Middle East Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Middle East Final Exam - Essay Example This was followed by Christian anti-Semitism, which occurred in the middle epoch and was principally religious in nature. This was further followed by conventional or olden Muslim anti-Semitism, which was apparently nuanced due to the case of Jews being protected socially. Socio-political and economical anti-Semitism associated with Europe in the period of enlighten and post enlightenment which crafted the basis for racial anti-Semitism. Racial anti-Semitism was inculcated in the era of Nazism around the 19th century (Falk 5). Modern anti-Semitism has emerged lately and is acknowledged as fresh anti-Semitism. However, in our study, we will deal with the anti-Semitism occurring in the 19th century. The introduction of the era of industrialization and the scientist revolution in Europe encouraged and was characterized by extreme anti-Semitism (Falk 25). Zionism is a Jewish political affiliation that aims at empowering and boosting the self esteem of the Jewish people in a sovereign nat ional homeland of the Jews. It advocates for the Jewish people and addresses the critical intimidation and threats to their affluence and continued existence. Liberal Zionism, being our major focus, included advocacies by Zionist leaders such as Herzi and Weizmann, although not directed to a single party, for democracy and human rights adherence and free market capitalism. Kadima, however, diverted his advocacy towards the establishment of a democratic society in Israel, the dire need for Palestinian statehood and granting of equal rights for Israeli Arab citizens among other grievances (Falk 5). Theodor Herzl is the father to modern Zionism and emergence of the Israeli state. The imminent rise of anti-Semitism was what pickled Herzl’s attention and caused him to inculcate the fight against it. Despite the fact that he was steeped into the European culture, Herzl was perturbed by the augmenting hate for the Jews and, thus, started fighting for his dignity (Falk 55). With cont inued fight against Zionist movement by various Jewish leaders, Herzl pressed for more attention on the congress to conquer the communities or work with the Jewish communities in addition to political focus on the Palestine community. Thus, he elicited cohesion and serenity in the Jewish and Palestinian communities through activism as he wrote news articles discouraging anti-Semitism. Thus, he addressed the plight of the Jews and pressed for independence of Palestine and freedom foe Jewish people to his grave. Chaim Weizmann was brought up in a Jewish steeped setting and grew up aware of the plight of Jews. He played a big role in fighting for Zionism. In his liaison with Balfour for the enforcement of the Balfour’s declaration, Weizmann confessed that all he needed was home for his people. He secured a credit as one of the founding fathers of Israel. In 1919, Weizmann and his acquaintance Faisal, the future crown of Iraq, stroke an accord dubbed the Faisal-Weizmann agreement , which inculcated peaceful relations between Arabs and Jews within the Middle East. This accord lobbied for the settlement of Jews in Palestine (Falk 55). After this accord, Weizmann became the influential leader of the world Zionist movement where he liaised with Albert Einstein to raise funds for the construction of the Hebrew university in Jerusalem. He ended up as the first president of Israel where he brought people together. Before and after the Second World War,

Applying Organizational Theory with Communications Essay

Applying Organizational Theory with Communications - Essay Example The marketing will be difficult; she thinks internet can be used for this purpose. Randy Miles, a board member, totally disagrees with this solution. He suggests cutbacks; even that is not a good practice. Since so much hiring have been done in few years, there was a long debate between two of them. Voting was done and members preferred Elizabeth decision. The theory of group think is a key point to resolve many conflicts. There are many alternate decisions but businesses need a perfect one which is preferred by everyone. The preference can be given with the help of voting. After choosing the selected path to follow the issues still reside. Everyone does not agree with the single decision to same degree. Different suggestions can create conflicting situation. Risk factor is also important which is associated with every decision. Such situation must be handled with care and proper justification. Everyone who is representing an idea must give satisfactory justification and possible solution as well as providing a strategy that how to implement such solution. List of resources required and the budget requirement must be realistic. Unity and agreement to go ahead with a particular decision must be the first priority. Now consider the given scenario. Like in the case of Elizabeth and Randy Miles; when Randy Miles came to know that his suggestion is no longer accepted, he leaves the room. This is first stage of conflict. The solution of this is to give proper justification and to unite everyone on single decision. Tina’s point of view is also right that there is lack of financial expertise, and more people are required. Only two people are making decision for this company. The lack of financial expertise is reflected in the lack of expert human resource. The mind of decision maker must be fresh otherwise frustration can lead it up to wrong decision. The meeting was continued for five hours. Another meeting must be conducted to give

Evolution of 3G Technology

Evolution of 3G Technology 3G: Sophistication Guaranteed Telecommunications evolution is undergoing a rapid vamp to the future; the evolution is almost exponential, from the analog types to 2Gs and then finally the latest mobile innovation the 3G technology. The 3G techie is the latest on-stream line of communications which offers advanced voice communications and high-speed data connectivity, with wireless Internet access, mobile data applications and high multimedia content. The 3G model embodies true sophistication in terms of mobile technology but why was this phrase used to describe it? To answer this an investigation of the roots and processes of 3G would be required. Mobile technologys conception started from the analogs. Analog networks, or first generation wireless technology has been introduced in the mid 1980s in America, a technology that was incredibly region-specific in character. As the demand for mobile communications grew, the digital 2G emerged in the 1990s flanking the undercapacity of the 1G systems. Second generation mobile systems operate on the following fundamentals: TDMA, (IS-54 and IS-136), GSM and CDMA IS-95 or cdmaOne. GSM, used worldwide, is a packet-switched technology that transports speed theoretically of up to 115 kbit/s. Unfortunately, these technologies were found to be incompatible with each other, and many mobile techies were incredibly delimited to a specific region or country. They are also fabricated mainly for voice data and slow transmission. Rapid changes in user expectation and communication needs, sought the need for improvement. The resolution: a unifying digital wireless communications that would make global roaming with a single handset possible. 3G refers to the third generation wireless technology and networks and was invented in 1999 (Xavier, ?). It is actually a modified concept of 2G mobile phone systems. It is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) scheme establishing for single global wireless standard called International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000), a resolution to the defects of 2G system. System capacity and spectrum efficiency over 2G systems was the underlying theme of the ITU standardization systems. Minimum transmission rates was set at 144 kbps in mobile (outdoor) and 2 Mbps in fixed (indoor) environments. (Qualcomm, 2001). Simply put, it is an improved wireless technological device for a collection of international standards and technologies intended to increased efficiency output and improved mobile wireless network performance. Since 3G is actually a convergence, the different networks working to standardized it, may be classified as follows: WCDMA, CDMA2000, UMTS and EDGE. The variation as opposed to the standardization cannot really be resolved since there are economic forces or stakeholders who have vested interest in favor of that particular standard. WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) refers to broadband digital radio communications of Internet, multimedia messaging, video streaming and other capacity-demanding applications and is the preferred 3G network in Europe, Asia, Japan, United States and Africa. Conversion of input data (e.g. image, video, voice) to a narrowband digital radio signal tagged with a specific marker is the method for multi-rate transmission of the network. CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is the leading 3g network as of current providing over a hundred million consumers worldwide. It was selected as the industry standard by the ITU (International Telecommunications Union)..CDMA technology is a combination of two networking assets: CDMA2000 1X and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO. The capacity and performance of voice and data services of CDMA2000 1X is twice that of the former CDMA systems and surpasses that of TDMA and GSM. Peak data rates are reached to about 153 kbps without intervening voice capacity. It also offers longer standby times. Its high compatibility with the former CDMA facilitate upgrade of mobile technology to current. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is a data-optimized version of CDMA2000 providing peak rates of more than 2 Mbps, with an average output of over 700 kbps. This fast technology is parallel to DSL service and can support video streaming data and large byte file downloads. The stipulation for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is to delivers maximum number of data (Megabyte) at the lowest cost possible. Being the selected technology, CDMA offers the best packages in mobile technology. CDMA builds on the former CDMA systems and improvised on it like the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM and OFDMA), advanced control and signal procedure, improved interference signalmanagement techniques, end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS), and new antenna techniques such as Multiple Inputs Multiple Outputs (MIMO) and Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA). The advantage of this improved packages include the following: (1) lead performance (e.g. data speed, capacity, latency), (2) spectrum efficiency, (3) advanced mobile services support (4) IP compatible (5) device selection (6) seamless evolution path and and ;(7) global/network coverage flexibility. Best of all it leads lower cost of total ownership (CDMA Development Group, 2007). UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is the mobile telephone standard in Europe, set by ETSI. Unlike GSM, the UMTS follows layering protocol for data networking. The topmost, being the services layer, is for allocation and data speed. The control layer located central, assists in upgrading actions and allows dynamic allocation and tagging of data to a specific bandwidth. Bottommost is the connectivity layer where any transmission technology can be seconded and the voice traffic will transport over ATM/AAL2 or IP/RTP hence trafficking by signal bandwidth is prevented (GSM server, 2007). EDGE (Enhanced Data For Global Evolution) allows GSM the aptitude to handle services for the 3g telephony. It facilitates data transmission at a high speed of 384 kb/sec. EDGE employs TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) frame structure, logic channel and 200kilohertz carrier bandwidth. The same bandwidth with that of GSM sytems enables system compatibility (3G, 2006). System compatibility assures upgrade efficiency and low cost which had been the problem of most G3 networking systems (Lapping, 2006). The constituents of 3G is vast and caters to the technological whims of the techie addicts and the businessmen all over Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, however, like all new technologies, there has been a bone of contention among manufacturers. From the time that the idea of 3G arises and the time when it was marketed, obstacles seem to be always around the corner. As mentioned earlier, there are various networks of 3G which had actually lead to licensing disagreements arising from different terms of conditions from different parties involved. High debts incremented by the telecommunication parties during the past years, which may actually pose as a threat to the development of 3G. Also, operator troubles are unsupported by state finance. The expenses associated with license are ghastly. The main problem of 3G all boils down to money. 3G service is new hence network coverage is limited. Also, the cost of technology is cumbersome for the commoners and the internet flat rate is high at some countries. The main problem with the upgrade of technology to 3G is that there are some price qualms associated with the introduced and advanced technology. Fortunately, most of the leading handset manufacturers like Broadcom puts an end to this entire anxious price tirade, and eventually managed to produce more 3G technologies aiming to facilitate its spread globally and probably to stimulate its economic demand. Broadcom generated the Cellairity chipset with astounding cost of $100 (Hyatt, 2007). This price resolution may, in the long r un, predict to be a good start of consumer availability for 3G. Broadcom may have initiated reduction in production cost but would other companies follow? 3G is a huge risk of investment in consumer market. 3Gs sophistication actually caters to that businessman who conducts their businesses assisted by the wireless networks. Unfortunately, the turn of events is that businessmen constitute only a small population in the global networking arena. For the sophisticated technology to be truly cosmopolitan in character it had to be used by most of the networkers and mobile-users all over the world. For now, it is strangely delimited to those who can really afford it. Looking at the positive side of things, the situation of 3G consumer ratio would not always be the same. Like all things, needs change, and observing the evolution of mobile technology from the rustic analog model to the latest 3G types, one can only predict that consumer needs would be inclined towards technological enhancement and that technological enhancement would be better suited to the needs of the consumer. What is more is that needs change, mobile techie trends may also change. The 3G model is now currently being improvised from more than 3G to 4G. 4G Technology: Super-satisfaction guaranteed? Only time will tell. References 3G. (2006). 3G store. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.3g.co.uk/All%20About%203G.htm 3G Technology. (22 Aug 2007). Qualcomm. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.3gtoday.com/wps/portal/subscribers. CDMA Development Group. (2007). 3G-CDMA2000. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.cdg.org/technology/3g.asp. GSM server.(2007). Evolution to 3G. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.gsmserver.com/articles/evolution_to_3g.php. Hyatt, J. (2007). Broadcom Enables 3G Mobile Phones at 2G Prices with New CellAirityà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Chipset. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=815794. Lapping, K. (2006). Cost and Software Incompatibility Stymie 3G Growth. Ernst and Young Ltd. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/South_Africa/06_Sept_05_Costs_software_incompatibility_stymie_3G_growth. Xavier, P. (?). Licensing of 3G Mobile. Swinburne University of Technology. Retrieved Nov 22, 2007 from http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/ni/3G/workshop/presentations/xavier_1.pdf.

Animal Instinct :: essays research papers

Animal Instinct What would life be like without a mother or a father? What would life be like without any adult supervision? How would a person act if they did not have society to tell them what is right and wrong? Author William Golding believes that a person that wasn't brought up by society would only act using their basic human nature. It is also a part of his believes that this nature is evil. In his novel, Lord of the Flies, Golding proves his ideas on the evil at the base of the human nature through the lives of Piggy, Ralph, Roger, and Jack, whom are all young boys trapped on a deserted island in the Pacific. Piggy was a nonathletic, fat child with glasses and asthma. He was the child who was least effected by the evil inside of himself. Piggy was also the most intelligent child on the island, and this intelligence is what kept him from giving in to his evil. This intelligence was also thought by Jack to be a threat. Piggy lived in fear of Jack because he knew what type of person he was and that he could not be trusted. On page 93 Piggy expresses his fears by telling Ralph, â€Å" I'm scared of him and that is why I know him. If your scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop thinking about him.† In this it is obvious that Piggy is scared of Jack, so much so that he thinks about him constantly and now he has him figured out. This is why Piggy is unaffected by his evil. He sees what is happening to everyone else through Jack. The other person who wasn't overcome by their evil is Ralph. Ralph was an older child, and he was an athletic born leader. He was the leader of the tribe until the children began doing what Jack said. Although he never completely surcame to it, Ralph was tempted by evil. One instance happened when Jack and his hunters came back from a hunt and began to dance. The story on page 75 says, â€Å"Ralph watched them enviously and resentful.† He was envious of the other children because they got to dance and chant, but he knew that it was wrong, so he did not join in, and during this time while he was being tempted he treated Piggy terribly. He began to do what Jack said. Once when Jack brought the meat back from one of the hunts he gave everyone a piece except for Piggy, and when he complained

Retention Management

What is Employee Retention ? Employee retention refers to the various policies and practices which let the employees stick to an organization for a longer period of time. Every organization invests time and money to groom a new joinee, make him a corporate ready material and bring him at par with the existing employees. The organization is completely at loss when the employees leave their job once they are fully trained. Employee retention takes into account the various measures taken so that an individual stays in an organization for the maximum period of time.Importance of Retention Manage Employee Turnover Employers implement retention strategies to manage employee turnover and attract quality employees into the organization. Retention programs focus on the relationship between management and their workers. Competitive pay, benefits, employee recognition and employee assistance programs are all apart of a company's attempt to maintain employee satisfaction. Human resources special ists utilize feedback they receive from exit interviews and focus groups to improve employee relations and reduce turnover. Cost EffectiveA company can significantly benefit from employee retention programs because of a direct effect on an employer’s bottom line. High turnover can be very expensive. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, â€Å"employee replacement costs can reach as high as 50 to 60 percent of an employee’s annual salary. † Strategies geared towards retaining good workers helps offset employee replacement costs and reduces the indirect costs such as decreased productivity and lost clients. Maintain Performance And Productivity Employee retention practices help support an organization’s productivity.Recruiting and training new employees takes time. An unfilled position means work is not getting done. Even if a position is filled, there is still a learning curve most employees must overcome before their work becomes profit able. Taking the necessary steps to keep current workers satisfied with their roles will ensure productivity is not interrupted. Enhances Recruitment Effective retention strategies often begin during the employee recruitment process. Employees are more inclined to remain with a company that fulfills the promises made when their employment offer was extended.Companies that provide a realistic view of their corporate environment, advancement opportunities and job expectations to new hires can positively influence employee retention. Increases Morale Employees that enjoy what they do and the atmosphere in which they work are more likely to remain employed with their company. Retention strategies are important because they help create a positive work environment and strengthen an employee’s commitment to the organization. Strategies that target employee engagement, such as team-builders and community involvement, increase company morale and give employees a sense of pride in what they do.The procedure of Retention Management The procedure of retention management consists of six steps[5]: 1. Identification of the target and actual needs of the staff 2. Analysis of the fluctuation risk of the staff 3. The Analysis of factors of Motivation/Demotivation of the retention group 4. Identification of the targeted measures 5. Implementation of the measures 6. Evaluation of the measures Step 1: Identification of target and actual needs of the staff The starting point is the corporate strategy and business objectives.The product, market or organisational goals of the company can help to identify strategic staffing needs and the strategic relevant skills of employees. Step 2: Analysis of the fluctuation risk of staff In step 2, the HR manager is interested in the degree of the fluctuation risk. First, it is important, to analyse the common portfolio of the potentials and performance of the employees. In large companies, this could be done through a management audit. In small businesses this can be clarified with an employee interview. This gives the manager information about the power structure in the relevant group.But this information is not enough to estimate the probability of fluctuation. It is also necessary to consider the demand for the relevant skills in the labor market. When a manager combines the results of the analysis he can identify three risk categories, which would cause a priority for the retention management: * Those employees, who are in great demand in the labor market and who have a high capacity, are the key target group for retention management measures. * Those employees, who perform well and whose skills are somewhat in demand in the labor market, have a mean fluctuation risk.Depending on the corporate strategy they are the second important target group for retention management measures. * Employees that have skills that exist in large numbers in the labor market and who also who perform well are currently not a relevant retention target. Step 3: Analysis of factors of Motivation/Demotivation of the retention group Now motivators and demotivators must be found in the identified retention target group. The motivators must be taken into account and demotivators must be removed with the help of appropriate measures, to ensure that the employees develop affective commitment.Motivators and demotivators can be estimated from the outcome of questionnaires. Subsequently a Motivation/Demotivation profile of the retention target group should be formed. Step 4: Identification of the targeted measures The various measures of human resource management relate to different motivational factors. These connections can be used to create a specific matrix in which the action areas of personnel management and appropriate measures will be brought together with the motivational factors. Step 5: Implementation of the measures After the analysis measures will be implemented.Here are some important aspects: * Conceptual fo undations: The measures must be defined and applied according to clear rules, in this context ad hoc measures lead only to short-term success with negative cultural impact. * Cultural fit: Measures must be in accordance with the corporate culture and the existing Management tool system For example, a variable compensation system makes little sense without a performance appraisal system! * Marketing personnel action: The application of the measures must be accompanied by internal communication. Only then the efforts of a retention manager will be perceived! Retention factors: By the design and implementation of retention management policies respect and transparency must be taken into account. Only when these measures convey these values, they will have great influence! Step 6: Evaluation of the measures After the implementation of the measures it is necessary to assess the success of the activities. This can be achieved by comparing the results to the objectives that were set in the retention management strategy. After the expiry of the defined period and after application of the retention policies the manager can check how the objectives were achieved.For example, if the objective was that 80% of the defined strategically relevant staff should be in business at time X, then the manager can determine whether this ratio was reached at time X, and whether it was exceeded or not exceeded. From this statement the manager can derive new measures and draw conclusions about the practice of the concept of retention management. Important conditions for the success of retention management are on the one hand, human resource management in the company, and on the other hand project management of the implementation of retention management. Determinants of Retention CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIESCareer development is a system which is organized, formalized and it’s a planned effort of achieving a balance between the individual career needs and the organizationâ€⠄¢s workforce requirements (Leiboiwitz et al, 1986). The rapidly growing awareness makes it obvious that people can give the firm its leading edge in the market place. The new challenge for the HR professionals is to identify the developmental strategies which can inspire the commitment of employees to the firm’s mission and values so that the employees become motivated and help the firm to gain and maintain a competitive advantage (Graddick, 1988).A company that wants to strengthen its bond with its employees must invest in the development of their employees (Hall ;amp; Moss, 1998; Hsu, Jiang, Klein ;amp; Tang, 2003; Steel et al. , 2002; Woodruffe, 1999). It entails in creating opportunities for promotion within the company and also providing opportunities for training and skill development that let employees to improve their employability on the internal and/or external labour market (Butler ;amp; Waldrop, 2001). Growth opportunities which were offered by the employers are reduced due to turnover intentions of employees because the lack of training and romotional opportunities was the main cause for high-performers to leave the company (Allen, Shore ;amp; Griffeth, 2003; Steel et al. , 2002). Career development is important for both the organization and individual (Hall, 2002). It’s a mutual benefit process because career development provides the important outcomes for both parties (Hall, 1996; Kyriakidou and Ozbilgin, 2004). Organizations need talented employees for maintaining the sustainable competitive advantage and individuals require career opportunities to develop and grow their competencies (Prince, 2005).SUPERVISOR SUPPORT One of the most important factors that have impact on retention is the relationship between a worker and a supervisor. Supervisors are the â€Å"human face† of an organization. According to Eisenberger and associates (1990), a worker’s view of the organization is strongly influenced by their relationshi p with their supervisor. By having support, workers are less likely to leave an organization and be more engaged by having good relationship and open communication with the supervisor (Greenhaus, 1987).Supervisors interact as a link to practice applications among stated goals and expectations. By harmonizing the competing demands, they support in managing both inside and outside the work environment. If the relationship does not exceed then employee will seek to any other opportunity for new employment and vice versa. The supervisor support is so essential to retention that it can be said that employees leave bosses, not jobs. Organization must groom supervisors to well build the place where employees want to stay.Providing each level of performance and opportunities can enhance their capabilities to work. WORK ENVIRONMENT Numerous studies have attempted to explain work environment in various areas such as for example employee turnover job satisfaction employee turnover, job involve ment and organizational commitment. Work environment is one of the factors that affect employee’s decision to stay with the organization. Hytter (2008) analyzed that work environment has commonly been discussed by industrial perspective, i. e. ith a focus on physical aspects such as, heavy lifts, noise, exposure to toxic substances etc. The interesting part is; characteristics of work environment vary in services sector as compare to production sector because it has to interact with the clients/consumers (Normann 1986). Depending on the kind of business and kind of job, interactions will be more or less frequent and more or less intense. The interaction between employees and consumer/client hence demands a move of focus from the physical to the Psycho social dimension of work environment.Psycho social work environment includes support, work load, demands, decision latitude, stressors etc. It’s very important to recognize the emerging needs of individuals to keep them c ommitted and provide the work environment as necessitate (Ramlall, 2003). Milory (2004) reported that people enjoy working, and strive to work in those organizations that provide positive work environment where they feel they are making difference and where most people in the organization are proficient and pulling together to move the organization forward. REWARDSThe term ‘reward’ is discussed frequently in the literature as something that the organization gives to the employees in response of their contributions and performance and also something which is desired by the employees. A reward can be extrinsic or intrinsic it can be a cash reward such as bounces or it can be recognition such as naming a worker employee of the month, and at other times a reward refers to a tangible incentive, reward is the thing that an organization gives to the employee in response of their contribution or performance so that the employees become motivated for future positive behavior.In a corporate environment rewards can take several forms. It includes, cash bonuses, recognition awards, free merchandise and free trips. It is very important that the rewards have a lasting impression on the employee and it will continue to substantiate the employee’s perception that they are valued. Rewards are very important for job satisfaction because it fulfills the basic needs as well as helps to attain the higher level of goals. Earnings is the way by which worker get to know that how much they are gaining by dedicating their time, effort and skills in a job.Attractive remuneration packages are one of the very important factors of retention because it fulfills the financial and material desires as well as provide the means of being social by employee’s status and position of power in the organization. Many researchers demonstrate that there is a great deal of inter-individual difference in understanding the significance of financial rewards for employee retention . An organization’s reward system can affect the performance of the employee and their desire to remain employed. WORK-LIFE POLICIESMany researchers tested the impact of work and family benefits which comprise of flexible schedules, childcare assistance, parental leave, childcare information and parental leave on organization commitment. Researches showed that there is greater organizational commitment if employees had access to work life policies and also these employees articulated considerably with lower intent to renounce their profession. Today a major concern in business is Workplace flexibility. The one thing becomes very clear that money alone is not enough; employees are willing to trade a certain amount of money for reduced work hours in their schedules.It is argued by the researchers that reduced work hour options should have the potential of win-win situation for both individuals and organizations, there should be a fit between the schedule the person needs and th e actual number of hours worked. Distress and fatigue from excessive time on job can lead to decline in performances of the employee and also it affects the safety level. A large amount of time at work is not a good predictor of productivity and it is observed that periods of time away from work can be extremely beneficial to the quality and productivity of a person’s work.The employee willingness to opt for reduced –hours schedules is not simply a matter of scheduling it involves redesigning work arrangements which leads to change in organization culture and careers, viable reduced-hours career options require simultaneous changes in the areas of compensation, assignments and promotions. So it is more cost-effective and productive for management to design the work arrangements to fit the human than it is force the human to fit the system (Barnet ;amp; Hall, 2001).By applying work-life course of actions, an organization can enhance its ability to respond to demands of customers for better access to services and also the tactics for the organizations to deal with the revolutionized way in order to satisfy both employees and employers . ABSENTEEISM Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employersand employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. A satisfactory level of attendance byemployees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targetsby a department. Employee Absenteeism is the absence of an employee from work.It is a major problem faced by almost all employers of today. Employees are absentfrom work and thus the work suffers. Absenteeism of employees from work leads toback logs, piling of work and thus work delay. Absenteeism is of two types -1. Innocent absenteeism – Is one in which the employee is absent from workdue to genuine cause or reason. It may be due to his illness or personalfamily problem or any other real reason2. Culpable Absenteeism – is one in which a person is absent from workwithout any genuine reason or cause. He may be pretending to be ill or justwanted a holiday and stay at home.Many employees will, on occasions, need a few days off work because of illness, however, whenabsences become more frequent or long term and reach an unacceptable level, action bymanagement is necessary. Absence from work can be expensive in both monetary and humanterms. The costs incurred when an employee is absent from work may include:(i) Replacing the employee or requiring other staff to cover the absence;(ii) Inability to provide services, or achieve section and departmental objectives;(iii) Low morale and general dissatisfaction from other staff, particularly if the absence isHigh absenteeism in the workplace may be indicative of poor morale, but absences can also be caused by workplace hazards or sick building syndrome. Many employers use statistics such as the Bradford factor that do not distinguish between genuine illness and absence for inap propriate reasons. As a result, many employees feel obliged to come to work while ill, and transmit communicable diseases to their co-workers. This leads to even greater absenteeism and reduced productivity among other workers who try to work while ill.Work forces often excuse absenteeism caused by medical reasons if the worker supplies a doctor's note or other form of documentation. Sometimes, people choose not to show up for work and do not call in advance, which businesses may find to be unprofessional and inconsiderate. This is called a â€Å"no call, no show†. According to Nelson & Quick (2008) people who are dissatisfied with their jobs are absent more frequently. They went on to say that the type of dissatisfaction that most often leads employees to miss work is dissatisfaction with the work itself.The psychological model that discusses this is the â€Å"withdrawal model†, which assumes that absenteeism represents individual withdrawal from dissatisfying wor king conditions. This finds empirical support in a negative association between absence and job satisfaction, especially satisfaction with the work itself. [1] Medical-based understanding of absenteeism find support in research that links absenteeism with smoking, problem drinking, low back pain, and migraines. [2] Absence ascribed to medical causes is often still, at least in part, voluntary.Research shows that over one trillion dollars is lost annually due to productivity shortages as a result of medical-related absenteeism, and that increased focus on preventative wellness could reduce these costs. [3] The line between psychological and medical causation is blurry, given that there are positive links between both work stress and depression and absenteeism. [2] Depressive tendencies may lie behind some of the absence ascribed to poor physical health, as with adoption of a â€Å"culturally approved sick role†.This places the adjective â€Å"sickness† before the word à ¢â‚¬Å"absence†, and carries a burden of more proof than is usually offered. Evidence indicates that absence is generally viewed as â€Å"mildly deviant workplace behavior†. For example, people tend to hold negative stereotypes of absentees, under report their own absenteeism, and believe their own attendance record is better than that of their peers. Negative attributions about absence then bring about three outcomes: the behavior is open to social control, sensitive to social context, and is a potential source of workplace conflict.Thomas suggests that there tends to be a higher level of stress with people who work with or interact with a narcissist, which in turn increases absenteeism and staff turnover TURNOVER Employee turnover is the process of replacing one worker with another for any reason. A turnover rate is the percentage of employees that a company must replace within a given time period. This rate is a concern to most companies because employee turnover can be a costly expense, especially for lower-paying jobs, which typically have the highest turnover rates. Having n employee leave a company, either because of his or her choice or after being fired or otherwise let go, might require various administrative tasks to be performed and severance pay or other payments made to the employee. Replacing the employee might require such things as advertising the open position, using a so-called headhunter or other service to find potential job candidates, bringing in candidates for interviews and eventually training the new employee. Types Of Turnover The two general types of turnover are voluntary and involuntary.Voluntary turnover is when the employee chooses to leave for whatever reason. Involuntary turnover is caused by layoffs and similar actions where the decision for an employee to leave is made by the company and not the employee. As a general rule, voluntary turnover is the measure used to discuss and compare employers. It is the type mo st directly affected by the front line supervisors. Involuntary turnover, caused by layoffs, can be a long-term result of high levels of voluntary turnover. What Is Turnover RateTurnover rate is a calculation of the number of employees who have left the company and it is expressed as a percentage of the total number of employees. Although turnover rate is usually calculated and reported as a percentage per year it can be for different periods. How to prevent turnover Employees are important in any running of a business; without them the business would be unsuccessful. However, more and more employers today are finding that employees remain for approximately 23 to 24 months, according to the 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Employment Policy Foundation states that it costs a company an average of $15,000  per employee, which includes separation costs, including paperwork, unemployment; vacancy costs, including overtime or temporary employees; and replacement costs including adve rtisement, interview time, relocation, training, and decreased productivity when colleagues depart. Providing a stimulating workplace environment, which fosters happy, motivated and empowered individuals, lowers employee turnover and absentee rates. 10] Promoting a work environment that fosters personal and professional growth promotes harmony and encouragement on all levels, so the effects are felt company wide. [10] Continual training and reinforcement develops a work force that is competent, consistent, competitive, effective and efficient. [10] Beginning on the first day of work, providing the individual with the necessary skills to perform their job is important. [11]Before the first day, it is important the interview and hiring process expose new hires to an explanation of the company, so individuals know whether the job is their best choice. 12] Networking and strategizing within the company provides ongoing performance management and helps build relationships among co-worker s. [12] It is also important to motivate employees to focus on customer success, profitable growth and the company well-being . [12] Employers can keep their employees informed and involved by including them in future plans, new purchases, policy changes, as well as introducing new employees to the employees who have gone above and beyond in meetings. [12] Early engagement and engagement along the way, shows employees they are valuable through information or recognition rewards, making them feel included. 12] When companies hire the best people, new talent hired and veterans are enabled to reach company goals, maximizing the investment of each employee. [12] Taking the time to listen to employees and making them feel involved will create loyalty, in turn reducing turnover allowing for growth. ATTRITION Attrition or Employee Attrition is a voluntary reduction in an organization’s manpower through resignations or retirements. A high attrition rate causes a high employee turnove r in an organization, reducing quantity and quality of an organization’s manpower.This in turn causes a huge expenditure on human resource, by contributing towards repeated acquisition, training and development, and performance management. Attrition or voluntary turnover, although undesirable to any firm, is not completely avoidable. Yet, by improving employee morale and providing a satisfactory working environment, this problem can be nullified to a greater extent. A major cause for voluntary turnover is uninteresting and unchallenging job that offers boredom rather than enthusiasm for employees. Employees who experience boredom at work usually try exploring alternatives to make their work life happier.An easy track to retain these employees is by adopting some sort of job shift through job enrichment, empowerment, de-jobbing, or job rotation. There is also a great impact from the working environment that an organization offers to its employees. An unhappy employee with orga nizational culture, superiors, subordinates, or even customers cause high attrition rate to that organization. These employees can also influence his peers and subordinates by sharing their feelings and opinion. There is also another group of employees who hunt for better alternatives and hop as they get one.These employees may rather spend their majority of working hours in searching new options than contributing to the present employer. This means, behaviour and attitude of an employee also can cause attrition. Why do Employees Leave the Organization? It is said that people leave their bosses,not organizations. When employees are happy with their superiors they choose to stay, if not they look for a switch. So now I see the following reasons to Leave the Boss * Higher pay * Work timings * Career growth * Higher education * Relocation to other places Women leave the job after marriage to take up their house-hold duties * Work pressure * Work Environment * Poor performance. * Losing faith on merger/acquisition * Verbal abuse The Brighter Side of Attrition * A poor performer is replaced by a more effective employee * A senior retirement allows the promotion or acquisition of welcome ‘fresh blood'. * When business is slack it is straight forward to hold off filling recently created vacancies for some weeks. Diagnosing Attrition Commonly Used Techniques in the Industry: 1. Surveys : They are commonly used as part of the information gathering process.They are a reasonable way of obtaining relevant information, though response rates are often disappointing. Questionnaires need to be designed carefully to be effective. They should be easy to use, anonymous and fairly brief. Questions can be open or closed, multiple choice answers, ranking of items or checklist format. 2. Exit Interviews : Exit interviews are used by the majority of companies. They tend to be conducted just before an employee leaves, though some firms wait until after the departure. Exit interv iews will normally to be done in the form of a questionnaire, though one to one interviews are also used.

The Zen of Listening

Douglas, Susan. (2004). The Zen of Listening, in Listening in  : Radio and the American Imagination (22-39). Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press. Abstract Radio is examined here as a shaper of generational identities, as a uniting force for the creation of' †imagined communities† or nations, and as a nostalgic device with associational links in our past. In addition, it is portrayed as a powerful aural gadget that stimulates us cognitively not only through our imagination; our creation of images or ideas based on listening, but also through music, which engages us emotionally.Further discussed is a comprehensive history of radio in America and its contrasting relationship with newspapers and literacy, and television and its visual component. This contrast, and the existence of the radio and the ways we listen have important temporally bound characteristics that are important in understanding times, the medium itself and our relationship with it as it becomes engr ained or interwoven into our everyday lives.The text examines the social implications and reasons for being of radio and refers to various scholars who have examined the form and its effects of this revolutionary device which unites listeners through simultaneity of listening and the physical responses listening engenders. Through the physiological, social, cultural, and technological spheres of this medium, it is obvious that it is much more complex than commonly believed, and the text brings to light the ramifications of its introduction into a literary, visual culture, creating a hybrid America  : a conservative, literate society entwined with a traditional, preliterate. ral culture. Word Count  : 230 Keywords  : nostalgia, radio, imagined community, modes of listening, music, ritual Response †With radio, the interior †I† began oscillating with the voices of those never met, never even seen (31). † The permeating qualities of the †voices of rad io† in the minds of listeners is an issue, in my opinion, that clearly implicates radio as a persuasion tool, which is an element of the medium that appears to be neglected in the text.This neglect to fully examine the implications of the medium and the various elements that are quintessential to the formation of a complete and comprehensive understanding of the workings and complexities of radio presents a rudimentary portrait of the form which should definately be corrected. I argue that Susan Douglas presents an incomplete account of the rise of radio in her idealization of the medium and that, like the listener who is †inclined to remember [radio] at its best†, she fails to examine the intention of radio messages and focuses more on the experience of listening to the radio (Douglas, 2004, p. 5). Firstly, with a basis on the above sentence, she idealizes the form and effects of radio by overlooking or barely touching on the idea of the commercial hand that plays a rather large role in the medium, and affects the intentions and motives of the speakers and the content they disclose. Furthermore, the pervasiveness of these voices is cause for concern for listeners as they are prey to subtle influence from these †familiar voices† who infiltrate themselves into the very thoughts of individuals.Susan Douglas' article addresses many ideas that revolve around radio, but does not seem to pay much attention to the commercialization of the medium despite her mentionning that †by the 1930's, with the highly commercialized network system in place, a great majority of these voices—which sought to sound familiar, intimate, and even folksy—represented a centralized consumer-culture (Douglas, 2004, p. 31). ‘ Beyond the idealized concept of the †imagined community† and the positive unity it creates among the listeners, the commercial hand in the medium of radio implies a certain intention in the scale of the medium; one that seeks numbers. Douglas does mention that in an effort to maximize profits, the network and advertisers aimed for the largest possible audience, promoting the medium of radio as a †nation-building technology (Douglas, 2004, p. 24). ‘ This emphasis, however, on the maximization of profits casts doubt on the integrity and the intention of radio. The oscillating voices of †those never met, never even seen† which interact with the inner voice of the listener are tainted by an underlying struggle between social consolidation and betterment, and commercialism. This leads to the need to examine content and intention in radio, and to the need for a critical assessment of this revolutionary device.Secondly, these voices which penetrated our minds, spoken by unknown radio personalities, did more than allow us to free our imagination. In effect, these voices which now interacted with the inner voice of the individual could become subtle influences of ou r ideas, and beliefs without our even knowing. This danger, which I greatly believe is applicable in this mass medium, especially when taking into consideration the novelty of the device in the 1930's, could leave listeners unguarded against potential manipulation or influence.The idea that the voices of the radio speakers have a certain familiar or intimate quality illustrates this desire to identify with the listener, which leaves that latter to fend for himself in the identification of the veracity of messages, and in the intention of the speaker who is trained to please an audience. The various personalities that would speak to the nation through radio—the †politically powerful and the rich, [†¦ ministers, educators, [†¦] comedians, singers and actors†Ã¢â‚¬â€could have various intentions in their speeches; they could seek to sway auditors to favor certain ideologies, to act in certain ways, or could misdirect or misinform listeners (Douglas, 2004, p 31). Furthermore, the ability for radio to adjust to various circumstances of listening makes it even more alarming as it becomes the background music of our daily lives, making these voices that much more likely to become a part of our interior dialogue (Douglas, 2004).In conclusion, as mass media of various sorts—newspapers, television and radio—become national, and all-encompassing, the need for critical analysis of every aspect of each medium becomes necessary to understand the limitations of each, and their intentions. Since there are many underlying motives to every medium, especially commercial or political ones, and since mass media have developed into such huge social entities with powerful nfluence, it is important to think by ourselves, without the implication of unknown others in our reasoning; to question why we believe certain things, and how we came to so as to remain individuals in the mass, and to be able to ward off unwanted influences which may find their way into our subconscious. Word Count  : 782

Free Essays on World War 2

War is one of the most tragic things in our world today. It is even sadder that usually it comes around at least once in our lifetime. In the 20th century alone we have already had two huge wars. These wars were call the World Wars simply because they involved most of the big countries of the world. Many people have died in these wars, Especially the Second World War. That is my focus for this essay. The leader of Germany at the time of WW2 and the person who most think started WW2 was a man named Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. By the time that World War 1 started in 1914, he was living in Germany. He served well in the German Army and for that he earned a medal for bravery. At the end of the war Hitler decided to take up politics. By 1921 he was already the founding leader of the Nazi party. Hitler was an incredibly racist man and he had a great hate for Jews. By 1933, Hitler gained political power by winning the election. Soon after he made himself absolute dictator, calling himself the Fuhrer, which means "Leader". By the end of the 30's he was already sending Jews off too concentration camps to meet a horrible death. I believe that Hitler was one of the greatest causes of World War 2. Although there are many other reasons, he was definitely one of them. Another reason was the Treaty of Versailles. This was the treaty that was signed at the end of World War 1. This treaty outlined the rules that Germany must follow because of their defeat by Britain and France. The treaty angered many Germans, for most of the rules in the treaty were unfair and Germany lost a great amount of wealth. One of the cruelest reasons for the war was Hitler's racist hate for Jews. He would send them off in cattle cars to places called concentration camps were they would be slaughtered by the thousands. World War 2 was huge and involved a lot of countries. There were thousands of battlefronts and war sites. The two main battlefronts ... Free Essays on World War 2 Free Essays on World War 2 War is one of the most tragic things in our world today. It is even sadder that usually it comes around at least once in our lifetime. In the 20th century alone we have already had two huge wars. These wars were call the World Wars simply because they involved most of the big countries of the world. Many people have died in these wars, Especially the Second World War. That is my focus for this essay. The leader of Germany at the time of WW2 and the person who most think started WW2 was a man named Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. By the time that World War 1 started in 1914, he was living in Germany. He served well in the German Army and for that he earned a medal for bravery. At the end of the war Hitler decided to take up politics. By 1921 he was already the founding leader of the Nazi party. Hitler was an incredibly racist man and he had a great hate for Jews. By 1933, Hitler gained political power by winning the election. Soon after he made himself absolute dictator, calling himself the Fuhrer, which means "Leader". By the end of the 30's he was already sending Jews off too concentration camps to meet a horrible death. I believe that Hitler was one of the greatest causes of World War 2. Although there are many other reasons, he was definitely one of them. Another reason was the Treaty of Versailles. This was the treaty that was signed at the end of World War 1. This treaty outlined the rules that Germany must follow because of their defeat by Britain and France. The treaty angered many Germans, for most of the rules in the treaty were unfair and Germany lost a great amount of wealth. One of the cruelest reasons for the war was Hitler's racist hate for Jews. He would send them off in cattle cars to places called concentration camps were they would be slaughtered by the thousands. World War 2 was huge and involved a lot of countries. There were thousands of battlefronts and war sites. The two main battlefronts ...

Germany, and the Origins of WW1 essays

Germany, and the Origins of WW1 essays Germany and the Origins of the First World War 1 Between 1866 and 1871, thanks to the skilful diplomacy of Prussias great minister, Prince Otto von Bismarck and to the unexcelled military genius of his generals, Albrecht von Roon and Helmuth von Moltke; the situation in what had been the German confederation was completely altered. During the first half of its existence, the confederation had been dominated by the Austrian Hapsburgs. As a result of Prussias decisive victory in the Austro- Prussian war of 1866, the Austrian Empire was expelled from the confederation and a new North German Confederation was created under a greatly enlarged Prussia.1 By taking advantage of a wave of chauvinism in France, Otto von Bismarck contrived to bring about the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, in which the German states south of the Main fought as allies against France and at the close of which they joined, in January 1871, with the states of the North German Confederation to establish the German Empire. The Second Teutonic Reich was forged out of blood and iron; a prophetic slogan for such a young nation state whose foreign policy would always be oriented towards the later. The Prussian philosopher Carl von Clausewitz in 1832, described war as being ...compounded of a paradoxical trinity: the governments for which it was an instrument of policy: the military for whom it was the exercise of a skill; and the people as a whole, the extent of whose involvement determined the intensity with which the war would be waged.2 It was the German people, rallying behind the nationalistic, militaristic rhetoric of their charismatic leaders, who ultimately called for colonization of vacant lands on 2 their eastern frontier.3 The German people incubated and fully b...

About Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

About Shakespeare Essay Essay Topic: Literature , William Shakespeare Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Hamlet (634) , Claudius (325) , Ophelia (231) , Polonius (224) , Gertrude (208) , Laertes (186) , Horatio (118) , Fortinbras (82) Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest and most tragic play. It was first published in 1603, from a draft published several years earlier. The play begins two months after the death of King Hamlet of Denmark. The country is in a state of unrest. Young Fortinbras of Norway is preparing for war. After the King’s death, his brother Claudius takes over the throne, and marries the widowed Queen Gertrude. Young Hamlet, the late king’s son is incensed. He is told by the ghost of his father, that Claudius had poisoned him, to become the King of Denmark. Hamlet starts acting like a madman rousing concern. Polonius, an advisor to King Claudius is also worried by Hamlet’s strange â€Å"transformation. † The two, along with Queen Gertrude instruct Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends to spy on him. Hamlet is also increasingly hostile towards his love, Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter. Out of fear, the King orders Hamlet to be sent to England. King Claudius and Polonius both feel that Hamlet is dangerous. To ensure who the culprit was, Hamlet cleverly changes the lines in a play which is performed before the king and the queen. The King’s reaction convinces Hamlet that it was indeed he who poisoned his father. Alone, King Claudius reveals his crime, and confesses that he cannot escape divine judgment. After the play, Queen Gertrude scolds her son, but he instead scolds his mother for her wrong actions. Polonius is spying on the two, from behind a curtain. Hamlet hears Polonius, and kills him thinking he is Claudius. Anxious and scared, the king orders Hamlet to be sent to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The King wants Hamlet killed as soon as he arrives in England. Hamlet had the spies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern put to death instead. Meanwhile, Young Fortinbras has brought his army to Denmark. Hamlet admires Young Fortinbras, for his courage to fight for honor. The death of Polonius has a profound impact on Ophelia, who in her depression and apathy kills herself by drowning. Laertes, Polonius’ son is enraged. The king tells him that it was Hamlet who murdered Polonius. The two decide to get rid of Hamlet, their common enemy. Claudius and Laertes arrange a duel, in which Laertes will fight Hamlet. To ensure Hamlet’s death, Laertes poisons the tip of his sword. In the course of the duel, Laertes, Hamlet and the King are poisoned by the same sword. Queen Gertrude drinks a poisoned drink meant for Hamlet, and is killed. Dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell the world of his story and recommends Young Fortinbras the next king of Denmark. Hamlet – Prince of Denmark is a play that deals with the main subjects of honor, revenge and suicide. Hamlet is not our typical hero. Born in a royal family, he is a refined young man with noble attributes, but he has his weaknesses. After his father’s murder, he is driven mad by anger when his mother marries Claudius. His love for Ophelia too turned into a strange confusion and mix of emotions. He distrusts all those around him, and starts dwelling in a melancholy state of mind. Even those he thought were his friends turn out to be spies sent by the king and queen. This also explain Hamlets â€Å"insanity† to a great extent. But even so, Hamlet is a disturbed individual. The way he treats Ophelia is obvious evidence. He is cruel to her, in spite of her efforts to try and understand him. He is also impulsive – he kills Polonius without thinking twice. Justice and revenge form major themes of the play, with Claudius, at the Head of a country, having killed his own brother, and Hamlet, avenging his father’s death. Suicide also forms an essential theme in the play. Ophelia kills herself by drowning. Hamlet too is prompted to kill himself. † But should he, or not; â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question. † Shakespeare portrays all the characters with great ingenuity. He analyses human psyche, and how eventually, everyone’s destiny is controlled by fate. About Shakespeare, Hamlet Study Guide, http://absoluteshakespeare. com/guides/hamlet/hamlet. htm About Shakespeare. (2017, Mar 16).

Go Down, Moses and Star Wars on Imperialism and Colonialism Research Paper

Go Down, Moses and Star Wars on Imperialism and Colonialism - Research Paper Example There are striking similarities between colonialism and imperialism though the differences must be examined as well. Colonialism is typically defined as the expansion of power by conquering new lands and gaining control over them. In short, colonialism is a system of direct political, economic, and cultural control by a powerful country over a weaker one. For example, Faulkner’s writings reflect the tensions of the south being dominated by the north. â€Å"In 1875 Mississippi Democrats "resolved to use as much force as was necessary" to regain control of their state government through elections, and their campaign of intimidation, which included the overt killing of blacks, succeeded.† Both groups of stories review multiple generations of imperial rule but also show that regardless of the strength one group has over another, that rule is limited as ultimately human nature is to rebel against absolute domination. Colonialism may go through a series of phases from success to failure. In these stories, the ultimate goal is colonization as one group looks to expand and control another. Though Faulkner’s stories focus more on localized groups and the Star Wars saga presents a quest for a more universal domination, both use methods of imperialism to achieve this end. Though the collection in Go Down, Moses focuses only within one country, it demonstrates the relationship between whites and blacks and then north and south across several generations. This element of time present in both Faulkner and the Star Wars saga not only shows that imperialism cannot last forever, the repetitions throughout each new episode or story leaves the impression that regardless of time or characters, some themes are always the same in history.

How to Write a Paper that Gives the Author's Own Argument Essay

How to Write a Paper that Gives the Author's Own Argument - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the paragraphs that follow the thesis statement are logically organized and all follow the thesis statement and points that are made. Each clearly defines one point that relates to the main topic. The paragraphs also give examples and opinions that are followed by facts. Each of the paragraphs works independently to show the main point of the essay while providing an organization that relates to the overall thesis of the paper. More importantly, each of the paragraphs in the paper moves through a chronological order that defines the process of writing, editing and creating a solid paper. For an individual who is learning to write an essay, this provides effective methods that are logical and supported through the thesis. Even though there are adequate points in the body paragraphs, some of the details provided are irrelevant. The examples that are given and some of the statements made drive away from the main thesis and take away from th e objective of the paper. For instance, in paragraph 4, the author begins speaking about organization processes for a thesis paper and not having this as being a distraction. The very next sentence distracts the reader by talking about a television or a younger sister screaming. The reader begins to think about these situations, as opposed to the organization needed to write a paper. The concepts in the paper can be improved with revisions that would enhance the paper. The most important revision to make is from the unnecessary statements and examples that take the reader out of the main subject of the paper.

Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia Essay

Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia - Essay Example To strengthen their financial position dominant players of this industry across world, and especially in Australia turned to mergers and acquisitions. Year 2011 witnessed global mergers and acquisition of $.162, 439 million with 43percent higher than previous year in terms of value (e Ernst & Young, 2012). In Australia alone, total value of M&A deals in mining and metal sectors in year 2011 was $.38, 594 million as compared to $.23, 469 million in the year 2010. Mergers and acquisitions in mining and metal sectors of Australia also witnessed large inbound and outbound deals. This report sheds lights on the aim and objective of these deals based on two case studies from Australian mining sector. Case studies used for the purpose are: Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million). Both deals been successfully completed in year 2011with both parties of two deals belonging to same continent. The two case studies witnessed ove rall aim of acquisitions by two firms to enhance their resource base, increased synergy in their operations and undertake low risk transactions. The capital agenda guiding these transactions was to preserve, optimize, raise and invest capital (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources was mainly driven by motif to increase it resource base. BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining was aimed to improve synergy and efficiency in operation with undertaking contractor firm within BHP Billiton’s umbrella. Successful completion of deals benefitted both parties as well as their shareholders. In the end with reference to the academic literature both deals are discussed to extract level of alignment and support from literature. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA 4 ATLAS IRON ACQUIRING GIRALIA RESOURCES 8 DEAL DETAILS 9 BHP BILLITON ACQUIRING HWE MINING 12 DEAL DETAILS 12 SUPPORT FROM LITERATURE 13 TRANSACTION ALLIGNMENT W ITH LITERATURE 15 CONCLUSION 16 REFERENCES 17 INTRODUCTION Australia stands on the leading position on mega acquisitions table with Australian BHP Billiton acquiring Petrohawk Energy of US (Oil & gas sector) with $.11, 776 million in cross border acquisition (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Mining sector of Australia also remained active to enhance its capacity, strengthen operations and portfolio. With considerable activity of Australian companies in acquisitions in the year 2011, this report will explore various areas of these acquisitions. Two inbound acquisitions deals in Australia with Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million) in focus, following areas are explored and discussed in this report: Were both deals able to achieve success completion within defined time? Details of both details. Type and level of discrepancy arisen, if any. For instance resistance from management or shareholders etc. Overall aim of the acquis ition Benefits to the acquirer and Benefits to the target firm (acquired firm). Level of support these deals can leverage from the academic literature. ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA In the year 2011, the mining and metal sectors have successfully emerged as strong sector with growth trend after riding the high global economic uncertainty. Among other options to raise capital, mining sector provided an ideal environment for mergers and acquisitions specifically; however, while total deal value was up 43% on the prior year to $162.4bn, volumes were down 10% to 1,008 deals, highlighting the difficulty in evaluating, financing and executing deals (e Ernst & Young, 2012). (e Ernst & Young, 2012) (e Ernst & Young,

Consider the role that agriculture plays in our society, including its Essay

Consider the role that agriculture plays in our society, including its enviromental implications - Essay Example Farming, which supplies life itself to the human race also contributes to soil erosion and polluted water. Farmers and large agricultural corporations must clear trees to find land that will sustain crops. Wind and water passes over barren land which initiates erosion, a condition which has been caused by poor farming practices or deforestation. Cattle are generally raised on the eroded, previously farmed land which further degrades the soil. â€Å"Such practices tend to lead to rapid soil degradation as most soils are too poor to sustain agriculture† (â€Å"Underlying Causes,† 1999). Eroding soil mixes with clean water supplies thus reducing the amount of available, life-giving water for an increasing number of people. The soil that is washed into the drinking water contains toxins, pesticides, fertilizers and industrial wastes which not only restricts the supply of potable water but makes its way into the watershed underground, rivers, streams, lakes and eventually in to the ocean and gulf waters which creates large areas of ‘dead zones’ where no living thing can survive. Soil degradation occurs when using chemical fertilizers which break down the chemical composition of the soil. â€Å"Many scientists observed a gradual decrease of soil organic matter content in soils, as well as a decrease of soil biological activity in particular, in relation to chemical uses† (â€Å"Soils retrogression†, 2007). The combination of erosion and degradation results in desert-like conditions where neither plants nor animals can survive but this problem can be overcome by implementing proven agricultural practices which enhance and rebuild the soil. â€Å"Rebuilding is possible through the improvement of soil structure, addition of organic matter and limitation of runoff† (â€Å"Soils retrogression,† 2007). These erosion reducing

Drugs in Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Drugs in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example In regards to this, drug use is a serious offense in Saudi Arabia; the penalty is death. Drug traffickers found guilty are sentenced to death. The Saudi Arabia monarchy rates as one of the places with the strictest regulations on drugs in the world. The kingdom has a zero-tolerance, strict anti-drug policy that is initiated at all the transport entry systems into the country with state-of-the-art technology for detection (US Department of State). The monarch lists some of the prescription medication as illegal, thus visitors or passengers carrying such must have proper prescription papers from their doctors. Interestingly, some of the medications in the over-the-counter category fall under the controlled substances in the Saudi Arabia Kingdom. Over the past few years, the kingdom has been emphasizing its prohibition of drugs and substances considered to be against the Koran teachings through the creation of more regulations and policy to control drugs. The airports in the kingdom conduct thorough passenger searches, even the transiting passengers. Those found with controlled substances and drugs are subjected to trials under the Islamic laws (US Department of State, 2011). The introduction of the death penalty for drug trafficking offenses was in March 1987 under King Fahd. The Council of Senior Ulama (religious scholars responsible for the interpretation of Islamic laws) had presented religious edict (fatwa) No. 138 that contained the penalty proposal. The edict was advocating for a death penalty for individuals found guilty of receiving or smuggling â€Å"drugs† into the kingdom, with the same penalty for recidivist distribution charges. The edict became law and took effect immediately. According to Amnesty Intern ational records, the first execution took place in July 1987, which saw the beheading of Falin bin Kami al-Makati.   

Research Paper on Stereotypes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Stereotypes - Research Paper Example One understanding of stereotypes is that they emerge to exploit differences between competing groups. Stereotyping downplays similar characteristics and magnifies differences. One sees this occur among African-Americans, whose identity clearly goes more in-depth than racial background, as they are more American than African. However, American society consistently splits itself on lines of black vs. white. Another theory of stereotypes relies on psychological research and claims that for human beings it is too difficult to process all the nuances of individuality so stereotypes function to help cognitively organize groups of people. By assigning characteristics to large groups, it aids humans in simplifying, organizing, and predicting the society they function. As a result, there is decreased need to process new information that would distinguish people by individual traits. Sociologist Charles Hurst believes that, â€Å"†¦stereotypes (are) the lack of personal, concrete familia rity that individuals have with persons in other racial or ethnic groups. (Hurst 6).† In these regards, it’s clear that lack of familiarity encourages the lumping together of unknown individuals. Whatever the theory, it’s clear that stereotypes present a problem for society as they inhibit integration and function in large part to maintain a social caste system where upward mobility faces resistance. One can just view the cases of the maquilos workers on the Mexico – Florida border and the gender stereotypes they endured when attempting to receive fair and equitable wages and positions. Stereotypes are in direct opposition to our right as human beings to the pursuit of happiness and personal betterment. While stereotypes exist for a variety of reasons, it’s clear that there are a number of stereotypes that have emerged that are regularly believed by large groups of the general public. One of the major areas of stereotyping occurs in the area of gend er. In these regards, men are presented as needing to be concerned with sports and ‘manly pursuits. Oftentimes, there are stereotypes presented of woman, such as blondes as being outgoing and fun loving, while girls who read having a prudish edge. One comes to witness a great degree of gender stereotypes in phrases such as ‘you should never hit a girl’. As within such statements there is the belief that men should be weak and men physically strong. Another area of stereotyping occurs in terms of race. Race constitutes one of the major areas where stereotyping occurs. For instance, Mexicans are depicted as lazy, while Asians are depicted as being studious and career driven. Still more stereotyping occurs in regards to religion. If one speaks to individuals very familiar with sects of Christianity, for instance, they will oftentimes report that Baptists have different attitudes than Catholics or Lutherans. In addition, there are a wide variety of stereotypes regardi ng practitioners of Judaism, with these individuals being thought of as thrifty or intellectual. Finally, stereotyping also occurs in regards to people’s sexual preferences. In regards to sexual preference, gay individuals are oftentimes depicted as speaking with a lisp or doing fantastical or ‘fabulous’ things. They are also believed to wear specific types

Drugs in Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Drugs in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example In regards to this, drug use is a serious offense in Saudi Arabia; the penalty is death. Drug traffickers found guilty are sentenced to death. The Saudi Arabia monarchy rates as one of the places with the strictest regulations on drugs in the world. The kingdom has a zero-tolerance, strict anti-drug policy that is initiated at all the transport entry systems into the country with state-of-the-art technology for detection (US Department of State). The monarch lists some of the prescription medication as illegal, thus visitors or passengers carrying such must have proper prescription papers from their doctors. Interestingly, some of the medications in the over-the-counter category fall under the controlled substances in the Saudi Arabia Kingdom. Over the past few years, the kingdom has been emphasizing its prohibition of drugs and substances considered to be against the Koran teachings through the creation of more regulations and policy to control drugs. The airports in the kingdom conduct thorough passenger searches, even the transiting passengers. Those found with controlled substances and drugs are subjected to trials under the Islamic laws (US Department of State, 2011). The introduction of the death penalty for drug trafficking offenses was in March 1987 under King Fahd. The Council of Senior Ulama (religious scholars responsible for the interpretation of Islamic laws) had presented religious edict (fatwa) No. 138 that contained the penalty proposal. The edict was advocating for a death penalty for individuals found guilty of receiving or smuggling â€Å"drugs† into the kingdom, with the same penalty for recidivist distribution charges. The edict became law and took effect immediately. According to Amnesty Intern ational records, the first execution took place in July 1987, which saw the beheading of Falin bin Kami al-Makati.   

Information Technology Essay Example for Free

Information Technology Essay James Price is an Information Technology consultant with specific expertise in website design. His consultancy is doing well, but he would really like to gain another client to ensure that he has enough work for the foreseeable future. One Saturday, at his brother Anthony’s 40th birthday celebration, James is approached by Mark Jackson, a store owner, who James has met previously at some of his brother’s other social functions. Mark explains to James that he is looking to revamp his store’s website and that he could use James’ expertise to complete the project. James expresses his interest in assisting and Mark tells James that he will email him on Monday with a proposal. On Monday morning, Mark sends James the following email: Dear James, After thinking further about your potential involvement in the website project for the store, I want to bring you on board as a consultant. The terms of the engagement are that you will provide your web design services exclusively for two weeks, starting on 1st February 2014, working onsite with me and the store manager. In terms of remuneration, you will be paid a flat fee of $35,000 with a parking spot to be provided for the time that you are onsite. It is important that if you want this work, you indicate your acceptance in writing by the end of the day. I look forward to hearing from you. Mark Jackson. An hour after the email is sent, James reads it and is happy with the terms  of the proposal. He goes to draft an email to Mark detailing his acceptance of the terms of the offer, but because of a sudden storm that has hit the area where he lives, James’ email stops working and he is unable to send the message to Mark. James then tries to call Mark to tell him that he wants the work, but Mark doesn’t answer, and James is not given the option to leave a message. As a last resort, James drafts a letter to Mark communicating his acceptance of the offer proposed. He then takes the letter, and a strategic map for the project that he quickly prepared, to the post office and posts them at 4.30pm on Monday afternoon. The letter and the map take a day to be delivered to Mark and he receives them late Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, Mark realises that he has offered to pay James $15,000 more than an award winning web design firm has quoted him for the job, and he doesn’t want to engage James anymore. He sends an email to James saying that because he didn’t receive James’ acceptance by the end of Monday, James has missed out on the work. Mark also states in his email that he never meant for the proposal to be real anyway because he was only trying to help out his friend Anthony by throwing James some work. James is upset upon receiving this email from Mark and calls his lawyer for advice on the situation. Question 1: Using the four step process, discuss the element of agreement required for the formation of a legally binding contract between James and Mark. STEP 1: Identify the principles or issues of law The principles of law here is that in addition to intention and consideration aspects, there should be the existence of a valid agreement between James and Mark which is required for the formation of a legally binding contract to be created. Step 2: Explain the rule(s) of law relevant to the principle/area/issue of law identified in step one with reference to authority. There are three main requirements for the formation of a legally binding contract; intention to create a legal contract, offer and acceptance  (agreement) of the terms of the contract and consideration (reference book P-60).

Impact of Instant Messaging on Society

Impact of Instant Messaging on Society Instant messaging can be defined as a type of internet communication tool that holds up two or more people logged on to an instant messaging service. (Jiang, 2006) In early 1990s, many people started using internet and creative developer created a chat-room like software for people around the world to communicate with each other in real time. Thats when Instant Messenger started to be popular after a well-known company, Mirabilis, introduced ICQ stands for I seek you in November 1996, a free instant-messaging utility that allows people to chat whenever the client is running and on-the-line. In 1997, American Online (AOL), considered the pioneer of the online service community, gave its users the ability to talk in real time with each other through chat rooms and instant messages and acquired Mirabilis and ICQ in June 1998. In general, the ICQ model is the basis for most instant messaging utilities on the market today. (Tyson Cooper, 2001) Due to the extensive use of instant messagin g, it is so beneficial to people to build relationship and extend their social network around the world. However, IM could cause some negative effects to the society which by then affects the industry eventually. Most of the instant messenger has fundamental functions that include instant messages, file-sharing, voice conversations, sounds and streaming content. Instant messages allow two or more online parties to engage in correspondence. File-sharing allows people to share files with their peers by sending the files directly through IM windows. Voice conversations provide the feature of communicating through microphone in the internet. Sounds function allows user to play the sound for entertainment purpose. Streaming content is where recent news and events happen to notify user through video contents. (Jiang, 2006) Example of instant messaging are MSN messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, etc that are available for free downloads today. Instant messenger exists as a great communication tool and affects directly towards the society and industry. The implication of IM maybe for IT industry is because of instant messaging is so popular; it affects mobile phone industry to acquire the application for user convenience. Smart phone is the evolution from mobile phone that has the Instant Messaging feature. (Beale, 2005) For example, Blackberry Messenger is one of the mobile IM applications that allow users to communicate with each other as long as it is connected to the BlackBerry Pin System. (Dannenfield, no date) Technically, one of the implications of IM maybe for the industry is the lesser productivity of workers in the workplace if they were distracted by the IMs interruption. Due to the presence awareness, indicating whether other users are connected to the network in IM, workers tend to get interrupted by the availability of their peers. Besides, IM encourages polychromic communication that it might contribute to an environment in which people frequently engage in multiple simultaneous conversations. By then, it would lead to mass disruptive of message notification and chatting conversation that would greatly reduce workers opportunities to focus the task at hand. (Garrett Danziger , 2007) Thus, once workers productivity is affected, it leads to the downside of industry. Although interruption is the main source of concern, not all forms of interruption are harmful and certain interruptions are beneficial to the work. Garrett and Danziger (2007) listed the example of Hudson saying that managers often prefer the timely if disruptive delivery of critical information over delayed delivery, because it allows them to make more informed decisions and to intervene before an issue in the work domain becomes unmanageable On the other hand, Security and confidentiality are also at risk when using freely-available IM software. (Garrett Danziger, 2007) Most of the IM does not implement the enterprise-ver sion to the business around the world. Thus, most of the corporations would be at risk because consumers IM application would bypass corporate authentication through the network and allow malicious threat to penetrate if intended attacks or stealing information are planned by the anonymous. For example, messages log can be recorded or even voice conversation can be eavesdropped that includes sensitive data (Stone Merrion, 2004) Instant Messaging is undoubtedly causing big impacts whether its good or bad to the society today. Having a conversation through the medium (IM) that could result in misunderstanding of opposed participant message due to the lack of non-verbal language. However, user tends to be more open during the conversation in IM compared to talking over a phone. It is because chatting through IM medium is more relax and does not need facial expression that create uncomfortable feeling for those users who lack of social skills. (Garrett Danziger, 2007) Instant messaging affects student academic performance too. According to OConour(2006) in Instant Messaging: Friend or foe of student writing? claims that students use inappropriate English as in bad grammar, poor punctuation and improper abbreviation in academic writing. For example, word like you is substituted with u and are is substituted with r. This problem occurred is because of students are already used to the word they used in IM subcons ciously. Additionally, procrastination tends to be another problem to the students. Nachbour(2003) supported one of the views of Cooper saying that students procrastinate by chatting with college friends even those who live within walking distance. Student tends to get lazy based on what Cooper has described and in fact affects their academic performance. On the other hand, instant messaging fosters the ability of multitasking on students. College students are very busy people who need to do a lot of work in a day including, assignments, sports, events, or even eating dinner with a book while talking with people. (Marquez, 2003) According to Grinter (2003, p.25) supported by Marquez, IM conversations do not require that the student focus all of his/her attention on the conversation at hand which allows the student to multitask and talk to other students in multiple IM conversations. By that example, it is true that instant messaging helps the students to multi-task their daily work . Some report says that instead of having to physically visit their friends or call them on the telephone, they can simply send a quick message and expect a timely response. (Nachbour, 2003) while other says that College teens reported using IM to communicate with roommates and housemates rather than meeting face-to face or overtly disrupting them (Grinter Palen, 2002) Additionally, during the workplace, the software developer turns off the auto-idle features, because often he is around yet not using the computer, incorrectly creating the impression that he is away from desk. (Patil Kobsa, 2004) That cause another conflicts among co-workers. Based on the availability of IM whether they are on the status of available, busy, away, Guidry (2004) supported the view of Whittaker and Bradner that those who use IM often believe they have a more intimate knowledge of their fellow IM users schedules and habits due to this automatic monitoring and reporting. It is clear that IM has affected the users so much in their everyday life. In conclusion, Instant Messaging intension is to benefit the people around the world to communicate with each other. However, it is based on how the user is going to use it. Some people like students use it to communicate with friends for long distance conversation while others use it to procrastinate their assignment by chatting with their friends. Some corporate use it to communicate among co-workers to produce efficient work while other workers use it for stealing time from work. Things we can prevent like security issue confidential information should not be sent using IM to prevent anonymous attacks. Instant Messaging is so varies as if its good or bad depends on the choice of human being. Reference Beale R. (2005) Supporting Social Interaction with Smart Phone. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.132.2620rep=rep1type=pdf (Accessed: 7 Nov 2010) Dannenfield, D (no date) How BlackBerry Messenger Works. Available at: http://communication.howstuffworks.com/blackberry-messenger.htm (Accessed: 03 Nov 2010) Garrett, R. K., Danziger, J. N. (2007) IM=Interruption Management? Instant Messaging and Disruption in the Workplace. Available at: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/garrett.html (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Grinter E.R Palen L.(2002) Instant Messaging in Teen Life. Available at :http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~palen/Papers/grinter-palen-IM.pdf (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Guidry, K.R.(2004) Instant Messaging: Its Impact on and Recommendations for Student Affairs, Student Affairs Online, vol.5 no.4 Fall2004[Online]. Available at http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/fall_2004/instantmessaging.html (Accessed: 4 Nov 2010) Jiang R.(2006) Instant Messaging Its Effects on Student Life Available at : http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~yrjiang/index.htm (Accessed: 1 Nov 2010) Marquez J. (2003) The Effect of Instant Messaging on the Social Lives of Students Within a College Dorm. Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/class/pwr3-25/group2/pdfs/IM_Social.pdf (Acccessed : 2 Nov 2010) Microsoft Corp. (1999a) MSN Messenger Service Marks Beginning of New Era in Instant Messaging. News Press Release. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/1999/07-22messenger.mspx (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Microsoft Corp. (1999b) Microsoft Launches MSN Messenger Service. News Press Release. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/jul99/messagingpr.mspx (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Microsoft Corp. (1999c) Microsoft to Publish MSN Messenger Protocol to Industry. News Press Release. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/aug99/Protocolpr.mspx (Accessed: 3 Nov 2010) Mondok,M(2006) 60% of IM users prefers MSN Messenger. Available at: http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2006/04/3557.ars (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Nachbaur A. (2003) College Students and Instant Messaging: An Analysis of Chatting, Flirting, Using Away Messages. Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/class/pwr3-25/group2/pdfs/IM_Flirting.pdf (Accessed: 04 November 2010) OConour A. (2006) Instant Messaging : Friend or foe of student writing?Available at: http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/literacy/oconnor.htm (Accessed: 03 November 2010) Patil,S Kobsa A.(2004)Instant Messaging and Privacy. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.2.1389 (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Stone.J Merrion s. (2004) Instant Messaging or Instant Headache? Available at: http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/990000/988410/stone.pdf?key1=988410key2=9486669821coll=DLdl=ACMCFID=29733676CFTOKEN=51420973 (Accessed: 04 November 2010) Tyson J. Cooper A. (2001)ÂÂ  How Instant Messaging Works. Available at: http://communication.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging.htm ÂÂ  (Accessed: 03 November 2010)

The Woman as Muse and Begetter: Susan Barton’s “anxiety of authorship”

In their 1979 work titled The Madwoman in the Attic, Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar discuss the difficulties faced by Victorian women attempting to write in a patriarchal society. Gilbert and Gubar describe the â€Å"anxiety of authorship† experienced by female writers who thus believe they are not capable of creating a successful work. J.M. Coetzee’s 1986 novel Foe, follows its protagonist Susan Barton as she experiences such anxiety in early eighteenth century England. Barton’s anxieties as well as the society in which she lives lead her to employ the writer Daniel Foe to write the story of her experience as a castaway. Throughout her encounters with Foe, Barton describes the difficulty of writing and in one instance, asks whether there exists a muse for female writers as well as males. This question echoes that asked by Gilbert and Gubar in their examination of the differences between the experience of male and female writers. In Foe, despite the fact that Barton gives over the responsibility of writing her story, she maintains some authority and control over the way in which it is written. The most concentrated example of this is when Barton claims the role of Foe’s muse, along with that of â€Å"father† of her story. In doing so, she reverses gendered terms associated with reproduction and successfully remains an active participant in the writing of her story despite not writing it herself. One question raised by Gilbert and Gubar in â€Å"The Madwoman in the Attic† is that of the muse in relation to the female poet. Cited is Harold Bloom’s idea that sexual intercourse between the male poet and the female muse is a metaphor for the poetic process. Through this metaphorical encounter, the male poet and the female muse unite with the res... ...ished to tell, there is a sense that she has resigned herself to this fact and has attempted to remain close with her story through her sexual encounter with Foe and embodiment of the muse. That she is not the writer of her story seems to imply the failings of society rather than those of her own attempts to write it. Although Barton does not overcome the gendered ideas of who can be a writer and who cannot, her decision to take advantage of other gender roles and influence the production of her story as a muse deeply involves her in the writing process. Works Cited Coetzee, J.M. Foe. London: Penguin, 1987. Print. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. "From The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination." The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. 1926-1938. Print.

Exploring the Validity of Natural Theology :: Philosophy Essays

Exploring the Validity of Natural Theology The thought processes that underlie Creationism and Evolution are undoubtedly very different. The fundamentalists of the former school of thought adhere to the Biblical tenet that divine creation in six days is responsible for environmental diversity, whereas evolutionists have repeatedly stated that the universe was created billions of years ago and is in a constant state of fluctuation. At first glance, these accounts of life on Earth seem incompatible—the creationists base their beliefs purely on faith and explain their surroundings based on that conclusion, while scientists work in the opposite direction by asking questions first and make systematic observations that have resulted from their propositions (Moore 5-6). Ernst Mayr claims that "the beliefs of creationism are in conflict with the findings of science," but the founders of Natural Theology have managed to unite the principles of Genesis with those of evolution (qtd. in Mayr 4). There are strict purists who claim that it is not viable to combine the two ideologies, but it is possible to incorporate the concept of G-d into scientific fact. Although there are several variations on the concept of Natural Theology, its advocates generally accept evolution. Whereas strict creationists reject the notion that the Earth was formed billions of years ago, natural theists accept the scientific evidence for the age of the Earth with one large discrepancy: organisms could have only originated with the aid of divine intervention. However, it is acknowledged that there is no concrete evidence to substantiate the belief that the Earth was created a mere few thousand years ago, just as there isn't any geological confirmation that a global flood engulfed the entire planet (Science and Creationism). This liberal interpretation of Genesis and cautious acceptance of evolution allows for some flexibility with previously undisputed Biblical notions, such as the idea that the creation of the world was completed within six twenty-four hour periods. Those six days have been construed to signify as a literary device by the author of the Bible, six days separated by long time periods, or as six days from the perspective of an ageless G-d (Commission on Creation). Thus, the essence of Natural Theory is that an omnipotent creator fashioned the physical processes that set evolution in motion and these processes resulted in the creation of life. This theory appears to be logical, except for the notion that some aspects of life are so complex that they completely transcend human understanding and are thereby the work of an Intelligent Designer.