Friday, November 29, 2019

Scanning the Remote Environment Essay Example

Scanning the Remote Environment Paper The health reform will affect the way Freshness makes business because the company needs to adapt the new payments-per-service coverage and sustain quality Of service as well as profitability. External Environmental Scan Remote Environment The remote environment comprises five factors that originate beyond, and usually irrespective of, any single firms operating situation: economic, social, political, technological, and ecological factors (Pearce II Robinson, 201 2, p. 87). The organization has no control or regulation over these factors. The remotes environmental factors influence the way Freshness Medical Care offers dialysis services, especially the economic and political factors. The economic factor describes the organization awareness of the general availability of credit, the level of disposable income, and the propensity of people to spend (Pearce II Robinson, 2012, p. 87). Freshness target market is end-stage-renal-disease patients with health care insurance. The economic factor will affect Freshness target and the ability to pay for dialysis treatment and medications. The political factors define the legal and regulatory parameters within which firms must operate (Pearce II Robinson, 201 2, p. 90). A good example of political factor is the Obama Care Law or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The president Bark Obama signs the law in 2010 with the purpose of providing accessibility to affordable medical care to the Americans and to reduce the government expenses. For-profits entities like Freshness Medical Care have to adapt the new regulations and create a strategic plan to avoid the potential reduction on profit. We will write a custom essay sample on Scanning the Remote Environment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Scanning the Remote Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Scanning the Remote Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Industry Environment Industry environment is the general conditions for competition that influence all businesses that provide similar products and services (Pearce II Robinson, 2012, p. 97). There are five forces that Michael E. Porter, a Harvard University professor, uses to describe the industry competition (Pearce II Robinson, 2012). These forces are entry barriers, supplier power, buyer power, substitute availability, and competitive rivalry (Pearce II Robinson, 2012). Freshness Medical Care major competitor in the united States is Davit Dialysis Center. Freshness recognizes and study the competitors strategies to strength the organization. The Obama Care law affects the dialysis industry by changing the medication coverage. Freshness competitor owns pharmaceuticals with capability to serve the dialysis patients s soon the law becomes active in 2016. Freshness identifies the threat of substitute of the competitor and create a program that provides medications to the patients and increase the company profitability even before the law is effective. The goal for Freshness is to enroll a 100% of patients with Medicare in Freshness Rug program by the end of 2013. So far Freshness is at 20% of the goal in California. Operating Environment The external operating environment seems to be closer to the firm than the remote and the industry environments. Operating environment includes the allowing factors: competitors, creditors, customers, labor, and supplier (Pearce II Robinson, 2012). The proximity of these factors implies that the company may have more interaction and more awareness of the environmental changes. F-or example, Freshness study the effect Of the new health reform on the main competitor, Davit Dialysis, the patients, the employees, the pharmaceutical suppliers, and medication distributors. Freshness uses this information to create new strategies and reform the internal environment. Internal Environmental Scan Strengths A strength is a resource or capability controlled by or available to a firm that ivies it an advantage relative to its competitors in meeting the needs of the customers it serves (Pearce II Robinson, 2012, p. 51). Freshness Medical Care is a German company with more than 70 years of experience in the dialysis industry. The company operates worldwide and has more than 2,100 dialysis facilities in North America (Freshness Medical Care, n. D. , p. 1). In addition to the experience and knowledge, Freshness is the continents top producer of dialysis equipment, idealizes and related disposable products and a major supplier of renal pharmaceuticals (Freshness Medical Care, n. D p. 1). Another important strength is the high quality standards on the services and products that the company provides. Weakness With the strength comes the weakness. A weakness is a limitation or deficiency in one or more of a firms resources or capabilities relative to its competitors that create a disadvantage in effectively meeting customer needs (Pearce II Robinson, 201 2, p. 151). The weakness that the company confronts with the new health care reform is the pharmaceutical capability. The pharmacy should be ready to serve hundreds Of thousands of people throughout the United States (Freshness Medical Care, n. D. , p. ) by 2016. Freshness has two pharmacies that provide services to more than 2,000 facilities. The prescription delivery time fluctuates between two days and two weeks, which gives advantage to the competitors. Another weakness that Freshness has is the pressure putting into the employees to meet the project deadlines. This pressure may cause work accidents, employees exhaustion or the reason for knowledgeable employees to move and work with the competitors. Competitive Position and Possibilities Competitive advantage is the companys unique skills and resources working to implement strategies that competitors cannot implement as effectively (Olsen, 2013, p. 1) Freshness Medical Care (FMC) has a competitive advantage position because the company keeps the vanguard on dialysis product innovation and quality of service. FMC is the major product provider of the competitors in United States as well. A strategic alliance between FMC and the competitors may help the industry to survive the new health care reform and the implications to dialysis treatment payments. This alliance may reduce the cost of the medications and improve customer service by delivering medications the same day of the prescription order. If an alliance s impossible, the knowledge, and experience in strategic planning that characterize Freshness, will lead the company to a new plan to keep profitability while doing business. Other possibilities may be open more pharmacies around the United States, and diversify the medications inventory. In this way Freshness will be able to fill any medication prescription to the patients as well as improve delivery time. Organizational Structure and Performance Organizational structure refers to the formalized arrangements of interaction between and responsibility for the tasks, people, and resources in n organization (Pearce II Robinson, 2012, p. 321). Freshness Medical Care has a traditional matrix organizational structure in which functional and staff personnel are assigned to both a basic functional area and to a project or product manager (Pearce II Robinson, 2012, p. 326). This type of structure helps large companies to concentrate in projects like the creation of strategic plan to meet the government health reform and meet the companys goal. Conclusion The external and internal environmental analysis brings information to Freshness Medical Care (FMC) that the company uses to strengthen the many and be aware of potential treats and opportunities. For example, the external remote environment factor that influences the companys structure is the new government health care reform or the Obama Care Law by changing the amount of payment per dialysis treatment. The external industry and operating environments analysis provide information about the competitors strategies in relation to the new regulations. Davit Dialysis Center represents FMC biggest competitor. Freshness strengths are experience, knowledge, innovation, biggest producer of dialysis materials, and high quality measures. Freshness nakedness are the pharmacy capability, deadlines, and pressure. Freshness uses the strength to improve pharmacy services; decrease employees work pressure, and maintain competitive, and profitable in the dialysis industry. Freshness organizational structure helps the company to meet the companys goals, mission, and mission. The matrix structure permits functional employees to work in special projects, perform a functional work, and meet the companys expectations. For example, Freshness has the Registered Dietitians working on FMC Rug (Companys pharmacy) enrollment project and performing regular dietitian job. The dietitian reports to the manager of operations as well as the Clinical Manager.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Why Writing MBA Essays So Important

Why Writing MBA Essays So Important Those who want to get to a prestigious business school have to overcome more and more challenges every year. You need to have impressive marks and skills to continue your education in Wharton, Stanford, or Harvard. You need good recommendations, high GMAT and GPA scores, and a brilliant essay. Many students get surprised by how important MBA essays are for their academic future. Indeed, without this detail, all the high scores don’t guarantee that you’ll gain entrance to one of these schools and to many others. What Makes MBA Essays So Important Your essay is the most personal thing about you. There are thousands of applicants, and each one of them has some test scores that they may be proud of. All these scores are just numbers, in fact, there are many people with the same numbers as you. In such a situation, you need something that will make you stand out. You need to tell your story and introduce yourself so that others will see you as a person. The best MBA Essay Writing Service Now that you understand that MBA essays are really important for the future of your education, what should you do if you’re not sure you can write a great essay? The answer is simple. All you need to do is contact us, and we will provide you with high-quality MBA assistance. If you have already prepared some drafts, you can share them with our writers, and they will turn them into a masterpiece. You can also contact your writer directly, monitoring the writing process and being sure that the final result will meet all necessary requirements. Custom Essays Our essays are original. Our customers know that their papers will be written from scratch, and we value their trust. This is how we work: Once you’ve got a topic, contact us and describe all details that are important for you to make your essays as personal as possible. Contact your writer during the writing process and tell him or her about any changes that you’d like to make. Get your essay, review it, and tell what you’d like to change or add. Submit your paper to a school of your choice and impress them with your brilliant essay! Essay Editing You can contact our writers and show them your own drafts. We have many experienced editors who will polish your essay and make it outstanding. Focusing. Sometimes students forget about the initial question of their essay. In this case, our editors will fix this problem and make sure your essay is focused on the main topic. Proofreading. We will check your grammatical and spelling errors as well as the structure of your sentences and punctuation, to make your essay perfect. Contouring. Our editors will improve the flow of your story, making soft logical transitions between your ideas and making your essay pleasurable to read.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Recruitment and Selection (Human Resources Managment) Essay

Recruitment and Selection (Human Resources Managment) - Essay Example In today’s rapidly changing world and with the strategic focus, selection also needs to be strategic. Strategic selection demands a range of activities in the general stream of looking for candidates to fit in the jobs. It involves not only the job at hand but potential range of matches for the person in future jobs. Additionally, the enhancing reach of globalization demands much more flexibility and certain interpersonal and personal skills for a candidate to undertake the ever changing and challenging environment i.e. effective selection by the HR selectors. However, the basic match of candidates to the job description is of significant value because otherwise, achievement of organizational goals and attaining appropriate return on investment (on human capital) is not possible. In true terms, no training or motivation or praise can make individuals work beyond their capacity. Current scenario For Toyota R & S policy The globalization of business has shift from trade and busi ness to strategic alliances, integration of businesses etc. This change has significantly affected the HR practices. One of the major challenges, which global organizations are facing today, is attracting global talent. Toyota, one of the largest shareholders of the global automobile market, is no exception when it comes to facing HR problems, particularly in the US, and in other countries as well where their business has grown. Over the years, the observation has been a general and massive shift of jobs from manufacturing and agriculture to service industry and telecommunication. US economy is moreover a services based economy with 80% of the jobs belonging to the services industry. The trend is expected to continue, resulting in increased demand for services industry jobs and reduced inclination towards agricultural or manufacturing units. Toyota being a manufacturing firm hence suffered from this trend. It meant for Toyota lesser pool of candidates available for recruitment and s election. Changing demographics, shortage of highly skilled and qualified specialist and legislative problems are some of the problems Toyota’s HR has to face globally. (Robert L Malthis, 2008) In order to handle this issue, Toyota should make use of various internal and external recruitment models. The forthcoming sections of this report discuss the various aspects of recruitment and selection model used by Toyota. Nature and composition of workforce Toyota believes in low cost and high performance, which is why the business has developed a proper recruitment and selection process that reflects Toyota’s philosophy. Toyota’s main objective is cost reduction and lean management but they believe in valuing their human capital. Same methodology is followed in recruitment and selection. There are a number of temporary and permanent employees in the organziation. Toyota also makes use of off shoring and outsourcing in countries where there is shortage of skilled labo r such as USA and other North American countries. Sound procedures in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Organizational Culture Assessment of Terre Haute Economic Development Assignment

Organizational Culture Assessment of Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation - Assignment Example The company has an added location advantage which makes it accessible from air, highways, and sea. The company has a high culture by way of integrity and sense of unity among the employees, as well as a â€Å"can do† attitude. Historically, in Terre Haute/Vigo County the economic development has not been smooth and keeping in view the county’s requirement of economic development services, THEDC was originated to provide strategic solutions to economic problems and development. This corporation works jointly with other entities for the all-round economic development and emphasizes on business development, attraction, and retention. Terre Haute/Vigo County is a place where leadership and creativity flourish in the unity between community members and government agencies. The most important matters that need strategic solutions range from growth, management to green living. The sincere efforts of leaders and citizens of Terre Haute are a contribution towards the development of the county. I choose this company for its competency and because it had some very significant successes for the community, and also because it is the Lead Economic Development Organization (Welcome to Terre Haute/Vigo County, n.d. ). In this paper, I put forward interviews taken on 5 people who are currently working in the management body of the corporation. The employees in the corporation are recruited across a range of industries according to their skill, productivity, and experience. THEDC offers workers to other industries at lower wage rates compared to other parts of the county. I have taken interviews of 3 women and 2 men who belong to the age group between 35 and 40 years. I have taken face to face interview with all the 5 people. I visited their office at allotted times after prior appointments.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity Essay

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity - Essay Example There are many ways one can use to measure labor productivity. These range from the infrastructural capital, advanced technology through human capital. This paper is however concerned with human capital which is crucial in determining the productivity of the labor forces. The term labor productivity may be understood in the context of the total output per employee within a set timeframe. For instance, we can say the total production for every worker per day or per hour. As said before, some factors determine the productivity of the labor forces. Initially, Brazil has been growing economically since its independence. Brazil had hit a high output for every worker in early years of between 1960 and 1970s. In the years that followed from 1990 to early 2013, the production per workers contributed to over forty percent of its GDP. However, the trend is not the same in current years as there are factors that are contributing to its continued low labor productivity. Factors such as poor company management have been blamed for the current low productivity in Brazil (Baer, 2001). Despite most of the corporations in Brazil being well run, they are not managed efficiently leading to reduced productivity. Another factor is high taxes that make it hard for companies to employ a good number of trained and skilled employees. As a result, business owners resort to hiring less-qualified relatives at the expense of running their firms with well trained and adequately skilled personnel. This significantly affects labor productivity as poor skills cannot efficiently produce a great part of the total expected output. One of the motives for employing unqualified family members and relatives is to reduce the possibility of being sued for lack of the observance of labor laws (Baer, 2001). Further, other than the preceding, companies are protected by the government making it hard to face

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Relationship Between Tourism And Terrorism Tourism Essay

The Relationship Between Tourism And Terrorism Tourism Essay The words tourism and terrorism exist at either end of a continuum of quality of life. The word tourism means living happily, enjoyment, and relaxation, while terrorism means feeling of death, destruction, fears and panics every where. According to Beirman (2003), tourists are primary concerned with travelling to the destination satisfying their desires with minimum complications, threats to their safety and wellbeing , while on the other hand Gilham (2001) said, physical threat or serious disturbances to ones plans are suffer to reduce the prospects of a tourist destination or tourist firm. In past decade terrorism has very severe impacts on the travel and tourism industry than any other industry. The main reason of this may be because the basic objectives of the terrorist groups are to spread fear, as a result the basic safety and security of people threatened. According to Abraham Maslow (1943) the Hierarchy of needs, he said that human nature never satisfied when they have met th eir basic needs for safety and security. When they are able to satisfy their basic needs, then they attempt to satisfy their self actualisation needs such as better life, travel and tourism. According to Essner 2003), the psychological impacts are enough to have severe impacts on tourism. The fear of terrorism is irrational, because in terrorist attack chances of being killed are very little and security environment has demonstrated its negative impacts on tourism in many top destinations around the world. Three industries are dominated in 21st century, telecommunications, Information technology and tourism. According to World Tourism Organization 2008 report, tourism provides employment over 100 millions around the world. Tourism is an important economic sector for UK economy and according to BBC 2010 report; domestic and overseas visitors put an  £115 billions a year in UK economy. The direct contribution in the UK economy was  £52 billion in term of GDP which represent 4% of UK economy. Tourism also provides 1.36 million jobs in 2009 to UK workforce which is 4.4% of total work force. UK is the worlds sixth largest international tourism destination in term on number of tourists, but after September 11, 2001 and July 7, 2005 incidents this industry was badly affected. According to the LCCI (2005) report, it has been estimated that the fall in tourism could cost UK tourism industry over  £300 millions. In this competitive age, the business environment is changing dramatically. Terrorism is the biggest threat to tourism industry because travel is susceptible to the incidents of terrorism. When people travel they always avoid hazards, so for tourists safety is the major concern. During the past decade especially after September 11 2001, there are number of events which have had significant negative impacts on UK tourism. The correlation between terrorism and tourism is undeniable in the era due to industry strength and tourist places are the ideal target for terrorist to create large amount of economic and social disruption in the country. In UK terrorism can be seen in substantial part, as a result of this backlash to the tourism industry. There are number of definitions of terrorism, in the world of Alexander et al (1979) terrorism is a threat or use of enforcement and inclemency to achieve a political goal by means of intimidation fear, and coercion. In the present world context, the European Union (2001) define the terrorism relevant to international business in the following words. Terrorist offences are certain criminal offences set out in a list comprised largely of serious offences against persons and property which, given their nature or context, may seriously damage a country or an international organisation where committed with the aim of: seriously intimidating a population; or unduly compelling a Government or international organisation to perform or abstain from performing any act; or seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organisation. According to U.S Department of state (2002), terrorist select businesses (e.g. tourism places) for attack compare to other targets. The most kind of attack is bomb blast, although armed attacks and kidnapping are also some kinds of terrorist attacks. According to Council of Foreign Relations (2002) reported the majority of victims in terrorist attack are civilians. The relatively large number of tourists may not prepare to face these kinds of terrorist attacks. However the scenario has changed as it was at the time of terrorist attack in 9/11. Kunreuther et al (2003) cited that during the days of terrorist attacks in 9/11 a common feeling came into mind of people that it could be me. But with the passage of time this may give way to may be it will not me next time. This kind of behaviour is more common now a day in south Asia. But it is a common thinking that it is extremely easy for terrorist that to attack any where in the world. Even in low cost and low tech attacks, terrorists ac hieve to disrupt the tourism industry. Terrorism has deep history science the cold war but this issue become most salient after terrorist attacks in September 11 2001. This incident affected the UK and international tourism industry in various ways. On one hand the world tourism industry was affected financially, the other hand it suffers due to legal and security issues. The international tourism industry between countries was most seriously affected due to security and safety concerns and legal issue. Especially UK, US and other developed countries were compulsion to protect their territory and people at any cost. Tourism industry in UK and USA found themselves floundering financially in the months after the terrorist attack on world Trade Centre, while rest of the world tourism industry also lost millions of dollars. According to U.S department of state (2002) more than 3000 people of different nationalities were killed in the terrorist attacks only in the United States in September 11, 2001. The attacks were the consp icuous example of terrorism on global level. According to the overview of European commission (2001) this was the one of the major event in the past decades which diversifies the viewpoint and outlook of people around the world. Terrorism affects both the long term and short term perspectives of the businesses around the world. Czinkota (2002) cited that terrorism influenced long term karma of entire industries, for example tourism, retailing and manufacturing industries. After the September 11 terrorist attacks many international tourist destinations have badly affected legally because countries have introduced new laws for foreigner tourists e.g. strict visas requirements, security check and criminal record check etc. UK government also introduced strict immigration law for every one who wishes to come UK for tourism in the effort to prevent further terrorist attacks. The new terrorist laws restricted the tourists for freely travel across the UK borders and require by security department to keep proper track of their activities. The anti terrorist laws have made very complicated for tourism industry to conduct its business activities across the international borders as a result many countries tourism industries have financially struggled. Another major issue that affect the international tourism industry is security and government have to invest huge amount of money to improve both internal and external security. The security is most important becau se terrorist target hot spots to achieve their targets. There is not a vast existing literature which shows the relationship between terrorism and tourism management theories, and the lack of presence of research literature is absolutely visible on the relationship between terrorism and tourism management, which elaborates constructive techniques for tourism industry in the presence of phenomena of terrorism. Terrorism has capacity to create atmosphere of fear and can be intimidate industry in number of ways. This threat of terrorism attacks poses a continuous atmosphere of risk for the tourism around the world. This risk itself creates extension for treatment of risk in management theories. The majority of management literature theories adopt term uncertainty as a factor of unpredictable environment which may influence the performance of firms in certain ways. The environment effected by terrorism also has a factor of unpredictability in it. This study is another attempt to research and investigates impacts of terrorism on the tourism in dustry in UK and we will also discuss different approaches for reducing and handling the terrorism threats. Research aim and objective: Research Aim: This aim of this research is to analyse and explore the effects of terrorism on tourism industry in the United Kingdom after September 11 2001. The second part of my research is to critically analyse and recommend the most appropriate strategies for tourism industry to deal with the terrorist threats or scrutinize the different strategic views to avoid and minimise the impact of terrorism on industry. Research Objectives: This research has the following individual objectives: Critically analyse the impact of terrorism on individual organization and the whole market. Evaluate the managerial performance in organizations, before, during and after the happening of the terrorist attacks and in uncertain environment. Research Questions: What is terrorism and why terrorist target business? What are the effects of terrorism on business? How to development strategy for managers or adopt a better approaches to deal with above mentioned issues? Abbreviation and terminology: Uncertainty: specifically mean the unpredictable environment; it is unpredictable when next terrorist attack will occur. Risk: mean threat; internal and external threat in business environment which may affect the productivity of organisation.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Platonist Tradition and the Ordering of Knowledge Essay -- Educati

The Platonist Tradition and the Ordering of Knowledge ABSTRACT: I argue that the contemporary crisis in education — that nothing appears valid as a discipline unless it has a utilitarian value — may be challenged from the perspective of the Platonist tradition. The ascent through philosophy to the vision of Beauty in itself in Plato's Symposium affirms the perception of beauty or nobility as the ultimate end and value of all knowledge. Marsilio Ficino's adaption of Plato in the Renaissance articulates a more metaphysical ascent which broadens the objects of knowledge in order to include the cosmos and the arts as well as philosophy. Together, these two accounts provide a foundation for understanding the ordering of all knowledge toward the end of the perception of beauty or nobility. There is no dichotomy between the sciences and the humanities: there is only a hierarchy of disciplines according to a scale of metaphysical nobility. The sciences, the arts, history, and philosophy are the steps toward knowledge of Beauty in itself. They constitute a vision of liberal education that is not utilitarian, but whose value must be understood precisely through the moral concept of nobility that is the end of such an education. In embracing the concept of beauty or nobility, liberal education affirms the value of life itself. The task of education today is beset increasingly by utilitarian pressures. Mathematics and the sciences seem to be of little interest in themselves, valued only for the Cartesian goal of making humanity the "masters and possessors of nature." (1) The arts are despised, and history and literature simply dismissed—for these require not only reading with care, but the perception of significance within the daunti... ...tary VI. 4, p. 112. (12) Ibid. V. 2, p. 86. Pulchritudo is Ficino's word for "beauty." (13) Ibid. V. 6, pp. 93-94. (14) Ibid. VII. 15, p. 172. (15) On this development, see Kristeller, "The Modern System of the Arts," in Renaissance Thought and the Arts, pp. 163-227. (16) Alberti, On Painting, trans. Cecil Grayson, ed. Martin Kemp (London: Penguin, 1991), p. 71; On the Art of Building in Ten Books, trans. Rykwert, Leach, and Tavernor (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1988), p. 303. (17) See the selections in Elizabeth G. Holt, ed., A Documentary History of Art, 2 vols. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982), 2: 74-86, 141-46. (18) On the importance of narrative, see MacIntyre, After Virtue, pp. 215-16. (19) Aristotle, The Politics, I, 1-2, 1252 a1 - 1253 a35. (20) See G.W.F. Hegel, The Philosophy of History, especially the Introduction.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Explore the ways E.A. Poe uses his narrators to create a sense of terror and suspense Essay

Throughout all the stories I have read during the course of studying Edgar Allen Poe, the narrating has been fairly similar and a great sense of tension, fear and believability have been created inn all of them. The stories are all written in the first person, so it is more like a story is being told to you by some one, which makes them all more believable. In ‘The Black Cat’ and ‘The Tell Tale Heart’, it is something that drives the narrator mad that forces him to commit the murders, and in ‘The Premature Burial’ his fear, being buried alive, is driving him mad. In fact he is being driven over the edge of insanity in all the stories we have studied except two – ‘The Fall of the house of Usher’ and ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, both in which he is nearly killed. In all of them we learn a lot about the narrator, for example, in ‘The Premature Burial’, we learn about his background, and a lot about catalepsy and his fear of being buried alive. The narrators are very descriptive of the other characters in the stories and this really adds atmosphere, and makes the reader feel as if they are part of the tale. For example, in ‘The Tell Tale Heart’, Poe describes the old man- â€Å"One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it.† He often uses similes and metaphors, which also helps and makes symbols using characters or objects he mentions, for example, in ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, he describes the candles on a table, as angels, next to the jury that was about to sentence him to death by torture, as images of the devil. In all of the stories we studied, I can’t remember the narrators describing any of the other characters as ‘good’; they were all evil or bad. I don’t know whether this portrays that Edgar Allen Poe stereotyped people as bad or evil, but all of the narrators he wrote about did. The emotions that were felt by the narrators were very varied, at times they were scared, at other times, they were afraid, but whatever emotions they were feeling, they were very well portrayed and very detailed vocabulary was used. For example- ‘I was sick- sick unto death with that long agony; and when that at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me’. The emotions that the narrators felt affected the stories and the more descriptive they were, the more you could picture them and the more the story came to life in your imagination. This could be why Poe was such a successful writer. The narrators always describe their surroundings and the position they are in very well and this also makes it a lot easier to picture the story in your head. For example, in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ the opening page is only the narrator describing, in detail, the house and it’s surroundings: – â€Å"During the whole of a dull, dark and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens.† This amount of description continues for over a page and sets the scene very effectively. You feel like you are there, almost as if you are telling the story from personal experience. All of the stories we have studied have had very good description in them and all scenes were set very believably. For another example, in ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’, the introduction is in Latin, which gives you the impression that the story was set or written a long time ago. After that, there is a long, descriptive page, setting the scene of the story- â€Å"It conveyed to my soul the idea of revolution – perhaps from its association in fancy with the burr of a mill-wheel† The narrators’ reactions to either the murders they had committed or events that were about to happen to them were different every time, unlike the narrator’s feelings about other characters, which were often similar. In ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ the narrator did not seem particularly concerned when he saw the sight of his own certain death swinging above him – â€Å"While I gazed upwards at it (for it as position was directly above my own) I fancied that I saw it in motion†. But as the pendulum dropped, his language became much more descriptive and intense – â€Å"Down – still unceasingly – still inevitably down!† It gripped you more and makes you want to read on. Maybe this is why he had so many occasions in his stories when he was irate or mad, so the reader became gripped and more interested. The endings of Poe’s stories are often the most memorable part as it is often in the last part of the story where the main murder or event occurs. For example, in ‘The Black Cat’, ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ and ‘The House of Usher’, the main event/murder is at the end of the story, with little said after it. In ‘The Black Cat’ for example, after the murdered cats and wife are found, there are only about twenty lines left of the story, which is not much, considering the huge amount of description Poe uses- † I walled up the monster within the tomb† In a sense it is really only the narrators in his stories that create all the tension, terror and suspense. If it was written in anything other than first person, the same effect would not be given and I don’t think his stories would be as good, or as effective.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Kohistani History Essay

To reach Thull, a Kohistani community that is found in the mountains near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, you have to make a hazarding trip on an endless dirt road that is unattainable in bad weather. The Kohistani are inherently a violent people who strongly believe in vengeance and had most of their fighting take place between descent groups. For the most part conflict was handled by local leaders, and there was usually no fatal accident due to a lack of fatal weapons. The lack of guns was due to the lack of roads that limited economic development, which limited the amount of money a person could amass. However, when Pakistan took charge in 1965, a number of social and economic developments took place. The roads that were installed made it possible for Thull to be linked to other parts of Pakistan. Included with the overwhelming amount of changes that followed, Kohistani violence evolved due to the outside impression that all started because of the roads. By the way that Kohistani violence and other facets of their culture changed when the roads were introduced, it shows how interconnected everything is. The introduction of the road demonstrated how culture is integrated by the way it altered subsistence strategies, increased violence, and brought innovative ideas to religion. Before the road, subsistence in Thull solely depended on alpine herding and agriculture. Since importing fertilizer was now possible, Thull shifted its system to one weighing in the cultivation of potatoes, a cash crop that brought about several changes. The amount of men who participated in herding drastically decreased after the road was built due to the fact that herding was no longer the main source of income. With less land being used for herding, farmers were able to convert the property into more profitable potato fields. With the diminishing activity in herding, crosscutting ties became weakened as well. Even though the system for apportioning pastures r emained the same, preserving a positive relationship with herding units became unimportant since nobody was herding anymore. With crosscutting ties losing their effectiveness in sustaining peaceful relations, death enmity started to thrive. With the emerge of roads, the subsistence strategy of the Kohistani people changed, and with that incorporated more violence into their culture as well. This is a good example demonstrating how culture is integrated by the way that a street can alter other aspects of the Kohistani culture like its subsistence strategy, which in turn affects violence in the  Thull. In addition, not only did the emergence of roads bring a change to subsistence practices in Kohistani culture, but also brought a change to the economic system as well. This change was based on cultivating potatoes as a cash crop tied with an amplified quantity of fields that brought a significant influx of money into the community. Additionally, money in the community continued to build even more with the extensive timber exploitation that was occurring, which was the foremost motive of the Pakistan governm ent to build the road. With timber contractors hiring local Kohistani people as wage laborers, also brought about paid royalties on the timber, which brought even more cash to the community. This all seems like it benefits the Kohistani community in a positive way, but that isn’t the case. The deforestation that takes place is harming their environment greatly and affecting the fertile land around it, and with an increase in wealth, members of the community can purchase firearms. Prior to the construction of the road, conflict usually never ended in fatalities due to insufficient weaponry, but with everyone being able to buy rifles now that trend wasn’t likely to continue. Buying guns was almost too easy now and men acting on their honor and justifiable faith used them on their counterparts. The emergence of the road indirectly made it possible to violence to flourish in the Kohistani community. This is just another example of how culture is integrated, showing how this one road strengthened the violence of a people and harmed their environment. The change in cultural values was a crucial factor in establishing organized violence in the community. With a bus service ready to take people to the outside world, Thull’s religious leaders went out and learned from scholars and teachers about the center of Islamic teachings. These leaders then brought back these new concepts regarding honor and opinions toward women. These new concepts caused a wave of death enmity that they felt was justified by the new ideas regarding Islamic faith. This has continued through the years and revenge has become fundamental to a Muslim man’s identity and self-respect as well. They now see it as personal integrity is vital to Islamic faith and that taking vengeance is a stern religious requirement. This together creates an environment that basically supports the act of vengeance. The road let people get a taste of what the outside world was like. The isolated Kohistani culture became tampered with by new discoveries. Again, we can see  how culture is integrated here by the way the road indirectly revised the Kohistani religious values, and caused their violent ways to grow. The inhabitants in the Kohistani community had their lives changed due to political modernization. The transition from their subsistence strategy to an economic system focused on a cash-crop and timber really changed their identity and brought prosperity. This prosperity enabled people to purchase weapons that could do serious harm to others, making conflict a fatal concept in the community. Their religion was changed as well; having it injected with ideas that taking revenge is crucial to a man’s self-respect and basically demanding them to act out violently. All of these factors together encouraged a hostile environment that insisted on organized vengeance. With one road that connected Thull to outside world, Kohistani culture was changed drasti cally. The Kohistani were a great example to show how culture is integrated, because just one road affected so many facets of their everyday life.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Grenvilles novel The Secret River Essays

Grenvilles novel The Secret River Essays Grenvilles novel The Secret River Paper Grenvilles novel The Secret River Paper Essay Topic: Everything Is Illuminated Our identity in a community is determined by one’s own internal emotional view of humanity. This is shown in Steven Herrick’s prose novel The Simple Gift, Tim Winton’s novel Breath and Kate Grenville’s novel ‘The Secret River’ through the use of the young disparate protagonists throughout these texts we can observe and extract many adaptations made by personas to survive in a changing world and different meanings of belonging and not belonging. Within the texts we observe individuals gaining a sense of connection and security to other people through literature and imagination. Individuals need role models in order to develop a reciprocal connection with others, by fostering a sense of identity and develop self-esteem. However the consequences of not achieving t2his relationship leads to loss of identity. Individuals must make choices between different places, communities and other people who offer them different concepts of belonging. . 2. 3. The aspect of individuals needing to gain a sense of connection and security through literature and imagination is illuminated through Tim Winton’s Breath and Steven Herrick’s The Simple Gift. In Steven Herrick’s The Simple Gift this connection to literature is shown through the protagonist Billy with the use of the quote ‘and I’m there, on the island, /gorging on tropical fruit,/trying to decide/whose side I’m on’ in this quote Herrick’s alludes to William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’, this analogy depicts Billy integrating into the novel and deciding which side of society he wishes to assimilate into to, deciding whether or to abide by ‘normal’ customs or challenge rules of society’s expectations. This extended metaphor shows how having a lack of structure or authority leads to chaos and isolation. : Similarly, in Winton’s novel this aspect of literature is shown through the quote â€Å"I liked books – the respite and privacy of them – books about plants and the formation of ice and the business of world wars. Whenever I sank into them I felt free† The use of first person, emotive language of ‘liked’ shows that individuals gain a sense of connection and imagination through literature, art and imagination. Winton uses listing as well as diction, with the use of such words like respite and privacy imply safety and security in ones imagination, this allows the protagonist ‘Pikelet’ a getaway from reality and feelings of not belonging. Individuals need role models in order to develop a reciprocal connection with others, fostering sense of identity and develop self-esteem. However not achieving this relationship leads to a loss of identity. In Steven Herrick’s The Simple Gift, the reciprocal relationship between the personas Old Bill and Billy are shown through the quote ‘I knew that Old Bill was giving/ me more than these keys I held. / holding someone’s past in my dirty hands. ’ This symbolism of the keys is used to illuminate the depth of Billy’s relationship with Old Bill and the concept of belonging represented by a physical house. This shows Old Bill’s trust in Billy because Old Bill is not only giving Billy a house, he is giving him a part of his life along with removing the degrading tag of homelessness. This is also seen in the quote â€Å"two hobos laughing/laughing the morning away†, Herrick’s use of repetition of laughing shows the stable, down to earth relationship between the pair and their deep security placed within each other. The hyperbole of ‘laughing the morning away’ as well as the colloquial language of ‘hobos’ enlightens the reader to admire the mindset of the homeless protagonists. 8. Similarly, this is shown through the protagonist featured in Breath, Pikelet, after his mentor Sando abandons him. â€Å"I went numb. I couldn’t say what it was and didn’t dare try. How do you explain the sense of being made to feel improper? † Tim Winton has manipulated the use of a rhetorical question to highlight Pikelet’s insecurities that have consequentially developed as a result of an upbringing in an isolated town. Winton’s use of diction, using the word ‘improper’ shows us that Pikelet doesn’t belong in his ‘given’ social group. The colloquial language gives the persona Pikelet a more authentic voice, creating a relatable protagonist. Winton has also used the quote ‘, ‘Sando paddled up and held my hand like a brother or a father. ’ Winton’s simile compares the difference between Sando, and Pikelet’s father who was never there to encourage and support Pikelet during his adolescence, this creates and emotional connection and dependence on Sando, both authors create to relationship to use the depends and mutual addiction on a role model 9. 10. Finally, Individuals must make choices between different places, communities and other people who offer them different senses of belonging. This is shown by Winton in Breath again through the persona Pikelet when he said â€Å"Everything around me seemed so pointless and puny/ Wherever I went I felt like the last awake person in a room full of sleepers†, this simile is used to show Pikelet’s search for belonging and people he could associate with, but not realising the countless barriers in Pikelets unique personality. In contrast the use of diction in the quote ‘we feel like we naturally belong at the beach, others detest it because they feel alien to it. ’ Shows that Pikelet knows where he belongs and whom he belongs with. 1. Similar shown in the extract of Kate Grenville’s ‘The Secret River’ through the convict protagonist William Thornhill with the quote ‘For them, Home was nothing but a story. If they were to go to London they would be outsiders’, this metaphor illuminates the choice he must make to uproot his family back to England, even though they have develop a connection to a physical place, it shows they want Australia to be like London. Capital of Home emphasises the significants . The repetition of home throughout the extract is used. Also shown by the hyperbole in ‘Had often been on the wrong side of the wall’ alluding to the wrong side of society, it is also seen as it relates to prison society, feeling trapped and isolated, just like in Australia. In conclusion both the composers have identified that belonging within a community is determined by ones childhood and background and the role of parental figures and role models, this is achieved through the use of adolescent protagonists as well as relating connection a to literature, enabling individuals to escape to another reality, the composer also highlight the need for role models and belonging in communities to enhance ones sense of humanity.

Monday, November 4, 2019

CSR can sometimes be good for the companie's profit margins but Essay

CSR can sometimes be good for the companie's profit margins but sometimes not - Essay Example Studies on corporate performance of different companies show â€Å"a positive correlation between a company’s financial performance and how it practices CSR† (Horrigan 2010: 273). According to a Harvard University study, companies which had a sense of CSR showed four times the growth rate compared to companies focusing primarily on profit maximization (Fernando 2009: 11). Often when employers are unable to achieve a raise in profit margins, they blame it on CSR rather than on incorrect implementation. Also, CSR may not prove to be advantageous for a company when certain obstacles like â€Å"lack of awareness and conviction among managers† (Fernando 2009: 11) are not removed which can quite effectively drag a business down, so timely identification of any obstacles is highly important for reaching desired targets. It is argued that when integrated into business model, sometimes CSR leads to better financial performance and overall reputation while at other times i t simply may not. This essay basically aims at contemplating the extent to which CSR can prove to be effective for a company’s profit margins and what relevant literature has to say on the subject when CSR does not help in improving the financial position of a company. CSR is a broad ideology and covers all responsibilities and obligations that companies or organizations owe to the society in which they operate at any point in time (Crane 2008: 201-202). It helps to ensure that business is being operated in a manner which complies with both local ethical standards and international norms. CSR basically operates out of this philosophical idea that companies can and should operate ethically (Miller & Jentz 2007: 68). It works by inculcating this sense in the employers’ or managers’ minds that all kinds of business activities should inflict a positive influence on the employees, consumers, stakeholders, communities, and environment. When the idea of social responsi bility in relation to business activities first made appearance in the business world in the late 1960s, it was considered controversial by many (Karake-Shalhoub 1999: xi). It is believed that despite a growing body of research identifying association of CSR with enhanced financial performance and organizational reputation, this business model still remains a controversial subject and continues to attract a large collection of opponents who argue that the whole concept of CSR is virtually irrelevant to business success (Freeman & Liedtka cited in Asongu 2007: 27). It is this conflict regarding the efficacy of CSR which will be discussed and scrutinized in the essay to determine the extent to which it could be related to business growth and sustained development and the extent to which those who argue against its credibility could be taken seriously. There is also a large percentage of people who despite knowing that CSR is not irrelevant to business still think that this is a bad id ea to be incorporated into the organizational framework (Banhegyi 2007: 325). However, it is increasingly believed that CSR encourages a business organization to identify all members of the society who may be considered as stakeholders and then incorporate their needs into the strategic decision-making process (University of Miami cited in Asongu 2007: 28) so as to strengthen the relationship between business and the community in which it is based.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Organisational Culture of Oral Smooth Plc Essay

Organisational Culture of Oral Smooth Plc - Essay Example It is the process of establishing the empire of business by a series of strategies viz. executing the business concept, promotion, services, goods, pricing, equal and effective idea generation to generate healthy relationship to meet the organizational and personal objectives (Harris, 1994). We can analyse the situation by strategically approach to the business of Oral Smooth Plc. Oral Smooth Plc is based in London; an innovative company produces tooth pastes for smokers. In the past, Product Diversification and Customer Care do have due attention from the management experts. Today it has become a powerful tool for the consultants to enhance the managerial efficiency. Edgar Scheins theory also caters the same effect to better the performance of the organisations. Objective of the study Oral Smooth Plc is having its presence in every part of the UK. The product diversification always enables the company the market leader of the sector without any challenges. Here Oral Smooth Plc wants to put their business mark in UK as a part of diversification in the business. We would like to know the differences, similarities and the difference within the organization, how the organization manages his employees and the process to ensure successful service delivery and customer satisfaction. Organizational culture of the company using Edgar Scheins theory The particular theory focuses on an organisational culture ethics the system. Scheins says that culture is the basic factor for change in an establishment (Campbell, 2003). The thorough understanding about the organisational dynamics starts with this fact. In order to have a strong and dominant leadership Scheins suggests 3 levels of culture (Black, 2003). They are, 1. Artifacts (this can be very easily seen just like our outfits and not very easy to decipher) 2. Espoused values (Philosophies and targets) 3. Assumptions (unconscious beliefs) Scheins also suggest, group dynamics for a better leadership in organisational cultu re. He says that small groups function within a particular group culture in the similar way firms function within the culture of the firm. His model categorise informal groups into 3. 1. Vertical cliques containing different ranks in the same section/dept 2. Horizontal cliques containing similar ranks 3. Mixed cliques containing members of various depts. Here we can implement the Schein management theory for the better performance of the firm. To Biech, Elaine 1998, Culture envelops us in fully. They are, pervasive and complex. Hence as per Scheins we cannot understand Organizational development and planned change, if not we consider it as the main origin of resistance to change. Furthermore, Biswas & Twitchell (1999) remarks that if management consultants are not in a position to understand about culture, naturally they will handle the situation and such embedded culture will manage them .In fact cultural awareness is everything for a society to know but as far as leaders are conce rned, they are the top-notch community to learn this properly as they are to lead the society. To Block (1999), with his Three categorisation of Culture, Edgard Schein has contributed much to make the management practitioners aware what culture is. The plan Oral Smooth intends to ensure its monopoly across the country by their corporate strategic management. So as a first and prime step they want to organise a good campaign to make the event more noticeable there in the country. They wish to make it reorganised their marketing presence within a short time period. A clear but brief background of the two markets, with a