needed very conducive peaceful environment from all clans and when Aidid intimidation started meant sinking of the national building efforts. Conference to forge for peace were staged but what followed after that was lack of peace deal and Aidid stepped up mission of detaining there rival something viewed by UN as intention to intimidate the peace talk. Attempt to marginalize Aidid politically by UN followed something viewed as a wrong approach to someone who had a backing of entire clan behind him. This is because to realize peace in this situation a better approach could have been employed to ensure existing military structure and power are dismantled or contained. This was followed by attempt of UN tying to shut down Aidid radio which was popular in propagating anti-UN propaganda a fact which made Aidid to see UN being against him. This is the issue which translated to the Mogadishu war from the attempt of UN tying to kill Habr Gidr clan member. After this was the incident of Black hawk down and translated to killings of innocent civilian an army leadership which has been greatly blamed for failed victory. â€Å"Crisis leadership came the hard way for U. S. Army Colonel Thomas Matthews, who led the Task Force Ranger mission in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993† (Lagace, para 1). The situation in Mogadishu Massacre called for life or death decisions which were to be guided by Thomas leadership. This is the leadership which has been condemned for failed success in the ranger mission. The decision made by Thomas on this day resulted to crisis witnessed in this episode making a good lesson for our leadership decision especially in the army forces where decision with dire consequence are made. Work Cited: Kaus, Mickey: What Black Hawk Down Leaves Out, 2002. Retrieved on 20th September 2008 from; http://www. slate. com/? id=2060941 Lagace, Martha: â€Å"Black Hawk Down†: Leading in Crisis, (2003). Retrieved on 20th September 2008 from: http://hbswk. hbs. edu/archive/3430. html Spiller, Ronald L. : Film Review: Black Hawk Down, (nd). Retrieved on 20th September 2008 from; http://www. smh-hq. org/gazette/features/blackhawkdown. html.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 13

Assignment Example At the weak ends, the demand is expected to touch 2300 Kg. During the period November to January the demand is expected to double due to celebrations, Christmas and New Year. First and foremst it is imprtant to meet the increased demand on weak ends. This is done by increasing regular production from average of about 1500 Kg of cakes during Monday-Friday and by maintaining a buffer stock of extra 500 Kg of cakes (not older than 24 hour old stock) of different types. The stock is build out of leftover cakes from sales (not older than 24 hour). The time left out of 8-Hour shift (8 Hours- 7Hours 20 Minutes = 40 minutes) is utilized to pre-process ingredients using Step-2 and Step-3 and keep the material ready for Step-4. This saves 70 minutes of normal days [3 stations for Step-1(120/3=40 minutes) and 2 steps of Step-2 (60/2=30 minutes). Total time saved for a working day: 70 minutes. Thus, ten days buffer stock of pre-processed material is maintained. Two-way information flow between workers and managers is essential for the enterprise success. Orders from customers are received and entered into order book. Vital information from last week average sales are also used to decide the production for the next day. Their awareness and training on a particular issue concerning ingredients, process, production, qu(Cakes freshness being very important, any batch produced must be sold out within 24 hours of its production). antity, quality etc. The firm has several processes which are controlled by some or the other technologies. These technological resources help speed up the process of production with precision, accuracy, and help maintain quality of the product made. Some of the technologies used and their importance is covered

Productivity Growth and Real Wages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Productivity Growth and Real Wages - Essay Example The common man is actually not getting the benefits from the productivity growth 1. An appreciable rise in both productivity and wage structure was witnessed through the 1950s and 1960s, which slowed down in the 70s and 80s 5. However, the 1990’s saw a good and steady rise in productivity and therefore the benefits of the growth were seen by the increase in the wages 1. In the US, the real wage growth was weak in the early 1990s, but it rose from 1994, in response to the accelerating productivity, up to 2004 after which it showed a downward trend mainly attributed to increasing energy costs 3. The recession witnessed in the early 2000s resulted in a downward trend with respect to wages, even though the productivity was high 1. According to a report the median real wages for all workers increased by 1.4% per year between 1995 and 2003, which was less than half the rate of productivity growth 2. Another news article published in a website quotes a 2% decline in the median hourly wages for American workers since 2003, despite the steady rise in productivity 5.This inequality in wage distribution can be attributed chiefly to the bargaining power of workers in case of high productivity. Employee unions play a vital role this bargain. However, the workers ability to bargain has considerable diminished, thus preventing them from enjoying the fruits of the ir own labor 1. Some reasons cited for this reduced bargaining power include global trade, immigration, layoffs and technology 5. Inflation shares an inverse relationship with wage distribution and so does fringe benefits such as health care 1, 5. Education status and working skills of workers also plays a vital role in determining the wages 4. Another point made is that only the top 10% enjoyed the real benefits of productivity growth leaving the rest of the 90% with very less growth in terms of wages 3, 4.According to the Baumols Law, mobility in labor will result in an increase in wages so

Effects of the media, tv advertising and commercials to individuals, Essay

Effects of the media, tv advertising and commercials to individuals, families and to society - Essay Example All advertised images of men and women are full of perfectly shaped bodies, drooled over by the lesser fortunate mortals. The average viewer watches 400 to 600 advertisements every day and this enormous amount of messaging can create a permanent mindset. Fatty foods are shown with awfully thin bodies triggering off a confused and strange eating tendency among the really younger sets. Acceptance of violence, almost expecting it, is another tendency that is unhappily growing among viewers. Children are becoming more and more bloodthirsty. Recent media story about a TV game where the little viewer had to blow up President Kennedy's head was an ultimate example of the horrifying intellectual bankruptcy. Children know all names in the TV game world, but cannot recognize the next-door kid, as they hardly play in the open. Perhaps a positive and encouraging, almost ethical approach is necessary for TV to make the right impact on viewers. Same goes for the beauty and beauty products. Beauty has been given so much importance that there is hardly any scope for mental development or intellectual improvement. One cannot find a single advertisement where it is told that mental enhancement or intellectual growth is necessary for a perfect human being. As commercials glorify trivia, the younger generation is getting hooked into it like being addicted to drugs, hoping to achieve unrealistic standards of body measurement and beauty. "This constant exposure to female-oriented advertisements may influence girls to become self-conscious about their bodies and to obsess over their physical appearance as a measure of their worth." http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/bia.htm Some people even... This "Effects of the media, tv advertising and commercials to individuals, families and to society" essay outlines the impact of the advertisement on consumers behavior and people overall. Some people even believe that advertisers tamper with the imaged figures, so that they could look almost impossibly true, only to create more desire among the viewers, which is perhaps probable. Reports from psychiatrists and psychologists show very bleak picture of their effects on people. Girls are known to complain that very thin models made them feel insecure and unhappy. Constant self-comparison with the dizzy heights of perfection is making viewers feel perpetually inadequate, mainly because advertisers do not allow viewers to forget the images. They force it upon them continuously till they become dissatisfied psychological wrecks. Horror of getting fat is driving the TV hooked into distraction. Stringent dieting can end in serious eating disorders that could be long lasting. Considerable nu mber of younger people has started smoking to control the healthy hunger. Males spend most of their time in the gyms trying to look more muscular. This pursuit sometimes ends up in taking unprescribed drugs and steroids, as men tend to develop pathological shame about their normal bodies. Average American girl is said to be watching 5000 hours of television and 80,000 ads even before she starts the kindergarten. Before their self esteem starts taking shape, it is already shaken with the bombardment of TV commercials.

Heineken Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heineken - Case Study Example Nonetheless, the consumption level of beer has been increasing along with its price (Colen & Swinnen, 2011). The diagram represented below exhibits the structure of the internationally expanded beer market as on 2005 along with highlighting the changes since 1961: Structure of the Global Beer Market Source: (Colen & Swinnen, 2011) From the above figure, the consumption level of beer in the global market can be observed and thus it can be stated that the profit ratio of beer industry is also rising with its demand and consumption in various global markets. It is worth mentioning in this regard that with the passing time, the degree of competition along with the threat of substitute products have increased considerably. In this context, wine can be regarded as a major substitute of beer in the global market (Colen & Swinnen, 2011). With reference to Porter’s Five Forces, the threat of substitute products in the global beer market can be regarded as other alcoholic drinks like wi ne and various other types of liquors. However, in recent phenomenon, the industry also needs to witness a strong influence from non-alcoholic substitute products such as soft drinks exhibiting a high degree of substitution threat. Threat of new entrance can also be identified as high within the current structure of the industry as the venture is considered to require only experience and expertise workers involving affordable costs for manufacturing beer. Bargaining power of buyers does not seem to have a major affect on the beer industry mostly owing to its size and diversity. From a similar point of view, the bargaining power of suppliers also has an insignificant impact over the current structure of beer industry due to the easy availability of raw materials. Nonetheless, competitive rivalry indicates the presence of multiple market players, dealing with the similar product. With the increasing threat of new entrants and substitution effects to beer products, it is quite likely t hat the competitive rivalry is expected to increase in the near future (Ekanayake, Getov, & Naridze, 2012). It is in this context that the degree of substitution effect can be regarded as the greater threat to the industry. Contradictorily, the bargaining power of buyers can be regarded to have a minimal effect over the industry operations. 2. What strategy does Heineken follow in the global beer market? Discuss this with respect to competitive strategy, corporate strategy, and international strategy. Concerning its competitive strategies, the company emphasized on adopting various innovative measures intended to change the traditional family-oriented marketing ideologies towards a more technology-oriented modern process. Considering the current industrial structure, it can be stated that a beer company needs to value its competitive strategies along with its corporate and international strategies so as to sustain in its competitive position for a longer period of time. With a simil ar concern, Heineken also adopted the corporate strategy to acquire relatively smaller market players, who were mostly identified as new entrants to the industry. Hence, the corporate strategies adopted by Heineken can be observed as highly influenced by the threat of new entrants in the international arena. Apart from acquisitions, the company also emphasized on encouraging cross-border deals in its international str

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Case study - Essay Example Some of his character traits that contributed to his recognition as a unique leader are compassion, forgiveness and humility. On his first day in office, Mandela gathers his staff for a meeting to express his expectations of his staff. Mandela takes charge and develops a plan to accomplish goals to show his duty as a leader. Integrity is portrayed when Mandela’s staff expects him to retaliate for decades of apartheid but instead he shows compassion and gives them the option to stay and rebuild the country. To show respect, Mandela leaves his body guards out in the hall because he wants to face everyone on an even level. Throughout Mandela’s speech the body language of the staff changes from expecting to be fired to realizing that they are welcome to stay on and work for a common goal. Mandela interrupts the meeting of the National Sports Council to persuade them to rescind their vote on changing the name of the Springboks, their uniforms and their emblem. He go es ahead and asks the captain about leadership, "How do you make them better than they think they can be?† in this case Mandela tries to practice the job of a leader in which it is to make the followers in believing that they are capable of doing more than they think it’s possible (Carlin, 2009). In order the organization to achieve its noble quest, the leader is required to not only see the horizon but also make what is over the horizon tangible. Mandela wanted to use the rugby team to reconcile the country and bring them together instead of resorting to petty revenge. Mandela’s actions demonstrate integrity by choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong. Transformation is one of the contemporary theories that is seen being applied to Mandela’s leadership. Mandela acts as a transformation leader for example in an individualized consideration. Mandela greets each player by his or her names, showing he respects each one individually.

Mrs Fields Cookies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mrs Fields Cookies - Case Study Example The company did not enjoy its present status from its advent; it gained its sound reputation and name with uninterrupted hard work and successful innovatory ideas. It can be regarded among triumphant companies in the European region because of its steady success. Initially Debbi was adamant in terms of keeping all the authority to herself, however, with the passage of time, she realized that her business could not expand with her stubborn autocracy of keeping all the control in her hand (Cash and Ostrofsky 4). After this consideration, she delegated her authority for a profitable business empire. Acquiring LPB was in the interest of business. The acquirement and introduction of combination stores initially proved to be disadvantageous. However, the company feels that in the future, these combination stores will prove to be beneficial. The information systems implemented by the company are also going to be profitable for the company and its affiliated company, LPB. Interest in the Acq uisition of La Petite Boulangerie (LPB) Fields after showing interest in the acquisition of LPB, a chain of 119 French stores of Bakery/Sandwich acquired it, after which, the first step that they took was expelling fifty people from their jobs. Out of fifty-three staff members, only three were left, two in operations and one in R & D (Cash and Ostrofsky 9). According to Randy, there were many overhead functions running in LBP due to which, extra people were employed, which resulted in extra costs for the management and depreciated the profit of the company (Cash and Ostrofsky 9). Debbi and Randy believed in minimized hierarchal structure due to which, they showed little value for massive structures being organized by complex hierarchy managed all over the company. It was this thought due to which, fifty people being employed in LPB lost their jobs after affiliation of LPB with Mrs Fields Cookies. The step of expelling fifty people out of fifty-three is a major step that was required to be well-thought of as the expelled people can create problems for the new administration. As store manager of LPB, I would have revolted against this administrative step as if the management can expel such a large number of people from their jobs, they are able to think for such steps in future as well due to which, the future employees and their jobs are also in danger. There should be job security and the administration of Mrs Fields Cookies should have arranged for substituted jobs for the employees of LPB considering that the company’s administration should not only think for its profit but also for its employees. Debbi and Randy’s Business and La Petite Boulangerie (LPB) Debbi and Randy while acquiring control of LPB thought that there were many similarities found in the two chains—Mrs Fields Cookies and LPB. According to Randy LPB was, â€Å"a logical extension for the bakery aspect of Mrs. Fields' Cookies† (Cash and Ostrofsky 9). Debbi and Rand y saw the affiliation of LPB with Mrs Fields Cookies as a step taken for business expansion as the two chains suited each other. They were interested in combining the two forms of stores. Both of the store chains dealt with bakery items due to which, their combination business was not a destructive step. The senior managers working at Mrs Fields Cookies were given a chance to run the stores of LPB for understanding the

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

Euthanasia - Research Paper Example From one perspective many people believe vehemently in only one side of the argument or the other. According to an article written by the Telegraph (2010) it is the case that the BBC has been accused of ‘promoting’ euthanasia insofar as the organization highlighted Sir Terry Pratchett’s speech regarding assisted suicide by using dramatic effects and allegedly ignored the rights of disabled individuals. Although these allegations have not resulted in any significant legal action it the article did indicate that at least in the British context a poll indicated that people’s opinions are split evenly on the matter. On the second section of this paper some examples of how this issue can be complicated will be highlighted. For example, Butler (2010) writing for the New York Times indicated that decisions made earlier in the care. The article made reference to the father of the author suffering a serious stroke at the age of 79. After developing a serious and pai nful heart condition the individual had a pacemaker installed because of a desire of his wife to see her husband relieved of his pain. Fast forward five years the father is bedridden with dementia and is kept alive only with the aide of a pacemaker that is expected to last another five years.

Discuss Mr. Collins Proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austens Novel Pride & Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Discuss Mr. Collins Proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austens Novel Pride Prejudice Essay It is a truth acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife This quote not only opens the novel, but also sets the tone of the narrative story. It says that a man in possession of money and being an eligible bachelor would have every spinster in the neighbourhood wanting to be his wife In the nineteenth century women were below men in status. Men owned everything. After the death of the master of the house all his possessions were given to the next male relative. In the novel as there were only five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Lydia and no males in the immediate family, so their mother, Mrs. Bennet, as she is called in the novel is determined to get her daughters married as soon as possible. When the Bennet family received the letter from Mr.Collins, which included the words, .. Assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends, but of this hereafter this shows that Mr. Collins was hinting that he is looking for a wife. When Mrs. Bennet read this she was pleased at the news. When the daughters heard of his visit, they were not as pleased as their mother, He must be an oddity I cannot make him out The is something very pompous in his style. They also added that in his letter there was a mixture of servility and self-importance. Elizabeth was stuck with his extraordinary deference to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his patroness. Mr.Collins visited the family with the sole purpose of finding a wife, in his letter he states, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families.. this is just an excuse to come to Longbourn because he really wanted to admire the girls and propose to one of them. Mr.Collins didnt really want to get married, it was actually his patroness; Lady Catherine de Bourgh who had recommend, advised or rather orders him to marry and wished to comply with her wishes. When Mr.Collins arrived, out of all the sisters only Mary thought anything of him but everyone else found faults in him. Mrs.Bennet also had the same opinions as her daughter, she knew he would be a suitable husband for one of her daughters because he knew Lady Catherine and lived near her. When he arrives D he wished to propose to the eldest daughter, Jane, but soon found out she was to be engaged to Mr.Bingly. Mr.Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth and it was, Done while Mrs.Bennet was stirring the fire Mr.Collins obviously didnt have true feelings towards Jane or Elizabeth, since he was able to change his mind so quickly. He obviously only wanted to please his patroness. Elizabeth was very intelligent, independent and her interests in many different things like reading, playing the piano, singing, needlework and dancing. She believed marriage had to have an element of love and not just wealth like her mother believed. When Mr.Collins proposed to her, as a reader we knew that she had an independent mind. In the proposal, Mr.Collins made it quite obvious that the proposal was more of a business transaction and he asked for a chance to speak with Elizabeth, May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair Elizabeth, when I solicit for a private audience with her.. before Elizabeth could even blush with surprise, Mrs.Bennet instantly answered. Elizabeth begged her mother not to go, but Mrs.Bennet obviously knew what Mr.Collins had in mind and insisted that she stayed with Mr.Collins. At this time Mr.Collins really thought she was being shy and modest tried to add it to a compliant, .. your modesty, so far from doing disservice, rather adds to your perfections. Elizabeth would have had a clear idea that he was about to propose to her. Mr.Collins started off staying, Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life. This was not true to the reader, as the truth is that he was going to propose to the eldest daughter, Miss Jane Bennet, but when he heard the news of her engagement he changed to Elizabeth. Mr.Collins then came out with his first reason for his proposal, first that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in the parish; This shows he obviously wants to marry her to set a good example to his parish, it also this shows her doesnt care about her, but what Lady Catherine de Bourgh wishes and his reputation. He then states, ..secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness;.. Once again he is showing that he thinks marriage will bring him happiness, he has no idea that marriage is suppose to be about being in love, trust, companionship and getting to know each other beforehand. .. and thirdly-which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. This is actually the only true reason that he wants to marry her, to please Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr.Collins is frightened of not complying with her wishes. He sees her suggestion as an order or a command and he would never disobey her because he is very aware of her superior rank in the society, this shows him to be cowardly, weak and rather silly man who can be easily intimidated. He wants Elizabeth to see Lady Catherines advice and recommendation as her wanting to see Mr.Collins happy, settled down and to carry on working for her. He then went on and tried to compliment Elizabeth and make her see that Lady Catherine will welcome her into her estate. In his reasons for the proposal he had no references to Elizabeths happiness which showed how self-centred he really was. The connection that she could have with Lady Catherine and show she could boast about knowing a person of high status, was the real reason that he could give her for accepting the proposal. This showed how little he knew about Elizabeths personality, as this reason would not have meant anything to her. Elizabeth would bot feel inferior to people of higher rank in society. Mr.Collins then went on about how she would have pressure to wed when she gets to her late twenties, As I am to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured (who, however may live for many years), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to chuse a wife among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible. This comment was to persuade Elizabeths decision and make her feel guilty if she was to refuse his proposal, because her unmarried sisters and mother would have nothing if they were made to move out of their home. He was certain she would accept his proposal when he used his persuasive comment because he thought himself was a worthy choice, that he was already making plans for their married life, you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married. Elizabeth found it necessary to interrupt him by telling him that she hasnt given him an answer and politely. Mr.Collins being so full of self-importance saw he refusal as a way to make him more passionate, It is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept. Elizabeth was not that type of girl to lead a man on or to keep him waiting and stated she was not the girl who would have been foolish enough to risk her future happiness on the chance of being asked again by someone she truly loved and Mr.Collins failed to see that, I cannot therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long. Elizabeth tried to make it even clearer, without being rude and even added that Lady Catherine would not approve of her independent mind and he would not want to upset his patroness by choosing an inappropriate partner. Even when Elizabeth gives him these reasons for refusal he still continues, I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you The reader will know that he has once again mis-judged her character. Later on in the novel Elizabeth and Lady Catherine are introduced to each other. Lady Catherine clearly despises Elizabeths outspoken manner and lack of awe. Elizabeth, getting annoyed by the lack by his persistence still behaved as a young lady and had to remain polite and assure him that he could only leave Longbourn feeling he has done his duty. In making me the offer, you must satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family. She then went to leave the room, thinking he had finally understood her, but Mr.Collins was persistent and had not understand why she refused such a great and wonderful proposal, as he thought himself eligible and worthy husband. He tried once again to change her mind, My situation in life, my connection with the family of de Bourgh and my relationship to your own, are circumstances of high favour. Mr.Collins the greatly insulted her, as she was just to leave the room, it is by no means certain, that another offer of marriage may be ever be made to you , but as a reader we know that that is certainly not true.

New Generation Sequencing Technologies: Population Genetics

New Generation Sequencing Technologies: Population Genetics New generation sequencing technologies have the potential to rapidly accelerate population genetics research, allowing scientists to comprehensively understand complex evolutionary histories, as well as functional and ecological biodiversity (Shokralla, et al., 2012; Shendure Hanlee, 2008). Prior to 1977, sequence production involved the handling of toxic chemicals and radio-active isotopes, restricting sequencing to persons of high expertise and speciality (Hunkapiller, 1991; Swerdlow, et al., 1990; Sanger, et al., 1977). In 1977, Fred Sanger and Alan R. Coulson published two methodological papers describing a new form of DNA sequencing technology, which would lead to the method (capillary-based, semi-automated Sanger biochemistry) used almost exclusively in the field, for the next 30 years (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). Sanger sequencing transformed biology. It became a tool for deciphering complete genes and, later, entire genomes. Due to the unprecedented extent at which Sanger techn ology grew, factory-like enterprises, called sequencing centres, were established, housing hundreds of DNA sequencing instruments, operated by cohorts of personnel (Schuster, 2008; Hunkapilla, et al., 1991). Despite the dominance of Sanger sequencing in laboratories, for a number of decades, the technology had and continues to be hampered by inherent limitations in throughput, scalability, speed and resolution (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). To overcome these barriers, an entirely new technology was required, one that democratised the field, putting the technology of comprehensive genetic analysis into the hands of individual investigators, not only major genome research centres (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). The need for new technologies was pushed for by the facilitators of the Human Genome Project (HGP) (Ventor, et al., 2001). The excitement and successful completion of the HGP, by two competing research bodies, lead to collective hunger for more advanced, economical sequencing technologies. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), also known as massively parallel sequencing, was such a technology and has ignited a revolution in genomic science, similar to that seen when Sanger technology was presented in 1977, honing in on the era of ‘post-genomic’ research (Schuster, 2008). The revolutionary nature of NGS technologies first became apparent in 2005, in two separate publications, 454 Life Sciences (Marguiles, et al., 2005) and the Multiplex Polony Sequencing Protocol (Shendure, et al., 2005). The methodology of both research groups resulted in vast reductions in the necessary reaction volume, while dramatically extending the number of sequencing reactions (Schuster, 2008). Despite such advances, in sequencing technology, NGS had a slow uptake in the scientific community, with a number of scientists having reservations. According to Schuster (2008), scientists accustomed to Sanger sequencing, as well as the initial scepticism echoed by funding bodies, resulted in a fear that large financial investments into Sanger-sequencing technologies would not produce returns, due to the technologies becoming obsolete. Other concerns were also raised, regarding the sequencing fidelity, read length, infrastructure cost and the handling of the large data volumes produced by NGS (Zhang, et al., 2011). It was the process of combining ongoing Sanger sequencing projects with NGS technologies that promoted its acceptance, into the scientific community. Once the enormous potential of the technology had been realised, along with new and upcoming biology projects that required sequencing outside of what the current Sanger technology could feasibly produce, the concerns raised by NGS’s early sceptics started to be overlooked. A combination of both first and second generation technologies are now used in sequencing facilities and projects around the world, the implications of which, for the fields of evolutionary biology and population genetics is vast. Researchers now have the ability to observe small changes in ecological community structure that may occur following anthropogenic or natural environmental fluctuations (Hajibabaei, et al., 2011; Leininger, et al., 2006; Hunkapiller, et al., 1991). Such implications of NGS technologies has led to the generation of whole-genome sequence data, for thousands of individuals (Akey Shriver, 2011; Harismendy, et al., 2009). The availability of such data is leading to a better understanding of evolutionary processes, such as descriptions of sex-biased dispersal and mutation rate biases (e.g., Wilson Sayres, M. A., et al., 2011). Furthermore, the ability to sequence the genomes of species, that have been long extinct, is no longer nonsensical, provided the samples from which DNA is to be extracted is still viable (Green, et al., 2010; Reich, et al., 2010). The hope that such projects may help population geneticists better understand the process of extinction, whether anthropomorphically or n aturally induced, may help those endangered species whose current possibility of extinction, in the near future, is high (Akey Shriver, 2011; Miller, et al., 2011). However, despite such ambitious aspirations of population geneticists, one large area of research that remains surprisingly unanswered, within the literature, is the definition of a population or ‘the population concept’ (Waples Gaggiotti, 2006). Given the importance of such a concept, one might expect to find a commonly used definition, one that is applicable to wild species, to determine how many populations exist within a delineated geographic area and the relationships amongst them (Waples Gaggiotti, 2006). However, one does not exist, rather there is evidence that what makes a ‘population’ is based on the research question. NGS technologies are providing population geneticists with the opportunity to flesh out a detailed definition of a population, on the molecular level. For example, Waples Gaggiotti (2006) ask â€Å"How different must molecular units be before individuals can be considered a part of separate populations?† Different criteria can be established and assigned to individuals, in order to determine the answer. The interplay of different evolutionary forces (selection, migration, drift) will favour different species, with different forces being more obvious, at the molecular level, than others. The ability to pose a research question, pertaining to the individuals, within a particular habitat, is now possible due to the ability to sequence numerous samples with NGS technologies. The implications, in population genetics, for a new generation of sequencing technologies, are a greater focus on testing expectations. Such expectations, simultaneously, result in excitement and daunt to those undertaking evolutionary and population genetic research, at present. Excitement exists because fundamental questions, pertaining to the patterns of genetic variation, within and between species, can now be analysed, with new generation sequencing technologies, such as NGS. Although NGS technology may still be in its infancy, the powerful possibility of analysing massive data sets is within reach of the individual and large-scale sequencing facilities alike, at a highly reduced cost. However, the methodological tools and theoretical models needed to interpret such large data sets are equally daunting to both new, and experienced, evolutionary and population geneticists. Despite such present and future challenges, population genetics research is looking promising, thanks to adv ances in NGS adoption and computation. References Akey, J. M. Shriver, M. D. (2011). A grand challenge in evolutionary population genetics: new paradigms for exploring the past and charting the future in the post-genomic era. Frontiers in Genetics 2, 1-2. Green R. E., Krause J., Briggs A. W., Maricic T., Stenzel U., Kircher M., Patterson N., †¦ Pà ¤Ãƒ ¤bo S. (2010). A draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome. Science 328, 710–722. Hajibabaei, M., Shokralla, S., Zhou, X., Singer, G. A. C. Baird, D. J. (2011). Environmental barcoding: a next-generation sequencing approach for biomonitoring applications using river benthos. PLoS ONE 6, e17497. Harismendy, O., Ng, P. C., Strausberg, R. L., Wang, X., Stockwell, T. B., Beeson, K. Y., Schork, N. J., †¦ Frazer, K. A. (2009). Evaluation of next generation sequencing platforms for population targeted sequencing studies. Genome Biology 10 (3), 32-39. Hunkapiller, M. W. (1991). Advances in DNA sequencing technology. Current Opinion in Genetics Development 1 (1), 88-92. Hunkapiller, T., Kaiser, R. J., Koop, B. F. Hood, L. (1991). Large-scale and automated DNA sequence determination. Science 254, 59-67. Leininger, S., Urich, T., Schloter, M., Schwark, L., Qi, J., Nicol, G. W., Prosser, J. I., Schuster, S. C. Schleper, C. (2006). Archaea predominate among ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes in soils. Nature 442, 806-809. Marguiles, M., Egholm, M., Altman, W. E., Attiya, S., Bader, J. S., Bemben, L. A., †¦ Rothberg, J. M. (2005). Genome sequencing in microfabricated high-density picolitre reators. Nature 437, 376-380. Miller W., Hayes V. M., Ratan A., Petersen D. C., Wittekindt N. E., Miller J., Walenz B., †¦ Schuster S. C. (2011). Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108 (30), 12348-12353. Reich D., Green R. E., Kircher M., Krause J., Patterson N., Durand E. Y., Viola B., †¦ Pà ¤Ãƒ ¤bo S. (2010). Genetic history of an archaic hominin group from Denisova Cave in Siberia. Nature 468, 1053–1060. Sanger, F., Air, G. M., Barrell, B. G., Brown, N. L., Coulson, A. R., Fiddes, J. C., Hutchison, C. A. III, Slocombe, P. M. Smith, M. (1977). Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA. Nature 265, 687-695. Schuster, S. C. (2008). Next-generation sequencing transforms today’s biology. Nature Methods 5 (1), 16-18. Shendure, J. Hanlee, J. (2008). Next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature Biotechnology 26 (10), 1135-1145. Shendure, J., Porreca, G.J., Reppas, N. B., Lin, X., McCutcheon, J. P., Rosenbaum, A. M., Wang, M. D., Zhang, K., Mitra, R. D. Church, G. M. (2005). Accurate multiplex polony sequencing of an evolved bacterial genome. Science 309, 1728-1732. Shokralla, S., Spall, J. L., Gibson, J. F. Hajibabaei, M. (2012). Next generation sequencing technologies for environmental DNA research. Molecular Ecology 21, 1794-1805. Swerdlow, H., Wu, S. L., Harke, H. Dovichi, N. J. (1990). Capillary gel electrophoresis for DNA sequencing. Laser-induced fluorescence detection with the sheath flow cuvette. Journal of Chromatography 516, 61-67. Ventor, J. C., Adams, M. D., Myers, E.W., Li, P. W., Mural, R. J., Sutton, G. G., Amanatides, P., †¦, Zhu, X. (2001). The sequence of the human genome. Science 291, 1304-1351. Waples, R. S. Gaggiotti, O. (2006). INVITED REVIEW: What is a population? An empirical evaluation of some genetic methods for identifying the number of gene pools and their degree of connectivity. Molecular Ecology 15 (6), 1419-1439. Wilson Sayres M. A., Venditti C., Pagel M., Makova K. D. (2011). Do variations in substitution rates and male mutation bias correlate with life history traits? A study of 32 mammalian genomes. Evolution 65 (10), 2800-2815. Zhang, J., Chiodini, R., Badr, A. Zhang, G. (2011). The impact of next-generation sequencing on genomics. Journal of Genetics and Genomics 38, 95-109. Influences of Greek Culture: History of the Spartans Influences of Greek Culture: History of the Spartans The Spartans In the summer of 480 B.C a battle took place that would forever change the history of the Greeks and that would eventually influence the way in which the Western world looked at war. The Spartans took their stand against the massive army of Persians in a three day battle which resulted in the Persians taking the win but may have very well led to the Greeks winning the Greco-Persian War. A culmination of strong tactical skill and bravery contributed to the Spartans making a stand much longer and stronger than anybody could have ever predicted. The Persian king Xerxes led his massive army through the narrow mountain pass known as Thermopylae expecting no considerable fight on the part of the Spartans. The Persians bid to conquer Greece was significantly halted because of the Spartan resistance, which was led by Leonidas,followed by a small army of Spartans, amounting to no more than 300. But no matter the size of Spartas fleet, Sparta if not the strongest, was one of the strongest mili tary powers in ancient Greece. And despite them being vastly outnumbered by the Persians at Thermopylae, they did indeed prove their military strength and sophistication which resulted in their near defeat of the Persian army. Greek culture was and still is up to today a heavy influence on the modern cultures of the Western world. It is because of this heavy influence of Greek culture in the western world, the knowledge of their history proves crucial to many aspects of our understanding of our own cultures. This heavy influence on the development of the western world could very easily be the reason that the Battle of Thermopylae and other battles surrounding it, have become of such importance and high level of study. The valiant stand of the Spartans at Thermopylae lead to the Greeks defeat of the Persians in the Greco-Persian war and enabled the further development of a culture from which the western world gains many of its principles and ideas. If the Spartans had not delayed the Persians at Thermopylae there may have been a very different ending to the Greco-Persian war. This being an important observation because the Greco-Persian war played such a crucial role in the history of Greece, a defeat could have resulted in a very different future for the western civilization. The culture of Greece was one that strived for perfection in every sense of the word, but there was a dark side to the culture that so many have grown to praise. This dark side can be seen in the Spartans treatment of the Helots, who were in essence a Greek culture in their own, the Messenia’s, but early on became enslaved by the power Spartans who were in desperate need to acquire more land to deal with the burden of overpopulation. The Spartans held true and easily demonstrated as what is seen as Greece’s inability to incorporate. The poor treatment of the Helots lead them to begin a 30 year revolt, in which the Spartans took twenty years to take control of the situation. Fear of more events like this, is what turned Sparta into the war state that it became. The attempt to suppress the Helots, by the Spartans, in many ways assisted the Spartans in their attempt to defeat the Persians. No longer willing to undergo a similar revolt, the Spartans devoted a considerable a mount of time and energy making certain to prevent all such events. It was because of these efforts that major components of Spartan culture, as we know it today, were all enforced. This can be easily seen in the devotion to physical perfection and warring techniques. And equally as important as their attempt to suppress the Helots was the contribution of the Helots in constructing their armor and warring tools. So despite the overwhelmingly poor treatment of the Helots, they played a crucial role in preparing the Spartans for the challenges to come and in the heat of battle. Even though they may have played an indirect role the affect that had on both the culture and the Battle of Thermopylae itself was indeed direct. The Greeks had a large influence on the development of western world in many respects. Whether it is an influence on science or art, to anyone who has studied Greece in the days of its glory the influences be easily pinpointed. These influences continue into the art of war. As previously stated, war was a constant in Greece so much so that it became imbedded in its very culture. Consequently the way in which war was conducted in ancient Greece has become a portrait of the way in which it should be conducted, and set a standard around the Western world for years to come. Despite war being one of the most immoral, barbaric, and most appalling of all human creations, the Greeks did the impossible, by successfully portraying war as something of beauty, patriotism, freedom and self-sacrifice. Therein lays a reason the significance of the Battle at Thermopylae. That one battle not only captured the spirit of the Greeks, more specifically the Spartans, in three days but became a turning poi nt of the art of war. But the Battle of Thermopylae more importantly defended the very future of the modern world. It was Spartan culture, which in many ways, influenced the Spartans ability to stand against the Persians as long as they did. To overlook the role of Spartan culture in relation to their stand at Thermopylae would be to overlook one of the most influential aspects of the battle. Spartan culture was one of great complexity having many intricate characteristics, which adapted to the situations that they held witness to. Spartans were people of extreme patriotic pride and military prowess, who sought perfection in every form. But equal to their patriotism was their oppressive tactics towards their captives. Spartans weren’t people who believed in the concept of freedom. The Spartans for several centuries, while in Laconia and Messenia, exercised a ruthless enslavement of other native Greeks, whose land they conquered. Sparta was a military aristocracy, who wasn’t a military state for the sake of being a military state. In many respects Sparta’s army, parallel to no t other, was created and maintained for the sole purpose of suppressing the Helots. In theory it was because of Sparta’s ‘inability to incorporate’ that lead to their standing army. Sparta’s military achievements are, no doubt, the most impressive of all their possible accomplishments. By the middle of the sixth century Sparta was already considered the strongest military force in Greece. Despite the brute strength the of the Spartan army, the Spartan were still worried that a revolt from their underclass (the Helots)would cripple their advancement as a society. â€Å"The Helot underclass were always threatening to rise up in significant numbers against their masters. So, at the beginning of each new civil year Sparta’s chief elected officials, the board of five ephors (overseers, supervisors), formally declared war on them. If any Helots did choose to rebel, they might then be killed with impunity†¦.† The awareness of a possible revolt kept the Spartans military forces extremely strong. This tension between the Spartans and Helots, strongly prepared the military forces for both the expected and unexpected, a beneficial trait which played to their advantage at the Battle of Thermopylae. Another trait that played to their advantage was the educational system of Sparta. The agoge was instated into Spartan culture to both develop the physical and mental maturity of all Spartan boys and was a requirement for all Spartan males.

Witch of blackbird pond Essay -- essays research papers

The name of the book that I read was â€Å"The Witch of Blackbird Pond† By, Elizabeth George Speare. The book took place in the year of 1687. Some of the book takes place on a boat called the â€Å"Dolphin,† and then the rest of the book in Wethersfield, in the state of Connecticut. The main characters in the book are Katherine Tyler (her nickname was Kit), Nat Eaton, Uncle Matthew, Aunt Rachel, Hannah Tupper, Kit’s cousins Mercy, and Judith, Prudence, Hannah Tupper, John Holbrook, Goodwife Cruff and Goodman Cruff. One of the problems in the beginning of the book is when she goes to her cousin’s house and was adapting to their way of life; for instance when she got there, they all did not have good clothes and she had really fancy clothes that they would have never worn in their life because they were too expensive. Another problem that she encountered was that she met a lady named Hannah Tupper that lived near Blackbird Pond and she was a Quaker. That’s why she was forced to live there, because no one liked her and she was al so accused of being a witch. Kit made friends with her when she bumped into her in the meadow. This jeopardized her life and that was a problem. She helped Prudence read and write and that was a little risky too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I mostly identify with the main character kit. I mostly identify with her because she likes to try new things and I like to try new things also. I also identify with her because she likes to explore new places, for instan...

The Blue Hotel Essay -- essays research papers

Stephen Crane is a well-known author of variety of short stories. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of a Methodist minister. After schooling at Lafayette College and Syracuse University, he worked in New York as a freelance journalist. His short stories and experimental poetry, also, anticipate the ironic realism of the decades ahead. In his brief and energetic life, he published fourteen books while acting out, in his personal adventures, the legend of the writer as soldier of fortune (741-743). Among one of his works include "The Blue Hotel." The novel the "Blue Hotel" is a novel themed with death. The moment that the Swede arrives at the "Blue Hotel" it is somehow, in The Swedes mind, transformed into a wild west hotel, by the many dime novels he has read, which made him even more uneasy about staying at the hotel. In one of the initial scenes this fear is evident "The Swede answered him swiftly and eagerly: ‘Th ese men are going to kill me.’†¦. ‘I know I won’t get out of here alive’"(771). The Swede’s fear of dying had made him want to leave the hotel, but Pat Scull, the owner of the Blue Hotel, attempted to get him to stay by showing around the hotel and showing him pictures of his family. Scully shows the Swede some pictures of his children "That’s the pitcher of my of my little girl that died. Her name was Carrie. She had the purtiest hair you ever saw! I was that fond of her, she-&qu...

Essay --

2.1 INTRODUCTION The first chapter of this dissertation has indicated organizational commitment (OC) as the way to improve a wide range of positive organizational outcomes and in curing turnover and absenteeism problems. It is vital to have a thorough understanding of the overall concept of OC. Therefore, the main objective of this chapter is to provide a review on OC based on an extensive search of existing literature. This chapter starts with the theoretical background of OC and its definition in the current world. Different approaches of OC are then discussed and Three-Component Model will be presented in detail. This chapter progresses to evaluate the OC in the construction industry based on the existing literature. Finally, a summary is provided at the end of this chapter. 2.2 BACKGROUND AND DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT (OC) Commitment is a multi-foci concept. One may find commitment to the profession associations, the union, the work teams as well as commitment to the family, the state or religion, projects, values or career (Reichers, 1985; Baruch, 1998; Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001; Paillà ©, Fournier & Lamontagne 2011). OC is one of the five forms of work commitment indicated by Morrow (1983) and has been conceptualized in different constructs, definitions and interpretations to better understand the intensity and stability of an employee’s dedication to the organization (Cohen, 2007; Singh & Venugopal, 2008). The earliest attempt of the conceptualization of commitment is by Becker’s (1960) side-bet theory. He argued that an individual is committed in an organization is because of the hidden investments. The threat of losing these investments, along with a perceived lack of alternatives to replace or make up for th... ...onship is essential in undertaking project tasks to attain the goals. To the QS, goal attainment within the work group creates a positive influence to be a member of the group. Hence, QS is likely to gain or maintain their membership in the group (Chiu & Ng, 2013). In order to achieve the desired attitude and behavioural changes among employees, it is essential to understand the objectives, expectations and goals of the organization and the employees (Mohyin, Dainty, & Carrillo, 2009). Failing in understanding what employees require and expect from the employment relationship will often lead to the deterioration in commitment and loyalty and thus increase employee turnover (Loosemore et al., 2003). This reflects a need in studying the antecedents of OC among QS, by looking at QS who work in different consultant and construction firms to fill the gaps in knowledge.

Midterm part 1

Prior to the sixteenth century, racism – in the modern sense of that term – was practically unknown. Oppression and slavery had existed, of course, but before the beginning of the African slave-trade, these had never been based on skin color. Racism, like all forms of oppression, is ultimately rooted in a capitalistic economic system that relies on heavy-handed control and oppressive authority in order to maintain itself and concentrate the greatest amount of wealth into as few hands as possible. When there â€Å"legal† controls and sheer force begin to fail, it becomes necessary for the â€Å"ruling class† to create a mythology.   In early Virginia, this mythology took the form of what was essentially a â€Å"divide and conquer† strategy. Those Englishmen who came to the Chesapeake region of their own volition in the early 17th century fell into one of two categories; landless gentry, generally the younger sons of aristocrats – and landless peasants who came as indentured servants in hopes of receiving land of their own land once the term of their service contract had expired.   The Portuguese had started the African slave trade over a century earlier. The English had made attempts to enslave the local native Indians, but as the Indians were masters at surviving in their home environment, it was nearly impossible to keep them as slaves. Africans, uprooted and separated from their culture and isolated in a foreign environment seemed an ideal solution (Zinn, 25-27). While Eric Fone argues that white Englishmen in Jamestown and the Chesapeake area had varying degrees of â€Å"liberty,† the fact is that true liberty depended on the ownership of land. In Fone’s â€Å"spectrum,† the freest people were those who of course owned their own land. Indentures were somewhere in the middle of this scale, enjoying a â€Å"partial† freedom. This may have been true, depending on your definition. An indenture agreed to become a virtual â€Å"slave† for a term of seven years – which is what indentured servitude entailed – a peasant could get passage to North America and a land grant of fifty acres once their period of servitude was completed. However in practice, this rarely happened; indentured servitude was so harsh that many died before the terms of their contract was over (Fone). Others ran off to join local Indians (the reverse, significantly, was never true), or gave up their claim to land in exchange for a shorter term. Despite underlying racism on the part of some English gentry (mostly stemming from cultural associations with the color black), the nature of slavery at that time was different from it was later to become. African slaves during the early history of the colony had many legal rights similar to those of indentured servants. The line between indentured servitude and slaver could often become blurred. There was no real reason to separate black and white during the first seventy years or so, nor deny blacks the status that was extended to any other worker. In fact, Africans slaves and English indentures did the same work, often side-by-side. There is documented evidence of fraternization, socializing and even sexual relations across racial lines (Zinn, 31-32) By the time the Virginia colony was viable and indentured servants lived long enough to complete their terms, arable land had become unavailable, due to the increasing number of landless gentry who had managed to acquire large estates – often illegally. This led to serious tensions between the growing numbers of indentures who were unable to claim the land to which the law (in theory) entitled them, and the large estate owners who controlled the best acreage. Eventually, there was an uprising by the landless working class against the landed gentry. After â€Å"Bacon’s Rebellion,† the ruling class, began to understand the precariousness of their position.   One problem was the possibility of further uprisings among disenfranchised Englishmen. The other was that of a slave uprising. The worst case scenario was that in which white indentures and black slaves should join forces.   Since these two groups faced many of the same problems, this was a real possibility. The answer was to pursue a strategy of â€Å"divide and conquer.†   Beginning in the 1660’s, a number of increasingly oppressive â€Å"slave codes† were legislated.   Eventually, this turned Africans into something less than human from a legal standpoint. Masters could literally beat a slave to death without legal repercussions; a slave could be dismembered as a form of punishment; manumission was made far more difficult. Most significantly, a 1670 law specified that African servants were slaves for life, and children born to slave women were automatically slaves as well. Next, the gentry began extending privileges to the landless working class, giving them a greater stake in Virginia society. The vote was extended to more white Protestant males than before, and the House of Burgesses – which represented the lower classes – was granted more power. Further action was taken to make western lands available to settlement. The result was that these token privileges reinforced an idea among poor and working class whites that they were somehow â€Å"better† than the Africans. The irony lies in the fact that if Africans had never been imported to Virginia, indentured white servitude would certainly have become institutionalized. The Virginia colony – and perhaps all of America – may very well have become the feudal society wished for by today’s trans-national corporate capitalists and their neo-conservative lap dogs in the current U.S. Administration and Congress. Works Cited Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History.   New York: W.W. Norton,   2006. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of The United States (3rd ed.) New York: Harper Collins, 2003.

Cuba Speech Essay

This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature last Tuesday morning at 9 A.M., I directed that our surveillance be stepped up. And having now confirmed and completed our evaluation of the evidence and our decision on a course of action, this Government feels obliged to report this new crisis to you in fullest detail. The characteristics of these new missile sites indicate two distinct types of installations. Several of them include medium range ballistic missiles, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead for a distance of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Each of these missiles, in short, is capable of striking Washington, D. C., the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States, in Central America, or in the Caribbean area. Click photo for high resolution Additional sites not yet completed appear to be designed for intermediate range ballistic missiles — capable of traveling more than twice as far — and thus capable of striking most of the major cities in the Western Hemisphere, ranging as far north as Hudson Bay, Canada, and as far south as Lima, Peru. In addition, jet bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, are now being uncrated and assembled in Cuba, while the necessary air bases are being prepared. This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic base — by the presence of these large, long-range, and clearly offensive weapons of sudden mass destruction — constitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas, in flagrant and deliberate defiance of the Rio Pact of 1947, the traditions of this nation and hemisphere, the joint resolution of the 87th Congress, the Charter of the United Nations, and my own public warnings to the Soviets on September 4 and 13. This action also contradicts the repeated assurances of Soviet spokesmen, both publicly and privately delivered, that the arms buildup in Cuba would retain its original defensive character, and that the Soviet Union had no need or desire to station strategic missiles. on the territory of any other nation. The size of this undertaking makes clear that it has been planned for some months. Yet, only last month, after I had made clear the distinction between any introduction of ground-to-ground missiles and the existence of defensive antiaircraft missiles, the Soviet Government publicly stated on September 11 that, and I quote, â€Å"the armaments and military equipment sent to Cuba are designed exclusively for defensive purposes,† that there is, and I quote the Soviet Government, â€Å"there is no need for the Soviet Government to shift its weapons for a retaliatory blow to any other country, for instance Cuba,† and that, and I quote their government, â€Å"the Soviet Union has so powerful rockets to carry these nuclear warheads that there is no need to search for sites for them beyond the boundaries of the Soviet Union.† That statement was false. Only last Thursday, as evidence of this rapid offensive buildup was already in my hand, Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko told me in my office that he was instructed to make it clear once again, as he said his government had already done, that Soviet assistance to Cuba, and I quote, â€Å"pursued solely the purpose of contributing to the defense capabilities of Cuba,† that, and I quote him, â€Å"training by Soviet specialists of Cuban nationals in handling defensive armaments was by no means offensive, and if it were otherwise,† Mr. Gromyko went on, â€Å"the Soviet Government would never become involved in rendering such assistance.† That statement also was false. Neither the United States of America nor the world community of nations can tolerate deliberate deception and offensive threats on the part of any nation, large or small. We no longer live in a world where only the actual firing of weapons represents a sufficient challenge to a nation’s security to constitute maximum peril. Nuclear weapons are so destructive and ballistic missiles are so swift, that any substantially increased possibility of their use or any sudden change in their deployment may well be regarded as a definite threat to peace. For many years, both the Soviet Union and the United States, recognizing this fact, have deployed strategic nuclear weapons with great care, never upsetting the precarious status quo which insured that these weapons would not be used in the absence of some vital challenge. Our own strategic missiles have never been transferred to the territory of any other nation under a cloak of secrecy and deception; and our history — unlike that of the Soviets since the end of World War II — demonstrates that we have no desire to dominate or conquer any other nation or impose our system upon its people. Nevertheless, American citizens have become adjusted to living daily on the bull’s-eye of Soviet missiles located inside the U.S.S.R. or in submarines. In that sense, missiles in Cuba add to an already clear and present danger — although it should be noted the nations of Latin America have never previously been subjected to a potential nuclear threat. But this secret, swift, extraordinary buildup of Communist missiles — in an area well known to have a special and historical relationship to the United States and the nations of the Western Hemisphere, in violation of Soviet assurances, and in defiance of American and hemispheric policy — this sudden, clandestine decision to station strategic weapons for the first time outside of Soviet soil — is a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quo which cannot be accepted by this country, if our courage and our commitments are ever to be trusted again by either friend or foe. The 1930’s taught us a clear lesson: aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war. This nation is opposed to war. We are also true to our word. Our unswerving objective, therefore, must be to prevent the use of these missiles against this or any other country, and to secure their withdrawal or elimination from the Western Hemisphere. Our policy has been one of patience and restraint, as befits a peaceful and powerful nation which leads a worldwide alliance. We have been determined not to be diverted from our central concerns by mere irritants and fanatics. But now further action is required, and it is under way; and these actions may only be the beginning. We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth; but neither will we shrink from that risk at any time it must be faced. Acting, therefore, in the defense of our own security and of the entire Western Hemisphere, and under the authority entrusted to me by the Constitution as endorsed by the Resolution of the Congress, I have directed that the following initial steps be taken immediately: First: To halt this offensive buildup a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation or port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. This quarantine will be extended, if needed, to other types of cargo and carriers. We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948. Second: I have directed the continued and increased close surveillance of Cuba and its military buildup. The foreign ministers of the OAS [Organization of American States], in their communiquà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ of October 6, rejected secrecy on such matters in this hemisphere. Should these offensive military preparations continue, thus increasing the threat to the hemisphere, further action will be justified. I have directed the Armed Forces to prepare for any eventualities; and I trust that in the interest of both the Cuban people and the Soviet technicians at the sites, the hazards to all concerned of continuing this threat will be recognized. Third: It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union. Fourth: As a necessary military precaution, I have reinforced our base at Guantanamo, evacuated today the dependents of our personnel there, and ordered additional military units to be on a standby ale rt basis. Fifth: We are calling tonight for an immediate meeting of the Organ[ization] of Consultation under the Organization of American States, to consider this threat to hemispheric security and to invoke articles 6 and 8 of the Rio Treaty in support of all necessary action. The United Nations Charter allows for regional security arrangements, and the nations of this hemisphere decided long ago against the military presence of outside powers. Our other allies around the world have also been alerted. Sixth: Under the Charter of the United Nations, we are asking tonight that an emergency meeting of the Security Council be convoked without delay to take action against this latest Soviet threat to world peace. Our resolution will call for the prompt dismantling and withdrawal of all offensive weapons in Cuba, under the supervision of U.N. observers, before the quarantine can be lifted. Seventh and finally: I call upon Chairman Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless, and provocative threat to world peace and to stable relations between our two nations. I call upon him further to abandon this course of world domination, and to join in an historic effort to end the perilous arms race and to transform the history of man. He has an opportunity now to move the world back from the abyss of destruction by returning to his government’s own words that it had no need to station missiles outside its own territory, and withdrawing these weapons from Cuba by refraining from any action which will widen or deepen the present crisis, and then by participating in a search for peaceful and permanent solutions. This nation is prepared to present its case against the Soviet threat to peace, and our own proposals for a peaceful world, at any time and in any forum — in the OAS, in the United Nations, or in any other meeting that could be useful — without limiting our freedom of action. We have in the past made strenuous efforts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. We have proposed the elimination of all arms and military bases in a fair and effective disarmament treaty. We are prepared to discuss new proposals for the removal of tensions on both sides, including the possibilities of a genuinely independent Cuba, free to determine its own destiny. We have no wish to war with the Soviet Union — for we are a peaceful people who desire to live in peace with all other peoples. But it is difficult to settle or even discuss these problems in an atmosphere of intimidation. That is why this latest Soviet threat — or any other threat which is made either independently or in response to our actions this week– must and will be met with determination. Any hostile move anywhere in the world against the safety and freedom of peoples to whom we are committed, including in particular the brave people of West Berlin, will be met by whatever action is needed. Finally, I want to say a few words to the captive people of Cuba, to whom this speech is being directly carried by special radio facilities. I speak to you as a friend, as one who knows of your deep attachment to your fatherland, as one who shares your aspirations for liberty and justice for all. And I have watched and the American people have watched with deep sorrow how your nationalist revolution was betrayed — and how your fatherland fell under foreign domination. Now your leaders are no longer Cuban leaders inspired by Cuban ideals. They are puppets and agents of an international conspiracy which has turned Cuba against your friends and neighbors in the Americas, and turned it into the first Latin American country to become a target for nuclear war — the first Latin American country to have these weapons on its soil. These new weapons are not in your interest. They contribute nothing to your peace and well-being. They can only undermine it. But this country has no wish to cause you to suffer or to impose any system upon you. We know that your lives and land are being used as pawns by those who deny your freedom. Many times in the past, the Cuban people have risen to throw out tyrants who destroyed their liberty. And I have no doubt that most Cubans today look forward to the time when they will be truly free — free from foreign domination, free to choose their own leaders, free to select their own system, free to own their own land, free to speak and write and worship without fear or degradation. And then shall Cuba be welcomed back to the society of free nations and to the associations of this hemisphere. My fellow citizens, let no one doubt that this is a difficult and dangerous effort on which we have set out. No one can foresee precisely what course it will take or what costs or casualties will be incurred. Many months of sacrifice and self-discipline lie ahead — months in which both our patience and our will will be tested, months in which many threats and denunciations will keep us aware of our dangers. But the greatest danger of all would be to do nothing. The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are; but it is the one most consistent with our character and courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right; not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.

Macbeth: Post Traumatic Essay

Throughout the story, Macbeth seems to show symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post traumatic Stress Disorder is an emotional illness that usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. He starts experiencing terrifying events after he became a murder. Macbeth’s problem of experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, when first killed the traitor in the beginning of the Act 1, Scene 2. Macbeth does suffer from PTSD and throughout the story, Macbeth show more symptoms of PTSD, dealing with the death of the traitor, Death of Duncan, and Banquo. In the first act, Macbeth is a soldier in the army. In the Act 1, Scene 2, the captain explains to the king, that Macbeth has killed the traitor. â€Å"Which smoked with bloody execution, like valor’s minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave; which nevr shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops† (Act 1 Scene 2: 18-22). The killing of the traitor was the start of Macbeth’s killing spree, also the start of the post traumatic stress disorder. The way Macbeth killed the soldier, was very gruesome. The gory, intense event shocked Macbeth and left a horrible image in his head. Dr. Roxanne Dryden Edwards says â€Å"People who are exposed to war combat have been diagnosed with PTSD†. After that death, Macbeth’s next victim was King Duncan, so Macbeth could become king. Macbeth kills King Duncan, so he could become king. After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth enters the room, where Lady Macbeth is. His hands covered in blood, meaning that he has completed the deed of killing Duncan. â€Å"I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? † Dr. Roxanne Dryden Edwards, a person who has PTSD, will experience hallucination. † (Act 2, Scene 2). After the death of Duncan, Macbeth is unable to sleep. In the story, Since Macbeth killed Duncan in his sleep; it also means that Macbeth can’t sleep neither. â€Å"Since it cried â€Å"Sleep no more! † to all the house: â€Å"Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more. † (Act 2, Scene 2: 40- 42). The symptom of PTSD is that after a terrifying event, the person will not be able to sleep. Dr. Roxanne Dryden Edwards says PTSD symptoms are chronic physical signs of hyper arousal, including sleep problems, trouble concentrating, irritability, anger, poor concentration. After the death of Duncan, Banquo was next line for death row, for knowing who killed Duncan. During Act 3 Scene 1, Macbeth talks to two murderers about killing Banquo. Banquo knows that Duncan’s murderer was Macbeth. Macbeth hired two murderers to kill Banquo, so Banquo would not tell anyone. † Have you considered of my speeches? Know that it was he in the times past, which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference ;†( Act 3, Scene 1) The two murderers agree to kill Banquo, because if they didn’t follow Macbeth’s order, they would be killed themselves. Macbeth is being manipulative the reason why is that Dr. Roxanne Dryden Edwards says â€Å" PTSD causes a person to paranoid and not want to be around anyone. † After the death of Banquo, Macbeth started hallucinating as if he was seeing Banquo’s ghost. â€Å" Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; thou hast no speculation in those eyes, which thou dost glare with. † Hallucinating is a symptom of PSTD, usually recurrent re-experiencing of the trauma, for example, troublesome memories, flashbacks that are usually caused by reminders of the traumatic events, recurring day mares about the trauma. Macbeth does suffer from PTSD and throughout the story; Macbeth shows more symptoms of PTSD, dealing with the death of the traitor, death of Duncan, and Banquo. Macbeth did have PSTD. Proving that all of the events that Macbeth was involved in all of the tragic. For the death of the traitor, that was the spark of Macbeth’s major killing spree. Next was the King Duncan’s death and finally was Banquo’s death. Each of these tragic events was the cause of Macbeth having PTSD. Every one of those deaths, increase the killing and made Macbeth go insane leading to his death. Isn’t better to show your true colors, than be black and white?

Bob Ewell Essay Essay

Bob Ewell is a character in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Bob Ewell is the head of the Ewell family, a poor family who lives in the town dump. Bob Ewell has many children, but his wife is deceased. Bob Ewell’s racist attitude, fecklessness and vengefulness make him one of the most hated and wicked characters in the book. Bob Ewell is thought of as the most despicable man in all of Maycomb, except for its black residents, who the racists of the town think are worse than anyone else. Bob Ewell is one of these racists, and throughout the novel he shows that he thinks himself better than any black man. He shows his racist attitude many times at his trial. For example Bob Ewell does not refer to Tom Robinson by his name, instead he states â€Å"I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!†. In addition to not calling him by name; he also uses language associated with animals, â€Å"ruttin† as well as later saying â€Å"I’ve asked this county for fifteen years to clean out that nest down yon- der, they’re dangerous to live around ‘sides devaluin’ my property-â€Å". In the previous quote Bob Ewell also shows he believes in the stereotype that all black men are criminals, and states his belief that they are devaluing his property more than the nearby dump. Finally, he tells Atticus â€Å" I’m real sorry they picked you to defend that nigger that raped my Mayella. I don’t know why I didn’t kill him myself instead of goin’ to the sheriff. That would have saved you and the sheriff and the taxpayers lots of trouble.†. He shows his racism here in that he believes that the law would be on his side against a black man no matter what happend, even if he had killed Tom. While it is clear that Bob Ewell was born into a poor and troubled family, he shows no ambition to improve his state of being. He is so lazy that he is known for being the only man to be fired from the WPA for laziness. Moreover, Ewell does not give his children an education, nor does he have one himself. He squanders all his government money buying alcohol, instead of using it to support his children. His fecklessness isn’t just laziness; he doesn’t like things being his problem. He blames beating his daughter on Tom Robinson, and he blames Atticus for taking advantage of him. Not only does he not like taking blame, but he also never confronts his problems head on. He would rather harass poor a woman than confront Atticus. In addition to being racist and feckless, Bob Ewell is a very vengeful person. There are many examples of him taking needless revenge on various other people. The first is Tom Robinson, If Ewell had come home to see his daughter seducing a black man, he could have let Tom go. However Bob Ewell accused Tom of raping her for revenge. Other examples of his vengefulness are his attempts to take revenge on those who took part in his trial. This starts with his confrontation with Atticus when he curses, spits on and threatens to him. While is his only confrontation his Atticus,. his vengeful nature is further shown by his willingness to harass a poor black woman (Helen Robinson), and to rob an old man (Judge Tailor). His final attempt at revenge is not against Atticus, but against his children. Bob Ewell decides to, instead of confronting Atticus directly, go after his children in an attempt to hurt Atticus emotionally. While Ewell does not succeed, it shows his willingness to do something as terrible and cowardly as to go after innocent children for petty revenge. If To Kill a Mockingbird had definite villains, Bob Ewell would be the main antagonist. His constant racism, helps to demonstrate and illustrate his other traits, as it allows him to have someone he is â€Å"better than† and someone to blame. His fecklessness is demonstrated by the fact that he makes no attempt to improve his life, or the lives of his children but instead forces his family to work hard while he drinks. In the end, it is shown that he is cowardly, vile and drunk enough to go after innocents to get revenge on a man for trying to give a fair trial to a black man.

Operetion management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operetion management - Assignment Example This is especially true in the case highly fashion conscious and seasonal business of selling fashion wear merchandise. In this context the 'Quick Response' supply chain project of Jossey Menswear - a fashion retailer with more than 200 retail outlets is analysed to evaluate and critically comment on the scope of success of their project I improving the supply chain management. "More than ever before speed has become a source of competitive advantage. Competing on speed requires an organization characterized by fast moves, fast adaptations and tight linkages. .. Forming alliances is one of the most effective avenues for competing speed. The best example is the textile industry's quick response initiative, designed to improve the flow of information, standardize recording systems, and reduce turnaround time along the entire supply chain from fiber to textiles to apparel to retailing." - Roberta S. Russell, Bernard W. Taylor Operation Management: Edition IV (2003). pp 37. Seasonality - This is the main factor which necessitates the speed in the supply chain. Basically the fashion industry works on two seasons, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, where supply decisions are conceived at least 18 months prior to the time the merchandise is supposed to be on the racks of the retail outlet. The various processes starting from the selection of design, selection of color trends and fabric trends for the next season are time consuming and in order that the garments reach the stores before the end of the season, there should exist an effective supply chain. Products are made according to a predetermined standard sizes and there is no time to revise the outfits once manufactured. This critical aspect in the supply chain movement sometimes delays the whole process of manufacturing resulting in the rejection of some garment lots being out of size specifications. Here again a team effort working in conformity to evolved standards will make the things move faster. Pricing-the determinant factor on the success or otherwise of a business venture is at the centre of all managerial decisions. This is particularly true in the case of the fashion retail business as any garments not reaching within the saleable window will naturally have to be sold at the end of the season at heavily discounted prices. Full price sales can be effected only when the merchandise reaches the stores and is available to the customer when they visit the store only once or twice in a year, which is a peculiarity attached to the fashion retail industry. The sale at full price is also determined by various other factors. 'Designers' collection' forms the foundation for the full price sales. Since designers work at a considerably advanced period before the actual sales takes place, they have to make intelligent guess work about the customer preferences in terms of deign, color and fabric which may sell well in a season. If the decisions on the collection designs are made right then the entire season may witness good full price sales. Getting the styles into the right retail

Analysis of a drama film-The Truman Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysis of a drama film-The Truman Show - Essay Example The protagonist of the film, Truman Burbank, is the main character of a longest nonstop live broadcast catering to a global audience. He is unaware that his life, activities and emotions are being filmed and that all those who are with him are acting their roles well for the success of the show. His mundane life in the seaside town of Seahaven is being captured by more than 5,000 hidden cameras. Most parts of the film appear as if the audience is watching "The Truman Show" rather than a film based on a reality show.         The film opens on the broadcast day 10,909 when Truman is nearly thirty years old. Until this day, Truman has not realized that he is living in an artificial world that Christof has created for him. Omnicom Corporation had adopted Truman from the day he was born and turned his life to a reality show where â€Å"his wife Meryl, his best friend Marlon and his mother † (Niccol 1998) are actors who are performing in front of Truman to convince him that hi s life is real. As in the words of the master architect of the Show, Christof, "We’ve become bored with watching actors giving us phony emotions. We’re tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is in some respects counterfeit, there is nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue-cons. It’s not always Shakespeare, but it’s genuine. It’s a life†¦Louis Coltrane and Hannah Gill (Meryl) also stresses the originality of Truman's life by saying that "It's all true, it's all real.

The Allocation Problem session long project 4 (walmart) accounting Essay

The Allocation Problem session long project 4 (walmart) accounting - Essay Example The company allocates its administrative expenses to all the divisions and these common costs are used in this analysis. From the annual report of Wal-Mart, the incomes from various divisions are gathered. The administrative expenses are then allocated to each division. The allocation depends on a number of factors including the scale of operations in the division, number of stores operating in the division and the revenue generated (Wal-Mart Financial Review). The incomes from various divisions are presented below: The above report indicates that the Wal-Mart U S has the highest profit margin standing at 7.5 % ($ 19522 million / $ 258,229 million). However the International division has a low profit margin at 5 %. These performances are based on the incomes generated after taking the common costs into account. In order to identify the actual performance of the various divisions, the report is recast without taking the common costs into consideration. The recast report above without the unallocated common costs (administrative expenses, in this case) reveals that the International division contributes significantly towards the total income and towards covering the common costs. It is a known fact that the administrative expenses are hard to predict and are very unstable in large organizations. Hence the above report without the administrative expenses can be used to predict or estimate future performance of the divisions. Thus the common costs (in this case, the advertising expenses) are analyzed for Wal-Mart. The recast report with the unallocated costs reveals a number of facts about the profitability, thus giving a clear picture of the performance of the various divisions. This information without the allocated common costs can be useful in analyzing the contribution of the division to the company as a