The Rich Man Essays - British Poetry, , Term Papers

The Rich Man The Rich Man Franklin P. Adams is one of the less known American modern poets. His poems, like the poems of many other 20th century American poets, comment the society after the industrial revolution. Adams' poem, The Rich Man, concentrates on the class division between the rich and the poor. Furthermore it satirizes the old view of an impecunious life being the ?good? and the virtuous one. The two first stanzas of the poem are description about ?the rich man?. The fact that he is called ?the rich man? hints that the speaker him/herself is poor. The first stanza concentrates on describing the rich man's belongings. The first thing the reader finds out the rich man has is a ?motor-car?, nowadays simply a car. In the beginning of the 20th century, when this poem was written, cars were very expensive and only the rich could afford them. His two houses, one in the country and one in the city, and the fact that he is smoking a cigar which costs as much as a good meal furthermore accentuate his richness. The second stanza concentrates on the ease of life the rich man is experiencing. He doesn't have to struggle or even work to stay alive (?He frivols through the livelong day?). He is described as someone who has been born rich and who hasn't had the displeasure of meeting ?Poverty?. The third line of the second stanza seems to suggest that he is happy: ?His lot seems light, his heart seems gay?. At the latest here starts the reader to suspect whether the rich man is really happy behind all his wealth. Is there possibly a shadow behind what only seems to be light and what seems to be gay? It reminds the reader of the old saying that money doesn't bring happiness. The reader might even remember John Bartlett's words ?The love of money is the root of all evil?. The third stanza continues to develop the theme of the possible darkness in the rich man's life. It begins with a rhetorical question asked by the poor man: ?Yet though my lamp burns low dim, Though I must slave for livelihood- Think you that I would change with him The reader expects the answer to be no and followed with an explanation how the poor man is happy as he is and that money doesn't bring happiness. Wrong! The answer, ?You bet I would!? declares a dramatic shift in the poem, which only the most prophetic reader could have anticipated. It throws Bartlett's words right into the bin and brings in George Bernard Shaw's response ?Lack of money is the root of all evil? (Man and Superman, 1903). Money doesn't bring happiness but it is a great help or as Albert Camus said it ?It's a kind of spiritual snobbery that makes people think they can be happy without money?. The Rich Man isn't a very technical poem. It is written in simple abab form and has little variation in the rhythm. On my opinion, the poet, Franklin P. Adams, has decided - with the risk of sounding na?ve - not to hide his thoughts behind complex techniques. But he does have some imagery and parallelism a casual reader could leave unnoticed. The two first stanzas both have a personified abstract thing - Fate in the first and Poverty in the second. Fate is personified (in addition to writing it with a capital letter) when the rich man ?jeers? at it. Poverty's personification is done by referring to it as ?her? and the fact that it has a ?pinch?. These two personified things assert that the rich man is above all; Not even the mythical Fate or Poverty can get to him. The second and the third stanza are connected by their contrasting imagery. The second stanza starts with a bright image of how the rich man ?frivols through the livelong day?, whereas the third stanza starts with a rather dark image of how the poor man's ?lamp burns low and dim?. The word ?frivols?(5) also contrasts the word ?slave? (10). One could even say that Adams used the word ?light? on the seventh line to contrast the dark and the bright even more. In addition, the

Online IT Degree Saves the Day Essay Example

Online IT Degree Saves the Day Essay Example Online IT Degree Saves the Day Essay Online IT Degree Saves the Day Essay I could not remember a time when I had been as excited as when I was preparing to go to college. I was finally done with high school and so, so ready to move on with my life; to get out of my hometown and be independent. Most of all I was excited about studying computers – something about which I had been passionate for some time. I reasoned that computer technology would offer me many career options in a tough economy and would give me the flexibility in terms of where I could live and the types of companies for which I could work. I was scheduled to begin my college classes in a week when I found out that I had mononucleosis; a virus that – among its other symptoms – causes you to be very, very fatigued. I hadn’t been feeling well for some time and this certainly explained it. My doctor told me that I could not go to school or would I risk even more severe illness. I was devastated. My education was put on hold while I began to recuperate – at home, in bed. Now that I’m feeling better I am anxious to get into the swing of school but the doctor has advised against it; plus the semester has already begun. So I decided to check out some alternatives and what I found changed everything. Specifically what I found was an online IT degree program that would allow me to work from home – even from my bed – and still begin my education. I am so excited that this is available to me; it allows me to still start school without compromising my health. I know that this is just a moment in time but I didn’t want to miss it; my online IT degree program has allowed me to get in the game.

Why the admissions committee should admit you to the Pace University Essay

Why the admissions committee should admit you to the Pace University doctoral program in business - Essay Example Having been into post graduate studies as a master’s degree student, I acknowledge that this is a far cry from the undergraduate academe, in which students feel much less pressure. Post graduate students are expected not only to be educated by listening, but more importantly, to learn by putting into practice all the theories and concepts learned in class. Doctorate students are usually accomplished individuals in their chosen fields. Their professional journey goes hand in hand with seeking higher education. For graduate school students, class lectures can easily transform into class discussions, whereby most of the time, professional experiences are shared and discussed. Graduate schools are all about adults who have individual career experiences, coming together because of a common goal. To succeed in a Doctorate program, one must have a balance of technical or professional know how, and an innate desire to learn more. He must have sufficient knowledge on the course to stay afloat in class discussions. The graduate student must remain competitive in school because his classmates are equally accomplished individuals who have their own experiences to share. Most importantly, he must have humility to acknowledge that he doesn’t know everything and that the very reason for enrolling in a post graduate course is to learn more. I find it also necessary for a postgraduate student to have heaps of patience. Managing stress in the workplace in one thing; handling school related stress brought about by deadlines is another. There is more demand from a postgraduate student. He is expected to deliver utmost quality in school work; he must have the dedication and focus to thrive in this very competitive environment. If he does not have the conviction to finish the course, it is always easy to drop everything. But perseverance is one trait that the postgraduate student must possess in order to succeed. Lastly, time management holds the

Continuous Quality Monitoring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Continuous Quality Monitoring - Research Paper Example Department of Health, 2011). This paper explores CMS accreditation in references to surgical site infection, one of the hospital-acquired infections. Hospital-acquired infections during surgeries may be caused by poor performance of surgical procedures such as insertion of catheters (tubes) into body tracts, nose, mouth, or blood vessels, contaminated hands and surgical environment and materials. Hospital-acquired infections are sometimes referred to as nosocomial infections and appear 48 hours to four days after a patient has been admitted at a health facility. Most affected by nosocomial infections are patients under long-term care in hospitals and patients admitted for intricate procedures such as surgeries. In most cases, surgical site infections are caused by surgical procedures or/and unsterilized surrounding. Regrettably, health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have indicated that almost half of nosocomial infections are preventable if only health care providers strictly adhered to the set guidelines (Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services, & U.S. Department of Health, 2011). The situation is made worse by the fact that nosocomial infections occur in already immune-compromised patients (Pittet, 2010). Among the major causes of surgical site infections are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, which are already in the body or are acquired from contaminated hospital equipment, other patients, the environment, or health workers. In recent times, hospital-acquired conditions such as surgery site infections have poised quite a range of new challenges for the Medicaid and Medicare programs (Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services, & U.S. Department of Health, 2011). In fact, these challenges led the President to sign the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 on February 8, 2006, an Act, which required that an alteration be done in Medicare Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) concerning payments for

Organisational Behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organisational Behaviour - Assignment Example Overview Of The OrganiZation This company came into the financial arena in the year of 1983. The company is an employee owned investment and, as mentioned earlier, it specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the financial service sector. The company is headquartered in the city of New York, which is the financial hub of the country. Berkshire capital is considered by experts in the industry to be the leading experts in the areas of wealth management, money management, alternate investment, and real estate brokerage (Berkshire Capital a). Due to its vast experience in this area, clients trust the company’s advice in this domain. Clients trust the company to provide conflict-free advice to them, which would help them to maximize their corporate objectives. It is this trust from clients that motivates the people in Berkshire capital to undertake successful transactions for their clients (Berkshire Capital b). The service portfolio of the company includes the following services: sales and divestures, acquisitions, valuations and fairness opinions and strategic advisory (Berkshire Capital c). The fundamental focus of the company is on maximising the corporate goals of their clients through their objective opinions and recommendations. By doing this, the company hopes to build long term relationships with their clients. Organisational Structure of Berkshire Capital: The company is basically having a flat Organisational structure to govern its operations. The company’s top management consists of 13 well experienced and well seasoned partners, who are in turn supported by 29 domain experts or professionals. The domain experts provide the partners with their insight about the company’s underlying projects, which is used by senior partners to deliberate over. In this way, the company amalgamates experience with insight to come up with the highest quality of services (Berkshire Capital a). As the company is operating in a services industry, therefor e, it is very cautious about nurturing a strong pool of employees, so that its services are of the highest possible quality. The flat structure prevalent in the Organization ensures that two-way communication between experts and partners is facilitated. This ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to handling the intricacies of the project. The structure that is currently working in the Organisation is the reflection of the fact that the management believes in a democratic and participative management style. The Organisational philosophy of governance is extremely efficient because it is extremely appropriate for companies operating in the services industry. Not only is the Organizational structure supportive and democratic but also the company’s management (partners) is also helpful. Since the management believes that their fundamental role is to impart their experience onto the second tier employees, therefore, this philosophy act as a guiding hand for exper ts who are new in the company (Robbins & Sanghi, 2006). Organisational Goals Berkshire capital can be classified as an employee and customer driven company. This company, by employing the talent of its employees, aims to satisfy the needs of its clients. The company considers its employees as an integral part of its business model and therefore employs all

University of hertfordshire objectives

University of hertfordshire objectives Abstract In this assignment project me discuss and construct a Management Strategy that considers the University of Hertfordshire financial and non financial behaviour. A major part of the project is to develop a strategy that could identify the complications at the management level. This model is for the University of Hertfordshire to review and discuss its vision and mission while keeping the objectives of the University in mind. The project will identify the key attributes and criteria fo reviewing the strategy. Moreover the project develops the mission, vision and measures to be notified and followed by the University by considering the organizations ethical, cultural, enviromnental, social and business background. It will help to proactively make good management and therefore reduce loss of revenue and market share. This ultimately will lead to improved communications locally as well as globally as well as greater returns. The Techniques will utilize the latest research techniques and co nsider Universitys corporate objectives and business rules. The process discussed in this assignment is called â€Å"Strategic Planning and Implementation†. Keywords- Strategy Management, Planning, Vision, Business Behavior and Research Techniques 1) Introduction In todays highly competetive environment (business), planning that is budget oriented or forecast based are not that efficient. The University must engage in Strategy Management Planning that clearly defines and assesses the objectives of the university and evaluates the progress of the university. Strategic management is a level of managerial activity under setting goals and over Tactics. Strategic management is closely related to the field of Organization Studies and provides overall direction to the enterprise. According to Arieu (2007), â€Å"there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context.† â€Å"Strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly [i.e. regularly] to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment.† (Lamb, 1984:ix) The following definitions, when combined, characterize a comprehensive strategic planning process. Strategic planning is: a rational analysis of the opportunities offered by an environment and of strengths and weaknesses of the firm, and selection of a match (strategic) between the two which best satisfied the objective of the firm (Ansoff, 1976). the process of determining what an organization does, what it will do in the future, and how it will manage to do it. (Bryson, 1988). disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide an organization, what it does and why it does it (Bryson, 1988). the continuous process of making present entrepreneurial (risk-taking) decisions systematically and with the greatest knowledge of their futurity; organizing systematically the efforts needed to carry out these decisions; and measuring the results of these decisions against the expectations through organized, systematic feedback (Drucker, 1974). 1.1) Structure of the process- Management Strategy: Strategic Formulation would be the process of the following steps: Mission and Objectives What we want to become and what we aim to achieve. Principles The objectives and the commitments of the University that guide us. Environmental Scanning Factors like global, national and state contexts, education sector, various social and business trends, outcomes and gaps. Strategy Formulation- Strenghts to the opportunities identified and competetive advantage Strategy Implementation- Implementing: budget allocation, procedure. Evaluation and Control- Monitoring and Adjustments required. Developing the strategy would help the University to be acclaimed as International University recognised for innovative and original ideas and exploring and enriching those ideas to enrich individuals, their commitments and the environment. 1.2) Criteria for Reviewing Potential Options: In the delivery of the Universitys Vision, Mission and Aims, choices must be made on where to invest resources (including people, effort, money and infrastructure) to achieve strategic objectives and the associated benefits, and to minimise risk (Sue Hybart, 11 April 2006). The Universitys strategic planning cycle illustrates the process leading from setting strategic objective through option review to making choices upon which specific implementation plans are built. Establishing criterias for strategic investment looking across all areas of the University: Analysis of the System education and its implications Sustain national and international recognition for excellence and enterprise Promote ethical practice in education and research as an integral part of the University culture Maintain a leading research performance through outstanding scholarship,ground-breaking discovery, collaborative networks and commercialised outcomes. Strengthen and sustain a reputation for excellence in learning and teaching through innovation and quality student outcomes. Advance the Innovation Campus as a successful space for developing new ideas and applications through University-business partnerships Strengthen connections to the community through improved channels for interaction and mutually beneficial projects. According to Chan (1993), higher education institutions utilizing strategic planning have five characteristics: a shared and inspiring vision that defines an institutions identity and desired position in the marketplace; a well-done strategic framework that directs institutional energies and activities; an institutional commitment to enrich external environments throug manifesting its values; a widespread strategic thinking capability that prevails over a rigid, formal an centralized planning process; a supportive value system and climate that emphasizes participatory governance and empowers participants within the institution. Moreover there are certain key areas which need to be considered:- Assess the ease of realisation (closure of gap) based on: Distance between current position and aspiration, Investment (funding, time, and other resources) required to close gap on sustainable basis, consideration of market attractiveness and consideration of opportunity cost and risk assessment. Details of administrative support and link to the University. Modifications and support from the staff members. Working in collobatation for the university would act like as an useful tool and it would generate more help and a systemetic way of approach leading to better understanding of the management and their results and analysis. Moreover one of the important factor would be the involvement of the students in learning and their life at University. Moreover to achieve excellent, internationally recognised outcomes, the University should continue to focus more on promoting the ability, creativity, and commitment of the staff at the University. These criteria help in business and enterprise international outlook, and would help in learning and teaching research along with the practical experience and knowledge gained to students and the staff members. According to Mockler (1995) though strategy formulation is very central to understanding strategic management, it does not sufficiently provide a concrete direction for action. This can only be provided by strategy implementation. This view suggests that strategy implementation poses even more difficulties than strategy formulation. However, a basic framework can be derived to serve as a road map to strategy formulation (Mezias, Gringer and Gruth 2001; Hills and Jones 1995; Mockler 1995). 2) Vision, Mission, Objectives and Measures 2.1) PEST Analysis An environment in which the University operates can be expressed in terms of the following factors: Political: It would include various government regulations and legal issues and define various norms and rules under which University operates. It includes tax policies, employment benefits and laws, trade restrictions and tariffs, political coherence among the staff and the students and environmental regulations. Economic Factors: It would and affect the universitys cost allocation. Some key examples are economic growth, interest rates etc. Social Factors: Social factors includes the cultural and demographic aspects. These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets. Some factors include health consiousness, career attituded of the students, age distribution and class strength. Business and Technology factors- They can be very important as they may run the other factors. They can lower the barrier to entry, reduce minimum efficcient production levels, including: R and D activity, rate of technology change atc. 2.1.1 SWOT Analysis: Swot analysis helps in matching the resources and the capabilities to the external world in this competetive era. As dicussed on (http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/), a firms strenght are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competetive advantage.Examples include, strong names, cost advantage, and exclusive access to high grade natural resources. It can be determoined by SWOT matrix which is a very good indicator of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (Bradford and Robert W. Duncan). 2.2 Vision and Mission: Starategy Management Plays into role if the Vision and the mission are defined within the constraints of the guidelines by the University and the Faculty. Vision- To become an international University that is recognised and known for originality, enterprise and its ethics in focussing, exploring, transfering and applying knowledge to enrich its students and the individuals, their communities and the environment. Mission- Our mission is to excel through Research and teaching of world-class innovative standard and impact,learning environment that supports, informs and inspires our diverse student community,Staff initiative, enthusiasm and commitment to the Universitys goals, Collaboration and enterprise that provide innovative and timely ideas and solutions for the University and its community partners (Mockler (1995)). University share a commitment to promoting and celebrating excellence through initiative, enterprise and achievements that take society forward in an intellectual way and the freedom for opinion. It is very important to maintain the integrity, mutual respect and collegiality among the University. Moreover Students from all over the world having different cultures, ideas should stand together for the development of the University. It is very important for the University to foresight the quality and accountability as an institution by mutual development and community partnership. Moreover equal monitoring plays a vital role where students from all over the world are studying. The University is commited to developing graduates who are informed, independent learners, problem solvers, effective communicators, and responsible towards the society and to themselves. 2.3) Objectives and Measures for evaluation: The university can and have set the goals and objectives as parameters for a progress towards the vision: 1. Excellence and innovation in learning and teaching Graduates equipped to contribute to society and the workplace An active, collaborative and flexible learning experience for students Quality programs relevant to the evolving needs of students and the community An international focus in learning and teaching High quality teaching 2. Excellence and innovation in research Research of high quality and impact at an international level Enhanced capacity to attract external grant funding Quality research student scholarship and training Strong partnerships with external organisations to achieve mutually beneficial research outcomes Enhanced capacity for commercial research and commercialisation of research outcomes 3. Dynamic engagement with our communities A University that is accessible, outward reaching and responsive to its communities Strong reciprocal relationships that enrich our communities Integration of community engagement in our academic activities Enhanced educational aspirations and higher education participation in our regions 4. Students engaged with learning and University life Students engaged as members of the University community Efficient and professional management of each phase of the student experience A social and physical environment where all students can participate in University life Effective communication between students and the University 5. A university of international outlook and achievement A community with a diverse and rewarding global perspective and culture A university of choice for international students International recognition for quality, standards and outcomes 6. Versatile, skilled and committed staff An adaptable workforce with skills aligned to strategic directions A supportive, rewarding and equitable work environment 7. Business capacity to advance the achievement of our Vision Decision-making based on sound planning, governance and quality processes Strategic deployment of resources and information A sustainable and reliable infrastructure Plan for the Implementation of the strategy In this section I would be decribing about all the 7 objectives mentioned in the last heading. Moreover I would be explaining the strategic priorities, key indicators of the performance and the plan which could help in the betterment of the University and its members. 3.1) Development and Creation of the strategy Goal 1 The University is committed to providing its diverse body of students with an engaging internationally oriented atmosphere and learning experience. The priority is to promote ethical education as a part of culture, maintaining the reputation of the University and ensuring that graduates and undergraduates are committed to their employers for their knowledge and skills attained at the University. Strategy Goal 1- University must integrate the development of Graduate into the curriculum at any level and standard. University should develop, focuss and implement institutional approaches for analysing the attainment of Graduate Qualities so that University can know what skills are their students gaining. University should continue to give priority to developing the capacity of students and embed the outcomes of the Academic Integrity Project. University must provide opportunities that equip students for employment in a global labour market. University should optimise the mix of delivery methods to enhance the learning experience of students across all teaching locations and facilities to provide a physical environment that is engaging, collaborative and flexible. An international focus would help them to develop their knowledge and skills lobally and would help them to compete in a larger scale. Key Indicators- Learning and Teaching Performance Student Perception Employer Perception International Recognition

Essays --

Around the turn of the last century, and in the nineteen hundreds, much literature was sent from Canada to the United States for the benefit of those that were interested in farming. People were led to believe that a short cut to happiness and prosperity was to simply go to Canada. It all sounded so interesting. It was written that anyone coming to Canada received 160 acres of land for ten dollars plus slight homestead duties. Canada was the land where you never heard the thunder. It usually rained only at night and the water was so pure, one could drink water off the ground anywhere and it would not make you sick. When you wanted fresh meat, all you had to do was open the door and shoot your choice of the wild game that was so abundant. Seeing no future for themselves as young farmers, on poor, stoney and heavily timbered land at Fosston, Minnesota, several families left for Canada to look for these homesteads. After arriving in Wadena, and with the local guide, the men began walki ng in the north direction. They followed an old Indian trail over to the quarter sections of land available for proving as homesteads. Each man selected a quarter that he would work, they were all enjoined. They had now put in two days of interesting and educationaldiscoveruies. Interesting, in that it looked like there was a future for this country and educational, in learning that you could not expect to be able to do much walking if you drank the supposedly pure water lying everywhere on top of the ground. The local guide was already a seasoned homesteader and anyone that knew him would realize that he knew how sick, those poor greenhorns would get from drinking all that slough water. The next day, they walked back to Wadena and took the train to Hu... ... We had so many ducks that winter that we couldn't eat them all before the weather turned warm in the spring. When we tired of eating duck, there were lots of bush rabbits, and when we tired of rabbits, we ate duck. On the 20th of march 1949, I awoke one morning to find mom in an unusual mood and she told me dad had left for a drive with Cathy and the buggy during the night. For the life of me, I could not grasp what was going on, or what was to take place. Then I heard the buggy on the frozen ground and sure enough, dad was home. He had a passenger with him. She was an older lady and I was told her name was Mrs. Thorsen. I was then told to hook up Black, a calf we had broken, and to drive to the new neighbors to see how the building of their new house was coming along. I went, but I was not away very long because I knew the circumstances were not ordinary at home.

Urban Alienation

How have three of the texts you have studied provided insight into the individual's relationships to the urban landscape? The three texts; T. S Elite's The Preludes poem, Jennifer Strauss' Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram poem and the short story The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury, provide an insight into each individual's relationship with the urban landscape through the underlying motif of urban alienation. The writers explore the alienating effect of city life as people are forced to suppress and hide their individual identity by conforming to societal expectations, as well as theIdea of examining the universal nature of human despair and Isolation through their depiction off soulless, disconnected and oppressive society. T. S Eliot shows the alienating and disconnection with the urban landscape which Is explored In The Preludes as people are forced to suppress and hide their Individual Identity by conforming to societal expectations wealth city life. Eliot who was a modernist poet, revolted against traditional literary forms and subjects. About the decay of modern salvation, he shared the Ideas of pessimism, disillusionment and futility.As a action to World War l, Eliot describes the metropolis as a place where people physically live, not emotionally live. Throughout the poem there is use of enjambment to render the contemporary disorder and lack of coherence of people's daily lives in the modern city. Alliteration is skillfully used creating emphasis on the imagery of gusty and grimy and the harshness of the rain being described as ;beat on broken blinds'. The city itself is a metaphor or reflection of people's daily lives and inner psyches as they become consumed within the landscape.The second prelude deals tit the personal pain that is so well hidden which is metaphorically presented through the idea of a ‘masquerade'. This pain is shown to be an effect and common lifestyle of this broken city which is shared ‘in a thousand furnished rooms'. In Preludes three and four look at false pretences. Eliot uses the repetition of the conjunction ‘and' to further emphasis the drabness of routine and the endless cycle of existence. There is a sense of prediction and pace through the times four and five and six o' clock' as if trapped in this mechanical routine.People are in the deceitful inform of ‘certain certainties' contained in monotonous activities like ‘fingers of stuffing pipes'. It ends with a sense of emptiness and a sense of searching. The Preludes addresses the need to break the â€Å"chains† or cycle of a personal fixation within the isolation as well as frustration of city life in order to create a stronger relationship with the urban environment. Similarly, â€Å"The Pedestrian† explores alienating effects of city life as people are forced to suppress and hide their Individual Identity by conforming to societal expectations, where the Individual lacks feeling of longing and connectivity. The Pedestrian† Is set AD 2053 In the dyspepsia future. Leonard Mean is the individual whoso Is at odds with his society as he who recognizes the world as soulless and. HIS world has no delve order and Is a futile, anarchic place – where the protagonists name Is also very average and ordinary. There Is a recurring motif of the dead. People are metaphorically described as deadened and zombie-Like or associated with the negative connotation of ;grey phantoms' living In a monotonous and emotionless world.People are trapped and locked inside tomb-like monotony attached with urban living as Leonard goes about his routine he says What's up tonight on Channel 4, Channel 7 and Channel 9? Due to advances in technology, the city dwellers' ability to think for themselves is lost as they become brainwashed and confined to their living rooms watching television, into a dehumidified state. The onomatopoeia and emotive terms Whispering†¦ Murmurs' are both associated with spying or secrets. This suggests Leonard is not conforming to the laws of his society.The harshness and sterility of the robot's ‘metallic' voice idiotically repeats the questions directed to Leonard, asking Walking where? For what? As well the inability to understand his ‘profession' shows an emotionless and artificial world taken over by ever developing technology. This is Juxtaposed between Lemonade's warmth and humor where he replies with a smile ‘nobody wanted me'. Similarly with T. S Elite's The Preludes, in The Pedestrian there are feelings of isolation and being misunderstood by the changing urban society where the world is isolating in cultural and individual identity through the suppressive and conformity.Following the concept of the individual being psychologically â€Å"chained†, the Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram reflects Jennifer Strauss' relationship with the urban landscape examined through the portrayal of an illegal alien, where she experiences displacement and anonymity in a foreign urban metropolis. The migrant woman is portrayed as one who ‘hunches' while being described as ‘sweltering with twists in sweating hands'. Further embodying a sense of discomfort is through the rash alliteration of ‘s'.We see the woman as being caught between two cultures; she becomes consumed by the city and forlorn in foreign words and voices'. The effective use of alliteration has a solemn tone which evokes a sense of hopelessness as they ‘echo'. Furthermore; there is a sense of desperation to understand situation. The migrant woman has to break through the language barrier to overcome a loss and lack of cultural identity. There is a threatening and uneasy tone established through the repetition of ‘Impossibly black†¦ Luminosity obscure†¦ Luminosity dark†¦ Possibly departed'. This accumulates and creates an unsettled atmosphere while reflecting the individual's confusion and isolation. This also relates to the women's attire, standing out while being Juxtaposed with the sexualities nature of the ‘impudence of summer thighs/long arms and painted toenails'. This synecdoche may act as a mean to create emphasis on the two contrasting cultures and expose the reader through the notion of the feelings of displacement and complete alienation, which is what the migrant woman would be experiencing.Strauss makes an allusion to Greek hydrology through her reference to the story of Theses and the Minotaur. The migrant woman's almost ‘daunting' and foreboding' feat of making her navigation through an unknown culture alludes to Theses being sent and fed to the Minotaur. The migrant woman is ‘sacrificing herself to this newfound culture and leaving behind her past. The ‘blind beast' may perhaps also signify the industrialized and modern-aged city, ‘devouring or consuming the newly arrived immigrants which correlates with the metaphor of ‘eating up men'. The Preludes and The Pedestrian respond to the ideas shown in the Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram in providing an insight to Jennifer Strauss' soulless, disconnected and oppressive relationship with the urban landscape. In the three texts, the readers are provided underlying motif of urban alienation. The ideas explored are when people are forced to suppress and hide their individual identity by conforming to societal expectations, as well as the idea of examining the universal nature of human despair and isolation through their depiction of a soulless, disconnected and oppressive society.

Pfeffer High Performance Practices

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Report for the CEO Goncalo Correia MIB28 The Trivalor Holding The Trivalor Holding, is a Portuguese group created more than 50 years ago by a Portuguese business man, having started with two companies in the Business Services segment, and evolving over time, securing a position as the biggest services group in Portugal, owning today 16 companies and employing at times over 11. 000 workers. The areas covered by the group are, social and public food services, emission and management of services tickets, commercialization and logistics of food products, industrial cleanings, uman and robotic security, transport of values, vending machines and archive management.The main clients of the state are public administration, local city councils, hospitals, schools, and defense forces as well as prisons. Historically, the group, has always had an â€Å"employer friendly† policy, and is known for the fact of never having lay- ­? off one single worker following a â€Å"Japanese† style management. The majority of the technical and administrative workforce has worked there since the beginning of the company and there is a unity feeling that can be easily perceived amongst the workers. Nevertheless, from my point of iew, due to its size and age, it has created over the time some habits that fail to evolve from a top- ­? down to a integrative style management where workers are part of everyday decisions, fact which after reading this paper I believe could be substantially ameliorated contributing for an efficiency breakthrough needed by us to remain competitive. 2 Status Quo In an evolving business environment such as the one we live in nowadays, where there is a clear tendency of companies in the first world countries to walk towards a service driven economy, human resources are one if not the most important assets that a firm can have.This should not be ignored or by any means devalued by top management, tha t in order to retain its best individuals within the firm, must adapt, motivate and commit to people in all levels of work. In current times, polls show a high- ­? growing discontentment of people towards their professional careers. For this, workers lack motivation, not feeling aligned with the company goals, ultimately seeing the organization they work for as the â€Å"enemy†, facts that are responsible for the loss of Billions of dollars every year. Amongst the main reasons for this dissatisfaction, Pfeffer stresses out, issues like Company Trust, or in ther words how does the employee perceives to what degree the statements, relations and promises from the company are feasible and fulfilled in the future, Job Security, the prospects of maintaining their job position in the long term as well as the dependence on externalities such as economic downturns and crisis, or industry distresses;Work- ­Family relation, which is commonly perceived as a distributive issue, meanin g that a person which is good in the family- ­? relations must necessary lack of commitment to their job, and finally Poor Job conditions and environment, when people don’t feel comfortable with the workplace s well as their professional relations. Historically, the firms that have soon understood this, and practice a high commitment tactics towards all its stakeholders, were able to profit on long periods of success, and ultimately guarantee financial wealth. Taking Advantage of an Integrative Management style As our company has been in the services and utilities business for decades, from my point of view, we have gained the habit of taking a more accommodated approach in the relation with our employees, failing sometimes to take advantages from some high commitment tactics, many of which could be put in practice with little pending and effort.Our group policy has been since the beginning to offer a work for life, offering a secure position as long as the co- ­? workers comply with what it is requested from them, what accordingly to Pfeffer and proven by our success of transforming a small company in the biggest group in the country inside our industry paid- ­? off in the long- ­? term. Nevertheless, I believe it is important to express that from my analysis of the article that you as CEO asked me to read we are still lacking off on issues like training and skill development, as our R&D expenditure has been practically none over the last couple of ears. 3 I believe that by continuously training and investing in our co- ­? workers, through coaching programs, team building days, and more corporate events, more than just gaining the advantages of what they will learn and apply to our daily operations, we can make them getting involved with their work tasks what will bring a substantial increase in their performance. Nowadays I believe our relationship between employees is above average but there is still a big power- ­? distance within Trival or.This comes hand- ­? in- ­? hands with the decentralization of our daily decisions, which I believe some of these have the potential f being made from bottom- ­? up rather than following our historical rigid and traditional top- ­? down hierarchy model as in many cases it is the workers down the hierarchy chain have best knowledge of some the operational processes. Studies suggest that workers that feel their importance to the organization, and that are trusted with a great deal of information, tend to feel more involved, making better- ­? informed decisions about operational facts. Further, from an organizational behavior point of view, people tend to be concerned with affiliation within a group and the fact of feeling that they are part of something has lso a very positive effect in their performance.People do worry about their work relationships and about the other worker’s opinions on themselves. Reciprocity should be a central concept to bear in mind, defende d by Pfeffer when managing the relations between an organization and its co- ­? workers. To me, even searching in common sense, my empirical experiences suggest that people work better under devotion than obligation, and workers often tend to be much more pro- ­? active giving valuable and balanced input and new ideas when they feel a inner rush to please their superiors and the organization, rather than working n a fear oriented regime, where individuals respond by impulses. Deepened by further research I must underline my belief that by uniting all the above factors, would constitute an important milestone in the process of achieving what Professor Michael Beer identified as the three main goals in the quest for success in management.First, Performance Alignment1, the designing of a winning strategy to achieve long- ­? term goals, (by training and coaching our employees). Second, a Psychological Alignment, providing to our co- ­? workers a mindset that fosters meaning of t heir task, challenging work, a pleasant work environment nd the capacity to make a difference (through offering more autonomy, respect and conditions) and finally Capacity for Learning Change, by making everyone from the lowest level to senior places feel like part of something- ­? our company. 1 High Commitment High Performance: How to Build A Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage, Michael Beer Hardcover, August 2009 4 Implementation Challenges Analyzing our company, it is not hard to spot some of our pit- ­? falls when it comes to high performance management tactics.When reading the points described above you might end up asking yourself, if this analysis is not just resenting facts of good sense, and that the position defended by Pfeffer is obvious. But if this is true, why do we then fail to implement the suggested changes in our organization? The first reason that can come up to your head is cost. As I am aware, mainly due to externalities like the 2008 downturn cr isis our group has been trying to cut costs, mainly changing processes (specially logistics) into a lean management style, and betting on credit recuperation, although opting always by not laying- ­? off co- ­? workers.This might seem stressful time to propose these kinds of structural changes to the shareholder, as we have een feeling pressure from upstream to retain costs. Nevertheless I would argue that even in the medium term, the results will be felt, and by implementing some of these changes would have a positive effect on our employees trust, representing a boost in the recuperation from last year hard times. Further, as our macro- ­? economic situation in Portugal is very unsure at the time, as our government is struggling to approve its deficit budget with the European Union, I believe that these measures could consolidate our firm’s image that no matter what, we keep our dynamic capabilities and do not stagnate our processes even in imes of economic downturn. This, not to mention the confidence passed to our co- ­? workers that currently face a confidence crisis triggered by the media alarmism. We must not fall in the trap of following our competitor’s measures in order to secure our market position.Also I believe that by having a single shareholder we are in a privileged position, as if we are able to expose and adopt these tactics, we do not suffer pressures from other shareholders that could eventually feel they are being putted second after the employees. Concluding, my last point resides on our company being a pioneer when it comes to rewarding ethods. It was in fact the first group in the country to implement the â€Å"American reward system†, knowledge acquired by our Shareholder in the beginning of his life still as a manager working in the U. S. Our system relies on meritocracy, and even at the lowest levels, let’s take for example a cook in one of our hospital canteen, can make up to 20% of her base salar y if there is a compliance and dedication to schedules, attendance and customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, I believe that in addition to this, there could be offered an extra remuneration to the team as a whole including the cooks, the responsible of the canteen

13 Critical Thinking Essay Topics on Consumer Behavior

13 Critical Thinking Essay Topics on Consumer Behavior Studying consumer behavior allows today’s students and tomorrow’s professionals to identify consumers’ needs better, allowing them to become more consumer-oriented and more likely to succeed. This field also helps them ensure their employers’ survival, profitability, and growth in the current competitive marketing environment. It further advances their career as it makes them capable of predicting market trends, adapt to changes in the market, and create and retain consumers. Realizing the importance of consumer behavior, your instructor may want you to delve head on in this subject. That is why they entrusted you with the task of coming up with a critical thinking essay related to this field. If you are having trouble coming up with a topic for your essay, especially if the deadline is too close for comfort, here are 13 facts that can help you grow more creative. Society and personal attitudes shape buying decisions. A person’s attitude and motives drive their consumption patterns. However, internal factors are not the only ones which determine consumption. There are external factors which come into play, including cultural backgrounds, family influences, advertisements, and the Internet. All these help shape people’s thoughts and actions. Understanding consumer behavior is important. Consumer behavior allows marketers to understand what drives their clients’ consumption behaviors. As a result, they can ensure better sales when their products are pushed to the market. Moreover, it gives marketers a competitive edge since their companies’ products meet consumers’ needs specifically. This, in turn, ensures their success. Finally, companies that effectively predict how consumers respond to their offerings can churn better products and guarantee high customer satisfaction. Motivation shapes consumer attitudes. Motivation is the main factor that drives the behavior of consumers. Every consumer has a set of goals or motives behind every buying decision. Some of these motives are physiological; for example, thirst drives a person to purchase a beverage. On the other hand, motives can be quite obscure. A good example in this regard is the motive to buy designer clothes to gain social status. The modern consumer is highly empowered. Social media has driven up the levels of digital interactivity. This exciting new technology has empowered consumers by giving them access to a wealth of information related to specific products or their categories. As a result, the role of a typical consumer has shifted from passive consumption to active information-generators. This has led to a major shift in the marketing and branding landscape. Companies need to learn how social media has changed the consumer if they want modern technology to become mutually beneficial. External factors affect consumer attitudes. Social factors (such as family relationships, cultural identity, geography, and other environmental aspects) play a major role in shaping consumer behavior. Marketers need to be aware of these factors and understand the extent of the influence. The main use of these categorizations, however, is market segmentation. Marketing decisions regarding product advertising, design and pricing can be customized according to the values, goals and needs of each group. The groups consumers are categorized into exert three types of influences. People belong to distinct groups. These groups exert different kinds of influences on an individual. From a sociological perspective, these influences fall into three major types: Comparative - how the individual’s self-identity is defined in context of the group identity Informational - where the group is considered as a source for expert opinion Normative - the guidelines set by the group to specify sanctioned and unsanctioned behavior amongst the individual members All three types, along with product characteristics, tend to influence how a consumer will react to a product. Information consumption on UGC sites is higher than posting. User Generated Content (UGC) are active online forums where consumers can exchange information related to products. Research uncovered that these sites have a high discrepancy among information contributors and information consumers. On the other hand, the level of active participation is low on social media sites. Focus groups and interviews are very important. Marketers use a variety of tools to gather consumer opinions and thoughts, but two stand out prominently: in-depth interviews and focus groups. These serve as opportunities for consumers to express opinions and discuss their thoughts about products. Researchers moderating these interviews are trained to spot the motives and values which might point to how consumers behave. Techniques such as sentence completion tests and Thematic Appreciation Tests (TAT) are utilized to gain a deeper understanding of consumer psychology. Consumers are driven by the values they hold. Consumers are driven primarily by values. Their personal value system dictates which product they will buy. As a result, they will choose products that have attributes which they deem desirable, i.e. based on their values. Understanding this concept puts the marketer in a position where they can create highly effective promotional and advertising content. Brand re-positioning is a successful tactic. Brands keep themselves alive in consumers’ minds by using clever re-positioning tactics. As time passes, the brand’s image becomes a little diluted or faded. In order to make sure the consumer continues to associate the brand with favorable concepts, marketers rely on repositioning. This is accomplished by different marketing and advertising tools, all of which will help create positive links and discard negative links. The cultural aspect to consumer behavior has grown complex due to globalization. The cultural aspects of consumer behavior are becoming complex and multilayered due to globalization. Therefore, in the world of marketing, it has become important to understand and respect cultural differences. Marketing strategies can be standardized to an extent, but a cookie-cutter approach does not work. Distinctions across cultures and geographical regions are so vast that the strategies have to be localized in order to be effective. There are five stages in the consumer decision making cycle. A typical consumer goes through five different stages when making a purchase. The first stage involves identifying and recognizing a need. Next, the consumer moves on to the information gathering stage. This involves actively searching for a possible product that will meet the need recognized during stage one. The search process is internal (own knowledge) and external (family, friends, salespeople). This step also helps refine the criteria for selection. The criteria for comparison results in a set of rules which line up with the consumer’s need. The options are assessed in detail in the third stage of the process. The relative strengths and weaknesses of the alternatives are also evaluated and analyzed. The fourth step involves the actual purchase. After the purchase, the consumer is at the post-purchase stage. This is when the consumer judges how well the product meets their needs. The evoked list is an important element for understanding consumer behavior. Consumers evaluate a list of products when making a buying decision. This list is referred to as the evoked set and contains a small number of items. The criteria used by a typical consumer when weighing the pros and cons is mainly the psychological and functional benefits of the product. Companies need to understand exactly what these benefits are in order to build better products and marketing campaigns. You can use these facts to come up with your own critical thinking essay. However, if you want a shortcut, check out our 20 topics on consumer behavior for a critical thinking essay. If you need help with writing this academic paper, refer to our guide on how to write a critical thinking essay on consumer behavior. References: Schwartz, Barry (2004), The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Ecco, New York. Solomon, M.R. (1994), Consumer Behavior, Allyn Bacon, London. Wilkie, William L. (1994). Consumer Behavior (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley. Schiffman, L.G. (1993), Consumer Behavior, Prentice Hall International, London. Shell, Ellen Ruppel, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture , New York : Penguin Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59420-215-5 McNair, B. (1958), Retail Development, Harper Row, New York, NY. Blackwell, Miniard and Engel (2006). Consumer Behaviour (10th Ed.). Thomson Learning.

How does body dissatisfaction in men lead to eating disorders such as Literature review

How does body dissatisfaction in men lead to eating disorders such as anorexia - Literature review Example om, whether or not age, sexual orientation, or social class have a part to play, whether or not body dissatisfaction in men contributes to health problems with alcohol and drugs which can in turn lead to eating disorders, and questioning whether the media has a role to play in this as well. Through seeking to answer each of these four sub questions, the literature review will seek to engage the reader with a further analysis and discussion of some of the relevant findings and existing research that has been published with respect to eating disorders within the male population. Although it is reasonable to assume that many of the contributions which have thus far been put forward and published will be helpful in seeking to understand the questions which have thus far been elaborated upon, the literature review will also be concentric upon providing counter arguments, critiques, and limitations of the articles that have been utilized. Accordingly, it is the hope of this particular anal yst that the literature review will provide a more informed basis for an understanding of eating disorders within the male population and the means through which they are currently understood; as well as providing metrics for potential future research questions and gaining a further level of inference upon the situation as such. According to research by Cohn & Lemberg (2014) over 2.1 million men within the United Kingdom suffer from one form of eating disorder or another. This figure comprises approximately 1.5% of the entire adult male population. Although this figure is necessarily small, at least as compared to women, it is nonetheless relevant and affects the life, psychological outlook, and happiness of hundreds of thousands of individuals within the United Kingdom. Perhaps more importantly, the research by Cohn & Lemberg (2014) indicates that the single greatest danger associated with the prevalence of eating disorders within the male population of the United Kingdom is

What is a principle Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is a principle - Scholarship Essay Example Other than these two examples, we can also observe the system of the whole world running on a defined set of principles. Principles hold a key value in my life. To me, principles act as foundations for every personal and professional success. I never overlook my principles while dealing with any matter of life. Whatever the situation is, I always take every step following my principles. Some of my core qualities include honesty, truth, moral courage, hard work, and sincerity. I have based all of my principles on these characteristics. I always try to be sincere to others, speak truth in any situation, defend the disadvantaged, raise my voice over in any unlawful situation, work hard for my better future, and avoid backbiting. These are my principles of life which I follow in all situations that occur in my life. I abide by my principles because they are the real gems of my life. They always keep me on the right track. They make my inner clean and fulfilled. They also guide me when I am in some trouble. On many occasions of my life, my principles have made me satisfied and pleased. Whenever I help a disadvantaged person, I feel extremely satisfied and relieved. Similarly, when I speak truth in a situation where it can cause problems for me, I feel that I have done something admirable. I love to follow all of my principles because they are as precious for me as any other asset. I believe that principles are assets that produce a number of considerable benefits for a person. Although we cannot touch these assets the way we touch and feel tangible assets, but the benefits associated with these assets are not less in worth than tangible assets. I would say that principles are such assets that guide us to acquire a number of tangible and intangible assets. I believe that a person can never achieve success in his/her life without following some key success principles. The reason is that principles give us direction while enlightening the way to