Same Idea, Different Medium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Same Idea, Different Medium - Essay Example Some victims of plagiarism have the reason that, actually their work is not plagiarized, but contain common knowledge while others are purely lazy to the extent that they plagiarize through â€Å"copy and paste† from an internet source. This paper analyzes and relates two articles; the in-class essay and the internet object (IO) that address the issue of plagiarism by focusing on two different examples. The article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† by Trip Gabriel, which appeared in â€Å"The New York Times† in August 1, 2010 was the in-class essay while the article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† by Lizzie Widdicombe, which was featured in â€Å"The New Yorker† in February 13, 2012 is the internet object. Gabriel in her article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† writes about various students in learning institutions who have plagiarized their works from the internet (Gabriel, 2010). Consequent ly, Widdicombe in her article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† has analyzed a fiction novel tiled â€Å"Assassin of Secrets† by Quentin Roman, which was highly plagiarized from other fiction novels (Widdicombe, 2012). In both instances, the plagiarists, who are the students and the fiction novel author, did not formally acknowledge the source of information. The in-class essay by Widdicombe and the â€Å"internet object† (IO) by Gabriel relate in that they both entail cases of plagiarism on two different levels; professional and academics. On one level, the in-class essay depicts plagiarism in a mass-market publishing while on the other level; the (IO) essay shows plagiarism in college academics. In essence, Widdicombe discusses how the author Quentin Rowan plagiarized his works from many different sources during his earlier writing career. Moreover, the article by Gabriel depicts how various students plagiarized their college assignments from the internet. W iddicombe portrays how a professional author, Rowan, becomes mediocre in the field of fiction writing through copying excerpts from other published novels, without giving any credits (Widdicombe, 2012). Gabriel on her part presents a description on how college students knowingly or unknowingly copy and paste essays from internet sources, also without giving credits (Gabriel, 2010). Gabriel in the (IO) article presents three cases of plagiarism by students from different institutions. The students are ignorant of their ill act since they are not aware of the importance of giving credit or citing borrowed words. Gabriel asserts that educators have discovered that students who use online information do not put into consideration originality, intellectual property and copyright issues. This is because in the digital technology, to â€Å"copy paste† is very easy. Widdicombe in the in-class article presents a case of plagiarism by Rowan, particularly in his novel â€Å"Assassins o f Secrets†. Rowan was accused of including in his book more than thirty cases of plagiarism. Interestingly Rowan admitted that he had taken excerpts from books by different authors while the students admitted copying and pasting from online sources. Academic assignments by students can be scrutinized for plagiarism through using a plagiarism software, however, the same is not possible for novels, and as a result, editors have to read manuscripts word by word if plagiarism is to be detected (Widdicombe, 2012). In many instances editors, discovered copied texts in

A View From The Bridge Essay Example for Free

A View From The Bridge Essay Arthur Miller wrote A View from the Bridge in 1955. The structure of this play is relatively straightforward. It is set in the late 1940 amoung the Sicilian community in Brooklyn, New York the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. It is said to be a modern version of a Greek tragedy with its powerful speeches and references to fate. A lawyer, Alfieri re-tells his account as he oversee the events that take place. There are six main characters, five of which that live in the Carbones household. It is in this houses dining room where the main focus of the action occurs. The street outside the Carbones home in also where the action happens, this is represented so the audience are made aware of both the public and private affairs in which the action in set, also it allows us to see the Carbones as part of the wider community, especially towards the end of the play where their private tragedy becomes into the public eye. Throughout this essay I will discuss how Arthur Miller makes the end of act one interesting for his audience. Eddie Carbone is at heart a simple, generous, straightforward man who works on the pier when there was work and he takes his pay home to feed his wife Beatrice and niece Catherine. However this is the public context, this is the personality that Eddies neighbours and friends see, whereas in the private context, which the audience reveal early on into the play, we discover Eddies obsession towards his niece Catherine, whose maturity and need for independence is growing. However the more Catherine wants her independence and to experience the world Eddies protectiveness grows more and more into a fixation to keep her near him. Will Eddies emotions take over? Beatrice Carbone is Eddies wife; she is a loving, caring wife to Eddie. Beatrice is Catherines key to open the locked doors of reality kept locked by Eddie. She is a typical wife; she cooks, cleans and looks after her family. Throughout the play we establish Beatrices concern about Eddies feelings towards his niece Catherine develop, also we unravel Beatrices jealously towards Eddie and Catherines relationship. Catherine Carbone is the niece to Eddie and Beatrice. She is a young loving girl of seventeen who is eager to experience the world, she is a loving young girl who will lighten up any heart she comes across, however she has no experience of life in the real world and the only thing stopping her discover this is her uncle Eddie. Catherine is unaware of Eddies feelings towards her as she is naive about relationships, and has been influenced by Eddie all her life, and he has always been there for her. Marco and Rodolfo are the cousins of Beatrice that once lived in Italy, which also have illegally come into America to find work to make a decent wage. Marco is the stronger and more focused brother; he is responsible and has a strong sense of justice. The audience clearly can see that Marco thinks before he acts, as he doesnt want Eddie to get upset and kick them out, he tells Rodolfo not to behave in the manner that will upset Eddie. Whereas Rodolfo is the attractive, humorous, talented cousin that Catherine rapidly falls in love with and Rodolfos love for Catherine is genuine and very powerful. However the roles between the brothers soon change as at the end of the play we see Rodolfo have the vision that sees what terrible consequences will become of Marcos actions and Eddies battle of will. This shows the audience how Rodolfo is a sensitive, intelligent man who feels a sense of responsibility for those he cares about. Alfieri is a narrator, observer and also a character in the play itself. The play opens with Alfieri introducing himself and the time at which the play is set, by the end of Alfieris first speech, the audience distinguish that there will be a tense situation leading to a bloody conclusion, although Alfieri can sense this terrible event he is powerless to prevent the incident occurring. He opens into graphic detail about past bandits and murders and about how justice is very important to the Italians. The community is the gullet of New York, which is swallowing the tonnage of the world. This sentence is relatively ironic seeing that Red Hook is a fishing town and tonnage is another word for cargo. Alfieri also expresses an intriguing statement, now we settle for half. this declaration gives the impression that in this Italian community pride and justice is fierce and that no one will settle for half of what they believe is right. Alfieri makes this statement in the past tense leaving the question did the events that Alfieri witness determine whether people settle for half. Alfieri also provides the audience with information and advice throughout the play and most of all explains the law and its boundaries. He also informs us that the law is limited and isnt able to deal with every human problem. Act one is where all the tension builds up which later on leads to a tragic end in act two. In act one we learn of Eddies abnormal feelings towards Catherine, and Beatrices noticeable jealously towards Catherine and Eddies bond. The play introduces us to a normal household, with a loving atmosphere, however this quickly changes on the arrival of Beatrices cousins from Italy, Marco and Rodolfo, this is also when we discover characters inner feelings. As Rodolfo rapidly falls in love with Catherine, and his genuine love is returned by her true love, Eddies calm loving personality disappears and he becomes indestructible and obsessive about his feelings towards Catherine, as he realises he is not her number one man in her life anymore.

Food Insecurity In Bangladesh Economics Essay

Food Insecurity In Bangladesh Economics Essay The international community often uses the term food security to describe not only the availability of food, but the ability to purchase food. It means not only a reliable source of food but also adequate resources to purchase it. When members of a family do not live in a hunger or fear for starvation then the family considered as food secure.. According to the World Food Summit(1996), Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Generally, the notion of food security is defined as counting both physical and economic access to food that meets peoples dietary needs as well as their food preferences. This definition of food security is built on three principal elements: adequate food availability, adequate access to food and appropriate food utilization. Food security occupies a significant position in social and political constancy of a country. Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger is the First Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1) targeted by United Nations(2012). The apprehension of this goal would not only improve the health and well-being of millions around the globe, but it would also maintain the attainment of the remaining seven MDGs. Food insecurity which is a condition that exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, or economic access to food(Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO], 2010 p8). Eradicating hunger and food insecurity is mostly important providing it is a key risk factor for malnutrition and illness, which jointly reduce productivity and economic development(Motiur Rahman et al.). Although the number and proportion of hungry and malnourished people has retreated slightly since the 2009 economic and food price crisis, an estimated 870 million people will be hungry in 2012(FAO, 2012). Little progress in poverty reduction is likely to be seen whereas hunger and malnutrition remain extensive. In other words, poverty, hunger and poor health are interlinked; the rate of each contributes to the presence and persistence of the others. Figure 1 is a conceptual framework interpreting the linkages to desired outcomes (central and upper half of the diagram) and potential risks (lower half). Source: Webb and Rogers, Addressing the In in Food Insecurity(2003) This framework recommends that food availability obtains from domestic agricultural output such as cash crops, livestock and food crops, preferably through feasible use of natural resources (water, land and vegetation). At the national level net food imports enhance the total food availability from domestic sources. Food access deals with the capability of households to secure food in the marketplace or from other sources (transfers, gifts, etc.). Household purchasing power is the key to access and this varies in relation to market integration, price policies, and temporal market conditions. Food utilization organizes issues of food quality and safety, sufficiency of intake at the individual level, and the conversion efficiency of food by the body that results in sound nutritional status and growth. In the latter illustration, the disruption of health infrastructure, lack of nutrition education and discrimination against women in controlling resources all have a detrimental impact on individual outcomes(Webb and Rogers). Bangladesh is a small country in southern Asia. According to the 2011 census, the population of Bangladesh in 2011 was about 149 million(Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). Bangladesh is home to a densely populated flood plain delta in the world with 1,062 people per square kilometer(PRB, 2012). It regularly suffers from natural disasters such as floods, cyclones and drought. It is also vulnerable to the growing effects of global climate change. Tendency to natural disasters, distribution and quality of agricultural land, access to education and health facilities, level of infrastructure development, employment opportunities, and dietary and caring practices are the main factors of food in security in Bangladesh. Food availability likely to be hampered by production failures associated with labor restraints, gender inequality in land possession and loss of productive assets needed to sustain household food production(Maxwell and Smith, 1992). The adequate production, distribution and availability of fundamental food items in Bangladesh have always been a cause of ineterst for governments, international donor organizations and socio-economic researchers. Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh and contains around 94 percent of all food grains produced per annum Food security, in the context of Bangladesh, is therefore strongly related around the production, import and price stability of rice. Food availability in the domestic market does not essentially guarantee food security for the masses. According to the BBS Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2010(BBS), 31.5 percent of households in Bangladesh have income that is considered to be below the poverty line, and a substantial portion of the se poor households suffer from food deficiency and malnutrition. The major reason for food insecurity in Bangladesh is poverty, which is both the cause and outcome of food insecurity. Poor households are lack of sufficient and nutritious food, and are likely to be food insecure. Food insecure people may have to sell or consume their productive assets to satisfy their instant food needs. This destabilizes their longer-term income potential and they may become poor. To analysis food security, both national and individual perspectives are important. Food security at the national level means there are sufficient stocks of food available in the country to meet domestic needs until such time as stocks can be refilled from harvests and /or imports. On the other hand, at individual level it means all members of the society have access to the food they require, either from their own production, from marketplace and/or from different transfer system of the government. Usually the national lev el food security masks the actual food security situation at the household level. National level analysis always evaluates the availability and requirement of food grains. It has to be understood that availability and supply are not always the same. Household purchasing power has major impact on access to food. This purchasing power fluctuates in relation to market integration, price policies and temporal market situations. The dominant food rice contributing to over 63 percent of the caloric intake for urban consumers and over 71 percent for the rural population based on 2010 household survey data by BBS(BBS, 2010). These percentages are much higher for the poor. A number of factors in Bangladesh prevent poor households or individuals from accessing food even adequate food supplies are available. The level of earnings may be too low to purchase the essential foods at existing prices from the market, lack of own land for cultivation, or may lack the fundamental resources or approach to credit to help handle with difficult times. Moreover, they may locate themselves exterior to any community support or program that offers them with in-kind or cash transfers to subsidize their food attainment capability. Food security has been a c ritical issue in the recent past regime of high food prices across the globe. In rural Bangladesh, agricultural wage employment is the major source of income for a poor household. Though, household members may be attached in a whole range of diverse liveliness throughout the year. A household becomes vulnerable to cyclical food when it depends on agricultural wage labor as this employment opening differs according to season. Through the lean seasons that are in March-April and October-November, earlier to harvesting the main rice crops, job opportunities are low. As a result there are low wage rates whereas food prices are at their peak. Earnings derived from non-agricultural sources supplies a potential safeguard across the cyclical nature of agricultural income which in turn can improve household food security. Vulnerability can be defined as the exposure and sensitivity to livelihood shocks, a concept that begins with the notion of risk(Greenblott, 2006). Households in Bangladesh experience a multiplicity of risks that can, independently or in combination, drag them into poverty. There are shocks that involve numerous households directly, likely to overcome social coping approaches established upon support inside families and communities, and there are case-specific shocks that stress involved units. By lowering exposure to risks and rising the households capability to deal with shocks vulnerability can be curtailed, but responses count on the extent and severity of damage. Damage caused by natural disasters is one of the major risks encountered by poor Bangladeshi households. Huge damage to crops, houses, livestock, household and community properties occurred by floods, cyclones erosions and droughts. In each year this disasters can lead to illness and death. Physical access to food and f ood stocks are hampered by disaster, it destroys crops as a result markets are temporarily dysfunctional that lead to an increase in the essential food price. Household food security status affected by natural disasters directly by crippling their asset base and indirectly by loss of employment opportunities, an increase in health expenditure and an increase in essential food expenditure(Coates et al.). Market availability of, and household access to food are not adequate to ensure food security. In what way household members utilize the food is also very important. Socio-cultural factors that determine the availability of food, access to and utilization of food affects the food consumption behavior, nutritional status, health and food security. Poverty, gender, age and disability, geographical location and cultural practices are important factors that affect food consumption patterns. Poverty directly influences food consumption due to lack of access to resources, knowledge and markets. Gender disparities in food distribution can cause malnutrition, especially for pregnant/lactating mothers and children(Coates et al., 2006). Lack of incomes is the principal driver of under-consumption and malnutrition for approximately 31.5 percent of Bangladeshis who live under the poverty line(BBS, 2010). Households that lack productive assets and depend on inconsistent sources of daily wage labo r are more vulnerable to food insecurity. Groups such as landless, agricultural day laborers, casual fishermen and beggars fall into this category. Within households, children, the disabled, pregnant women and nursing mothers, and the elderly face relatively high nutritional risks. Over 60 percent of all pregnant and lactating women have insufficient caloric intake, which can produce malnourished babies(World Food Programme [WFP]). General nutritional awareness, access to proper sanitation and health care, and caring practices are essential elements of an individuals capacity to absorb and utilize the nutrients in the diet and eventually of ones food security status. Other than consumption levels, different household characteristics can also show improvement in the standard of living. While standard of living and food security are anticipated to be highly linked, it would not be unexpected to find these characteristics to be related with food security issues. Therefore, it would be rational to anticipate that households with better qualities are also demonstrating lesser level of food insecurity. Quality of housing and food security level are closely related in Bangladesh(Narayan et al., 2007). Rushad Faridi and Syed Naimul Wadood(2010) stated in their study, households which are living in houses built with straw roofs (hemp/hay/bamboo) are the poorest segment of the population. Similarly, households living in houses with straw roofs, food insecurity is the most prevalent. On the other part, houses with brick wall seem to be the most food secure. These two surveillances show that household infrastructure is a strong indicator of wealth and conseq uentially, the food security situation. After categorizing the households by the level of ownership, occupancy status has an important role in determining the household welfare situation. Compared to other groups house owners are better off in terms of food security. Households, with their head engaged in salaried wage employment, are around 10 per cent more likely to be food insecure than households with their head in agricultural labour. In the same manner, electricity connection is also a marker showing higher orders of food-insecurity surrounded by the households which have no electricity connection. Education is clearly connected with food security issues with the assumption that household heads with more human wealth are prone to suffer less from food insecurity. Food insecurity is a key apprehension for the global development community as it negatively impacts diet and nutritional status. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have shown that household food insecurity is also linked with various non-nutritional consequences in children, adolescents, and adults(Weaver and Hadley, 2009), including poor infant feeding(Saha et al., 2008), poor physical growth(Saha et al., 2009), poor child development(Hernandez and Jacknowitz, 2009, Jyoti et al., 2005), educational achievement(Jyoti et al., 2005), poor physical and mental health(Heflin et al., 2005, Siefert et al., 2004), behavioral problems and problems in parenting(Huang et al.,2010). These findings have guide to apprehension that household food insecurity influences well-being through multiple pathways involving social and psychological conditions such as deprivation, worry, distress, alienation, and alteration of family interactions as well as a pathway involving dietary intake to nutritio nal status(McCurdy and Gorman). These quantitative findings and the related concepts of non-nutritional pathways are supported by qualitative work showing that food insecurity, in addition to its nutrition-related effects, manifests itself through social and psychological conditions leading to altered behavior at individual and group levels. There are various social and psychological consequences of food insecurity in Bangladesh. First, anxiety and worries, concerning not having food for consumption or other social and religious needs and regarding determinants of food availability such as flood, cyclones, drought persist throughout the year, lead to weight and sleep loss, and point out more severe food insecurity. Second, influence of socially undesirable ways of coping with food insecurity (borrowing and asking for foods) generates dishonor which contributes to and is a sign of isolation from the society. Failure by the head of household to perform his primary accountability of providing food leads to feeling guilt and deprivation. Fear of isolation and deprivation regulates the decision-making of the household related to treatment of food insecurity, including child feeding. Lastly, food insecurity changes intra-household attachment through irritability and aggressiveness in adults, and by lack of food that makes it t ough for parents to keep children at home. The weakness of social model is that it gives the blame on victims those who are food insecure as well as it pointing the finger at deficiencies in public policy and behavior of the administration. Regarding victim blaming, the ill health caused by food insecurity is not due to exclusively individual actions. Some people argued that there should be more responsibilities on the shoulders of individuals for adopting lifestyles which will diminish the risks of becoming their ill health from food insecurity. On the other hand it is not the victims who are responsible for their behavior and ill health from the food crisis. Peoples are influenced and restrained by the social, economic, cultural and physical environments in which they live and the structural settings within which they work. Thus the governments failure to provide proper investments to reduce the food crisis may damaging the health of the vulnerable groups. Bangladesh needs to improve the availability, access, and utilization of food. Efforts to improve food security need to take into account natural and man-made challenges and changes in the domestic and international landscape, including population growth, urbanization, natural resource constraints, and climate change. In general population growth and particularly urbanization put high and growing pressure on land, making it obligatory to increase in agricultural productivity. Millions of marginal and small farms dominate the agricultural production in Bangladesh whereas crop diversification is still limited. Smallholders need to conform to changing demands, markets, and supply chains. Furthermore, the soil is seriously degraded in many parts of the country, fresh water availability for irrigation is increasingly insufficient, and natural disasters regularly damage part of the agricultural output The future food security plan needs to maintain successes in areas where positive trends have been seen; whereas, at the same time, achieving certain milestones that have not yet received enough attention. Public investment is one of the most direct and valuable instruments that governments can use to promote growth, food security, and poverty and hunger reduction. Given both the existing state of food insecurity in Bangladesh and the challenges that the country will face in the future, a comprehensive policy framework is needed that places focus on investment strategies in three major areas: (1) agricultural research and extension, (2) improved access of farmers to well-functioning markets, and (3) improved insurance and targeted social safety net programs for vulnerable groups, especially undernourished women and children. Across these three areas, attention needs to be focused on capacity building and good governance. BANGLADESH BUREAU OF STATISTICS (2011) Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011. Dhaka, Statistics and Informatics Division,Ministry of Planning,GoB. BBS (2010) HIES Survey Report 2010. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. COATES, J., WEBB, P., HOUSER, R., ROGERS, B. WILDE, P. He said, she said : who should speak for households about experiences of food insecurity in Bangladesh? Food Security, 2, 81-95. COATES, J., WILDE, P. E., WEBB, P., ROGERS, B. L. HOUSER, R. F. (2006) Comparison of a Qualitative and a Quantitative Approach to Developing a Household Food Insecurity Scale for Bangladesh. The Journal of Nutrition, 136, 1420S-1430S. FAO (2012) The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012. Rome, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. FARIDI, R. WADOOD, S. N. (2010) An Econometric Assessment of Household Food Security in Bangladesh The Bangladesh Development Studies XXXIII, 97-111. FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION [FAO] (2010) The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2010. Rome, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO) (1996) Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action. Rome, Deputy Director General (Operations). GREENBLOTT, K. (2006) Social Protection in the Era of HIV and AIDS: Examining the Role of Food-Based Interventions. Rome, World Food Programme (WFP). HEFLIN, C. M., SIEFERT, K. WILLIAMS, D. R. (2005) Food insufficiency and womens mental health: Findings from a 3-year panel of welfare recipients. Social Science and Medicine, 61, 1971-1982. HERNANDEZ, D. C. JACKNOWITZ, A. (2009) Transient, but not persistent, adult food insecurity influences toddler development. Journal of Nutrition, 139, 1517-1524. HUANG, J., OSHIMA, K. M. M. KIM, Y. Does food insecurity affect parental characteristics and child behavior? testing mediation effects. Social Service Review, 84, 381-401. JYOTI, D. F., FRONGILLO, E. A. JONES, S. J. (2005) Food insecurity affects school childrens academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. Journal of Nutrition, 135, 2831-2839. MAXWELL, S. SMITH, M. (1992) Household food security: a conceptual review. Household Food Security: concepts, indicators, measurements. Edited by S. Maxwell and T. Frankenberger. Rome and New York: IFAD and UNICEF. MCCURDY, K. GORMAN, K. S. Measuring family food environments in diverse families with young children. Appetite, 54, 615-618. MOTIUR RAHMAN, P. M., MATSUI, N. IKEMOTO, Y. The chronically poor in rural Bangladesh livelihood constraints and capabilities. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY, Routledge. NARAYAN, A., YOSHIDA, N. ZAMAN, H. (2007) Trends and Patterns of Poverty in Bangladesh in Recent Years World Bank. PRB (2012) 2012 World Population Data Sheet Washington DC, Population Reference Bureau SAHA, K. K., FRONGILLO, E. A., ALAM, D. S., ARIFEEN, S. E., PERSSON, L. ÃÆ'. RASMUSSEN, K. M. (2009) Household food security is associated with growth of infants and young children in rural Bangladesh. Public Health Nutrition, 12, 1556-1562. SAHA, K. K., FRONGILLO, E. A., ALAM, D. S., ARIFEEN, S. E., PERSSON, L. ÃÆ'. K. RASMUSSEN, K. M. (2008) Household Food Security Is Associated with Infant Feeding Practices in Rural Bangladesh. The Journal of Nutrition, 138, 1383-1390. SIEFERT, K., HEFLIN, C. M., CORCORAN, M. E. WILLIAMS, D. R. (2004) Food Insufficiency and Physical and Mental Health in a Longitudinal Survey of Welfare Recipients. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45, 171-186. UNITED NATIONS [UN] (2012) We can End Poverty 2015 Millennium Development Goals. WEAVER, L. J. HADLEY, C. (2009) Moving Beyond Hunger and Nutrition: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Linking Food Insecurity and Mental Health in Developing Countries. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 48, 263-284. WEBB, P. ROGERS, B. (2003) Addressing the In in Food Insecurity. Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project. Washingtin DC, USAID Office of Food for Peace. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME [WFP] (2012) Food security at a Glance Bangladesh. Rome, World Food Programme.

In Favor of Violence In Sports :: Sport essays research papers

With the increase in society taking a stance against violence by many people, sports has become an area where some feel that the violent acts such as the hitting and fighting that occurs should be eliminated. You can not change something that has been around for so long because it would change the aspect of the game to something completely different. The elimination of violence should not be done in sport because the violence is a part of the game which would only hurt its popularity. The reasons that the violence is occurring in sport is due to six theories according to John Schneider. "The violence in sport mirrors the violence found in society, violence as the result of economic incentives, the influence of crowd behavior on player violence, genetic causation for player aggression, learning theory and player aggression, and psychological stress and player violence" (Lapchick 230). The theories of sport mirroring society, violence as a result of economic incentive, and the influence of the crowd behavior are the theories that I feel are responsible for the increasing violence in sports. Most people when involved in a highly stressful situation where violence is around would probably resort to a fight to resolve their differences. In sport, why should we expect any difference. In events such as hockey games, where people are expected to hit and make body contact, sooner or later a fight will break out and the fans will yell and scream for their favorite player involved. Like anything, if people around us are applauding us for a certain act we have done, we will try to do it over so that we will continue to be praised. In sports, there are some players whose only role on the team is to protect and enforce the unwritten rules of the game such as in hockey where it is not right to fight or hit a Wayne Gretezy or Mario Lemieux type of star player! . His economic incentive is to protect the team and if he does not, a new line of work might be in the future. All three of those theories relate closely to the role of the fighter in sport and why it is that he does commit the acts of violence. When leagues such as the National Football League (NFL) or the National Hockey League (NHL) are asked to try and remove the violence from their sport, they are hesitant because it is not what the fans want. "Bryant and Zillman report that television viewers enjoy NFL plays more when they are rough and

Hinduism and Buddhism in the United States Essay

This paper intends to compare the origin and basic beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism. It also aims to state the roles that Hinduism and Buddhism played that contributed to the American Culture, both in the past, as well as, in the present. Last but not least, the paper will briefly discuss the effect/s that Hinduism and Buddhism have on the future American culture, as well as, how that particular culture impact these people. Origin and Basic Beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism No particular name of prophet or any religious person for that matter is related to the foundation of Hinduism while Buddhism is said to be established by Buddha (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Furthermore, followers of Hinduism believe in the Vedas and that there is only one â€Å"Supreme Being†, on the other hand, the advocates of Buddhism believes otherwise (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Moreover, those people who practice Hinduism believe that their objective is to show faith in their God; collect material things, as well as, their desires and passion; and attain salvation (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). On the other hand, those who practice Buddhism has only one objective in life and that is to put an end to their sufferings (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Roles that Hinduism and Buddhism Played that Contributed to the American Culture Hinduism in the United States is not yet very well known; however, because they are the most edified if compared to all the rest of the religions in the United States, they managed to share their beliefs to some of the Americans who delightedly converted into their religion (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Also, the spiritual practices and other cultures that they possess became a fundamental part of the American culture because they have been given the freedom to do so in the United States (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). On the other hand, since, there are millions of Buddhism’s followers, the aforementioned became an integral part of the American culture as well (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). It began when an officer who fought during the Civil War became interested in the writings/scriptures of the aforementioned religion (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Actually, it is because of the interesting beliefs and practices of both religions that’s why both have been and are still currently a part of the American culture (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Effect that Hinduism and Buddhism have on the Future American Culture Hinduism and Buddhism will surely have an effect on the future American culture since both have already impacted the culture of the Americans then and now (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Most likely in the future, there will be more schools that stress on the beliefs and practices of Hinduism and Buddhism (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). In addition, more American people will incorporate the beliefs of such religions in theirs because of great interest in the beliefs of those religions (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Meanwhile these cultures will impact the American people greatly, they may be able to find ways to change their personality and may even attain their ultimate goals – happiness and salvation (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n.d. , n. p. ). References Hinduism versus Buddhism. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 23, 2008 from http://www. experiencefestival. com/a/Hinduism_vs_Buddhism/id/54137 Rood, R. (1994). Hinduism. Retrieved April 23, 2008 from http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:R-6zli9PVKEJ:www. probe. org/index2. php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26do_pdf%3D1%26id%3D692+Desire+for+Liberation+from+Earthly+Existence+%2B+Hinduism&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=ph&client=firefox-a

People and Leadership

People and Leadership Abstract During the development of youth employment programs as a pilot project, the Department of Employment faced an issue associated with the ineffective leadership. The project failed because of problems with the work of the team. Several employees quitted participating in the project development after six weeks because of the overwork and exhaustion.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on People and Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The analysis of the case demonstrates that the leader set unrealistic deadlines for the project completion, and the schedule was organized inefficiently. Moreover, there were no clear goals communicated to the employees to coordinate their work. The necessity to replace the employees who rejected to participate in the team made the leadership decide on shifting responsibilities, and employees spent much time for adapting to the work for which they did not have enough experien ce. In addition, they did not receive the necessary training. The informal leader of the team became to act as a manager, and his tasks contradicted the previously set objectives. As a result, the project was frozen. To address the leadership and management problems, it is planned to reorganize the project team with the focus on the scope of tasks and concrete goals. Thus, the number of high-skilled employees in the team needs to be increased. The followed leadership style should be improved with the focus on supportive or inspirational leadership. The proposed schedule and deadlines should be set depending on concrete objectives and the working potential of the staff. These actions are necessary to overcome the problematic situation and predict failures in the future. People and Leadership Case Study The development of new programs and policies is typical for such agencies as the Department of Employment. However, there are cases when the development and implementation of the progr am can fail because of the inappropriate leadership and management. The team working on the youth employment program faced a problem of completing the pilot project because the leader invited the unreasonable number of employees (6 individuals) for the 12-week project. The scope of the tasks was considerable, but there were only weekly meetings, and the final goal was not communicated appropriately. The leader avoided any additional discussions of the projects, but he encouraged the overwork. As a result, two employees quitted the team because of unclear tasks and the increased stress levels. This situation made the leader re-distribute the duties among new team members, but they were expected to demonstrate high results in a week to fit in the schedule. The productivity decreased because they had no enough skills, and no additional training was provided. The lack of communication and motivation from the leader made team members choose the informal leader and insist on freezing the project.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The discussed issues are important because they indicate how the ineffective planning and communication strategies selected by the leader can affect the success of the whole project because employees are stressed and not aware of the goals (Van Wart, 2014; Yukl, 2014).  The problem was in the fact that the pilot project developed by the team failed because of the leader’s impossibility to make effective decisions regarding the distribution of tasks among employees, planning, setting deadlines, and communicating. Therefore, it is important to propose improvements in the sphere of organizing the teamwork, planning tasks, appointing responsible persons, communicating with employees and motivating them. In addition to summarizing the issues in the case, this paper aims to present the analysis of the situation with the focus on the MORETOOLS framework and the leadership role in the project failure. In addition, the solution is proposed, and conclusions are made regarding the case importance for the future practice. The Analysis of the Case Mission and Purpose of the Agency The mission of the Department of Employment is to develop policies and implement programs that are effective to address the employment questions in Australia while creating the advantageous environments for employees. The purpose of the Department’s activities is to improve the current policies and develop new ones to address unemployment issues and protect the vulnerable categories of the population in terms of employment. As a result, the mission is to create the secure and socially friendly workplaces for the Australians (Australian Government Department of Employment, 2015). The mission and purpose are followed while planning and implementing any project oriented to reforming the current policy or proposing a new one. Objectives of the Manager Guided by the main agency’s mission, each unit of the department has its own management team, and it is responsible for developing concrete projects with specific objectives. The objective of a manager responsible for introducing new employment campaigns for the youth in Australia is to develop programs addressing the mission regarding the secure and advantageous environment and launch them within the fixed period of time. In the near future, the aim is to organize the work of a project team. Therefore, in the critical situation of the project failure, the leader of the unit and team is responsible for completing such short-term objectives as the reorganization of the team and the implementation of the new working strategy to achieve higher results and improve productivity (Felà ­cio, Gonà §alves, da Conceià §o Gonà §alves, 2013, p. 2140). The team reorganization is necessary to respond to such problems as the exhaustion, impossibility to a ddress the deadline, and low-quality outcomes of the project work. The manager’s long-term objective in this case is to create the single unit in the agency formed of experts in the area of the youth and employment.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on People and Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Risks and Problems Focusing on the discussed project failure and such manager’s objectives as the organization of the team’s work to address schedules and high productivity, it is possible to prioritize identified leadership risks and problems in the following manner: The absence of the clearly communicated goal and adequate training sessions, team meetings, and discussions of the progress. Ineffective distribution of roles and tasks among the team members that leads to the employees’ exhaustion. The lack of the progress monitoring and coordination according to the observed success. Th e inappropriateness of the fixed schedule in relation to the scope of the project and tasks that lead to the inability to address deadlines. The performance of the leadership role by more than one team member. The failure of first pilot projects in relation to proposing the effective program in the sphere of youth employment within the fixed deadlines depends on the absence of clearly communicated goal of the project to guide the team members’ activities. Thus, the leader used only the formal approach to informing the team about the project goal. The ideas were shared and discussed during weekly meetings, the additional training was not provided, and the discussion of the progress was limited and irregular. Focusing on the theory of ethical and motivating leadership, the leader failed to demonstrate the supportive communication style to inspire employees to achieve higher results (Schyns Schilling, 2013). The employees lacked the opportunity to be informed of the short-term goals and progress, as well as to receive the additional consultation or guidelines.  In addition, the leader distributed the tasks and roles within the project team without referring to the employees’ position responsibilities. Certain team members were not skilled enough to adapt their knowledge to the new area and perform successfully. According to De Vries, Bakker-Pieper, and Oostenveld (2010), such persons experience much stress while adapting to new conditions and cannot demonstrate high results within the short period of time. The leader did not motivate employees to perform better in the new area because of failing to provide opportunities for training and adaptation (Schyns Schilling, 2013, p. 139). In this situation, the schedule was proposed without focusing on such risks as the inability to employees to complete tasks before starting the other project stage. As a result, the lack of the necessary monitoring and coordination led to failures in addressing the pr oject deadlines. The other important problem is the appearance of another informal leader as a result of the lack of the main leader’s communication with the team (De Vries, Bakker-Pieper, Oostenveld, 2010, p. 369). The absence of trust in the leader’s competence and success led to delegating some leadership responsibilities to the informal team leader at the final period of the project development. The reason is that feeling the constant stress, employees need support, and the informal participative leadership works better than the task-oriented formal leadership in this case.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More External and Internal Actors and the Environment While focusing on the approaches to reorganize the teamwork to complete the primary project effectively in contrast to the pilot ones, it is necessary to analyze the role of stakeholders in the process. The most influential actors are the staff of the Department of Employment. To address the problem and predict further failures, it is necessary to organize the collaboration of the team leader and the agency’s human resources coordinators who can provide the additional training for the team members in the context of the project (Yukl, 2014). In addition, the reorganization of the current team leads to inviting other professionals working in the Department to complete set tasks with the focus on their expertise and skills. The external stakeholders include the youth because the project is developed to address their needs and the social organizations working with the young people. It is important to plan more time for analyzing th e statistical information regarding the situation in the sphere of youth employment and collaborate with the Bureau of Statistics. Tools and Constraints The observed project failure can be analyzed in terms of contributing tools and determined constraints. One of the most important tools contributing to the project success is the skilled employees (Van Wart, 2014). The employees were skilled enough in their particular areas, but they needed the additional experience to work in the areas determined by the leader. As a result, the potential tool became discussed as a constraint. At the current stage, the available tools include the required number of the high-quality employees, the availability of the skilled workforce, and the increased funds for the project completion. However, barriers to the project improvement and the reorganization of the team are still significant. The observed constraints include strict deadlines, lack of the training, lack of the set time for employees meetin gs, and underdeveloped communication channels. If a leader fails to overcome barriers with the focus on the available tools, the primary projects can also fail. Opportunities In spite of being associated with a crisis in the leadership, the discussed situation provides many opportunities for the manager to develop the new model of the work in the agency. The reorganization of the teamwork associated with projects in the concrete sphere leads to the development of the specific working model or pattern that improves the performance and increases the productivity of the staff. If a new proposed strategy for managing the project is effective enough, the small number of the skilled employees can complete the larger number of tasks within the limited period of time (Felà ­cio et al., 2013). The leader needs to organize the work of the team in such a way that this team can serve as the expert team for providing consultancy in further similar projects to decrease the time and costs associa ted with the training of other employees. Outcomes and Elements of a Stable Solution To achieve the efficient solution to the determined problem associated with the project failure in the agency, it is necessary to focus on the outcomes of the proposed solution to discuss it as stable and sustainable: The team working on the development of programs comprises out of the adequate number of employees that is correlated with the scope of the project. 80% of assigned tasks are completed at the high-quality level. The productivity of the team increases by 25%. The team works according to the stated schedule, and delays decrease by 30%. The leadership is effective, and the monitoring of the project progress is regular. The degree of cooperation between employees representing different project teams and units of the Department increases by 20%. The level of the stress in employees decreases by 25%. These outcomes of the solution are identified as important because the discussed aspects le d to the failure of pilot projects, and the planned reorganization is aimed to address these issues. Long-Term Improvement The improved approach to organizing the team regarding its size and responsibilities will lead to optimizing the work of the staff and reducing associated costs. Thus, the increases in funds can be required only for the additional training of employees and their compensation. The other long-term benefits include the changes in the approach to the leadership in the organization. It is important to focus on developing the role model of a leader who is flexible, emotionally involved, motivating, communicable, and decisive (Yukl, 2014, p. 121). The currently followed task-oriented leadership style is not appropriate, and the reorganization of the teamwork can also lead to shifting to the supportive and even inspirational leadership styles (Van Wart, 2014). In addition, the long-term improvement involves the enhancement of the work with external stakeholders with the focus on building partnerships with social organizations oriented to the youth well-being and development. Strategies for Actions To solve the identified problems and address the future risks in leadership and management of projects on the subject of youth employment, it is necessary to formulate the clear steps for the solution implementation. The first step is contacting the HRM team, unit leaders, and project coordinators for forming the working team that will include the increased number of skilled employees with the expertise in the sphere of youth and employment programs development. It is also necessary to discuss the opportunities for the training sessions.  The second step is the actual formation of the working group. Those persons who worked on the pilot projects need to be invited to work further. Those employees who experienced the stress and problems in communicating with the leader needs to be replaced with the representatives of other units to increase the workforc e potential. Only high-quality professionals are expected to be invited for the work. This approach guarantees the reasonable distribution of tasks among team members. The third step is the identification of the communication channels to share ideas, visions, tasks, and feedbacks. It is necessary to plan not only weekly meetings but also face-to-face sessions and e-mail reports, as well as training sessions. The next step is the development of the realistic schedule for achieving the goal and completing concrete tasks. It is important to take into account the time for training, meetings, completing tasks, coordinating tasks, revising, and addressing possible barriers while planning the schedule and setting the deadline. The tough deadline is one of the main constraints for this project. Thus, the effective leader needs to develop the schedule while addressing the objectives and responding to the real work potential of the team without leading them to the burnout (Schyns Schilling, 2013). Another point is the correlation of the available workforce and deadlines with the proposed funds. The distribution of resources should depend on the project goals and the number of involved employees. When the communication channels are determined, and the schedule is set, it is important to motivate employees to work at completing tasks for achieving the concrete goal. Therefore, the next step is the building of the cooperating team during the first weeks of the project through the effective communication and supportive leadership. This step also includes the building of partnerships with social organizations and the Bureau of Statistics to receive the outdated information on changes in the sphere.  Ã‚  It is also important to address such constraints as the set short deadlines for projects and destructive leadership. The deadlines need to be set with the focus on the scope of tasks and its priority for the Department. The manager demonstrating the destructive leadership techniques needs to be replaced with the other person, who was discussed as the informal leader during the development of pilot projects (Schyns Schilling, 2013, p. 139). The range of tasks can be delegated according to the partnerships agreement with social organizations and the Bureau of Statistics. Assessment of the Potential for Success The effectiveness of the proposed strategy needs to be assessed in order to guarantee the completion of long-term goals. In this context, the assessment should include the following steps: the weekly monitoring of changes in the team workers’ quality of work and stress levels; the weekly monitoring of the achievements within the set schedule; the monthly monitoring of the performance and progress of the project implementation; evaluations of the individuals’ work with the focus on personal performance assessments. It is important for a leader to evaluate the employees’ attitudes to the work regularly in order to predict po ssible risky situations. Conclusion The Department of Employment faced a problem of developing the effective youth employment programs because the first pilot project failed to be appropriately developed and implemented by the project team. The analysis of the case demonstrated that the problem was in the destructive leadership techniques followed by the manager. As the result of the ineffective leadership, employees had to share responsibilities for which they did not have enough experience; they was not properly informed of the project goal and trained; they suffered from the tension to complete the unrealistic deadlines; and they chose the informal leader among them to address the stressful situation. In order to address similar problematic cases, it is necessary to reorganize the working team according to the project scope and goals. In addition, the selected project leader should follow the supportive or even inspirational leadership style to build a team that can effectively w ork to address the agency’s mission and develop secure and advantageous employment programs for the population, including your people. This case study analysis is important to refer to while discussing similar issues associated with the ineffective leadership, when a leader ignores interaction with the team, cannot communicate the objectives, cannot analyze the project scope, and determine what resources are required to achieve the goal. Moreover, this case study is an example of the leadership that cannot motivate employees, leading to their dissatisfaction. References Australian Government Department of Employment. (2015). De Vries, R. E., Bakker-Pieper, A., Oostenveld, W. (2010). Leadership = communication? The relations of leaders’ communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing and leadership outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(3), 367-380. Felà ­cio, J. A., Gonà §alves, H. M., da Conceià §o Gonà §alves, V. (2013). Social value an d organizational performance in non-profit social organizations: Social entrepreneurship, leadership, and socioeconomic context effects. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 2139-2146. Schyns, B., Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(1), 138-158. Van Wart, M. (2014). Leadership in public organizations: An introduction. New York, NY: Routledge. Yukl, G. (2014). Leadership in organizations. New York, NY: Prentice Hall.

Donts for Getting Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School

Donts for Getting Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School Writing letters of recommendation is generally part of a faculty members job. Students need these letters to get into graduate schools. Indeed, grad school admissions committees generally wont accept applications that lack these important letters because they reflect the professor or faculty members assessment of a student applicant. Students need not feel powerless in the process because they do, indeed, have a great deal of influence over the letters that faculty members write. While professors rely on a students academic history in writing letters of recommendation, the past isnt all that matters. Professors impressions of you are important too - and impressions constantly change based on your behavior. There are things you should avoid to ensure that the professors you approach for letters see you in a positive light. To avoid problems, dont: Misinterpret a Faculty Members Response Youve asked a faculty member to write you a letter of recommendation. Carefully interpret his response. Often faculty members provide subtle cues that indicate how supportive a letter they will write. Not all letters of recommendation are helpful. In fact, a lukewarm or somewhat neutral letter will do more harm than good. Virtually all letters that graduate admissions committee members read are very positive, usually providing glowing praise for the applicant. However, a letter that is simply good- when compared with extraordinarily positive letters - is actually harmful to your application. Ask faculty  members if they can provide you with a helpful letter of recommendation rather than simply a letter. Push for a Positive Response Sometimes a faculty member will decline your request for a letter of recommendation outright. Accept that. She is doing you a favor because the resulting letter would not help your application and instead would hinder your efforts. Wait Until the Last Minute Faculty members are busy with teaching, service work, and research. They advise multiple students and likely are writing many letters for other students. Give them enough notice so that they can take the time required to write a letter that will get you accepted into graduate school. Approach a faculty member when he has the time to discuss it with you and consider it without time pressure. Dont ask immediately before or after class. Dont ask in a hallway. Instead, visit during the professors office hours, the times intended for interaction with students. It often is helpful to send an email requesting an appointment and explaining the purpose of the meeting. Provide Unorganized or Inaccurate Documentation Have your application materials with you when you request your letter. Or follow up within a couple of days. Provide your documentation all at once. Dont offer a curriculum vitae one day, and a transcript on another. Anything you provide the professor must be free of errors and must be neat. These documents represent you and are an indicator of how serious you view this process as well as the quality of work you will do in grad school. Dont make a professor have to ask you for basic documentation. Forget Submission Materials Include program-specific application sheets and documents, including websites to which faculty submit letters. Dont forget to include login information. Dont make faculty ask for this material. Dont let a professor sit down to write your letter and find that she does not have all of the information. Alternatively, dont let a professor try to submit your letter online and find that she doesnt have the login info. Rush the Professor. A friendly reminder sent a week or two before the deadline is helpful; however, dont rush the professor or offer multiple reminders. Forget to Express Appreciation Your professor took the time to write for you - at minimum an hour of his time - so take the time to thank him, either verbally, or by sending a thank you letter or note. Remember that you want your letter writers to be in a good mood when they write your recommendation and to feel good about you and their decision to support your application to graduate school. Write a thank you note to your recommender and when you ask for another letter in the future (and you will - either for another graduate school program or even a job), the faculty member will be much more likely to write you another helpful and positive recommendation letter.

The Alhambras Structure Buildings and Gardens

The Alhambras Structure Buildings and Gardens Introduction The Alhambra is now considered to be a real masterpiece of Islamic architecture; to a great extent, it represents a conception of Paradise as it was imagined by Muslim architects of the Middle Ages. This paper is aimed at examining the structure and relations of buildings and gardens in the Alhambra.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Alhambras Structure: Buildings and Gardens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, it is necessary to show what kind of purpose various elements of this complex serve and how they complement one another. The main focus will be on such components as the use of water, the selection of plants, architecture, and decorations, especially arabesques. Overall, it is possible to say that in the course of its history, the Alhambra transformed from an ascetic fortress into a beautiful palace and garden complex that was supposed to recreate or reflect the image of Paradise in various ways. The transformation of the Alhambra It is worth noting there was no master plan according to which the Alhambra had to be constructed. Its construction began in the middle of the fourteenth century, but since that time this complex was redeveloped and expanded several times (Mauriers Ossart, 2001, p. 70). Some buildings make the Alhambra resemble a medieval stronghold. In fact, its very name can be translated as red fortress. The Tower of Justice, which was built in 1348, exemplifies castle architecture (MobileReference 2007, p. 60). Nonetheless, the development of water supply system and the use of canals enabled architects and gardeners to transform the Alhambra into a courtly residence and a garden complex. The buildings located in the Alhambra can be characterized by austere exterior design which is a characteristic feature of Islamic architecture.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, one should take into account that the designers included those elements which were not present in Islamic courtly palaces; in particular, we can speak about the lion sculptures that can be found in the Court of Lions (MobileReference 2007, p. 62). This feature can be viewed as untypical because the portrayal of animal life was encouraged in Islamic art (Lehrman, 1980, p. 97). Furthermore, the columns located in this pavilion are decorated with foliage. Moreover, this court is divided into four parts which are supposed to symbolize different parts of the world (Cornell, 2007, p. 101). Furthermore, this court is irrigated by four water channels which may represent rivers of Paradise (Cornell, 2007, p. 101). The symbolism is an important characteristic of every building located in the Alhambra. The columns in the Court of Lions are located in an almost irregular or random way. As a result, they look very similar to trees in a forest or a garden (Leh rman, 1980, p. 97). Certainly, at this point, one can only hypothesize whether the original intent of the architect was to recreate an image of Paradise. Yet, these columns do resemble trees in the eyes of a person who walks in this place. Such examples as the Tower of Justice and the Court of the Lyons are important because they illustrate two aspects of the Alhambra, a fortress and a courtly place at the same time. Additionally, the second example indicates that the theme of Paradise played in important role in the construction of these gardens. The following section will discuss the themes and conceptual background of this architectural complex. The Alhambra as a metaphor of Paradise Overall, the Alhambra can be viewed as an architectural metaphor of Paradise for several reasons. First, one has to remember that Islamic architects had to strive for coolness and shade because they had to work in climates with a particularly hot climate.Advertising We will write a custom ess ay sample on The Alhambras Structure: Buildings and Gardens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is one of the main reasons why many Islamic courthouses and palaces were located within gardens. This was probably the most optimal choice that architects could make. Alhambra is probably the most well-known example of architectural complex. Yet, it is important to bear in mind that Islamic gardens had to have several constituent part, namely water, planting and geometric arrangement of elements of various architectural elements (Bowden-Pickstock, 2009, p. 132). They have to perform several functions, apart from bringing shade and coolness. First, they have to be pleasing to the eye, but they also have to remind visitors about harmony and peace of mind. As a rule, such architectural places are often called paradise gardens because they reflected the description of Paradise provided in Quran. This concept originated from Ancient Persia, but it la ter became very popular in Islamic architecture. On the whole, the Alhambra eloquently illustrates the notion of a paradise garden. First, the gardens of the Alhambra are surrounded by a fortified wall; to some degree. This layout is reminiscent to the notion of enclosed paradise garden that is not accessible to everyone (Bowden-Pickstock, 2009, p 130). Various entrance gates to this garden can symbolize the gates to Paradise that are open only to righteous people. As it has been pointed out before, the presence of such gates can be explained by the fact that for a long time, the Alhambra was used as a stronghold. Additionally, one has to speak about the importance of fountains in this place. The thing is that according to Muslim views, Paradise is a reminiscent of a garden in which large trees grow and water springs never become depleted. This problem was of great importance to Moors who lived in the medieval Spain. This is one of the reasons why there are so many fountains in the Alhambra. In this regard, one can definitely mention the fountain near the palace called Generalife (Mauriers Ossart, 2001, p. 70). The cascading water was to symbolize the splendor of Paradise. Additionally, it had to act as music for visitors. These fountains also show that the construction of this site required a significant amount of engineering effort.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from that, there are many pools in Alhambra and they reflect the facades of buildings. In many cases, such reflections appear to be more even more fascinating than the buildings themselves. This type of visual effects demonstrates the excellent of those architects who created these gardens. This is an example of how different elements of the Alhambra can interact with one another. Water does not serve only practical purposes such as cooling or refreshment. As it has been said before, fountains, pools and channels have to represent rivers of Paradise. They can also produce a very calming impression on the view. This is also an important function because the paradise garden must be a place of peace and tranquility. The second important aspect which should be discussed is the role of plants. In Islamic architecture, gardens can be divided into two categories: 1) bustan gardens which were used for agricultural purposes mostly, and 2) gulistan gardens that served mostly aesthetic p urposes and had to be pleasing to the eye (Bowden-Pickstock, 2009, p 130). The Alhambra gardens represent both these types. The thing is that there are many fig, olive and cedar trees in this place and their fruits fed many people who lived inside or outside the Alhambra (Bowden-Pickstock, 2009, p 130). Yet, these gardens are also fool of ornamental flowers which are planted their mostly for aesthetic reasons. Again, they create a structure and aesthetic union with buildings and fountains of the Alhambra. The choice of plants is also related to the concept of paradise. First of all, fig and olive trees are important for Islamic faith because they are mentioned in Quran (Bowden-Pickstock, 2009, p 135). Thus a paradise garden has to provide plenty of food to its dwellers and be pleasing to the eye of an onlooker at the same time. Therefore, one can argue the Alhambra was an attempt to recreate such a garden. Furthermore, this discussion should touch upon the importance of architecture and the use of geometry in the Alhambra. In the previous session, we have already mentioned that the Court of the Lyons was divided into four sections that were supposed to symbolize four parts of the world (Cornell, 2007, p. 101). Yet, this is only detail exemplifying the use of geometric forms. The interior and exterior sides of building located in the Alhambra are full of arabesques, rectangular figures or other decorative elements resembled flowers. In part, the entangled lines of arabesques symbolize growing plants and flowers in the garden. Secondly, the location of palaces is also important. The thing is that from outside palaces are virtually drowned by gardens. This impression is particularly strong when a person looks at the Alhambra from outside. Furthermore, there are no places within the Alhambra that do not have trees or flowers. Overall, this discussion shows that different elements of the Alhambra are supposed to conjure up the image of garden in which a person can be distracted from earthly problems. The selection of plants, fountains, the location of buildings, and various decorative elements such as arabesque were designed to recreate the image of the paradise garden. The metaphor of the garden is conveyed in several ways. First, one can speak about the emphasis on fountains and plants which can reflect the atmosphere of the paradise garden. Yet, one should not disregard the importance of architectural and decorative elements such as arabesques and columns symbolize flowers or trees. Overall, the theme of paradise is crucial for this architectural complex, and each element strives to emphasize the idea that this place is an attempt to recreate Paradise. Conclusion In the course of its history, Alhambra was redeveloped several times, but this architectural site retained its image of the paradise garden. Various elements of this complex symbolize the paradise garden, a concept which is very widespread in Islamic architecture. This complex evo lved from a fortress into one of the most beautiful courtly places in Spain. Certainly, it is not the first architectural complex that is based on the idea of the paradise garden, but it is definitely one of the most famous ones. References Bowden-Pickstock, S 2009, Quiet Gardens: The Roots of Faith?, Continuum International Publishing Group, New York. Cornell, V 2007, Voices of Islam: Voices of art, beauty, and science, Greenwood Publishing Group, New York. Lehrman, J 1980. Earthly Paradise: Garden and Courtyard in Islam, University of California Press, LA: Berkeley. Mauriers, A Ossart, E. 2001, Paradise Gardens, I.B.Tauris, London. MobileReference. 2007. Travel Andalusia, Spain for Smartphones and Mobile Devices Illustrated Travel Guide, Maps, and Phrasebook, MobileReference, New York.

Business Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Analysis - Research Paper Example According to Bruce (2011), Wal-Mart is given the top ranking in terms of the total sales that are made by the store alone. The retail offers variety of products that comprise of family apparel, electronics, household needs, electronics, fabrics, jewellery, shoes, crafts, health and beauty products and lawn and garden accessories along with pharmacy store, Photo processing centre and Tire and Lube Express (Walmart Stores, 2012). Wal-Mart is operating in four retail divisions that are called as Sam’s Club warehouses, neighborhood markets, Super centres and Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart stores and Super centres are one-stop shopping centres for the families; Sam’s Club in the members only club for warehouse purposes and neighborhood markets offer convenience shopping to the customers for general merchandise, groceries and pharmaceutical companies (Basker, 2007). Currently, Wal-Mart has about 10,185 stores and also location of clubs in almost twenty-seven countries; it is emplo ying more than 2.2 million people who are serving approximately 176 million numbers of customers every year (Walmart Stores, 2012). ... Advancements in information technology have helped the store to ensure that inventory level is properly maintained (Freeman, 2006). Investing in Wal-Mart: A good choice or not? Before making a final decision about investing in Wal-Mart for a mutual fund, it is important to look at the SWOT Analysis of the company. Strengths Wal-Mart has a strong powerful brand name in the market especially in the retail industry. It offers value for money, convenience of shopping from one place and diverse range of products at one place (Bruce, 2011). The growth of the store has been at an exponential rate and it has become a global brand. Wal-Mart has the strongest logistics system even at the international level; hence, the procurement of Wal-Mart is excellent and it gives it a core competence in using IT for supporting its logistics system. It has talented people and Human Resource department has a focused strategy for the training and development of all the employees working for Wal-Mart; hence, the workforce of the store is competent and loyal (Jenna, 2012). Weaknesses: Since Wal-Mart has become global and it has a huge span of control, so controlling such a huge empire becomes difficult for the management. The retail store might lack flexibility as compared to its competitors as it is selling products across various sectors such as food, stationary, clothing and etc. Although, the store has become global but it does not have a strong presence worldwide (Elkins, 2005). Opportunities Wal-Mart can merge or form strategic alliances with some well-reputed retailers at a global level that focus on specific markets such as Greater China or Europe region. In the countries, the stores are present as trade in only and have many opportunities for

Affects On Business in New York City Term Paper

Affects On Business in New York City - Term Paper Example But on the other hand there are many difficulties and factors still exist which inhibit the residents to live independently and without issues. America has always been the place where issues of racism, inequality, differences of social, cultural or political exist. US residents were tired of social and economic inequality, greed corruption in the business sector and undue influence of corporation on 6their government. The main influence on the authoritative part was from the financial sector.The financial distribution in America was like 99% of society was facing inequality and unhealthy income distribution and 1% of the society was rich. It was holding on to the wealth which was the right of other 99% residents as well (Mr. Smith (2001). Now, to overcome this problem and to get rid of severe living issues the people got united under one slogan â€Å"we are 99%† and protested against the growing factors which were perilous to their living circumstances. The participants conduc ted assemblies which were called â€Å"General Assemblies† in which major and basic decisions were taken. Actions to be taken were planned and discussed. In these assemblies, the president and main participants of the movement decided to take over the petitions straight and to get hold of the financial situations directly by planning the major road map for this goal. The protestors were failed in the beginning and were forced to move out of the Zuccotti Park where it took place. After they left the place, they never succeeded.

Discussion Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion - Personal Statement Example This gives a business platform for future reference. General accounting standards are the rule and concepts that govern accounting. Investors and speculators will make wrong choices, if companies make annual adjustment entries. Closing entries are made at the completion of journals, which are transferred from temporary to permanent accounts while reverse entry is the vice versa. Accounting process involves journal entries, trial balance, financial statements, and closing books. The main steps in closing cycle are closing the revenue, expense and income accounts. Accuracy involved in the above process can be improved by double checking system and by using a computerized system of accounting. Double checking will increase chances of sporting mistakes while computerized accounting enhances safety. E-activity helps users of financial information since they will be able to make correct and timely decisions. There will also be easy sharing of information. Obviously, there will be a decrease in delays caused by a manual system of operation. Closing entries in accounting accuracy entail zero balancing of temporary accounts by transferring all balances to permanent accounts. Reverse entry is the opposite of closing entry. The steps involved in the accounting process in financial accuracy are repeating the same process of accounting

Electronic Engineer Technician Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Engineer Technician - Essay Example Introduction Electronic and Electrical Engineering is a dynamic and exciting field where electronic and electrical engineering technicians have a vast space to explore this field, enriching with them a wide body of knowledge and experience (Facts On File Inc, 2009). Today, more students are enrolled in electrical and electronic engineering colleges to get higher degree or certificate. This shows that this study has increased importance and pays valuable contribution to US economy directly and indirectly. Basically, the technicians of electronic and electrical engineering helps other engineers to develop and design communications equipment, computer, navigational equipment, medical monitoring machines, and other electronic and electrical. Besides this, they also work in evaluation of product and its testing, using diagnostic and measuring devices or machines to test, adjust, and repair equipments (Garner, 2002). Moreover, electronic and electrical engineering technician works electric al engineers. The nature of work environment consists of mostly manufacturing settings, development and research laboratories, organizations and utilities. Education and training In order to be and electronic and electrical engineering technician, an associate degree, post secondary certificate or a bachelor’s degree is required to be completed. ... Therefore, they can be hired for different jobs. For example they can be Chief R&D Engineering Technologist, Chief Controls Engineer, Senior Project Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Broadcast Maintenance Technician, Electrical Maintenance Apprentice, Educational and Professional Trainer etc (Facts On File Inc, 2004). Each job position consist or many duties and responsibilities performed by electronic and engineering technicians which gives them a mean of learning experience which nurture’s their professional career (Facts On File Inc, 2009). Salaries and benefits Electronic and electrical engineering technicians are offered good salaries and other benefits (Peterson's, 2009). In the past few years, as the job demand of engineers has increased, this has also increased their wages and other benefits. Depending upon the nature of job, some electronic and electrical engineering technicians are paid in wages which ranges between $20 and $40 per hour (Garner, 2002). If median wages a re compared, table 1 show that in 2010 median hourly wage was $26.94 which has increased to $27.36 in 2011. Thus overall increase in wages during 2010-2011 is by 2% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). Table 1: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Median wages    hourly annual 2011 $ 27.36 $ 56,900.00 2010 $ 26.94 $ 56,040.00 Career advancement and future employment Electrical and electronic engineering technicians have wide scope of career advancement. They move to more senior and executive positions as they advance in their career (Peterson's, 2009). Although, the economy has slowed down due to recession faced by US economy, but the projected employment graph (1) shows that electrical and electronic engineering technicians has future employment opportunities. Graph 1 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Is Educating Rita a comedy of gender or social class Essay

Is Educating Rita a comedy of gender or social class - Essay Example The education she would receive there, she believes, would liberate and enlighten her; by way of which she hopes to move away from the social strata of her birth. Professor Frank Bryant, on the other hand, is a middle-aged alcoholic, who has no interest what so ever in his professorship. Instead he openly displays his melancholy and acts indifferent to the requirements of his work. So when these two characters from disparate social and economic backgrounds cross paths, new and interesting developments take place in both their lives. While comedy is used by the director as a suitable narrative implement, the recurrent theme is one based on class. In Educating Rita, â€Å"Ritas desire for self-discovery places her in conflict with her class background. She is, thus, a kind of female version of the 1950s scholarship boy whose involvement in education and middle-class culture inevitably takes her away from her social origins. In this respect, the film follows the older school of working- class films in placing particular emphasis upon cultural rather than economic divisions. Unlike many of the working-class films that follow it, there is little evidence of unemployment or poverty. What Rita (who is herself employed) aspires to escape is not so much economic hardship as cultural deprivation† (Kramp & Humphreys, 1993). It is true of Educating Rita too, that the British nation can stake out intellectual turf as they have always done with class warfare. Running all the way from Richard Sheridan through George Bernard Shaw and John Osborne, the theme of class-conflict has provided the staple of comedy of attitudes and manners. In Educating Rita, the lead characters Julie Walters and Michael Caine bring to screen contrasting but complementary kinds of energy. To their credit, the lead pair also makes life in British academia more interesting

Professional Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional Portfolio - Essay Example Likewise, I have designed assessment and evaluation tools such as questionnaires, interview, and survey. Aside from actual Nurse Educator experience, I also have a wide range of clinical nursing experiences, which have provided me with more depth and insights regarding my experience of Nursing as a profession, as an art, and as a science. I am currently working on my MS in Nursing Education at the ------University. I have earned my BS Nursing at ----University. I have also gained Post Graduate Certification for Public Health. In addition, I have attended various seminar-workshops to hone my nursing skills and knowledge. I have attached a copy of my CV, which shows my work experiences, educational background, and relevant personal information. I look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully yours, Curriculum Vitae Name: Address: Telephone #: Email address: Education 20—to Present Master OF Science in Nursing Education ---------- University Units Earned : ( No of Units ) School Yr B.S. Nursing -------- University School Yr Certificate of Post Graduate Training in Public Health ------- University Certifications Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification Advance Cardiac Life Support Certification IV Certification Work Experiences Year Public Health Nursing Supervisor --------Health Department Conducts researches and studies regarding health issues of the Community Coordinates with the other government agencies regarding the health issues of the community Spearheads awareness campaigns Heads the Committee involved in dissemination of information, education, and training of nurses Led fund raising activities Year Senior Psychiatric Nurse Psychiatric Hospital Middle East Conducts training seminars for the Staff Plots the schedule of the Staff nurses Coordinates with the management regarding activities and concerns relevant to the Ward Monitors and provides primary care for various psychiatric cases like schizophrenia, depression, manic-depressive psychosis, ETOH withdrawal, and other similar cases Assists in procedures such as EEG, electroconvulsive therapy and other similar therapies Participates in occupational theraphy Year Associate Professor II Institute of Health and Sciences -------- University Has Taught the following Courses:------- Serves as Thesis Adviser Member of the Committee handling the evaluation of the students Year Assistant Head Nurse University Hospital and Medical Center New York City Coordinates with Sectors of the Hospital regarding the flow of patients, the number of available beds, the need for CNAs and other similar concerns Year Nursing Supervisor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center Plans the activities of the patients Conducts training of nurses Involves in the selection of hiring process of nursing staff Conducts seminars, training, and informal learning activities for the nurses Membership New York State Nurses Association Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Recognition Model Nurse of th e Year Seminar- Workshops Attended Performance Appraisal System Better Teaching Through Effective Speech Communication Empowering Preceptorship Reproductive Health Care Urban Primary Health Care Health Care Delivery System in the Urban Setting Researches 1.Beliefs and Practices on Hypertension of Selected Residents of------- 2. The

Electronic Engineer Technician Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Engineer Technician - Essay Example Introduction Electronic and Electrical Engineering is a dynamic and exciting field where electronic and electrical engineering technicians have a vast space to explore this field, enriching with them a wide body of knowledge and experience (Facts On File Inc, 2009). Today, more students are enrolled in electrical and electronic engineering colleges to get higher degree or certificate. This shows that this study has increased importance and pays valuable contribution to US economy directly and indirectly. Basically, the technicians of electronic and electrical engineering helps other engineers to develop and design communications equipment, computer, navigational equipment, medical monitoring machines, and other electronic and electrical. Besides this, they also work in evaluation of product and its testing, using diagnostic and measuring devices or machines to test, adjust, and repair equipments (Garner, 2002). Moreover, electronic and electrical engineering technician works electric al engineers. The nature of work environment consists of mostly manufacturing settings, development and research laboratories, organizations and utilities. Education and training In order to be and electronic and electrical engineering technician, an associate degree, post secondary certificate or a bachelor’s degree is required to be completed. ... Therefore, they can be hired for different jobs. For example they can be Chief R&D Engineering Technologist, Chief Controls Engineer, Senior Project Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Broadcast Maintenance Technician, Electrical Maintenance Apprentice, Educational and Professional Trainer etc (Facts On File Inc, 2004). Each job position consist or many duties and responsibilities performed by electronic and engineering technicians which gives them a mean of learning experience which nurture’s their professional career (Facts On File Inc, 2009). Salaries and benefits Electronic and electrical engineering technicians are offered good salaries and other benefits (Peterson's, 2009). In the past few years, as the job demand of engineers has increased, this has also increased their wages and other benefits. Depending upon the nature of job, some electronic and electrical engineering technicians are paid in wages which ranges between $20 and $40 per hour (Garner, 2002). If median wages a re compared, table 1 show that in 2010 median hourly wage was $26.94 which has increased to $27.36 in 2011. Thus overall increase in wages during 2010-2011 is by 2% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). Table 1: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Median wages    hourly annual 2011 $ 27.36 $ 56,900.00 2010 $ 26.94 $ 56,040.00 Career advancement and future employment Electrical and electronic engineering technicians have wide scope of career advancement. They move to more senior and executive positions as they advance in their career (Peterson's, 2009). Although, the economy has slowed down due to recession faced by US economy, but the projected employment graph (1) shows that electrical and electronic engineering technicians has future employment opportunities. Graph 1 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Professional Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional Portfolio - Essay Example Likewise, I have designed assessment and evaluation tools such as questionnaires, interview, and survey. Aside from actual Nurse Educator experience, I also have a wide range of clinical nursing experiences, which have provided me with more depth and insights regarding my experience of Nursing as a profession, as an art, and as a science. I am currently working on my MS in Nursing Education at the ------University. I have earned my BS Nursing at ----University. I have also gained Post Graduate Certification for Public Health. In addition, I have attended various seminar-workshops to hone my nursing skills and knowledge. I have attached a copy of my CV, which shows my work experiences, educational background, and relevant personal information. I look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully yours, Curriculum Vitae Name: Address: Telephone #: Email address: Education 20—to Present Master OF Science in Nursing Education ---------- University Units Earned : ( No of Units ) School Yr B.S. Nursing -------- University School Yr Certificate of Post Graduate Training in Public Health ------- University Certifications Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification Advance Cardiac Life Support Certification IV Certification Work Experiences Year Public Health Nursing Supervisor --------Health Department Conducts researches and studies regarding health issues of the Community Coordinates with the other government agencies regarding the health issues of the community Spearheads awareness campaigns Heads the Committee involved in dissemination of information, education, and training of nurses Led fund raising activities Year Senior Psychiatric Nurse Psychiatric Hospital Middle East Conducts training seminars for the Staff Plots the schedule of the Staff nurses Coordinates with the management regarding activities and concerns relevant to the Ward Monitors and provides primary care for various psychiatric cases like schizophrenia, depression, manic-depressive psychosis, ETOH withdrawal, and other similar cases Assists in procedures such as EEG, electroconvulsive therapy and other similar therapies Participates in occupational theraphy Year Associate Professor II Institute of Health and Sciences -------- University Has Taught the following Courses:------- Serves as Thesis Adviser Member of the Committee handling the evaluation of the students Year Assistant Head Nurse University Hospital and Medical Center New York City Coordinates with Sectors of the Hospital regarding the flow of patients, the number of available beds, the need for CNAs and other similar concerns Year Nursing Supervisor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center Plans the activities of the patients Conducts training of nurses Involves in the selection of hiring process of nursing staff Conducts seminars, training, and informal learning activities for the nurses Membership New York State Nurses Association Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Recognition Model Nurse of th e Year Seminar- Workshops Attended Performance Appraisal System Better Teaching Through Effective Speech Communication Empowering Preceptorship Reproductive Health Care Urban Primary Health Care Health Care Delivery System in the Urban Setting Researches 1.Beliefs and Practices on Hypertension of Selected Residents of------- 2. The

Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay The Curriculum and Instruction In an idealistic perspective, general education should be given much emphasis. True enough, even in the tertiary level in the Philippines, general subjects are still taken for the development of wholeness and excellence as human beings. The curriculum of our education system is also cumulative. Therefore, there is progression in learning while harnessing our past knowledge. Idealism in education gave importance to the subjects like philosophy, theology, history, literature and arts. This is evident especially in college. In some universities, the students are mandatory to take philosophy and theology in 12 units each. These subjects invoke the students to be conscious truth seekers as they step out in the real yet materialistic world. Whereas the science subjects, it help the students in dealing with cause and effect relationships. Language, too, is given high importance as our tool for communication. Moreover, critical thinking is highly imposed on the students so that we may not be deceived by our senses. Ideally, all of the subjects should be values-integrated and deals with real-life problems. The education system in the Philippines may not be too concerned with the Macrocosm concept but usually, especially in the Catholic schools, the curriculum is theocentric and there is the emphasis on acting in Christ-like ways, which can be considered as the ideals. The Educator All the people that make up the school especially the teachers are bound to be the students’ moral and cultural models. It’s with them that the students aspire to be upright individuals. Moreover, the teachers make use of references about inspirational models such as heroes, exemplars, etc. so that the students, too, will embody their good traits. In an idealistic method, the teachers incorporate effective communication with the students, especially Socratic dialoguing. This evokes the students to be critical thinkers through questioning and rationalizing. The Philippines is known to have a lot of heroes, from epic stories to real life stories. We are taught to identify the qualities of their heroism and be like them. We are trained to communicate, debate even, what is good, what is beautiful and what is true. We are shaped to be intuitive learners because learning does not stop, for the search of the truth is part of our lives. The Goals for the Students Again, the students in an idealistic set-up are expected to be truth seekers as they study the subjects that elicit critical thinking. In the journey of studying, they made use of their senses but more importantly, they process all of their observations and feelings through reflection. In this way, the learner examines his own mind and compares or shares it with others in order to seek for the truth. This I believe is harnessed in our education system because, at least from the schools I came from, we are trained to be intuitive and have introspective explorations. All of these goals boil down to an ultimate objective which is for self-development. This can be attained if we are values-driven, intrinsically motivated and if we are immersed with our cultural heritage. These again are highlighted in the Philippine education.

The Analysis Of Bcg Matrix Marketing Essay

The Analysis Of Bcg Matrix Marketing Essay In business, there are times when an organization needs to expand or change the market or field. There are tons of ideas about things one could do. However, it is hard to determine which idea will be the best. Therefore, strategic marketing planning tools will be important and beneficial, such as BCG matrix, Ansoff Matrix or Porter 5 forces and so forth, to help one to evaluate the options and decide on the one that suits the organization and situation best. As a result, it gives the best return on the considerable investment that an organization will need to make. Strategic marketing management involves the process of deciding the marketing strategy to follow and to ensure it is followed correctly, in order to compete against its rivals successfully. In an attempt to assist strategic marketing process, a number of different strategic marketing planning tools have been created. Igor Ansoff, Michael Porter and the Boston Consulting Group have the best known models in the field of business. Strategies are developed according to the objectives within an organization. The establishment of the objectives will normally produce a difference between what had been achieved and what target needs to be met. The uses of strategies are to illustrate how this gap is going to be solved, and objectives met. Strategic Management is a systematic approach to the major and increasingly important responsibility of general management to position and relate the firm to its environment in a way which will assure its continued success and make it secure from surprises( Ansoff, 1990). This paper, it will focus on the BCG Matrix, which is one of the models like PESTEL, SWOT, Ansoff matrix, Gap analysis, GE matrix and Porter 5 forces. It is often used to assess the profits of business or resource allocation and divestment decisions by the marketers. The content of this report will explain and analyse the application of BCG Matrix with some examples. Some of the other analytical tools will also be mentioned in this work. Analysis of BCG matrix BCG Matrix is developed by Bruce Henderson of the Boston Consulting Group in the year of 1968 (BCG, 2012). It is one of the Portfolio analyses. It is used to determine high or low performers of businesses or products depending upon their market growth rate and relative market share. The idea behind this Matrix is that the higher the market share or a better market grows of the product, it is better for the organization. There are four categories in BCG Matrix, which are Stars, Cash cow, Question mark and Dogs (Philip.K, et al., 2008). Furthermore, horizontal axis is given for relative market share position and vertical axis for industry growth rate (Philip.K, et al., 2008). Planners are to classify their products or businesses into the four categories according to their position on the matrix. It provides a framework for analysis and comparison of products or businesses for multinational companies with diverse products. The advantages of using BCG Matrix are to have the ability to pr ioritise a business or product portfolio; it is to know what products are doing well and what are not performing. It provides a useful insight into the potential opportunities and problems associated with a particular product. It is often a convenient graphical form that is easily understood by the staffs who are the decision makers. Taking Nestle company (table 1.0) as an example, prepared dishes and cooking aids, PetCare and confectionery would be classed as Cash cow, beverage products would be a star, whereas pharmaceutical products as Question mark. Water products would most likely to be classed as a Dog. The BCG matrix is linked to the Product life cycle. Introduction, growth, maturity and decline, it represents Question marks, Stars, Cash cows and dogs in the BCG matrix respectively. Referring back to the table 1.0, it shows that PetCare and Confectionery products are at the late maturity period in the Product life cycle. Therefore, Nestle must come out with new and better ide as, in order to prevent or slow down the product from further decline in sales, or perhaps becoming a Dog. However, it is expected that different product will have different life cycle. Therefore, some stars with short life cycle will be better to harvest rather than to commit further investment (Graeme. D and John. E, 2007). In a multinational company, it is essential for its products to have high and low growth rate, such as stars to assure future of the company, cash cows that supply money for further growth and converting questions marks into stars, it is because a balanced product portfolio will maximise organisation revenue. As mentioned by Bruce Henderson Only a diversified company with a balanced portfolio can use its strengths to truly capitalize on growth opportunities(BCG.P, 2010). The benefits of high growth products include high return at the cost of wide ranging resource to market. For low growth rate products, its benefits are customers familiarity with the product, t hus, lesser cost for marketing and a constant source of revenue. With the help of BCG matrix, it can be identified how organization cash resources can be used to maximize a companys future growth and profitability. It provides the criteria for determining which products or business one should invest in, hold, harvest or divest. However, the BCG matrix is only useful to a certain extent, and its limitation makes it increasingly less accurate. The BCG matrix was created in 1970s; therefore, it is expected to be less accurate in the current society especially during periodic recession (Blythe, 2006). The situation in the current business market is much more complicated than before. Abell and Hammond recommended that it should add two more practical strategies, Freeze and Cut into the Matrix (Abell, et al., 1979). Freeze basically stopping all investment and do not plan new ones during a recession or crisis, and cut means that cutting services by reducing some activities. The model of BCG matrix discouraged organizations to invest in businesses with a less than 10% growth rate in a year. During the hard time, many companies will not have a growth of 10%.Thus, it is not accurate to rely on BCG matrix during an economic downturn; it might create confusion in the companys direction. The connection between market share and profitability is arguable because sometimes low share businesses can be profitable too and vice versa (Babette Craig, 2012). As mention by experts, the markets are difficult to determine with a huge amount of overlaps and complex segmentation (Macmillan. H, 2000). There are many portfolios in real businesses consist of a high percentage of dog businesses and few star businesses (Macmillan. H, 2000). Thus, portfolio analysis is criticized for offering little help in these circumstances. Growth rate and market share are only one aspect of industry attractiveness and overall competitive position respectively. The market definition and measurement are not perfect as there are some problems faced (Wensley. R, 1981). H ence, poor definition of business market might lead to some misclassification, such as dogs, become cash cows. Moreover, the matrix mainly focus on the investment in current products of a company, thus, it might neglect alternative investment such as setting new product lines or investing in new technology which could be better than investing in current products or services. The matrix also ignores the potential competitive responses. When an organization tried to build their market shares and support growth, it is likely to get responses from the competitors as retaliation (Blythe, 2006). Furthermore, it is too simplistic and general just to use high and low to form four categories, which lead to a low accuracy analysis. In addition, the matrix is based on cash revenue, whereby profit should be a better phrase to use as it means the financial gain after all the deduction of expense from the revenue. General electric (GE) matrix developed by Mckinsey is a similar matrix that overcom es some of the disadvantage of BCG matrix. It uses market attractiveness instead of market growth rate which included a broader range of factors compare to growth rate. It also replaced market share into competitive strength which assessed each SBU with competitive positioning (Kozami,2002). However, this paper will not go into the details of GE matrix due to the words constraint. With the obvious limitations of BCG Matrix, it is not recommended to use the matrix alone. It is an portfolio analysis tools which focus on the internal of an organization, thus, it is always best to use with external analysis tools such as SWOT. SWOT will look at matters like the strength and weakness of the company, and the opportunities and threats that might occur. It is used to measure the degree of strategic fit between the organization and its environment. As a combination with BCG matrix, BCG matrix will focus on the internal factors and SWOT will be focusing on the external factors, therefore, the O T of SWOT will be mainly suggest to use alongside with BCG matrix. For example, with the O T, the organization can recognise the opportunities and threats in Nestle such as an increase in health conscious society (PRweb, 2012) provide a huge opportunity for Nestle to produce more health care products and raw ingredient prices for chocolate production are increasing will affect the profit margin as threat (Christopher, 2011). If only BCG matrix is used, the planners will miss the external factors like the society or raw materials pricing which might cause problems to the organization. According to experts, it mentioned that a mixture of two or more analysis tools is recommended for a holistic view of strategic scenario (Wind, et al, 1983). Therefore, it is essential for an organization to capture the internal and external factors to strengthen the company. Conclusion This paper focused on the analysis of BCG matrix, it evaluated the usefulness and weakness of the model. Recommendations also had been advised for further enhancement of the usefulness of the model. Although BCG Matrix has a number of limitations, it is still one of the most popular portfolio planning tools used by big companies with diverse products. It can measure the growth rate and relative market share of each sector in a table form. The table shows a clear understanding on how an organization is performing. With a simple and clear understanding, the company can develop strategies to deal with the sectors, and achieve the organizations aimed goals and objectives. It is also useful for small businesses to survey the companys market share and growth, in relation to relative market to see how products are performing. Lastly, BCG Matrix is not a tool to replace management decision or vision. It is a tool to help managers or planners to evaluate their strategy alternatives together w ith other analysis tools, such as SWOT. It is a tool with flaws, but still suffices to be a good tool for portfolio analysis. References Abell, Derek, and Hammond John S, 1979. Strategic market planning : problems and analytical approaches. 1st ed. New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs. Ansoff, Igor, 1990. Implanting Strategic Management. 2nd ed. New York: Prentice Hall . Babette, E, 2012. Analysis Without Paralysis: 12 Tools to Make Better Strategic Decisions. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Financial Times. BCG. 2012. BCG History. [Online] Available at: http://www.bcg.com/about_bcg/history/history_1968.aspx. [Accessed 04 November 12]. BCG. Perspectives. 2012. The product portfolio. [Online] Available at: https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/Classics/strategy_the_product_portfolio/. [Accessed 05 November 12]. Blythe, Jim, 2006. Principles Practice of Marketing. 1st ed. London: Thomson learning. Christopher Adams . 2011. Chocolate lovers face price rise as ingredients soar. [Online] Available at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10701792. [Accessed 22 November 12]. Graeme, Drummond, and John Ensor, 2007. Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control. 3rd ed. Oxford: A Butterworth-Heinemann Title. Kozami, Azhar, 2002. Business Policy and Strategic Management. 2nd ed. India: Tata McGraw-Hill. Macmillan, Hugh, 2000. Strategic management: process, content, and implementation. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nestle. 2010. 2010 Annual Report. [Online] Available at: http://www.nestle.com/Common/NestleDocuments/Documents/Library/Documents/Annual_Reports/2010-Annual-Report-EN.pdf. [Accessed 03 November 12]. Nestle. 2011. 2011 Annual Report. [Online] Available at: http://www.nestle.com/Common/NestleDocuments/Documents/Library/Documents/Annual_Reports/2011-Annual-Report-EN.pdf. [Accessed 03 November 12]. Philip Kotler,Gary Armstrong, Veronica Wong and John Saunders, 2008. Principles of marketing. 5th ed. Italy: Pearson Education. PRWeb. 2012. Yahoo news. [Online] Available at: http://news.yahoo.com/increasing-popularity-growing-health-consciousness-fuel-growth-global-130305822.html. [Accessed 22 November 12]. Wensley, Robin, 1994. Making better decisions: The challenge of marketing strategy techniques. International Journal of Research in Marketing, [Online]. 11/1, pp85-90. Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.ncl.ac.uk/science/article/pii/0167811694900361 [Accessed 04 November 2012]. Wind, Young, Mahajan, Vijay and Donald, Swire., 1983. An Empirical Comparison of Standardized Portfolio Models. Journal of Marketing, [Online]. 47(2), pp89-99. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=247ec63a-e348-45c1-a7b8-e1819fa6169a%40sessionmgr11vid=2hid=21 [Accessed 22 November 2012].