Postive Impact of Playing Video Games - 1296 Words

In the past few decades there has been debate over the positive and negative affects of video games with a good deal of focus on more violent games. Prior to and concurrently with this debate, there have also been similar debates over radio, television, and movies but, as should be obvious from the current breadth of media, no studies have definitively proven any negative affects. The detractors of video games claim, based on media effects research, that people who play video games with any sort of violence in them have heightened antisocial and decreased prosocial tendencies afterwards; this is the assumed cause of certain acts of violence including the majority of school shootings. The supporters of video games claim that there is an†¦show more content†¦Moreover, in its normal context (with a running narrative), a video game is split from reality so the player is more conscious of what is and isn’t acceptable†¦in studies, subjects play the game with no idea of what is supposed to be happening. This grounding effect has been intensified in recent years by a change both in video games and in the way people play. Games began to approach cinematic experiences and that has led to people watching a game being played and occasionally giving tips to the player. Such advice has brought the player further back from the game world diminishing the effect of the narrative slightly but turning it into a social event much like the media that games have begun to emulate (Jenkins). More importantly, a large number of games have begun to include cooperative modes (e.g. Little Big Planet, Ratchet Clank: All 4 One) that require multiple players to work together to achieve a common goal; a cooperative mode allows both the social aspect of playing a game with people watching and the engrossing cinematic experience that games have always sought to provide. This social aspect is nothing new. Gamers have always communicated with one another about how to get past tough parts of games, and to gener ally improve, they have always strived to play along side or against one another to test themselves and to in order toShow MoreRelatedThe Postive and Negative Social, Educational and Health Effects of Cell Phones on Teenagers3132 Words   |  13 PagesTHE POSTIVE AND NEGATIVE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF CELL PHONES ON TEENAGERS By Agshin Alizada For the course HSB 4MI Presented to Miss Dahl BLUEVALE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE Table of Contents Page 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Discussion ` 4 2.1 Positive and Negative Social Effects of Cell Phones on Teenagers 4 2.2 Positive and Negative Educational Effects

The Sleeper by Edgar Allan Poe - 1760 Words

The Sleeper, by Edgar Allan Poe, was first published in the Poems of 1831; this poem has since been revised from its current version which was printed in 1845. This poem was written during the Romanticism Period. This time period is defined as a time in which poets began to â€Å"rebel against the Neoclassical restrictions and dominance of reason as poetic aim. Romantic poetry celebrated the imagination over rationality, passion, and dreams over reason and external reality, and isolated individuality over collective humankind. Romantic poetry looked to celebrate both the supernatural and elevate the commonplace.† (Henriksen) Poe’s imagination prevails in this lyric poem. The speaker of the poem experiences an internal conflict while mourning†¦show more content†¦He is concerned for Irene, asking her if she is afraid of being in this place. He wonders why she is dreaming in this place, and of what. The speaker says that she must be from a far away land, because even the trees are left to wonder about her. He comments on the peculiarity of how white her skin is, how strangely she is dressed, as well as the length of her hair is off setting to him. He is addressing her as if she will respond to him, which is another use of apostrophe. He is seemingly disoriented by her lack of courteousness; she will not answer his questions. The introduction to Irene being placed in the second stanza is important because it allows for a mood to be created, for the poem to establish an emotional investment for the speaker; we must first get a vivid image of the external surroundings. Poe constructs a mystical setting for his poem which conveys the music in the speaker’s soul. He does this by using alliteration in the first stanza, â€Å"And, Softly, dripping, drop by drop. The sensuality of these descriptions conveys how he feels about Irene. Once we are introduced to the slumbering beauty we can see he is concerned for her soul. His probing question s with an expectation of an answer haunt us into the realization that his love transcends through the confines of death. Poe uses iambic tetrameter in this poem, which allows the flow of the poem to captivate the reader into this fantastic setting. The rhyme scheme ofShow MoreRelated Edgar Allan Poe Essay504 Words   |  3 Pages Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe began his career as a poet, and collected or corrected poems throughout his career. A quality of enjoyable sounds can be found in poems that readers also consider serious. However, these elements can also exist with themes that are more typical of the Romantic Movement, such as dreams and nightmares Poe handled this through images designed to show undecided states of awareness represented as lakes, seas, waves, and vapors. Nearly all Poes criticism on poetry wasRead More Edgar Allan Poe and His Works Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesThesis: Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential, yet misunderstood writers in American Literature. I. His Early Life A. His Adoption B. His Education II. His Later Life A. Books Published B. Military Life III. The Conclusion of His Life A. His Marriage B. His Death IV. His Works V. What Others Thought Of Him Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, known as a poet and critic but most famous as the first master of the short story form, especially tales of the mysteriousRead More Poe and Morrison Transformed Jalopies into Hot Rods 1478 Words   |  6 Pagescertainly safe to say that both Edgar Allan Poe and Jim Morrison’s vehicles had a few dents and dings, maybe even a crack in the windshield, but they managed to turn these beaters into high performance sleepers. Both Poe and Morrison faced premature emotional distress, gaunt paternal connections, and parallel views on the process of writing poetry; all of which became the catalysts of recurring dark, shocking and unconventional themes in their poetry. Edgar Allan Poe and Jim Morrison experienced traumaticRead More Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Essay11890 Words   |  48 PagesBiography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born at 33 Hollis Street, Boston, Mass., on January 19, 1809, the son of poverty stricken actors, David, and Elizabeth (born Arnold) Poe. His parents were then filling an engagement in a Boston theatre, and the appearances of both, together with their sojourns in various places during their wandering careers, are to be plainly traced in the play bills of the time. Paternal Ancestry The father ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prologue Of Ralph Ellison s Invisible Man1367 Words   |  6 PagesMan, for the most part, provides a lucid account in the prologue, the drug-induced hallucination is an exception that is, in fact, significant. In the very beginning, he says, â€Å"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe†¦ I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me† (Ellison 4). The narrator introduces himself with an anaphora of â€Å"I am† statements that are powerfully definitive and frank. He engages the readers directly with words like â€Å"No†Read MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesfiction of writers who had never read a page of Darwin. Beginning of the 19th century brought another innovation in prose, which was the birth of a new genre , called detective story. The main precursor of this form were William Godwin and Edgar Allan Poe, who in their works introduced a detective character, the crime and clues, the announcement of a solution and denouement. Later on, the character of detective was also used by such writers as Dickens or Collins. Although, Collins â€Å"The Moonstone†

Understanding Support For Bleisure Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Understanding Support For Bleisure. Answer: Introduction Bleisure is a term that was coined in the hotel industry to refer to adding a leisure component to business trips. This trend has become common, especially among the Millennials. Bleisure makes employees comfortable, motivated, committed and focused. These factors result in high productivity and profits for an organization. Despite what research has shown the benefits of bleisure, there is a section of people who believe that bleisure should not be encouraged since it is not documented in corporate travel policies. Additional, they argue that it is expensive and difficult to manage. Nevertheless, research has shown that more companies have become accustomed to the concept of leisure thus allocating time and resources for it. However, a gap exists in the literature on bleisure travelers target market. Information is important since it helps hotels to tailor services to fit customer needs. Therefore, this report explains the research steps involved in ascertaining the information used to profile target market for bleisure travelers. This will involve analyzing reasons for support of bleisure, considerations in bleisure travels and bleisure target market demographics. Understanding support for bleisure Since the emergence of bleisure, various businesses have adjusted management to ensure that they prioritize comfort and morale for employees while on business trips. Meaning, they must have established that there are benefits for supporting bleisure (Zahra, 2016). Understanding advantages and support for bleisure will enable hotels to find the basis for developing bleisure activities (arts/culture, sight-seeing, and dining experience) (Zahra, 2016). Bleisure instills a positive attitude in employees thus making them more productive. Admittedly, travel can be an emotional and physical burden on staff (Bridgestreet.com, 2014). Therefore, introducing leisure can make them more productive while overseas. Consequently, businesses experience a better return on investment. Understanding this factor helps hotel management to create activities that are fun for people on business trips (Truong, 2015). For example, they could organize for neighboring city visits, introducing serviced apartments and games. Similarly, businesses support bleisure because it portrays their commitment to employee morale and satisfaction. 30% of trips are done for business purposes (McLeod, 2017). 83% of people in business trips admit taking 3 or less extra days to explore the city or relax (McLeod, 2017). Meaning, even before businesses started incorporating bleisure in their travel policies, employees had ways of ensuring they have leisure during business trips (Luca, 2015). Therefore, by officially supporting bleisure, businesses show that employees comfort is a priority instead of an afterthought. Understanding the basis of support for bleisure is a critical step in developing information to be used in profiling target market for bleisure travel (HJ Crawford, 2015). Apart from helping in creating bleisure schedules, it ensures that services and experiences are fit to the preferences of staff on business trips. Bleisure travels considerations According to a research conducted by Travel Associates, between 20% and 30%, hotel bookings can be classified as bleisure travel (Bridgestreet.com, 2014). This calls for the need to understand factors that influence employees to turn business trips into bleisure trips. Therefore, this section provides the two main factors: business travel location and cost of extending business trips which are considered in bleisure travel. A report by Bridge Street Global Hospitality showed that the further employees travel for business, the more likely they will extend the trip. Meaning, business location plays a key role in bleisure travel (Morschett, 2017). Therefore, it is upon hotel management to profile customers depending on where they are traveling from. This will help in developing a desirable program that will ensure that guests do not get bored while on business trips. Similarly, the cost of extending a business trip determines the likelihood of leisure travel. According to a report on State of Business conducted by Concur Company in 2016, the average business trip is three nights (Morschett, 2017). Further, business travel expenses are usually covered by the business. Meaning, taking extra days to relax and explore, while on a business trip, is cheaper and convenient for employees (Bridgestreet.com, 2014). Additionally, for those going to business trips with family members, bleisure is the best option since one members fare ticket is paid for by the business. Location for business travel and cost determines the likelihood of bleisure travel. This information is important in profiling the target market for bleisure travel (Cho, 2013). It ensures that hotels adjust their prices to attract more bleisure travelers and create strategies that ensure that even those accompanying people on business trips get to have a worthy travel experience. Bleisure travel target market demographics Not everyone goes for business trips. Similarly, not every person in business travel extends days for leisure. This calls for the need to understand bleisure travel target market using demographic features like age, attitude, gender and region (Wilson, 2014). Research shows that in every 10 travelers, 6 are away for business purposes. Out of the six, two travel for 60 or more days. Similarly, people on business travel admit taking three, or less, days for vacation (Bridgestreet.com, 2014). This means that bleisure is unavoidable among people on business trips thus the need to be included in every companys travel policies. Although most business traveler age range between 45 and 55 years, Research shows that business travelers below 35 years prefer bleisure. This group cites love for exploration as the main reason for loving bleisure (Bridgestreet.com, 2014). Further, 61% of them prefer traveling with family members or significant other to business trips (Leiss, 2017). Additionally, although the job market is dominated by men, women prefer bleisure and are more likely to extend for more days. Findings The process of profiling the target market goes through critical stages that assure a hotel success. From this research, it has been established that understanding the support for bleisure, factors considered in bleisure travel and target population demographics. These steps are important in ascertaining information used to profile bleisure target market. In conclusion, information used to profile target market in the hotel industry is important because it gives particular hotels competitive advantage, enable expansion of the market, reducing the cost of marketing mistakes and improving customer experience. However, to achieve effectiveness, research should be conducted in a systematic order. Therefore, this report has cited understanding reasons for support for bleisure, considerations in bleisure travel and target market demographics analysis as the main steps to be followed in ascertaining the information used to profile target market for bleisure travelers in the hotel industry. References Bridgestreet.com. (2014). The Bleisure Report. Retrieved 10 25, 2017, from Bridge Street Global Hospitality: https://www.bridgestreet.com Cho, S. (2013). Toward a Field of Intersectionality Studies: Theory, Applications, and Praxis. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 38 , 785-810. Creswell, J. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative , and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications . Hair, J. (2013). Essentials of business research. ME Sharpe . HJ Crawford, G. G. (2015). Humorous advertising that travels: A review and call for research. Journal of Business Research , 569-577. Leiss, C. (2017, 8 20). Bleisure-A new travel category. Retrieved 10 25, 2017, from Tnooz: https://www.tnooz.com Luca, N. (2015, october 9). Towards a service-dominant approach to social marketing theory. Retrieved 12 November, 2016, from sage pub.com: https://www.sagepub.com McLeod, S. (2017, 8 20). The Pros and Cons of Encouraging Bleisure Travel. Retrieved 10 25, 2017, from Travel Port Locomote: https://blog.locomote,com Morschett, R. G. (2017). Determining the Target Markets. In Developing International Strategies , 85-104. Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice. Sage , 227-245. Truong, V. (2015). Social marketing quarterly. Elsevier , 230-248. Wilson, J. (2014). Essentials of business research: A guide to doing your research project. Sage. Zahra, S. (2016). Developing theory-grounded family business research: Some suggestions. Journal of family business strategy , 3-7.

The biggest estate on earth How aborigines made Australia

Introduction The book, The biggest estate on earth: How aborigines made Australia, discuses the effects of white settlement in the Australian continent. It discusses the history of the Aboriginal Australians and the way they lived before colonization. The Aboriginal Australians of the late 1700s were hunters who relied on hunting and gathering for sustain their living.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The biggest estate on earth: How aborigines made Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also practiced farming and used fire, while hunting for wild animals. Fire attracted the animals making it easy for people to hunt the prey down. Gammage (2012) argues that the first Australians to practice farming did so by developing a system which ensured there was adequate water and food throughout the year. In his article â€Å"The First Farmers† published in Brisbane Times, Tony Stephens agrees with Gammageà ¢â‚¬â„¢s view on the history of the Indigenous Australians. In his review, Stephens illustrates what Gammage wrote about the European invasion and how it changed Australia. The Europeans came and took over the land of the Aboriginal people and even adopted their methods of farming. Review According to Tony Stephens who reviewed the book by Gammage, the author’s aim was to inform the readers about the lifestyles of the Aboriginal Australians before the white settlers arrived. He focused on showing how wise and organised they were. They were even able to use fire to hunt animals, and this proves that they were able people (Gammage, 2012). The activities practiced in the pre-colonial Australia show the vast knowledge that the Aboriginal Australians had. They designed and created land systems which ensured that there was enough supply of food and water. Gammage recognised the scale of the work they had done for land management as well as their skills and knowledge which they has applied to achieve their goals. Aboriginal Australians’ land management practice enabled the European settlers to start farming in the continent. This shows that the Indigenous Australians were skilful and powerful enough to be able to influence the Europeans who considered the local population to be uncivilised. Stephens acknowledges Gammage’s aims and his achievements. The Aborigines were knowledgeable enough to use fire for their benefit and prevent the happenings of fire which may kill a lot of animals and destroy everything on its way. They also grew foods, such as yams, millet and different fruits.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gammage tried to bring up the fact that the colonialists structures tampered with land management of the Aboriginal Australians who were more knowledgeable than they were perceived to be. They valued their environment and took care of every thing that was in it. Stephens (2011, p.3) particularly cites Gammage saying, †The more carefully they (Aboriginal people) made the land, the more likely settlers were to take it†. The Europeans justified their right to colonise the Indigenous Australians because they thought European civilisation was more progressive and developed than the Aboriginal Australians were, and thus Europeans felt their superiority. The aborigines even knew the kind of environment needed for every animal. For instance, they knew that bees lived in dessert black wood and kangaroos preferred short grass (Stephens, 2011, p.2). This knowledge helped them in hunting animals which they used as food and for other purposes. They also knew the areas where plants thrive well. This knowledge enabled them to have sufficient food throughout the year. The book provides valuable pieces of information about the Aborigines and their way of life. According to Blanley, â€Å"aborigines made Australia what it i s by their extensive knowledge of fire and ecology† (2011, p.11). The Aborigines knew their environment quite well and knew how important it was to take care of. Fire was used to hunt animals. They created patterns that attracted animals such as gazelles, making it easy for them to catch the prey. It was also used as a hiding place for hunters. The Aborigines ensured supply of food through their farming systems (Whitehouse, 2012, p.213). Gammage considered various works from different perspectives for his book. He used writings of historians such as James Cook and Abel Tasman. These historians had widely written on the history of the Aborigines and therefore provided a rich source of information. He also examined works of art and drawings such as those by Lycett that show what Australia was before being invaded by the Europeans. In his book, Gammege extensively considered ecological information which was left by the aborigines which was also important in his work (Blanley, 201 1, p.15). Gammage was a renowned historian who had credible knowledge and information about the Aborigines and their ways of pre-colonial live.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The biggest estate on earth: How aborigines made Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gammage’s book gives the reader a different opinion on the relationship between Aborigines and land. He makes it clear that the Aborigines were knowledgeable people. The book indicates that their knowledge was more developed, but unfortunately, it was not recognised by the Europeans. The Europeans viewed the Aborigines as people who were only meant to hunt and gather. Gammage shows how Europeans affected the Australian’s development and how their activities affected land and animals. It is important to note that the Aborigines practiced kinds of farming which enabled them to have food and water throughout the year (Whitehouse, 2012). Conclusion The Australian Aborigines were very intelligent and knowledgeable about their environment. Before the invasions of the European settlers, they hunted wild animals using fire. They also had their farms, grew crops such as yams and millet and reared animals. The Europeans claimed that the Aborigines were disorganised and did not know land management. Gammage, after an intensive research, presents to the reader that the Aborigines were very knowledgeable. He even intrigues that the direction the smoke followed in Lycett’s painting indicated that the Aborigines were careful to make sure that fire did not follow the direction of the forest. It is important to note therefore that the coming of the Europeans did not contribute much to the Aborigines kind of lives as they had already adapted to theirs. Europeans thought that Aborigines did not know anything and defined civilization as living the way they lived. The Aborigines strived to make their country better than it wa s. They did not need the Europeans to improve their country because they were able to do it with their knowledge and expertise. References Blanley, G 2011, Masters of the Blaze. Web.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gammage, B 2012, The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia. Allen Unwin, Crows Nest. Stephens, T 2011, ‘The First Farmers‘, Brisbane Times. Web. Whitehouse, H 2012, ‘The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia’,  Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 251-253. DOI: 10.1017/S0814062600000306 This report on The biggest estate on earth: How aborigines made Australia was written and submitted by user PhilCoulson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil essays

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil essays This film is an adaptation of John Berendts best selling novel and is directed by Clint Eastwood. The story is based on a series of true events involving an antique dealer named Jim Williams, played by Kevin Spacey. John Kelso, played by John Cusack, is a small time journalist sent down to Savannah to cover one of Williams elaborate Christmas parties for Town and Country magazine. Already we are beginning to see some similarities between Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and my first text, The Keepers of Truth written by Michael Collins. Kelso like Bill, the main character from my first text is a journalist and is relatively unknown. Both characters seem to spend their time writing up pointless articles, which have no real significance to getting them anywhere where they want to be with their writing career. However in both texts a murder is the story that they have been looking for. In Bills case it was Ronny Lawton killing his old man and in the case of Kelso it was Jim Wil liams shooting his young male hustler lover. Both characters see these events as the break they have been waiting for and as something that could give their career the boost that it needs. Kelso plans to write a book about the whole incident and decides to spend time in the city of Savannah whilst Williamss court case proceeds. This brings up another similarity. Like The Keepers of Truth, Midnight is set in a relatively small American town. Each town is particularly quirky and the reasons for this are their inhabitants. Both texts are set around the early 80s but unlike the industrial death that Bills town is undergoing, Savannah seems to be travelling quite well in that department. The people of Savannah admire their surroundings whereas in The Keepers of Truth the residents dreaded their surroundings as it reminded them of what they once had. The actual setting of Savannah is similar to Bills town in size, location...

Popular sovereignty vs. democracy essays

Popular sovereignty vs. democracy essays Imagine a world full of chaos and disorder, where people do what they please with no regard to those around them. Imagine a society where only the strong survive, and the weak are left to wither in the dust. Imagine trying to live in this world, trying to succeed in this place where you are constantly competing with others just to survive. It would be next to impossible. Such an environment would exist without government. As humans, we are motivated by our own self-interests. Rarely will we make an effort that is not ultimately done for the indulgence of our own self-interests, and we almost never take the time to think how it could possibly hurt others. To us all that matters it the satisfying of our own pursuits. With this established, it becomes understandable why we have institutions and rules that coordinate how we interact with one another. These mediated relationships serve to help us peacefully and successfully live with one another. In Leviathan, Hobbes raises the question of how can societies of individuals live together without destructing that civilization. It is a question that has besieged civilization for centuries and has been the topic for intense debates. Hobbes argues that there must be a governing body or Sovereign who will rule the state and protect the people from violence, fear and aggression. He concludes, The only way to erect such a Common Power, as may be able to defend them from...the injuries of one another...is, to conferre all their power and strength upon on Man, or upon an Assembly of men that may reduce all their wills... Hobbes theory is still true, if not more pertinent, for us today. Looking at the size of the societies we live in it is naive to think that we could ever be able to come together as a whole to make laws. One could of course ask that if we have no government why should we have any laws in the first place, and my answer would be without laws there w...

Consumer behavior - marketing strategy Term Paper

Consumer behavior - marketing strategy - Term Paper Example Some of the major factors, which influence consumers’ decision regarding purchase of a product, include price of the product, quality of the product, self-image, cultural factors, and social pressure. â€Å"Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class† (Shah). Analysis of consumer behavior is very important for the managers because it helps them develop marketing strategies in accordance with the mindset of the consumers. Strategic Marketing Planning Masters states, â€Å"Strategic marketing is a consumer-based approach to product promotion that identifies market segments and attempts to make them more profitable by providing superior value†. Strategic marketing is the type of marketing which managers use to create such plans for the company, which should not only motivate consumers to buy the products of the company but also should increase the productivity and profitability of the company. Produ ctivity depends on the satisfaction and retention of customers of the company. When the customers will be satisfied from the products of the company, they will work as a source to attract more customers for the company and as a result, the productivity and the profitability of the company will increase. ... All of these methods have a significant importance in marketing of a company’s products. These methods really prove to be successful for the companies to make consumers buy their products. Perner states, â€Å"The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies†. Strategic marketing is the powerful force, which drives an organization towards achievement of desired goals and objectives regarding any innovation. A company should typically create and develop a well-written strategic marketing plan, which should be able to promote the innovative products of any organization. The main purpose of designing and implementing an appropriate strategic marketing plan encompasses two basic motives. First motive is to attract consumers towards the product whereas the second motive is to increase the productivity of the company. If a company becomes able to attract the customers in a competitive market through suitable and effective marketing techn iques, its success and competitive edge in the market can really be guaranteed. Achieving market supremacy is the mission of most of the manufacturing companies and this mission can only be achieved through developing and launching such marketing campaigns strategies, which are able to reach a large number of consumers. Market supremacy can be achieved when a company uses such modes of marketing, which make use of latest technologies like internet, emails, television adds, and other stuff like that. When the managers of a company want to create a strategic marketing plan for a new product, they consult the plan with different departments, such as, sales, administration, and operation for of identification of marketing goals. It is the role

Activity Based Costing vs.Traditional Approach (Sober Plc) Essay

Activity Based Costing vs.Traditional Approach (Sober Plc) - Essay Example Financial information forms the basis for much of the decision-making for organizations, and the need for more accurate information continues to grow. Ignorance of the manufacturing realities may put an organization at risk of losing its competitive edge, which inevitably results in loss of profitability and crippling losses. Traditional volume based costing techniques present numerous challenges to organizations, especially in the modern manufacturing environments, where the overhead costs continue to rise. In addition, introduction of new technological advancements in the production processes invalidates traditional cost allocation mechanisms and articulates the need for organizations to switch to new and more market aware costing systems. This paper discusses traditional versus activity based costing with regard to a case on a global motorcycle company currently in a managerial stalemate over the most appropriate costing method. Introduction Traditional costing techniques can be h ighly misleading in their estimation costs of particular products, markets, or organization activities. Traditional approach to allocation of overheads is blind to the factors that drive costs, which are known as cost centres in activity based costing (Luehfing, 2005). ... Background to the Case The senior management staff at Sober Limited engages in a heated ideological standoff because of different viewpoints regarding the appropriate accounting policy for the company. The finance manager proposes adoption of a new costing system, which is activity based costing (ABC), and highlights the fact that the method can prove that the production of one of the company’s primary products, Fireball motorcycle, is no longer profitable, and in fact eats into the company’s profits from other segments. The chairman, critical of activity based costing and favourably predisposed towards traditional costing methodology, expresses his confidence in existing costing methodology, which shows that the production of Fireball is still a viable and profitable option. In addition, the chair claims that the use of activity based costing will only result in unnecessary cost overruns for the company. Analysis of labour hours and ABC in the context of Sober Public L imited Company Sober uses traditional volume based absorption costing to allocate overheads. The company allocates overheads according to the number of labour hours, although sweeping technological changes have put serious credibility as to the relevance of the use of labour hours to allocate costs. The company has had to reduce the size of the workforce due to the introduction of new manufacturing technology. New and more fitting cost drivers than labour hours are now available, and they include deliveries to retailers, set-up costs, and purchase orders. The company seriously considering and questioning the appropriateness of traditional cost allocation methods for overheads in the fundamentally altered manufacturing and market environments. The company sells the motorcycles globally, and the

Leadership of Howard Schultz Essay Example for Free

Leadership of Howard Schultz Essay Howard Schultz for President? . Howard Schultz, who is a founder CEO of Starbucks has showing concern about the future of Americans. His recent activities including boycott the political donations, until Washington, D. C coming up with some real effort to reduce the debt ceiling. Disappointing with the U. S political leaders as they failing to act appropriately while Americas confidence is faltered. By looking at the past, the Starbucks CEO has indeed achieved a remarkable milestone, from a sales person in Xerox Corporation in 1979 and to today, a massive green giant astonishing leader. All this footprint certainly is not coincidence or miracles. In the past, economy volatility, US recession, consumer demand instability struck his business beyond all recognition. Despite all this pitfalls, this premium coffee maker able to embrace the resistance and continue serving quality coffee every corner till today. Looking at his context ,all these demonstrates that his business understands the concept of ostrich syndrome, meaning by burying their head in the sand when facing criticism. And such, Howard now challenge the leadership style adopted by the U.  S government by not hearing the heart of the Americans. The question here is, Can his leadership style fit perfectly in the political field? Many critics claimed this is total different ball game, not just about coffee bean. As Howard apparently lack of political experience, this has put his entrepreneur leadership into challenge. Howards leadership however substantiated by evidences, well, at least from business perspectives. In his business history , this captain well aware that customer response and satisfaction is the best business performance thermostat. But to achieve this corporate desire , will require tremendous effort, starting from top management down to every barista in Starbucks. In such circumstances, to him, everything matters, and this is not something hard to observe. This modern leadership are well played by Howard and his team throughout Starbucks business. Sourcing from Joseph Michelli- Starbucks experience, this coffee business having the capability of motivating people through powerful, emotionally engaging visions and reconciling the people needs around their organization. Starbucks management has even establish a Mission Review Committee that govern leadership behaviors and ensure commitment by their partners by listening their concern. They makes a point of listening and responding to the ideas and suggestions of partners. Clearly, Howard adopt Situational Leadership here, whereby attend the perception of the followers and to indicate how efforts directed towards wider organizational goals could align with calculations of follower self-interest. His leadership style, changes our perspectives towards leadership. Is the U. S President not doing sufficiently to address the needs of his people? Dont get me wrong. Both also are transformational leaders, is just that Howard Schultz is practicing authentic leadership, this largely due to his father losing jobs because of medical problems, since then he became passionate about a company’s need to care for its employees. On the flip side, President Obama has proved to be a very good Senate majority leader by convening committees to do the work and intervening at the end. One of this strength is tends to see issues from several vantage points at once, so maybe it is natural that he favors a process that involves negotiating and fudging between different points of view. But particular in this debt ceiling settlement, he seems to be passive. Further from the above, so what setback is facing by the President? According to the award winning author, John Kotter, in his book Our Iceberg is melting, somewhat is similar to President Obama of failure in producing short-term wins. Failure in creating some visible, unambiguous successes to his fellow Americans all these while. This eventually causing Americans losing faith and trust in his leadership. This weakness of President Barrack Obama allowing Howard Schultz leadership ability become more prominence. Howard now ultimate intention is to create more job opportunities inside U. S, which he believe will turn things around. This similar challenge faced by all the leaders around the world, no exception of the increasing unemployment rate in my country. In my opinion, to resuscitate the economy, unparallel creative leadership style is needed. Perfect example from Sternbergs propulsion model of creative leadership, Re-initiation leadership style, whereby a leap in the dark from the familiar to meet perceived opportunity, and findings ways of removing constraints to uplift current country economic condition. This is certainly not easy. Especially the effort of satisfying the needs of millions citizen in Malaysia. Perhaps, respective leaders need to learn from the green giant leader on how to surprise and delight like what he did to his Starbucks customer. This is what we hope from our leaders, an effort to put a smile on everyones face.

music in the baroque :: essays research papers

Running head: Compare and Contrast. Maslow versus Elizabeth Cohen Compare and Contrast: Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs versus author of The House on Beartown Road – Elizabeth Cohen Dina L. Rodriguez Saint Joseph College Abraham Maslow – a humanistic psychologist – â€Å"developed a theory of personality that has influenced a number of different fields, including education† (Simons, Irwin & Drinnien, 1987). A concept used in the development of a person as a whole across his/her lifespan, this theory is known as the Hierarchy of Needs. â€Å"It remains valid today for understanding human motivation† (Alan Chapman, 2001-4). Maslow’s hierarchy is relatively known today as a pyramid with 5 basic levels (see diagram), each cannot be built upon or no one person can progress in life until the previous need has been satisfied. â€Å"Humans start with a very weak disposition [infants] that is then fashioned fully as the person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight and beautiful, actualizing the potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not â€Å"right† (and mostly it is not) they will not grow tall and straight and beautiful† (Simons, Irwin & Drinnien). The five basic needs are: physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem and finally, the need for self-actualization. Physiological needs supersede all in a sense that if we do not have oxygen to breath, food to eat, clean water to drink, and the means for elimination , how else would we be able to grow and survive? It is without these needs that Maslow states we cannot advance to the next level or maintain quality of life (Lois White, 2001). The next level – safety and security – surrounds the need for shelter from protection from the outside environment including inclement weather, stability within the home/family life and the security of both physical and emotional factors that can affect the quality of life in either a positive or negative manner. â€Å"Illness is often a threat to safety because the stability of life is disrupted† (White). The third level – love and belonging – integrates the need for both giving and receiving love. Without this need for friendship, giving and receiving love and affection, how can one possibly develop emotion or a sense of self? This brings me to Maslow’s next level: self-esteem (White). The self-esteem needs are said to be the most influential when the first three needs are met. The need for self-esteem arises from the accomplishments and goals one achieves and the admiration he/she receives from others.

Everyone thought that they knew me so well, opinions change, and I’m not a little girl anymore

What would you think if you could see me now? I don't look perfect, and my shoes aren't very clean anymore, I'm not very clean. Nevertheless I've made sure that my gold pendant has stayed intact, I don't even think that you remember buying it for me. It was the one thing in the entire shopping mall that I wanted, on that boiling hot summer's day. I think that it must have been the first and the last thing that you've bought me that I've liked. You bought it even though you detested it. I'm stroking the metal; it feels cold against my skin, ice cold. I haven't felt warm for days. As I sit here cold and alone, I realise just how much I should be enjoying this. It's all I've ever wanted-to have a choice, to do things by myself. Well here I am ready to make a move. I'm hungry now; all I can smell is the deliciously tempting aroma of chips from the shop, on the corner. I need food. If I'd sold my necklace earlier I would have had money. Who am I trying to convince? It is my necklace, my own and we will never part. Scuffing my new ‘clean' white dirty shoes I wander aimlessly down the road. I don't like some of the looks that I'm getting; they're disapproving, condescending and nasty â€Å"‘Oooh look at her, doesn't she look rough'† If I had it my way, I'd be in a warm, soft and luxurious bed. But instead, I'm here, pacing the streets, solemn and silent. I can't even begin to imagine, where I'm heading next. Grasping the chain firmly in my left hand I gently remove it. The sweet smell of gold is revolting. As I clutch my pedant I'm slowly beginning to realise how far away that I am. I'm walking along a side road now, just approaching a turning. Do I take it? Where do I go? Which road shall I take? It has to be one of them. I need guidance, no, no I don't, I make my own decisions, and I can take control. One of these roads seems familiar, a street full of detached houses all lawns exactly the same not a strand of grass out of place, not a tree that dares whisper in the wind. It's precise, just like you. The second is a mystery, just like me. I still haven't had any food; I'm beginning to feel ravenous. I have fifty five pence. I didn't think of bringing any money. Mind you I didn't really think that I would leave. I don't remember much about earlier, the massive row. I just remember two words ‘dirty slut'. He was raging at me again, like it was strange to go out and party, a deadly sin to have fun. You spotted my pendant and asked why I was wearing such a grotty thing, It's not like I expect you to understand, so don't worry, I don't blame you. I'm at the end of my road now, adjoining to my road is a main road, I'm taking it, strutting down the centre like I own it. I've been doing that recently, holding my head up, I'm proud. Today isn't tomorrow and today certainly isn't yesterday, while I lay here in my cardboard box, that I found late last night, I ponder this. Chips used to taste nice, from what I can remember, but not these ones. These are soggy and cold; I was lying next to them this morning when I woke up. They are in a newspaper that's sopping wet, from the heavy downpour that also happened; late last night. It's food though something that I've desired for what seems like an eternity. My pendant is clasped tightly in my hand, I'm staring at it intensely, it's been ten days so far, and why did I leave? It's getting colder day by day. I'm trying to find somewhere to stay, somewhere that I can feel warm and secure, to revitalise my flickering spirit. The rusting gold is more visible these days. As it gets older its age becomes more noticeable, more so than before. It's in my open palm now stretched out, like it's about to sprout wings and fly away. Lately I've been different, dad why do you blame my friends? I suppose I'm just your little angel that will never spread her wings. Remember that night; I do, the ‘slut' night. I wear make up short skirts and high heels, just like most people my age. Don't you think about what I could have said to you? How arrogant you are or how oppressive that you can be. Why do you think that I didn't? I didn't say anything because I didn't want to hurt your feelings, like you did mine. The Mona Lisa, your favourite painting while you sit there at your computer father, chew on this, she's smiling, is she happy? I think that I should be sitting in that portrait, don't you? The ripple of the pinky blue dusk that has set over the middle of London on an October night becomes more prominent as I stand staring over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. I grip the railings I laugh, a high pitched screech, I'm so cold, so famished, but I've never felt so alive. Cradling my pendant like a damaged child, I say my last goodbye. I'm attaching it to the fourth bar on the second row. I look up to the beautiful night sky I love you mum, I love you dad, I love you, I love you, I love you, So much, I'm going home.

Online Behavioral Targeting and Consumer Privacy Issues Essay

Sophocles’ prolific writing has rarely produced a woman of such stern strength of character as â€Å"Antigone†. Inversely the comedy of Aristophanes â€Å"Lysistrat† was among the first to introduce a strong willed female protagonist, who is not a goddess. The treatment of both great writers differs in the fact that the backdrops and the moods are distinctly different. While Sophocles zeroed in on the sombre tragedy, Aristophanes chose to inject feminist revolt against domination through zestful comedy. From a gender perspective it is important to study the motives behind the actions of the lead characters in both the plays. There have been suicides and suicides in Greek tragedies (which almost define Greek tragedies). Sophocles’ Antigone commits suicide in the dark dungeon left to starve to death. But unlike the suicide of their mother Jocasta who decides to end her life when she learns that her marital relationship with Oedipus was incestuous, Antigone’s death is a defiant protest against the tyranny of her uncle Creon and an emphasis of her strongly held belief, that her brother should be accorded a proper burial. There have been few examples of valour from Greek women who defied the norms of either their contemporary society or their king for a symbolic gesture rather than a cause. In the case of Antigone it was the burial rights to one of her two dead brothers which drives her to go against the will of the ruler, Creon. â€Å"Antigone† begins after both the warring brothers have apparently killed each other and since Polynices revolted against the state and led an Argive army to overthrow his brother Eteocles, he is deemed to be a sinner against the state. Thus Creone, brother of Jocasta, who becomes the ruler decrees his body to be deprived of proper burial rites to ensure that his soul rots beyond redemption. Antigone, in the beginning of the play expresses her wish to accord her brother proper burial. It is a symbolic depiction of Antigone’s moral strength that she decides to go ahead in her chosen course though she is unable to enlist the support of her more timid sister Ismene. This is a marked deviation from the depiction of women in Greek literature of the time where women were always looked upon as dependent on others for the strength of their convictions. Antigone succeeds in her stated mission and when this becomes known to Creone, an argument rages on the choice between the natural law and man-made laws. In another daring drift from established norm, the chorus in Sophocles’ play have the moral courage to call the path of their emperor as the more evil. Creone’s son and Antigone’s fiance Haemon comes to her defence and the ensuing debate on the justice of natural laws which should supersede man made laws is a dramatist’s delight. Creone, however, decides to leave Antigone to starve to death in a sealed cave as her prison. The blind prophet Tiresias also advocates against punishment to Antigone and says he will pay â€Å"corpse for corpse, and flesh for flesh†. The declaration of Tiresias that Creon is causing moral pollution causes a change of heart in Creone. His moral dilemma leads him to conclude that Polynices should be buried and Antigone should be pardoned. But by this time, Hameon reaches Antigone’s cave with the intention of saving her only to find that she has committed suicide by hanging herself, much like her mother Jocasta before her. When Creon reaches the cave he finds Hameon grieving over Antigone and he takes his life by stabbing himself as Creon approaches him. This leads Eurydice, Creon’s wife to give up her life in the grief of her son’s untimely death. Thus Creon loses all his loved ones due to his one fatal erring conviction to hold the laws of the state above the natural law. The tragic flaw, is thus justified in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone†. It is easy to categorize the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes as a lewd comedy designed to entertain the Greek literature and drama lovers with a lampooning of the results if women begin to take an interest in affairs of national importance. It is also very convenient to visualize male actors playing all the important roles of the play and the â€Å"male† male characters wearing erect phalluses to depict their masculinity might have led to uproarious laughter. However, with passing time and the aid of retrospection help us to begin to understand that Aristophanes might have devoted considerable time and emotional energy in trying to decipher what goes through the hearts and heads of women of his time who were modelled to be subservient and detached from the affairs of the state. Lysistrata leads a domestic and non violent non-cooperation movement (though the medium of non cooperation seldom ventures beyond the conventional sexual subjugation) to convince the men of the time to end the long standing war (apparently the Peloponnesian war) and bring back peace. The play is an apparent comedy that it depicts women as sex crazed and spine less characters for whom rising beyond their daily chores is a daunting task. Except fro Lysistrata, no other woman comes across as strong willed enough to contribute in any way to the cause of the play. One can imagine the gusty laughter the scene involving the swearing of oath by drinking wine from a shield as it was a portrayal of women as being incapable of self restraint (from all good things in life, including wine and sex). Though Lysistrata as a play has a lot of titillate the viewers, it has been seen in modern light as a commentary on the plight of women who have no say in the affairs of the state entirely decide by the men but have to silently suffer the consequences. This has remained unchanged even after the liberation ages of the 20th century. Aristophanes does manage to draw a caricature of Greek women as incapable of with holding sex or thinking beyond sex as the only weapon in her armour to control or change society. It is possible though to excuse this caricature as Aristophanes’ attempt not to ruffle the feathers of his contemporary society while at the same time recording for future history that women did harbour different opinions on the approaches of the state to war and peace. The widowhood and martyrdom of a mother who loses her children to the ravages of war are not mentioned, perhaps because they would have added the much relegated sobriety to this deemed comedy. Gender domination is a visible thread in Lysistrata, but whether Aristophanes designed this play as a comic fiction based on improbable scenarios of liberated women questioning state policies, or as an underhanded attempt to depict female angst of his contemporary Greek society is debatable. However Lysistrata has remained current and meaningful to this date due to its universal themes of Peace being preferred over War and has helped several social commentators put across their point during the several un necessary wars that dot world history to date be it the Vietnam war or the latest invasion of Iraq. Whatever be the motivation, both Sophocles and Aristophanes manage to leave behind a piece of Literature which continues to engage readers and historians in a healthy debate on the premium placed on female equality by writers from the Greek age to the present day. Works Cited or used as reference Henderson, Jeffrey (contributor) Lysistrata by Aristophanes, London : Oxford University Press, 1990 Translated by Gibbons, Reginald and Segal, Charles Antigone by Sophocles, NewYork : Oxford University Press US, 2003

Medieval Technology essays

Medieval Technology essays The Middle Ages were dark and gloomy. People lived in castles and rode on horses. They constantly fought each other with swords and shields. That mainly sums up the Middle Ages, right? No wonder most people would rather slide in a DVD, grab a bag of popcorn, and relax on their comfy couch or favorite chair. Who could even imagine a world with no Nintendo, or even no washing machine? There wouldnt be a lot of kids or moms who would be very happy. A world with no technology sounds almost horrifying. However, there were many forms of Medieval Technology. Of course they didnt have electricity or batteries in the Middle Ages, but thats not all technology is. Technology is the application of science, especially in industry or commerce. (Technology 698) So basically, anything that improves or makes life easier is a form of technology. With that in mind, the invention of those swords, shields, and castles of the Middle Ages were all forms of technology. The Middle Ages were fi lled with many different advancements and inventions to different parts of medieval society, which were all part of Medieval Technology. Technology and science during the Middle Ages were both very practical and natural. (Howarth 39) Technology like wind and waterpower were widely used throughout the medieval periods. Water mills and windmills were a very important advancement for medieval industry. Water mills used large wheels that water from streams or rivers pushed around. These wheels then turned other cranks and wheels that could be used to grind, pound, or crush raw material into a useable product. Windmills were used in the plains and rolling hills where there was no water. There were two kinds of windmills used in the Middle Ages. These two windmills differed in the fan blades they used. Because of windmills and water mills many jobs were created for medieval people. These two inve...

Preposition Review ESL Lesson Plan

Preposition Review ESL Lesson Plan Prepositions are a challenge for almost all students. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is the fact that English has numerous phrasal verbs. In this case, theres little to do except to encourage consistency and the ability to listen carefully to mistakes made. In any case, there are a few activities teachers can undertake to help students learn basic differences. Aim: Develop recognition of similar preposition use through contrast in written exercise, review of prepositionsActivity: Discussion of similar prepositions followed by a written exerciseLevel: Intermediate Outline Take a few objects into the class, such as a model car, an apple, etc. Use simple sentences to help the class understand the differences between in/into, out/out of, etc. using the propositions.Give the students some of the objects and encourage them to come up with their own sentences, especially focusing on the finer differences between the prepositions discussed.Discuss some of the basics using the preposition checklist below. Ask students to come up with exceptions such as in the morning, afternoon, and evening but at night.  Pass out the handout and ask students to get into pairs to work through the short exercise.Correct worksheet as a class and discuss problems  or questions.Repeat first activity to help reinforce learning. Preposition Checklist Use to with verbs of movement.  She drove to the store./He walked to the park.Use at with places within a city with verbs that do NOT express movement.  Ill meet you at the shopping mall./I like to relax at home on the weekend.Use on with surfaces, both horizontal and vertical.  Thats a beautiful picture on the wall./I like the vase on the table.Use into, out of and onto to express movement from one place to another.  She drove out of the garage./Please put the keys onto the table.  Use in with months, years, cities, states, and countries.  She lives in San Diego./I will see you in April.Use at with times of the day. Lets meet at five oclock./I want to begin the meeting at two.   A Strange Noise in the Night Worksheet It was late (at/in) night when I heard the noise. I got (out of/outside) bed and decided to investigate. First, I went (into/in) the living room and kitchen. Everything seemed to be OK in those rooms. Then I heard the noise (again/over). It was coming from (out/outside), so I put (on/off) my jacket, opened the door and went (into/out of) the backyard. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to (pick up/in) a flashlight on my way (inside/out) the door. It was a dark night and there was a light rain falling. I couldnt see much, so I kept stepping (into/onto) things in the yard. The sound continued to repeat and was coming (over/from) the area (on/in) the other side (to/of) the house. I slowly walked (through/around) the house to see what was making the noise. There was a small table (in/on) the porch which was (next/near) to the wall. (On/To) top of this table was a bowl with some rocks (into/inside). A small mouse was trying to get (out/above) and was moving the rocks (around/through) the bowl making the noise. It was very strange, but now I could go back (in/to) sleep!

American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Literature - Essay Example It is orderly because that is what keeps people’s lives moving, is order. The story introduces the reader the traveling school master, Ichabod Crane, whose very organized life involves spending a week at a time at the homes of the local students, where he is well fed, sheltered, and has the opportunity to meet and perhaps marry a young woman who might inherit some means greater than his own. Ichabod’s organization is symbolic of the organization within which he lives. It is a very organized, chaotic free life that Ichabod leads. As the story departs from the historic, and begins to delve into the mystery of the urban myths, like that of the story of â€Å"Douffe Martling (65),† then the organization and sense of sleepy little town calm begins to dissipate. â€Å"But all these were nothing to the tales of ghosts and ap ­paritions that succeeded. The neighborhood is rich in legend ­ary treasures of the kind. Local tales and superstitions thrive best in these sheltered long-settled retreats; but are trampled under foot by the shifting throng that forms the population of most of our country places. Besides, there is no encourage ­ment for ghosts in most of our villages, for they have scarcely had time to finish their first nap, and turn themselves in their graves, before their surviving friends have traveled away from the neighborhood; so that when they turn out at night to walk their rounds, they have no acquaintance left to call upon. This is perhaps the reason why we so seldom hear of ghosts except in our long-established Dutch communities (66).† It is only when we take ourselves out of the mundane daily life routines that it becomes really exciting, because then we can inject our environments with the sense of intrigue and suspense. Even if the characters are created by our social imagination, intended to create entertainment value, they are necessary to break the mundane daily routine. So we create ghosts and goblins, and those things that are

Artical Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Artical Analysis - Assignment Example of financial statement, as well as changes that affects the financial statement and several other significant matters like uncertainties, estimates and management judgments. The PCAOB believes in the fact that communicating these matters with the investors will help in reducing the uncertainties and doubts, as the management of the company has more important information than any of the third party. The new audit report suggested by PCAOB maintained the authenticity of the old report by retaining its basic elements. However it focused on providing its users with much more information about the audit as well as the auditor. The PCAOB was confident that if the proposed changes are accepted by the organizations, then it will certainly increase the disclosure of the information of the auditor that would be beyond the traditional pass/fail auditing approach. It is presented in the article that if the proposed changes are accepted then they will certainly affect the responsibilities of the auditors, as well as the expectations of the clients, creditors and investors. I certainly agree with the opinion of the writer as the changes proposed by the PCAOB will make the report more relevant to the investor as they will have more significant information present in the report. The investors and other users of the financial report will not have to take the help of a third part to extract important information about the company, as the relevant information will already be mentioned by the company in the report. Another advantage of the amendments made in the traditional report is that it will present to the investor the value and strengths of the audit leading towards better public awareness. The article states that the changes will certainly help the organization to get close to their investors and other users of the financial statement, which I believe is true. This is because the major goal of the standards and the amendments proposed by PCAOB is to improve the existing

ECommerce Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ECommerce - Dissertation Example The second part will develop e-marketing strategies for the organization illustrating the best fit and marketing mix for the organization. The third part would find solution projected at the problems faced and thereby design and develop the strategies highlighted. The next part of the report would consider the budget for the projects and subsequent allocations. Lastly, legal and ethical issues related to the projected are also required to be given importance. Identification of Problems and Prioritization This part of the report discussed the problems that are currently being faced by the company and that would be faced in the setup and implementation of the new center in Birmingham. The IT Academy in its new center intends to open systems wherein they could offer on-line course enrolment and the prospective students could pay the fees online. They need to develop and highly efficient enquiry and student query system that addresses the queries if the student and that had an in-build F AQ section to address frequently asked questions by the students. An uploading and downloading system needs to be developed online at the company website wherein teachers and staff could upload their notes and assignment and students could upload their papers and download notes uploaded. IT Academy for promoting its newly set campus also needs appropriate e-Marketing strategies to continuously promote the academy and the courses offered by it. The e-Marketing techniques when implemented should reflect the strong brand name of the academy and its fundamental power of delivering student courses. The company, at some point of time in future also intends to use advanced technology for delivering its courses to the students. It intends to deliver live lectures with the help of wireless networks so that it could deliver lectures globally at any point of time. This will help the academy to build its brand presence globally and irrespective of the location of the student. But as discussed e arlier, for all this to happen IT academy needs to revamp its network with the help of e-commerce technologies and advertise with the help of e-marketing strategies. For solving the problems and meeting the requirements intended by the academy a proper prioritization plan is required by the company. The prioritizations plan describes how the problem solving approach would be determined and which problem is primary and would be solved first. Prioritization of activities is done primarily on the basis of priority of requirements and linking of activities. In my report developing a proper ecommerce model which is linked to the business model of the IT academy is the prior activity. This is because every other activity is basically linked to the success of this activity. This would act as a base of offering on-line courses and also payment of feed online. This will also build an online system that could handle online queries of the student. Also, based on the effectiveness of ecommerce of IT Academy successful e-marketing strategies could be implemented. So revamping of the e-commerce technology in IT Academic will be priority in my report. E-marketing Strategies After

Public School vs Private School Essay Example for Free

Public School vs Private School Essay Education can be considered one of the most important decisions parents make for their children. Why? Because education lays the foundation to future success in life, I personally understood this concept early on in life. My parents from as far back as I can remember taught me the value of having an education. I can still remember my mom preaching to my younger brother and me about how the only thing an individual cannot take away from another individual is the knowledge gained in this world. Now many years later I find myself in the same position as many parents when it comes to education. I have to make the decision whether or not to send my child to public school or a private institution. How do public schools and private schools compare? And is there much of a difference? Admission standards for public schools and private schools are similar in comparison when it comes to placement testing and reviewing previous transcripts from other institutions. Public schools unlike private schools are required by law to accept individual as long as the individual is attending a school in the district that they live in. Admission to a private school is not regulated by law and is up to the digression of the school administrators and if the requirements were met by the individual. Because private schools are more selective in their admission process parents tend to base part of their decision on the reputation. Private schools of good reputation are challenging to get accepted into because of the prominent level of competition at the admissions level. Curriculum is a major influence on a parent’s decision whether or not to send their child to private or public school. In both private and public schools cover basic subjects such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. By law public schools must follow state curriculum standards, which the schools are subject to state standardize academic testing. Whereas private school has much more freedom in their curriculum simply because they are not require to teach only basic subjects and are not subjected to state standardize testing. Private schools do subject the students to test but only based on comprehension and proficiency rather than retention. Since private schools have freedom in their curriculum, the schools have the opportunity to provide specialized courses and independent study to the students. Cost is the deal breaker in the decision on whether or not to send a child to private school or public school. In both public school and private school a financial investment is made in a child. But the best way to cut the cost especially if the affordability of attending private school is out of the question is to send your child to public school. Public Schools are financially supported by the property taxes in the local area alongside funding from state and federal government. Unlike public schools, private schools do not receive support from property taxes. The way private schools receive funding is through fundraising, the tuition from the student body, and in some cases partial government funding. Because of the lack of state and federal assistance the average tuition cost in the United States according to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is roughly $17,000 to $50,000 a year. To offset the high cost of tuition parents should seek out financial aid, financi ng, and payment plans with the private institution. The decision to place a child into a public school or a private school is not a decision that should be made overnight there is a lot to consider, most importantly the child. As a parent it is imperative to re-evaluate the child before placing the child in school because the child has to be placed in a school that is the right fit. Placing a child that thrives in a smaller group setting or enjoys one on one time I would personally consider private school as an option. If the child enjoys a larger group setting placing the child in public school will be right fit too. Overall the affordability of public school is more reasonable and the flexibility of curriculum of a private school is things can be negotiated when making the final decision. As a parent I know that the child best interest is always in the forefront whether I decide on a public school or private school.

Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Characters as Symbols in The Great Gatsby

Characters as Symbols in The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚   People hold different things to be symbolic. Dove and peace, a rose and love; they are simple things yet widely symbolic. Symbolism is commonly used in literature to change or deepen meanings or instill a different meaning to the mind of the readers. The reader is forced to think, make connections, and succeed in adding a new meaning to the novel. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses symbolism in the form of his characters and to develop the theme, the corruption of the American Dream.    All of the characters are symbolic of different classes in American society, from the richest to the poorest. Through the characters, Fitzgerald characterizes all the hopes and dreams of people living during the Jazz Age. As is typical of humans, none of the characters are satisfied with what they have. Each character wants more than what they are getting out of life. Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent "old money"; they seem to have it all: wealth, place in high society, a family, and all the advantages that come with being wealthy. On the surface they appear to be what the American Dream is all about; however, they are both dissatisfied with their lives, themselves, and each other. They are a classic example of the Dream's corruption because in spite of all they have, they are still seeking the true luxuries that each person wants from life: love, peace, and true happiness. Both Tom and Daisy are indifferent to the suffering hopes and dreams of all those around them. "They were careless people....they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money...and let other people clean up their mess" (Fitzgerald 188). A clear example of their careless... ...ife were for all the wrong reasons. It is here that he really begins to appreciate Gatsby and the purity of his dream. In Nick's opinion, Gatsby is "worth the whole damn bunch put together" (Fitgerald 162). Nick offers insight into a world in which the true American Dream is all but extinct.    Fitzgerald successfully used his characters as symbols to develop the corruption of the American Dream. Individually, the characters are symbolic of the various classes in American society; collectively they represent the dissatisfaction of achieving the American Dream. Each class defines the Dream differently, but the material aspects are all the same. The American Dream is increasingly corrupt; and it is harder to find individuals who realize its true meaning.    Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books, 1990.   

Benjamin Franklin Essay

Benjamin Franklin is a notable figure in American history and perhaps one of the most recognizable in name and appearance. Franklin was one of the most important people during the early years of the nation because of his involvement with the Declaration of Independence and the diplomatic and political advances he made during his life as a citizen of the new United States of America. Known for his curious mind, Franklin is also remembered for his many scientific contributions to the field of Physics. While many people would say that George Washington is the father of this country, there is a good argument that Benjamin Franklin should hold the title in the history books. Why? Because he is the only founding father to have signed the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution, and it is these three documents as a whole that created the United States as its own nation apart from Great Britain and established its place in the world. Without his ability to be diplomat, his political sense, and his scientific advancements, the United States would have likely never become the nation that it is today and for this reason, Franklin is destined to have a place in American history. Benjamin Franklin was, for all intents and purposes, first and foremost a shrewd and successful politician. During his political life he accomplished a great deal of important things. One of the most notable of Franklin’s political dealings was his absolute disapproval of the Stamp Act and he was at the head of the effort to have it repealed by Parliament. He was appointed by the Continental Congress to the committee that would draft the Declaration of Independence and was in fact the person that edited it. In his later years, he was part of the committee that created the United States’ Constitution and was single-handedly able to help the unhappy delegates come to a compromise and helped, through an impassioned speech, get them to sign it. In his last years he was also known for being a dedicated abolitionist and spent a great deal of political energy asserting this cause. Throughout his life, his writings and activism helped establish the United States as an American nation. In fact, he is credited with having inventing the idea of an American nation. As a diplomat, Benjamin Franklin was well-liked and received by other nations because of his friendly nature, his intelligent conversation, and his ability to connect with people on a different level. His most notable diplomatic accomplishment was the Treaty of Paris, which helped establish the United States as a separate and equal nation. Franklin was well-liked by the French because he was able to quickly understand the customs of the people and used his ability to negotiate over the dinner table to effectively make connections with the French. Throughout his life, Franklin would be known as an accomplished diplomat for the United States. As a scientist, Franklin’s accomplishments are well known by Americans. Franklin was an inventor who enjoyed trying out new ideas and coming up with new scientific ideas. Among his inventions were the lightening rod, the glass harmonica, and bifocal glasses. His experiments with electricity were among his most well-known and became important contributions to Physics. He also founded the American Philosophical Society, where men of science would get together and discuss their inventions and scientific research. Throughout his life, his greatest love would be science and his study of electricity. Benjamin Franklin is perhaps the most important of the founding fathers because his contributions to the country went far beyond simply serving as president or fighting in a war. Franklin was able to use his ability to work with others, be diplomatic, and his intelligence to help create the nation that he envisioned. He not only helped the United States break away from England, but was there to help the American people gain status in the world at large and to help create the Constitution that would be the foundation of American society. His accomplishments in science and his founding of the American Philosophical Society helped bring science and culture to a fledgling nation that was trying to find its own way. For this he will always be remembered as the Father of the country. Bibliography â€Å"Benjamin Franklin. † Wikipedia. 29 Jan. 2007 .

Lewis and Rostow

Outline the theories of Lewis and Rostow and discuss their relevance in analysing the problems of development in LDC’s In the 1950’s, the two most prominent economists of the Western school were Arthur Lewis and Walt W. Rostow. Their theories had a significant impact on the policies of Western governments regarding development in LDC’s. Arthur Lewis claimed he was a classical economist because he disagreed with the neo-classical school. He argued that the neo-classical assumption of full employment is incorrect in the long-run, and that they therefore had no long-term perspective on development.However, Lewis has been categorised by other economists such as Hollis B. Chenery, as a Structuralist. This is because his famous ‘two-sector model’ focuses in the mechanisms through which LDC’s can change their economic infrastructure from an agricultural to a more modern industrial one. 1 The emphasise on internal modes of production and reform of dom estic infrastructure is a distinguishing feature of the Structuralists. In the mid 1950’s Lewis, in his essay ‘Economic Development with unlimited supply of Labour’ put forward his theory of underdevelopment.He begins with the assumption that the economy of the LDC’s could be split into two sectors; the traditional sector, which is agrarian, and characterised by subsistence wages and a surplus of labour. Lewis referred to this as ‘disguised unemployment’. Because of the large labour force in the traditional sector, much of it unused, this results in zero marginal labour productivity. Wages are therefore kept at subsistence levels, which causes wages in the modern sector to be set at subsistence level. The modern sector is characterised as a highly productive, urban, industrial sector.Lewis argues that surplus labour in the traditional sector can be gradually transferred to the modern sector with no loss to productivity because of the zero marg inal productivity of labour in agriculture. To encourage the flow of labour from the traditional to the modern sector Lewis allows for a 30% differential in income. Once the modern sector reaches full employment output is increased. The increase is determined by the rate of investment and capital accumulation (this is assuming that excess profits are re-invested).Thus the demand for labour will once again increase and with the 30% premium over traditional sector wages, supply curve of labour from the traditional to modern sector is perfectly elastic. The ‘two-sector’ model of development demonstrates the process of labour transfer and the growth of employment and production in the modern sector. The top right diagram represents production in the traditional sector. Total product (TPA) is the function of variable labour (LA), fixed capital (KA) and traditional technology (tA): TPA = f (LA, KA, tA).In the bottom right diagram we have the average and marginal product of la bour curves, which are derived from the total product curve in the diagram directly above it. There are two assumptions made; firstly, the marginal product of labour is zero (MpLA at LA), hence there is surplus labour. Secondly, wages are divided equally in the traditional sector so it is the average, and not the marginal product of labour determines the real wage. 2 ? The diagram on the top left represents production in the modern sector.Again, the total product (TPM) in this sector is a function of the variable input labour (LM), a given capital input (KM), and modern technology (tM): TPM = f (LM, KM, tM). The model demonstrates that at if labour is at L1, and capital stock at KM1, then output will be TPM1. Lewis allows for the re-investment of excess profits in the modern sector, which will increase capital stock from KM1 to KM2 and then to KM3. This results in an increase in the demand for labour (from L1, to L2, then L3), and an increase in output for the sector (from TPM1, to TPM2, and then TPM3).We can see also that the total product curves rise in accordance to the increase in capital stock and labour. The process by which capital stock and total product will increase is demonstrated in the bottom left diagram. WA is the subsistence wage level offered by the traditional sector. With a 30% premium over the traditional wage rate, wages for the modern sector is at WM. Lewis assumes that the supply of labour is perfectly elastic and will remain so throughout the development process, hence the horizontal labour supply curve.Employers will hire at this wage rate without the possibility of wages rising. Because capital stock (KM1) is fixed in the initial stage of growth, demand curve for labour is determined by labours declining marginal product3, the negatively sloped curve D1 (KM1). Employers in the modern sector are assumed to hire to where the marginal physical product of labour is equal to the real wage, so employment will be at L1. Area OWMFL1 represent s wages for this sector, and profits are shown by area WMD1F. Lewis assumes that these profits will be re-invested, so the capital stock now increases from KM1 to KM2.This will increase total product in the modern sector, inducing higher demand for labour. The new equilibrium is now at point G with L2 workers in the bottom left diagram. The same process will once again occur, increasing capital stock to KM3, total product of labour to TPM(KM3), and employment in the modern sector to L3. According to the Lewis hypothesis, this process will continue until all surplus labour is absorbed into the new modern sector. The declining labour to land ratio will increase the marginal productivity of labour above zero, causing the labour supply curves to become positively sloped.So wages and employment will continue to grow, and the domestic structure of the economy is changed, allowing for the growth of a modern, urban, industrial sector. The Lewis two-sector model draws on the experience of ec onomic development in the West, but he makes a number of key assumptions that are not plausible to developing countries in this day and age. Firstly, Lewis assumes that the increase in employment in the modern sector is proportional to its rate of profit. (This is on a further assumption that all profits are infact re-invested).In reality it is a common trend for Trans-National Companies (TNC’s) to employ increasing levels of capital and technology, while keeping labour at the same level. Lewis also assumes that there is surplus labour in agriculture and full employment in the modern sector. This is infact untrue, and the opposite is more common in most LDC’s. Also, research suggests that unemployment is not as high as Lewis estimated (around 50%) but is more accurately around the 5% mark. The assumption of an infinitely elastic labour has also been subject to criticism.Empirically labour will experience some rise in wages, so the labour supply curve will not remain fl at. Lewis makes some politically incorrect assumptions. He argues that farmers will get richer during the development process due to an increasing demand for food from a growing urban population. He suggests that farmers should be taxed and the money should be invested in urban areas. So he advocated the taxing of people on subsistence wage levels, to help the capitalist class! He also advocated the curbing of trade union power during evelopment, and to protect the growth of the capitalists using tariffs (this was undoubtedly very unpopular with the Marxists). The two-sector model emphasises the need to increase money supply in order to kick-start the development process. We know that in the real world this could lead to inflation, speculation and balance of payment problems. Lewis does acknowledge these possibilities in his article, but he does not explain how the loans themselves can be bad. He places a high degree of importance on a capitalist class who would bring about an outfl ow of profits, but does not explain from where the new class will emerge.Despite all of these flaws in the two-sector model, Lewis was nonetheless awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics for his endeavours. In 1960, the US economist and historian Walt Whitman Rostow published his paper ‘The Stages of Economic Development’. He claimed he was providing an alternative to the Marxist view of history, and thus gave his paper the subtitle; ‘a non-communist manifesto’. Rostow analysed the process of development in the West and concludes that it is possible to distinguish development into stages; and all societies can be categorised into one of the five stages he distinguishes.In order to develop LDC’s are required to progress through these stages. The five stages are as follows: The traditional society, transitional (or preconditions to take-off), take-off, maturity and high-mass consumption. 4 A traditional society is the most basic form of society. It does little more than economically survive. Production is used for self-consumption and there is no trade. It would usually have a ceiling on production due to limitations of science and backward production practices. There is generally a high proportion of the workforce in agriculture (>75%), little social change, and large divisions of wealth. In the transition stage agriculture will begin to prevail, mainly due to foreign interests. Rostow argues that the level of investment must be raised to at least 10% of national income, ensuring self-sustaining growth. The bulk of investment should be spent on infrastructure, like transport and communication if society is to progress to the next stage. He states that society must also be willing to operate closer to factory principles and the division of labour, and a new elite must emerge that will drive the factory process. It is generally accepted that entrepreneurs usually appear in commerce.Rostow and others acknowledge that society may be i n this stage for centuries. To propel society from transition to take-off growth must become self-sustaining. Rostow predicts that investment must rise in excess of 10% of national income in order to guarantee adequate levels of future savings and investment. 6 What is significant in this stage is the emergence of major export industries (what Rostow calls ‘leading growth sectors’). In the US and Russia this would have been the grain industry, in Britain the textiles industry, in Sweden, timber etc.So the industry itself differs from country to country, and Rostow makes clear that LDC’s do not have to produce the same goods as developed nations in order to ‘take-off’. In the stage of maturity society will apply a wide range of new technology to most of its resources. In this period a nation will grow confident and exert itself. It will also have to make a choice at this point as to what it should spend its new found wealth on. Either to move towards high-mass consumption, to build a welfare state, or to meet imperialist ends.The stage of high-mass consumption, Rostow argues, applies only to the US, as at the time of writing (1956) no other society had achieved this. Based on his theory Rostow, Rosenstein and Rodon came up with a 5-year plan for LDC’s following the Western ideology of development. The 5-year plans were largely unsuccessful, not to mention controversial. At the height of the cold war the US funded any tin-pot dictator who was not allied with the USSR, under the guise of aid for development. There are several issues in Rostows theory that has received criticism.Firstly, he negates the multiplier process, and refers to it as ‘backward lineage’. He also ignores foreign exchange constraints, like the cost of importing machinery. His single minded pursuit of capital has led to ‘wide elephant’ projects by the UN, which have caused a lot of damage to the environment and brought very litt le benefit to LDC’s. Also, concentration on capital intensive goods makes things worse. It deprives consumption, gives rise to demand, which makes increases in demand for capital goods inevitable. Simon Kuznets points out that there is no distinction between stages 2 and 3, and also 3 and 4.The characteristics that Rostow distinguishes are not unique to those phases. For example, the changes that occur during transition also seem to occur during take-off. In Kuznets own words: â€Å"It seems to me that Rostow defines these social phenomena as a complex that produces the effect he wishes to explain and then treats his identification as if it were a meaningful identification†7 The main problem with Rostow’s theory is his political bias. This is not surprising if we take into account the historical and political conditions in which the theory was created (the cold war, McCarthyism).Rostow wanted to provide a Western, capitalist ideology of development. The neo-Marx ists point out that LDC’s are very different from each other, and we cannot ignore the historical context in which they were created as Rostow does. The centuries of colonialism still have an effect on LDC’s today and to ignore this is wrong. The neo-Marxists argue that the History of LDC’s is littered with aborted ‘take-offs’ and ‘crash landings’, which have left them with distorted development and dependency. Both Lewis and Rostow tend to indicate that development is a purely domestic issue, and that obstacles to growth are all internal.They emphasise on savings and investment, and do not take into account the many external forces that can stimulate or hinder growth, such as political and economic pressure from TNC’s and the WTO. They make no attempt to explain ideas suggested by the Prebisch-Singer thesis, or to reconcile Emmanuel’s theory of ‘Unequal Exchange’. Overall, both economists imply that growth an d development are solely in the hands of the developing countries, trivialising the dominance and significance of the West in the development process.