Gendered Differences in Conversation Style Essay

Gendered Differences in Conversation Style - Essay Example The essays, especially the one by Deborah Tannen, however, also reveal a tendency on the part of the authors to essentialize women in a way that would compromise feminist projects in the long run. The essay by Solnit focuses on the need that men feel for a certain brand of masculine exhibitionism. She argues that men feel the urge to do so with women as it helps stroke their ego. Debunking conventional myths regarding women, and men’s perceptions regarding them, she cites her own experiences as the reason for her writing the essay. She relates a story of a man she met at a party at Aspen talked to her at length about a book that he had only read a review of. The book turned out to be one that was authored by her and this put the man in a position that was embarrassing. What Solnit finds disturbing, however, is how she was led into believing in the existence of another book similar in the subject of discussion to hers, released around the same time. She locates the source of th is gullibility in the way in which en treat women in general and the gendered arrogance that provides them with a false sense of confidence while they speak to women as is seen in the reaction of the man- That I was indeed the author of the very important book it turned out he hadn't read, just read about in the New York Times Book Review a few months earlier, so confused the neat categories into which his world was sorted that he was stunned speechless (Solnit). This leads to a relationship of inequality, positions that make communication difficult, if not impossible. Theories that seek to explain sexual difference such as the Freudian one, also seek to place men in a position of superiority. The conversational style derives much from this perceived and false sense of superiority that men have, vis-a-vis women. This often leads them to talk to women in a manner that is suitable only for a conversation with children. This again pushes back the process of negotiation that is essentia l for any kind of relationship to exist between the two sexes (Solnit). Tannen’s essay deals with the problems that men and women face while dealing with their partners of the opposite sex. The essay looks at the basic differences in the ways in which men and women look at existence itself and how it affects the ways in which they converse. Men, Tannen argues, base their existences upon an urge to improve or maintain their statuses in the society, an attitude that differs from women who seek to build relationships of intimacy. Tannen refers to popular representations of marriage that reinforce the conversational styles that are adopted by the two sexes. The highly gendered modes of communication between these two sexes are based upon a lack of understanding between the two (Tannen). Such a lack of communication is based upon an inability to accept the ways in which the other thinks and reacts. She argues that this is a result of an unwillingness to accept the existence of ano ther perspective. She speaks of a situation where men are unwilling to respond to the needs of women during a conversation. As an example, she cites the example of her own parents. When my mother tells my father she doesn't feel well, he invariably offers to take her to the doctor. Invariably, she is disappointed with his reaction. Like many

The similarities in the feelings of males and females Essay Example for Free

The similarities in the feelings of males and females Essay The similarities in the feelings of males and females towards sexuality rest on the common external influences, especially socio-cultural factors (Greenberg, Bruess Conklin, 2007) that distinguish male and female sexuality. The common exposure to gender roles (Greenberg et al., 2007) creates a common feeling towards sexuality in terms of acceptance of their assigned roles when there is no strong alternative. Family expectations (Greenberg et al., 2007) also comprise a common influence on the feelings of males and females towards sexuality. The family structure, with close links to gender roles, operates to train males and females towards the appropriate attitudes and behavior for their respective genders. Males become breadwinners and females take on domestic responsibility. Ethnic norms (Greenberg et al., 2007) also determine the feelings of males and females towards sexuality in terms of adherence to their place and roles in the home and the wider community as part of their ethnic identity. Media influence (Greenberg et al., 2007) is a common influence on the attitudes of males and females towards sexuality expressed in socialization. The difference in the feelings of males and females towards sexuality depend on the internal factors, particularly biological and psychological factors (Greenberg et al., 2007). Both males and females experience similar exposure to socio-cultural factors but biological factors such as genetic chromosomes and sex hormones (Greenberg et al., 2007) account for differences in feelings toward sexuality. The predominance of testosterone in males accounts for greater tendencies towards aggression (Greenberg et al., 2007) relative to females. Biological developments also give rise to differences in physiological development that influence different drives and perspectives of sexuality. Concurrent psychological factors influence differences in emotions and mentality of males and females towards sexuality. The genders can bridge these differences by challenging socio-cultural factors that no longer or never reflected gender realities, exchanging feedback on their feelings towards sexuality, and negotiating change in perspectives. Reference Greenberg, J. S., Bruess, C. E., Conklin, S. C. (2007). Exploring the dimensions of human sexuality. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

The Dragon Enters the War :: essays research papers

The Dragon Enters the War In June 1950, a few months after the announcement of the Beijing-Moscow alliance, the Korean crisis erupted. Early in October, shortly after the South Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, the CCP made a final decision to enter the Korean War to fight the American-led international forces. What precipitated Beijing's decision to invade Korea? What were the CCP's motives and objectives in taking part in the Korean conflict ? What kind of role did the newly established Sino-Soviet alliance play in Beijing's decision to cross the Yalu River? This paper tries to answer those questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chinese ideogram for crisis is a combination of the ideograms for danger and opportunity. To the leaders of the People’s Republic of China, the Korean War was both. As the UN forces advanced north toward the Yalu, Beijing prepared for war. Mao still found the decision to go to war a difficult one, however, despite the pressure to intervene. Following the Inchon landings, Kim Il Sung had dispatched two of his top aides to Beijing and asked Mao for emergency help, but the Chinese were not ready to make any firm commitment. Stalin, following the landings, also pleaded with the Chinese to go to the aid of the North Koreans. According to Chinese sources, the Soviet leader promised to provide air cover for the Chinese troops and to send Russian troops in the event the Chinese army faltered. Still, Mao hesitated. Most disturbing to Mao, if the Chinese armies intervened and were pushed back would Stalin really send troops as promised in order to save China? Als o of concern, if China became involved in a war with the United States, China’s dependence on Stalin would inevitably grow, an unsavory thought to Mao. Finally, all hope of conquering Taiwan would vanish indefinitely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite his hesitance, step-by-step Mao moved closer to intervention. On October 1, Sdtalin telegraphed Mao and encouraged him to send â€Å"volunteer† Chinese soldiers into North Korea for the purpose of defending the area north of the 38th Parallel. On October 2, Mao directed the Chinese Politburo to pass a resolution to send these Chinese troops into North Korea, beginning on October 15. The same day, Mao cabled Stalin of China’s decision to send volunteers into Korea to â€Å"fight the United States and its lackey Syngman Rhee.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Chinese preparations for war accelerated, Mao refused to give the green light, perhaps held back by the reservations expressed by some of the other members of the Politburo.

Japan and Korea Essay -- History Historical Korea Japan Essays

Japan and Korea Did Japan modernize or exploit Korea? Scholars have debated this question with vigor throughout this century. I do not believe the answer is so black and white. While looking at the history of the colonization, evidence of both should appear. The word colonization alone generally means to move into another people’s land and exploit resources. However, positive results can appear during a negative situation. Regardless of what point of view an individual takes, there is no doubt that Japan has dramatically influenced Korea. This is common with most nations in the industrialization period or the modernization period. Think about it, every treaty endorsed between nations leads to policy change. The lessons learned from previous agreements, aid in creating new policies. Korea, suggested by Cummings, was a buffer zone between China and Japan. China acted as the big brother or role model for Korea. Culture, language values and society itself developed by free choices made by the Korean government. However, China was always ready to step in if Korea seemed to get to powerful or weak. Cummings makes this relationship sound as if everything was all right as long as Korea depended on the aid of China and respected China’s dominance of the region. Japan although at times respected China’s power believed that if Korea would consider themselves equal to China Japan could take the role of the regional superpower. Japan also, at times thought they were superior to both China and Japan and should incorporate them both into the Japanese empire and at times had been fairly successful in dong so. Many factors allowed the Japanese colonization of Korea. For one, Korea had adopted an isolationist philosophy early in its history. Cummings has said many times that when you landed in Korea the first question asked was â€Å"when are you leaving?† In addition, Korean tradition did not place a high value on trade. Cummings went on to say that Korea was the only place that when a profit was made, it was not a joyous occasion. Do not be misled by that statement that would leave one to think that Korean people were inferior and should be exploited, for I do not believe that at all. The Confucianism heritage did not believe in profit. However, equitability was not forbiddened. Such led to the tributary and cultural exchanges between Korea and China. These beliefs... ...er Japanese control, as well as to keep Korea profitable for Japan. Did Japan modernize Korea? No. Did the Japanese aid in the beginning of Korea’s industrialization period? Yes, the infrastructure and technology forced upon Korea definitely gave the Korean people a foundation to industrialization. The problem I have in saying that Japan modernized Korea is that modernization in general has a positive connotation. I do not want to become a victim to the cliches of one race blaming another for certain hardships. However, I propose this question, Did the Japanese occupation lead to positive modernization of Korea or the divisiveness that has haunted Korea for almost fifty years? I will not say that if Japan did not invade Korea that Korea would be unified today, or am I willing to say that another country would not have tried to colonize Korea. I do believe that Korea when their society was ready would have mobilized themselves to become an industrialized nation. I also believe that when they would have come to that point that they would have enjoyed the same type of success in growth rate that was present from the late 1960’s. The only difference is when would Korea start.

Curley’s Wife Essay

Curley’s wife presented in a complicated way.. She is ambiguous in some sense. Dangerous: ‘both men glanced up for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. ’ ‘She had full rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. ’ Red, foreshadowing danger. Vulnerable: ‘heavily made up. ’ Insecure. Hiding domestic violence. Mysterious. Outlet for feelings, only thing she has control over. Wants attention because she is neglected by Curley. ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella. ’ She is a possession to Curley. She puts her hands behind her back leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forwards. ’ She is acting provocatively towards George and Lennie because she thinks that she can het their attention that she is lacking from her marriage. She closes off after she gets some attention from people especially Lennie because this is not what she wanted. She ‘looks at her fingernails’ which shows that she is not interested. She is commented in a derogatory way by the men. Steinbeck wants to teach people that we shouldn’t judge women. They think that she is immature and irresponsible. She is presented as spiteful and ungrateful in the middle of the novella by the way she treated other minor characters such as the black guy. ‘A bunch of bindlestiffs-a nigger an’ a dum-dum and lousy ol’ sheep. She is annoyed at how she is being treated by the other minor characters which lead her to this outbreak. She is worked up because she discriminates crooks by what she immediately sees. She repeats ‘and’ and this fractures her sentences. Curley’s neglected lead to her ability to act rational being affected. Exasperated and anguished by her own self because she likes talking to people. Women were treated worse than lowly ranch workers. Desperate and lonely way. Also relies on the American dream because she goes on multiple times about her dream to be a singer. She likes to be in the spotlight. Tumbled suggests that she is overwhelmed at the attention she is receiving from Lennie. Flowing out, hurried for her story to be heard. Afraid of Lennie neglecting her like Curley did. Curley’s wife is demanding and childish. She has restrictions from her husband. Acting like a child and questioning why. Confiding in Lennie because he has a low IQ level which means that he cannot tell everyone her secrets, hopes and dreams. When she dies she is presented in an innocent way. Her hair looks like a halo around her head. And she looks like an angel. This could suggest that people were recognised as important after they have died not when they are alive. Vulnerable because she is stripped of her make up. She has finally found peace and her pain was gone from her face. Makes us feel guilty about our assumptions on her. She questions people to start off a conversation; it is also a way to show that she wants answers. She is also insecure about who she can trust so she questions them to see if they are telling the truth. However, she will get defensive in the middle of the conversation when they have lied to her. Therefore, she uses sentences that do not make sense and exclamations. Juxtapositions in a paragraph could represent Curley’s wife’s ambiguous nature and her complex characteristics. Of Mice and Men is not kind in its portrayal of women. In fact, women are treated with contempt throughout the course of the book. Steinbeck generally depicts women as troublemakers who bring ruin on men and drive them mad. Curley’s wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendency—Curley’s already bad temper has only worsened since their wedding. Aside from wearisome wives, Of Mice and Men offers limited, rather misogynistic, descriptions of women who are either dead maternal figures or prostitutes. Despite Steinbeck’s rendering, Curley’s wife emerges as a relatively complex and interesting character. Although her purpose is rather simple in the book’s opening pages—she is the â€Å"tramp,† â€Å"tart,† and â€Å"bitch† that threatens to destroy male happiness and longevity—her appearances later in the novella become more complex. When she confronts Lennie, Candy, and Crooks in the stable, she admits to feeling a kind of shameless dissatisfaction with her life. Her vulnerability at this moment and later—when she admits to Lennie her dream of becoming a movie star—makes her utterly human and much more interesting than the stereotypical vixen in fancy red shoes. However, it also reinforces the novella’s grim worldview. In her moment of greatest vulnerability, Curley’s wife seeks out even greater weaknesses in others, preying upon Lennie’s mental handicap, Candy’s debilitating age, and the color of Crooks’s skin in order to steel herself against harm. Women had a profound sense of loneliness and they desire a friend or a companion. However, women like Curley’s wife will settle for an attentive ear from a stranger. Women were often unhappily married to help escape from the great depression in the USA. They were rendered helpless by their isolation and even at their weakest will seek to destroy those who were weaker. Oppression does not come from those who are strong or powerful but those who are also suffering. Strength is born from those who are weak and at their weakest. The American dream is impossible especially at the time of when of mice and men were set because this was the time of the great depression and the dust bowl where farmers were out of work and suffering. Therefore, Curley’s wife abandons her American dream and marries Curley for financial security. Women are not referred to by their names but by a pronoun. It shows that they are seen as mere possessions and not even real human beings. They are insignificant and inferior to others therefore they have no name. Curley’s wife is not given a name to represent the status of women in the 1930s. They were ranked as low as Black people such as crooks who is also not given a name. Alternative: Portrayal of women in of mice and men is unflattering and limited from the point of view of men. Women don’t have a place in the author’s vision of the world which was surrounded by bonds of men. Women are unimportant, thus they are portrayed in a negative light. Steinbeck: He was a feminist who helped raise the profile of women and their role in the 1930s. He also disagreed with the way women were treated because in the end he reveals the true nature of her and how she was not a bad person all along. He has also made Curley’s wife a complex character to teach readers of the 1930s that women also had feelings and were also as complex as the men. It also makes her not seem like a one dimensional character. The book only assigns women with two lowly roles of housewives or prostitutes. Female sexuality is a trap to ensnare men and ruin their lives. Temptation to men that will lead them to their fall from perfection. For example, George and Lennie who had their lives ruined by Curley’s wife. All characters are nearly all disempowered by Curley’s wife who discriminates the men by their race, intelligence and age. When Curley’s wife speaks to Lennie, the reader is afraid for Lennie because they can sense something bad will happen. Curley’s wife is depicted in a different way when she is speaking to Lennie because before she was easily dismissed as a flirt with a temper and a manipulator. However, in the final moments before her death, Steinbeck presents his sole female character sympathetically. Her loneliness becomes the focus of this scene, as she admits that she too has an idea of paradise that circumstances have denied her. Curley’s wife seems to sense, like Crooks (who notes earlier that Lennie is a good man to talk to), that because Lennie doesn’t understand things, a person can say almost anything to him. She confesses her unhappiness in her marriage, her lonely life, and her broken dreams in â€Å"a passion of communication. † Unfortunately, she fails to see the danger in Lennie, and her attempt to console him for the loss of his puppy by letting him stroke her hair leads to her tragic death. One might take issue with Steinbeck’s description of her corpse, for only in her death does he grant her any semblance of virtue. Once she lies lifeless on the hay, Steinbeck writes that all the marks of an unhappy life have disappeared from her face, leaving her looking â€Å"pretty and simple . . . sweet and young. † The story has spent considerable time maligning women, and much has been made of their troublesome and seductive natures. It is disturbing, then, that Steinbeck seems to subtly imply that the only way for a woman to overcome that nature and restore her lost innocence is through death. Because Curley’s wife cannot bare her lonely soul to the men around her, the men persist in believing she is merely a â€Å"lousy tart. † This is due to misinterpretations by other characters. Her unattainable dreams make he seem human and the writer reiterates this through the innocence of her face in the time of her death. In sharing his vision of what it means to be human, Steinbeck touches on several themes: the nature of dreams, the nature of loneliness, man’s propensity for cruelty, powerlessness and economic injustices, and the uncertainty of the future.

Major Battles of World War 2

Major Battles of World War 2 There were numerous battles in World War II. Some of these battles lasted only days while others took months or years. Some of the battles were notable for the material losses such as tanks or aircraft carriers while others were notable for the number of human losses. Although this is not a comprehensive list of all battles of WWII, it is a list of the major battles of World War II. A note about the dates: Somewhat surprisingly, historians dont all agree on the exact dates of battles. For instance, some use the date that a city was surrounded while others prefer the date that major fighting commenced. For this list, I have used the dates that seemed the most agreed upon. 20 Major Battles of World War II Battles Dates Atlantic September 1939 - May 1945 Berlin April 16 - May 2, 1945 Britain July 10 - October 31, 1940 Bulge December 16, 1944 - January 25, 1945 El Alamein (First Battle) July 1-27, 1942 El Alamein (Second Battle) October 23 - November 4, 1942 Guadalcanal Campaign August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943 Iwo Jima February 19 - March 16, 1945 Kursk July 5 - August 23, 1943 Leningrad (Siege) September 8, 1941 - January 27, 1944 Leyte Gulf October 23-26, 1944 Midway June 3-6, 1942 Milne Bay August 25 - September 5, 1942 Normandy (including D-Day) June 6 - August 25, 1944 Okinawa April 1 - June 21, 1945 Operation Barbarossa June 22, 1941 - December 1941 Operation Torch November 8-10, 1942 Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 Philippine Sea June 19-20, 1944 Stalingrad August 21, 1942 - February 2, 1943

Free Essays on The Age Of Reform

The Age of Reform It is the historian Richard Hofstadter’s thesis that the leading themes of the Populist movement were: an idea of agrarian dominance, a concept of natural harmonies, the belief in a social class struggle, a fear of conspiracy, and anti-Semitism. The first major theme of the Populists was an idea of a golden age of farming growth. The party supported the Agrarian myth that a state with a healthy economy was dominated by an agricultural income. This archaic point of view caused the Populists to be nostalgic of the early years of the nineteenth century. This ideal made many partisans to believe in an effort to restore the United States to the economy that existed before the Industrial Revolution. The second major topic of the Populist Party was the belief of natural harmonies in the social class. To the Populist mind there wasn’t a conflict between the worker and the farmer. They believed that both groups had a fundamental value in the function of society. The Populists believed that, although there were many classes in American civilization, there were only two important divisions, the oppressed and the oppressors. Moreover, it was accepted that both the factory worker and farmer were the oppressed. The third dominant premise of the Populists was that there was a constant class struggle between the monetarily powered and the workers of America. Many believed that with the death of this â€Å"aristocracy† the problems of both the industrial worker and farmer would end. Since the old parties of the United States were those who put the oppressors in power, the Populists believed that the creation of a new, independent party was the only solution to the growing problem. Another belief of the Populist Party was that a conspiracy against the workers of the nation existed. Although they were not the only individuals who supported this fear, the Populists advocated most heavily the dread that a plot betw... Free Essays on The Age Of Reform Free Essays on The Age Of Reform The Age of Reform It is the historian Richard Hofstadter’s thesis that the leading themes of the Populist movement were: an idea of agrarian dominance, a concept of natural harmonies, the belief in a social class struggle, a fear of conspiracy, and anti-Semitism. The first major theme of the Populists was an idea of a golden age of farming growth. The party supported the Agrarian myth that a state with a healthy economy was dominated by an agricultural income. This archaic point of view caused the Populists to be nostalgic of the early years of the nineteenth century. This ideal made many partisans to believe in an effort to restore the United States to the economy that existed before the Industrial Revolution. The second major topic of the Populist Party was the belief of natural harmonies in the social class. To the Populist mind there wasn’t a conflict between the worker and the farmer. They believed that both groups had a fundamental value in the function of society. The Populists believed that, although there were many classes in American civilization, there were only two important divisions, the oppressed and the oppressors. Moreover, it was accepted that both the factory worker and farmer were the oppressed. The third dominant premise of the Populists was that there was a constant class struggle between the monetarily powered and the workers of America. Many believed that with the death of this â€Å"aristocracy† the problems of both the industrial worker and farmer would end. Since the old parties of the United States were those who put the oppressors in power, the Populists believed that the creation of a new, independent party was the only solution to the growing problem. Another belief of the Populist Party was that a conspiracy against the workers of the nation existed. Although they were not the only individuals who supported this fear, the Populists advocated most heavily the dread that a plot betw...

world hunger essays

world hunger essays Every day an estimated 24,000 people die from hunger or hunger related causes. Three-fourths of these deaths are children under the age of five. One may wonder how this can be living in a country were it seems so much food is wasted everyday. Food restaurants and grocery stores throw away food every night before closing. Many Americans waste food every day within their own homes. With so much "left over" food in American how is it that an estimated 800 million people around the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition?1 Well, first we must define the word hunger. Hunger, in this case, is not just the rumbling in ones stomach that most of us feel if we have not eaten for a few hours. For this purpose, hunger is defined as "a condition resulting from chronic under-consumption of food and/or nutritious food products. It may be precipitated by an inability to obtain sufficient quantities of food to eat or a failure to consume adequate quantities of nutritious food products, regardless of the ability to obtain sufficient food supplies."2 The problem of world hunger is not that there is not enough food produced in the world. "World production of grain alone is over 1.5 billion tons, enough to supply the entire world population with two pounds a day."3 This grain combined the current production of other foods such as meat, fruits, vegetables, and nuts is enough to provide each adult and child on earth 3000 calories a day which is what the average American consumes.4 Americans are not the only ones who waste food. People all over the world are doing the very same thing. And the though it seems that America has too much food, we Americans have hungry people living right here in our own country. The world hunger problem lies within the changing environmental conditions, population, and most of all, poverty. This paper will discuss the causes, effects and possible solutions of world hunger. There are three major cause...

First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

First World War - Essay Example However, the concept of Empire and Imperialism were strong driving factors for the First World War. The great powers of Europe wanted to expand and maintain their spheres of influence in Europe. The rise of nationalistic sentiments among the different ethnic populations led to the strengthening of imperial influence. For instance, Russia supported Serbia since both belong to the Slavic people. Being a foot soldier during this period of war can range from depressive to horrific. Since static trench warfare was the predominant strategy during this time, the soldiers on each side were either on the offensive or the defensive stance. It was usually a gruesome act for armies from each side to come out of the trenches for an offensive push just to be blasted by artillery or shredded by machine gun and rifle fire. Still, many soldiers were willing to do so out of either patriotic feelings or because of a great deal of imperial propaganda. Women took part in the war mainly as field medical aid or support units. The war ended with the defeat of the German and Austrian-Hungarian Empires against the British, American, and French. The Russians were forced out early from the war due to the rise of the Bolshevik communists. The Treaty of Versailles was passed to the humiliating detriment of both the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Both states lost their holdings and status as imperial powers, and their military capabilities reduced. The face of Europe changed after the First World War as the Balkan states that were under the Austro-Hungarian Empire became independent. Germany lost its imperial influence, while Russia became the Soviet Union after the communists took over the Tsarist

Information Sysytems Discussion Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Sysytems Discussion Question - Essay Example Also, information systems contain crucial data related to the organization, its employees and the consumers, which cannot be given into the hands of everybody. Only the authorized person should be allowed to manage the information system so that illegal access is controlled (Godara, 2009). 2. If you were setting up websites†¦ Management problems would include poor quality of content provided by the customer; trouble in getting logo and graphics from the client; dealing with a hard client who is never satisfied; payment problems; deadline issues; dealing with host companies; and, error reports from the customer. Dealing with the customer’s ever-changing requirements and developing a good communication platform are also big issues. Organization issues include creating and maintaining the right kind of organizational culture and attitudes; dealing with employee dissatisfaction and politics; coping with insufficient supply of resources; and, organizing project modules. Techno logy issues would include troublesome hardware; old versions of software; and, hardware and software incompatibility. 3.

Meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with Essay

Meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with little equity and poor quality existing housing - Essay Example ew of this need, there is a greater challenge in meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with little equity and poor quality existing housing. The Council has a plan of developing up to 365,600 houses by 2026 to address this problem having studied the current need and the population growth rate. In 2007, the UK government issued a policy statement on â€Å"Building a Greener Future† which envisioned the construction of zero carbon homes from 2016. The approach to zero carbon homes is based on the following key points: high energy efficiency, direct heat connection or minimal carbon reduction onsite and offsite solutions for countering other emissions. Birmingham City Council’s policy on housing regeneration and development finds its roots upon this reality. This calls for the development of housing plans that will ensure minimal environmental degradation. Buildings, according to government surveys, are responsible for up to 50% of UK’s carbon emissions and energy consumption with homes currently accounting for 27%. From these figures, it is beyond doubt that homes contribute significantly to global climate change. Energy consumption and carbon emission levels can significantly be reduced by making improvements to energy performance and utilisation in homes. This can also be reduced by installing efficient certified air conditioning systems in homes which should be regularly inspected to ensure they meet regulatory requirements. Heating water in tanks is known to greatly increase the amount of energy used in homes. Water heaters installed in homes should be instant (tankless) heaters as opposed to traditional heaters which have tanks. In general, families need to have awareness of how to use energy efficiently and by installing equipments which have automated control systems. During construction, design, and installation considerations must be taken into account. Only efficient models of heating equipments and energy consuming

What is the best free digital content we use today Essay

What is the best free digital content we use today - Essay Example Today, something magical and enchanting has overpowered the PowerPoint and is increasingly being made use of by students and mentors. It is Prezi – the free online software. Prezi is the best free digital content we use today. Prezi enables an individual to develop beautiful multimedia presentations. Instead of limiting the user to slides like the conventional PowerPoint, Prezi provides the user with a 3d canvas which the user can zoom in and zoom out as desired. As this is done, different themes, images and ideas are unveiled. For example, one may begin the discussion with the word â€Å"Apple†, and hide all information regarding it inside the alphabet â€Å"A†. Upon zooming in â€Å"A†, the hidden information can be accessed. Prezi also enables the user to store and save the presentation online. This eliminates the chances of the report getting lost when needed. Despite the multitude of options PowerPoint provides the users with, use of it today seems ou tdated. Carefully chosen color and background combinations in PowerPoint hardly interest the audience anymore. In these circumstances, Prezi comes with new features that are of huge interest not only to the audience, but also to the presenter. Their mutual interest raises attention that is the primary requisite of a good presentation and develops an atmosphere that is conducive for both teaching and learning.

East Asian Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

East Asian Community - Essay Example During the ASEAN summit held in Tokyo, Japan, the member nations of the ASEAN made an official proclamation declaring East Asian Community to be a major goal of ASEAN nations including China, Japan, and Korea. And on December 2005, the first East Asian summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The EAC will comprise China, Japan, Korea, ASEAN nations, additionally India, Australia and New Zealand are also invited to join. The agenda for the first East Asian Summit have to establish yet, so far the parties involved have limited themselves to hoping that EAS will create the basis for an East Asian Community based on "common values" and a "common identity." However, they have yet to define exactly what values and identity they have in mind. Such an approach does not give much reason to believe that East Asia is on the brink of some radical new master plan (Berkofsky 2005). But how will the emergence of East Asian Community mean to U.S. interest in the region How will it affect the U.S.-Asian relationship Is this an anti-American movement The Issues and Insights vol. 5 no.9 "The Emerging East Asian Community: Should Washington be concerned" by Ralph Cossa, Simon Ta, and Lee Chung-min discusses key issues relating to the emerging East Asian Community. Ralph Cossa wrote in the first chapter his argument from an American perspective. He believed that it is still too early to measure U.S. attitude towards East Asian Community since it is not yet properly defined. Even governance within the Asian communities has barely evolved. It is not even clear what East Asia is composed of. Cossa also believes that East Asian Community will have a long way to go, considering the Asian track record in APEC, ASEAN plus 3, and ARF. The ASEAN since 1967, historically been reluctant to delve into security maters, even among its own members, much less with it's extended dialogue partners. The U.S. sees ARF as ineffective also, Taiwan has not been permitted to join and China insertion that internal affairs is not to be an agenda despite their obvious regional implication. The Asian avoidance of internal affair issues also placed some important topics off limits. However, APEC provided the U.S. a good venue for promotion of free trade and fight for terr orism, but ARF remains inserted to talk rather than actually helping. U.S. attitude will depend on how EAC will evolve and how it will interact with Washington. The U.S. will welcome a pro-active ASEAN that emphasize on security cooperation and joint approaches to security challenges. Washington is also wary of China to gain control in shaping the agenda, the role which is played by ASEAN today. Another issue is whether EAC will support or supplement advance broader dialogue or will it used as excused for inaction and any effort to diminish U.S. influence in the region. Will EAC reinforce or dilute counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation is another agenda for the Washington. Moreover, U.S. is interested in the EAC criteria for membership, mission, objectives, and priorities. Cossa also assert that it will be difficult for China, Japan and Korea to sit on one table and no one is sure what to do with North Korea.Simon Tay's argument on the other hand, analyzes the matter from an A sian point of view. His main assertion is that the regionalism sentiment in East Asia is neither an Anit-American movement nor a move to

What is the best free digital content we use today Essay

What is the best free digital content we use today - Essay Example Today, something magical and enchanting has overpowered the PowerPoint and is increasingly being made use of by students and mentors. It is Prezi – the free online software. Prezi is the best free digital content we use today. Prezi enables an individual to develop beautiful multimedia presentations. Instead of limiting the user to slides like the conventional PowerPoint, Prezi provides the user with a 3d canvas which the user can zoom in and zoom out as desired. As this is done, different themes, images and ideas are unveiled. For example, one may begin the discussion with the word â€Å"Apple†, and hide all information regarding it inside the alphabet â€Å"A†. Upon zooming in â€Å"A†, the hidden information can be accessed. Prezi also enables the user to store and save the presentation online. This eliminates the chances of the report getting lost when needed. Despite the multitude of options PowerPoint provides the users with, use of it today seems ou tdated. Carefully chosen color and background combinations in PowerPoint hardly interest the audience anymore. In these circumstances, Prezi comes with new features that are of huge interest not only to the audience, but also to the presenter. Their mutual interest raises attention that is the primary requisite of a good presentation and develops an atmosphere that is conducive for both teaching and learning.

Debate on Military Draft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Debate on Military Draft - Research Paper Example Debate on Military Draft The draft which was initially referred to as conscription was first instituted in the civil battle in an attempt to increase an adequate amount of troops to battle in the coming war in 1860. For the period of World War I, the draft was used to get more than four million young men into the service for the Allied cause. In 1940, again the draft was used to increase the number of service men by one and a half million. The Vietnam and Korean War saw the increase of compulsory service before being phased out, was not seen again until 1940, when the army's numbers jumped to nearly one and a half million soldiers. Presently, young men are must to sign up with Selective Service. Military service is a classic debate between duty to society and individual liberty. Arguments for the military draft From a political point of view, a military draft guarantees that there are adequate soldiers to actually battle in whichever wars that are being fought. Where several countries are at war automatically means that more soldiers are injured or die and they need to be replaced. The United States of America has been involved in the Afghan and Iraqi wars for several years now; most of the tax payers’ money has been spent. Americans have seen greater than before rates of limb loss, distressing brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. If there was no draft it would mean that the government will have to spend more money to recruit more soldiers and pay them just like the professional soldiers (Bades et al. 817). The military is a dignified profession and a large number of people choose to serve at the country for varied reasons. Some people join the forces at it is a family tradition while others do so as have fewer options when it comes to socioeconomic explanations in life (Ruschmann 772). Exclusive of a draft, Americans are left in a immense and risky luxury as they are able to able to dispatch war fighting to a largely secluded force of courageous volunteers. Consequently, most of Americans have little express relationship with the military. A draft for young people who attain a definite age achieves a number of things. First, it clearly provides the nation with a secure supply of skilled soldiers in case they are urgently required to protect their country against their enemies. The military draft will gives the youth a high level of obedience which, optimistically, will translate finally into self-discipline (Carper 495). If these young people are correctly assessed and trained, this phase of compulsory service can assist them to make a decision on what they want to accomplish in their lives by giving them a hands-on experience in a range of fields of know-how. On top of that, universal drafts will convene young people together from differe nt backgrounds. This passage of educational, social, financial obstacle is increasingly becoming more intricate and extraordinary in American culture. However, since not all every young person is suited to military service, it is imperative that an alternative of supplementary kinds of public service be open to those who need it. Some can argue out that compulsory service

Intellectual thought Essay Example for Free

Intellectual thought Essay An intellectual is a person who primarily uses intelligence in either a professional or an individual capacity. As a substantive or adjective, it refers to the work product of such persons, to the so-called life of the mind generally, or to an aspect of something where learning, erudition, and informed and critical thinking are the focus, as in the intellectual level of the discourse on the matter was not high. Jacques Barzun, a French-American intellectual.  The intellectual is a specific variety of the intelligent, which unlike the general property, is strictly associated with reason and thinking. Many everyday roles require the application of intelligence to skills that may have a psychomotor component, for example, in the fields of medicine, sport or the arts, but these do not necessarily involve the practitioner in the world of ideas. The distinctive quality of the intellectual person is that the mental skills, which he or she demonstrates, are not simply intelligent, but even more, they focus on thinking about the abstract, philosophical and esoteric aspects of human inquiry and the value of their thinking. Traditionally, the scholarly and the intellectual classes were closely identified; however, while intellectuals need not necessarily be actively involved in scholarship, they often have an academic background and will typically have an association with a profession. More broadly, any work of the mind may be termed intellectual property, whether or not its content is intellectual in the sense covered in this article. Intellectuals include not only philosophers, interested in epistemology, but also others in the arts and sciences, plus the humanities, with no boundaries as to fields of study.

Tristram Shandy: Postmodern texts

Tristram Shandy: Postmodern texts Does Tristram Shandy demonstrate that there can be postmodern texts before Postmodernism? Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy dominated the London literary marketplace during its serial publication from 1759-1767.   Like his contemporary writers, Sterne engages in debates concerning what we would now regard as the disciplinary boundary between literature and philosophy which has established its canonical status as a work of postmodern fiction.   It is difficult to ascribe, as many scholars have, to Tristram Shandy the title of ‘postmodern’.   To characterize this novel through a future literary movement which defines itself through the rejection of the principles of the previous movement is incongruous.   How can a novel which precedes postmodernism by over a century and a half reflect the cultural and political formations which sparked the movement itself?   However, Tristram Shandy does contain fictional and narrative elements which clearly invite comparison with the fiction of the postmodern movement. Born into the Augustan Age, Sterne’s discordant writing makes him seem out of place in his own era   Differing drastically from the contemporary imaginative literature of Defoe, Richardson and Fielding and the philosophical writing of Johnson, Tristram Shandy has been explained by critics as an example of ‘process writing’, a text presented in the very act of creation and change.   This analysis can be applied to Sterne himself; moving away from the Augustan poets and the sentimental writers, Sterne’s writing is termed postmodern because it is a rejection of realism, turning from the objectivity of external truth to examine inner states of consciousness.   Sterne’s novel clearly exhibits the postmodernist theory of metafiction, in which the writing self-consciously points to itself as an object in order to question the relationship between reality and fiction.   Sterne was certainly not alone in critiquing methods of narrative construction an d exploring the fictionality of the external world, but what sets Tristram Shandy apart from its contemporary fiction is the use of language as an arbitrary system.   The elements of Tristram Shandy which inspire comparisons with the postmodernist movement are clear: questioning the relationship between text and the self, and an argument for the constitutive power of language.   Postmodern scholars question the fundamental representation of identity and history itself, that is, history as what ‘really’ happened as opposed to history as an objective ‘narrative’ of what happened.   Sterne has a clear understanding of how some element of self-definition and identification is involved in the fictional writing process, and freely admits the element of autobiography in his writing.   ‘Tis †¦ a picture of myself’ he tells David Garrick in regards to Tristram Shandy (Letters 87).   The autobiographical element in Sterne’s writing suggests multiple definitions of the same reality, which depend upon perspectives rather than objective truth.   This comes across as a convoluted and fragmented narrat ive that confuses fiction and reality, narrative and truth. Tristram himself says of his father’s masterpiece, the Trista-paedia, ‘My father spun his, every thread of it, out of his own brain, or reeled and cross-twisted what all other spinners and spinster had spun before him’ (Sterne 93).   Sterne, like his character Tristram, spins his own narrative in an intricate and complex web, so convoluted and transparent that it is difficult to tell where it ends and he begins. Tristram Shandy clearly embodies this ambiguity between reality and representation through language.   James Swearingen writes that in Tristram Shandy ‘language does not just facilitate communication: it establishes the phenomenal horizon in which speakers and things spoken about are constituted’(Swearingten 117).   Tristram constructs his biography through textual language, which reveals itself to be an ambiguous rather than a concrete medium.   He admits that he is better associated with the text itself than the subject to which it refers.   Tristram’s escape from his inevitable death is described as a journey in which ‘life follows the pen’ (Sterne 754).   Once again returning to the autobiographical element of Sterne’s writing, if Tristram’s journey follows the pen, then he, like Sterne, is creating and documenting his own existence, shaping his narrative according to his liking rather than according to objective truth. At the same time that Sterne celebrates the constructive power of language, he reveals its ultimate failure.   Sterne was ‘concerned almost exclusively with the problem of communication among men’ wrote John Traugott, illuminating both the genius and failure of Sterne’s text.   When words fail, as they sooner or later do, communication becomes the business of sensibility.   ‘My uncle Toby looked brisk at the sound of the word siege, but could make neither head nor tail of it’ (Sterne 312).   Traugott concludes that Tristram Shandy seeks to re-establish a community where reason, in the form of language, threatens to destroy it (Traugott 15).   Rather than basing a notion of community upon concrete notions of order and hierarchy, the Shandy world is built on the unstable base of subjectivity.   ‘In Sterne’s world, each individual consciousness establishes itself at the centre of a universe of feeling and ignores any such thing a s objective reality, until the subject of Tristram Shandy finally seems to be the nature of fiction itself’ (Byrd 59).   Virginia Woolf has noted Sterne’s unexpected prose as a means of exploring a materialist critique of the conventions of the novel itself.   The jerky, disconnected sentences are as rapid and it would seem as little under control as the phases that fall from the lips of a brilliant talker †¦ The order of the ideas, their suddenness and irrelevancy, is more true to life than to literature †¦ Under the influence of this extraordinary style the book becomes semi-transparent.   The usual ceremonies and conventions which keep the reader and writer at arm’s length disappear (Woolf 79) Stylistically, Sterne’s novel deconstructs the narrative and linguistic form of the novel in favour of multiplicity and ambiguity. Indeed, the author’s preface is found in volume three, chapters are disordered, and symbols and blank pages are found throughout the book.   Playing with novelistic conventions, Sterne draws attention to the instability of the written form itself, paralleling the ambiguity of the text with the ambiguity of the self. Sterne uses reflection to expose the constructedness of his narrative, encouraging the reading to approach it not as subjective truth but as an aesthetic.   This is clearly apparent in the treatment of various forms of madness within the novel.   Madness figures prominently in Tristram Shandy.   The metaphor of madness appears in many critical discussion of the novel because helps to underscore the link between Sterne and his contemporary Augustan satirists, for whom the classical idea of madness as supernatural inspiration is missing.   Indeed, Sterne seems to anticipate the Romantic poets who, by contrast, represent madness as a sign of alienation, in which the faculty of imagination is the source of anxiety rather than creative freedom. In Tristram Shandy many kinds of madness are manifest.   Characters such as Toby and Walter serve simply as the necessary comic eccentricity, similar to the figure of Yorick to whom Tristram refers throughout his story.   Tristram, howe ver, cites John Locke as an explanation of why ‘my poor mother could never hear the †¦ clock wound up, but the thoughts of some other things unavoidably popped into her head’ (Sterne 39).   The ‘sort of unreasonableness’ which Locke describes is, ironically, the driving force behind Tristram’s unorderly pattern of narration.   Tristram clearly expresses Sterne’s own narrative technique: ‘By this contrivance the machinery of my work is of a species by itself; two contrary motions are introduced into it, and reconciled, which were thought to be at variance with each other.   In a word, my work is digressive, and it is progressive too, -and at the same time’ (Sterne 95).   Sterne questions what it means to live in a world in which the boundaries of the self and the body politic are redefined.   Challenging the conventions of body narrative form and philosophical notions of the self, Sterne questions, ‘is a man t o follow rules or rules to follow him?’ (Sterne, 583) One bibliographer described Tristram Shandy as ‘postmodernist in every sense except the moment in which it was written,’ and most critics have agreed.   However, despite the similarities between Sterne’s own engagement with philosophical and literary critique in his novel, it is impossible to call Tristram Shandy a postmodernist text, if purely for semantic reasons.   It is tempting to explain instances of extraordinary forms of artistic and critical reflection with the tools of the present, but this is a fallacy.   Sterne’s novel engages with the epistemological, philosophical and literary crises of his time, and cannot possibly be explained with a theory born out of the crises of the twentieth century.   As Tristram’s mother exclaimed, ‘L—d! †¦ what is all this story about? –‘ It is, and will remain, ‘A COCK and a BULL, †¦ And one of the best of its kind, I ever heard’ (Sterne 615). Works Cited Byrd, M. (1985) Tristram Shandy London: George Allen Unwin. Swearingen, J. (1977) Reflexivity in Tristram Shandy: An Essay in Phenomenological Criticism New Haven: Yale University Press. Sterne, L. (1967) The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, London: Penguin Classics. -(1775) Letters to his Friends on Various Occasions, London. Traugott, J. (1954) Tristram Shandys World: Sternes Philosophical Rhetoric. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press. Woolf, V. (1932) The Common Reader: Second Series. London: Hogarth Press.

Hannibal :: essays papers

Hannibal Twenty-two centuries ago there lived a man named Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar Barca a Carthaginian. Hamilcar was a general in the Carthaginian military in the first Punic War. After the defeat of Carthage in the first Punic War, Hamilcar made Hannibal swear "eternal enmity" to Rome. In 228 b.c. Hasdrubal, Hannibal`s brother-in-law, succeeded Hamilcar and became commander. This meant that not only was the leader of the military but also the political leader as well. In 221 b.c. Hasdrubal was assassinated and Hannibal became commander in Spain. Hannibal was only 25 years old when he was put in command of the Carthaginian armies and the Carthaginian government in Spain. Even at a young age he knew his responsibilities, so he kept his father's plan of military conquest and his brother-in-law`s policy of strengthening Carthaginian power by democracy. He married a Spanish princess and took hostages from the surrounding tribes to ensure their loyalty to him. As a result of this he expanded the Carthaginian power toward the Ebro river, which was the written northern boundary of Carthage by the Rome treaty of 226. Rome attacked Saguntum, a city close to but clearly on the Carthaginian side of the border. This provoked Hannibal to take back Saguntum. The romans considered this an act of war. So in 218 b.c. Rome declared war on Carthage. This begins the second Punic War. After hearing the declaration of war Hannibal immediately starts off towards Rome. The problem was he had to go by land because Rome controlled the seas. Hannibal takes an army of thirty-five to forty thousand men, some on foot and others on horse, along with fifty war elephants across the Pyrenees and the Alps in August of 218. Bad luck falls into Hannibal's lap as early snows and landslides kill many of his men and almost all of his war elephants. While traveling through the Alps he fights battles at Arausio and Genua, easily defeating the Roman warriors, although his troops are in horrible shape. He enters Italy with only twenty-six thousand men and five or six war elephants in September 218. Hannibal and his troops spent the winter in Po Valley. In the spring of 217 b.c. Hannibal was joined by the Gauls, northern Italians who were subdued into fighting the Romans. Now Hannibal had a sufficient army of infantry and cavalry. The hardened Carthaginian troops easily crushed the Roman armies in their way, but without siege equipment the Carthaginians could not destroy the Roman cities. So instead of trying to siege the city they simple killed the Roman soldiers and moved on.

Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - How Things Fall Apart :: Things Fall Apart essays

How Things Fall Apart      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was a man who dreamed as a child of being well known and respected throughout his village and neighboring villages. This man, Okonko, worked hard at his goal, and he achieved it. Okonko, a man with great strength and personality, had achieved his goal to become rich and famous, a privilege that was unseen before in his family. Although Okonko reached his goal at an early age, his life began to Fall Apart when tragic episodes took place.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One can see that Okonko's life first began to fall apart when Ikemefuna, a captive who stayed at Okonko's home, was killed. Okonko had thought of Ikemefuna as one of his own sons. He was deeply saddened when he was killed. One can see the effects on Okonko from that event. First Okonko was unable to sleep for the following three days. He also kept on getting drunk, and that was a sign that he was depressed. This incident also had a long-term effect on Okonko. From then on his family would look at him as if it were his fault that Ikemefuna is dead. This episode can be seen as an event where Okonko looses some faith from his family. This corresponds to Okonko loosing faith in his father.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important occurrence where one can see that Okonko's life falls apart was when he was thrown out of the clan for a few years. From this episode one can see that Okonko's hopes dreams have begun to fall apart. His hopes of being a rich and popular individual had drifted away with this upsetting incident. Okonko had no longer had his farm or animals. Also Okonko lost faith with most of his friends. This goes to show that Okonko lost faith with his friends, like his father lost faith with his.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another episode that showed the downfall in Okonko's life was when Nwoye, his oldest and favorite son, converted to the white mans religion, Christianity. To Okonko this was very upsetting because Nwoye was his eldest son, and Okonko had the greatest expectations for him. When news came to him that Nwoye was among the white men, one could have foreseen that only no good was coming to Okonko after that.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By glancing at Okonko's life, one could see that the title Things Fall

Audio Lingual Method Essay

Compare and contrast the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method. (1) Both are oral-based approaches. (2) The Direct Method emphasizes vocabulary acquisition through exposure to its use in situations; the Audio-Lingual Method drills students in the use of grammatical sentence patterns. (3) Unlike the Direct Method, the Audio-Lingual Method has a strong theoretical base in linguistics and psychology. 2- How has the behavioral psychology influenced the Audio-Lingual Method? It was thought that the way to acquire the sentence patterns of the target language was through conditioning—helping learners to respond correctly to stimuli through shaping and reinforcement. (2) Learners could overcome the habits of their native language and form the new habits required to be target language speakers. 3- Define a backward build-up drill (expansion drill). State its purpose and advantages. (1) Definition: The teacher breaks down a line into several parts. The students repeat a part of the sentence, usually the last phrase of the line. Then, following the teacher’s cue, the students expand what they are repeating part by part until they are able to repeat the entire line. The teacher begins with the part at the end of the sentence (and works backward from there) to keep the intonation of the line as natural as possible. This also directs more student attention to the end of the sentence, where new information typically occurs. (2) Purpose: The purpose of this drill is to break down the troublesome sentence into smaller parts. (3) Advantages: (a) The teacher is able to give the students help in producing the troublesome line. Having worked on the line in small pieces, the students are also able to take note of where each word or phrase begins and ends in the sentence. 4- Define a repetition drill. Students are asked to listen carefully to the teacher’s model, and then they have to repeat and attempt to mimic the model as accurately and as quickly as possible. 5- Define a chain drill. State its advantages. (1) Definition: The chain of conversation that forms around the room as students, oneby- one, ask and answer questions of each other. The teacher begins the chain by greeting a particular student, or asking him a question. That student responds, and then turns to the student sitting next to him. (2) Advantages: (A) A chain drill gives students an opportunity to say the lines individually. (B) The teacher listens and can tell which students are struggling and will need more practice. (C) A chain drill also lets students use the expressions in communication with someone else, even though the communication is very limited. 6- Define a single-slot substitution drill. State its purpose. (1) Definition: The teacher says a line, usually from the dialog. Next, the teacher says a word or a phrase—called the cue. The students repeat the line the teacher has given them, substituting the cue into the line in its proper place. (2) Purpose: The major purpose of this drill is to give the students practice in finding and filling in the slots of a sentence. 7- Define a multiple-slot substitution drill. State its purpose. This drill is similar to the single-slot substitution drill. The difference is that the teacher gives cue phrases, one at a time, that fit into different slots in the dialog line. The students must recognize what part of speech each cue is, or at least, where it fits into the sentence, and make any other changes, such as subject-verb agreement. They then say the line, fitting the cue phrase into the line where it belongs. 8- Define transformation drill. Students are asked to change one type of sentence into another—an affirmative sentence into a negative or an active sentence into a passive.

Amys bread case study Essay

Case Study Questions 1. Who are the main players (name and position)? The main Player in this is Amy Scherber and she is the manager and owner. Another main character is Toy Kim Dupree and he is Amy’s assistant manager. 2. In what business or businesses and industry or industries is the company operating? Amy’s bread is in the business of selling bread products both wholesale and retail. They sell primarily to high quality restaurants, hotels and food shops. 3. What are the issues and problems facing the company? (Sort them by importance and urgency.) It is hard to make a large profit because Amy pays her employees a higher amount then the other business in her field. She also has to employee about four times as many employees to complete the same job due to the intensiveness provided on each batch of bread. The company is also struggling with the idea of wither to expand or stand pat with their business. 4. What is the primary problem for the company/organization in this case? The primary problem in this case is the idea of expansion. The problem is that they do not know if they should expand or stand pat. If they do expand how are they going to centralize their business. Are they going to do strictly wholesale or wholesale and retail. 5. Why have the problem (s) you cite emerged? Identify the causal chain (the events or circumstances that caused the problem-Some will be Internal Weaknesses, others EXTERNAL Threats). This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. 6. What are the characteristics of the industry that the company is in and how is the industry changing over time? When Amy’s Bread first open bread baking was a growth industry. The U.S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. 7. What is the firm’s strategy for differentiation, enabling them to compete within the context of their industry? Amy had a clear goal she wanted to be famous for making a great product and for creating a good place to work. Amy’s product itself was different because she set the highest standards on her quality. They also do not use any machines in the shaping of their bread. Every load of bread was hand crafted and shaped which was why her payroll was so high but it set her breads apart from the average shop. 8. What are possible solutions to the problems you have identified? Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. 9. What are the advantages and possible disadvantages of your solution(s)? If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. 10. Are there any possible problems with your suggested recommendations? What contingencies need to be accommodated? My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Study Analysis Narrative Format Case title: Amy’s Bread Student: Nicholas Mustico Date: 3-18-2013 Course: Management Principles Firm Overview and Introduction to the Case (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this first section of the narrative, you will provide a brief description of the case subject firm and circumstances for your reader. YOU are the expert. Your analysis is reliant on the fact that you’ve read the case at least three In the case study of Amy’s bread you get a complete overview of the company. It discusses where they started how they started and the experience that the owner Amy Scherber has. Amy Scherber is the centerpiece of the company she is the founder, owner, manager, and lead baker/chef for Amy’s bread. Amy is also the main person in charge of the company’s finances and business discussions. Amy is now facing the problem of wither or not she is going to expand her company. She has been able to entrench her business in the tough industry of baking breads. This is a business that is very completive and hard to establish yourself in. Now that she has become  establish she has to decide wither she would like to expand to meet consumer’s demands or stay where she is and be happy with what she has accomplished. Internal perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) This section of your narrative is used to explain to your reader the internal, factual information about the case subject organization and the problems you’ve identified. Additionally, in this section you need to describe the causal chain. How did the problem arise? What caused it? The problem in this case would not be a problem if the company had not become as successful as it has. If the company had not become so popular then the small storefront that she had originally solicited would never have become a problem. They did become popular though and now they have to adjust to what they would like to become. No one knows if she had selected a larger site if she would have ever been able to get herself going but if she had then this problem may never have occurred. Her company now is at a point where they cannot satisfy one additional customer due to space constrictions. Amy’s problem is a hard one to decide on but for a company it is a good spot to be in if you have too much potential business. It is always better to have too much opportunity then too little. * External perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will describe the characteristics of the industry in which the subject organization operates. Identify any changes over time, which you believe contribute to the problems you’ve identified. Has the Firm’s Strategy for differentiation within their industry caused, Added to or exacerbated the problems you’ve identified? Amy’s bread is in a very complex and difficult industry to work in. She is in a field that has been â€Å"well farmed.† What I mean by that is that there have already been people there doing what she is trying to do. The business she is trying to sell to unless they are newer then her have all already put someone in place to fulfill their need. She then would have to show these businesses that she is that much better then her computation that they have already employed.  Amy’s strategy for differentiation is basically being better then the computation. She is striving to have the highest quality, freshest, and most innovative bread selection. She had made it a point that she will not sacrifice quality for anything else including profit. Amy was lucky, or smart enough to enter the backing industry when it was on the rise. Consumption of grains had just begun to rise when Amy entered the industry. The U.S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. Then again this is not a problem that most business would not want. Solutions (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will provide a proposed solution to the primary problem/ secondary problems you’ve identified. Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the  property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Model Insert a copy of your case model at the end of your narrative. Model the problem and solution by drawing a diagram. Identify the problem, what is causing it, what is making the problem worse (or potentially hiding the problem), and what can be done to mitigate or eliminate it. Use the strategy models to help you think through the steps that must be taken to intervene and solve this problem. Case model

Principles of Health and Social Care Practice Essay - 2

Principles of Health and Social Care Practice - Essay Example Promoting effective communication (the ability to communicate with colleagues and service users) is a vital portion of being a care worker. Acknowledging individuals personal identities and beliefs is very important. In a multicultural and a multi ethnic society, it is important and fair that care workers are aware of cultural differences of people, respect them and assist keep their individual identities. 1.2 The procedures that are adopted in ABC Care Home.It is always the responsibility of the staff to keep the procedures to guard the health and social care users. They have the responsibility to guard clients, the public, patients and colleagues from the peril of harm (Basford & Oliver, 2011, p.101).   They should work precisely so that they can be in a position to guard them from harm. They should see to it that their behavior does not place patients and clients at peril; even they must be concerned about their health aspect as well. They have to guard the consumers of the serv ices from safety and health issue, to guard the disable, people’s right from illness and infection and from abuse (create a harmless environment). The safety and health work dangers at ABC can be in form of a wet or slippery flow, rearrangement of furniture and equipment, hanging electric wires, dirty facilities and sharing of objects that may contribute to infection (Alcock, May, & Rowlingson, 2008, p.72). It is always the responsibility of the staff to keep the procedures to guard the health and social care users.

Political Speeches and Press Releases Assignment

Political Speeches and Press Releases - Assignment Example The President did not talk of the need or goal of creating a world without boundaries; in fact, he vehemently recognized and accepted the differences between the people, their cultures, and their faiths (Obama). Instead, he stressed on the need to view one populace as alien or enemies if the other; in essence, he denounced the concept of â€Å"othering† as regards the political and social environment (Obama). He stressed that it was imperative for the global development of the world for countries to exist in peace and to understand that diversity can be used to unify the communities instead of breaking them apart (Obama). He maintained that it was very important for the Oriental countries to decide their leadership themselves and to own their freedom through the process of democracy (Obama), since it was in the vested interest of the American government to bring harmony in the Eastern society so that new market could open up for the American trade, and business could flourish, which would result in the progress and development of the countries

IT and Strategic Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT and Strategic Systems - Research Paper Example Currently, competitive advantages mainly originate from technological enhancements as well as innovation regarding business models and processes. This makes support activities like information systems along with research and development the most important sources of advantage in terms of differentiation. Additionally, primary activities are mainly the sources of cost advantage making the costs easily identifiable for every activity and thus properly managed (Harvard Business Publishing, 2008). The main aim of value chain activities is offering the customers value that will surpass the costs of the activities so that it can lead to profit margins. The primary activities associated with the value chain include inbound logistics that involves receiving and warehousing materials that will be used for production as well as distributing them to the manufacturing department when they are needed. Other activities are operations, which entail the process of transformation of inputs into finished commodities, and outbound logistics that involves storing the finished goods in warehouses and distributing them when needed. Marketing and sales, involving identifying the needs of the customers and generating sales as well as service that supports customers after they have bought the commodities are also activities that are associated with the value chain. These activities are supported by among other things technological development, which comes up with various technologies that support the activities of creating value (Netmba.com, 2010). Porter’s five forces assume five significant forces that define the level of competition in a business environment including supply power that evaluates the ease with which suppliers can increase prices depending on the number of suppliers on every key input, how unique the commodity is and the costs associated with

Discuss the pros and cons of floating against fixed exchange rate Essay

Discuss the pros and cons of floating against fixed exchange rate regime using the Mundell-Fleming and the Dornbusch models - Essay Example With increased supply of money, people will transform that non interest-bearing asset, money into interest bearing assets, bonds. Therefore, the demand for bonds will rise. That will lead to an increase in bond price. (Obstfeld and Rogoff, 1984) Due to the inverse relationship between bond price and market rate of interest, the market rate of interest will fall. This fall in market rate of interest will be followed by a huge capital outflow. Now, same amount of domestic money will run after less amount of foreign currency resulting in domestic currency depreciation. To maintain the domestic currency at a fixed level, the central bank will have to sell its foreign currency reserve in exchange of domestic money. This phenomenon will lead to a contraction in money supply and it will continue till the market rate of interest rises to its initial level, that is, till the initial expansionary monetary policy gets fully crowded out. (Obstfeld, 2000) From the above, it is clear that the monetary policy will be fully ineffective under fixed exchange rate regime. Now, if the government chooses a fiscal expansion through a rise in government expenditure, then income rises. With a rise in income, transaction demand for money increases. With a rise in transaction demand for money, people will sell bonds in order to meet that increased transaction demand. So, bond supply will rise, bond price will fall and market rate of interest will rise. With the increase in market rate of interest a huge capital inflow will occur, resulting in a currency appreciation. In order to maintain the fixed exchange rate the central bank will purchase that extra supply of foreign exchange. It will result in an increase in money supply, increasing the demand for bond, which will eventually lower the initial rise in interest rate to its initial level. However income will be higher than the initial level. So fiscal policy will

Business Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law and Ethics - Essay Example A number of parents consider themselves obliged to instill virtues of right or wrong in their children. Foundations of personal ethics are built when a parent tells the child that it is wrong to steal and the behavior of the parent has a strong impact alike. Family’s actions contribute heavily to the personal ethics and morality of a child (Pojman & Fieser 56). Religious beliefs, on the other hand, do have special influences on personal ethics. The reason is, religion allows individuals to conform to set moral regulations. There is a promise of reward as a form of motivation for adhering to the â€Å"rules† in religion. Culture is a set of key values, attitudes, assumptions, and norms shared by a group of people (Pojman & Fieser 63). One may have a personal ethos simply because of the culture surrounding. With time the traditions and norms of society may be upheld and ingrained in an individual. As a person grows up in life, ethical standards do change. A number of facts can shift ones ethical standards: experience, emotions, personal understanding, and internal reflection. In the development of an individual, there are diverse experiences that one goes through, this, have a great impact on his ethical norms. Feelings could shift the ethical attitudes of people. As one is overtaken by the time he will have a different understanding o n different issues and he will develop his ethics towards the issues that he understands better off. It feels bad and ashamed when something is done in contrary to our moral code. Similarly, it feels good and proud when something that is coined to our ethical norm is done. The manufacturing company is in grave violation of the principles of ethics. A critical examination is taken on scenario three. First, it is against the principle of consequents, that stipulates the ratio of good or bad an action produces.     

The Case of the Test Market Toss-up Essay Example for Free

The Case of the Test Market Toss-up Essay In this case, the top management put the new frozen dessert Sweet Dream on ice; however, the product manager felt it was not a correct decision and tried to persuade the top managers to reconsider. The company of Paradise Foods didn’t realize the threat on LaTreat and the opportunities on Sweet Dream. They didn’t embrace the concept of using analytical marketing research based on computer technologies as the premise of the right decision. The issues are: 1. The research data on Sweet Dream seemed to steal the share from LaTreat. 2.  The top managers didn’t really understand the meaning of the analytical numbers which Bill got from the marketing research and only considered that the return was low so that decided to stop Sweet Dream and try another new concept. 3. The company didn’t recognize the threat on LaTreat and the chance of Sweet Dream; Bill has cleared up the data that the sales of LaTreat was only on promotion and was interested in persuading the committee to continue Sweet Dream. The company should put the position of LaTreat in perspective and distinguish the different positioning of LaTreat and Sweet Dream. According to the â€Å"Product Life Cycle†, LaTreat has already been in the area of maturation and the company should launch a new product or exploit a new market to make more profit. Moreover, the company should adjust the promotion of LaTreat in case that the strategy of lower prices would ruin the value of the brand. In contrast, the product manager should do a simple and easy understanding report to the top managers because of the communications difficulties and related misunderstandings. LaTreat was the first â€Å"super premium† in the Paradise Foods’ history. As more and more new entrants enter the frozen specialties market, the competition has stiffened. The demand of LaTreat is getting saturation, so the market needs another new product, or the sales would be down sooner or later. The 18 months trial of Sweet Dream has gotten a considerable data that Sweet Dream would be a promising product. If Paradise Foods cuts down this new product, other companies will take over it and make it a significant profit which will take the share of Paradise Foods. LaTreat and Sweet Dream were different products that the ingredients and functions are different. Although there was some shifting from LaTreat to Sweet Dream, the two products are not the cannibalization that if Sweet Dream is facing to the present market which would be the product development strategy or if it is facing to the new market which would be the diversification strategy. Besides, the company had used the inappropriate promotion which brought the customers into the price-sensitive types that would decrease the value of brand and the loyalists. Paradise Foods has used the advanced computer-based research services to do the marketing analysis of Sweet Dream and it also has planned two different areas with different advertising and promotion strategies. However, the Sweet Dream product manager, Bill has made a complex report in 40 pages which has lead to the little interest and patience for the top managers to read and understand; and the committee only see that Sweet Dream didn’t produce the revenues they want. Furthermore, Bill hasn’t analyzed the situation of LaTreat at the beginning which would make the top managers recognize the threat of LaTreat and support the necessary and feasibility of the new product. Besides, if the company wants to try another concept of the new product, it will take more time than Sweet Dream which will let another competitor win the first chance. In addition, the promotion in LaTreat has made it be a price-sensitive product and the company has kept the profits and sales by shifting print and TV money into coupons and rebates which was not a long-term strategy. There are two alternatives to deal with this case. One alternative is to accept the decision made by the top management: shut down Sweet Dream, try another new concept and adjust the promotion strategy of LaTreat. Changing the promotion of LaTreat would make the product life cycle longer in order to keep it in making profits. However, trying another new concept will take a long time to realize and it has the indeterminate potential risk to success or failure. Besides, the time is also another key to be successful that the longer it takes, the more risk it will be defeated. The other alternative is to make another report combined with the analytical research of LaTreat in an easy understanding way in order to make sure the top managers know what the numbers mean and do the best to persuasive the top managers to reconsider. Because it did well in Midland and Pittsfield and it just needs some adjustments that will be successful. Moreover, it saves time and start another profit line in Paradise Foods. The company should choose the latter alternative. Sweet Dream is not a totally failure and it did well in Midland and Pittsfield. In contrast, LaTreat is tiring out and is only surviving on promotions; in addition, the loyalists of LaTreat were shrinking. LaTreat is a weakening brand; while, sweet dream would be a strong brand if it is allowed to survive. The company can take three steps to measure the success of Sweet Dream. First of all, it should meet the hurdle rate within six months. Moreover, it should take some proportion of Paradise Foods and also reach the level which can be compared with the level of LaTreat’s profits. Finally, the proportion of Sweet Dream and LaTreat has been changed that Sweet Dream makes more profits than LaTreat.

Principles and Practices of Management Behaviour

Principles and Practices of Management Behaviour An autocratic manager makes decisions without the consultation of others workers, rather serving as a dictator type in communicating orders because they like to be in control of situations. This style of management guides to work getting done on time because there are less people implicate in the decision making process. The problem with this style is that the staffs are going to eventually lost motivation to work. Paternalistic is a leadership style which is quite dictatorial, decisions are taken in the best interests of the workers. This style is known as consultative management. This process can take a bit longer as there are more voices to be heard. The other side of this style of management and leadership is that workers may feel that you do not value their opinion or are too rigid if after all of the feedback is received you go off and make the decision in your own without incorporating of their feedback. Democratic leadership implicates running a business on the basis on the majority of decisions. A democratic manager is willing to share work with the staff by relegate it to get the job done. Staffs love this type of management style in business because they feel involved and part of the process. In democratic style the job performance is probably to be better than in an autocratic setting. This style has close links with McGregors theory X and Y. All this styles have advantages and disadvantages such as: Autocratic styles advantages: quick decision making, effective when employing many low skilled workers; disadvantages: no two-way communication Paternalistic styles advantages: more two-way communication so motivating, workers feel their social needs are being met; disadvantages: slow down decision making, still quite a dictatorial style. Democratic style advantages: useful when complex decisions are required that needs specialist skills; disadvantages: mistakes or errors can be made if workers are not skilled enough. According to Chemers M.(1997) in his book An integrative theory of leadership, Leadership has been described as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common emerged. Leadership is composing a group of people to achieve common goals. Leadership is important because help to maximise efficiently an organisation and also help the organisation to achieve the goals. Leadership characteristics are: Proactive vs. reactive (a leader is always thinking three steps ahead). Flexible/Adaptable (a good leader will adapt to new surrounding and situations, doing his/her best to adjust). A good communicator Respectful (treating others with respect will ultimately earn respect). Quiet confidence Enthusiastic (when a leader is motivated and excited about the cause people will be more inclined to follow). Open-minded (a leader work to consider all options when making decisions). Resourceful (a leader must to create access to information). Rewarding (an exceptional leader will recognize the efforts of others and reinforce those actions). Well educated (knowledge is power). Open to change (a leader will take into account all points of view and will be willing to change a policy, program, cultural tradition). Interested in feedback (view feedback as a gift to improve) Evaluative (evaluation of events and programs is essential for n organisations to improve or progress). A strong team Theory X and Y was write by Douglas McGregors Theory X leaders believe that: People should be controlled and directed and punished, if necessary, to put them in a real effort at work the workers want to avoid responsibility and has little ambition most of the workers dislike work Theory Y leaders believe that: working is as natural as play or rest for the average workers workers seek responsibility most of employees have creativity and imagination which may be helpful for organisations to achieve their goals The Hertzberg hygiene factors are: supervision, company policy, relationship with supervisor, relationship with peers, and relationship with subordinates, personal life working conditions, status, and security. Evaluate communication processes in selected businesses Communication is the activity of transfer information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behaviour. Communication is transmitting of information from one person to another. The importance of effective communication is immense in the world of business and in personal life. The communication process begins with the sender and ends with the receiver. The perfect guide toward achieving effective communication is the process of communication Most of us spend about 75 per cent of our hours awake communicating our knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to others people. Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. Effective verbal communication is dependent on number of factors and cannot be fully isolated from other important interpersonal skills such as non-verbal communication, listening skills and clarification. Non-verbal communication includes facial expression, eye contact, tone of voice, body posture and motions, positioning within groups. It may also include the way we wear our clothes or the silence we keep. Porters division of non-verbal communication: Physical (this is the personal type of communication); Aesthetic (this is the type of communication that takes place through creative expressions); Signs (this is the mechanical type of communication); Symbolic (type of communication that makes use of religious, status); Static features of non-verbal communication Distance Orientation (side to side, face to face) Posture (standing, seating, legs crossed) Physical contact (touching, holding and shaking hands) Dynamic features of non-verbal communication: Facial expressions (smile, raised eyebrow) Gestures (hand movement) Looking (eye contact) Communication styles: rational, emotive and intuitive Rational communication focuses on objective information data, encourages listening carefully to the ideas and focuses on facts and information, this communication is less comfortable with feeling discussions, in this types of communication prefers to take turns when talking, and there is less variation in tone or gestures. Emotive communication focuses on feelings and tends to be more people oriented and passionate, wide variation in tone and gesture, this type of communication can be interrupt while others are speaking, the same there are feelings in voice and regardless of volume, the decisions are announced in terms of how they will affect people. Intuitive communication is focuses on knowing that comes from experience, decisions are announced without justification, increased experience can lead to more rapid decision making. Communication styles change, depending on the situation and our goals and each of the communication style is used at some point in our lives. We can define top-down communication such as a method of issuing commands or orders within a business using a hierarchical structure. Top-down communication affords a companys managerial structure to control the information and protect that each employment level has necessary information to get done the tasks. The disadvantage of this communication is the risk of orders getting lost in translation; this can cause trouble in a companys project development. We can define bottom up communication such as trebuie sa caut informatie Formal communication is used in professional setting, in this types of communication slang is not use, pronounce of words is correctly. In informal communication we can use slang, can be used short version of words, this type of communication is used with friends and family. Analyse organisational culture and change in selected businesses Organisational culture mains the personality of the organisation, the way the things are done .Organisational culture refers to the fundamental values, beliefs and codes of practice that make a business. Culture according to Schein is A pattern of shared basic assumptions that a group learns as it solves problems. Culture organisation have an important role, the organisation that have strong cultures are capable of increasing revenue, profitability and shareholder value. The same organisation with strong culture finds it easy to change and adapt to market demands. Organisational culture is a focus on culture and process with specific encouragement of collaboration between leaders and members. It is a focus on the human and social side of the origination. Culture has three levels: The artefacts (behaviour of group members) Espoused values (how deal with issues and problems) Basic underlying assumptions Types of organisational culture are: power culture, role culture, task culture and person culture. Power culture depends on central force and a beam of influence from the central figure throughout the organisation, small entrepreneurial organisations. Role culture bureaucracy and works by logic and rationality, role is more important than individual, position is the main source of power. exemple tb sa caut Task culture job and project oriented organisation Personal culture, the individual is in the central focus, when a group of people decide that it is in their own interests to band together. For organisations that manage change effectively, change itself becomes the driving force that leads to future success and growth (Hamlin, Keep and Mullins and Christy,2011). Change is an inevitable and constant feature, an organisation can perform effectively only through interactions with the broader external environmental of which it is part. Factors that influence change in culture are such as: Economic conditions Government interventions Political interests Development in technology Globalisation Other forces of change could be: Demand for high quality goods Customer service Workforce changing nature The main pressure of change is from external forces. Planned change represents an international attempt to improve of the organisation. The objectives of change are: Improving the ability of the organisation Modifying the behavioural patterns of members of the organisationsa mai caut informative sau sa ma uit la handouts Organisational structure is a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, directed and controlled. The structure defines tasks and responsibilities. Structure is important to any kind of organisation. The objectives of structure are: the economic and efficient performance, monitoring the activities, flexibility in order to respond to future demands. There are three types of organisational structure: Tall hierarchical( large organisation tend to have this type of structure, a tall structure have many different levels of employees all reporting at the top to team leaders and then up to operational management, also have a wide chain of command with narrow set of control. Disadvantage of this type of organisational structure can often lead to slower communication channels and decision-making. Flat hierarchical (is an organisational structure that has fewer layers of management and wider spans of control, this types of structure of organisation gives workers more responsibility for decision-making, and the also we have more motivated workforce. Advantage of this structure is that the business to change rapidly to respond to the market.) Matrix (is the combination of the flat structure with tall structure for the business in order to meet its goals. Matrix structure often is used for specific project). Change management is the set of tools, skills and the processes for managing the people leading to achieve the goals of organisation. LO2 Be able to review own potential as a prospective manager 2.1 Assess own management skills performance For managers to be effective, they must have good management skills. The management skills will ensure that he/she can effectively direct, guide, and delegate. The management skills pyramid: Level 1-this level is basic management skills and includes planning, organizing, directing and controlling. Level 2-build on training and couching, motivational, and employee involvement skills. Level 3-are more complex, developing management career and provides opportunities to advance. Most important management skills are: Project management skills (ability to plan, organize, budget and manage the resources); Time management skills (control of most valuable resource, delegate tasks in minimal time, creating schedules for day/week/month, allocating time according to the task at hand); Conflict management skills (skills to resolve the issue, negotiating and mediating); Self-management skills (ability to make decisions as needed, goals setting, prioritize, self-evaluation, self-motivation, positive attitude); Team management skills (delegate to your team, motivate your team, develop your team, communicate with team); Stress management skills (monitoring performance and behaviour, incorporating effective time management to prevent stress, motivation); People management skills (listening, be motivating and inspiring, handle conflict situations, ask questions that are insightful); Office management skills (storage data, monitor and evaluate the work process, accounting and marketing, budget development); Change management skills (talking to people, being real, be passionate, monitoring progress, critical thinking); The guide line for an effective CV is: Personal details: name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, nationality Personal statement, a two-three sentence overview with exceptional qualities and future plans Key skills and abilities Work experience with reverse chronological order(date, organisation name, responsibilities, achievements) Education with reverse chronological order( date, institution, achievements) Hobbies and interests