`` Death Of Discourse `` By Ronald K. L. Collins And David...

Two law professors, Ronald K. L. Collins and David M. Skover, in their novel, Death of Discourse illustrate the near tyrannical pleasure that Americans live under and the effects of this bliss in dulling the intellectual values of communication. Collins and Skover’s purpose is to enlighten the audience of how America’s glorified first amendment is warped into a means of blinding the public of society’s malfeasance. The two take on an edifying and forthright tone in order to allow the readers to gain clarity on how the media is warping american society; to show americans just exactly how the first amendment is misused. Collins and Skover starts the piece by defining discourse and relating it back to the works of Aristotle, a greater allusion to the systems of communications in the past, as well as they describe America’s current interpretation of discourse through it’s personal interpretation of free speech. The authors state, â€Å"To communicate with uninhibited liberty, to talk in the vernacular of the popular culture, to express that culture’s tastes, is the way of free speech in America.†(1) In painting this picture of a typical american’s use of free speech, the authors go against their previous depiction of Aristotle’s beliefs, which were the use of expression for some greater means or establishment of character. Having these two contrasting ideals defined supports their ideal of america’s misuse of their First Amendment. Effectively, by providing the allusion to Greek

Living Paycheck At Paycheck A Common Occurrence Of...

Living paycheck to paycheck is a common occurrence in society today, especially for women. About 42 million women live near or below the poverty line, and about 28 million children depend on women as mothers. The story of Katrina Gilbert, a a single woman living in poverty, is told in Paycheck to Paycheck and it representatives the lives of many other women who are in her position. Katrina was previously married and is now separated. They were married for about eight years before he developed a drug addiction. The drug addiction was to expensive for the family to pay for along with other bills, so Katrina separated him. She feels that the marriage left her with nothing but her three children and as if those years of her life were wasted especially in terms of career and economic success. After her divorce, she did not have a job, and therefore, no source of income. She looked for a job for 8 months until she was hired at a home for elderly people. Here she makes $9.49 and hour. Katrina never thought she would be a single mother in this situation. She once had a supportive and present husband, and so she did not have a job that would allow her to be the sole provider for the family. Society molds mothers into the homemakers and fathers into the providers. This dynamic can often cause mothers to be poor and unprepared if the husband ever leaves. Like Katrina, wom en can be thrown into this situation, and it is often not their fault. Society forced her into a scenario in whichShow MoreRelatedDomestic Violence : A Common Form Of Family Violence1076 Words   |  5 PagesDomestic Violence Domestic violence (D V) occurs in almost every society and culture of the world. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influences another person. It is behaviors that intimidates, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, stalk, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, and wound someone. 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Advertiser Pressure on Daily Newspapers Free Essays

I.   Research Questions 1.   How does advertising money affect the reported of news in print news media such as  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   newspapers? 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Advertiser Pressure on Daily Newspapers or any similar topic only for you Order Now    How do advertisers mediate the demands of the advertisers while maintaining true to the objectivity of the news they report? .   Hypothesis The extent to which the advertising directors will allow unethical demands from advertisers to influence the news content will be in proportion to the extent that the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   profit/revenue will be affected.   Ã‚  The three hypotheses are as follows: First, the ad directors at small newspapers will be more likely to adopt unethical practices in response to advertiser pressure. Second, ad directors at chained-owned newspapers will be more likely to adopt unethical practices in response to advertiser pressure. Third, ad directors at chain-owned newspapers with smaller circulations will be more likely to adopt unethical practices in response to advertiser pressure. II.   Type of Experimental Design This experiment involved the use of qualitative research gained through questionnaires    and responses to scenarios devised by the research team.   The sample was a group of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   advertising directors of four sizes of newspapers based on circulation.   The sample was a random sample of 400 newspapers from the country. III.   Procedure Used The researchers developed four scenarios that suggested an unethical request by an advertiser.   The first two were requests to accommodate advertisers by running a photograph or a special story that featured the logo of the product or company.   The first one asked that a special story about summer lawn maintenance feature the advertiser’s information.   The second one asked that a local baseball team’s logo be featured in a photograph.   The second two scenarios were requests to actually â€Å"kill† a story or to allow the advertisers to contribute to the actual content of the story. The third scenario was about a local restaurant owner who wrote his own restaurant review and wanted it included in a restaurant feature story just as he wrote it.   The last scenario involved a car dealership owner who was arrested.   He threatened to pull his substantial advertising if the paper ran the story.   The second two scenarios are considered to be more unethical than the first two, though all four are considered unethical to some degree. IV. Independent variable, dependent variable, and confounding/extraneous variables if any; Independent Variables – the size of the circulation and whether the paper is chain-owned Dependent Variables – the decision to appease the advertisers V. Randomization (how did they assign individuals to the groups, based on what?); The groups were determined by the size of the paper’s circulation and whether or not the newspaper was part of a chain.   The groups are defined as follows: independently owned newspapers with small circulation – up to 25,000 subscribers independently owned newspapers with large circulation – over 25,000 subscribers chain-owned newspapers with small circulation – up to 25,000 subscribers chain-owned newspapers with large circulation – over 25,000 subscribers FULL CITATION Soontae, A Bergen, L. (2007). Advertiser Pressure on Daily Newspapers.   Journal of Advertising. 36.2: 111-122. How to cite Advertiser Pressure on Daily Newspapers, Essay examples

Assignment Rubrics free essay sample

What are two obstacles you might deed to overcome (refer to your Life Factors and personality assessments). What strategies can you use to overcome these obstacles and be successful? How does knowing your personal learning style help you be successful? Do you feel you are ready for the academic and financial commitment of attending college? How can goal setting and time management help you reach your goals? Additional Comments: Readability and Style (2 points) Points Earned: X/2 Appropriate tone is used. Sentences are complete and clear. Spelling is correct.Grammar is appropriate to this level of coursework. Additional Comments: Total (5 points) points Earned: X,5 Overall Comments: Student Resources Worksheet completed with accurate location of each resources and a one sentence description of the resource Additional Comments: Points Earned: X/5 Responsible Borrowing Content and Development (3 point) The student responded to the following questions with appropriate thought and details: What is financial aid? How do grants differ from loans? What effect does class attendance have on funding availability?What did you find about student loan repayment plans? Why is having an educational financial plan important? Based on this plan, what is your estimated monthly payment when you enter repayment? As a result of completing the plan, what changes can you make to reduce the amount you might borrow? Why? Additional Comments: Week 2 Continuing Academic Success: Thesis Statement and Outline Co ntent and Development of Outline (5 points) An outline is created addressing a plan to incorporate effective strategies for success as a student. We will write a custom essay sample on Assignment Rubrics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Outline is written in complete sentences/phrases.Included are the following: The benefit of creating educational goals, including at least one educational AOL you set for yourself Your personal learning style, as well as how knowing your learning style can help you be successful as you move through your program and career How the writing process can help you advance your education and career Which resources, inside and outside of the university, you can use to help you reach your goals and make you more successful An explanation of the importance of academic integrity Thesis Statement (5 points) A clear and concise thesis statement for the Personal Responsibility Essay is provided.

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Free Essays on Kolbs Theory

Learning styles can be described as â€Å"the different ways in which children and adults can think and learn†. We all develop a preferred and consistent set of behaviors and approaches to the way we learn (Litzinger & Osif). This is very true. Each of us as individuals learns very differently from each other. Kolb shows us that learning styles can be seen on a continuum that we move through over time. The first learning style is concrete experience. This means being involved in new experiences. For the concrete experiencer, learning by doing field work or working in a laboratory would be ideal. Next, is the style of reflective observation. This is watching others or developing observations about ones own experiences. The reflective observer would learn by using journals or logs and even brainstorming. Then there is abstract conceptualization. This means that one creates theories to explain observations. The abstract conceptualizer learns best from lectures and papers. And lastly, there is the active experimentation style. This is using theories to solve problems and make decisions. Case studies and homework work best in teaching this learner (Blackmore). Kolb did believe that we as humans move over this continuum over time, but he also knew that people come to prefer and rely mainly on one learning style above the others. This article helped me to see the different ways in which people learn. We know that not all people learn the same, but now we can use this information to gain better knowledge of how to teach to students whose learning styles are different from our own. We can now be more aware of how we teach; making sure that we are meeting the needs of every child and choosing materials that are diverse enough to relay the message that it being taught. I love the interactive website that is made available for the different learning styles and plan to use this information to help me reach all of my students the best way I kno... Free Essays on Kolb's Theory Free Essays on Kolb's Theory Learning styles can be described as â€Å"the different ways in which children and adults can think and learn†. We all develop a preferred and consistent set of behaviors and approaches to the way we learn (Litzinger & Osif). This is very true. Each of us as individuals learns very differently from each other. Kolb shows us that learning styles can be seen on a continuum that we move through over time. The first learning style is concrete experience. This means being involved in new experiences. For the concrete experiencer, learning by doing field work or working in a laboratory would be ideal. Next, is the style of reflective observation. This is watching others or developing observations about ones own experiences. The reflective observer would learn by using journals or logs and even brainstorming. Then there is abstract conceptualization. This means that one creates theories to explain observations. The abstract conceptualizer learns best from lectures and papers. And lastly, there is the active experimentation style. This is using theories to solve problems and make decisions. Case studies and homework work best in teaching this learner (Blackmore). Kolb did believe that we as humans move over this continuum over time, but he also knew that people come to prefer and rely mainly on one learning style above the others. This article helped me to see the different ways in which people learn. We know that not all people learn the same, but now we can use this information to gain better knowledge of how to teach to students whose learning styles are different from our own. We can now be more aware of how we teach; making sure that we are meeting the needs of every child and choosing materials that are diverse enough to relay the message that it being taught. I love the interactive website that is made available for the different learning styles and plan to use this information to help me reach all of my students the best way I kno...

Operations & Process Mgt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations & Process Mgt - Assignment Example Expected inventory level is the stock held by a business more than its obligation for the lead-time. Firms hold Expected inventory level to guard against â€Å"stock-out† (Shah, 2005:227). Average inventory is utilized to approximate the quantity of inventory that a company naturally has on hand more than a longer time period than just the last period. Since the balance of inventory is computed at then end of the last dealing day of a month, it can vary significantly from the average quantity over a longer period of time, depending upon whether there was an unexpected decline of stock or possibly a big supplier delivery at the ending of the month. â€Å"Average inventory† (702) is also helpful for assessment to revenues. While revenues are naturally accessible in the statement of profits and loss not only for the most recent month, but also for the â€Å"year-to-date† (Bragg, 2011:151), it is helpful to also compute the average stock for the â€Å"year-to-date† (151), and then match the inventory average balance to the revenues of year-to-date in order to see how much stock investment was required to support a specified sales level. The company considers the average costs connected with â€Å"placing, processing and receiving† (Sabri, Gupta & Beitler, 2007:34) a replacement order for any part amounting to  £40. It also estimates the standard cost of holding a particular unit of every component in inventory for an entire year at 6% of the unit cost of the item. An â€Å"alternative inventory policy† (Fu, 2014:46) that denotes the quantity of units of inventories, which should be held to decrease costs is proposed. We can reduce the total annual stockholding costs by recognizing average inventory and decreasing â€Å"safety stock† (Minner, 2000:35). By reducing overall lead time and lead time variability, estimating investment cost and having a clear awareness of real possible investments

Strategic marketing communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic marketing communications - Essay Example Bottom up processing is one where the lower levels of management communicate with the higher level of management and this is where ideas might be floated up and also problems and concerns about various factors within the organization are communicated to the higher levels so that they can take action and solve the problems, the more efficient this process, the more loyal the employees are to the company because if they feel that they are being heard by the upper management they feel that they are a part of the organization as well because they have a role to play in the betterment of the organization and that is why their problems are being heard and solved. This kind of communication can be encouraged in many ways, for example having the same lunch or refreshment areas for all the levels of employees so that they can communicate in an environment with out being intimidated by the rank of the person that they wish to communicate with, the top management should be seen by the lower lev els of the employee ranks because that helps them to identify with individuals and the organization on the whole. Top down processing is where the top levels of management communicate with their subordinates with respect to the job instructions and other types of policy implementation, this kind of processing is very important because the dynamics of the organization depend on such type of a communications policy, generally it has been seen that companies that have a effective top down communication strategy have been able to reap much more employee loyalty and productivity rather than those companies that have a poor strategy in top down processing of communication, this is because companies that are better at this kind of communication can implement change effectively and frequently because they can communicate the though process behind the change process to the lower levels of employees and the employees feel and believe that the company has their betterment in mind when it feels the need to change any of the processes. This kind of communication process can be implemented by having a good telecommunication technology in place because people need to be told simultaneously of the policy changes that are being implemented and it is more faster than normal modes of communication. (Kotelnikov, 2005) (Monmouth, 2006) Managing Partnerships The horizontal communication process takes place between employees at the same levels, or managers at the same level, for example the marketing manager of an organization speaking to the financial manager and discussing the marketing budget. This kind of communication is very important because this is where bottlenecks can be created or avoided and projects can be given a boost, for strengthening this kind of process infrequent communication and communication in a work free environment or a casual environment can be encouraged. At this level partnerships and cross functional teams are created that help each other to achieve the organization's goal more effectively and efficiently. (Kotelnikov, 200

How did the spread of Industrial Revolution affect the colonization of Essay

How did the spread of Industrial Revolution affect the colonization of Africa in the late 19th century - Essay Example This invasion developed because of the collapse in slave trade industry, its suppression and eradication, and most significantly the growth and spread of industrial revolution in Europe. This essay tries to explore the impact of industrial revolution on African colonization in the late 19th century. According to Buzan and Lawson (2015), industrial revolution in Europe elevated the demand for more raw materials. Industrialization of all production modes, need for natural resources, human resources, and capital resources became the result of this revolution. Actually, Europe experienced no labor shortage. In addition, in the past two centuries Europeans had ensured great profits since they had been trading with Americans, Asians, and Africans. These profits helped them finance industrial revolution. The European resource was, however poor and thus most industries in Europe depended on raw materials from Africa, America, and Asia. For instance, cotton textile industry was among the earliest European industries that assisted in the stimulation of industrial revolution. The cotton textile industry completely depended on imported cotton. As industrialization developed and spread in the 19th century, European nations began competing for raw materials. Therefore, most European industri alists pressured their governments to consider colonizing African nations so as to create new sources for raw materials: eventually the scramble for Africa begun followed by colonization. Additionally, Buzan and Lawson (2015) assert that industrial revolution created the need for more markets. In the late 19th century, the industrial goods produced by European industries were more than the European market could consume. Therefore, European industrialists decided to seek for markets outside Europe. This created a competition for markets and as this competition grew, the pressure on the European governments to colonize Africa became immense. The pressure

HM Leadership Style An Analysis

HM Leadership Style An Analysis Hennes and Mauritz (H and M) was established in Vasteras, Sweden in 1947 by Erling Persson. H and M offers fashion and quality at the best price and offers fashion for women, men, teenagers and children. The collections are created centrally by around 100 in-house designers together with buyers and pattern makers. HM also sells own-brand cosmetics, accessories and footwear. The stores are refreshed daily with new fashion items. In Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria HM offers fashion by Internet and catalogue sales. HM does not own any factories, but instead buys its goods from around 700 independent suppliers, primarily in Asia and Europe. HM has about 16 production offices around the world, mainly in Asia and Europe. The turnover in 2009 was SEK 118,697 million. HM primarily operates in Europe, North America and Asia, and have around 2,000 stores spread over in 37 countries. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and employs approximate ly 68,000 people on a full time basis. HMs strategy is to offer fashion and quality at the best price. HMs annual report (AR1 2008) emphasizes that quality relates to both; HMs products exceeding customer expectations, and also customers being satisfied with the company itself. The report states Taking responsibility for how our operations affect people and the environment is also an essential prerequisite for HMs continued profitability and growth. HM is driven by strong values such as commercial mindset, simplicity, constant improvement, cost consciousness and entrepreneurship (AR1 2008, p.13). Long-term strategic goals of HM In the Annual Report (AR1 2008, p.7), HM, CEO Rolf Ericsson states that the long term goal is to Make fashion available to everyone, give the customer a fashion experience that strengthens HM brand. They also state the goal of a 10-15% increase in the number of stores every year, which would be funded internally (AR1 2008, p.13). The aim to increase sales in existing stores, while focusing on quality and continued profitability. How does HM want to get there? To execute its strategy HM focuses on 3 main aspects of its business concept (AR1 2008): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Price, which is controlled by limiting the number of middlemen, buying in large volumes, relying on its in-depth, extensive expertise within the design, fashion, and textile industries, buying the right merchandise from the right production markets, being cost-conscious at all levels and maintaining effective distribution procedures (Job advertisement for Buyer on the careers site at). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Design: Products are designed in-house and production is completely outsourced (AR1 2009, p.11). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality: Central emphasis on quality with extensive testing and ensuring least environment damage (AR1 2009). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Merger and Acquisitions: Acquisitions (like FaBric Scandinavian, the Swedish design company), and Design Collaborations (collaboration with Mathew Williamson) are adopted (HM press at). In 2009, HM plans to open 225 new stores and recruit 6,000 to 7,000 employees. SWOT Analysis Strengths- One of the main reasons for HMs popularity is because of its trendy items for such a low price. This store offers quality clothing at department store prices which is rare for many retailers today. Strength for this company is their overall delivery time. It only takes 12 weeks to get an item from the design to its retail state which is very impressive for a worldwide, low price retailer. The average for retailers is usually about 6 months which is double the time that HM uses. They also manage to keep the stores brands fresh with guest designers coming in for different lines in the store. Some of these have been Madonna and Robert Cavalli. They also keep the prices affordable by using very few middlemen and buy large volumes cost consciously. But with these strengths come weaknesses as well. Weaknesses- One of the strengths I mentioned above can also be a weakness for this company. Buying large volumes means that there is no real guarantee that all the items will be sold. This means that theyre already low prices may have to be lowered in order to make room for the next collection. This means that if these items are not sold in time, then the company will have to pay more for extra storage for the items not sold. Another weakness could be its wide range of customers this brand provides for. The range is for men between the ages of 18-45. This is not including the childrens clothing and maternity wear and the huge wide range of different styles they provide depending on what store you go into. This can be difficult to manage especially in a vertical company because there is no real focus on a target customer and gets more expensive to provide machinery for all these different groups of people. But with these huge leaps there are many opportunities for this company flouris h. Opportunities- One good opportunity would be for HM is to have matching clothes for mothers and children. I think this would be a good opportunity because there are also maternity wear and childrens clothes and I think that it would appeal to a larger crowd. They would like to dress their children like them in the same styles. Threats- since HM is a brand that is very unique it has very few threats as far as retail chains go. One of these stores would have to be the clothing chain called ZARA. This is a store that also has fairly reasonable prices but is most famous for its rapid delivery time. It only takes two weeks for the design to make it into retail stores. Even with HMs time which is 50% faster than most retailers, cannot even compete with that time. The second threat to HM is Gap just because of their quality at reasonable prices and their wide range of people they reach as well with their vertical company as well. There is a market for babies as well as men and women HUMAN RESOURCE HMs corporate strategy is to expand on a continuing basis, and as a consequence, employee strength also increases continuously. For 2009, HMs Annual report (AR1 2008), forecasts the addition of 6000 to 7000 new jobs. Their staff is spread across approximately 37 countries and come from different cultural backgrounds. Their strategy is to recruit locally whenever a new store opens (AR1 2008). The main area for which HM may have clearly articulated policies are listed below. The policy areas are based on the categorization by Armstrong (Armstrong (2006), pp.148-156): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Overall Policy and Values: HMs website indicates that their objective is to be a good employer, including in those countries whose laws and regulations fall short of their own requirements. To quote the Head of HR In order to meet peoples expectations of HM as an attractive employer, the company develops global guide lines on diversity, equal rights and against discrimination (AR1 2008, p.34).At HM, HR activities are guided by a fundamental respect for the individual (AR1 2008). This applies to every aspect from fair wages, working hours and freedom of association to the opportunity for growth and development within the company. This also indicates that the company has specific policies for areas such as Equal opportunity, Managing diversity, Employee development, Health and Safety, among others. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employee Relations and Voice: HM has an open door policy granting all employees the right and the opportunity to discuss any work-related issue directly with management (AR1 2008). They also support their employees right and ability to organize and to decide who should represent them in the workplace (AR1 2008). HM has positive experience of open and constructive dialogue with the trade unions and they welcome such relations wherever they operate. They consider such cooperation to be essential if they are to become even better. Examples of collaboration on staffing issues include their agreement with UNI (Union Network International) and the work they do with the EWC (European Works Council), (AR1, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Promotion: To quote Mr. Pà ¤r Darj, Head of HR at HM . Internal recruitment and job rotation enable the company to grow quickly (AR1, 2008). This statement indicates that HM has policies related to promotion. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employee Development: To quote Mr. Pà ¤r Darj, Head of HR at HM . I tell employees, if you do not grow neither will HM (AR1, 2008). This indicates that policies exist for this area. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rewards: HM focuses on rewarding people by providing more opportunities and responsibilities, and not through a promotions and job titles (AR1, 2008). This indicates that HM has policies for this area. Other areas with clearly defined policies might exist, but these are not evident from available sources. ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR HM operates in 37 countries and has a work force belonging to these 37 countries because they recruit locally (AR1 2008, p.34). HMs espoused values are stated to be the foundation for a multinational company in a multi cultural market where great respect is paid to the individual. Interviews with the CEO and Head of HR in the annual report indicate a participative culture where everyone is made to feel like a part of the companys success (AR1 2008). To quote Par Darj,(Head of HR) The key words for continual growth are responsibility and commitment. We have committed employees and we are prepared to delegate responsibility at every level, (AR1 2008, p.34). The company encourages what it calls the The HM spirit; employees committed to their work and prepared to take on new challenges, common sense, hard work and team spirit are encouraged. All their operations are typified by an essential respect for the individual; including reasonable wages, reasonable hours, and opportunity to grow, and develop within the company (AR1 2008, p.34). Quotes from employees about the organizational climate indicate that the values above are values in use. These quotes can be found on the Careers site at. Based on this information, the prevalent culture appears to be primarily task oriented (E H Schein 1985). Such a culture can support HMs HR related strategies and policies (like Open door, job rotation, freedom of association etc.). They also have a significant impact on HR aspects; Recruitment needs to focus on finding candidates with the right fit to the organizational culture irrespective of local culture, facilitating expatriation of experienced staff when new stores are opened, facilitating rewards schemes aligned with organizational culture, enabling HRD that can empower employees to take on new challenges and work in new teams. Motivational issues at HM. HM is a flat organization, which might give the impression that its hard to move up within HM, but actually, the opposite is stated to be true on the careers site(at ). HM as an organization is constantly evolving and is growing fast, thus providing more opportunities to its employees. Employees are motivated by providing new challenges; in another department, another role or, another country. HM encourages employees to try many different roles within their organization (AR1 2008 and AR2 2008). HM recruitment advertisements indicate possibilities like: working abroad, furthering education and learning new things. Their websites promotes that many in management today, actually started on the shop floor. HM also provides a comprehensive benefits package. HM fulfils employee aspirations by providing opportunities to take more responsibilities. (Ref: careers site at ) To quote the Head of HRM at HM, By the same token, if titles and pay structures are what motivate the employee, and then were most definitely not the ideal company for you. As we said at the beginning: a perfect relationship is all about balance and mutual understanding(AR1 2008, p.34). The information above, together with information about HMs HR strategies and policies, resonates with Herzbergs 2 factor model of motivation. Advancement, responsibility and satisfaction gained from the work itself are main motivators, while benefits, fair treatment etc. prevent dissatisfaction (Herzberg and Snyderman, 1957). The main motivational issue and challenge at HM could be: nurturing and maintaining a balanced relationship with employees. Line managers may need good awareness of their reportees aspirations, to enable motivation by providing responsibilities and opportunities aligned to the employees perception of growth. The strategy to motivate using job-rotation (across sites, roles, functions) and promoting learning could be an HRD challenge, especially considering the pace of growth. A potential issue could arise during periods of slow growth, since employees might be frustrated by the lack of opportunities. This could manifest locally too, since travelling abroad might not be feasible for many employees. Individual development versus organisational development HMs annual report (AR1 2008) and website (Careers website), emphasize that working at HM is about commitment, both from the individual and the organization. HMs Head of HR emphasizes that organization can grow only if the individuals grow (AR1 2008, p.34). HM wont make a career plans for its employees, but will provide them with tools to go as far as they possibly can on their own. This indicates that at HM, individuals are expected to drive their own development, within the framework that the organization provides. The organization appears to facilitate and promote cross-functional and cross-boundary development opportunities for individuals, which is aligned with its own development and growth strategies. To quote Pà ¤r Darj, (Head of HR), We have committed employees and we are prepared to delegate responsibility at every level. I tell employees, if you do not grow neither will HM, (AR1 2008 p.34). This indicates that HM treats individual development and organizational development as tightly linked areas. SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT HM values personal qualities much more than formal qualifications. Pà ¤r Darj, Head of HR states that at HM, great grades and all the university credits in the world are no guarantee of a job or a fast-track career. They look for, more than anything, people with the right personality. HMs belief is that people can gather skills as they go along, but personality and attitude cant be taught (AR1 2008, p.34). Since HM is a fast company and the tempo is always high, they need employees who are self-driven and capable of direct communication well (SR 2008). Hence HM recruits people who like responsibility and decision-making. Information from the careers site (at ), and from interviewed candidates ( Ref: Int1, Int2 and Int3) indicates that a love of fashion combined with a focus on sales is perceived as an advantage. These appear to form the basis for HMs recruitment requirements (and person specifications), programmes and drive its selection processes. Feedback from candidates indicates that the selection interview approach is usually face to face and mostly structured situational based (Armstrong (2006), p.447), covering customer service and fashion trends. This is followed by panel interviews and aptitude/work sample tests (as defined by Armstrong (2006), p.447). It appears that candidates are filtered at each stage of the process (Int1, Int2, and Int3). Sources of candidates: Internal Recruitment: This is their first choice for a new job opening. External recruitment is considered only if no internal options are available. External recruitment: Potential recruits (minimum age is 16 years) are encouraged to apply directly to the local store, from the careers website. HM does not offer summer jobs or work experience placements. Buying is centralized in Stockholm, and so is the recruitment for the same. HM recruits locally to its new stores (AR1 2008, p.34). HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Organisational learning and management development issues at HM. The average numbers of training days per employee in 2008 are, 10 for new sales staff, 1 for existing sales staff and 5 for existing management positions. HM usually conducts all training in-house (classroom, stores and one to one), written and produced by HM staff. External training has been considered for some areas like buying. E-learning has also been initiated for a few subjects (SR 2008). However, indications are that HM today focuses more on on-the-job, just- in time, hands on learning. For example, when they opened their first HM store in Japan, locally recruited employees were sent to Norway and Germany for gaining experience in existing operations. Also, during the sales intensive opening phase of a new store, colleagues from other countries are brought in temporarily (SR 2008). To quote the head of HR at HM,As an employee of HM, you can be an entrepreneur and you will be given responsibility early on. HM claims to provide structured opportunities for on-the-job, hands on and work place based training. (AR1 2008 and Careers site). To summarize, it appears that HM focuses on experiential Self-directed learning today ( as defined by Armstrong (2006), p.557) , however, they are moving towards incorporating a blended approach with simulation and e-learning included (Armstrong (2006), 570-582) REWARD MANAGEMENT The reward management process of HM and its potential influence on human resource management. HMs careers website (at )indicates that the company offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes staff discounts, incentive bonuses, company sick pay, private health care a pension scheme. Share options are not provided. The head of HR, indicates that they do not consider titles and pay structures as motivational tools. Opportunities to fulfill an employees aspirations by wanting more responsibility, as a means of getting on with in the organization quickly, are provided (AR1 2008, p.34). Apart from these, as stated by different categories of employees on the careers site and the annual report, the main reward is the job satisfaction they derive. Thus, HM appears to provide a total reward framework, with greater emphasis on relational rewards even though transactional rewards are provided (Armstrong (2006), pp.639-631). HMs reward management is consistent with other HR areas, including organizational culture, recruitment/selection etc. and is also in sync with the overall HR strategy of open doors, job rotation etc. which is essential to fulfill HMs strategy of fast growth. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTS ROLE IN HMS SUCCESS, AN ANALYSIS. The previous sections illustrate the various HRM practices at HM. This section details how these practices contribute to the success of HM as an organization, in the context of the SHRM course literature. These are categorized under the various aspects of SHRM below: Linking People with strategic business needs H M today is a hugely successful multinational company. The success of HM is primarily based on the business model of entire design being done internally and centrally, manufacturing totally outsourced, but quality ensured and local retailing with hired places, local staff and local shop managers empowered to take decisions. The success, business growth and expansion plans were possible because HM have formatted their HR strategy in line with the corporate strategy. As evident from their Annual Report (Ar1 2008), when they expand into new markets they do not lose sight of their core values. They have succeeded to manage all components of HRM effectively to ensure that core values are upheld in all parts, regardless of country and cultural differences. Their strategic and coherent approach in recognizing that the organizations most valued assets are the people working there is evident from the statement issued by their CEO, It is our employees that make the corporate strategy possible . Our committed employees are essential to HMs ability to grow and continue to be highly profitable. At HM we share the same goals at the same time as we minimize bureaucracy and focus on the individual. We delegate a lot of responsibility to local markets, stores and individual people and we encourage people to take their own initiatives at all levels(AR1 2008). These are in accordance with Armstrongs definition of HRM (Armstrong (2006), p.3). The various elements of HR strategy, (Armstrong (2006), pp.123-146), like improving performance through local recruitment, in house training, and total reward, job rotation (external skill base), increasing commitment (selection based on personality, learning experience, rewards based on core values etc. ) have been built in to the HR Policy and Procedures, and are seen to be practiced, thus proving that the business success of the company has been supported effectively by the HR linkages. Rewards Management HM has implemented the concept of Total Reward Management very successfully. Apart from the financial compensation, job satisfaction as a reward has motivated the employees to perform and contribute their maximum to ensure customer satisfaction and business success through increased sales. This is evident in the statements by the employees from various levels on the Careers site at . As a stated policy, there is more emphasis on personality development through delegated authority in the decision making process and greater autonomy to local elements of the organizational structure. Being a multinational company with employees of different cultures, this decentralized decision making process and empowerment of employees have proven direct impact on the success of HM (AR1 2008) Various techniques associated with Intrinsic Motivation (Armstrong (2006), p.254) have been given more importance and priority than the extrinsic aspects. Work environment related parameters like leadership, empl oyee voice, recognition, achievement etc. have been built in to the HR policy and practiced to leverage the critical business goals of continuing growth and increased profitability. Performance Management HM has adopted a strategic and integrated approach to achieve organizational success through improved performance of its employees (Armstrong (2006), p.115). HM employees have been told that the growth of the employees and the organization are closely linked (AR1 2008, p.34) .The practice of Shop Managers going through a process of reviewing that days business with their subordinates on a daily basis, is part of the performance management activity. This underlines the fact that HM has recognized the importance of such a practice, and built in that process by which managers and their subordinates work together, agree on what needs to be done and how it is done (Armstrong (2006), pp.499-513). They are able to plan, prioritize and develop their sales team in a customer-focused environment (AR1 2008, pp.31-36 and Careers Site). At HM a shop manager is in charge of the daily running of the store; it is like running their own business (AR1 2008, p.34). The HR strategy of delegating authori ty for managing the shops activities is a key factor contributing to the success of the organization. Managing Diversity in teams and groups HM operates in 33 countries and is expanding its business to open new shops in countries where they are currently not present. By their HR policy and procedures, when a new shop is opened the staff are recruited locally. They also have the practice of job rotation and movement of employees from one location to another based on internal recruitment (promotions). This brings together people of different cultural back grounds together in the same team, and successfully managing such a team is crucial to the success of the organization. The HR strategy is, not to have very rigid procedures, and the corporate culture of respect to the individual. As stated in their Annual Report (AR1 2008), the HR strategy ensure the following: 1. In order to meet peoples expectations of HM as an attractive employer, company develops global guide lines on diversity, equal rights and against discrimination. 2. HMs objective is to be a good employer, including in those countries whose laws and regulations fall short of their own requirements. The whole of their activity is shaped by a fundamental respect for the individual. This applies to every aspect from fair wages, working hours and freedom of association to the opportunity for growth and development within the company (AR1, 2008). 3. HM has positive experience of open and constructive dialogue with the trade unions and they welcome such relations wherever they operate. They consider that cooperation is essential if they are to become even better. Examples of collaboration on staffing issues include their agreement with UNI (Union Network International) and the work they do with the EWC (European Works Council). (SR (2008)) HMs success in executing their strategy of continuous international growth and expansion, while maintaining its Swedish organizational culture, indicates that its HR practices have contributed to the successful management of diversity in teams and groups. Planning, Recruitment and Selection The HR strategy, which is closely aligned with the organizational strategy to achieve continuing growth and profitability, envisages recruitment of people every year to run the new stores scheduled to be opened. For example, as per their Annual report (AR1 2008), about 6000 7000 employees are to be recruited during this financial year, to meet the requirements of the 225 new stores being opened worldwide. The planning and recruitment is based on the HR policy to recruit locally when a new store is opened (Armstrong (2006), pp.363-388). Future employees are evaluated and chosen (Armstrong (2006), pp.409-471) according to certain criteria practiced by HM and based on the companys culture. They look for people with personality who can perform well within the culture, growth and motivational framework provided at HM. To quote Pà ¤r Darj, Head of HR, At HM, great grades and all the university credits in the world are no guarantee of a job or a fast-track career. Of course, we do welcome those things, but what we are really looking for, more than anything, is people with the right personality. This is based on the belief that one can always gather skills as you go along, but personality and attitude cant be taught. Either youve got it or you dont. One of the most important things we look for is drive. (AR1 2008, p.5-34). Organisational Behaviour At HM, a lot of importance is given to personality development and for opportunity for the employees to grow within the organization. Various practices empowering the employees; like a Shop Manger being allowed to take independent decisions, and managing the business like an entrepreneur etc. are designed to increase employee loyalty and commitment to the organization and are great motivators (Armstrong (2006), pp.239-316 and AR1 2008). The HR strategy for employee motivation; total reward with emphasis on Intrinsic Motivation (Armstrong (2006), p.254), has been proven, to be directly related to forming the success of the organization. All their operations are typified by an essential respect for the individual; including reasonable wages, reasonable hours, opportunity to grow and develop within the company (AR1, 2008) The prevailing organizational culture at HM encourages team work, supports effective leadership and provides adequate growth opportunity for employees. These HR strate gic initiatives in turn make significant contributions to the organizational goals of continuing growth and profitability. Human Resource Development Ensuring Learning and Development opportunities for its employees is an integral part of the HR strategy at HM (AR1 2008), and these essential ingredients contribute significantly to the success of the organization. Human Resource Development is a continuing process at H&M; the new recruits being sent to already existing shops for gaining valuable experience, experienced employees being brought to new shops to support the new local recruits during the intensive opening period activity etc. This is critical to the process of organizational learning and helps them climb the learning curve faster (Armstrong (2006), p.554). Keeping employees highly motivated is essential to the success of HM, due to the nature of its business of dealing in high fashion consumer goods. The various concepts that can be adopted to increase performance (like job satisfaction as a reward management tool) are very effectively employed and as the employees themselves state, Im happy to be here and every day is a challenge (Careers site at ). Expectancy Theory, which states that if individuals feel that the outcome of learning is likely to benefit them, they will be more inclined to prove it (Armstrong (2006), p.556) has been proven on the shop floors of HM. The HR practice of giving responsibility to the employees early on in their career, treating them as entrepreneurs rather than just employees, (AR1 2008, p.34) is a definite and positive step towards their development. Considering the employees as capable of shaping its results and improving it in big and small ways, is key to HMs approach to learning and development. International HRM HM is a multinational company with operations in 33 countries and new countries being added every year as the organization grows. The strategy of local recruitment when a new shop opens leads to the situation of a collective work force belonging to different nationalities adjusting to a common organizational culture. This is the big HR challenge, which the company has very successfully overcome. The HR strategy of delegation of authority and empowerment of employees has played a very important role in this success. The shop manager runs the business as an entrepreneur and is authorized to take independent decisions with in the overall guide lines. Think globally and act locally, Laurent (1986) (from Armstrong (2006), p.104), has been adapted as the mantra for success at HM. They have identified the core and non core activities (design and manufacturing; being core, done centrally, and distribution; noncore, done locally) , they have built global brand equity while honoring local customs, they share their learning and create new knowledge. Conclusion To conclude, HM has balanced the needs of coordination, control and autonomy and maintained the appropriate balance between them. These are critical to the success of any multinational company ( Bartlett Ghosal (1991) from Armstrong (2006), p.104) . -

The Earth’s Nuclear Core Essay -- Easrth Geology Geological Essays

The Earth’s Nuclear Core The Earth’s core is like a massive nuclear reactor, burning uranium into lighter elements, and producing much of the geological phenomenon observed on the Earth. This fission reactor is responsible for producing most of the Earth’s heat and energy, as well as, the phenomenon of geomagnetism. There is substantial reason to believe that the center of the Earth is a massive nuclear reactor derived from empirical data observed in the earth, and logical evidence to prove that the theory is true. The theory started when geologists in the fifties began whether natural occurring nuclear fission was possible. Eventually, empirical evidence presented itself. In 1972 at the Oklo uranium mine in western Africa, a natural nuclear fission reactor was discovered deep within the earth. The discovery provided an answer to the possibility of naturally occurring nuclear fission in the earth. Based on this discovery and other logical observations, the geophysicist, J. Marvin Herndon, proposed his theory in 1972, of massive planetary nuclear reactors. Recently Herndon proposed his newest theory. The theory is that the Earth has an estimated, five mile diameter, nuclear fission reactor in it’s core. This theory contradicts many traditional theories of geophysics, but is not with out ample evidence and reason to testify to it’s likely hood. Herndon, explains the conditions that must be present for a natural fission process to occur. The process of fission is the simply put, the breaking apart of heavy atoms to create lighter more stable atoms. Most elements try to become more stable through the processes of fusion or fission. These elements will generally form into a noble gas, those elements in ... ...m is that nobody has been able to disprove this theory. The founder of the theory, J. M. Herndon says, â€Å"I wish someone would respond, tell me that the science is wrong, but I just get nothing.† This says a great deal about the validity of these arguments. Anyone who would disagree would simply be ignoring the plethora of evidence stacked against other arguments. With so much evidence, and an apparent lack of serious opposition, it is difficult for any reasonable person to disagree with the idea of nuclear fission at the core of the Earth. This theory explains many phenomenon as well as answers old questions about the Earth. It should be understood that this theory is feasible and logical. So much evidence is certainly too convincing to ignore, and ignoring such an amount of evidence would be entirely foolish, for a scientist, institution, or any other person.

My Favorite Season of the Year

My favorite season of the year is autumn. There are three main reasons why it is my favorite of the four seasons. During this season nature is an absolute wonder to see, Thanksgiving holiday occurs at this time, and the weather is perfect for many outdoor activities. The first reason I enjoy autumn so much, especially down here in the South, is because nature is such an absolute wonder to see during this time of the year. There are many animals that are preparing for the cold winter. A good way for me to get out in the wilderness and watch these spectacular events take place in nature is to go hunting.It really is a great experience for me. While hunting in the woods, I am enjoying listening to the different sounds that the birds are making. Then, out of nowhere, I hear the sound of dead leaves rustling all around me. I look around to see what is making the noise, and then I see them. Two squirrels are digging around for food. Then, all of a sudden they begin running, and they shoot straight up a tree one behind the other. After they get close to the top, they begin jumping from limb to limb and from tree to tree, one still following the other.Then they eventually disappear. I have seen this happen quite often with both chipmunks and squirrels. They like to sneak and hop around on top of the dead leaves, quickly searching and competing to gather the most nuts and acorns for their families for the winter. Something else I get to see in nature while hunting in the woods is the different beautiful colors of the leaves both up in the treetops and down on the floor of the woods. Some of the leaves are variations of red, golden yellow, or maybe even a combination of the two.Another way I like to see the beautiful leaves that autumn has to offer is to just ride around and take in all the wonderful sights. Seeing the different colors of the leaves is my favorite part of nature during autumn. The leaves really are quite a sight to see. The second reason autumn is my fav orite season is because Thanksgiving occurs during this time. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is the holiday for giving thanks to all of those in my life whom I love and care for. There are many things I like about the Thanksgiving holiday.One thing I like is the road trip my family and I take every year to visit our families. My family includes me, my dad and stepmom, my two younger brothers who are seventeen and twelve, my little sister who is nine, and my cousin who is fourteen. On the way traveling to Madisonville, Tennessee, we get to see nature at its prettiest. The treetops are absolutely beautiful with their different shades of red and yellow. It takes us about two hours to get to where we are going, so we have to figure out things to do to entertain ourselves while enjoying the beautiful scenery.One way to spend the time is to talk. We all discuss what has been going on in our lives, such as school, work, politics, and many other areas of life. Something else we do along the way is to play different games like I Spy. We see who can spot the most cars of a certain brand or color, or we play trivia games. Another favorite activity we like to do is to sing songs and just have a grand ole time. For me a road trip like this is a great way to spend quality time with the family. The second reason why Thanksgiving is so appealing to me is because of our great family reunion we have every year.It is a very good time for family members who have not seen one another in a year or more to reunite for Thanksgiving. Some family members who usually show up are the following: of course my great aunts and uncles and my cousins and their sides of the family who live there in Tennessee where we have our reunion, my family from Georgia, including my grandfather and my aunt and uncle, and my aunt and uncle and their children who travel all the way from Texas. It is quite a pleasure for me to see everybody talking and laughing and just having a great tim e enjoying one another’s company.Third, and probably my favorite part about Thanksgiving, is the massive amount of deliciously fulfilling food I get to eat on this wonderful holiday. I probably gain around ten to fifteen pounds throughout the Thanksgiving weekend! Let’s start with appetizers. We have nice, juicy, mouth-watering turkey and chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, those sweet English peas that just dissolve in my mouth, homemade macaroni and cheese, all different kinds of pastas and veggies, and one of my favorites, the freshly baked, sweet-smelling, buttered rolls. Mmmmm!I am becoming hungry just thinking about them. Then there are the delicious desserts. My favorites are that creamy banana pudding my aunt makes, pineapple upside down cake, and the sweet, moist strawberry shortcake. But do not be mistaken. We have brownies, different kinds of cakes such as red velvet, German chocolate, regular chocolate, and cheesecake. Oh, and w e have many varieties of tasty pie. So those are some good reasons I enjoy Thanksgiving so much, making autumn my favorite season. The third reason autumn is such an awesome season is that it provides excellent weather for several outdoor activities.I really can appreciate the perfect weather fall brings along with it. Taking a weekend hiking and camping trip with my friends or family out in the wilderness of the mountains is always fun. This is especially true when the sun is out, the temperature stays around fifty to sixty degrees, and the winds are calm throughout the day. On this trip I spend with my friends, we fish from the ice cold river or creek to catch lunch and dinner with the warmth of the sun on our backs. Later, during the evening when the temperature drops, we get the fire started and everybody sits around it and sings, talks, tells stories, and just has a grand ole time.Sitting next to the hot fire, I can feel the heat from the flames warming my face, and my nose bec omes filled with the sweet smell of wood burning. There are other things I like to do as well. I like to go cycling or running and feel the nice cool air blow over my skin to cool my body down. These two activities have three advantages to them. It is good exercise, I can do it almost anywhere, and it is a good way to enjoy those cool days fall has to offer. It’s a three for one deal, baby! All of these are enjoyable activities for me to do with my friends or family, but sometimes I like to do them alone.Mainly, these are some activities that bring people closer together and are enjoyable to do during the fall because the weather is perfect. Autumn is neither too hot nor too cold. It is a season that keeps me active. In conclusion, these are three positive traits about the season of autumn I enjoy the most. Nature is an absolute wonder to see during the season of autumn, Thanksgiving occurs, and the weather during this season is perfect for many outdoor activities. All in all , autumn is the best season of the year and my favorite for these three reasons.

The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradburys stories The Veldt and The Rocket

The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradburys stories The Veldt and The Rocket Although, formally speaking, Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket belong to the literary genre of sci-fi, they are not as much about exploring the theme of bright technological future as they are about exploring the effects of futuristic technology on one’s consciousness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The common thing about both stories is the fact that, in them, author strived to exploit the motif of parental/social alienation, which he thought was going to represent one of the most important aspects of futuristic living. At the same time, even though the plots of The Veldt and The Rocket revolve around the theme of how technology might affect the workings of people’s consciousness, they offer diametrically opposite views, in regar ds to the subject matter. Whereas; The Veldt implies a counterproductive essence of such an effect, The Rocket promotes an idea that the utilization of technology does not deprive people of their existential vitality, but on the contrary – endows them with it. In other words; whereas, The Veldt is best referred to as the story of ‘degradation through technology’, The Rocket is most appropriately defined as the story about ‘revival through technology’. In our paper, we will aim to explore this thesis at length. In The Veldt, readers are being exposed to the story of two comparatively well-off but overly decadent parents George and Lydia coming to realization of the fact that their ‘Happylife Home’, which featured visually three-dimensional nursery for kids, was in fact causing more harm to their and kids’ well-being then good: â€Å"The more I see of the mess weve put ourselves in, the more it sickens me. Weve been contemplating o ur mechanical, electronic navels for too long. My God, how we need a breath of honest air!† (p. 17). As it appears out of story’s context, the reason why George and Lydia were becoming increasingly weary of their house, filled with a variety of different technological gadgets, is that while living there, they felt as if life-force was being gradually sucked out of them – in ‘Happylife Home’, there was nothing for both parents to occupy themselves with. In fact, house’s nursery had even taken over the upbringing of their children Peter and Wendy. This; however, had proven to be only a half of the problem – as time went by, George and Lydia started to realize that their kids were growing progressively alienated from them, on one hand, and becoming increasingly addicted to spending time in the nursery, on another. Slowly but surely, the techno-nursery became a surrogate parent for Peter and Wendy. As it was pointed out by story’s an other, psychologist David McClean: â€Å"Youve let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your childrens affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents† (p. 16).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the fact that The Veldt was written circa 1951, in this sort story Bradbury was able to prove the strength of his prophetic insights beyond any reasonable doubt – after all, what author contemplated upon in this particular story, had now became a part of objective reality. Nowadays, the computer had effectively replaced parents for teenagers in many American families. This, however did not make the lives of parents any easier – as McClean had rightly suggested, it is only the matter of time before kids, addicted to playing with hi-tech gadgets, become mentally inadequate: â€Å"One of the original uses of these nurseries was so that we could study the patterns left on the walls by the childs mind, study at our leisure, and help the child. In this case, however, the room has become a channel toward-destructive thoughts, instead of a release away from them† (p. 16). Therefore, it makes no surprise that The Veldt ends on a tragic note – after having realized that their parents were serious about shutting down the nursery, Wendy and Peter decided to lure George and Lydia into it, in order for them to be eaten by lions. The morale of this story could be articulated as follows: people who are being deprived of their existential vitality, due to having all of their desires fully satisfied, cannot possibly utilize technology to improve their lives even better – on the contrary, rich but decadent people’s continuous exposal to technology will deprive them of the remains of their liveliness. Nevertheless, as we have pointed out ear lier in The Rocket, Bradbury discussed the effects of technology on people’s consciousness from an entirely new perspective. In it, story’s main character Fiorello Bodoni, who always dreamt of a space travel but was never able to afford it, decides to spend his lifesavings so that at least one member of his extended family would be able to experience the treat of a lifetime – flying to Mars on rocket, just like rich people do. He does it despite his friend Baramante’s advise not to act foolish and to remain content with the fact that there are certain things that poor people will never be able to do: â€Å"No, Bodoni, buy a new wrecking machine, which you need, and pull your dreams apart with it, and smash them to pieces† (p. 178). In other words, even at the story’s very beginning, Bradbury provides readers with the good clue as to the main character’s affiliation with the lowest social strata – hence, establishing an entirel y new semantic context, within which story’s plot would unravel, as compared to what it was the case with The Veldt.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike the characters of George and Lydia from The Veldt, Bodoni is being represented to readers as someone with the strong desire to help his children to be able to attain social prominence in the future, despite the impossible odds. Ironically enough though, it was namely Bodoni’s realization of a sheer preposterousness of such his intention, which only added to the strength of his resolution to step over the limitations of its own social status – he swore to provide a chance to one of his numerous kids to experience space travel. Nevertheless, it did not take too long for Bodoni to apprehend tha t if one of the children does fly to Mars, it would make the kid feeling guilty for the rest of his life, on the account that others were denied the same opportunity. In its turn, this caused story’s main character to spend his hard-earned money to buy the mockup of a rocket, to put it in his backyard, and to install 3D TV screens in place of illuminators, so that all of his kids would be able to ‘travel’ to space and back, without knowing that this ‘travel’ was an illusion: â€Å"Let all of space come and go, and red Mars come up under our ship, and the moons of Mars, and let there be no flaws in the color film. Let there be three dimensions; let nothing go wrong with the hidden mirrors and screens that mold the fine illusion. Let time pass without crisis† (p. 184). After having ‘flown’ to Mars and back with all the children onboard, Bodoni felt if his actual life’s mission has been fulfilled – after having been to ‘space’, his kids will never think that, due to their low social status, there are things in life that they could never even dream of doing. Even Bodoni’s rather unimaginative wife Maria had grown to appreciate what her husband did: â€Å"Very late in the night Bodoni opened his eyes. He sensed that his wife was lying beside him, watching him. She did not move for a very long time, and then suddenly she kissed his cheeks and his forehead. ‘What’s this?’ he cried. ‘You’re the best father in the world,’ she whispered† (p. 185). The morale of this story is: those with burning desire to fulfill their life-dreams, despite lacking financial means, represent the better part humanity, because it is namely this type of people that make scientific, cultural and social progress possible. When we compare the endings of The Veldt and The Rocket, it will appear that; whereas, Bodoni’s poverty was proven an asset, within the context of how his life was affected by technology, George and Lydia’s prosperity, within the same context, was proven to be the key to their ‘undoing’. Thus, just as we have stated in the thesis, the reading of Bradbury’s both stories provides us with the insight onto the fact that technology itself can never be referred to as being ‘inheritably wicked’, as decadents do.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whereas; the utilization of 3D technology by George and Lydia in The Veldt resulted in bringing about their ultimate demise, the utilization of the same technology, on the part of Bodoni, allowed him to endow his children with an acute sense of self-respect and to strengthen the integrity of his marital relationship with Maria. This is exactly the reason why The Rocket is the last story in The Illustrated Man – apparently, Bradbury wanted to emphasize his belief in the beneficence to the mankind of just about any science-based technology. The analysis of motifs, contained in both stories, leaves very few doubts as to the full validity of his prophetic insights – just like the characters in The Veldt, today’s White people in Western countries continue to grow ever more technologically minded. However, this does not make them more ‘alive’ – unlike their ancestors, who used to bring the light of civilization to savages; they now allow these sava ges to colonize their own countries under disguise of ‘celebration of diversity’. Alternatively, the continuous utilization of technology by poor but mentally adequate people, unaffected by ideologies that derive out of bellyful idling (neo-Liberalism, New Age, etc.), as Chinese and Russians, had created a situation when it is now only the matter of very short time, before the mission of bearing the light of civilization will be given to them. In The Veldt and in The Rocket, Bradbury referred to the concept of technology in essentially the same manner that Richard Wagner referred to the concept of ‘gold’ in his operas – just as it was the case with gold in Wagnerian operas, people’s exposal to Bradbury’s ‘technology’ turns weak even weaker and strong even stronger. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that, besides high literary, there is also a high philosophical value to both of Bradbury’s stories. References Bradbury, Ray â€Å"The Illustrated Man†. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. Print.

6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer

6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer 6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer Last week, we revealed through a survey on social networks how much importance indie authors place on working with a professional book designer for their covers. After all, big part of the what makes self-publishing so attractive is that authors retain all creative freedom over their work. This means it is up to you, and you only, to choose your cover designer and brief them properly.As in any other creative business relationship, the briefing process is the most important part of the collaboration. A good brief will save you and your book designer both time and money. To help you refine your future design briefs, we’ve asked some of our brilliant designers on Reedsy what their main advice is for authors. Here are their answers!1- Know your audienceYour cover design will be your most powerful marketing tool. It will influence your discoverability as well as your buyer-to-reader conversion. Therefore, it must follow the #1 rule in marketing: know your target market and focus on them.â€Å"Different colors and fonts appeal to different readers. Different genres have different looks that you would want to utilize in your cover. Marketing to everyone is the same thing as marketing to no one. Your cover design should be a marketing tool to find readers who will like your book†. - Ellie Bockert Augsburger2. Give the designer an idea of your tastes and expectations 6. CommunicateThis might sound obvious, but communication is the best way to speed up the process and make sure you end up with the perfect book cover. This doesn’t just mean briefing your book designer accordingly, it also means staying in touch, giving feedback on the early comps and sharing ideas as they come along.â€Å"The #1 way to avoid miscommunications in the design process is to speak in person†, says designer Brian LaRossa. â€Å"If that is not an option- which is often the case- a video chat or phone call is still much better than an email.†If you don’t know much about the design process and are unsure about what your artist wants or needs, just follow the tips above and let them take the lead. After all, as Michael Kellner puts it: â€Å"experienced designers will know what questions to ask an author about their book: it’s subject, themes and spirit. It’s style, plot and characters. Where the story takes place, and so on.† If you trust your book designer, communication will be easy.Click the following links to learn more about professional book cover design, illustration, or book layout design on Reedsy.

Wal-Marts Vision Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Marts Vision Statement - Essay Example The company’s main stakeholders are the shareholders, customers, and employees (Wal-mart, 2008). This report focuses on the backbone of the company the employees. The aim is to understand the current situation of the employees and whether the company’s vision is helping the employees achieve the objectives. Wal – Mart has wide operations spread across 14 markets, 7390 Wal – Mart stores. The company employees over 2 million associates. It is the largest employer in America. The company claims to give importance to the employee’s growth and careers. The company’s website claims to provide the employees with a competitive pay, skills development and health benefits for the employee and family. However, a recent article in Business Week highlighted the fact that the company has been paying employees about $8.23 per hour, or $13,861 a year. This pay is well below the federal poverty line of $14, 630 for a family of three. Other articles and studies have shown that the company pays employees a salary which is way below the poverty line and employees have confessed that they cannot live out of the pay received from Wal – Mart alone. The average hours worked by employees is around 40 hours a week. However the pay received is very low and for some of the employees, it is just enough to live out of a Dodge truck (Greenhouse, 2005). The employee’s goals, however, are very different. Employees benefit from a company that is making profits which in turn would mean the employees being paid higher salaries and bonuses. From the above discussion, it is clear that employees do not receive any extra benefits in spite of the company making profits. A study showed that even though employees were given hikes in salary they did not really benefit from the hikes. Wal – Mart has instituted a new payment method.  

A serial-killer investigation in a Korean rural setting in Memories of Essay

A serial-killer investigation in a Korean rural setting in Memories of Murder - Essay Example The story follows a linear structure that is typical of detective films. It starts with the first body found, and then revelations of the bodies of other victims. Detectives Park and Seo work with other cops to examine the evidence and crime scenes. Slowly, they learn more about the killing methods of the killer (i.e. using the things of the victims to kill them, such as panty hose for strangling their necks, putting their panties on their faces, and tying hands with the same knot) and his preferences in his victims (i.e. almost all are sexy, beautiful, and wearing red dresses walking at rainy nights). The investigation, in addition, slowly reveals more information about the personality of the detectives and their society. Inspector Park is shown as the contrast of Seo. Park is biased and unsystematic, almost apathetic to the victims, while Seo is scientific in his approach and committed to his job. The film also shows the setting’s socioeconomic and political issues. For inst ance, the rice fields show that the main livelihood of the people is agriculture. The surroundings also show rural poverty and political chaos. The mise-en-scene captures wide rice fields and old buildings. The police station and other interiors of buildings are shabby. The people’s costumes also demonstrate their poverty with faded clothing. The sharp contrast is seen between the first parts of the parade, where high school students wear traditional Korean dresses, but it rains, so they go for cover, and the next scene, which shows a riot against the president.

In what ways is Orwell's Keep the Aspidistra Flying a critique of Essay

In what ways is Orwell's Keep the Aspidistra Flying a critique of British values between the wars - Essay Example Even from above you could see that his shoes needed resoling.† (Orwell, 2002) This makes it obvious to the reader that Gordon is a man who is down on his luck. The book can be interpreted in terms of reflecting on the values of the British society especially between the war period. Unfortunately Gordon has some very unattractive qualities which make it difficult for the reader to identify with him. He is a man obsessed with himself and wallowing in self-pity. He has a lot of intellectual arrogance and conceit. He professes to be a budding poet although his book has only sold about one hundred and fifty three copies. He firmly believes that it is only the lack of money which prevents him from turning out a masterpiece. In his own words â€Å"Snooty, refined books on safe painters and safe poets by those moneyed young beasts who glide so gracefully from Eton to Cambridge and from Cambridge to the literary reviews.† (Orwell, 2002) Here Gordon’s contempt for writers w ho do not dare to take any kind of risk but prefer to stick to safe topics is obvious. At the same time a tinge of envy is there in his words. He considers that their moneyed background offers these writers a blanket of security which is conspicuously lacking in his life. Actually through Gordon’s monologue we catch a glimpse of British Society during the post-war period. The British middle class values are also high-lighted in this book. It was a very class conscious society at that time. The British middle class had certain rigid standards by which they lived their lives. Thus at that time you were either a gentleman or an aristocrat. If you belonged to neither of these two categories then you were a member of the lower classes and you could expect to be treated with a certain degree of contempt. Actually here the author has tried to bring to the fore-front the false sense of values which governed the British Society in those days. So we see that although Gordon Comstock ha d no money he was still desperate to keep up appearances. For example in this passage, â€Å"Gordon walked homeward against the rattling wind, which blew his hair backward and gave him more of a 'good' forehead than ever. His manner conveyed to the passers-by--at least, he hoped it did--that if he wore no overcoat it was from pure caprice. His overcoat was up the spout for fifteen shillings, as a matter of fact.† (Orwell, 2002) Here Gordon’s behavior is typical of the class to which he belonged. He did not possess an overcoat and at the same time he was trying to convey the impression that this was just whimsical behavior on his part. There were one or two bright spots in Gordon’s life. One was his girlfriend Rosemary who loved him but refused to sleep with him. The other was his rich friend Philip Ravelston who tried to help him by publishing one of his books through his publishing contacts. Gordon formed the impression that his lack of money was the main reaso n behind Rosemary’s resistance to his advances. Although Gorden claimed to disdain money, at the same time he was obsessed with it. This is apparent from this passage. â€Å"It wasn’t merely the lack of money. It was rather that, having no money, they still lived mentally in the money-world--the world in which money is virtue and poverty is crime.† (Orwell, 2002) Gordon had little or no time for his relatives. Their genteel poverty and their helplessness was a source of

Effective Administration Essay Example for Free

Effective Administration Essay Outline the ways in which the Director of Administration and Corporate services and her team can ensure they provides an effective administration service to achieve Accent’s ‘commitment to excellence.’ For the existence and survival of any business it is pertinent to have visions, set objectives and create strategies to achieve these objectives. Because business objectives are long term and in continuum, a machinery is required to design and implement these plans, this is known as administration. Mullins (2007:414 ) defines administration as† a key part of management process that is responsible for the design and implementation of systems and procedures instigated by management to help meet stated objectives†. Structure of the Business (ACCENT HOTEL GROUP) The business runs a chain of seven hotels in major cities and airports. These hotels include 3 and 4 star hotels. It has 8 directors on its board and Daniel Rycaart the founder also as the CEO. Each hotel runs a semi-autonomous strategic business unit and is headed by a General Manager. All the SBUs report directly to CEO. The units headed by the directors: -Administration and corporate service (includes IT) -Finance -Hospitality and hotel services -Human Resources -Legal Service (company Secretary) -Operations and conferences -Risk Management -Sales and Marketing The hotels together offer accommodation to about 800 guests and employ about 800 staff. As part of its commitment to excellence and the provision of a quality experience for all guests, the hotels offers service which include: -Conference suites for day delegates and function rooms for wedding receptions and parties -Evening entertainment in the bar -Indoor heated swimming pool -Leisure centre (gym, sauna, spas, etc for residents and members) -Outdoor terrace -Two bars (one of which offer 24 hour bar meals) -Two restaurants with top chefs (a la carte and self service buffet style) Due to the CEO Vision and business strategy, aiming to achieve ‘100% occupancy all year round was achieved by 40% increase in gross profits in the last four years, due to the group’s ‘commitment to excellence, ‘which has been underpinned by a number of strategic initiatives, stated below; Culture The Group’s culture has ‘changed’ with the introduction of a new management philosophy which sees everyone’s contribution (not just those managing the hotels) as key to its success. This more ‘inclusive’ culture gave all staff an opportunity to input into the Group’s critical success factors and key performance indicators (KPIs). These include: Commitment to excellence via quality, standards of performance and customer service Terms and conditions of employment Outsourcing and in-house services Health, safety and hygiene Occupancy Sales and marketing Ensuring that KPI were written into their business and operational plans and objectives were set and met accordingly would ensure that the organizations visions and strategies were communicated and understood from top to bottom through the organization. Learning and Development The Group’s commitment to being a ‘learning organisation’ and maintaining the status of an ‘Investor in People’ included the setting up of a new Learning  and Development Unit. A learning organisation as defined by Peter Senge (1990) are organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. The organisation’s commitment to being a learning organisation will ensure that the learning and development needs of the employees were in line with the business objectives of the organization. Performance Management A report, commissioned by Daniel, identified a number of inconsistencies with the outdated performance appraisal system, including the fact that reviews weren’t taking place at regular intervals, individual objectives weren’t linked to strategic, business and operational plans and some employees (including waiters, porters, chamber personnel and seasonal and casual staff) were not as adept at identifying their own learning and development needs. Performance management entails planning. Organizational overall performance depends on achieving outcomes identified by the planning process. Commitment to Excellence Daniel’s vision ‘commitment to excellence’ is the flagship behind the group’s success. However, with the new culture of ‘team work’ and ‘openness’, Daniel is striving to improve on the already successful ‘quality culture’. Daniels has asked for suggestions and ideas from both managers and staff on how service quality and performance could be improved. By linking the results of the internal feedback to performance management and identification of learning needs will further improve the successful quality culture through continuous improvement. Standard Operating Procedures In January 2005, a new set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were introduced to support the new culture, specific operational activities and good planning and control within the Group. The SOPs developed included: _ administrative management _ corporate governance _ customer satisfaction _ knowledge management _ outsourcing Daniel’s vision of ‘a commitment to excellence and the provision of a quality experience for all guests’ could be achieved through effective administration, this could be provided through the provision of systems, procedures, services and resources to support the business. This effectively will be determined on how effective the administrative management system in place is. â€Å"Administrative management can be defined as the effective and efficient management of the administration function and associated processes that support the organization in the achievement of its day-to-day business activities, objectives and strategies†. (Study Guide, p.49) Fayol’s theory on five function of management can also be used by the group in its strive to achieve its visions: 1. Forecasting and planning: This is analysing the future and drawing a course of action to achieve set goals and objectives. Developing administrative objectives and goals, keeping abreast with new development in external environment, determine human resource requirement for the functions and developing administrative budget. 2. Organising: It is the management function of ensuring that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. All skill level and training requirements are adequately in place. 3. Directing: This as an administrative function entails commanding to ensure that organizations’ tasks are carried out efficiently and effectively. 4. Coordinating: This is a very important part of management, it entails that all the resources of the organization are aligned to ensure that input, processing and output functions are supported. It is very important to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. 5. Controlling: Control is an integral part of planning process and involve measuring and correcting the performance of organizational objectives and plans, to ensure that they are implemented efficiently and effectively, within set timescales and  allocated resources (Fayol (1916) cited in study, p151). In conclusion, the onus is on the director of administration and corporate services to ensure achievement of the group’s success in its commitment to excellence through cohesiveness, planning, control and coordination of organization activities through effective management skills and administrative management. PART B In order to achieve ‘commitment to excellence’ and continually improve their business practices and services, organizations must put in place sound business strategies that must be flexible in nature so as to be compatible with the challenges and dictates of the business environment. This forces within the environment in which businesses operate have created the need for organisations to be effective and efficient in their resource allocation and administrative measures, thus; the quest for business excellence. Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve products, services or processes. These efforts can seek â€Å"incremental† improvement over time or â€Å"breakthrough† improvement all at once. Continuous Improvement is a strategic approach to driving a cost competitive method for meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Regardless of customer needs, competition, or business challenges, a well executed continuous improvement program can ensure the success of any organization Different models can be used to illustrate and evaluate how organizations can achieve commitment to excellence and continually improve their business practices and services. Some of the widely used tools are identified below: Peters’ and Waterman’s Eight Attributes of Excellence Peters and Waterman in their submission in 1982 looked at some of the best-managed companies in the United States and found that they had a lot of things in common. They compiled a list of eight qualities that they believed to be present in the companies. Although not all eight were present in every company, these qualities regularly stood out. †¢A Bias for Action: Company gets things done; increases knowledge, interest, and commitments. †¢Close to the Customer: Customer satisfaction is very important throughout all the roles that the business plays. †¢Autonomy and Entrepreneurship: Encourage risk taking and innovation. †¢Productivity Through People: Everyone is respectful and enthusiastic towards each other. This creates an atmosphere that enables good work. †¢Hands-on, Value-Driven: Company philosophy and values are discussed openly. Leaders in the organization are also positive role models. †¢Stick to the Knitting: Company focuses on doing what it does best. †¢Simple Form, Lean Staff: Authority is shared as much as possible between the employees. †¢Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties: Good planning and controlling that still allows for worker autonomy and a less rigid atmosphere. Source: Kreitner (1992) However, organisations should be weary to consider these principles during strategy formulation as against the view that they are solutions to business problems EFQM Business Excellence Model This model was developed in 1992 by the European Foundation for Quality Management. . According to this body; Organisations can proactively identify areas of strengths and weakness which is allowed through a process of self development and in order to sustain this improvement planning and evaluation has to be continuous. The model focuses on the key elements that sustain business excellence, five of which are enablers (what the organisation does) and four of which are results (what an organisation achieves). The model gives equal emphasis to enablers and result. The five enablers are: Leadership People Policy and strategy Partnership and resources Processes. The four areas focusing on results are: People Customers Society Key performance Source:http://www.ims-productivity.com/page.cfm/content/EFQM-Business-Excellence-Model/ Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle Another tools for continuous improvement is the PDCA cycle. This cycle is a four-step quality mode which aims at achieving continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for change and planning for them, followed by actual implementation, monitoring and re-evaluation. This model is also known as Deming Cycle: †¢Plan: This entails identifying an opportunity and planning for change. †¢Do: This involves implementing the change on a small scale. †¢Check: This requires the use data to analyze the results of the change and determine the impact and effect it has had and whether it made a difference. †¢Act: This entails determining if the change was successful, and if yes, it is implemented on a wider scale and continuously assessment of results. However, if the change did not work, the cycle will begin. Six Sigma Another model that can be used in the evaluation of how businesses can achieve continuous improvement is the Six Sigma Model. This model or technique sees tasks as processes that can be defined, measured, analyzed, improved and controlled. All tasks will have inputs and produce outputs. By controlling the inputs, the outputs would have been effectively controlled. This process or model of continuous improvement emphasizes prevention of errors or variation in quality and standards over detection of them. It drives customer satisfaction and achievement of objectives by minimizing variation in quality and waste, with a view of earning competitive advantage. In conclusion, a review of the models above shows that they are all focused on the efforts to improve products, services and or processes with the aim reducing variations and waste. There is an emphasis on inputs, processes and outputs as well as continuous planning and re-evaluation. The Continuous Improvement Model allows organizations to make incremental change to existing processes, adopt new ways to improve and measure productivity and control, discontinue activity that adds no value and increase emphasis and  focus on the organization’s mission and objectives. Getting a continuous improvement environment institutionalized takes Executive Level support. A collaborative team approach inspires workers to make the extra effort and strive to do what is beneficial for the company and in line with management objectives. Management and administrators work with employees to implement change and ensure standards are in place and controls are functioning to optimize productivity while managing cost. REFERENCES David, B. and John, D. (1999) Understanding Learning At work. Routledge. Kreitner, R. (1992). Management. 5th Edition. Geneva: Houghton Mifflin. McLean, J.E. (2005). Contemporary issues In Administration And Management, International Study Guide. MDP (UK) Ltd. http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/continuous-improvement/overview/overview.html http://www.ims-productivity.com/page.cfm/content/EFQM-Business-Excellence-Model/ Senge, P (1992). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Century Business