Catalonia's Parliament Abolish Bullfighting Essay

Catalonia's Parliament Abolish Bullfighting - Essay Example The ban which took effect in January 2012 caused a lot of controversy, criticism and debates within Catatonia. The activities which led to the acceleration of the ban include the national anti-bullfighting movements and the cries of the animal rights activists. There were also international influence from individuals and groups who considered this tradition and activity as a total violation of the rights of animals and unnecessary risk on the lives of the participants. A review of the bull fighting tradition in the region demonstrates that it contributed significantly to the tourism and hotel industry. This is attributed to the fact that the bullfighting activities attracted tourists within Spain and from abroad who came to witness and participate in the bullfighting activities. In this regard therefore I do not agree with the ban of the bullfighting tradition. This is because of its economic and social cultural significance of the tradition to the people of Catalonia and Spain in ge neral. It is therefore arguable that the legislators of the region should have considered the benefits that the bullfighting tradition had for Catalonia before they would make a historic decision of passing the ban on this tradition. The important considerations that would have been put in mind by the legislators are the number of people who lost their employment and source of income within the bullfighting industry in addition to the negative implication that this had on the economy. The anti cruelty campaigns within Spain and other parts of the world are attributed to the ban on the bullfighting tradition in Catalonia. These campaigns have been staged for a long time and therefore the decision of the parliament on the ban was caused by the pressure of these bans. It is therefore reasonable to argue that the parliamentarians were responding to the voices and pressures of the activists and the animal rights groups instead of the actual implications that the bullfighting tradition ha d on the social economic aspects of the region. It is therefore evident that without the external pressure, the legislatures would not have decided to ban the tradition. This is due to the economic benefits and the cultural significance that the bullfighting exercise had on Catalonia. Because of the ban, the unique cultural identity of this region which led to the attraction of tourists to this region was lost. This means that the government and the economy in general experienced a negative impact from the ban which forms a reason why I do not support it. The arguments that were put forward by the supporters of the ban include postulations that Catalonia should adopt modern culture instead of the bullfighting which was considered cruel (Igor 1). In line of this, it is arguable that the people of Catalonia should not have been mandated to abandon their culture because it is this same culture which made them unique from the rest of the world communities and societies. In addition, thi s culture had been passed to the people of Catalonia from their forefathers for centuries. Therefore it is evident that the basis of a modern culture as an argument for the ban is not justifiable. Therefore the legislatures should have considered the need for the Catalonia people to preserve their conserved culture rather than submitting to the pressures of people and groups from other cultures who had no comprehension of the local culture and what it meant to the people of Catalonia. Many individuals and groups were affected by the ban of the bullfighting tradition. These include fans within Catalonia, the larger Spain and the rest of the w

Key To Success For Implementation Of IMC

Key To Success For Implementation Of IMC The emergence of integrated marketing communications (IMC) has developed into one of the most significant example of growth and expansion in the marketing discipline (Kitchen, 2003). It has influenced acting and thinking among companies but also state owned companies, authorities and political parties, all facing the realities of rivalry in an open economy (Smith, 1996). Today, integrated communications has developed into an expansive discipline that links marketing to a number of other grounds, including corporate culture, corporate design, corporate communication and public relations (Christensen et al., 2008). IMC has received significant interest in both the practitioner and academic communities, since the beginning. The interest played to IMC is largely a purpose of its strong appeal which makes good sense. Its been more than a decade since the concept was first introduced but however most major businesses have yet to fully apply the ideas contained in the IMC. In fact Schultz, et. al. (1992) state that recognition of IMC has not been as rapid as they thought. The benefits of IMC that Smith et al. (1999) identified are the following: All of the market communications are controlled and managed by the IMC. IMC ensures that brand positioning, personality and messages are conveyed to each part of communication which are delivered from a single reliable strategy. It is said that Relationship Marketing strengthens a bond of devotion with consumers which can also protect them from the competition. It is a great advantage to keep a consumer for life. IMC can increase the sales by extending messages across numerous communication tools to generate more ways for consumers to be aware of the product and to make a purchase. IMC reduces duplication in photography and graphics as they can be shared in advertising and exhibitions. A single agency is used for all communications so the agency fee is reduced or even if many agencies are used, time is as meetings get all the agencies together for strategic planning or briefings. Thus, it decreases workload and stress levels. Successful IMC campaign needs to find the firm a correct mixture of promotional techniques and tools that define their tasks and the level to which they should be used, and manage their use appropriately. IMC helps in making the communications effective and efficient amongst companies through various concepts such as customer focus, customer empowerment, brand resonance, immersive marketing and emotional bonding. If correctly implemented, the IMC plan could collect data and implement response based on the previously gathered data. Marketing communications derived from the consumer need is able to build value into the service or product and divide it from the competition in the customers minds. BARRIERS TO IMC IMPLEMENTATION Marketers appear to be tired when it comes to modifying the change and investment in their approach to marketing communications. The discussion concerning what marketing communications can be predictable to accomplish has been going on for very long ( Ambler, 2000). In the middle of the rising identification that advertising; mostly in the grown markets mainly carries out a reminder purpose focused largely on protecting the existing market-share. Both the agencies and clients have challenges in generating and implementing the efficient communications agenda. All areas of the diverse marketing communication business carry on to face instability among the media, declining audience and the internet (Douglas, 2003). All this are making the companies reconsider the blend of marketing communication tools with consequences for the usual mass media which may not be capable to gather the wants of the 21st century customers and find their market shares wear down despite of the synergies occurr ing from tactical associations in the media business (Davis and Craft, 2000). Another concern is regarding the advertising practitioners where an occurrence of inside-out idea and practice overcomes (Kitchen and de Pelsmacker, 2004). There are various tactical subjects of concern in the broader discussion concerning the development of IMC along with the long term involvement to marketing practice and theory (Gould, 2000). Duncan (2005) advocated the tactical forecasting and examining of brand relationships is who as well said that priority ought to be given to their most important consumers. But, so far, there is very little proof of purchaser value being resolute by any segment of IMC (Garber and Dotson, 2002). In spite of huge investments, the relationship amongst the multiplicity of IMC and customers is not well understood. Though, observed evidence of the effects of mixtures of media, like print advertising and television (Jin, 2004) is rising. According to the consumer driven strategy, IMC is the main organization of all the brand contact points. Different levels exist, where such integration takes place. The different levels would be the following. Level 1 Tactical co-ordination Level 2 Redefining the scope of marketing communication Level 3 Application of IT Level 4 Strategic and Financial Integration Key to success for implementation of IMC IMC is a theory that must be implemented logically and simultaneously at all levels and functions of a corporation. Marketing functions and Public relations are not the only programs that are integrated which makes the company an example of IMC (Low, 2000). The key tip is to be careful of companies with strong marketing cultures, because topics like corporate reputation will take a back seat to the provincialism of brand management (Pettegrew, 2000). Functional and Structural issues must become a critical part of any effective IMC series. Of particular importance is beginning with a communication czar who will become the principles and evangelist of the IMC implementation attempt (Reid, 2005). Any IMC program must be personalized to the unique character of a particular organizational culture. For an IMC program to work successfully, it must reflect the distinctive culture in which it must function well. EXAMPLES: In spite of the demand, the IMC premise fails to take into account the way most companies are structured and functioned. Many corporations that are believed to be examples of IMC; fail to maintain the IMC principles on a company basis. The examples of Nike and Proctor Gamble will disclose that neither of these companies are functionally or structurally integrated public relations and employee communications with their marketing roles. NIKE Nike- the athletic footwear and attire manufacturer, has been cited as an example of IMC excellence and marketing. In a cover story from Fortune, (Hamel, 1997) states: Ask Nike- CEO Phil Knight what he likes to do best, and he does not falter a beat, he likes to break things. then in the 1980s, he turned his booming athletic shoe corporation into a marketing machine, saturating the airwaves with drastic commercials that highlighted emotion rather than the product. Schultz, et. al. (1992) publicized Nikes success in their IMC book: The thinking behind IMC is that every statement logo, price, promotion, label, distribution should be created to help convince the intention of the competitive advantage. Duncan and Caywood (1996) also include Nike among several companies that have been tremendously successful and based on observation, they are doing brilliant jobs of integrating their communication labors. Nikes breaking the marketing rules of the athletic footwear business which has come at a cost paid by its worldwide company reputation. Given these setbacks, one could argue that Phil Knights tactical wisdom for Nike is more alike to original advertising and horizontal integration than true IMC. There is a little proof that Nikes victory was achieved by the tactical management of all messages and media used by an organization to jointly influence its perceived brand value (Keegan, Moriarty Duncan, 1992). There are missteps that suggest Nikes marketing communications which may not be so ideal. For example, in 1997, Nike followed its patently bold and brash in your face marketing formula in an attempt to gain market share in an international soccer (Thurow, 1997). In Spain, an overwhelmingly Catholic nation, Nike introduced a commercial of Satan and his demons playing against a team of Nike endorsers. Spain refused to allow the commercial to air during primetime. Nike also placed an advertisement in Soccer American magazine saying: Europe, Asia and Latin America: Barricade your stadiums. Hide your trophies. Invest in some deodorant, as Asia and Latin America have been crushed. So will Europe. The world has been warned (Thurow, 1997). And finally, Nike ran an ad on British TV featuring a controversial French soccer player who detailed how spitting at a fan and insulting his coach had won him a Nike contract. Far from having an insight into the soccer market from the customers point of v iew and gaining ground against rival Adidas, Nike garnered a scathing editorial in the International Federation of Football Associations newsletter. Another recent evidence that says Nike is hardly the quintessential IMC company. Nike groped and allowed accusations of child-labor sweatshops in Asia that subcontract the manufacturing of Nike shoes to fester. In 1999, a team of journalists went to document the conditions for themselves, but Nike shut the factories. Prior to this series of incidents, widely published news stories detailed incidents in which poor children in the inner-city were robbing, stealing and seriously injuring peers to obtain expensive Nike shoes such as Air Jordans. Publicly Nike ignored these charges for years. Considering these two incidents, there was a genuine public relation crisis where any company engaged in lawful IMC could have anticipated before it became a crisis. Instead, Nike just kept on marketing until crisis overwhelmed it. Nikes power as an IMC example is, at best overstated. Harris (1998) argues: That master marketer of our times, Phil Knight, likes to point out that while an ad page in Sports Illustrated costs $150,000, no amount of money can buy the front cover where swoosh-bearing athletes appear with great frequency. The omnipresent swoosh has a 90 percent-plus awareness among consumers, enabling it to stand alone. Many seasoned public relations professionals are quick to admit that companies that live by extraordinary market exposure can also die by the same token. In a recent effort to distance itself from its public relations problems, Nike first tried to eliminate its swoosh from its marketing campaigns and replace it with a kinder-friendlier marketing approach that emphasizes fair labor practices, the global community and environment. PROCTER GAMBLE Procter Gamble (PG) is considered by academic scholars to be a world-class marketing company and is said to stand 6th in Fortunes Most Admired Companies 2010 list (Wikipedia). Similar to the Nike brand, PG possesses some of the most particular brands in the world like Tide detergent, Duncan Hines cake mix, Jiff peanut butter, Crest toothpaste and Cover Girl cosmetics. It also has dominant market share with many of its leading brands. Even though, PGs marketing command has a record of external internal communication mistakes suggestive of Nike. PG openly misused both the Rely Tampon crisis and allegations that their packaging sign recognized the companys satanic links. It was said that PG lost face openly and separated employees when it was exposed that the company had phone-tapped a few staffs they had assumed of revealing business information. This was followed by a job of dealing with some of the physiological effects of its new replacement, Olestra. Without bearing in mind the public comeback, they allowed their scientists to name the release of Olestra, anal leakage (Henkoff, 1996), raising an additional sign of public controversy. Recently, PG shot itself in the business reputational base again. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) declared to the media that PG anticipated to meet its earnings forecast for the end of the quarter. Few weeks later, new CEO, Durk Jager was forced to declare to the same media that they had incorrectly over-estimated their periodical income and that the business would fall very short of its periodical earnings forecast. Over the following week, the companys stock fell sharply as financial markets and shareholders lost faith in the respected company. The Board of Directors of PG then fired Mr. Jager. New CEO, A.G. Lafley must now try to recover the market share and end the defections of many of the companys finest and brightest to the hi-tech industry. Regardless of Harris (1998) categorization to the opposite, these exemplars explain just how far away PG has been working from the essential IMC state of speaking to all stakeholders with a single voice (Schultz, et. Al., 1992). THE PROBLEM WITH IMPLEMENTING AT THE HIGHER LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT Nike and PG do a wonderful job with the marketing side of IMC without incorporating their employee and public relation functions, their company reputations have suffered. IMC theory has given a short shrift to the organizational barriers that often avoid companies from implementing IMC effectively. BARRIERS BETWEEN THE COMPANIES [NIKE AND PG] I have argued that two companies Nike and Procter Gamble, fall far short of the IMC model. Neither company has effectively integrated its many communication functions seamlessly. Both companies are very strong in terms of marketing, but they remain weak in employee communications, public relations or both. The question is, how do companies like these miss the IMC mark? The answer would be to a great level in their organizational structures. Both- Nike and PG are marketing organizations, organized around product marketing. PG demonstrates a brand management association where both staff and line functions are positioned within a companys various brands or products. While, PGs organizational structure has developed over the years, staff communication functions such as public relations and employee communications are organized around and directly support each brand or group of brands. Brands get the most resources and use huge internal influence. Beginning in June 1999, PG undertook a new organizational proposal that created a unit called Global Business Services providing a centralized staff support service across all of its Global Business Units (GBUs). Prior to this idea, each brand unit had its own communication staff functions with little company-wide centralization and control. While Nike uses another form of organization, its purpose and structure still highlight marketing its products and services. CEO- Phillip Knight is Nikes marketing chief and until its recent reputational woes, exemplified its bold approach to the market (Thurow, 1997). Most of the marketing decisions are made by the heads of these business units without the kind of teamwork and central planning required by IMC. Staff communication functions like investor relations, public affairs and human resources have traditionally played support roles. CONCLUSION The concept of IMC is a good one but it only exists at lower level management and not the higher level management and reasons for it are very clearly stated in the passage above.

The Government And Environmental Policy Essays -- essays research pape

The Government and Environmental Policy The purpose of the United States' public policy law is to implement restrictions in an effort to solve problems, which can be seen with the Clean Water Act. Public policy has also been employed to reform the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Although the United States government is noble in it's efforts to preserve the environment through these acts, the internal structure of public policy often retards these acts' effectiveness. This paper will explore the many ways in which factors such as horizontal implementation, divided government, and other forms of public policy affect the environmental legislation involved with the aforementioned acts. The main factors involved with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 involve horizontal implementation structure and divided government. Before one can discuss how these policies affect environmental legislation, a brief description of each must first be lucidly explained. When our government was founded, a system of checks and balances was implemented between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches to ensure that no one part of government gets too much power. Although this limits the power of any one person in government, it often slows down the ability of government because a consensus can be difficult with so many people working together. Another problem is that there are many subgovernments affecting the legislation as well, such as interest groups like the Sierra Club, Administrative Agents like the Environmental Protection Agency, and Congressional Committees. Because these groups add to the total number of people working on the legislation, the original noble ideology of making policy for the good of the nation is voided. Also because there are so many differences of opinion, few drastic changes are made, instead small incremental changes are made which take up lots of time and retard the effectiveness and enforcement of the legislation. In addition to this chaotic turmoil, four steps must be implemented in order to pass a bill. These are initiation & definition, formulation & enactment (legitimation), implementation, and evaluation. The most relevant one of these steps is horizontal implementation when one considers the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. This policy is the process that puts a law into effect after it has been legitimized. Congres... ...ne." (Adler, pg. 1) The Act's goals as set forth by Congress was to eliminate toxic discharge into significant bodies of water by 1985, improve water quality for marine and freshwater life by 1983, and for all "toxic pollutants in toxic amounts" into water. Of course that act has had mediocre success, and only through continued cooperation of the government's branches will further progress be made. In conclusion, it has been shown how different branches of government, different administrations, and different policies all worked together to retard the implementation of the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act of the early 1970's. Although these processes do act in a system of governmental checks and balances as the founders of this country wished, the effectiveness of the acts take many years of careful compromising to become significant. REFERENCES 1. Adler, Robert W., et. al. The Clean Water Act 20 Years Later Island Press Washington, D.C. 1993 2. Horton, Tom "The Endangered Species Act: Too tough, too weak, too late." (1992) Audubon Vol. 94 pgs. 68-74

Motherhood And Its Challenges

The word mother means a female parent who brings up a child, takes care of her and loves absolutely by putting the needs of her children over her own. A mother takes the whole duty of parenting with both her words and her actions. Being a mother can be extremely fulfilling but it has got its fair share of challenges; it has got far-fetched highs and the demanding feeling of affection and protectiveness that comes with it has to be well balanced. The most magnificent and satisfying of times of motherhood is just the quality time you spend with your kids and just simply watch them grow and be happy.A mother usually offers a warm, selfless and an understanding environment and to most mothers, the particular moments spent with their children are not comparable to any other moment. Explicitly, the period of being a mother is the most thrilling moment that life can present to a woman. Motherhood involves being a capable wife and mother, to be an affectionate and a kind friend to all member s of the family and above all, to keep the house operational.All these, mothers are expected to do in a single stride and still remain the most self-controlled member of the family because more often than not, mothers should build great friendships with their children and husbands. The unconditional love that mothers offer should carry with it self-responsiveness, beauty that comes from inside and refinement coupled with high aptitude. All these images are not very easy to keep up with but all the same, the society expects mothers to achieve all these. Against this background therefore, it is no little truth to emphasize that motherhood is generally a big challenge.(Rosenberg, D. 64-66). Body: Measuring your achievements as a mother is not an easy concept; the challenges present themselves each single day and the solution is just in having the right attitude and striving to solve a predicament by finding fresh ideas in making things smooth sailing. The positive aspect is achieved by understanding the reason you became a mother in the first place and realizing that it is still in existence; this is important because with time, mothers realize that the challenges do not go, they only change forms.The hitch is that by viewing things from this angle, most mothers identify their shortfalls and deal with them while providing the proof that the challenge is adequately dealt with, this can be well achieved by having a feedback mechanism. The rationale behind this strategy is straight forward: since things that can not be quantified tend to be given less consideration, the gist is to focus more interest and time on the quantitative aspects because they can be planned, registered and evaluated, this therefore enables one to easily come up with solutions (DiQuinzio.P. 32-34). In comparison, juggling motherhood with employment or business can be trickier than managing motherhood as a full time mother. To every mother, the family is the most important thing and is so fulfi lling to give attention to, on the other extreme, ones personal accomplishments are equally important and should therefore not be sacrificed at the expense of the quality of the family unit. This makes the whole issue very difficult contrary to what the society has always believed that multitasking is manageable to mothers.According to Elraviv Yung, a social scientist at the Beijing school of law, â€Å"the potentials of women have not gotten the appreciation they deserve, women add a lot of value to the society and the very fact that they can juggle up their roles as both entrepreneurs and mothers should be a great motivation to the society† Elraviv 56. The best strategy for this group of women would still be to come up with a workable formula on time management and do a feedback mechanism after a certain specified duration.This is mostly by dividing your time in such a way as to have time both for the family and work and to ensure no time is spent on the extreme. The feedba ck plan helps mothers to asses their achievements in the timelines and correcting any deviations from plans. Research has revealed that being a mother in the present day has more to face up to and is more difficult than it was twenty to thirty years in the past. Dealing with busy schedules, coping up with pressure in the society and teaching children to acquire acceptable values are just a few out of the scores of concerns that the society presents.Infact, standards have deteriorated as compared to how they were in the past. Controversially though, the society judges mothers more harshly than fathers and when it comes to instilling values in our children, a lot is expected from mothers than is from fathers (Rosenberg, D. 80-82). The effects of motherhood challenges can be far-fetched: mothers often sacrifice too much to an extent that they end up not having time for their own ambitions. This is very costly than beneficial because in as much as a mother feels that her ideal objective of being a mother are achieved, self fulfillment is overlooked.Another effect is that motherhood-especially full-time- is so devastating-due to fatigue- that in the long run, it leads to different illnesses that may be chronic. These illnesses may be less affordable to treat and this leads to difficulty in achieving these goals in the first place. Achieving the set goals and assessing the deviations from plans at times may be unrealistic especially considering that time in itself may be limited. It should be understood therefore that motherhood is difficult-but at times fulfilling- and trying to live up to the society’s expectations may at times be unachievable (DiQuinzio.P. 89-93). Conclusion: Overall, the role of a mother although difficult, is the most important in her life. Motherhood ,as generally expected in the society, is supposed to be characterized by self-denial, fostering and unrelenting, on the other extreme, a mother is more often than not expected to feel on t he wrong side of the law if her standards are not as high as is generally acceptable. Motherhood as an occupation is expected to embrace social, physical and emotional sides.The social characteristic entails the expectations that a mother will put together the family structure and ensure that the family relationships are functionally healthy. Apart from this, the mother has to guard the way the family and the larger society views her achievement, that is to say, are they up to standard? Emotionally, a mother should be there for her family and to ensure her presence is felt: dealing with a child’s achievements and disappointments as well as their feelings and teaching them how to cope with their emotional challenges.Motherhood also involves meeting the expectations of the larger family in giving them adequate attention and time. Left to one person to deal with single-handedly, striving to achieve these expectations can be overwhelming. Works Cited DiQuinzio. P. The impossibili ty of motherhood: feminism, individualism, and the problem of mothering. Routledge, 1999. Rosenberg, D. Motherhood without guilt: being the best mother you can be and feeling great about it. Source

Linking Verbs

Who could forget the time when one needed a person to serve as a â€Å"bridge† to another person or to something? Also, people have relatives and they are connected by their immediate family members to these relatives. For example, a person is related or â€Å"linked† to his/her grandfather through his/her mother or father. Thus, the link is the parent for this instance. The same is true with verbs for there are the so-called â€Å"linking verbs.† These linking verbs are considered to be the part of the sentence or phrase which â€Å"implies state of being or condition for the subject, [and] not action† (â€Å"Linking Verbs†). To put it more clearly, the linking verb is included in a sentence to connect two different parts of the sentence. In addition to this, the linking verb tries to connect the subject to the parts of the sentence to which it is related (â€Å"Action Verbs and Linking Verbs†). In our previous example of relatives and families, an analogy may be made between the parents and the linking verbs for the two seek to connect two different things or persons. Examples of linking verbs include â€Å"am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have, been, etc† which are forms of the verb â€Å"be,† â€Å"become,† and â€Å"seem† and all of these are considered to be always linking verbs in their sense (â€Å"The Linking Verb†). It is easy to identify the linking verbs for without these, there would be lesser thought to the sentence if none at all. Taking this statement as an example, â€Å"The blue sky is my source of inspiration in finishing my painting† would show that –is serves as the linking verb. It links the blue sky to the phrase â€Å"source of inspiration.† When one is given such sentence, it would be very easy to discern that it is the blue sky is the source of inspiration because of the inking verb. Imagine deleting the linking verb for the statement. It might give a general and vague idea that may be understood by some but can not entirely be discerned. The linking verb may be used for three instances, which is to link the subject with a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective (â€Å"Linking Verbs†). An example of a linking verb that connects the subject with a noun is â€Å"Ana is a queen of her own dreams.† Could you identify the subject and the noun? Indeed, Ana is the subject and the word queen is the noun to which the subject, Ana, is connected. Going to the next, which is connecting the subject to a pronoun, a statement that could be used as an example would be â€Å"The big mansion down the road is his.† In that statement, the big mansion is connected to the pronoun â€Å"his† and this shows that the big mansion is owned by the man referred to in the statement. Lastly, the linking verb is used to connect the subject to the adjective which it is related to. For example, â€Å"The steps she made towards the aisle were as graceful as ever.† The subject here is the word â€Å"steps† and the linking verb is â€Å"were† and this is connected to the adjective â€Å"graceful.† Aside from discussing the purpose of the linking verb, it is also important to take note of when the action occurred to be able to place the correct linking verb. Linking verbs are important in constructing sentences with thought. In one whole page of words, it could be seen that linking verbs play an important role in weaving the ideas together and to show the relationships between the two. Never forsake the usefulness of the linking verb for, though it may only be a few words, it surely makes the difference for the whole thought. Works Cited The Linking Verb. Robin L. Simmons. 23 March 2008 [http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/linkingverb.htm]. Action Verbs and Linking Verbs. 28 April 2002. Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. 23 March 2008 [http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/grammar/actionlinking.htm]. Linking Verbs. Keelee Weinhold. 23 March 2008 [http://grammar.uoregon.edu/verbs/linking.html].

The Secret Garden Essays - Literature, English-language Films

The Secret Garden Essays - Literature, English-language Films The Secret Garden The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett takes place in a dreary Misselthwaite manor in England during the Victorian era. The protagonist is Mary Lennox a selfish and spoilt 11 year old. The other major characters are Master Colin Craven her sickly cousin, Dickon Sowerby the animal charmer, Master Archibald Craven her reclusive uncle, Martha Sowerby a hearty housekeeper, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin and the secret garden. The tone is melodramatic and is told in the third person omniscient. The message about life to be learned from the story is that its never too late to change, no matter how terrible, you can make the best of things. Face the problems instead of cowering from them because if your dont theyll never go away. Have a positive attitude, live life and share it with the people around. Alienating yourself is not the solution. Mary, Colin and Archibald Craven are examples of this. Mary didnt care for anything, she was so spoilt that nothing and no one meant anything to he; she was so used to everybody hating her. Colin is also spoilt and filled with ideas that hes going to die. Archibald is the coward that cant face reality or the hope for a better tomorrow. The one thing they all have in common is negatively, you get the sense that they would rather be dead and in reality its like they are because they dont care about anything. Mary is tossed around like a rag doll nobody wants; Colin is expecting to die and Master Craven runs from the possibilities of getting to know his son. In The Secret Garden there is person vs. society and person vs. her/himself. In person vs. society Mary is unloved by her parents and by most of those who she encounters. Her parents ignore her existence and leave her to the care of a hateful ayah. After her parents die she moves to live with her uncle and is greeted by Mrs. Medlock who finds her a disagreeable child. She and others dont give Mary a chance; they judge and sentence her. They do the same to Colin; they dont give him hopes of living and expect him to die soon. Person vs. her/himself is found when Mary, Colin and Master Craven have to find the courage to face the harsh world. They all fear this loneliness which they bring amongst themselves by withdrawing themselves from the world The climax in the story would have to be when Mary cant handle Colins tantrums and all his ranting and raving about the lump on his back thats going to kill him. She realizes that the way that Colin acts was the same way she used to be and she sets him straight. She doesnt give in to his hysterics and proves to him that the only lumps on his back are his bones. From that day on things change, Mary tells him about the garden and Colin gets a sudden interest in life. After that Mary takes him to the garden and this view on life changes, he says I shall live for ever- and ever- and ever. Its a combination of events with the help of different characters that bring this story to its conclusion. But it all starts with Marys arrival to the manor and her curiosity about the secret garden. Mary was used to being served and being alone, neglected by her parents she becomes bitter. Full of disagreeable thoughts about her dislikes and sour opinions of people and her determination not to be pleased by or interested in anything. There was no meaning in Marys life and thats why she was bitter, that changed when she moved to Misselthwaite where she discovers the secret garden with fantastic healing powers. The garden is walled up and has been locked up for years. With the gardeners apprentice, Dickon, Mary coaxes the garden back to life. The garden seems to have a wonderful, magical effect on all those who come into it, allowing Mary to help restore Colin to health and a reunion with his father. Its a story where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit and the

Sun King essays

Sun King essays Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, was the absolute monarch of France from 1643 to 1715. He was the third monarch of the Bourbon Family, who ruled for 72 years, the longest reign of any European Monarch. Louis guided France through a great era that signified Frances continental European dominance, even though he inherited a kingdom that was internally divided, militarily exhausted, and nearly bankrupt. The Sun King, or le Roi Soleil, achieved many of his goals which made France the greatest power in the Western world. Although Louis XIVs nation prospered, many debts were left behind for his heirs. The Sun King was born at Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1638 to King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, who had not had children in their twenty-two year marriage. Christened under the name Louis Dieudonn (literally, gift of god), he received the throne in 1643, just after his fathers death. Louis XIV was just five years old, so his mother and her principal minister, Jules Cardinal Mazarin, guided the nation until Mazarins demise in 1661. From hence fourth, Louis declared that he would rule France without a chief minister, something no French king had done in living memory. Louis XIV stripped the Estates-General of its power, but created the Haut Conseil, or high council, which was eventually lead by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the prior chief minister of finance. The grandeur of the king was the theme of sermons, poems, and dramatic art. The exquisite and lavish Palace of Versailles (Le Chteau de Versailles) was built under Louis XIVs supervision between 1661 and 1689. It was filled with images of the Sun Kings glory. Over 30,000 men worked on building the magnificent palace, a project that drained the royal treasury for decades. The construction of the palace required over 100 million dollars. Not only did the luxurious palace need built, but also rivers needed diverte...

Roger Williams University Admissions Requirements

Roger Williams University Admissions Requirements With an acceptance rate of 79  percent, Roger Williams University in Rhode Island is a largely accessible college. Applicants with good grades and test scores within or above the ranges shown by Cappex data have a good chance of being accepted to the school. For complete application instructions and requirements, be sure to visit the schools website. You can also contact the admissions office for information. Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) Roger Williams University Acceptance Rate: 79  percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Roger Williams AdmissionsRoger Williams University has test-optional admissions. However, students applying to the elementary and secondary education programs are required to submit SAT or ACT scores  and homeschooled students are encouraged to do so.What SAT numbers meanSAT score comparison for Rhode IslandWhat ACT numbers meanACT score comparison for Rhode Island Roger Williams University Description Named after the seventeenth-century founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University shares Williams dedication to education, freedom, and tolerance. The university sits on an attractive 140-acre campus overlooking Mount Hope Bay in Bristol, Rhode Island. Roger Williams takes advantage of its waterfront setting. The school has a winning sailing team, and students can take out one of the universitys kayaks during a break. Student life as a whole is active, and students can choose from nearly 100 clubs and organizations. On the academic front, students can choose from over 40 majors, and the curriculum is supported by a 12 to 1  student/faculty ratio  and an average class size of 19. In athletics, Roger Williams sponsors 18 varsity sports. The Hawks compete in the NCAA Division III Commonwealth Coast Conference for most sports. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 5,193  (4,902 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 46  percent male / 54 percent female84  percent full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $32,100Books: $900 (why so much?)Room and Board: $15,086Other Expenses: $2,810Total Cost: $50,896 Roger Williams University Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 95  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 92 percentLoans: 66 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $14,213Loans: $11,102 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Architecture, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Marketing, Media Communication, Psychology What major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 83  percentTransfer-out Rate: 29 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 55  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 64 percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Baseball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Wrestling, Track and Field, Golf, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Basketball, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Golf, Track and Field If You Like Roger Williams University, You May Also Like These Schools UMass Amherst: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Rhode Island: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBryant University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRhode Island College: ProfileKeene State College: ProfileSalve Regina University: ProfileNortheastern University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of New Haven: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAlfred University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMarist College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSuffolk University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStonehill College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Askweek8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Askweek8 - Essay Example With proper company culture, there is assured and responsible use of the internet and social sites. The culture of internet use is growing, and all employees have been taught on responsible use of the internet. With collaboration taking a toll in business communication, interaction with the neighbors is fading away, how do you handle constant interaction with the neighbors? We ensure that, in every recruiting process, we undertake we have people from the surrounding communities. We also have community services that ensure that the community is well kept. We have established programs that help the community in their lives (Lange, 2012). How do you deal with the need to make profits, and at the same time the need to satisfy staff promotions, and increase in their pay? We understand that a good workforce will result in increased productivity. This is something we bank on, and we understand that the best way to have a productive workforce is to have them satisfied in their work. The only way to achieve this is to have a better pay. Do you think you company will benefits if they integrate their mode of operation with international standards? I believe that we are growing as a company, and there are many benefits, which we will see if we adopt international standards. I believe that we should emulate what have been set by world organizations and as a way of doing the right thing. We are required to adopt cultures that will auger well with international standards, are this policy adopted in your place of work? We have done all the necessary to ensure that all international requirements have been met. There are some which we have not undertaken but we are doing all we can, to ensure that we adopt them. The reason why we have not adopted them is not because we are not willing to, but because these polices are new. Do you consider your company successful in ensuring that their adoption of international

Green Flash and Nuclear Winter Scenario Assignment

Green Flash and Nuclear Winter Scenario - Assignment Example Instead, there are different colors of light that move in different ways. Our atmosphere is not just empty air, either. So far as light is concerned it acts like a prism and causes light to refract. Since the different colored lights curve at different speeds, this accounts for how we can see this green flash during times when the sun sets or rises. In some cases, the atmospheric conditions around the viewer will cause different illusions to appear as well, like a flashing ray of light or a stretched-out and shaky mirage. The easiest places to see the green flash are those where the horizon is not blocked by buildings or other large objects. The ocean, above a layer of clouds, or on top of a mountain are all good examples. Green flashes do not last very long so it can be difficult to see them. At most, they last for a few seconds. Nuclear winter is a terrifying possible effect of nuclear warfare. Basically what would happen is that the dust and soot from the fires started by many nuclear bombs going off would leak into the far upper atmosphere. Due to being heated by sunlight after reaching the upper atmosphere, these clouds of debris would then rise even further, above normal weather conditions. Since they could no longer be washed away by rain or blown away by the wind, these clouds would stay in the air for many years, causing temperatures to drop around the earth. If there had been a very large nuclear war, the temperature change could be quite drastic, or it could be as small as a few degrees in the case of a smaller conflict. In addition to causing cooler temperatures, a nuclear winter would have an effect on rainfall, lowering it by up to 75% in some areas in the three months immediately following the cloud entering the atmosphere. Nuclear Winter would also have a devastating effect on the worlds ozone layer, decreasing it by as much as 20% overall across the globe. This would increase the amount of UV radiation that got

50 Cent-The Controversial Rapper Research Paper

50 Cent-The Controversial Rapper - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the theory that 50 Cent is more famous because of controversies rather than his music. Further, this paper will point out how harsh, negative lyrics of his songs have been the reason for him being criticized in the music circle but becoming famous among the people. The overall goal is to show that rather than being a talented artist 50 Cent is a clever artist who survives through all the controversies he’s involved in. 50 Cent has been known as the one straight out of streets. His biography and all the details about him are splashed with details about his difficult past and the way he had grown up in a family where his mother was a hustler. His mother died when he was young and soon his father died. He was left to be taken care of by his grandmother according to whom he’s a sweet child, much against the views of others. Having such a difficult past and having faced all the difficulties that do explain partly the way he is and the way he behaves. The refore, I think reading a person’s biography before reading other articles about him is essential in understanding the kind of person. In her article, Zonda Hughes (2003) describes the life of 50 Cent, a.k.a Curtis Jackson, explaining that his life can be summarized as being a compilation of 9 lives. Even though the article does not criticize the rapper artist as such but does provide a brief overview of the life of the artist. Right from being the son of the notorious drug trafficker to entering the same profession as his mother and being jailed to shooting to stardom with his hard hitting lyrics. Hughes mentions it all. 50 Cent has created an image of his that shows him as being the tough guy who has seen it all and it is this image that is the reason for his popularity. It is difficult to deny that his popularity is not based on his hard image as he himself has always proclaimed himself to be the one who has seen the toughest things and has gone through some of the most di fficult situations, surviving being shot 9 times is certainly a difficult situation. Whether making controversial statements like not being ashamed of being a drug trafficker or whether his own destiny that leads him to controversial situations, he definitely seems like controversies’ favourite child. He has been accused of starting the trend of gangsta rap again and is hated because he might have started the trend of gangster fights in the industry again that saw the death of many famous rappers. He has brought the era back when hip-hop industry saw hatred amongst each other. However, he does not seem perturbed about those accusations and instead glorifies his gangster image. Even though the rapper claims that his life was not his choice but he definitely loves being the bad boy and earning the popularity for being a bad boy. As both he and Hughes (2003) acknowledges, bad boys are famous with both women and men, with women because they seem more attractive and with men becau se they establish a sense of style. He is referred to as hip-hop entrepreneur in his biography and it is true that he is a clever entrepreneur who knows how to stay in the business by making shocking statements. Even though his hard work can not be ignored but his urge to become famous and rich means that he chooses to do so no matter what the means. He has been described in his biography as one having a viciously funny personality who will get rich or die trying. Adam Bernanrd (2003) notes how full

Global harmonized system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global harmonized system - Essay Example Initially, countries venturing into the trade of chemicals used their symbols to represent different classifications. For example, different countries developed their own symbols for acute toxicity in different chemicals. However, this proved to be challenging during trade as the symbol was probably used for a different level of toxicity. As a result, the importing country would not apply the necessary. From the Global Harmonized System classification scheme, acute toxicity is classified under health hazards. Toxicity may be transmitted through oral methods, dermal methods or through inhalation (Kutz. 2009). The standardized symbol for acute toxicity is a skull with cross bones, or an exclamation mark. The exclamation mark applies in chemical hazards that may cause damage to specific body organs. This will allow countries exporting and importing acutely toxic substances to understand the necessary precautions to be applied, in countries that have implemented the Global Harmonized Sys tem.The acute toxicity grid was designed by the United Nation to help in the monitoring of effects of oral or dermal administration of multiple or single dose of a substance within a period of 24 hours. If a chemical substance has an oral LD50 of 295 mg/kg body weight, the GHS category for acute toxicity is category 3(United Nations, 2007). This is because it is close to the maximum range mark of 300 mg/kg body weight. The inhalation LD50 range that will give a category 3 classification for acute toxicity is 50-300 mg/kg body weight.

Controversy - School Of The Americas Research Paper

Controversy - School Of The Americas - Research Paper Example   Till 1995 most of the wars in Latin America had settled down. At that time the US support for the region was commendable. Several aid packages from the US had also helped Americas in reaching political and economic stability in the region. The prominent aid programs included the Brady debt Relief Proposal which helped the Americas in ending the long period of debt induced recession. Other aid proposals included NAFTA and a 1995 rescue package led by Washington that helped in restoring economic stability in Mexico (Hakim, 2006). However, critics are of the view that despite all the efforts made by the US the foreign policy of the US towards Latin America is without any sense of direction. The relationship has further gone down after the 9/11 incident. Washington has lost its interest in the Latin American affairs and seems only to interfere when the trouble becomes unbearable. With this background, it is obvious that the Washington policies would lose their support in the region. Only a few states of Latin Americans are of the view that the US is a dependable partner and can actually play a positive role in solving the Latin American affairs. Currently the critics are of the view that the US relations with Latin America are at the lowest stage and the failure of the US policies in Latin America, the stubborn attitude of the US over several issues and the reluctance of the Clinton and Bush administration to accept the strong domestic constituencies are indicative of the failure of the US in the region.

The Impact of NAFTA on Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Impact of NAFTA on Mexico - Essay Example NAFTA was established as a free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and America and it has become one of the most debated free trade agreements in the world. While the Mexican economy has suffered when it comes to agricultural sector, it has made tremendous gains in other sectors which have made the overall affect of the agreement to be positive for Mexico. As more studies are made into the topic, the picture is likely to get clearer for all concerned parties but as of now, the NAFTA has been a blessing for the Mexican economy rather than a curse. The North American Free Trade Agreement is commonly known as NAFTA and it is an agreement to promote free trade amongst the countries of America, Canada and Mexico. The agreement was signed into effect on the first of January in 1994 and it now has remained in effect for more than thirteen years ro date (World Bank Group, 2001). An understanding of the economic effects and the benefits of this agreement is important for all students of economics, sociology and business since it affects all those fields of study. As an agreement between a developing country and two countries which are considered economically developed, the first beneficiary of the agreement seem to be large American corporations that choose to deploy a part of their operations in Mexico or Canada (Hill, 2006). This benefit comes from the economic advantage of lowered recruitment and Human Resource Cost for skilled and unskilled labor as compared to the uneconomical labor market in America (Sayre & Morris, 2004). Additionally, American operations managers and executives of companies working in Mexico have the advantage of a higher standard of living in Mexico since the cost of living is lower.

Controversy - School Of The Americas Research Paper

Controversy - School Of The Americas - Research Paper Example   Till 1995 most of the wars in Latin America had settled down. At that time the US support for the region was commendable. Several aid packages from the US had also helped Americas in reaching political and economic stability in the region. The prominent aid programs included the Brady debt Relief Proposal which helped the Americas in ending the long period of debt induced recession. Other aid proposals included NAFTA and a 1995 rescue package led by Washington that helped in restoring economic stability in Mexico (Hakim, 2006). However, critics are of the view that despite all the efforts made by the US the foreign policy of the US towards Latin America is without any sense of direction. The relationship has further gone down after the 9/11 incident. Washington has lost its interest in the Latin American affairs and seems only to interfere when the trouble becomes unbearable. With this background, it is obvious that the Washington policies would lose their support in the region. Only a few states of Latin Americans are of the view that the US is a dependable partner and can actually play a positive role in solving the Latin American affairs. Currently the critics are of the view that the US relations with Latin America are at the lowest stage and the failure of the US policies in Latin America, the stubborn attitude of the US over several issues and the reluctance of the Clinton and Bush administration to accept the strong domestic constituencies are indicative of the failure of the US in the region.

French secularism and the ban of religious symbols in public places Essay

French secularism and the ban of religious symbols in public places - Essay Example The French law does not particularly mention the religious symbol, but most people are of the opinion that the law was targeting the veil worn by Muslim women. The law seemed to have stemmed from a controversial occurrence that happened in 1989 and 1994; in 1989, three female students were expelled from schools for declining to remove their hijabs (veil). In 1994, the minister in charge decreed that that ostentatious symbols’ were to be banned in public schools around the country, but discreet symbols were to be allowed to the discretion of the school or the teacher in charge. The Muslims in France France has the largest number of Muslims in Europe, the population of Muslims in the country stand at about 5 to 6 million, representing approximately 8.3% of the French population (Lenze, 2013). Majority of the Islamic population in France are moderate, but there are fundamentalist, the headscarf worn by Muslim schoolgirls is a symbol of the Islamic religion and culture and it is w oven into the Muslim society all over the globe. Researchers have often enquired into the reasons for the lack of integration into the entire French society, and the reasons why the emerging generations are drifting towards fundamentalist Islam. Writers have often pondered on the reasons why the community cannot be integrated into the French secular society (Sarat, 2011). The Secular State France is founded on the principle of cuius regio eius regio this means that what the leader believes so should the subjects, even though the state disowns religious adherence (Herb and Kaplan, 2008).   Religion is very important to the secular state, although the state has the ultimate power to interpret the significance of certain signs and symbols. This particularly implied that the veil worn by Muslim women and girls was taken to be a religious sign, this being in contradiction to the secular principles of the French society. It has often been stated by Muslim clerics that the wearing of the headscarf by women in public places is a religious duty (Valsiner and Rosa, 2007).   The wearer of the veil assumes the obligation bestowed upon her by the Islamic faith , and in addition the state should realize the fundamental human right, that if a person’s conscience compels one to wear the veil they should be allowed only to the extent that they do not violate other people’s right. The law on the on the other hand merely depict the veils as symbols and signs without determining the reasons why Muslim women wear them. The principle of a secular state may have an implied meaning that reflects on a state that is not bounded by any religious belief but it allows her citizens to assume any they deem fit. However, the law banning of wearing scarves in public places seemed to be intoned on forcing the citizens of the French republics to be secular (Jones, 2011).  This perception was cemented by a top European court ruling after a case was brought before it pitting t wo French Muslim girls versus the state (D W, 2008). According to the law, secularism does not contend on the religion being restricted to the secrecy of integrity, to its being deprived of public views ( Graff, 2004). It merely implies that only the free expression of the religious signs is a major component of the liberty. Therefore, a fundamental question that arises is that in any secular state such the one in

Leadership Styles in Operations Department

Leadership Styles in Operations Department Introduction. This assignment is aimed at evaluating the leadership styles within the operations department of Robert Wiseman Sons Ltd and determining if senior managers are performing more as managers or leaders. These evaluations will also be assessed to determine if the Managers styles and behaviours maybe impacting on succession planning. In the Last Ten years Robert Wiseman and Sons Ltd (RWD) have delivered excellent growth in sales volume and financial turnover, to cope with this increased demand within the last 3 years alone they have built 1 production facility and 3 distribution sites as well as purchasing 2 combined production and distribution facilities, the following vacancies exist currently across the 22 sites for the following key roles, 4 Quality Managers, 2 Shift Managers, 2 Engineering Managers, 2 Manufacturing Managers, 2 Regional Quality Managers (RQM), 1 Group Continous Improvement Manager and 2 Regional Operations Managers (ROM).The Manufacturing Managers. RQMs and ROMs roles are new positions however arguably the skill set required to fulfil these positions could and should be developed internally. See Appendix 1 and 2 for relevant company organograms As well as the current vacancies, 5 of the last 8 Site managers vacancies have been filled with external managers or managers who had less than 2 years experience within RWD. The Quality manager and Engineering Manager Vacancies are as a result of employees leaving for other positions out with RWD. Given the phenomenal growth over the last 5 years in particular it is feasible to assume that this is the reason for the vacancies and lack of internal candidates with the skills and knowledge to fulfil them, however this assignment will evaluate the general way that the senior management team are performing, the predominant styles of this team and the assumptions they have regarding followers. This all will be summarised in a way that allows conclusions to be drawn on whether the business growth alone is responsible for the lack of developed leaders or wwehetehr thare are opportunities for the senior team to be developed and or change their style and approach to allow more efficient leadership development and as a result improved succession planning. The Literature review (1100 words): There is no single best â€Å"formula† for developing leaders, in fact leadership development is a complex subject with many factors to be considered. Reviewing the literature I have identified some elements that are likely to impact on leadership development for instance the conscious effort the organisation puts into identifying leaders, the type of work that leaders are expected to perform, what the leaders within the organisation think motivates followers, and the dominant leadership styles within the senior management team. All of these to varying degrees affect the development of leaders of the future. Table 1 represents the theories and models I have explored in more detail. Leadership Models Styles Model/Theory Behaviour Leadership Styles Zaleznik, A 1977 Managers Leaders: Are they Different? Kotter, John P 2001 What leaders really do? Blake Mouton: Initiating structure / consideration The leadership of production through people Autocratic / Democratic Hersey Blanchard : Situational Leadership Concern for people / Concern for tasks Directing/Coaching/Supporting/Delegating Macgregor: Theory X Theory Y What managers assume about followers. Autocratic to Democratic Bass: Transactional Tranformational Leadership Autocratic/// to Participative Table 1 There are different strategies that can be adopted to encourage the development of leaders of the future (Zaleznik, 1977), some companies that are successful at developing leaders use different approaches and one successful way to develop leaders is to assign Senior executives as mentors to Junior executives, this approach provides the budding leaders with direct contact to an influential leader within the organisation, access to the experienced leaders knowledge and opinions in a safe and risk free environment. This also allows the opportunity for the senior executive to practise and develop their mentoring skills, a crucial skill that all leaders should be able to practise. Kotter, J (Kotter, 2001), clearly defines the difference between leaders and managers in that Leaders, identify the need for change, create a vision to mobilise and align the organisation and inspire and motive the followers within the organisation to achieve the vision, where as managers create the plan to deliver the vision, set objectives to monitor progress, create procedures and processes to train the people, achieve the objectives and monitor the plan for deviations and problem solve to bring the plan back on track. Given that if leaders are being effective and followers are truly inspired and motivated this could result in not only the achievement of the work but also followers willingness to accept more responsibility and have higher levels of engagement that if properly identified could highlight followers with the necessary talent to become leaders themselves. (Blake and Mouton, 1967) theory of Initiating structure, how much value and effort the managers places on achieving the tasks that will increase production levels and thus profit, and Consideration, the amount of emphasis and effort the manager exerts in meeting the needs and expectations of the individuals. Managers styles can be evaluated using the Blake Mouton leadership grid. The grid categorises managers styles into one of five different types ranging from 1.1 (the impoverished manager who has little concern for production or people) through 9.1 (the authority compliance manager, who has high concern for task completion and production, with little concerns for the needs of the individuals) to 9.9 (the Team manager, who has both high concern for task completion and high concern for the expectations and needs of the individual). 9.1 Managers would be categorised as having an Autocratic leadership style with 9.9 type managers practising a more Democratic leadership style. (Blake a nd Mouton, 1967) state that there is a 3rd dimension to the grid that looks at the managers resistant to change and highlights that managers dominant styles can change under stress or pressure if the manager has a low resistance to change, i.e. a Democratic 9.9 type manager can change to be more Autocratic 9.1 when faced with stressful or pressure situations. This theory is important in my investigation as it relates to the managers attitudes towards the followers and how that attitude may or may not encourage followers to develop. Hersey Blanchard (Blanchard and Hersey, 1996), life Cycle theory which was later renamed as Situational leadership theory suggests that to achieve the task it is necessary for the leader to apply different leadership styles depending on the situation, the attitude and abilities of the followers and the type of tasks or jobs to be performed. This theory also allows for the leadership styles to be practised to develop followers to achieve the task and as the followers develop then it allows for different styles of leadership to be used to support their continued development. Using these styles of leadership are important when relating them to employee development particularly if the leaders are consciously aware of this theory and are purposely applying the appropriate leadership style with the aim of developing the followers whilst achieving the tasks. Macgregor Theory X Theory Y, describes the assumptions that managers have about people, this affects how the manager behaves towards the employees. If the manager has assumptions based on theory X he is likely to apply a more Autocratic leadership style as his assumptions will be negative towards the employee, he will assume that employees will only deliver performance expectations if they are pushed and controlled and that they have little to offer in terms of creativity or initiative. By contrast managers who have assumptions based on Theory Y which is the opposite of theory X assumptions will encourage employees to take responsibility, work autonomously, and participate in solving business problems and deliver higher than expected performance. Managers with theory Y assumptions will be more likely to apply a Democratic or Participative leadership style. Manager assumptions may also create the Pygmalion affect Kopelman (ADD CITATION), if the manager has high expectations of employ ees ability to deliver high levels of performance then he behaves in a manner that will encourage and support these feelings, this then positively affects the followers attitude and they will try and respond in kind. However this also applies to theory X assumptions in that the employees may only deliver the managers expectations and thus if those expectations assume low performance levels then the employees may deliver just that. Macgregors theory is an important aspect in relation to developing leaders as theory X type behaviours and the subsequent leadership style applied are likely to result in lower levels of motivation as defined by Maslows hierarchy of needs where as leadership styles rooted in theory Y assumptions will open up the possibility of higher levels of employee motivation perhaps for employees to achieve self actualisation and thus deliver their potential, this potential may result in the employees becoming leaders themselves. BM Bass , Transactional leadership (Add CITATION) , is a relationship between the leaders and followers which is based on a transaction, the manager provides, pay and rewards such as promotion or favourable working conditions in return for the follower delivering satisfactory levels of performance. This style of leadership is unlikely to produce anything other than average performance levels, particularly if the manager only interacts with the followers if performance levels or standards arent achieved. Transformational leadership by contrast requires leaders to inspire followers by creating a vision, applying a charismatic style and good communication skills to engage and inspire followers to achieve performance levels in excess of expectations. This style also calls for leaders to build relationships with followers as individuals and have genuine concerns for their well being and development. If Transformational leadership is practised properly then the organisation will benefit fr om greater performance levels, obtained by having followers whos effort is far greater than they are contractually obligated to provide, as well as creating an organisational culture that encourages individuals to be developed to allow them the opportunity to fulfil their potential, this may also result in the followers becoming leaders. Findings In the following section I will present general background about Robert Wiseman Sons Ltd (the company) including its origins, geographical coverage, annual turnover and annual sales. The section will also cover the methods I used to gather my information, including techniques, sources and the outcome of my investigation. Robert Wiseman Dairies is a UK based liquid milk processing company, established in 1947 in East Kilbride, just outside Glasgow in Scotland. Founded by Robert Wiseman Senior, the business increased in size and profitability when Robert SNRs two oldest sons, Alan and Robert Jnr took control of the company. The business was floated on the stock market in 1994; however Alan Robert remain the majority share holders. The company employs 4700 employees, has 22 sites based throughout the UK ranging from Keith in the north of Scotland to Pensilva in the south of England. The 22 sites consist of 7 production facilities (Dairies) of which 2 are combined Dairies and distribution depots, 14 Distribution depots and 1 milk reload site. The company deliver product to customers throughout the whole of the UK. To obtain my evidence I interviewed 9 different leaders from within the Operations department, 2 Operational board members ,4 group or regional managers (responsibility for multiple sites) 3 Site managers. These individuals were chosen for their long length of service and seniority within the organisation, this seniority allows for the ability to develop managers to fill senior positions. The average age of the senior managers is 47years old, with an average length of service of 20 years ,and an average length of time in a senior postiton, Site manager or above of 11 years, this ranged from 4 years to 16years. The interview consisted of a question and answer section, the questionnaire was created by myself and focused on trying to identify leadership or management tasks along with questions regarding different leadership theories and 3 leadership style questionnaires, Blake and Mouton Leadership grid sourced from the internet, Macgregors assumptions about people questionnaire sourced from the Manufacturing institute along with a task-Person Leadership questionnaire also sourced from the Manufacturing institute. Using the companys automated library I obtained a copy of the company mission statement along with the personal development plans (PDPs) for most salaried staff, these PDPs were created in 2003 and have not been used for managers development for the last 5 years. No written or communicated company vision exists. Company Mission Statement: Be the recognised supplier of choice to the fresh liquid milk market Understand Customers needs Deliver the highest quality products Build a culture of continuous improvement Be the best fresh liquid milk processors and suppliers. Leadership or Management: Vision Creation, Communication and Organisational alignment: I began the questionnaire by asking each of the senior managers what they did in their job, half of the individuals mentioned that a large proportion of their time was either spent fire fighting or getting the product to the customers. The majority mentioned the need to achieve targets and objectives as well as looking for opportunities for continuous improvement all with a short term view. Only one of the Leaders suggested that they took a strategic view of the company direction as well as keeping abreast of the company competitors and world class organisations through benchmarking. At first I was interested that no one mentioned communicating the company vision or aligning their depts. to achieve the vision which led me onto my next question: Does the company have a vision? All of the leaders confirmed there is no documented vision with only two of the leaders able to confirm that the company actually had a vision, this currently is only discussed informally at board level. The remaining leaders had a guess at what they thought the vision was with 7 different visions being proposed. In response to my next question, do you have a vision for your dept or site? The majority of the senior managers did have a vision however they were on the whole not directly linked with the company vision, they were not aligned with each others vision and either had not been communicated at all or discussed only with each of their senior teams. None of the senior managers had communicated their vision with each other. Succession planning Mentoring. To establish if the senior team spent time on identifying the leaders of the future and their successors I began with the following question, do you identify the leaders of the future for your area? 2 of the team responded that they do identify future leaders within their area and had informal discussions regarding their development. The others either did not actively or specifically seek out future leaders for their areas. My next questions was, do you mentor any junior member of your team or any other team? 2 of the team are official mentors to junior employees; this is as a result of a new initiative that RWD is involved in where they are sponsoring employees through a foundation degree in Dairy technology. No other senior manager is currently participating in an official mentor/mentoree relationship, several of the team felt that they were unofficially mentoring at least 1 junior member of their team or had done in the past however in general this had not been communicated with the mentoree and was not structured in any way I then asked, is there any obligation on you from anywhere to develop your successor? All answered that there was no official or direct expectation from the organisation that they identify and develop their successors, some felt that they where personally obliged to identify their successors, all felt that they should be obligated to develop their successors. The majority of the interviewees felt that they would be happy to accept an agreed objective with their line managers to identify and develop their successors and some of the interviewees had recognised individuals within their teams who had potential to develop into their successors. No one had agreed formal development plans with these individuals. Most of the interviewees had recently been involved in or been given objectives to create a new competency framework for certain key roles. These documents are to be progressed to allow gap analysiss to be performed with individuals and these would then generate Personal development plans. So whilst there has been little or any use of PDPs for the last 5 years the company have recognised this and are acting to improve the situation. Leadership Styles: Using the Blake Mouton leadership grid questionnaire all the senior team where evaluated, two of the team emerging as Authoritarian and the, majority emerged as Team Leaders based on their answers. The results ranged from 4.6 to 7.6 for consideration for people, with consideration for task ranging from 5.2 to 8.2. This indicates that with regards to consideration of people versus consideration for task completion there is no strong bias, however the majority of the results are closer to the 5.5 middle of the road manager style which may only result in adequate performance results a. If the aim is to have high performing teams producing high performance then there is an opportunity for improvement. Insert BM Grid. To investigate whether the senior management teams assumptions about people are impacting on their leadership styles and thereforemaybe impacing on developing leaders each manager completed an assumptions about people questionnaire to establish where they fit on Macgregors theory X and Y concept. The average results where 21 for Theory X, individual results varied from 9 to 34. Average results for Theory Y were 79. Individual results ranged from 66 to 91. In general the senior teams assumptions about people are generally positive, this allows for the possibility of the team influencing higher levels of motivations within their within their followers Discussion (1100 words) Format it/write it and re read it many times. This section ties together the whole assignment!!!!!!!!!!, needs to show my ability to link theory with the real world CHECK THE TOP TIPS FOR THIS AS IT IS DIFFICULT. Conclusion and recommendations   One way of improving the development and performance of followers is to apply a more transformational leadership style approach within the organisations. This approach has proven to some extent to improve the motivation, and empowerment and thus the performance (Avolio,Eden Shamir) ADD ENDNOTE CITATION) of followers. Providing training to the senior management team within operations beginning with the Top MANAGEMENT TEAM Supply chain director, GOMs ROMs and to Site Mgrs on transformational leadership to expand the knowledge of the team may help to engage the leaders more in leaders activities as oppose to management activities. The implications and cost of this approach would need to be reviewed and agreed before commencing this approach. BLAKE, R. R. MOUTON, J. S. 1967. MANAGERIAL GRID IN 3 DIMENSIONS. Training and Development Journal, 21, 2-5. BLANCHARD, K. H. HERSEY, P. 1996. Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training Development, 50, 42-47. KOTTER, J. P. 2001. What Leaders Really Do. Harvard Business Review, 79, 85-96. ZALEZNIK, A. 1977. Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, 55, 12.

Admissions Essay - I Dont Want to Be a Doctor :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - I Don't Want to Be a Doctor I was talking to my sister on the phone, the little one, and she said, "I don't think I want to be a doctor." And I thought, "Oh, no." Now, you gotta understand, we're Asian. South Asian, actually. Sri Lankan, specifically. And the thing about Asians is, we're *all* supposed to be doctors. We all *are* doctors. My dad's friends are doctors. my mom's friends are doctors, my dad's *friends'* friends are doctors. and all of their kids are in med school right now, planning to be doctors. My middle sister is planning to be a doctor, fourth year Johns Hopkins, pre-med, volunteering at a local hospital, studying for the MCAT's. And I had thought the youngest was safely on the track, a few years behind, a freshman in college, pre-med, taking Biology, Chemistry, studying all the damned time, going to be just what the world needs, another Asian doctor. And you gotta understand -- I was happy about this. They'll be successful. They'll have money; they won't have to worry, They'll be able to pay the rent on time unlike their big sister who's dumb enough to try to make a living as a writer, but best of all it'll make the parents happy. After all -- *someone* had to to do it. Someone had to make the parents happy, and it certainly wasn't going to be me: black sheep, dater of white boys writer of pornography, destroyer of her parents' happiness. So the little one says to me, "I don't think I want to be a doctor." And I panic. And I ask why. And she says, this sweet kid says that she wants to make a difference in the world, do something good, unselfish, help people. I get the impression that she has vague ideas of working in a soup kitchen somewhere. She's eighteen, remember? Remember eighteen? And I want to cheer I want to stand up and say, "You go, girl!"

The Free Appropriate Public Education Law Essay -- civil rights, specia

FAPE , also known as Free Appropriate Public Education is a law that was passed in during the 1970s, a time in which civil rights for all people were being pushed. FAPE states that special education services and general education services are to be delivered without charge of the family, but of that of the public expense. It is important to recognize that the services should be mandated given by public education and if is is unavailable private services can be provided (Gartin, Murdick & Fowler, p. 54, 2003) Least Restrictive Environment is the principle that to the greatest extent, as pssible and appropriate, students with and without disabilities should be educated in the same setting. This law was passed with 5 key principles. These principles include that placement decisions should have considered general education placement with additional services, in the child’s best interest and individualized, the teachers are aware of the student’s disability and IEP, the services should vary and several should be available, and finally documentation is impotant, especially including rationale for decision making. An IEP, Individualized Education Plan, is the entire plan for an individual student that is going to have any special education services. The plan includes details like short-term and long-term goals, levels of achievement, transition services, assessments, and steps in order to achieve the specific goals that have been determined. The importance of an IEP for a student with a disability is that they are individualized based upon the student’s needs, based upon the work and meeting between parents, educators, skills trainers and more. It is crucial and federally required that that an IEP be reviewed in a metting annually i... ...). Integration of dynamic assessment and instructional conversations to promote development and improve assessment in the language classroom. Language Teaching Research, 17(3), 303-322. doi:10.1177/1362168813482934 Hawaii State Board of Education. (2014). Chapter 60 Provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education for a Student with a Disability. Retrieved from http://www.hawaiiboe.net/AdminRules/Pages/AdminRule60.aspx Murdick, N. L., Gartin, B. L., & Fowler, G. A. (2013). Special education law. Pearson Higher Ed. Pikulski, J. J. (1990). Informal Reading Inventories. Reading Teacher, 43(7), 514-516. Scattone, D., Raggio, D. J., & May, W. (2011). COMPARISON OF THE VINELAND ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR SCALES, SECOND EDITION, AND THE BAYLEY SCALES OF INFANT AND TODDLER DEVELOPMENT, THIRD EDITION. Psychological Reports, 109(2), 626-634. doi:10.2466/03.10.PR0.109.5.626-634

Compare the ways in which Wordsworth presents London in Upon Westminster Bridge with Blakes view of London in his poem London

London, the best place you could ever dream of or the worst nightmare? London in 1700's was a different city, they didn't have cars instead of that they had horses, there was less pollution and fewer roads. People used to wear more formal clothes. In this piece of coursework I am going to compare ‘London' by William Blake and ‘Upon com/in-westminster-abbey-analysis/">Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth. William Wordsworth used to live on countryside, he only seen the positive side of London as William Blake lived in London and saw the realistic world. Blake only has seen the negative side of London. When you are looking from the bridge you can have a good overview and the bad side about looking from the bridge is that you can't see the details because you are distances. Wordsworth visit London in the morning and in most of the country's in the morning everything is quiet because the city is asleep. Wordsworth had a sad life because when he was around 8 years his mother died, and when he was 13 his father died, when he visited London that could be a runaway from problems that he might have and be able to forget about the sad moments. He also might feel that he is not overruled by somebody else, he could feel free. Both of the poems are about London but both of them got different background. Blake see the negative side when he written ‘Blasts the new-born Infant's tear' by this quote we can tell that every one live with a fear. Every child that was born must have a bad life because in those times they mum's might been a prostitute because if a women needs money she was able to sell herself because she wasn't able to find a better job. The poor people weren't able to be educated. Poor people in their times would be always poor. As Wordsworth seen only the good side of London but he never lived there so how could he rate London when he visits it only once? ‘The beauty of the morning: silent, bare, ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples' by this quote we can see that he had written the poem in the morning when everybody is about to wake up. He tells the way as he sees it or imagines it, he is not realistic. The word ‘tear' could also be a tear of happiness as well as of sadness. William Blake was a person that strongly was interest in religions. In the first stanza he repeats himself twice, once by using â€Å"charter'd†. This shows that he is talking about the characters of people; he saw this as robbing ordinary people of their right and freedoms. The second repetition he used was the word â€Å"marks†. This has a double meaning one of them could be that the physical damages that are being made and leaving marks in everybody minds and they can't forget about it. The other meaning could be that he is collecting evidences as he walks around. Blake's poem is full of negative words that he used in every stanza such as â€Å"blood†, â€Å"weakness†, â€Å"cry† and many more. The poem ends with words â€Å"marriage hearse† for everyone marriage is such a great thing but he compared it to funerals. This might shows that he prefers to be lonely. William Wordsworth used his imagination when he was writing the poem as well as being on the bridge and seeing the realistic world. He written something that cant happens in realistic world, â€Å"The beauty of the morning† â€Å"like a garment†, the city cannot be wearing clothes, but it's already clothed itself by nature. Wordsworth used list to describe the things he was seeing. He doesn't only show positive language in line 1, 9 and 11 he used negative language. Most of the lines contain positive language words like â€Å"bright†, â€Å"glittering†, â€Å"splendour† and â€Å"glideth† create a magical world that is being like it fake and unrealistic. The poem is written as a sonnet which doesn't just show love but it shows the poets love for London. The average number of syllables in each line is 10. William uses this because it suggests that he doesn't want anything to change in London. The poem is very peaceful and calm. Evidence for this is ‘never did sun more beautifully steep'. This shows that London was a beautiful place, very calm, and a lot of country side might not have many buildings around. William Wordsworth writes about what he can see in the morning when he stands on Westminster Bridge. ‘The beauty of the morning' is evidence for this. It is written in the 3rd person and is also in the present tense. This shows that it was happening as he was writing the poem. This also helps the reader to visualise what is happening and to understand the poem more. The sestet is about how the poet feels. Evidence for this is ‘Ne'er saw I, never felt, calm so deep'. It is in the 1st person and is partially in the past tense, he shows positive language. Blake's format of the poem is like lyrics of a song. There are four stanzas, all of them shows different aspect of the city. Every single stanza talks about something else. His poem is like snapshots of loads of different scenes. In my opinion both of the poetess have right to give their own opinion, like every human being. William Blake showed the bad side of London and Wordsworth the good side, both of them has right to show the differences every person got different views for certain things. Blake was showing the negative things to show what makes him angry as Wordsworth has made his poem calm and enjoyable for everyone.

Do You Believe That the Greatest Leaders Are Born, Not Made

When you ask people why they followed their leader or what made their leader great, most would use words like charismatic, honest, trustworthy and confident. So this begs the question, are these all qualities that are born or learned? According to Webster’s dictionary, charisma is a â€Å"spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people. † So a charismatic leader can be defined as a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as a person with supernatural or superhuman powers or qualities.So with that said, can that be learned over time or simply just polished? How can those qualities or characteristics be taught? We can take a charismatic person and polish or refine them to be better leaders but charisma, according to the definition cannot be taught. According to Dr. Joe Pace in â€Å"The Workplace: Interpersonal Strengths and Leadershipâ €  he describes three qualities to what makes a good leader. â€Å"A good leader used his or her authority to do three things: motivate, manage and make Decisions. (Pace-84) So by this definition one would assume that these characteristics can be learned. Through mentorship in the workplace one can be taught when to make the decision, how to manage personnel and how to motivate people. After all, the human resources division in the professional work environment spends countless hours and dollars training personnel on learning how to effectively motivate their personnel and manage them correctly. So in this example it would appear that leadership can be learned.I have been told by many that I command presence when I walk into a room. For years it would bother me that so many people found it necessary to touch me, to find a way to brush up against me or reach out and hold my arm as I was talking to them. I use to ask my wife all the time â€Å"why do so many people find it necess ary to touch me? † She tried to explain to me that people wanted to see if I was real and that I carried such a positive aura about me that commanded respect, attention and confidence and some people needed or wanted to be a part of that.I use to laugh it off and tell her she was crazy but this has been happening since I can remember. I remember being in middle school going to watch my brothers play high school football and when I would talk to my older brothers the girls would always put their hands on me to tussle my hair, grab me to hug me or even put an arm around me and I use to just find it odd but always just chalked it up to girls liking my brothers. As I got older I noticed the same things happening to me and sometimes to the point of feeling uncomfortable about the situation.So again I would ask my wife the same question and her reply became â€Å"just because you are older and heavier than you were twenty years ago, your presence is still known when you walk into a room and people want to be part of you. You need to learn to embrace it, accept it and just know that this will always happen to you. † She went on to explain to me that people love to be around me because they always feel that I am the smartest person in the room, even if I am not, my complete confidence in myself commands that.She explained to me that when I speak to people, I am always speaking with complete confidence and believe what I am saying and I never doubt myself or give the appearance of it. So I think back at my life and wonder to myself; where did I learn this? I have come to the conclusion that I never learned this, I was born with this and over time I have polished it and refined it. So for me personally, I have to believe great leaders are born, not made. References Bock, Wally. Three Star leadership, 2006. http://www. threestarleadership. com/articles/bornormade. htm Conger, J. A. , and R. N. Kanungo (Eds), Charismatic Leadership in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998 Pace, Joe DR. The professional development series: Book Two: The Workplace; Interpersonal Strengths and Leadership. Published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY.

A Difficult Child

A difficult child It is true that some children are easier to raise than others. They are happy, affectionate, sociable and self-disciplined. Others, however, can be irritable, stubborn, aggressive, and restless. Despite their parents’ great efforts, these children are difficult to deal with and to bring up. During the years, people’s opinion about children who face challenges in controlling their feelings and behavior has shifted from one point of view to another. On the one hand, the blame was placed on parents – somehow it was their fault that their children misbehave.If parents were more understanding, patient and caring, then their children would be good. This view didn’t make any sense to many parents and even put them to a cul-de-sac, because their parenting worked for one of their children, but not for other. On the other hand, the experts came to believe that difficult children are like this because of their innate makeup, they are simply born wit h certain traits, and it is not their fault. Irritability, indifference, fussiness or aggressiveness in children is seen as part of their nature, and parents have no choice but to learn to live with such traits in their child. Similar essay: Having Children While YoungIt goes without saying that, dealing with difficult children isn’t an easy task and changes to positive side require a long time. In fact, the older they grow, the more rebellious they are likely to become, that’s why it’s very important to discern the difficulties in the upbringing of the child at his early age. Moreover, parents relate to their children can make a huge difference in how youngsters feel about themselves and respond to their environment. Therefore, parents should become child’s support and encouragement.Children learn by example, they absorb all the information like sponges and the best way to promote good habits and behavior is by practicing parents by themselves. One more vital point for parents is to be more involved in child’s life, it means that family members should always keep a healthy relationship with the kid and create a comfort level that will enable him find relatives helpful an d reassuring. The last, but not less significant aspect is making child responsible for his decisions and choices, there should always be a consequence of every action, good or bad.This will make him responsible for everything he does and will require a good amount of thinking before any action is taken. I’d like to conclude by saying that â€Å"a difficult child† is not an illness or medical diagnosis, difficult children are normal, they can become positive, enthusiastic, perhaps even especially creative individuals if they are well managed when young, as well as treated with most care and love, from parents, family members, relatives, teachers or any other people around them.