Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Want to be a Successful Writer Fail!

When you really think about it, writing isn’t all that different from most other walks of life. At least, it isn’t very different in what really matters – that is, how you succeed at it. The difference between a successful and an unsuccessful writer is the same as between a winner and a loser in any other endeavor. In most cases, the winner wins not because of luck, or because of special abilities he has since birth, or favorable conditions. Mostly, he wins because after an almost inevitable initial failure he gets up, soaks up the experience and just keeps going – falling and failing again, getting up again, but finally – succeeding. In other words, the difference between a loser and a winner lies in the way they perceive failure. For a loser failure is the end of the world, something terrible, something to be afraid of. That is why writers who never achieve big success either stop trying after initial setbacks, or are too afraid of failure to put any considerable effort into trying at all. They are always talking about that novel they are going to write, they plan, they rewrite parts that are already done, not willing to commit and see if they succeed or fail with this one. Those who succeed, on the contrary, see failure as a source of experience, as a way to see what works and what doesn’t and, when all is said and done – as a stepping stone to success. For them failure is not an end, but rather an intermediary stage. They may be disappointed by it, but never disappointed enough to stop trying. As a famous sports saying goes, you are sure to miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take – and it suits the world of writing perfectly. When you take a really close look at the writing scene, both today and at different periods in the past, you will see that there are very few, if any, writers who were immediately successful with their first attempt at publishing. The majority of them have been trying for years before stumbling upon this one breakthrough book that made them suddenly famous. So, if being a successful writer is really what you want – and mind you, it is not an easy path – then there is only one method of achieving it. Writing. Trying. Attempting to publish. Looking for your niche, not theoretically, but actively trying this, and that, and something else. Not despairing when things don’t look your way. There really is nothing more to it. There are no tricks that you can use to improve your writing or your chances of getting into print. There is only trying hard, failing, learning from your mistakes, getting up and going at it again. It is not a surefire method, of course, but you may find some consolation that almost all great writers you know and love went the same way – so at least you are in a good company.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Rhytorica Analysis of the Day I Became a Canadin by Al...

Rhetorical Analysis of The Day I Became A Canadian by Al Pittman Cori Bensted When change is thrust upon us, it can change people with it, but when it does, it’s important to remember where you’re from. The importance of this essay is it depicts a time in history when change occurred to a people who, willing or not, did not see the coming effect it would have. This will cover Al Pittman’s, The Day I Became A Canadian, and his point of view on how changing nationalities belittled his country. This will also examine how his writing, being rhetorical elements like sentence structure and diction, enhances his writing, bringing out more emotion in the reader. The Day I Became A Canadian is an essay of the day Al Pittman’s nationality†¦show more content†¦Also using more declarative sentences to imply a sense of amazement and wonder at his experience of becoming a Canadian. â€Å"Other people had other considerations, no doubt, but to me it was a miracle of time and space.† Further on, Pittman clearly shows his chronological change with â€Å"Today, 30 years later†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and changing his writing style. Sentences become longer with more compound and complex structure. Giving the information and pulling the reader into giving more thought. â€Å"Since then I’ve learned that my childhood notions about Canada were no more uniformed that the notions of a lot of Newfoundland adults had at the time.† Words also become more polysyllabic, again giving the impression of a more mature speaker. Having travelled a lot myself, and lived in many provinces, one of those being in the east, I understand what Pitt man is saying about being a Newfoundlander first. Upon my travel east, I meet some of the nicest people in my life. However, as friendly as they are, if you are not from there it’s hard to be accepted and trusted. The more I got to know people, and understand how much life was different there, they trusted me more. This much more so with more mature generations. As much as they are Canadian, they see themselves in their own little world. This being said, the same could be said for Toronto, Ontario. Having lived there as well, I found it very easy to be accepted in such a large place with so

Monday, December 9, 2019

MarkSpencer Staregic Insight Essay Example For Students

MarkSpencer Staregic Insight Essay MARK SPENCER Strategy InsightAt the Marks Spencer AGM, on the 11th July 2001, Luc Vandevelde, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Marks Spencer, gave a key speech regarding the managements recovery plan for the company, which was launched earlier in the year. The speech and extracts from Marks Spencer Press Releases, presented below, provide a valuable insight into the nature of strategic planning within large organisations, and the role of the Chairman and Chief Executive in this process. Extracts from the SpeechGood morning. Welcome to the 2001 Annual General Meeting. I want to pick up exactly where we left off a year ago. In response to the very last question from the floor at the 2000 AGM, I made this statement: I am taking charge and I will create shareholder value in the future.Id like you to keep that statement in mind. In everything we have done or are planning to do for your Company, we share with you the common objective of increasing the value of your investment by returning Marks Spencer to its rightful, leading position in the marketplace. As to taking charge, at the last AGM Id been with Marks ; Spencer for less than five months and I didnt take over as Chief Executive until two months after the AGM in September 2000. At that point, a little over six months in, I came to certain conclusions about the Companys strategy and it took six months because Marks ; Spencer is a very unique and very complex company. My conclusion was that the recovery plan, then in place, was doing a lot of useful things getting us closer to our customers, improving our supply chain, and so on. But it still wasnt good enough to address the real problems of the Company which, as Ive already admitted, were more serious than I realised when I first took up this post. The previous plan was like feeding a tree that was already overgrown and unhealthy. What it really needed was serious pruning back. It had unproductive limbs that were hampering its growth and a lot of its best characteristics were lost in the foliage. It became clear that for M;S to grow productively, we had to get back to its core strengths to those fundamentals that underpinned its success in the past and begin our recovery from there.Putting together the right teamHaving reached this conclusion, my next step was to appoint a new team. Peter Salsbury, as you know, resigned last September, having reached the conclusion that he was not the right person to take this Company forward. Not withstanding, I believe he did valuable service for Marks ; Spencer. He inherited a difficult task and had the courage to take some tough but necessary decisions. Along with Peter, Id like to thank the five other directors whove left the Board in the past year. We also say goodbye today to three of our Non-Executive Directors Michael Perry, Ralph Robins and David Sieff. David spent his entire career at Marks ; Spencer, 25 years as an Executive Director. My thanks go to Michael, Ralph and David for their tremendous contributions over the years. This is perhaps also an appropriate moment to pay tribute to Davids father, Lord Sieff, our Honorary President, who died in February. When I speak of returning to fundamentals, Im referring in many ways to the values that he and the founding families instilled into this Company. The heritage of our founders remains profoundly influential in shaping our future and we should be grateful to them. .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .postImageUrl , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:hover , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:visited , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:active { border:0!important; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:active , .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06 .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue8a9c8b94367dcda95a7c7a834f29f06:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gay Parenting EssayApart from Robert Colvill, Alan McWalter and myself, its now a completely new Executive Board to the one you met a year ago. So let me introduce them David Norgrove, Roger Holmes and Alison Reed. Id also like to welcome the two Non-Executives whove joined us since the last AGM Kevin Lomax and Tony Ball. So what we have is a virtually new team because we had to accept that only a new team could take the radical measures needed to turn the Company round. Since we last met, weve effectively rebuilt Marks ; Spencers management. Central to this is the Board of UK Retail where

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Glass Key Review Essay Example

The Glass Key Review Paper Essay on The Glass Key I ask you as a mercy to give me back my gun and leave me for five minutes no, just a moment one in this room -. No. Do you want to get away from the reckoning? Ned said. It will not work If you believe an article about the work of Dashiell Hammett, placed at the end of the book, the author, was The Glass Key your favorite novel.. And very pleased that his acquaintance with the major prose Hammetts start with this book. I was very lucky. The gloomy city. No alcohol law. Corrupt politicians. Gorilla -telohraniteli. Underground dance halls. And, of course, people in hats that neither by word nor for the revolver in the pocket do not climb. Paul Madvig the shadow of the city father. But approaching the next elections and his head is occupied by the problem of how his candidates win them. Vnakladku a political headache the love of a daughter of Senator, supported by Paul, unbelted small rag-tag-a bootlegger in the face of the Irishman Shedao ORori (actually re-division of spheres of influence, the usual) and, of course, a corpse. Body of a young Taylor Henry the son of a senator. Challenging layout turned out. So who killed the Laura Palmer Henry Taylor We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Key Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Key Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Key Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the center of the story right hand Paul Madvig young Thad Beaumont. Thad Beaumont classic detective who uses a deductive method, to unravel the intricate knots of intrigue, anticipating political and dummy play two steps ahead. At the same time, Beaumont himself a criminal, which is quite pleasant, tingling, a departure from the canon. However, we are not, but life is like that. Apparently. Not only shots, but many voiced clicking words. Wonderful descriptions, from which seemed to feel himself zubotychiny and rocky fists. World, woven of intrigue, and epic sense of how the habitual criminal world, where bison, like for example, Paul Madvig, will have to die. But not so easy to leave the Titans from the scene. For those, like Beaumont instantly contemplating the consequences of certain events, or he proposes to make certain steps in order to achieve the goal, then, as in the details he sees the true picture what happened fascinating. The Glass Key its a great detective, that pleasure, it seems to me, to all lovers of the genre. I myself do not rank myself to the fans of the detective genre, but read the book with pleasure. P.S. My interest in Hammett emerged through the film the Coen brothers Millers Crossing, about which they spoke as about the film adaptation of the novel unwritten Hammett. Anyway. for the collection of interviews with the brothers, the directors are repeatedly admired classics hardboiled detective, and especially Hammett. Interestingly it was when reading the notice exactly which pieces of The Glass Key embodied on the screen in Crossroads Miller. If you watched, and you liked this film, the The Glass Key will bring another extra pleasure Dashiell Hammett novel read:.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

People versus Persons

People versus Persons People versus Persons People versus Persons By Daniel Scocco Felix asks, â€Å"I was just wondering when it was appropriate to use people as opposed to persons.† There is some confusion regarding the two terms, especially because their meaning and usage suffered a mutation along the centuries. Both derive from Latin, but from different words. Person derives from persona, which refers to an individual. People, on the other hand, derives from populum, and it refers to a group of persons sharing a culture or social environment. Person is a singular form, and its plural is persons. Over the time, however, many writers started to adopt people as the plural form of person, and nowadays it is widely accepted. Notice that legal and very formal texts still use persons as the plural form. One distinction that was proposed was to use persons as long as there was a countable number of individuals (e.g., 67 persons left the school) and people when such a number was large and indefinite (e.g., the people left the stadium quickly). The rule did not catch on, though, and some writers still use people even when there is a definite or small number of individuals. Finally, people can also be used in the plural form (e.g., the peoples of Asia) when it refers to the different cultural groups that live in a certain region. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Use a Dash for Number Ranges40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Saturday, November 23, 2019

6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Get Writing Help for Your Paper of Any Complexity

6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Get Writing Help for Your Paper of Any Complexity 6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Get Writing Help for Your Paper of Any Complexity It’s no secret that college can be extremely expensive, and most college students are on tight budget. You may not afford writing help for a high price, but we’ve created a list of six budget-friendly options. Here are several ways to get the qualitative help you need without breaking the bank. 1.   Pay for Advisory Services Only The cheapest option for academic writing help is to pay only for general guidance on your writing, rather than for an entire paper. This service can include brainstorming a good topic, organizing, structuring your essay and proofreading/editing your completed draft. Such writing helpers can give you the extra boost you need to write an excellent paper on your own. 2. Pay an Older Student to Write Your Paper Many senior college students write papers for younger ones to make extra cash. Ask around your college campus to see if there are students available to perform such a service. While you are searching for writer help, make sure you are able to get opinion on the quality of this person’s work. To pay a senior student for the paper is a great chance to save money, as they are likely to charge much less than professional services. 3. Think about Friends Who May Do You a Favor Do you have any friends who are excellent writers? Perhaps they would be generous enough to write a paper for you, or, at least, to offer suggestions and advice. If you are strong in another academic subject, such as mathematics, you may provide your mate with â€Å"friend help† in exchange. Even if your friend wants some money for such a favor, he/she will charge you less than a professional academic writer would. 4. Use a Free Online Library There are several resources on the Internet, such as free online libraries, that provide you with papers on a variety of subjects. These papers can be used as examples to help inspire ideas for your essay. You can also use the sample essay as a model for how to structure your own paper. Such a method does not allow you to get writing help from another person, it just gives you a chance to see how a proficient writer has handled the topic similar to the one you are coping with. 5. Ask Your Professor for Help Of course, your professor is not going to write the paper in your stead, but he/she may offer you valuable advice. Most professors are required to have office hours, the time period, when the professor sits in his/her office so that students can come and ask their questions. Your professor can clarify any questions you have concerning the assignment, as well as he/she can give you tips on how to overcome the obstacles you have faced. Your professor is the one who will assign your grade, so his/her advice can be especially helpful. Moreover, professors are likely to be more generous while grading a student who has taken the initiative to come for advice! 6. Join a Study Group There are many study groups in the universities for students to get together and work on assignments, or answer one another’s questions. See if the class you are writing the paper for has a study group, or try to start one. You and students who are dealing with the papers on the same subject can discuss topic ideas, clarify questions, and even proofread one another’s papers. Getting qualitative writing help does not always put a strain on your finances. Try using one of these six options to help you produce a high-quality paper at a low cost!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Property law - Essay Example Furthermore, it is Debra who has been making payments on the mortgage for five years and she was also the guarantor for Fred in the initial few years. As a result, she is the one who has a considerable financial investment in the house. The basic principle that applies in the case of voluntary dealings is the presumption that a person making a transfer intends that the transferee remains a nominee only, while the person making the transfer is to retain a beneficial interest in the property2. This applies in the case of Fred, who originally had the title to the property, but later transferred it to Debra. It may be possible to apply proprietary estoppel on the basis of representation3, i.e, despite Debra owning title to the property, Fred is to have rights in respect of the property. As a result of such rights which Fred may have in the property because he has been living in the council house and the property was also in his name initially, his interests in the property may pass on a beneficial interest to Stan.4 But in this instance, it must be noted that Fred has not left a will, therefore the question of beneficial interest in the property passing through the will5 does not apply. In arriving at a determination of whether or not equity will apply, Lord Scarman has stated that the conduct and relationship of the parties must answer three questions: â€Å"First, is there an equity established? Secondly, what is the extent of the equity, if one is established? And, thirdly, what is the relief appropriate to satisfy the equity?"6 Firstly, in establishing whether Fred was the substantial owner in equity, the question that arises is whether Debra allowed or encouraged Fred to assume that he had rights in the property, rather than a mere hope for such rights, which is not sufficient7. In this case, it was Fred who was the continuous resident of the council house and Debra was the one who moved back in with him. Furthermore,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Compare and contrast - Essay Example Another social working site, Friendster, was among the first to innovate this new brand of internet communication. Just a couple of years back, the competition was between Myspace and Friendster where it was an even matchup between the two. The Friendster logo has been so popular and recognizable for users and non-users alike. The need for convergence that was particularly prevalent among the youth was answered through these internet-based socializing sites. With Friendster, people were able to acquaint themselves to the possibility of meeting and keeping in touch with other people. But since then, Friendster has dwindled in terms of popularity and there is no denying that the primary reason for this is the fame that Facebook has gained over a short period of time. Both provide a valued facet of connectivity for their users but the features that Facebook has added is the reason for its current success in the internet. To be a member of both websites, the steps are quite simple. First, you will need to have a working email account where notifications depending on your specifications can be sent. One needs to go to their home page and follow the registration instructions. Here, you will be asked to provide particular details that range from name to affiliations to hobbies and interest. It is upon the user to fill in these factors accordingly. By signing in through the email and password that you have provided you are now on your way to getting connected. From here, it is up to you to start adding friends, applications, pictures, etc. It provides the option for personal taste and look of your very own profile page. Adding friends between the two is just one of the indications of the many differences between them. While both can search for friends by providing their email address or their names, it is quite obvious that it is easier to add friends in Facebook than in Friendster. In Facebook all you have to do is click on

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Importance of Research Essay Example for Free

Importance of Research Essay Jean Piaget is a trailblazer whose focus was on children’s cognitive development. He lay the foundation by naming four stages sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage builds upon the other, coinciding with biological development of the brain. Although some of his theories were deemed inaccurate, they paved the way and gave direction for upcoming psychologists who were able to build upon his work by disproving some of his theories simply to develop their own. Just as Jean Piaget, several scientists have theorized on many other parts of psychology, but all with general advantages. They provide us with a better understanding of ourselves, they provide us with a better understanding of others, and they provide us with methods to prevent and/or treat mental illnesses. At times it seems as though we do not know ourselves at all. We question our behaviors and feelings. Psychologically understanding these behaviors helps us to understand that we are probably not alone in our feelings. Also, by having a full understanding of self, psychologically, we can learn how to respond to certain feelings and emotions and how to wean ourselves off of them. In the same way that we can further understand ourselves in the study of this field we can apply reverse psychology to understand others. Being able to do so enhances people’s skills and work skills by enabling you to question possibilities and to address them as needed. This makes for more effective communication skills expanding beyond personal life and into the workforce. Lastly, research/experiments in psychology help to treat and prevent mental illnesses. Scientists have discovered biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial facts that influence mental illnesses. Case studies allow these illnesses to be identified. By knowing what triggers them, scientists can make the general public aware of those that are most influential and can advise of help if at all needed. Factors are considered, tested, and named. Research further helps us to recognize early symptoms or onsets. In conclusion, effective research/experiments play a large role in today’s society. It helps to influence several work fields such as law enforcement in which psychologists profile criminals to help catch them. In major corporations, psychology is used to screen potential candidates or present employees and even as a part of advertising, appealing to consumer’s wants and needs. Even schools use the influence of psychology to enrich student’s learning experiences via group assignments or to enhance athlete’s performances via pep rallies. You see, Psychology is an inevitable part of everyday life. Effective research and experiments help us to better understand our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions enabling us great communication skills and a better well-being.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Verizon Issues :: essays research papers

10th March 2005 The Verizon EDMA Center P.O. Box 1915 Beltsville, MD 20705-1915 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in reference to international charges posted on my most recent phone bill (Billing date – 02/20/05). To explain the situation, I traveled to Manchester, England on January 22, 2005 through February 8, 2005. On January 25, 2005, my wife called to inquire about international calling plans offered by Verizon. She was informed by a Verizon employee that the calling plan cost $4/month and that would entitle her to $.08/minute to England. Based on this fact, we used the calling plan for the rest of the time I was England, assuming we were paying $.08/minute. However, when we received the phone bill, the charges for all calls made through the calling plan were charged at $.30/minute. When I contacted Verizon regarding the difference, I was told that each call had a premium service termination charge attached to it of $.22/minute. My problem with this situation is that my wife was never informed that a premium service termination charge existed. When she signed up for the plan, a Verizon employee specifically told her that all calls to England would be $.08/minute. She was not given a qualifier stating that there was a possibility the charges may be higher due to a premium service termination. Furthermore, we never received literature explaining the details of the plan. Had we known that charges could have been $.30/minute, we would have used an alternative calling plan with much lower rates. Due to false information, or a lack of important information, given to us by a Verizon employee, we were overcharged $89.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Oregon Coast

The sunset glistens against the raging ocean water. I could walk for miles on the sand as it is ongoing never ending. While your feet sink in the sand I can ponder the peacefulness around me. The way the two rocks were hit by the glowing sunrise set a reflection of crystals in the clear water. There was a slight misty breeze, as I walked along the water. The Oregon coast is my sanctuary with the two most beautiful rocks that stood on the edge of the unknown below them. Waves would rush up to my feet carrying the sand in between my toes. As I lifted my feet while walking I could hear a grinding sound like paper rubbing on the bottom of my feet. The sand started feeling softer and smoother against my feet. With every step, I watched how my footprints became embedded into the sand. Suddenly, seeing how slowly they would disappear with every inch the water covered. The water sent a chill throughout my body. It shocked me every time the bitter cold would crash into my feet. To see the sunset as the blue cloudless sky turns shades of black around me. It would take my breath away at every glance I would take. I backed away from the water for a moment, as my eyes marveled at the bright colors from above. It lit the water up reds, blues, yellows and orange reflections sparkled off the translucent water. Little speckles came out in the skies around you feeling like glitter dropping on your face. When looking down you could see black shaped and jagged edges on the sea floor. Specks of white shells had little shine to them, but would show a slight sparkle from above. The waves were slowly crashing against my feet. I glanced back at the two rocks they stood side by side. The rocks have a reflection of crystal rays surrounding them. Looking from a distance, they looked smaller than they really are. They have a sense of wonder, mystery to them. I could sit for hours and ponder them. How big are they? How long have they stood in the ocean with the crashing of the waves all around them? They reflected every color off of the sun and the moon. It would shoot rays of colors all through the frozen clear water around them and light up the crashing waves. Some are white and rolling, others loud and angry as the press against the rocks over and over. The simplicity of the Oregon Coast it can take my breath away. It is truly one of the world’s modern marvels with its natural beauty, glistening sunsets, and the sand between your toes. It is my sanctuary.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Gender Discrimination in Media Essay

Abstract This study examines women’s participation and representation in media. This study is based on the statistics of media units in Solapur city. Women constitute nearly 50% of population in every Indian city, but the participation of women in media is very low. Discussions of women’s representation in the media tend to revolve around the focus on physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other values. It is observed that media content about women issues is biased and gender discrimination is clearly visible .This study also suggests the ways to increase the women participation in media and the ways to rational representation of women in media. Introduction: Women constitute nearly 50% of population in India. Our social system boasts that it has given mother goddess status to women since the ancient period. But in reality society builds psychological barriers around women. This male dominated society imposed so many bindings against women. Therefore role of women was confined only to the kitchen and kids for many years. Social movement started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatma Phule, Savitribai Phule, Maharshi Karve and other social activists opened doors for women’s education. Women have benefited greatly as education provided information to them about their rights and their equal status in the society. In spite of these efforts and the 65 year long journey since India’s independence , our nation is lagging behind in many basic things. World Economic Forum conducted a study to measure gender gap. The Global Gender Gap Index examines the gap between men and women in four fundamental categories: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. According to this Gender Gap Report-2011, India is included among the 20 countries, where the gender gap is widest. It holds 113th position among 134 countries in the world. This report explains that â€Å"India and Pakistan perform above average on the political empowerment of women, particularly India, but they lag behind in the other three categories. In particular, the persistent health, education and economic participation gaps will be detrimental to India’s growth. India is the lowest ranked of the BRICK economies† (http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf) After India’s independence Women’s role in society has undergone seismic changes, which has been reflected in every walk of life. Women stepped out of four walls and succeeded in each and every field. Now women are working as pilots, soldiers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, politicians and proving their mettle in all fields. But it is ground reality that basic structure of male dominated society and roles and presumptions about women’s worlds remain the same. Still the life of majority of women in India remains unchanged. . The women who got benefited through education and succeeded to grab a job have to destine to face male supremacy. Gender discrimination is visible at every moment. Decision- making positions are not accessible for women. Many times working women have to face humiliation. Scenario in the field of media Scenario in the field of media also does not differ from it. Media Still remains as men’s world and this is global phenomena. According to the research conducted by International Women’s Media Foundation( IWMF ) 73% of the top management jobs are occupied by men compared to 27% occupied by women,Among the rank of reports , men hold nearl y two thirds of the jobs, compared to 36% held by women. These findings were collected by more than 150 researchers who interviewed executives at more than 500 companies in 59 nations. (http://iwmf.org/pioneering-change/global-research-on-women-in-the-news-media/global-report-online-version.aspx) According to this report statistics of women’s participation in Indian media is 13. 8 % ( e.g. Chief Executive Officer ) at top management , 23.3 % ( e.g. News Directors) in senior management ,18.3% ( Chief Correspondent ) in middle management and 25.5 % ( Reportes, Sub-editors ) at junior professional level . This report reveals that women’s participation in Indian media is very low and gender discrimination is the only reason behind this. Media sector in India is very strong and particularly India ranks second in circulation of newspaper copies in the world. â€Å"The new figures show that the four largest markets for newspapers are: China with 107 million copies daily; India, with 99 million copies daily; Japan with 69 million copies daily; and the United States, with nearly 51 million.† 1 Marathi newspapers in Maharashtra are also enjoying better position. Two Marathi newspapers Lokmat and Sakal are placed among India’s top 10 largest circulated regional dailies in the IRS first quarterly report 2012 . Lokmat is at second position and Sakal is at tenth position in this list. (http://mruc.net/irs2012q1-topline-findings.pdf) â€Å" Women participation in Indian media is negligible. Though a few women were appointed by the media many were not given big responsibilities. The media should be more responsible when it comes to reporting of women’s issues.† 2 This picture is same in Mahashtra state. Solapur city is 7 th populated city in Maharastra .Population of Solapur is more than 12 lacks. There are seven dailies having circulation of more than 25000 copies per day. But participation of women in newspapers editorial staff is negligible. It is observed that young women taking admissions to the media courses is increasing during last few years. But job opportunities are not easily accessible for them. Situation in electronic media seems better than newspapers. Table no 1: Ratio of Women’s Participation in Editorial staff of Daily Newspapers in Solapur This statistics clearly reveals that women’s participation in these newspapers as reporters, sub-editors, editors is less than 3%. Women journalists are confined generally to the table duties to edit women’s page or to cover cultural events arranged for women. Important beats such as political beat, crime beat does not allotted to the female journalists. They work on junior levels .In decision making process women’s participation almost neglected in all newspapers. Table no 2 : Womens participation in electronic media in Solapur Sr no| Media Unit | Male Journalists | Female Journalists| total| 1| AIR Solapur| 05 (71..42%)| 02 (18.58%)| 06| 2| Big 92.7 FM| 03 (100.00%)| 0(00.00%)| 04| 3| IN Solapur TV channel| 08 (80.0%)| 02 (20.0%)| 10| 4| Reporters of TV channels| 09 (90.0%) | 01 (10.0%)| 10| | Total| 23 (83.34%)| 05 (16.66%)| 30| Women participation in electronic media is 16.66% as compared to mere 1.97 % in newspapers. Solapur Working Journalist Union is organization of all journalist belonging to print and electronic media in Solapur .( Table no.3 ) Not a single female journalist included among total 125 members of Solapur Working Journalist’s Union Table no 3: Members of Solapur Working Journalist Union Male Journalists | Female Journalists| 125 ( 100%)| 00 ( 00 % )| Male dominated media managements are not allowing access to the woman journalists. According to the executives of the media, woman journalists cannot work in the night shifts and they are reluctant to cover every beat assigned to them .That’s why we prefers male journalists for the job. This gender biased assumption of the media managements is contrary to the real facts. Women are actively participating in every walk of life such as armed forces, space science, entrepreneurship, education, engineering etc.They work hard without any concessions and proved their mettle. These examples prove that women are going hand-in-hand with men in every field. Therefore women can do their best in the field of media. Barkha Dutt, Nalini Singh, Mrinal Pandey, Sucheta Dalal are some prominent examples of women journalists doing brilliant job than male journalists. It reveals that only reason for the less participation of women in media is the gender bias of the management. Women’s Representation in Media Media plays an important role in the dissemination of information and knowledge to the masses. It is the role of the media to educate people and to guide them for the development of society and nation. But media content about women issues is alwayes biased and gender discrimination is clearly visible in it. Most of the woman’s organizations blame on media that it is responsible for biased and stereotype portrayal of women. Any society cannot progress without upliftment and empowerment of women .But Indian media is engaged in portraying women as housewives.† Feminists objected to the stereotypical portrayal of women as happy home- makers who were less competent than men.† 3 Now women are active participants in every walk of life. Therefore it is important to to properly project the image of women as role model. For these purpose women participation in media should be increased. But mere participation does not change the situation. .â€Å"A large proportion of women thought that there would be a change in program content with as increase in proportion of female employees program quality would improve and more balanced perspective would be emerge. .† 4 Mrs. Suhas Kumar rightly suggested that â€Å"Women must become active participants in the field of journalism and other fields of media to fulfill the all-round development of women directly and indirectly.only through their involvement in journalism women will be able to speak for themselvesand the issues relevant to them†. 8 Therefore it is necessary to appoint women as decision makers in the newspapers. Special training must be given to all editorial staff about the equality principle and the rights of women as human being. Conclusion: Male dominated newspaper industry is reluctant to give access to women journalists. Women journalists are not assigned to cover important issues. News related to women issues covered by male journalists cannot give justification to the issue. There are no guidelines for reservations for women in media jobs.Mere increases in number of women journalists cannot change the gender bias in media. Suggestions: At the end, this study concludes with some suggestions (a) There is need to recruit women journalists in proportion, giving them equal opportunity and access to work in media. (b) The important women’s issues must be rported by women journalist. (c) Special guidelines should be given to all the journalists about projecting positive and real image of woman, without any bias. (d) There should be a provision to punish guilty persons for portraying women as commodity in any advertisement, news, article etc. References 1. The Hindu online edition ,New Delhi, Jan,10, 2011.8 2. The Hindu online edition ,New Delhi, June,4 ,2008 3.Thakurta Paranjoy,Media Ethics : Truth, Fairness and Objectivity,Oxford

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Doublethink

are vague and cloudy as to the real issues at hand. Doublespeak has a way of making wrong seem right, and the bad seem good. The concept of doublespeak is related to ideology because it used by those in power to have maximum control over the public, while at the same time causing the most minimal amount of contriversy. Society would b... Free Essays on Doublethink Free Essays on Doublethink â€Å"Doublespeak† George Orwell’s concept of ‘doublethink’ refers to ones ability to accept at least two contradictory notions, and not experience cognitive dissonance. It has manifested itself in the English language as ‘Doublespeak’, a spoken and written language that conceals thoughts and truth without the writer or speaker being aware that it holds contradictions. The words considered ‘Doublespeak’ have an entirely different meaning than portrayed and comprehended. The terminology of ‘Doublespeak’ may be consciously used to deceive. One example of this concept would be the term war = murder for the peace of our country. Our media, government and army positively glorify horrible killings and bombardment. They claim that it’s necessary to maintain peace, when in actuality they are committing murder and plundering other countries without consent or warning. There are many other occurrences I have noticed in my own experiences. Another example of ‘Doublespeak’ is the word detained, which is used so frivolously by law enforcement personnel, media, and politicians. In reality, that word means stripped of your rights and freedom. In the news today, another phrase often heard is â€Å"sources say...† this phrase is very unclear and manipulative as to where this information is actually coming from. Use of doublespeak is easily seen and heard in political context. While listening to politicians talk, sometimes it seems like they have said nothing at all, and instead, have just ambiguously spoken around the proposed question or topic. It sometimes seems as if the words are vague and cloudy as to the real issues at hand. Doublespeak has a way of making wrong seem right, and the bad seem good. The concept of doublespeak is related to ideology because it used by those in power to have maximum control over the public, while at the same time causing the most minimal amount of contriversy. Society would b...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

3 Problems with In-Line Lists

3 Problems with In-Line Lists 3 Problems with In-Line Lists 3 Problems with In-Line Lists By Mark Nichol An in-line list, one located within a sentence rather than formatted vertically below an explanatory phrase, sentence, or paragraph, may present an obstacle to comprehension in the following ways. Each sentence represents a different type of error, and the discussion that follows each statement explains the problem and a revision resolves it. 1. Organizations must notify affected individuals of a data breach when a reasonable person would conclude that the unauthorized access to, disclosure or loss of the information would be likely to result in serious harm to the individual or individuals.   In this sentence, there should be three distinct phrases consisting of a noun followed by a preposition, but disclosure is bereft of the latter; either allow it to share one, or give it its own: â€Å"Organizations must notify affected individuals of a data breach when a reasonable person would conclude that the unauthorized access to or disclosure or loss of the information would be likely to result in serious harm to the individual or individuals†Ã‚  or â€Å"Organizations must notify affected individuals of a data breach when a reasonable person would conclude that the unauthorized access to, disclosure of, or loss of the information would be likely to result in serious harm to the individual or individuals.†Ã‚   2. Typically, the best companies: are customer-focused; understand their value proposition; develop powerful and distinctive messaging; and listen well and act to improve their processes, products, and customer experience continuously. No colon or other punctuation mark is necessarily to signal that an in-line list follows the subject of the sentence; it is redundant to the verb(s) it precedes: â€Å"Typically, the best companies are customer-focused; understand their value proposition; develop powerful and distinctive messaging; and listen well and act to improve their processes, products, and customer experience continuously.† This is true as well for vertical lists, unless the introductory wording constitutes an independent clause- compare â€Å"Typically, the best companies [vertical list follows]† and â€Å"Typically, the best companies demonstrate the following qualities: [vertical list follows].† Note, too, that with the latter format, the list items would have to be revised to be complete sentences or to not begin with a verb. 3. Its long list of supporters includes Kobe Bryant, swimmer Janet Evans, Venus and Serena Williams and other sports royalty. When the style a publication adheres to calls for omitting the serial comma in simple lists (â€Å"a, b and c†), the serial comma must still be employed on occasion to clarify organization when a compound list item occurs: â€Å"Its long list of supporters includes Kobe Bryant, swimmer Janet Evans, Venus and Serena Williams, and other sports royalty.† (This rule applies for list forms â€Å"a and b, c, and d,† â€Å"a, b and c, and d,† or â€Å"a, b, and c and d,† as well as â€Å"a and b, c and d, and e† and so on.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)16 Misquoted QuotationsKn- Words in English

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management - Assignment Example Processes responsible for managing a project, establishing reliability and regulation that can as well allow for accountability in project scope. Retrieval and dissemination of information is an important factor in management and hence management results records and deliberations, coming up with schedules are bent on time management. Concise follow up of these knowledge areas will benefit the project ensuring a success at the end especially in monitoring and evaluation. Project Work Breakdown Structure Part 2: Scope of the project The developers of this project need to put into consideration the various processes involved in the achievement of appropriate technological method to detect tsunamis in the future in Japan. Input such as obtaining capital and authentication to set up the project; carrying out information storage on the project resource expenses and use. Tools like expert critical analysis plus coming up with new ideas and improving them with the concerned team. Verdict of the experienced and knowledgeable personnel are considered. The team manager and its team must deliberate on the possible outcome; the ending of the project should culminate into the development of a deliverable that will meet the required detector. There must be a consideration of time limitations and possible solutions. Factors influencing the project These factors include the availability of human resource; that is, well trained personnel with competent skills in the technical skills and knowhow. Capital plus charter that will authenticate its implementation considering good will from the Japan government. Finally, knowledge areas such as project time management, information services, quality and/or risk and procurement management. Reasons for probable failure Lack of necessary skills, technical attributes and knowledge by the team manager and his/her team. There is a possibility that if the project manager and assigned team do not have vital competencies, skills and concerned ap praisals, then the technological approach targeted for this project may not prosper. The team needs to acquire necessary skills, appraisals and motivations plus right interpersonal skills and important team networking skills. Failure to define the probable risks such as undetected malfunctioning of the technology developed, unforeseen tsunami trends that could be undetectable. Insufficient information retrieval and dissemination may lead to misinformation and a division between project managers and the team. Communication is a vital component any process especially projects. Part 3 Lists of paths shown: B: 6, E: 3, G: 2 and H: 3 is the critical path. These paths may include: earliest path for project completion, Latest path for project completion, slack path for activities that lie in the critical path and subjective time estimate paths. Importance of critical paths According to Roberta R and Bernard WT (2006), critical path has various benefits to the project team. Critical path is a path that interlinks the vital activities of a project. It helps the management to focus on the tasks that fall along it and are critical towards the completion of a project; while helping management to identify which paths to shorten, it enable crash program in which project completion period may be reduced and hence lead to earlier finishing. In the network shown, critical path is B: 6,

Friday, November 1, 2019

Unionization in the United States Research Paper

Unionization in the United States - Research Paper Example The most vibrant unions in the United States are usually among the public sector workers including doctors, teachers, police etc. They often targets on issues relating to the agreement and right on wages and increment on wages or if management tends to violate the laws and agreement on the rights of employees according to the contract. History of unionization in the United States: As the United States very rapidly developed various inventions and innovations, so it developed quite fast. Soon the State had been converted from a mere agricultural to a big industrial state. This change in the United States awakened the need for more and more laborers to handle the industries. these laborers were those people who were usually looked down upon in the society and the strong and powerful employers would advantage from the condition of the poor laborers and therefore, would mistreat them and take extra work, beyond their physical capabilities. Therefore, this is how the labor unions started to form so as to stand against the management to give the required right of the co-worker. Moreover, there even was a wage-bargain issue and above all, the major issue which was considered by workers at that time was the prolonged work hours which would result in workers making endless and extremely tiring efforts. The labor unions in the United States started as a protest against the long working hours. The working hours would not at all be convenient and hence this fact was realized in the 19th century and a step towards a protest was taken in the 1820s. During this period, the workers combined together to form a team to reduce the work hours from 12 hours to 10 working hours. Legislation to these workers was granted in 1837. Formation of the first labor union in the United States: According to the Illinois labor History society, after imposing this law, even then the employers would take extra work and wrong advantage of their desperate workers. The workers were poor and quite weak in power as compared to their highly strengthened employers. They realized they could not do anything alone. Therefore the minor labor unions of small cities decided to combine with the labor unions of other cities as well and form a large labor union. This is how the first labor union came into being in 1886. The first labor union was named as the â€Å"National Labor Union† (NLU). Formation of other labor unions in the United States: The working hours had now been reduced to 10 hours from 12 hours. Even this decrease was not enough for them, so, in 1886, the Nation Labor Union campaigned to reduce the work hours to a more convenient, manageable and less tiring 8 work hours. Then onwards, now labor groups started to fo rm in that era. These new labor unions included: â€Å"Knights of Labor†. â€Å"American Federation of Labor† (AFL). The founder of American federation labor was Samuel Gompers. Devaluation of the labor unions and their protest against it: As the Industrial Revolution came into soaring mechanism, the requirement for laborers once more amplified. This period was also noticeable by mass colonization numbers, which enlarged the number of laborers in the labor group. This also caused the value of the individual worker to diminish. This was due to some of the laborers, who were unskilled or not deserving were allowed to be replaced by the hard working and the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The impact of the current economy on educational funding Research Paper

The impact of the current economy on educational funding - Research Paper Example , if such problems are not addressed as soon as possible, the labor force of the country would be affected as well, which simply contributes towards poor economic growth for the country once more (Hanushek & Kimko, 2000). According to Murnane et al. (2000), what is also disturbing is that there is a trend of poor performance levels churned out by students who are African-American or of Latino descent- both of whom make up a relatively large portion of the population in the United States. Smollin (2010) reveals that across the United States, several school districts are already preparing themselves for the drastic budget cuts implemented by the government. Recent periods have shown that the budget cuts have increased drastically, mimicking the case 50 years ago. The recession has indeed had direct effects on the local property taxes, as well as the levels of state funds. This has lead several school districts to resort to desperate means to save money. Examples include reducing programs that are garnered towards enriching the students’ extracurricular affairs as well as any other programs that cultivate their skills and knowledge outside the realm of the academy. Other measures include reducing class hours and also reducing the academic year. There are also some schools that have decided to close down. For several faculty members, eliminating certain school programs and even closing down schools have proved to be a difficult decision, but the most difficult de cision being brought about by insufficient funding would be the option of schools to lay off teachers. In an article released by the New York Times, Lewin & Dillon (2010) have written that school districts that resort to such a measure are those that have no choice. Most schools receive their source of income via local property taxes and the money from the state, both of which have been severely affected by the global recession. In California alone, school districts have actually issued pink slips to at

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Classical management theory and scientific management

Classical management theory and scientific management The Classical Management Theory is thought to have originated around the year 1900 and dominated management thinking into the 1920s, focusing on the efficiency of the work process. It has three schools of thinking: Scientific management, which looks at the best way to do a job; Bureaucratic management, which focuses on rules and procedures, hierarchy and clear division of labour; and Administrative management, which emphasises the flow of information within the organisation. Scientific Management Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) is known as the father of scientific management. His approach emphasised empirical research to increase organisational productivity by increasing the efficiency of the production process. In the United States especially, skilled labour was in short supply at the beginning of the twentieth century. The only way to expand productivity was to raise the efficiency of workers. Scientific management theory states that jobs should be designed so that each worker has a well-specified, well-controlled task and specific procedures and methods for each job must be strictly followed. Taylors management theory rests on a fundamental belief that managers are not only superior intellectually to the average employee, but that they have a positive duty to supervise staff and organise their work activities. Thus, it was only applied to low-level routine and repetitive tasks that could be managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles of scientific management: 1. A best methodology should be developed scientifically for each task. 2. Managers should select the best person to perform the task and ensure that the best training is given. 3. Managers are responsible for ensuring that the best person for the job does the job using the best methodology. 4. Remove all responsibility for the work method from the worker and give it to management. The worker is responsible only for the actual job performance. Taylor based his management system on production-line time studies. Using time study as his base, he broke down each job into its components and designed the quickest and best methods of performing each component. He also encouraged employers to pay more productive workers at a higher rate. Scientific management became very popular in the early part of this century as its application was shown to lead to improvements in efficiency and productivity. Advantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã‚ - Introduced a scientific approach to management. à ¢Ã‚ - Improved factory efficiency and productivity. à ¢Ã‚ - Used as a model upon which the creation of modern assembly lines was based on. à ¢Ã‚ - Allowed managers to reward workers for higher performance and productivity through the differential rate system. à ¢Ã‚ - Built a sense of co-operation between management and workers. Disadvantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Limited by its underlying assumption that workers were primarily motivated by economic and physical needs. It therefore overlooked the desire of workers for job satisfaction. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Led, in some cases, to the exploitation of workers and it has been often suggested that scientific management was at the centre of many strikes prevalent in those days. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Excluded the tasks of management in its application. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Instilled an authoritarian leadership approach. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Focused only on the internal operations of the organisation. Bureaucratic management Max Weber (1864-1920), known as the father of Modern Sociology, was the first person to use the term bureaucracy to describe a particular, and in his view superior, organisational form. He considered the ideal organisation to be a bureaucracy whose activities and objectives were rationally thought, whose divisions of labour were explicitly spelled out. He believed that technical competence should be emphasized and that performance evaluations should be made entirely on the basis of merit. Weber defined the key elements of a bureaucracy as: I. 1. A well defined hierarchy with a clear chain of command where higher positions have the authority to control the lower positions. II. 2. Division of labour and specialisation of skills, where each employee will have the necessary expertise and authority to complete a particular task. III. 3. Complete and accurate rules and regulations, in writing, to govern all activities, decisions and situations. IV. 4. Impersonal relationships between managers and employees, with clear statements of the rights and duties of personnel. V. 5. Technical competence is the basis for all decisions regarding recruitment, selection and promotion. Webers model of bureaucratic management advanced the formation of huge corporations such as ford. Bureaucratic Management Contributions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensured that the organisation would be operated and managed by qualified/high calibre personnel only. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed many organisations to efficiently perform routine organisational tasks through job specialisation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed management and employees to be more objective in their judgement and approach due to rules and procedures for doing specific tasks being clearly set. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Placed emphasis on job position, specialised employees and job continuity thus providing the organisation with long-term perspectives and quality employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Surpassed the loss of any employee or even of any manager due to the nature of job specialisation. Hence in such a bureaucracy, anyone can be replaced. Bureaucratic Management Limitations o Overwhelming concentration on authority discourages innovation and creativity; o Imposed a formal and structured chain of command which is not compatible with organisations that require flexibility and rapid decision-making. This is truer today where organisations are constantly faced with a turbulent external environment of increased competition. o the emphasis on impersonality and division of labour leads to boredom, dissatisfaction and discontent within the workforce o rules and procedures may become so important in their own right that there is a tendency to forget the underlying processes that they are meant to make more efficient. Administrative Management Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French industrialist and one of the most influential early management thinkers. Scientific Management was concerned with increasing the productivity of the shop floor. Classical Organisation Theory grew out of the need to find guidelines for managing such complex organisations as factories. An early attempt was pioneered by Fayol to identify the principles and skills that underlie effective management. He believed that sound management practice falls into certain patterns that can be identified and analysed. He focused on management, which he felt had been the most neglected of business operations. Based on his experience in management, he developed fourteen general principles of management: 1. Division of Work and specialisation to produce more work for less effort. 2. Authority to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3. Discipline and respect between a firm and its employees. 4. Unity of command where an employee receives orders from only one superior. 5. Unity of direction where there is only one central authority and one plan of action. 6. The general interest is superior to individual interests. 7. Remuneration is fair and provides satisfaction both to the employee and employer. 8. There is centralisation, where there is always one central authority. 9. There is a scalar chain, where a chain of authority exists from the highest level to the lowest ranks. 10. Order, where the right materials and people are in the right place for each activity. 11. Equity, kindliness and justice are seen throughout the organisation. 12. Stability and tenure of personnel to maintain a stable work force. 13. Initiative is encouraged to motivate employees. 14. Esprit de Corps is recognised as important, and teamwork is encouraged. Before Fayol, it was generally believed that managers are born, not made. Fayol insisted, however, that management was a skill like any other one that could be taught once its underlying principles were understood. Chester Barnard (1886-1961) developed the concepts of strategic planning and the Acceptance theory of Authority, which states that managers only have as much authority as their employees allow them to have. It suggests that authority flows downward, but depends upon acceptance by the subordinate. Barnard considered that the acceptance of authority depends on four conditions: 1) That the employee understands what the manager wants them to do. 2) That the employee is able to comply with the directive. 3) That the employee thinks that the directive is in line with organisational objectives. 4) That the employee does not think that the directive is contrary to their personal goals. Barnard believed that each person has a zone of indifference within which the individual will willingly accept orders without consciously questioning authority and that it is up to the organisation to broaden each employees zone of indifference. Advantages of Administrative Management o Viewed management as a profession which can be trained and developed. o Offered universal managerial guidelines. o Promoted communication between managers and employees. o Highlighted the needs of employees through the unity of command, unity of direction, equity, etc. o Encouraged employees to act on their own initiatives. Disadvantages of Administrative Management à ¢- ª Lacked consideration for organisations environmental, technological and personnel factors, due to the blind application of Fayols concepts. à ¢- ª Fayols recommendations are too experience-based and therefore not driven by formal research. Hence its concepts have not been tested. Although these schools, or theories, developed historical sequence, later ideas have not replaced earlier ones. Instead, each new school has tended to complement or coexist with previous ones. The ideas of classical theorists have many applications in the management of todays organizations although with some modifications. Many of the internal challenges faced by managers during earlier periods were similar to those faced by managers today. For example, Taylors concern for the productivity of employees is still shared by managers. Even today, the Scientific Management Theory is still relevant. While not as popular as in the past, this method of job design is still used. This sort of task-oriented optimization of work tasks is nearly ubiquitous today in industry, and has made most industrial work menial, repetitive, tedious and depressing; this can be noted, for instance, in assembly lines of car manufacturers and fast-food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC. McDonalds divides its com plete operation into a number of tasks such as supervising, cooking operations or operating a deep fryer and assigns people to carry out these tasks. The modern mass car assembly lines pour out finished products faster that Taylor could have ever imagined. In addition, its efficiency techniques have also been applied in the training of surgeons. Todays armies employ Scientific Management. Of the key points listed a standard method for performing each job, select workers with appropriate abilities for each job, training for standard task, planning work and eliminating interruptions and wage incentive for increase output all but wage incentives for increased output are used by modern military organizations. Wage incentives rather appear in the form of skill bonuses for enlistments. Furthermore, industrial engineers today are still taught the methods of Scientific Management including time and motion studies, job-tasks analysis, wage-incentive determination and detailed production planning with respect to the field of operation research and management. The Bureaucratic Management is still used in the USA by service-based organizations such as libraries. One concrete example where Fayols Bureaucratic Management ideas are still in use is at the Wichita State University Libraries. Bureaucracy is also still being used in the US Postal Service. In Mauritius, mass production lines and piece rate systems are used in the garment and manufacturing industries. Another industry where the Classical Management Theories are still in use is in the sea-food hub, more specifically at the Mauritius Tuna Processing Plant. Mauritius and its economy are at a pivotal point. The pace of change is exhilarating. That is why in his budget speech 2008-2009, Hon. Rama Sithanen, Minister of Finance pointed out the urgency for our economy to shift from the traditional pillars to a service-oriented economy and to a knowledge-based society. For instance, he advocated that the ICT sector must add to the pillars of the Mauritian economy. Business leaders expect ICT to have a greater impact on their business. The industries experiencing the greatest change are the technology, telecommunications and financial services. The Minister also stressed on the development of the SMEs as he formulated that in terms of job creation, new jobs will come mostly from small businesses and medium-sized companies. But since the formulation of the Classical Management Theories in the 18th century, the economic landscape has changed. Businesses do not exist in a vacuum. They are in fact open systems with constant and dynamic interaction with the environment. Todays business environment is global and highly competitive. Managers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of the business environment There are two aspects of the business environment, namely the internal and the external environment. The internal environment relates to those factors that the organisation can relatively control. These are the owners, employees, customers, suppliers, authorities and pressure groups. But the external environment that constitutes the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological) factors is relatively remote from what the organisation can control. Without the ability to analyse the strength and weaknesses of the internal and the opportunities and threats of the external environments, managers risk making decisions that are not in the best interest of the organisation. At the same time, worldwide concern about the natural environment has emerged. Current natural environmental concerns are pollution, climate changes, ozone depletion and other global issues like biodiversity, adequate water supplies, population and food security. As McDonalds concluded, todays managers have to be concerned not only with the scientific facts but with public perception. Todays business environment is characterized with changes, innovations and uncertainty. It is becoming more challenging amid global economic slowdown and turmoil in the financial sector. Businesses must at all cost adapt or die. Out of five businesses experiencing a disaster or extended outage, a) Two never re-open their doors. b) One of the remaining three will close within two years. The business environment is exceedingly tough and competitive. Competition is intensifying in many sectors. Technology is constantly creating new opportunities and threats. There are changes to the regulatory environment: the advent of the Equal Opportunities Act being a clear example. Customer tastes are also changing providing a moving target. Smart companies operating in highly competitive business environments are working very hard to improve efficiency and productivity, test high-yielding new initiatives, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Command and Control Management style (as stated in the Classical Management Theories) is effective in an environment where both change and competition are limited and there is plenty room for error (high profit margins). Such is not the case in the age of computing and communications. In todays business environment, things change very quickly and profit margins are reducing. In addition, more things are happening on a continuing basis. Because of the speed at which things are changing, it is important to push decision-making down in the organization to the level that has all of the information at the time when a decision must be made. This calls for very different management attitudes, it demands a democratic and flexible point of view and of course accountability must be delegated. All these are not present in the Classical Management Theories. Rapid change that is sweeping through every aspect of the business environment today prompts managers to rethink the ways they do things. Although the Classical Management model has evolved quite a bit, it is still geared to a rigid structure and command-and-control mentality. This model was well tailored to an environment where change was slow and evolutionary rather than rapid and revolutionary. It helped organise processes and foster a sense of accountability, order and discipline. What it lacks is flexibility, making the organisation irresponsive to continuous internal and external environment changes. We have reached a limit to what can be accomplished using the Classical Management approaches. But by changing the way managers do things, that constraint can be removed. This is not to say that the basics of Classical Management should be ignored, but they are just not enough to get the job done in todays business environment. Although Classical Management Theories are quite useful in the early stages of economic development, they are not an adequate explanation of how to administer organisations in a complex, developed society. When it comes to seeking cost, efficiency, productivity and profitability improvements, the Classical Management Theories have a limited field of action. Managers need to get used to the idea that what worked yesterday wont tomorrow. They need to work on tomorrow today. When the business environment becomes more challenging, it is actually an opportune time for managers to think about ways to reinvent their business. We find that new managers are willing to investigate innovative solutions to business problems because they are unhampered by the limitations of tools and methods of the past. It is not so much that established managers are not willing to change; it has more to do with that fact that they are using methods that were designed for different circumstances. And they worked . So, established managers have to be prepared to discard something that has been effective for them. Managers need to use todays tools to solve todays problems. They must be willing to learn about new ways of doing things. To compete successfully in the global arena, managers must now act as entrepreneurs and create new business models rethink, re-plan, strategize, innovate and learn continuously. Innovation is the most important source for organisations to gain competitive advantage, and advanced innovation management is critical to a businesss sustainable development. Classical Management theories cant catch up with the dramatic changes of the business environment. Once-reliable guides for managerial actions no longer exist. In an environment virtually bereft of the old rules of conducting business, there is no safety net. Every process, procedure, rule of thumb and standard ratio is being challenged, re-engineered and morphed into a new form. This fundamental change has brought a daunting new reality to the challenge of growing and managing business. Conclusion Today, organizations are mostly influenced by the external environment (fierce market share competition, continuous technology change, globalisation, hiring and retaining qualified executives and front line workers) that often fluctuate over time. Yet Classical Management Theories present an image of an organisation that is not shaped by external influences. Classical Management Theories are now gradually fading for the principal reason that people and their needs are considered by Classical theorists as secondary to the needs of the organisation. Nowadays, The Scientific approach is very seriously challenged by Human Resource Management. Furthermore, The Bureaucratic Management is fast giving way to the Matrix Structure in organisations. However, Classical Management theories are important because they introduced the concept of management as a subject for intellectual analysis and provided a basis of ideas that have been developed by subsequent schools of management thought.

Friday, October 25, 2019

From the journal of Edna Krouner :: Edna Krouner Journal short story

From the journal of Edna Krouner On September 17th, 1908, at the brisk hour of 6:30 a.m., Miss Edna Krouner of Wakefield Rhode Island boarded a train for Poughkeepsie, New York.. About to begin her sophomore year at Vassar college, Edna flirted with two central questions: How quickly could she fall back asleep, and would anyone notice the snag she had just made in her new grey skirt? The confident thunk of heavy luggage settles Edna into the train compartment. A small, exasperated groan issues from her round mouth. Edna was the type of girl who thought women should groan in public if they wished, only maybe in a more polite and refined fashion than those Yale boys she had to dance with on football weekends. Coat and baggage successfully arranged in the seat, Edna waits for the sharp, familiar shock of the whistle, the loud lurching of the wheel’s first revolutions, and then, the steady calm of motion through the hazy New England morning. Stretching into her train compartment, Edna wonders if maybe Muriel would arrive this morning, and then the two of them could walk downtown to "purchase furnishings and sundries" for their rooms, returning to a party of picture hanging and new gossip. "If only we didn't have to go to that wretched chapel all the time!" , Edna writes in her journal. A journal, mind you, not a diary. Diaries might do for flighty girls, but as a young lady off to college, Edna was determined to write in a journal. Thinking of chapel, Edna groans again. She knew that as soon as a cozy crowd had assembled in her room, they would all be called to procession. Besides, chapel only served to "keep us quiet and bored for a set period each day". As Edna writes many times, the simple fact persists that "chapel is stupid" annoyance suprs her eyes to wander, and Edna glances out the window to realize that the Hudson forms a smaller ribbon now, a fainter, delicate version of itself as the train clacks and clings aw ay, soothing her into the curl of almost sleeping. Edna had stayed last night with her cousin Anna in Palisades Park before heading on to Poughkeepisie. They talked in Anna's room until 1 in the morning, pondering "deep and exciting issues of the day", to quote Edna’s journal once again.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Death of a Salesman Essay

An essay on the use of dashes in Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman The dash is a handy device, informal and essentially playful, telling you that you’re about to take off on a different tack but still in some way connected with the present course – only you have to remember that the dash is there, and either put a second dash at the end of the notion to let the reader know that he’s back on course, or else end the sentence, as here, with a period. __ Lewis Thomas How does a writer – a good writer – convey epiphanies exactly so that it’s grammatically appropriate for – eureka! – a dash is used – placed just so – to convey, establish – a mood, feeling, tone – a character feels – whilst saying a line, monologue – even an exclamation – wherein characters experience a lot of feeling and – dominance is implied when a line is ended by a dash – interruption in short – by another character – allowing the reader to see – feel – the personality – traits, characteristics – of a character subtlety. This simple line – the dash – is a many faceted gem – a treasure – that can be used to highlight many ideas – key terms – certain events jump off the page because of the use of a dash – rather than an ellipsis – causes a noticeable break – a sharp break – unlike that of an ellipsis – which immediately gives off the impression of abruptness – just as it appears visually – a sharp-edged line in the center of a line that breaks the fluidity of words – just as the dash in a sentence breaks the flow of thought or conversation. Dashes – menial as they are – give substance to a pause, break – charging it with emotion and meaning – no number of words could do the same. Although dashes may seem like a punctuation mark so rarely used, it is an integral tool in writing conversations. The dash represents a discontinuation of an intended statement – a visual representation of the abruptly derailed trail of a train of thought – allows the writer to interrupt characters – as is normal in an average conversation – like most of Linda and Willy’s conversations. Linda’s lines are often ended by a dash – interrupted by another speaker – subtlety informing the reader of Linda’s subservient personality. The dashes imply the abruptness of Willy’s interruptions – thereby insinuating that he doesn’t listen to her – including times when she expresses her adoration for him – clarifying that Willy’s view – behavior – towards Linda is rather poor- which in turn personifies Willy’s personality. â€Å"Linda: You are, Willy. The handsomest man. You’ve got no reason to feel that- Willy: I’ll make it all up to you, Linda, I’ll- Linda: There’s nothing to make up, dear. You’re doing fine, better than- Willy: What’s that? Linda: Just mending my stockings. They’re so expensive- Willy: I won’t have you mending socks in this house! Now throw them out! † (Page 39) This whole conversation establishes the relationship between Willy and Linda – Willy being the dominant – though insensible – one, while Linda is the subservient – although quite practical one – as well as giving insight to Willy’s guilt over the woman – all done with four appropriately placed dashes at the end of a character’s lines. However, dashes are not only useful at the end of lines but in the midst of a sentence as well. Just as the dash on the page is a break from the stream of words – a break in the voice is represented by a dash on the page. Thus, when a character is overcome by emotions, a dash is placed in the proper place in the sentence’s structure and a feeling of overwhelming portions is conveyed to the reader. In a tragic play such as Death of a Salesman, the proper use of the dash is essential to establish certain key conversations – and the significance of the feelings of the character – and their significance in the overall meaning of the story line. Such a conversation is seen when Willy is affirmed of Biff’s love (Page 133) – where there was placed four dashes upon the page – in the span of the conversation – each of which insinuates a great deal of emotion. It is these emotions that help build the tragedy in the story line – characterizing Willy and Biff in the process. When Biff tells his mom – or whoever it is he is speaking to – to put Willy to bed – â€Å"Put him-put him to bed. † – the dash stresses the exhaustion that Biff feels – his inability to finish his sentence implies a deep caring for his father – an overwhelming emotion. It is the strength of this emotion that astonishes Willy and awakens Willy to the fact that Biff still loves him, and the following lines he says are also broken with dashes – so choked with love and boundless joy is he – â€Å"That boy-that boy is going to be magnificent! † (Page 133). These statements foreshadow Willy’s decision to kill himself for the sake of his sons – making an impact – greater or equal to that of – Willy’s statement on page 98 – where he states â€Å"After all highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. † Both statements imply that Willy is going to commit suicide, playing against each other. The quote on page 98 establishes that Willy was considering the option – the possibility – while the conversation with Ben – prior to Biff’s outburst – acknowledges the cause of Willy’s hesitance and indecisiveness – the effect the suicide would leave on Biff – the opinion that Biff would have of him afterward. Thus, when Willy is offered that which is all he really wants – his life as it was before, with a loving relationship with his Adonis son and the admiration that this son once had for him – through Biff’s compassionate voice and tears – Willy makes a definite choice as to what he intends to do – first seen in his line â€Å"That boy-that boy is going to be magnificent! † (Page 133). It is this line that resolves the inner conflict that Willy feels over Biff and over his lack of success – it is in this line that Willy decides to kill himself. Without the use of the dashes, the emotions would not have been conveyed to the reader appropriately – losing its power and significance in the overall storyline. Another significant line – dash – in the play – though not necessarily filled with emotion – begins Biff’s voyage into realization and truth. A dash can represent a hesitance – changing of mind – as to what must be said to convey the thoughts – and sometimes feelings – of the character. â€Å"I tell ya, Hap, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know-what I’m supposed to want. † The dash before â€Å"what I’m supposed to want,† allows the reader to realize that Biff’s restlessness and lack of success is not failure – not in the true sense of the word, for Biff would have to truly attempt – thus want – success in order to fail. Biff’s definition of success is different to that of his family’s and this makes him uneasy – insecure as to what his life really means. This dash allows the reader to acknowledge that Biff is at a loss of exact words to define what he means and the thoughts running through his head. It is this pause that changes the overall meaning of the sentence – without the pause, the sentence would pass over – unnoticed. The pause – dash – underlines Biff’s uncertainty which continues throughout the play – until Biff realizes the absurdity of his situation and awakens. The dash informs the reader that here lies Biff’s conflict – this dash is the resolution wherein the conflict is introduced. The dash – is the conflict. As a modern tragedy, Death of a Salesman is – when broken down – an informal play, thus the dash is the perfect punctuation for the certain situations -and sentences – that needed to be highlighted in the subconscious. The dash evokes an awareness that is subtle – sliding beneath our mind’s eye – to implant ideas – emotions and feelings – thereby creating importance to an event – or phrase. When a dash is used, it’s used to emphasize – and encourage analysis of – a phrase. The involuntary response to a dash should be curiosity – as to the purpose of this dash. A dash is not so easily used and is thus, so rarely seen. Therefore when a dash is used in writing – be it at the end of a line or in the midst of a sentence – â€Å"so attention must be paid†1! Bibliography: Arthur Miller (1949) Death of a Salesman Penguin Books USA Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA 1 Page 56 said by Linda. Jolene Kui September 6, 2002

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Sociological Approach to the Study of Religion

Outline and assess one of the main approaches to the study of religions. Religion and ‘The Study of Religions’ has many approaches which try to investigate the core of what religion is and what it means to the people who practice it. Sociology is one such approach that this essay will be looking at through its founding fathers Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx. Sociology in general looks at people’s dynamics and explains a group’s influence. It demonstrates how religious belief and practices have become so important over time and emphasises their role and significance throughout. Each of these three sociologists has a link to these ideas which will be the main thesis in this essay. Emile Durkheim looks at religion from a functionalist perspective in the sense that he assumes that religion has a positive role in society, as it acts as an important socialisation process for all members. The theory is largely based on the Arunta tribe in Australia, where he discovered objects worshipped which he calls ‘totems. ’ These totems according to him were an important factor in the society; seeing that the objects became a symbol of the group’s identity and unity. These objects he claims are â€Å"collective representation† (Fish, Jonathan S. 2005: 30) as they have reinforced the importance of integration into the community via the worshipped objects. The worshipped object have an emotional significance to them as the â€Å"totems serve as evocative device for reminding individuals of their initial feelings long after the assemblies† (Fish, Jonathan S. 2005:51) therefore evidently it becomes more about the idea and symbolism of the object rather than the object itself that unites all. Thus making the idea of rituals of greater significance as it generally binds people together which for Durkheim is always a positive thing. On the other hand, Durkheim does not offer a real explanation on why some deviate from such society’s e. g. Islamic fundamentalists such as the Taliban. Perhaps his theory generally works on a tribal base rather than bigger societies, where conflicts and divides are more common; in a smaller community less people are likely to go against the status quo. Moreover, to say that religion only plays a positive role is absurd. How can one explain the atrocities that occur on the name of religion for instance? For this reason I find Durkheim’s theory limiting as it does not look at all aspects of religion or religious life but merely draws a quick conclusion to it. Also according to this perspective religion instils the same norms and values for everyone, making it a regulatory function in society. Religion for Marx then becomes a form of social control which provides guidelines through religious texts e. g. 10 commandments. These norms which are shared gives people the opportunity to unite to what may be seen as morally incorrect or sinful. This can be vital in a society as it can allow social stability. Durkheim argument is plausible as there has been a significant rise in New Religious Movements. This evidently shows that people still require religion in their life. Moreover, the recent increase on religious fundamentalists can be a point that strengthens Durkheim argument as it can be evidence for people being threatened by a weakening society. Karl Marx similar to Durkheim starts with the assumption that religion is in fact a product of society. Importantly, however, he disagrees with Durkheim as he does not see religion as beneficial for the whole of society but argues it benefits only the ruling class or what he calls the ‘bourgeoisie’. Religion, according to Marx only transmits bourgeoisie ideologies to convince the working class or ‘proletariats’ that inequality is natural and fair phenomena in the world. Making religion as a whole a â€Å"collective smoke-screen† (Connolly, P. 1999:100) as it distorts reality which gives explanation for inequality as being of religious significance i. e. sin. For Marx this is the core idea behind religion making it a tool for oppression and a form of social control. Religion is claimed to be the â€Å"opium of the people† (Hamilton, Malcolm B 2001:81), making it a drug which is used by people as an illusion to hide or cover up the real causes of suffering, which for Marx is primarily capitalism. Capitalism covers up religion and manages to help the bourgeoisie greatly, as it becomes a â€Å"comforting illusion† (Hamilton, Malcolm B 2001:80) as the proletariats do not question the status quo due to their belief in getting a greater reward in the afterlife. Religion itself is used to justify hierarchy in the world, a verse in a hymn such as the following are used, â€Å"the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, god made them. Highly or lowly, and ordered their state†. This stresses Marx’s point that as it’s believed to be sanctioned by God it is unlikely to be challenged by anyone. The Marxists perspective generally makes many valid arguments which society can relate to even today. The idea of caste system is still relevant in many Hindu traditions (although generally frowned upon). Buddhism has the idea of karma meaning if you are a poor person in this life then it’s to do with your own bad karma in the previous life. Therefore Marxism is correct in this aspect, that religion is used in order to justify inequality. Another key piece of evidence for the Marxists perspective is the fact that the Catholic Church is arguably allowing the spread of aids due to its stance against contraception. As a result of this, there is a continuation of social deprivation especially in Africa which further illustrates that religion is generally used to keep social inequality. Marxism disagrees that religion can bring about social change, this, however can be disputed. This is mainly due to the fact religious leaders have challenged the status quo in order to bring about change in their societies. Two main examples being Father Camillo Torres Restrepo and Martin Luther King whose works brought about a vast amount of change to Colombia and America respectively. Evidently this contrasts to the Marxists view as it shows that religion can in fact bring about social change and consequently allow for equality. Personally, I feel that the Marxists view limits human nature as it assumes they will simply follow rather than stand up to injustice. More importantly sociology in general claims to work in an objective and scientific way but I cannot see how it is possible with Marxists ideas such as on the religion being a drug and comforting as these ideas are impossible to measure. Max Weber is regarded as a social action theorist due to his claim that religion can shape and define society. He argues that religion can indeed bring about social change; he bases his argument on a Christian group named the Calvinists whom according to him brought about a form of western capitalism. This form of â€Å"ascetic Protestantism† (Johnstone, Ronald L. 2004:196) allows for the growth of capitalism because of their belief on disciplined hard work which to them emphasised the Glory of God. This â€Å"spirit of capitalism† (Furseth, Inger and Pal Repstad 2006:36) did not allow for the accumulation of wealth but actually encouraged reinvestment back into the society according to Weber. The so called Protestant ethics approach leads him to believe that this led to social change as society turned to mass producing mechanised industries. Another way the Calvinist were able to bring about social change, was thorough the apprehension people had. Calvinists believed in predestination which led to the belief that having a good business or being successful could have indicated that you were one of God’s chosen people. This gives the perception that people were competing over heaven and failure was not an option for people. However, Weber does not limit the growth of capitalism to the Calvinist alone as he is aware of other factors. Weber’s argument must be treated with a degree of caution. Evidence suggests that Protestant nations were not always capitalistic and vice versa. Also many believe that Catholic countries were already flourishing before the breakaway from Catholicism occurred. The study of Religions deal with many wide and opposing issues some of which have been covered in this essay through the works of Durkheim, Marx and Weber. Although, each sociologist does give a good account of explaining the dynamics within a religious group but with each case a very simplistic and generalised view was given by the sociologist about religion. It is plausible to argue that religion brings people together through rituals but is it not a natural thing for people to unite whilst doing something together? In this view then perhaps anything can be said to have religious significance as long as it brings people together. Additionally, the idea of a greater reward in the afterlife is not the only justification given about inequality. In the greater sense inequality within religion can be about anything from the roles of men and women to dress code. Therefore once again this idea has been limited to it being about capitalism. Religion is said to be able to bring about social change which arguably is a factor but for it to be the only thing is for me far fetched. It is an inherent thing for people to fight when they are being wronged. It is about something within rather than it being about religion.