Monday, September 30, 2019

Current Trends in Business Communication Essay

Business Communication Trends In business today, communication is very important. Communication holds the business together. With technology increasing in today’s business environment businesses are losing that one on one relationship with their customers. Technology is taking over where years ago the businesses had a face-to-face interaction with businesses. What will happen if these trends keep evolving will no one in business have anymore face-to-face conversations. In my business environment we must communicate all the time without communication, we could have a disaster. Everyone in the business environment needs to be involved in the communication they need to know what is going on, what we are doing wrong, and what our customers’ needs and wants are of their products. Therefore, being a detail planner I need to keep all the supervisors updated on what products we will be running, and what products will be going on backorder. Most of the time if a product is going on backorder I am normally waiting on purchased parts to come in house. I need to keep in touch and communicate with the purchasing agent to find out when they will be available for me to pack. Our purchased parts come in and depending on the part, some of them may have to be tested and they go on test I need to make sure that these parts are available at the time I need to run the job. Therefore, I need communicate with incoming so they put the parts on test as soon as they come in the building. I also need to communicate with the engineer to make sure that all the blueprints for the product and all tools needed are ready and available to run. In my type of business, I am communicating all the time with many people of the business. When communicating I use E- mail a lot to give everyone one a heads up on what I need to run the lot. When needing answers right away I use same time, which is similar to instant messenger so if the person is at their desk we can get an answer right away. This means of communication comes in handy so you do not hold up the production lines. Trends in Current and Previous Workplaces Since I have been at my job for 27 years, I guess I will have to go with the trends in my workplace. Since I have started at B. Braun in 1983, we did not have much of any technology we did all inventory by hand and by using, excel sheets. As years went by, we now have all our inventory system in SAP. SAP generates our orders all the way down to sub assemblies. This way each Master Planner knows when to schedule their order so the full product will be ready to ship by the due date. This technology has increased production about 80%. We also all have E-mail our own computers and are able to access SAP anytime of the day. Our systems are also connected in all our other plants such as Malaysia, Germany, and the Dominican Republic so we can converse with our major companies. We do not actually use a video cam with these companies but we definitely have phone conferences with them. Our Sales representatives still go out to the hospitals to show our products and talk to the doctors on sight. We also have training personnel that go on sight to train the doctors and nurses on the right way to use are products. Since I started at B. Braun, we have come a long way with Technology. We do not do physical inventory anymore we do things called cycle counts all through the year to make sure that our inventory is accurate. The other thing is every process that we are doing is now becoming automated we are using more machines for our processes to eliminate the people needed for the manufacturing floor. We still have many processes that are not automated but they are telling us that down the road they are expecting everything to be automated. Message types from these Trends I figure that eventually technology will take over the business there will be fewer workers and more machines to do the job of humans. Many people will be out of a job with technology taking over. There will also be less human contact with customers and customers will feel that the company does not care about their business and go elsewhere for their products. In business even though technology is one of the biggest things, we still need that face-to-face interaction with our customers. Businesses need that one on one relationship to keep them as customers. However, technology is good but only to a extent keeping that interaction with your customers helps to generate more sales. Word a mouth is the best advertising that a business can have and helps to improve your sales.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Discuss How Shakespeare Uses Language and Dramatic Techniques

Discuss how Shakespeare uses language and dramatic techniques for character development in Act 2 Scene 2 of Measure for Measure. Shakespeare uses a variety of linguistic devices and dramatic techniques for character development from Act 2 Scene 2 to Scene 4. We see Angelo’s precise, business-like persona transform to temptation, and final cruelty whilst we see the true, confident side of Isabella as as she attempts to convince Angelo to reverse his judgement, but eventually loses her ignorant hope on the realisation of his true ‘purpose’.In Act 2 Scene 2 Shakespeare portrays Angelo as precise, intelligently dealing with the pleas of Isabella to save the life of her brother by reversing the death sentence that has been handed down to him. The scene begins with the Provost and Angelo discussing Claudio’s punishment. The Provost dares to ask Angelo if he really wants Claudio murdered, ‘All sects, all ages smack of this vice, and he to die for’t! , and Angelo states that he does, ‘Did not I tell yea? Hast thou no order? Why dost thou ask again? ’. Shakespeare instantly uses dramatic technique of foreshadowing the conflict that is to follow through the sharp words exchanged between the two. Provost then asks what’s to be done with the woman he got pregnant, Juliet.Angelo still refuses to relent, and says that Juliet, who is in labour, should go to a more fitting place, away from everything that is going on ‘Dispose of her To some more fitter place’ Shakespeare’s lexical choice conveys his ruthless nature to the audience, in this context would mean ‘send her away’, but of course reading the text using more modern language; ‘dispose’ is an unpleasant word, especially when referring to a human being, where it seems incongruous, especially in reference to a pregnant woman, thus subtly foreshadowing the revealing of Angelo’s animalistic nature later in the sce ne.Angelo also calls Juliet a ‘fornicatress’, the harsh constanents of the name once again conjuring the theme that is constantly present through the play, that of appearance versus reality. Although Juliet appears from Angelo’s quick appraisal to be just a sinful person, her reality is far more complex; she is much better than most women of the time, she is not a prostitute or adulterer, rather her only fault was not securing a marriage contract before she slept with her fiancee.She is actually a woman of strength and principle, not the simple sinner that Angelo’s developing harsh, cruel character reduces her to. Isabella comes to see Angelo innocently, as shy as she appeared in her first scene at the nunnery, and begins to plead with him for Claudio’s life, ‘I have a brother is condemned to die. I do beseech you, let it be his fault, And not my brother’. Angelo is portrayed to be business-like and unrelenting, ‘Condemn the fault , and not the actor of it?Why, every fault’s condemned ere it be done’ but Lucio urges her to persist, encouraging her ‘Ay, touch him, there’s the vein’ acting as a kind of Greek chorus for the audience. She does, and calls upon Angelo’s pity, mercy, and moderation; she recognises that Angelo has the power to enforce the law in full, but impresses upon him that one must use power with moderation. Isabella’s strategy is a keen one, trying to persuade Angelo to have the same mercy for her brother that she has. Once again, the issue of mercy is urged upon Angelo, as is the theme of human weakness, which all, Isabella stresses, fall victim to.Her character is portrayed as increasingly canny, when she has to be; her argument is strong and persuasive, although it is not her argument that causes Angelo to relent, but his attraction to her. Isabella also touches upon the theme of use of power; ‘it is excellent to have a giant’s st rength,’ she tells Angelo, ‘but it is tyrannous to use it as a giant’, making an allusion to ‘Jove’ to demonstrate her point – even the gods, with tremendous power, know how best to use their awesome abilities.This is another lesson that Angelo’s character must learn; for although he can use the law to its full extent if he wishes, he has to learn how to temper his power with mercy and heed moderation. Comparing the characters of Angelo and Isabella, one could argue that Isabella is ‘the symbol of goodness and mercy set against a background of moral decay’. Alternatively, one could see her character as self-righteous and hypocritical, as we later discover when she values her chastity higher than her brother’s life. Isabella continues arguing with Angelo until he finally relents and tells her to come back the next day to hear his judgement.Everyone leaves, and Angelo speaks a rather striking soliloquy, apparently talk ing to himself ‘†¦what art thou Angelo? Dost thou desire her foully for those things that make her good? ’. Thus, through Shakespeare’s staging, we learn that Angelo admits to himself that he is in love with Isabella because of her virtue and purity. Often characters in Shakespeare’s plays have soliloquies but they do not often refer to themselves in third person and when they do, it is often a sign of madness. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting this as a sign for Angelo.What is certain is that he is struggling with an inward battle between what he knows he should do and what he desires to do, as his develops and starts questioning the morality of his own character. It is with great irony that Isabella's call to Angelo to mark the weaknesses in his own heart is answered by Angelo's acknowledgement that he is tempted by Isabella. It is this temptation that brings from Angelo his first statement of mercy toward Claudio: ‘O, let her brother live! Th ieves for their robbery have authority when judges steal themselves! Shakespeare shows how Angelo realises that with experience of one's own weakness comes mercy for others' failings; however, he soon ignores this lesson, and falls into hypocrisy in Act 2 Scene 4. In this scene, Isabella comes back the next day as Angelo had asked, and he begins by saying that Claudio must die. Isabella begins to leave, but Angelo begins to tempt her to save her brother, by offering herself instead. Isabella ignorantly misunderstands Angelo’s subtle sexual offer, and he is forced to tell her plainly that if she sleeps with him he will let Claudio live.Angelo accuses her of hypocrisy, and they discuss the frailty of women. In terms of character development in this scene, Angelo begins in a state of agitation, pondering why he cannot pray and with a new awareness of how the appearance of things might not be true to reality. Where before Angelo was unified in his intentions and actions, he has n ow become internally divided, ‘O place, O form, How often does thou with thy case, thy habit, Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls to thy false seeming!Blood, thou art blood. ’- questioning the power of authority, position and outward appearance to convince even wise men that false men are virtuous. Shakespeare uses language of coercion, ‘wrench’ and ‘tie’, and apostrophe – ‘O place, O form’ to perhaps illustrate the sophisticated and baffling nature of false appearances. Shakespeare also shows how Angelo is beginning to seduce Isabella with subtle and ambiguous lexis, but moving more and more towards blunt, harsh and animalistic discourse as the scene progresses. I have begun, and now I give my sensual race the rein’; Shakespeare shows how Angelo has almost been possessed by his animal side. This is perhaps emphasised by the use of horse imagery, ‘race the rein’, as well as the use of plosives and dentals ‘fit they consent to my sharp appetite’, drawing attention to his teeth and lips, reinforcing his sexual lust and passion for Isabella. When Isabella enters, however, she meekly accepts Angelo’s judgement, but as the scene progresses she continues to find her voice.As Angelo descends into sensuality, she seems to become more pious and religously extreme, almost swapping roles with Angelo. ‘Th’ impression of keen whips I’d wear as rubies, and strip myself to death’ – Shakespeare uses images of love, death and falgellation to express her disgust at the idea of submitting to Angelo. Though the sentiment is spiritual, the language and images are highly physical, suggesting that her character would resist the carnal sexuality by yielding herself to more gruesome lovers: torture and death.Her innocence is also shattered by Angelo’s crass offer – she seems shocked to find out that justice might not be as perfec t as it appears. Her naivety is gradually stripped away as Angelo easily overcomes her threat to expose him, and she sees that virtue does not necessarily triumph over iniquity. Yet, she still has ignorant faith in the honour of her brother, Claudio, and trusts that he will defend her honour even at the cost of his life.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis on the poem Cherrylog Road by James Dickey Essay

Analysis on the poem Cherrylog Road by James Dickey - Essay Example All throughout the poem though, it talks about how the lovers meet at an obviously arranged time when the woman is able to escape from her father’s farm. The nervousness of the woman about what they are doing is shown with the trembling of her lips which could also be her expression of equal desire of her lover. The poem also shows the boredom of a lover who waits on his partner, and the fear of being caught red-handed as they express their love to each other (Dickey). Being a poem of reminiscing, the author could have written the poem to express his thoughts on passionate yet forbidden love affair. Whether or not a similar involvement could have been experienced by the author himself would not be a question worth meander thing on because the theme of the poem is widely experienced around the globe at different generations. Forbidden love affairs had been retold time and again through stories like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet so that the theme could have simply been an observation of the author and needed not be a first hand experience. Passion and flame is well expressed in the poem in a metaphorical way, mentioning the blacksnake hunting the mouse with deadly excitement. The highly stimulated feelings expressed between the lovers are seen throughout the poem with changes of emotion from boredom, to fear and to pensive considerations. The author expressed boredom as he waited for his lover who is coming from her father’s farm and could have the possibility of being unable to meet him because of the latter’s restrictions. On meeting each other comes the nervousness and fear expressed not only by the man but the woman as well who fear being caught by her father. Then as the lovers separate, the author shifts to a thoughtful reconsideration of their affair, remaining drunk with the experience he had with his woman. The author used metaphor greatly especially in expressing the consummation of the lovers’ love to each other. The intimacy of

Friday, September 27, 2019

Public sector and management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public sector and management accounting - Essay Example Most accounting standards organisations set standards for the running of companies. This is because such companies are in the majority in most nations. And such companies have stakeholders who demand timely and comprehensive financial statements. However, the public sector has distinct requirements and expectations. Due to this unique posture, the public sector requires different standards and frameworks for accounting. The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) sets standards for the public sector in the international community. And these standards are applicable to government agencies and other public sector entities as well as intergovernmental organisations. These standards are known as International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The aim of this paper is to examine the framework for such standards and how they operate. The paper would examine the important framework and systems for the creation and the operation of IPSASs. It would include a critical review of IPSASB and how they operate as well as their scope. The main objective of the IPSAS is to improve the quality of financial reporting by public sector entities (Jorge, 2008). This is to provide a framework for the provision of periodic reports by these entities that exhibit transparency and accountability (Muller-Marques, 2010). IPSAS is a major set of standards that tries to provide the rules and definitive guidance for the creation of financial statements for these public oriented companies around the world. The main reason why a different set of accounting reporting rules are needed for the public sector is that they have a welfare oriented system which is in contrast with the profit-orientation of the private sector. Hence, there is the need to create a system of rules for the public sector. The main scope of the IPSAS is to provide guidelines for central and decentralised

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Affordalbe Care Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Affordalbe Care Act - Research Paper Example every citizen has the right to obtain affordable and dependable health care, which is the responsibility of the Federal government to make sure efficient provision of the service. The notion encouraged him to fight for legislation the Affordable care act. Obama’s ideologies on health care is founded on believe that the insurance companies unrestrained authority to influence care, and patient insurance have left many Americans uninsured and underinsured (Phillips 20). In accordance with the new law commonly termed as â€Å"Obama care,† Obama believes that American citizens are geared towards the provision of a health care system that is secure. The scheme entails Americans receiving health insurance through employers to make citizens coverage reasonable and secure. The scheme permits individuals with pre-existing conditions the capability to get preventative care with no payment of deductibles and co-pays. Additionally, Obama states the new law would eradicate insurance overpayments and fraud cases in Medicare together with Medicaid systems, which would save people a lot of money. This move permitted Obama to ensure the expansion of health care provision to many people who would have been insured, but now enjoy coverage on their parents’ scheme until they reach 26years of age. The Affordable Care Act offers seniors similar benefits that would need individuals earning more than $200,000, to make contributions to the Medicare Trust Fund beginning starting in 2013. When evaluated the health care visions in the past and the current are noticeably

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

ROSACEA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ROSACEA - Assignment Example It will also note triggers to avoid, and alleviating factors to use for relief of symptoms, on which you can educate your patient. The condition may affect all segments of the population. However, it is most likely to affect people with fair skin that tend to flush easily (National Rosacea Society, 2015). It is also most likely to be found in women. The disease may also develop severe symptoms that are most evident in men (National Rosacea Society, 2015). There are various symptoms of the disorder. The symptoms sometimes are periodic. The primary symptom is where the skin turns red (NHS, 2014). However, there are other symptoms that develop as the condition progresses. They include burning and stinging sensation, long lasting redness, spots, and visibility of small blood vessels in the skin (NHS, 2014). The condition has no known cure. Treatment entails self-help measures and some form of medication. The most effective way is to avoid known triggers for the condition such as hot drinks, alcohol, and exposure to sunlight (NHS, 2014). There are medications that are used in relieving symptoms. Hence, the patient needs to be well educated on how to use such medications. Some forms of medication such as the use of creams and gels may help in reducing spots and redness. There is also some oral medication used in relieving severe spots (NHS,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

History of U.S. up to JFK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of U.S. up to JFK - Essay Example After WWII, United States embraced capitalism at its best. During this time, change was an inevitable factor throughout the country. War bonds worth hundreds of billions of dollars matured, which gave the country the so much needed financial resources to kick start the economy. Using these and other government-provided resources, the country moved towards the realization of an economic boom. People’s quality of life improved, setting a desirable path for social, economic, and political prosperity. With massive investments already executed, the American workforce became the next point of focus. Among the most outstanding actions in this regard was the implementation of the G.I Bill. The G.I Bill accorded war veterans many different benefits, most of which played the role of financing education and training of workers for the realization of a knowledgeable, skilled, and reliable workforce (Chafe 107). Another key observation of the post WWII era was the emergence of labor unions in America. The 1950s marked the peak of labor union membership, and this allowed low-income workers to migrate from the countryside to towns and cities in search of better job opportunities (Chafe 168). By 1960, this migration process had allowed majority of Americans to hold employment positions that were better paying compared to previous couple of decades. Consequently, the growth and development of suburbs became vibrant across the U.S. Most importantly, U.S culture changed significantly between 1945 and 1963. Following the WWII, both the South and the West became important political regions as power shifted away from the Northeast and Midwest (Chafe 119). During this time, U.S had not only addressed major social issues, but also nurtured a cultural and social belief of international control. American people were convinced that they had a primary role to play in maintaining global peace and political order. A critical look at the global political economy revealed that the U.S

Monday, September 23, 2019

Secret shopper (mystery shopper) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Secret shopper (mystery shopper) - Essay Example However, the purpose of this particular analysis will be compared to similar restaurants based upon the quality of the food that is offered and the quality of the services that were rendered during two distinct observed dining experiences. Further, the two experiences which will be detailed below are with respect to an experience that was had at a local Olive Garden and at a local Outback Steakhouse. Firstly, it must be stated that the actual pricing of the cuisine, whether for lunch or for dinner is more or less similar; with most dishes at both of these restaurants costing anywhere from $10-$18 per plate. However, even though the relative price differential is more or less the same, the similarities ultimately end there. The ambience of Outback Steakhouse is unique as compared to the ambulances several other restaurants that I had been to during my lifetime. Firstly, upon entering the steakhouse, the dining area is extraordinarily dimly lit; causing a situation in which an individual could likely stumble over any article on the floor that they might not otherwise see. Within the particular Outback Steakhouse that I went to, I was not greeted upon entering the front door. Instead, there was a rush of waiters and waitresses that brushed by me in a frantic struggle to serve the guests that had already been promised tables. Similarly, as I was waiting, I did not receive a nod or r ecognition that I would be seated anytime in the near future. Instead, it appeared to me that the wait staff was actively avoiding my glance. Eventually I was seated and there remainder of the dining experience proceeded as it should have. The take away that must be had from all of this is that the restaurant can only be measured based upon the two metrics that have thus far been stated. However, due to the fact that the dining experience that has been described fell flat on one of these, the likelihood of me

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Strength of material 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strength of material 2 - Essay Example Beams: Beams are often classified according to their ideal support conditions as either simply supported beams or cantilever beams. Beams are subject to bending stresses when loads are applied and experience compressive, shear and tensile forces. A simply supported beam is fixed on two ends. When loading the maximum tensile stress occurs at the midpoint of the bottom edge of the beam and the maximum compressive stress occurs at the midpoint of the top edge. A cantilever beam is supported on one end only and must be built into the wall that supports it. Two forces act on cantilever beams – firstly, a vertical upward force which supports the weight of the beam and any downward loads and secondly ‘the fixing moment’ which prevents the unsupported beam from falling (Eric William Nelson et all, 1997). A beam may be strong enough to resist bending moments set up by its load and yet may sag without collapsing. This is called deflection and is dictated by the elasticity a nd strength of the material used to build it. Columns and Struts: Columns, also known as stanchions support compressional loads along their longitudinal axes. The effective of excessive loading on a column is that the column could cause it buckle or crush like a wall coming down. A ‘short column’ is one whose height is small relative to its thickness is small relative to its thickness. Whether or not the column will remain stable under increasing axial load will depend on the strength of the material that constitutes the column. A ‘long’ or ‘slender’ column has a greater height relative to its thickness. A long column becomes unstable and buckles at a load much smaller than which would crush a short column of the same cross-section and material. This is called the ‘critical load’. Unlike beams, the loading capacity of a column depends less upon the strength of the material of which it is made than upon its stiffness and this decreases with a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

tradition and modernity Essay Example for Free

tradition and modernity Essay We are used to thinking of traditions as something old and stable, whereas the creative forces of people are directed towards the making of â€Å"new† forms of art and music. Nevertheless in our view, and according to our experience, new forms should not be sought in a cultural vacuum, without any connection to the past experiences of people and societies. Similarly, the â€Å"old† musics should not be approached with the attitude of preserving or mimicking other people’s practices. We believe that the past is important because in the great musics that were created we can sense a reBlection of the creators’ spiritual insights and wider understandings of the nature of man and his place in the world. The passing on of this intuitive knowledge, through the practice of music, the sharing of experiences, the process of studying and teaching not as something that happens only within the school walls, but as part of everyday life, is what animates Neda not only to create, but also to teach their music and perform it in live concerts. Neda is a river in Peloponnese and one of the few rivers in Greece with a female name. In the Greek mythology Neda was the nymph who took care of Zeus when he was taken away from his father, who wanted to slaughter him. The water and the river are ancient symbols, signifying strength and endurance, but also adaptability and continuous Blow. Hence the signiBicance of Neda for the musicians, which carries the power of the female element of water to embrace difference; as it connects and naturally renews all things, it links past and future times into the present moment – where all sounds exist and all music is created.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Comparison of CAPM Model and APM

Comparison of CAPM Model and APM Title: Is the CAPM model a better asset-pricing model than the APM (arbitrage pricing model)? The following is a brief literature overview and literature review of the economics books and journal articles used in the writing of this dissertation. The dissertation’s objective was to evaluate the relative strengths of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as a pricing model, when it is compared to the most viable alternative, the Arbitrage Pricing Theory model. Various factors and influences that impact upon the pricing of certain goods and products, specifically oil -based products, as will be demonstrated in the dissertation is actually or potentially able to affect both these models and their relative effectiveness. The literature mentioned here was used to research and understand the concepts that underpin the CAPM and APT models, such as minimising the risk of loses and maximising the prospects of handsome profits from financial investments. The objective of these models is to be the most effective predictors of risks, changes, success, or failure. This literature review is a summary of the merits and the usefulness of the sources used during the research and completion of my dissertation; all views expressed below are my own. Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey in their book ‘Investment’ provide useful background information with regard to the economic theories relating to the comparative merits of the CAPM and APT pricing models. The main points that Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey make that is of relevance to the dissertation was about the origins of the CAPM which economists developed as a variant of the APT price modelling theories. They point out that the main difference between the two models is that the CAPM pricing model considers a single factor (the market portfolio), whilst the APT model considers a few factors such as financial risks, future prospects, and the causes of inflation. The usefulness of each model can depend upon the depth of research needed and the scope of the analysis that is required. If a limited study is all that is needed then CAPM is probably the best option, if a more extensive study is needed then APT is more likely to be a better option. The basic assumption of Shar pe, Alexander, and Bailey is that each model has it own strengths and weaknesses, which means that the effectiveness of each model can vary greatly due to variations within the market portfolio. Fluctuations and market trends are probably the best means of demonstrating that the two models work properly or if they do not (Sharpe et al, 1995). Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey was a helpful source to use for this dissertation as they put forward the influences that affect pricing decisions, and the perspective profits of any company. Amongst these influences are the industrial growth rate, the rate of price inflation, variations in the short or long time interest rates, and the performance of financial bonds. Pricing models are needed to predict risks due to the variation in all those factors or influences which can make all the difference between a sound financial investment and, a disastrous financial investment. Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey help to explain how a company’s rate of growth just like that of its competitors can be highly dependent upon price fluctuations in commodities such as crude oil and natural gas, as well as whether those increased costs can be recuperated from the company’s customers. Any worthwhile pricing model such as CAPM and APT needs to take inflation and its causes into account. Thi s book is a highly convenient source of information on many different aspects concerning portfolio investments and the theoretical and practical considerations that students and praticioners of financial investments and bond markets would find very useful (Sharpe et al, 1995). Bower, Bower, and Logue’s journal article from the September 1984 issue of the Journal of Finance provided invaluable background information concerning the APT system, and how its linked up with the measurement of the utility stock returns. The article was entitled ‘Arbitrage Pricing Theory and utility stock returns.’ The journal article by Bower, Bower, and Logue contains the formulas that the APT system utilises to analysis the relevant data relating to issues of pricing theories and, allows economists to check upon their accuracy or relevance. The formula that was cited in this journal article was used to analysis the data from the oil companies that was the main research focus for the dissertation, and its results were invaluable for the formulation of conclusions and arguments. Knowing how the formulas of the modelling theories are formed and how effective those formulas are in predicting events, variants, and success or failure cannot be realistically achiev ed without knowing the exact formula that the respective pricing models are based upon. This article not unsurprisingly concentrates upon the strong points that the APT system has to offer in comparison to the CAPM system. Bower, Bower, and Logue are arguably advocates of investors using the APT system ahead of the CAPM pricing theory due to providing more accurate forecasts. Their article is certainly a useful means to further understand how the APT allows a highly accurate prediction of pricing trends, as well as a sound understanding of the variants that can ruin the accuracy of any pricing model if not predicted or evaluated correctly. This article was available online which made it easier to access and is indeed where it was obtained from (Bower et al, 1984). Brennan and Schwartz’s article from the October 1989 issue of the Journal of Businesses, ‘Portfolio and Financial Equilibrium’ was another useful source of information for carrying out the data analysis using both pricing models to allow an accurate and realistic comparison between the CAPM and APT models. This article gave an improved understanding of how the balance of potential profits, investment risks, and loses that can influence the decisions that potential investors make can be formed, changed, and also how they can operate within any given market portfolio, such as leading oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell. As far as Brennan and Schwartz are concerned the key for any pricing theory to be a successful and effective model is being able to point towards the factors, influences, and behaviours that establish or maintain portfolio and financial equilibrium. There may be variants within any given market portfolio yet the most effective pricing theories are t hose models that take into account the actual or potential variants that will alter the market portfolio from time to time. The article discussed the strong points and the weak points of both the CAPM and APT pricing models that helped develop a personal understanding of the differing criteria for assessing which, of the two pricing models was the most cost effective, or reliable. It also assists developing an understanding how accurate predictions of pricing changes or variations in profitability are going to be (Brennan and Schwartz, 1989). Goetzman’s ‘An Introduction to Investment Theory’, is a sound source of information that was used in the dissertation to assist the comparison between the CAPM and APT pricing models. It is a more recent source of information about pricing models than some of the other sources mentioned in this literature review that were used for researching and writing the dissertation. Therefore it was a means of obtaining more up to date academic opinions, arguments, and practical examples of real life changes of market portfolios, investment variants, and the ability to detect, predict, or even avert risks to investments and profitability. Goetzman provides an invaluable insight into the way that investment theory has developed and its comparative strengths and weakness, or whether the best one to use depends on circumstances (Goetzman, 2007). The main use of Terregrossa’s ‘Accounting for Estimation Risk in CAPM-generated forecasts’ for the dissertation was to assist in the formation of the arguments in favour or against the idea that the CAPM pricing model is more or less useful and accurate than the APT model. Terregrossa’s article provides a relevant and easily understandable guide to the estimating of the financial risks that are a component element of the risk profiles and forecasts that are generated by the CAPM pricing theory. Besides describing the way in which the CAPM pricing model estimates investment and business risks the article discusses the theoretical and practical strengths or weaknesses of the risks that are estimated, and whether those risks are realistically forecast. Terregrossa’s article was a highly relevant one for gaining a stronger grasp of how the CAPM pricing theory can be used to forecast changes to the market portfolio. A model that adapts to those predicted changes to enhance profitability and prevent unnecessary risks being taken that damage company performance and investments (Terregrossa, 2004). Cagnetti’s ‘Capital Asset Pricing Model and Arbitrage Pricing Theory in the Italian Stock Market: An Empirical Study’, was a relevant source of information as it is also a comparison of the two pricing models in operation. Whilst the dissertation is primarily aimed towards using oil companies as the basis for the comparison between the CAPM and the APT pricing models. Whilst Cagnetti’s article was based upon a study of the Italian stock market it still provided a useful guide as to the time period of the data to be analysed. It is guide of how to evaluate and analyse the ways in which the two pricing models succeed or fail in predicting market trends and prices as well as noticing when variants can be detrimental or advantageous to the over all market portfolio, or any company’s profitability (Cagnetti, 2002).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

My Philosophy Of Education Essay example -- Classroom School Reflectio

My Philosophy Of Education I have come to believe over the past year as a Professional Development School intern that one method or one teaching style limits the ability of the teacher and the students to learn effectively in the classroom. I believe that learning is a fluid activity and therefore changes constantly within the classroom community. I believe that we all are constructs of our past experiences and that these experiences influence the way we perform in our lives. The education of students cannot be dependent on a particular style of teaching or learning because we are all different. Students are diverse learners and process learning in a variety of different ways. Reaching these students with one learning style, I believe, is not possible and that as educators it is our responsibility to develop a classroom environment that is conducive to all students for the learning experience. As a classroom community, we are responsible to create meaning from our experiences, develop goals about our learning, and be free to make connections to our social worlds that encourage the learning process to grow. This is what I have learned over the past year and how the PDS internship has facilitated my philosophy of education. I have spent the last twenty- four years of my life in the Nursing profession. As the years passed I realized that I longed to be in another professional setting. I struggled for many years to determine what this nagging voice in my head was trying to say to me. After I stopped to listen to the voice, I found myself on a path quite different from nursing. This path was foreign to me and I was frightened of the new life it was offering me and joyful at the chance to live a dream that I held so ... ...eling from others. I want my students to recognize their abilities to learning early in their educational careers and that shaping, testing, and questioning their learning will make them better students of the world and will create and take responsibility for their learning. Bibliography Richard Beach and Jamie Myers, Inquiry-Based English Instruction, Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 2001 Frank Smith, The Book Of Learning And Forgetting , Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 1998 John Dewy, Democracy in Education, Macmillian, 1938 Chapter 7 â€Å"The Democratic Conception of Education† Clarissa Le Ai Ling, â€Å"The Author, The Text, and The Reader, www.english-literature.org/reader-response. 2002 George W. Gagnon, Jr. and Michelle Collay, â€Å"Constructivist Learning Design† www.prainbow.com/cld/cldp 1990

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Essay -- Biography Biographies

The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin was the fifth child of Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgewood. He was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England where his father practiced medicine. He attended Shrewsbury Grammar School which was a well-kn own secondary school which concentrated on teaching classic languages. Even as a boy Darwin loved science and his enthusiasm for chemical studies earned him the name "Gas" from his friends. The headmaster at Shrewsbury, Dr. Samuel Butler noted, "Here's a boy, plays around with his gases and the rest of his rubbish and works at nothing useful." He was also an avid collector. Anything he could get his hands on- shells, eggs, minerals and coins interested him. Darwin was expected to follow his father and become a doctor and in 1825, at the age of sixteen, his father removed him from Shrewsbury and entered him in the University of Edenburgh to study medicine. He found all of his classes except chemistry dull. After two years at Edenburg, he quit school and went to live with his Uncle Josiah Wedgewood. After he abandoned medicine, his father urged him to attend Cambridge University to study to be a clergyman. At Cambridge he met John Steven Henslow who helped him regain his interest in nature. It was Henslow who was influential in getting Darwin the position of naturalist on the boat The Beagle. In April of 1831, he graduated from the University. In the fall following his graduation, the government decided to send the H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, to complete an unfinished survey of Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego to help map out the shores of Chile and Peru. Th e voyage w... ...rstand or explain whatever I observed and group a ll facts under some general laws..." On April 19, 1882 Darwin died of a heart attack. The family wanted Darwin to be buried in his home, the village of Downe. However, Parliament requested that he be buried in Westminster Abbey, a cemetery for Britain's kings and queens and intellectual giants. This was an indication of how far Darwin had come towards universal acceptance and respectability. Darwin's coffin lies next to Issac Newton which is only fitting because Darwin has been called "The Newton of Biology." Darwin was modest of his monumental achievements to the very end and said of himself shortly before his death,"With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the belief of scientific men on some important points."

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Law of One Price in Financial Markets

The Law of One Price in Financial Markets Owen A. Lamont and Richard H. Thaler The Law of One Price is an economic way of rational perspective to explain the expectation of price uniformity of a particular commodity or say any economics goods across national boundaries. The law tries to explain what a market price condition of a given goods should be, all things being equal, across global boundaries. This law will hold where every variable that has a causality effect on price variation are held constant.That is where there is absence of transaction cost and no restriction or barrier to trades Lamont and Thaler (2003) try to use real word scenario to explain the functionality and effectiveness of the law of one price. Under the assumption that the law could be realistic in completive market with no transaction and barrier to trade cost. The point of interest is to see whether this law could be violated. Using the aspirin market as an example, Lamont and Thaler are able to justify that it is very easy to violate the law in a consumer goods market.There are many factors that shape the consumer buying decision and some of these factors can actually lead to the violation of the law of one price. Example of such factors may include consumer foreknowledge about a product, influence of friends and family, perception about substitute goods or similar goods with brand variation. Owing to the factors that influence consumers buying decision of a consumers goods, it is difficult for Arbitrageur to have any influence in consumer goods market thereby causing the violation of the law of one price .Lamont and Thaler says there exist no open way to sell short a consumer product and because of preconception about a consumer product by the consumer, it is very difficult to predict when consumer will see the error in their way. In most instances, consumers realize their mistakes during post purchase evaluation Thaler and Lamont try to find see if the Law of one price is actually b eing kept in the financial market where there is room for short selling and transaction cost are pretty low. Using several examples from the financial arket, it is obvious that this law is being violated more often. Closed end investment fund or mutual fund case sighted by Thaler and Lamont might seems to be in violation of the Law of one price, but obviously from the analysis, the closed end mutual fund security and the underlying asset are not identical. And the fee charge by a fund manager for his service is somewhat rational. On the other hand, the ADR example using the Infosys example reflects the violation of the law of one price as obviously there are large discrepancies between the two prices.In the case of Twin share of Ryal Dutch and Shell, it is surprising that Royal Dutch was selling at a higher value than Dell even though it is pretty much a share of the same company but after the announcement that the US is dropping all foreign share, the market quickly reacted to the information and the premium on Royal Dutch dropped from 6% to 1% within 24 hours. Obviously, it the incident is a clear indication of the violation of the law of one price considering the fact that there are room for short selling and an ample opportunity for arbitrager to even get involvedConsidering all the cases presented by Thaler and Lamont, it is submitted that economists do need to focus more on whether the market is sending the right signal to the to the market participants or not. It can be concluded from the case studies that the law of one price should hold only if the same asset is selling at different price in different market simultaneously, then the arbitrageurs could step in take advantages of price differences which will allow it to make some pretty money for him/her self before the market get to equilibrium.However, it is logical to say that no two securities are completely identical. Nonetheless, it may be reasonable to say that arbitrageurs could still make some decent living in the presence of imperfect information in the financial market Work Cited Lamont, Owen A. and Richard H. Thaler. Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 17, Number 4—Fall 2003—Pages 191–202

Monday, September 16, 2019

Examining The Concept of Politically Correct Speech Essay

â€Å"Let’s be politically correct about this.† This is a common statement people make when they want to avoid offending people. This is the goal of the concept of being politically correct: avoid offending people’s sensibilities. Case in point, it is not uncommon to call blind people â€Å"visually impaired.† The reason for this is that somehow the word â€Å"blind† became derogatory. Well, actually it didn’t and neither did a number of benign words but in the 1990’s there was a movement that started with the clear intention of making words as antiseptic as possible. The movement was somewhat mocked at first and pop culture comedian George Carlin quipped â€Å"It is just a means of people hiding their guilt without really atoning for their sins.† But, the politically movement has far from gone away. In fact, it has gained significant momentum in certain quarters. This is good in some ways and negative in others. One of the most negative aspects of the political correctness movement is that perpetually trying to be politically correct has a tendency to hinder communications. That is, when people are always trying to choose their words or phrases carefully they may find the end result to be stilted. That is to say, the words they select in their writing or oral presentations may end up being silly. Again, most people assume a blind person is blind. If one refers to a blind person as â€Å"optically challenged† then one may discover the audience laughing at the choice of words. This is because it is obvious the individual is going really out of the way to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings. Granted, this end result may avoid offense but it could also yield laughter. If that was not the intended result of your actions then the actions would be deemed a flop. Sorry to be so blunt but this is the common end result of going to ridiculous extremes in order be politically correct at the expense of using â€Å"good† language. There are, however, some benefits to politically correct speech. This is most evident in the workplace. Remember when it comes to success in the workplace success will often be based around relationships with people. If your relationships with others are not as best as they can be then you may discover your career suffering. This would obviously be a bad situation and best avoided. Since one of the most common ways of developing bad relationships is through offending people seeking to be more politically correct in your dialogue would not be a bad idea. If you are involved in the insurance sales business there will be a multitude of people whom you will come in contact. As such, you would want these people to feel as comfortable as possible and opt to avoid using words that may prove offensive. For example, you would want to avoid calling the elderly â€Å"old† if you come in contact with such individuals. Sticking with the term â€Å"senior citizen† would be a much wiser option. Of course, you will want to select words that are sensible and not silly. There is a fine line between politeness and parody when it comes to speaking in a politically correct manner. However, if you use simple logic and common sense in your approach to selecting politically correct terms you will avoid many of the common â€Å"political correctness† pitfalls associated with the movement.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Essay

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets† â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,† is a novella written by Stephen Crane and published in the year 1893. This work was published during the time of the Industrial Revolution, when factories were appearing everywhere. Their workers were often not paid enough to lead a decent life, and suffered from their situation. They were not very civilized and sometimes aggressive in their behavior. Perhaps because of this radical change from a more agricultural lifestyle to one of industry and factories, some pieces of literature were starting to transition from the classification of Realistic writings to works that are now categorized as works of Naturalism. While the two categories are related, Naturalistic works often are based in urban landscapes and focus upon the poor and less educated; whereas the character focus and settings of Realistic works were ordinary people living in both cities and small towns. Crane’s novella was written right as the literary movement of Realism ended and Naturalism began, and understandably includes elements of both movements. Crane’s story, though, can be concretely set in one category. His story occurs in urban New York. The plot of it is set on a community of its poor residents who cannot change their situation. The themes and tenets used in this work, as well as the aforementioned setting and plot choices, concretely set this novella in the classification of a work of Naturalism. Crane uses foreshadowing to allude to storylines that are created and events that occur later in the story. In the opening of the novella, we are greeted with a scene of a bloody and intense fight. Those involved are mere children, who are fighting intensely and drawing all the blood they can from their adversaries. The names of the neighborhoods from which the boys are from: â€Å"Rum Alley† and â€Å"Devil’s Row†, imply to the reader that the inhabitants are both heavily dependent on alcohol and rough in their personalities. The fact that young children are fighting battles like animals echoes the similar themes of Naturalists portraying the city as a jungle, and its’ inhabitants equal to the animals that occupy it. Crane uses both similes and metaphors to add intensity and detail to his work. His work is peppered with colorful language that allows the reader to perceive an occurrence or characteristic with greater intensity. Crane implies that Maggie is a flower through stating that she â€Å"blossomed in a mud puddle† (ch. 5). When referring to the speed with which Maggie at her food, Crane states that she ate â€Å"like a small pursued tigress† (ch. 2). Later, Jimmie confronted Pete at the bar, and â€Å"snarled like a wild animal† when he threatened Pete into a fight (ch. 11). Soon before the fight, Jimmie, his companion, and Pete stood close together and â€Å"bristled like three roosters† (ch. 11). From these similes and metaphors can be pulled Crane’s portrayal of the city. The use of animal comparisons to refer to the actions of people expose the animal-like and barbaric nature of those described. Crane and other Naturalists used this technique of describing the city as a jungle to present to their readers the reality of city life. The lifestyle and living conditions of the poor were animal-like. They fought one another in a struggle to survive. Whoever was larger was always considered superior over the small. When Pete approaches the brawling children and hits one on the head to stop him from fighting, the young boy â€Å"scrambled to his feet, and perceiving, evidently, the size of his assailant, ran quickly off, shouting alarms† (ch. 1). Crane’s use of diction is also telling of the lifestyle of those living in the Bowery. The characters speech is consistently made up of curses and broken words. It shows that the inhabitants are either poorly educated or uneducated, and lack a civilized lifestyle. The male inhabitants, at least in this story, are constantly challenging another to a fight if he feels insulted by something the other does or says. These traits further demonstrate the uncivilized and animal-like existence of those living there. Crane’s use of characterization helps the reader form ideas or hypotheses about the way a character will act throughout the story. In Chapter One, as Pete is approaching the brawl on the street, he is given the following description: Down the avenue came boastfully sauntering a lad of sixteen years, although the chronic sneer of an ideal manhood already sat upon his lips. His hat was tipped with an air of challenge over his eye. Between his teeth, a cigar stump was tilted at the angle of defiance. He walked with a certain swing of the shoulders which appalled the timid. He glanced over into the vacant lot in which the little raving boys from Devil’s Row seethed about the shrieking and tearful child from Rum Alley. â€Å"Gee! † he murmured with interest. â€Å"A scrap. Gee! † He strode over to the cursing circle, swinging his shoulders in a manner which denoted that he held victory in his fists. He approached at the back of one of the most deeply engaged of the Devil’s Row children. Ah, what deh hell,† he said, and smote the deeply-engaged one on the back of the head. This description of Pete portrays him as a person with a lot of confidence and one that sees himself as having authority over others and can do what he would like. â€Å"Maggie† is a story that is pessimistic. It is not only a story of a character who ultimately succumbs to her situation by becoming a prostitute because she feels she has no other way if supporting herself, but also one of the horrible conditions of the lower class. The residents of the area are â€Å"stuck† in the same situation of those who before them and cannot change. This is especially seen in Jimmie, because when he gets older, he adopts the same traits his father had. The story also is detached. Crane is merely telling the story. He does not intrude upon the writing by stating that anything was right or wrong. In every situation that could render an opinion or analysis by the author, Crane does not interject with his ideas or thoughts about what is happening: he merely tells the story as it happened with no feeling toward it. He states something as it is and does not embellish it. When Tommie dies, it is stated exactly as it is: â€Å"The babe, Tommie, died† (ch. ). No sad reminisces about his life or the â€Å"tragedy† of his death is given. He does not judge the characters. Naturalist writers often gave very detailed accounts of situations in their stories, but left judgment and interpretation to the reader. Tied to the fates of the characters is the story’s theme of â€Å"survival of the fittest†. The baby, Tommie, dies because he is too weak to survive. The same is the case for Maggie: she is dependent upon Pete for support. When she no longer has a relationship with him, she succumbs to her lowly situation and dies before her mother and Jimmie. Jimmie and his mother survive because they have the toughness to endure the rough lifestyle that living in the city requires. Violence and aggression are persistent themes throughout â€Å"Maggie. † The novella opens with a violent fight scene. When Jimmie returns home from the fight, his mother is furious and angrily scrubs him raw while washing the blood from the fight off of him. Pete, when breaking up the fight that Jimmie was in, just hits one of the kids on the head instead of speaking. Jimmie fights Pete when he discovers he has ruined his sister. While Pete leads Maggie through a crowded sidewalk, he threatens to fight some who are in their way. This aggression is another way that Crane implies to the reader that the city is a jungle and those who reside in it are animals. A final similar theme of â€Å"Maggie† and other works written in the time of Naturalism is the use of irony. The first instance of it occurs after Jimmie tells his mother Maggie had â€Å"gone to the devil,† which is a phrase the novella uses for having premarital sex. She curses Maggie for a bit, the says â€Å"†Ah, who would t’ink such a bad girl could grow up in our fambly† (ch. 0). This is a statement of great irony, because the environment Maggie grew up in was horrible, and her family was by no means a good one. A second instance of this occurs when Jimmie comes home to report â€Å"Mag’s dead† (ch. 19). His alcoholic and abusive mother wildly mourns the death of her daughter. A group of mourners arrive at the apartment, and one of the women tells her â€Å"†Yeh’ll fergive her, Mary! Yeh’ll fergive yer bad, bad, chil’! Her life was a curse an’ her days were black an’ yeh’ll fergive yer bad girl? She’s gone where her sins will be judged†Ã¢â‚¬  (ch. 19). She responds by stating she would. This again reflects irony by the fact that, in the household she grew up in it was hard not to commit a sin. (Word Count: 1617) Crane’s novella reflects themes and techniques commonly used in Naturalistic writings. The writers whose works were considered from the era of Naturalism all had common themes and tenets that characterized their stories. Through the use of these literary devices the authors were able to paint a picture of the lives of the members of the lowest class and bring their readers to realize the reality of the world in which they lived.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

D.A.R.E. Report Essay

While participating with D.A.R.E., I learned that drugs and alcohol are not good for you. I also learned that tobacco and alcohol and any other drug can hurt different parts of your body. Marijuana causes breathing problems, short term memory loss, slows coordination and reflexes, and effects ones ability to judge distance, speed and reaction time. Marijuana can become addictive and is illegal in the United States. Smoking tobacco has over 200 unknown poisons in the smoke, and contains nicotine which is very addictive. By not doing drugs is important because if you do drugs you will hurt your body. It is also important because sometimes you have to have surgery and in some cases you can die. Smoking and drugs can hurt a newborn baby. Alcohol slows down the brain and body and causes loss of coordination, poor judgment and loss of self-control, which could lead to serious accidents involving a car and someone innocent can be injured. I feel that everybody should not do drugs. Everyone always have to make wise decisions about what you do with drugs and alcohol. As a participant in D.A.R.E., I will not participate in or associate myself with anyone that is involved in drugs. I will follow all five D.A.R.E. rules and remain a respectable citizen.

Beauty (unlike ugliness)

Beauty (unlike ugliness) cannot really be explained and it was also quoted that â€Å"Like a God (and as empty), it can only say: I am what I am. 1 The path to beauty is what we are all trying to find and to follow. To define beauty as that which is sought, as it appears in imagination, is sufficient that everyone is seeking beauty, for it cannot be denied that everyone is looking for something and dreaming about it. 2 To dispute taste is futile, because beauty varies for different people and for the same person.The vulgar have their beauty, the lofty theirs. But the vulgar have moments in which they may appreciate another beauty, and so have lofty. Beauty is not entirely a personal affair, because the most subjective things are an objective part of human nature which is universal; as the hidden arrangements in one house are like those other houses. Ideas we take into our heads differ hardly more that food we consume. Seldom is there reason to suppose more individuality in our thoug ht s than in our behavior and apparel.We happen to have access to our own physical and psychical quarters, and can shut the door on the rest of the world; but there is no mysterious cleavage between this subjectivity or what is objective or out in the open. 3 The sameness of human wishes in their most subjective state is made public on screen of the movie, in the human interest stories of the newspaper magazines and novels, in window displays and on billboards. Advertisers write the open text on aesthetics that all may read.They know that men and women are enough alike to want the same things, to admire the same beauty; and they are so sure of this that on it they stake their fortunes. It would be idle to argue that each person has not a different idea of beauty, were not the illusion of uniqueness rather universal. According to Ames, people are richer or poorer in appreciation, but as, as in their belongings, they are luxurious or lacking in similar things, so that their very diffe rences are same.He added that, imaginations and predilections are as objective as hair and eyes, and equally dependent upon heredity and environment. Given a certain nature, education and experience, certain wishes will be inevitable which will necessarily reflect in appropriate beauty. Precisely because variation is rare it is magnified. Each person cherishes what personality he has, and is glad that in being conditioned to seek his own he can reject what is foreign to him and call it as ugly, though he is also happy to belike other people and to share their enthusiasm.Based on Ames, there are fewer disputes about beauty than is often assumed, because most people accept the standards of their country and sex, class and set. Western philosophers and psychologist have always been interested in the nature of art, the appreciation of art, and the psychology of artist. 4 Plato argued that aesthetic experience _____________________________________ 1. â€Å" Pacteau, F. (1994). â€Å" T he Symtom of Beauty. New York: Reaktion Books, 1-232. ISBN 094846254X. 2. Ames, V. M (1968). â€Å" Introduction to Beauty.New York: Ayer Publishing, ISBN 094846254X. 3. Ibid. 4. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. 1 2 involved the apprehension of the good in nature. The non-sensuous pleasure, perhaps awe, of aesthetic feeling resulted from the reflection of ideal form in the object that only hinted at the profound perfection and beauty of its higher model. Hagman said that, for Plato, it was the apperception of this hint, the glimpse of the ideal, which was the source of aesthetic experience.Later, religious thinkers believed that aesthetic experience was linked to the revelation of divinity in the world, the sense of the worldly beauty being a reflection of the eternal beauty of God. Similar to Plato’s view was the belief that some objects, most especially art, expressed Godâ⠂¬â„¢s love and perfection more than others – or at least, the divinity was more easily glimpsed in some objects than in others according to Hagman. He also added that, it was not until the eighteenth century that a true psychology of aesthetic experience began to emerge.Starting with David Hume and Immanuel Kant, these modern thinkers tried to explain aesthetic experience in psychological terms. The objective nature of â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the beauty of God† came to be replaced by psychological processes by which our experience of the world is given aesthetic qualities and values5. Hume argued that aesthetic experience was associated with sensitivity to the association between a perception and a feeling. The particular aesthetic feeling s were those of refined pleasure, delight, awe, admiration, joy, and so on – in other word, the effects and passions considered to be special, positive value.Hume believed that certain type of experiences, those poss essing beauty, attained higher qualities in the formal expression of these feelings. Thus, for Hume, human’s sensibility and emotion replaced divinity and ideal form of aesthetic experience. Art, as opposed to natural sources of beauty, expressed certain associated feelings in refined and highly valued ways6. Hume argued that a person could develop his or her critical judgment in aesthetic matters by means of experience and study.He also stressed the need for the audience to keep â€Å"his mind from all prejudice and allow nothing to enter into consideration but the very object that is submitted to examination†. Hume claimed that the audience must be comfortable and without other intentions when viewing something aesthetically; this was one of the initial argument for the role of disinterest in aesthetic experience. What Hume was describing was type of empathy, an ability to put aside one’s normal position and needs and to â€Å"place oneself in that point of v iew that the artwork supposes†.Thus, aesthetic experience assumed a special form of relationship with the object in which the audience members would approach the experience with benign neutrality and willingness to give themselves over to the experience without prejudice. This relationship would then ideally result in a pleasant emotional state evoked by the specialness and refinement of the object ______________________________________ 5. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. 6. Ibid 3Immanuel Kant postulated that aesthetic experience was a type of subjective judgment distinct from other human emotions, referring to this as taste. Essentially, taste was a type of universal and natural human capability similar to other modes of perception. As one experiences something aesthetically, there are sensations of pleasure within an attitude of disinterest. In fact, for Kant, taste was close r to reason than to emotion or sensation; it constituted recognition of a priori truths (such as beauty) in the concrete, â€Å"objective purposiveness†. Nonillusions and some Persistent MysteriesOne of the most curious phenomena that simply cannot be understood in terms of their primary cause sat the present time is the close relationship between certain mathematical series (e. g. , the Fibonacci numbers in which each successive term is the sum of the two preceding numbers) and the extreme vaguely defined cognitive experience we call visual pleasure or beauty. 7 If each Fibonacci numbers is then divided by the one previous to it, this new series converges on what has become a magical number – 1. 615838†¦, otherwise known as the golden ratio.The golden ratio appears ubiquitously in a wide variety of biological systems including the arrangements of seeds on a flower, the structure of fruits and vegetables, and the shape of the spiral shells of a Chambered Nautilus. 7 Most interesting in the present context, however, is the fact that if an observer is asked to identify the width and height of the most beautiful rectangle, the usual answer is close to the golden ratio. They said that this phenomenon appears through the history of art with the pyramids, Greek temples, renaissance art, and the contemporary views of female beauty all showing evidence of golden ratio.It is also observable in musical compositions. 8 Thus, there appears to be a close relationship between a subjective aesthetic judgment and a fundamental number appearing in a mathematical expression. 9 The problem is that this is a purely empirical observation; there is no theory of why these two domains should be linked in this manner. This mysterious relationship suggests, however, that mathematics and human aesthetic is intimately tied together for totally obscure reasons. Perhaps it is due to evolutionary forces of which we are only beginning to understand, but even this is the lo osest kind of speculation.Nevertheless, there are some well – established links that are considered. Aestheticians themselves are in surprising accord as to the nature of beauty and art. They usually agree that beauty is a value and that art is the means of realizing the value. They say that beauty lifts us out of littleness to understanding of the meaning of existence. In beauty we see the finish and finality toward which our efforts tend the poise to which our wobbly lives aspire. In beauty we behold our desire without ceasing to desire it, for the most satisfying beauty is the more it arouses longing.The classic ideal of beauty is more calm, the romantic more vehement, ______________________________________ 7. Uttal, W. R. (2003). â€Å"Psychomythics: Sources of Artifacts and Misconceptions in Scientific Psychology. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805845844. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid 4 while the modern tends to be wild and madcap; yet there is a passion in the classi c ideal, composure in the romantic, and some restraint in the modern, else none of them could be beautiful. From Sublimation to RegressionIn 1961, Robert Fleiss published an interesting elaboration of Freud’s sublimation model of aesthetic experience. Fleiss believed that in aesthetic experience, especially in the sense of beauty, there is a normal regression to an â€Å"early perceptory relation† involving the modality of primary perception,† which he conceived of as the combinations of perceptions of the labyrinth – outer skin, hands, and mouth unified into a single, nondistinguishable experience. According to Fleiss, in aesthetic enjoyment there is a muscular discharge of neutral energy.Rather than cannibalizing the object, the person experiences emphatic introjections of it. 12 Fleiss located the developmental level of aesthetic experience in the first oral phase prior to the mobilization of aggression that results in incorporative actions and fantasie s. He argued that the sublimation of this neutral oral libido is â€Å"inseparable from aesthetic enjoyment† and includes muscular discharges involved in the â€Å"modality of primary perception† – â€Å"a modality that continues to function throughout life.Thus, for Fleiss, sublimation is not simply a defense, but a normal aspect of the vicissitudes of libido that re essentially neutral during the first oral phase. It is the activity of this libido throughout life that accounts for the ubiquity of aesthetic experience. In an interesting series of case reports, Fleiss illustrated the relationship between sex and aesthetic enjoyment, and even argued for the simultaneous experience of both in mature, healthy sexual relations. ConclusionFor centuries, beauty has been considered a feminine attribute, and its pursuit a feminine responsibility. In fact the word beauty itself reflects the intimate connection between beauty and femininity. Even the most recent revision of the Webmaster’s New World Dictionary has as one of it’s definitions of beauty â€Å"a very good looking woman. † Thus we postulate that women’s preoccupation their appearance is consistent with the feminine sex-role stereotype. There are at least two additional aspects of beauty that may fuel women’s effort to emulate their culture’s beauty ideal.First, beauty often is associated with moral goodness, with being virtuous. Second, beauty can contribute to being powerful. _________________________________________ 11. â€Å" Santayana, G. (1955). â€Å" The Sense of Beauty: Being the Outline of Aesthetic Theory. New York: Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0486202380. 12. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ames, V. M (1968). â€Å" Introduction to Beauty. New York: Ayer Publishing, ISBN 094846254X.Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aestheti c experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. Pacteau, F. (1994). â€Å" The Symtom of Beauty. New York: Reaktion Books, 1-232. ISBN 094846254X. Santayana, G. (1955). â€Å" The Sense of Beauty: Being the Outline of Aesthetic Theory. New York: Courier Dover Publications, 1-168. ISBN 0486202380. Uttal, W. R. (2003). â€Å"Psychomythics: Sources of Artifacts and Misconceptions in Scientific Psychology. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805845844.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Leadership styles Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership styles - Coursework Example 669). In this context, this paper will look into the different types of leadership theories and assess it by looking into some empirical studies relevant to the impact of leadership on the development of faculty members. In the end, hopefully, this paper may help gain an understanding of the different identified types of leadership. The Different Kinds of Leadership In order to understand further the concept of leadership, scholars have continuously defined, examine and refine the concept (Yukl, 2006). As a result of these scholarly endeavours, several types of leadership and leadership theories have been developed (Brinia, 2012). Some of the types of leadership are the following: â€Å"Great Man† Theory. This theory assumes that leadership is inherent to the person. This means that capacity in becoming a leader is naturally inborn in the person. Thus, giving validity to the claim â€Å"a person is born leader† (Brinia, 2012). This theory is also known as the superhero theory. Moreover, the theory refers only to ‘men’ as it looks into the ‘feats’ of illustrious men in history such as Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs and the likes. As such, it presents the notion that great leadership entails having the right man for the job. However, this theory is criticised by Spencer (1896) when he claimed that leaders are not borne but are themselves product of their society. Trait Theory. This theory is comparable with the ‘great man theory’. It holds the view that ‘natural leaders’ possess certain attributes that distinguish them from the rest. These attributes include â€Å"intelligence, alertness, insight, responsibility, initiative, persistence, self-confidence and sociability† (Northhouse, 2006, pp. 16). These characteristics provide some advantages to leaders over non-leaders, thus making them suitable as leaders. However, this theory has been questioned on the premise that there are people who possess these attributes but are not leaders. Contingency Theory. This theory holds that leadership effectiveness depends on the various factors influencing not only the organisational conditions but also the leadership situation. These factors may include environment, organisational structure, subordinates and tasks (Brinia, 2012). In effect, this theory presupposes that there is no universal form leadership but that effective leadership behoves the coming together of the leadership condition, subordinates trust to the leaders and the tasks to be performed. Nonetheless, this theory fails to identify or explain why a leader is effective in a particular situation. Situational Theory. This theory maintains that different situations require different kinds of leadership. In other words, an effective leader matches his/her style of leadership depending on the situation and abilities and commitment of his/her subordinates (Northhouse, 2006). From this perspective, the flexibil ity of the leader to adapt to the situation is paramount in addressing issues. As such, the leader must know when to be directive or supportive, thus, matching the needs and demands of the situation and the subordinates. However, this theory is plagued by concerns pertinent to ambiguity of the concept of commitment and the model of subordinates (Northhouse, 2006). In addition, question regarding the validity of the theory is also raised (Northhouse,

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Oscar Wilde - the Man and his World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oscar Wilde - the Man and his World - Essay Example Being an editor, he believed that he could move fashionable social circles thereby attracting support from influential women in the society (Dierkes-Thrun, 2012). Oscar Wilde called upon to contribute to the reconstruction of lady’s world magazine which was to basically not just deal with what women wear, but with how they think and feel. The likely contributors of the magazine sought out to write with enthusiasm, with tact and avoid being extravagant and the use of vulgar language. The term lady to some level was viewed ambiguously; Wilde regarded it as having a small taint of vulgarity and extremely misleading because of the eminence of â€Å"woman question† which was a feminist movement. Wilde persisted that the magazine which seemed to be more feminine be re-named to â€Å"woman’s world† (Salamensky 2012, p.132). These changes implied that the term â€Å"lady† which was to be changed to â€Å"woman† was associated with commonness. In 1895 , Wilde in his own words would be interpreted as utterly clear evidence in his scandalous libel and criminal suits that gradually sent him to jail and eventually ended his career. This unfortunate incident did not erase his legacy. His criticism and notes have shaped the society than any other author or poet. Most noticeably, it testifies to the epigrammatic memorability of his statements and declaration and acknowledges the fact that his life meant a personality and a collection of texts and ideas. He fearlessly explored art in relation to everyday life offering unique grounds for examining or testing sexual and social culture during the Victorian era. In 1887’s October issue of the â€Å"lady’s world† the prospectus pointed out the changed names of editors of the November issue. The editors who were listed included Marie Corelli, Olive Schreiner, Mathilde Blind as well as Wilde’s wife Constance and his mother Lady Wilde. In addition, Oscar persuaded som e of the well-known writers to contribute to the witting one of them being Arthur Symons. Arthur’s first essay was on one of the major symbols in the symbolist movement â€Å"Villiers de I ‘isle Adam† which came out after Wilde left the magazine. Wilde was a determined editor of theâ€Å"woman’s world† but his enthusiasm progressively reduced over the following periods. He gradually became less functional arriving late leaving early, and generally handling at his letters carelessly and giving excuses and makeup promises to his failures (Dierkes-Thrun, 2012). Oscar Wilde’s assistant editor Arthur fish viewed the â€Å"woman’s world† magazine as to be the finest with exclusive appeal and attraction to women that was ever been published. The â€Å"woman’s world† editors manage to secure brilliant contributors producing a high level of literary content ever attained by a publishing company of its kind. Articles did not only concentrated on fashion but also devoted to distinguish or bring out women, women’s suffrage and historical events (Wilde & Murray 2000, p. 98). Arthur fish always expressed his sympathy on the views of the â€Å"woman’s world† writers revealing a liberality of thoughts regarding the political aspirations and ambitions of women that were without a doubt sincere.  Ã‚  

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

International Marketing (Airbus and Boeing) Essay

International Marketing (Airbus and Boeing) - Essay Example Abstract The airline manufacturing business comprises of two massive firms, Airbus and Boeing. These two companies utilize different strategies in the marketing of their products as well as advancement of their products. This process will influence the market control of these companies in the future. These two organizations are inflecting two divergent niche markets with a twosome of flagship products. These dissimilar products deflect price competition by distinguishing product lines, which is crucial. Introduction Airbus and Boeing are amongst the two enormous companies controlling the jet airliner market place since 1990s. The Boeing organization is an American, worldwide aerospace and defence conglomerate established in 1916. Airbus is also a world’s top aircraft manufacturer. It constantly captures around half or more of all orders for all airliners. It began its operations in 1970 by a conglomerate of France’s Aerospatiale, Germany’s Deutsch and Spain’s CASA. The principal business is to invent and manufacture civil transports. Initially, the company built its original twin-engine wide body airliner-the A300. Nonetheless, at this period, Boeing enjoyed a massive market with market control of numerous airplane products. Consequently, in the infancy period, A300 was not a significant success for Airbus. However, in 1981, the initiation of the A320 made Airbus company a significant manufacturer in the civil aviation industry. This model was an enormous success since it espoused a computerized structure of flight controls. Grounding its technological headship, Airbus utilized the family conception to gratify different airline client’s needs.... It welcomed a new era of mass air transport. It also creates varied aircraft products such as the 737, 767 and 777. It is also an ammunition contractor, inventing and making attack jets and satellites (Stanley, 2007). A Summary of their Product Development Strategy In the contemporary marketplace, distinctive differences in the manner cutthroat products have become progressively rare. The functional product delineation is exactly what the contention between Airbus and Boeing. The two enterprises produce essentially different products, with regard to the diametrically differing visions of the future. Competition in commercial and armed forces aviation, space and communications structures businesses; Airbus and Boeing are the most significant and extremely technologically sophisticated organizations contending in these markets. Airbus Product Development Strategy Airbus’ business sculpt emphasizes on the dependence on operations across one hundred and sixty locations. In additio n, this includes research and improvement. It has manufacturing stations in the UK, France, Germany, the U.S. and Spain. Airbus also has auxiliaries in Japan, North America and China. It also heavily depends on an engineer-to-order scheme for harmonizing its supply chain and client demand management structures. Additionally, it depends on a high degree of procedure amalgamation in its single-aisle and wide body business jets. Airbus utilizes a conglomerate oriented strategy to product development. Its numerous operations in different nations allow this company to capture an enormous market for its products. Airbus aims at utilizing a scheme to streamline product advancement

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business strategy - Essay Example Porter’s value chain provides an important tool for a tool for developing and sustaining competitive advantage for a company. It underlines the need for creating and retailing value for the organisation. Value, in general, can be defined in respect of customers, employees and owners or other stakeholders. Value addition is considered an important ingredient in dealing with the competitions, as it provides the organisation with a strategic tool. An individual’s beliefs or conceptions about what is desirable, good or bad – forms the value system (Kotler, 1974). Innovation, excellence and value go hand in hand in today’s competitive environment. Customers and the target market are crucial stakeholders for any organisation. Configuring value means defining, creating, branding and pricing the offer. The company can acquire competitive advantage on its rivals on account of marketing efforts, brand building, value creation, innovation, operational efficiencies etc. But more important is to sustain the advantage. The value configuration describes how value is created in a company for its customers, how the most important business processes function to create value for customers and the way a particular company/ organization conducts its business. Some of the value addition gradually takes the form of threshold competencies for the organisation, and the consumer starts expecting these value additions from the company. The process of value creation encompasses managing quality in the entire chain of processes leading to the production of final product or service. Quality in essence is delivering superior value to the customer. The value phenomenon is complicated and multifaceted. The term â€Å"value† can be defined in different ways according to the adopted perspective of th e analysis: it is possible to determine a â€Å"customer value†, a â€Å"firm value†, a â€Å"stakeholder value† (Mele and Colurci, 2006). For the companies to identify their sustainable

Monday, September 9, 2019

Sexual Revolution in America Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Revolution in America - Research Proposal Example The feminists ever asserted that single women too had the same sexual needs and should be allowed the freedom to indulge in it freely. It basically meant female sexual empowerment and the causes were the changing educational and occupational status of women, infidelity and divorce, the erosion of shame and awe in sexual matters, the liberalization of the media, sex education in schools and increasing number of divorced parents (cited by Judge, 1997). According to GLBTQ (2004) the sexual revolution was caused due to three factors that culminated at one point. These included the contribution of the Freudian theories by Wilheim Reich along with empirical sex research by Kinsey; the empowerment of the media which include the pornographers and the writers and thirdly the counter culture movement, the women’s lib movement and the gay and lesbian movements. The cultural revolution of the 1960s and the 1970s was recognized by the mass media almost immediately. Sexual encounters between unmarried adults were common. Since people were getting married at a late age, young men and women had more time to encounter sexual experiences with partners before staring a monogamous relationship. With the Kinsey report in 1948 a new awareness of human sexuality started to spread in America (Hippy, 1997). It opened people’s mind towards the diversity of sexual behavior. This study revealed even at that time that about 10% of the people were gay. This encouraged many more to see homosexuality in a new perspective. It also revealed that nearly everyone masturbates. Discussions on once forbidden topics like vaginal orgasm become common after the publication of the study of Human Sexual Response by Masters & Johnson in 1950s. Social change was evidenced by the frequent indulgence in Viagra, increasing number of sexual harassment suits, abortion, Aids research, and rising divorce statistics (Shere, 1999). Technology contributed to the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Women and Economics during Colonial America and Before and After Essay - 1

Women and Economics during Colonial America and Before and After American Revolution - Essay Example That writing reflects the struggles, anguishes and the tragedies within her family, local scandals and her viewpoint of the politics. The story raises question about the scenario of the colonial America. That makes us interested to examine the social and economic role of the women in colonial America, and the change in pattern of the society and the emerging role of female in social and economic perspective1. (Ulrich, 1991) In the colonial period of America, especially the mid and late 17th century the women of America used to lead monotonous lives full of work and duties. The women from the poorer families had to take less workload than the women belonging to the wealthier families2. The matter of fact is that the society used to evaluate the work of a woman according to their contribution to their own family3. (Courtney, and Ranger, 1999; Eldridge, 1997, p.62) As the British had colonized America the American society followed the social customs and rituals of the British society. The males of the families had to perform the out home duties such as earning, farming etc. On the other hand their female counterpart had to engage themselves in household chores such as cooking, child breeding, childcare, home decorating, housekeeping etc. The hardworking wives were granted the rank of goodwives. Those who performed the activities such as caring domestic animals and vegetable gardens, producing unique delic ious foods, stitching clothes, producing candles, soaps for home consumption etc could get the mark of excellence from their husbands and relatives as good women4. (Wightman Fox, Richard and Robert B. Westbrook, 1002, p.125; DuBois, and Dumenil, 2005, p. 77) The women used to form the networks of female friends and the relatives (obviously female) regarding the household duties. Through the network formation they used to make some exchanges

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Compare and contrast 4 poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compare and contrast 4 poems - Essay Example Unrivaled for its variety and strength, the poetry of the First World War persists to have a powerful impact on readers. The three poems that will be discussed in this paper reflect the diverse experience of those who lived through the war, integrating the words of poets, soldiers and civilians affected by the war. These four poems depict the emotions of those at war, and the unknown lyrics of soldiers’ songs. Furthermore, the poems provide a blend of voices that is both unique and tremendously moving. The poetry that was coming out of the First World War revealed, for the first time in the history of ever, the actual horror of war. The consequence is an extraordinary documentation of passionate emotions and atrocious experiences, written by men and women from extensively different settings, of distinct and lasting significance. Moina Michael influenced by the May 1915 poem â€Å"In Flanders Fields† composed by Canadian doctor and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, publish ed her own poem in Novemember 1918, We Shall Keep the Faith. In her emotional poem Moina Michael swears to at all time don a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who were killed in the war. ... tradiction, which is a remembrance that is sub-presumed into the iconography of politeness, and provided with the added baggage of watchfulness, responsibility, and unstipulated trust. Monia’s poem somehow ignores, as do the memorials erected all over the state, is the time of evolution between life and death. The poppy remodelled by Monia is the gesture of the realm into which a generation fell and through which we persist to stumble on as if heaved; we are the future that the demised speaks to. Presently the poppies flutter in the fields of Iraq. The poppy, with its embedded promise of oblivion, has become the appropriate preserve of the despicable. The Monia’s poem also falls short to tell us what that was, however, it serves well adequately to mark the appalling void at its heart. â€Å"1914† is Wilfred Owen’s first poem about the First World War. It has two stanzas with 8 and 6 lines, respectively. These 8 lines and 6 divide the otherwise frequent iam bic meter. The rhymes too are traditional: no restrained pararhymes are present. On the other hand, the most significant thing is how virtually its intent adheres to received perception of the war at that moment, as exemplified by the Rupert Brooke’s poem â€Å"The Soldier.† The comparison between the diction on the lines 1-8 and lines 9-14 is very spotlighted. The octet contains â€Å"whirled†, â€Å"rend†, and â€Å"down-hurled†, words which depict the devastating force. On the other hand, words, such as like â€Å"famine† and â€Å"rots† are indicative of destruction’s impacts. Thus, â€Å"wails† depicts human reaction, all the consequences of that terrifying strained word â€Å"tornado†. All these words are also indicative of a more apt year later during Owen’s experiences in the trenches. How distinct when we

Friday, September 6, 2019

Islam †Annotated Essay Essay Example for Free

Islam – Annotated Essay Essay The article explains the way Islam views life after death. It clearly describes the various tenets that this religion follows when it comes to life on earth and life after death. Islam believes that life on earth has no purpose except to prepare oneself for life after death. The life after death typically consists of three phases: Death, the intermediate and the phase of resurrection. Death is considered to be the first gateway to reach the Garden or Fire. Importance of the custom of singing various verses at the time of death and till the body is buried and the custom of proper ablutions before burial is given due space. The second phase is the most controversial phase for which lot of explanations exist. This is the period when the soul is separated from the body but is not yet resurrected. What the soul does in this in-between phase has many theories, most common being, the souls embarks on a journey similar to the journey made by Prophet Muhammad where He was taken through the seven layers of heaven and made to look down at the tortures of hell. Another commonly accepted theory is the visit of angels Munkar and Nakil, who question the souls about the Quranic verses and their faith. The third phase, that is, the day of Resurrection is believed to be quite spectacular with the destruction of the whole world and the souls entering either the garden or the fire according to their virtues. It is also believed that after resurrection and the destruction of the whole mankind, a new age will begin and justice and righteousness will return to the earth again with a new leader. The idea of punishments or rewards after death, like the author mentioned, do seem having lot of physical attributes. All that has been mentioned seems a bit too dramatic like the tree in hell, Zaqqam which has demons as flowers! It seems, to capture a proper picture of the horror of hell, physical attributes like fire, demons, swords, etc. have been used. This would probably make humans understand better the tortures that they are to undergo if they do not live a life of righteousness. The editor’s note also briefs about the various contributions Islam as a religion has made to the world like ban on liquor, gambling and other vices. It also mentions the equality that Muslim women are credited with in the religion. However, in this present world, they seem to be the most bounded ones. The images of burqa-clad women with no freedom tell quite a different story. The religion, which has beautiful and just tenets to its credit like equal property rights to women, no race and color discrimination, seems to be misunderstood and misinterpreted by the religious heads and the followers for short term benefits. Because of such acts, Islam today is demonized and its contributions to the society are being passed unnoticed. Finally, the article was a comprehensive note of the beliefs in Islam regarding death and after and gave a very brief yet informative idea about the various customs and views on important aspects like fate of non-believers and reincarnation. It did make me a lot wiser about this religion!

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Adopting Agile Project Management Methodology Management Essay

Adopting Agile Project Management Methodology Management Essay Agile project management is considered as one of the flexible and interactive project management approach. Agile methodology, as its meaning would suggest, is adopted for rapid development projects. It is very much different than the traditional project management technique which is considered to be more structured and disciplined. Deliberate planning and designing various control methods is inherent part of the traditional style. Normally all the tasks are completed in a predefined sequence to ensure the success which requires lot of planning to be done up front. Evolution: As the business processes became more and more complex they also became more interdependent than ever before. Along with the processes the organizational structure of business also changed in order to support complex communities, comprised of alliances with strategic suppliers, outsourcing vendors and partnerships and ever increasing competitors. With time-to-market compression and rapidly changing technologies fast track development has become the order of the day for most of the business. This increased importance of agile project management methodologies. Agile management is derived from the agile software development and hence it is a variant of iterative life cycle process.   In agile methodology, the evaluation of the project requirements and the end product/solution is a collaborative effort between self-organized, cross-functional teams across the organization or may be from different organizations. Comparison with Traditional Approach Agile project management methodology differs from traditional project management methodology which gives more attention to making software development a better process and hence it gives importance to contract negotiation (managing scope), comprehensive documentation, maintaining and following a project plan with the help of various processes and tools. In contrast, Agile methodology gives stress upon working software and responding to constant changes and there by gaining customer satisfaction. Having frequent client interactions is one of the most important attribute to the success of this approach. Challenges Associated with Agile Methodology Many companies, such as IBM, have adopted agile development because of its underlying benefits of being flexible, simple and fast. The customer centric approach of this methodology makes it very popular amongst the customers and also the possibility of project being self supporting even in the initial stages lures businessmen towards it. Because of these and many other advantages the some of the inherent problems such scope management, risk management issues are overlooked. Normally these issues arise due to lack of planning and documentation for the project, which goes against the agile methodology. This also raises the possibility of indentifying problems/dependencies in the later part of the projects. The complete development becomes person dependant rather than process dependant and team dynamics and HR strategies in the company becomes key ingredients in the success of project. It should be noted that as such process also adds an additional variable in the form customers. Customers get an influential seat at the table to shape the value proposition of the project as it unfolds. They are actively involved in the development process to establish, prioritize, and verify requirements at each and every stage. The ability of agile methodology to adapt to changing customer priorities and requirements keep the project current and relevant. But with such frequent changes in the requirements and scope of the project, strong commitment to the business milestones, which is one of the features of agile methodology, becomes difficult if the project is not managed properly. Because of the high dependency on team dynamics it is often difficult to apply agile methodologies to large project teams and large scale projects, where better planning is required. But it suits the company having culture of innovation as the focus is never shifted from exploratory development to planning and controlling. Research Objective As seen above there are positives and negatives of both the project management methodologies. According a survey taken by one of the leading companies, about 50% of business correspondents claim that agile methods had been successful in about 95% of their projects, where are remaining say that such methods are still too premature and require extensive academic proof/research. I am hoping that through this research paper I am able to explore the challenges faced by such business correspondents while implementing agile project management methodology. I will try to find if adopting agile methodology guaranties success. This paper will also focus on handling change management, risk management, HR issues and Team management issues. Research will stress on various ways of tackling these problems to increase the probability of success. The research will also touch upon adopting the traditional project management activities such as project plan, earned value analysis, balance sheets into the agile project management. The Common practices followed in different types of methodologies for agile project management such as SCRUM, XP, CRYSTAL, EVO will also be discussed in this paper. Sources: Project Management the Agile Way: Making It Work in the Enterprise   By John C. Goodpasture The Blending of Traditional and Agile Management By Kathleen B. Hass, Published in PM World Today May 2007 (Vol. IX, Issue V) Agile Project Management Methods for IT Projects By Glen B. Alleman Wikipedia