Personal Financial Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Financial Management - Research Paper Example Following are my observations while reviewing the plan. During the first week while I was reviewing the expenses, it was an eye opening situation that the major spending were on account of food stuff, clothing and spending leisure time. The total expenses were $1,312/- excluding my credit card payments, rental payments and groceries. I then thought for remedial measures to curtail my expenditure and sort out the problem with the fact that if I start cooking myself, search for the discounted items and spend less to spent leisure and by doing this I can not only manage my finances, live my life accordingly but also save something for the rainy day. While reviewing the data of the second week I noted that I certainly curtail my expenses on food stuff by 33% and the overall expenses reduced from $1,312/- to $ 850/- in second week excluding my house rent and credit card payments which shows betterment and my interest towards savings, but still the major expenses were made on account of gr oceries where I spent $223.83/- and for spending leisure I spent $118.81. I realized that the daily log is helping me in managing my finances and I immediately checked my spending and realized that I must engage myself instead in some sports activities for spending leisure time rather to go to the massage parlor or some other places where I spend much more than sports and for the prosperous future I have to develop future goals and by realizing the importance of savings, I immediately create three stages of my future goals through which I can live a prosperous, happy and comfortable life and the stages are: Short Term Goals, Intermediate Term Goal and Long Term Goal. Short Term Goals are those that can be achieved within a year and can increase my future saving. For e.g. If I purchase a car it will save my transportation cost and the amount which I am expensing out every week will be saved. Intermediate Term Goals are those that can be achieved with in the period of 2 to 5 years and includes things that will certainly increase my savings. For e.g. If I purchase house it will be a onetime investment but it will save my monthly mortgage installment on which I have to pay interest. Long Term Goals are those that can be achieved after six years with no upper limit like my retirement plan which has no upper limit and more I save money during my employment, happier I will live my life after retirement. While selecting the amount which is to be expensed out on weekly basis in order to achieved the target, I set the priorities and assign education the highest priority with the weekly expense of $170/- and the total expense were of $420/- per week accumulating $1,818/- per month. My Intermediate Goals are several including purchase of house, starting own business, education and buy a new car. For this purpose after thorough discussions with my friends, I have once again given highest priority to the education with the expense amount of $350/-per week accumulating $18,2 00 per year and by doing this much saving I will be able to achieve the college funds for my children by the end of 2016 i.e. in 3 ? years. My final goal is to save something for myself which can be used in case of need and this the financial plan helps me lot and by the help of the plan, I not only opted a semi retirement plan but also plan to save some thing for the cruise which I always aiming for and for the accomplishment of both the aims I have started saving $5/- per week for the cruise and $250/- per week for

Socrates, Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Socrates, Philosophy Essay ?Socrates was a Greek philosopher, who is often considered to be the father of Western philosophy, and a key figure in the development of Western civilisation. The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. Socrates Republic 38c He left no actual writing so impressions of Socrates have come primarily from the writings of his student, Plato. There are also other contributions from Xenophon and a contemporary playwright Aristophanes. It is possible that Plato embellished the legacy of Socrates by making him appear the most noble philosopher; an ideal to be cherished and followed. The extent of this embellishment is hard to quantify, but the life of Socrates remains a great inspiration to many. Socrates married Xanthippe and together they had three children. Tradition suggests that Xanthippe was argumentative and hard to please, with Socrates the model of philosophic calm. Aristotle came to Athens as a teenager and studied with Plato for 17 years. After Plato’s death in 347 BCE, he traveled widely and ended up in Macedonia where he served as the private tutor of Alexander the Great. In 335 he returned to Athens and founded his own school, called the Lyceum. He was forced to leave in 323 because the death of Alexander allowed free reign to anti-Macedoninan sentiment and Aristotle was too close to the conqueror to dare stick around. Plato was probably born in 427 BC, and died around 347 BC, aged about 80. But the earlier extant biographies of him we may read have been written hundreds of years after his death : that of Apuleius, sometime during the second century AD, and that of Diogenes L? rtius, in his Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, no earlier than the third century AD. And these bear very little resemblance with what we expect from a biography nowadays. To make things worse, Plato almost never talks about himself in his dialogues (he does so only twice, once in the Apology and once in the Ph? do, each time in connection with the trial and death of Socrates). But, if we accept the authenticity of the VIIth Letter (which I do), we have there the closest thing to an autobiography we can dream of owing to the scarcity of our sources, though quite limited in scope despite its late date in Platos life (it could not have been written before Dions assassination in 354 BC, to which it refers, that is, at a time Plato was over 70).

Pursuit of Happiness in Bridget Carpenter’s Up Essay -- Analysis, Econ

In the few scenes of Up the audience is introduced to Walter’s obsession with his inventions which would lead to him becoming increasingly frustrated. Notwithstanding that his ambitions would be reduced due to the realty issues he faces. As the play continues, the audience is then introduced to Petit, who re-installs happiness into Walter’s life through conversations which embody work which they are most passionate about. Petit’s conservations would in turn make Walter feel determined and free again to do his inventions. In Relational Goods, Sociability, and Happiness authors Leonardo Becchetti, Alessandra Pelloni, and Fiammetta Rossetti state that â€Å"relational goods turn out to have significant and positive effects on self-declared life satisfaction† (344). By relational goods one can claim that the affective or expressive, non-instrumental, side of interpersonal relationships. In Happiness: a Revolution in Economics author Bruno S. Frey claims that individuals derive utility from being self-employed because it gives them a higher measure of self-determination and freedom. From reading those to theories, we can claim that Petit and Walter’s relationship as a related good and it stimulates Walter self determination to invest in his inventions, which satisfies him in his life work. If people invested in relational goods then it will stimulate their companionship, emotional support, and social approval. In Relational Goods, Sociability, and Happiness Becchetti, Pelloni, and Rossetti claim that â€Å"the impact on life satisfaction of a wider set of non-instrumental social activities from volunteering, to spending time with friends, attending social gatherings and cultural and sports events† (344). However, Becchetti Pelloni, and Ross... ...urself down. Be free!† (Carpenter 10). A person does not have to assume that being self-employed is the only option to be exultant in life. One can say that the moral arguments of Frey, Becchetti, Pelloni, and Rossetti are that human civilization should invest pursuing their ambitions. They urge that money or the total amount of income a person makes should not be a factor on happiness. Civilization would be a more contented organization if we are self-determined to find true satisfaction in life. Works Cited Becchetti, Leonardo, Alessandra Pelloni, and Fiammetta Rossetti. "Relational Goods, Sociability, And Happiness." Kyklos 61.3 (2008): 343-363. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. Carpenter, Bridget. Up. New York: Samuel French, 2009. Print Frey, Bruno S. Happiness: A Revolution in Economics. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2008. Print.

Hamlet’s Love for Ophelia

Hamlet is noted as being one of Shakespearean most puzzling and darkest plays. While the play has a concise story, there are numerous doubts relating to different issues behind the plot. One issue that is never truly resolved deals with the true feelings of Prince Hamlet, and whether he in fact loves Aphelia. The word love is extremely commanding, and the concept of love may be hard to grasp when one of the lovers remains undecided. In Act Ill, Scene 1, Hamlet claims to have lovedAphelia; however, four lines later, he states that he does not love her anymore. This makes it difficult to decipher when Hamlet is truly in love, as his feeling towards Aphelia regularly change. This confusing cycle is due to Hamlet's â€Å"madness†, and is further influenced by Hamlet constantly being pushed to his limits due to anguish and sorrow. Hamlet is portrayed as an unconventional lover, which explains why he sends mixed messages that confuse Aphelia, making her question whether or not his f eelings for her are true.Two people who are in love would not want to risk the chance of hurting one another because to them it is not worth it. Hamlet does not think in this manner, which raises the question of whether the love between them is strong enough to have lasted through the chaos and difficulty in Hamlet's life. It is true that Hamlet's love for Aphelia is debatable; however, when analyzing the â€Å"go thy ways to a nunnery† interaction, the dispute with Alerter, and Hamlet's twisted affection towards Aphelia, one can see that his love is authentic.

Lifes as a House Outline Essay

Erikson’s Psychosocial theory – How has the person matured? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – Where is he/she on the hierarchy? Albert Ellis’ REBT – What irrational beliefs does the character display? Stress Management – What techniques are used to manage stress? Freud’s Defense Mechanisms – Identify any defense mechanisms being applied to the character’s life. Communication strategies – Does the character use I messages, understanding, probing, etc. Family systems – rules of healthy and unhealthy families – how are they applied here? Addiction – Do you see any addictive qualities? Love and Relationships – How is love expressed? What would you say about the character’s relationships with others? What strategies did the character use? What does the movie illustrate about the importance of family across the generations? What does the move illustrate about healthy and unhealthy family systems? How can this film illustrate the phenomenological/humanistic principle that life has more meaning because it must end? discuss certain themes, concepts and issues and relate them to our studies in psychology. Pick a character in the movie and tell how this particular person learned (for better or worse) new behaviors and/or cognition. Use their experiences, both past and present and their relationships (family, personal, friends) with other people, to convey what made them learn and/or change. Discussion should include topics such as: Developmental stages of life, Conditioning, Motivation, Emotions, Personality, Psychological Disorders He was Goth and suicidal†¦ he was reckless with drugs and sex. He tried to hang himself in the closet. He was disrespectful to his family. But it’s hard to pinpoint what exact disorder he had. I would simply say depression. Possibly bipolar because there were times when he was okay in the movie and then he would go into a rage of reckless behavior. Psychological focus areas: mid-age and adolescent re-invention in response to grief / loss; parenting adolescents; facing death and working out what kind of a legacy to leave Sam goes through new changes in behavior. When the movie begun Sam was a rebellious young teen with negative feelings toward his father. Throughout the plot of the movie Sam goes through experiences with his father as they spend time together over the summer, which brings them closer together and allows them to have a better relationship. Sam’s acting out and unwanted actions were results of his parents divorce and not having a healthy relationship with his father. In Psychology, the basic concept of Nature vs. Nurture is said to Influence Development. Nature, according to Laura A. King (2010), includes â€Å"the individual’s biological inheritance, especially his or her genes† (p. 64). Nurture involves a persons environment and experiences. In her book King (2010) also states â€Å"early experiences are important contributors to development† (p. 266). In the movie you could easily understand the nurture side of Sam’s behavior. Knowing and hearing about what kind of people Sam hangs out with we can kind of understand why he dresses a certain way and why he partakes in certain activities, such as drugs. The people he hangs out with leads us back again to the divorce. Sam chooses to hang out with others like him who fell pain inside. His behaviors are a cry for help. In the movie Sam says â€Å"I like how it feels not to feel†. He does drugs to forget his problems and not feel pain. The emotions that young kids and teens go through when parents get a divorce usually include depression, anger, sadness, and the feeling that maybe they could have done something to have made the situation better. While some children and teens choose to hide their feelings, Sam didn’t. He acted out with disrespect and constant anger.

The rise of Ngo Dinh Diem essays

The rise of Ngo Dinh Diem essays The story of the Vietnam conflict is one that will forever mark an important part of the world's history. The Vietnam conflict divided the world firmly into two camps, supporters of the south and supporters of the north. Ngo Dinh Diem was the president of South Vietnam for several years. During his reign the United States and other nation voiced strong opinions about his rise to power, and the actions he took once he was president. Diem spent his life preparing for that power, and the historical events just before he took over helped cement his ability to install himself as leader, to a nation, that would go down in history as one of the most stubborn and strong nations on earth. His rise to power cumulated in a United States sanctioned overthrow of then Emperor Bao Dai in 1955[1]. He then spent almost a decade at the helm of the nation while practicing oppressive and demanding politics. He cancelled democratic elections to insure that the competition would not be voted in. He was assassinated in 1963[2]. For one to understand how he became as powerful as he did and what allowed him to over through an in place regime one must understand the events that led to his rise in power. It is important to understand the life of Ngo Dinh Diem so that one can begin to understand what drove him to the power he Diem was born in a city called Hue which was the original capital of the Ngyuen Dynasty Vietnam. When he grew into a young man he became a civil servant in the Emperor government of Bao Dai[4]. He was a strong nationalist and was said to speak out as an anti communist throughout his initial adult life. Diem was not a stranger...

How To Use Email Marketing For Lead Conversion

How To Use Email Marketing For Lead Conversion Besides social media, email marketing is the first thing that I tell anyone to do when it comes to online marketing. To succeed online, you absolutely must be using email effectively. The evidence doesnt lie. In a 2012 survey conducted by McKinsey Company, they found  that for e-commerce companies e-mail remains a significantly more effective way to acquire customers than social media- nearly 40 times that of Facebook and Twitter combined. Woah! E-mail is still a significantly more effective way to acquire customers than social media. While you may not be running an e-commerce company yourself, the implications seem to be well accepted across  the industry. Social media scientist Dan Zarrella of Hubspot came to a similar conclusion in research that he completed in 2012. Email converts well, and  is a key part of the customer acquisition process. Conversion rate scores as compiled by Hubspot. If youre not using email marketing, you could be missing out on huge potential for your company or blog. More than that, if you arent using email to convert readers into paying customers – YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. You might be leaving sales on the table! Here at , we have nearly 20,000  email subscribers that continually bring in new customers to our service. We like to think about it as a slow and steady drip. We keep sending out great content, and our readers  keep coming to us for help with their scheduling and social media needs. Its a great fit, and one that works because our email marketing is focused on building trust with our audience. So, how can you create an email program that converts for your own brand or business? Its actually not that hard if you are focused on the right things. Here are the top 5 ways that you can embrace email and turn your email marketing program into a lead conversion machine. Heres How To  Turn Your Email Marketing Into A Lead Conversion Machine #1. Designate A Clear Call To Action On Your Blog The first  lesson about creating an effective   email marketing program is getting good at collecting email addresses. There are many ways to go about this, and several plugins that you can start using right now to jump start your lead collection process, but the point is that you need to be making a concentrated effort on collecting emails or else your marketing list will never actually materialize. Mention.com offers a great call to action when you visit their blog. It is also important to make sure that your blog is properly configured to drive visitors to the lead collection option. This means reducing you sidebar clutter, and continuously driving your reader to a lead collection form. This is about creating a simpler blog layout. Email marketing is 40 times more effective at acquiring customers than social media. For example, on the blog there are only three things you can do once visiting a page. You can read another blog post, learn about itself, or signup to recieve our email-based content. It is as simple as that. I always say that each page on your website should really be about having your readers complete one thing. At , we tend to make that one thing an email newsletter conversion. You will easily see that it is one of the  most prominent things on our page. #2. Keep Your Calls To Action Strong If youve ever worked in sales, youve heard the phrase always be closing. While it may be tacky, it certainly isnt wrong. Not only do you need to be creating opportunities for your customers to convert (by including lead collection points), but you also need to be positioning your copy in a way that specifically asks them to subscribe. While it technically does its job, its not quite a call to action. I cant tell you how many times Ive seen a bland call to action like this one above. Im sorry folks, but please join my email list just isnt going to do it for many people. Whats in it for them? Why should they? Take a look at a few examples of people doing it right. What do you see? They all identify a clear benefit that the reader will receive when they subscribe. They all offer a clear command or directive  such as subscribe now. This isnt a suggestion, it is a command. Many of them offer the reader social proof and provide good reasons for them to consider subscribing or at least taking the offer seriously. The point is that you cant  forget to be a pitch man  and downright ask for the sale on occasion. It may sound  tacky, but it certainly doesnt have to be implemented that way. #3. Send Email More Often Than You Think You Should Many marketers and bloggers like yourself instinctively shutter at the idea of sending more email, but  you  can probably send a whole lot more than you think. In a recent study, Hubspot found that there was essentially no correlation between both unsubscribes and click-through rates and the frequency of email being sent. There is almost no correlation between send frequency and click through rates. There is little correlation between the number of times you send your email and the number of unsubscribes you will receive. What they actually found was that if your email list is willing to put up with 5-10 emails per month, they are probably just as likely to put up with 15 or 20. From Hubspot: The more emails that were sent to the lists in my dataset, the fewer people unsubscribed. This is probably because if you’re sending very  infrequently, it can be easy to forget why I joined your list in the first place, but if  you’re sending regularly, I remember your newsletter.   #4. Make Your Email Something That People Actually Want To Read Never underestimate the importance of reader value. Everything that you do in marketing should offer your readers value. I like to think of it in terms of what you are trading them for their time. What you are  giving your readers in exchange for their time spent with your marketing. Social media consultant Jay Baer describes it another way as marketing so good that they would be willing to pay for it. Shoot for [Email] Marketing so good that your readers  would be willing to pay for it! #ContentNo matter how you describe it, you dont have an easy job ahead of you, your readers want it all. They want helpful content, they want it free, and they want it at a time when its convenient  for them. Who are you to let them down? One of the most common mistakes I see companies make is creating email-based content that is all about them. Wrong! What are your readers getting in exchange for their time? We always try to pack our emails with helpful information that our readers will appreciate. This is why at , we brand our email marketing around the theme of our Content Marketing Update. This weekly email includes helpful content from our blog and some of the best articles around the web. It is usually chock full of great tips and almost always worth the time and the price for admission. #5. Experiment With Your Email Template/Headline/Send Times One great way to continually improve your email marketing is to continually experiment with how and when you are sending it. At , there are a few ways that we do this. A/B  Test Your Subject Lines Honesty, this one is so easy that you should be doing it with every email that you send. Each time we send an email here at , we make sure to test our subject line using the automated A/B testing tool built into our email software (Campaign Monitor). This tool allows us to pre-send our email to a few hundred people with a couple different subject line options. Once a clear winner is found (and there almost always is one), our email tool will send the winning subject line to remaining portion of our list. After doing this for months, we were even able to pullout some key data points and define some email subject line best practices. Try  A New Design (Or None At All) Another great way to improve your email  marketing is to continually adjust your email template. Using the A/B testing tool build into Campaign Monitor and many other email marketing programs, you should be able to easily evaluate the effectiveness of one template over another. Many companies (including itself) have found that sometimes email is best sent without a design template at all. Each week we send thousands of emails using a variety of well-designed email templates and plain text versions. The results usually show us that plain-text emails (or emails that look like plain text) constantly drive higher click-through rates than those with more design. Of course, results may vary. Take this with a grain of salt, and always test your own results. Experiment With Different Send Times In his slide deck The Science of Email Marketing social media scientist Dan Zarrella  dug up a ton of fascinating data about when to send email. For example, he found that email click-through rates tended to be  almost twice as high  on Saturdays and Sundays – a slap in the face to  the traditional  idea that marketing only takes place on weekdays. Email sent on Saturday and Sunday get more clicks. He also found that emails sent  earlier in the morning tended to get more clicks as well. The results may not apply to everyone, but it is very good food for thought. 6a.m. just might be the best time to send an email if you want someone to actually read it. The point here is that you should never be satisfied with the status-quo, even if it is yours. Always be testing your marketing so that you can get the best results.

The Common Periwinkle Profile

The Common Periwinkle Profile The common periwinkle (Littorina littorea), also known as the edible periwinkle, is a frequent sight along the shoreline in some areas. Have you ever seen these little snails on the rocks or in a tide pool? Despite the large numbers of periwinkles on the U.S. shoreline today, they are not a native species in North America but were introduced from western Europe. These snails are edible - would you eat a periwinkle? Description Common periwinkles are a type of marine snail. They have a shell that is smooth and brown to brownish-gray in coloration and up to about 1 inch long. The base of the shell is white. Periwinkles may live out of the water for several days and can survive in challenging conditions. Out of the water, they can stay moist by closing up their shell with a trapdoor-like structure called an operculum. Periwinkles are mollusks. Like other mollusks, they move around on their muscular foot, which is coated with mucus. These snails may leave a trail in the sand or mud as they move around. The shells of periwinkles may be inhabited by a variety of species and may be encrusted with coralline algae. Periwinkles have two tentacles that can be seen if you look closely at their front end. Juveniles have black bars on their tentacles. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: GastropodaSubclass: CaenogastropodaOrder: LittorinimorphaSuperorder: LittorinoideaFamily: LittorinidaeSubfamily: LittorininaeGenus: LittorinaSpecies: littorea    Habitat and Distribution Common periwinkles are native to western Europe. They were introduced to North American waters in the 1800s. They were brought over possibly as food or were transported across the Atlantic in the ballast water of ships. Ballast water is water taken in by a ship to make sure operating conditions are safe, such as when a ship discharges cargo and needs a certain amount of weight to keep the hull at the right water level. Now common periwinkles range along the eastern coast of the U.S. and Canada from Labrador to Maryland and are still found in western Europe. Common periwinkles live on rocky coastlines and in the intertidal zone, and on muddy or sandy bottoms. Feeding and Diet Common periwinkles are omnivores  that feed primarily on algae, including diatoms, but can feed on other small organic matter, such as barnacle larvae. They use their radula, which has tiny teeth, to scrape the algae off of rocks, a process which can eventually erode the rock. According to a University of Rhode Island article, the rocks on the coastline of Rhode Island used to be covered with green algae, but have been bare gray since periwinkles were introduced to the area. Reproduction Periwinkles have separate sexes (individuals are either male or female). Reproduction is sexual, and females lay eggs in capsules of about 2-9 eggs. These capsules are about 1mm in size. After floating in the ocean, the veliger hatches after a few days. The larvae settle on the shore after about six weeks. The lifespan of periwinkles is thought to be about 5 years. Conservation and Status In its non-native habitat (i.e., the U.S. and Canada), the common periwinkle is thought to have altered the ecosystem by competing with other species, and grazing on green algae, which has caused other algae species to become overabundant. These periwinkles can also host a disease (marine black spot disease) which can be transferred to fish and birds. References and Further Information Buckland-Nicks, J., et. al. 2013. The living community inside the common periwinkle, Littorina . Canadian Journal of Zoology. Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaEncyclopedia of Life. Littorina . Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaGlobal Invasive Species Database. Littorina littorea. Accessed June 30, 2013.Jackson, A. 2008. Littorina . Common periwinkle. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 01/07/2013]. Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaReid, David G., Gofas, S. 2013. Littorina . Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at marinespecies.org/aphia.php?ptaxdetailsid140262. Accessed June 30, 2013.littorea (Linnaeus, 1758)University of Rhode Island. Common Periwinkle. Accessed June 30, 2013.

Tthe Magic Lantern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tthe Magic Lantern - Essay Example In addition, it is important to present the perspective of the author to be able to understand the priorities and the attention he had given in the different events that he had written about. This is also important in determining the message of every chapter in the book The Author, Timothy Ash Timothy Garton Ash is an author of political and historical subjects. He is known for writing 9 books in the subject referred to as having the perspective of ‘history of the present.’ His favorite topics include the transformation of Europe in the past 3 decades. He is a recognized expert in the subject because he is an Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at the St Anthony College and a Professor of the European Studies in the University of Oxford both located in Oxford. In addition, he is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford University. He is also a regular contributor for the New York Review of Books and the Guardian (Timothy Garton Ash Website – Biography). Timothy Ash published his first book in 1981 entitled â€Å"Und willst Du nicht mein Bruder sein†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which is about West and East Germany. Ever since his first book, he had contributed significantly in the modern history through his different books which includes The Magic Lantern. Most of his writings discuss politics and history in the European region. He presented events in a modern and unique perspective that can influence the public view and interest (Timothy Garton Ash Website – Biography). Analysis of the Book The Magic Lantern is an account of the 1989 revolution that affected the European region. The accounts of the author relayed in the book is include events such as the first free parliamentary election in Poland and the liberation of Czechoslovakia as through the collaboration of the bohemian intellectuals and the Catholic clerics (Ash 11). The book in general presented an account of the challenges of Europe specifically in the period of struggle. The book was focused on 1989 revolutions that resulted to the overthrow of communism. It was considered greatly interesting since the presentation of the author is very personal. He gave accounts of being spectator in an even of the revolutions that took place in the Eastern Europe. Through his manner of writing it can be considered that he has the capability to present a view from the outside of the event and from the inside which had been important in the presentation of the events in the book. The first chapter which is entitled Witness and History serves as the introduction of the book. This is largely about the events in Poland. The chapter can be considered as an initial view of the author’s capability to describe the event which he is observing. Ash was able to present tangible representations of his presence which increases the credibility of his accounts (Ash 11). There are lines that are full of meaning for the author such as â€Å"springtime of only two nations, Polan d and Hungary†¦but the other four states of what was misleadingly called Eastern Europe were still frozen in various kinds of dictatorship† (Ash 13). In the said statement, the Ash can be considered as a historian that uses artistic words and figurative language to mask strong and critical messages in his writing. This can be viewed as either an intelligent method to challenge the intellectual readers or confusing

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Homework - Assignment Example Instead of acknowledging him as a treasure for his long service to the industry, his organizations hired a younger and more capable worker to oversee and assess his work (Schlossberg 57). He probably felt greatly unappreciated after all he had done for the company. Hank should first have taken time for a lengthy period of reflection in which to consider his options before returning to work. He might have asked for a few days for this. During this time, he could have confided in a counselor about his concerns and worries in the workplace. He could also have confided in support groups for elderly workers who are confronted by changes in the workplace that could very well portend their dismissal if they are unable to keep up with the changes. Elaine could have been more compassionate and given Hank more time to adapt to the changes in the workplace. She, as well as the other executives could also have started a support group as well as a training group specifically aimed at elderly workers such as Hank who were confounded by the new expectations that made them appear obsolete. No. I would have pleaded for more time to learn about the new methods of operation that were necessary to succeed in the changing market. I would openly have sought the help of other more productive workers in reaching the numbers of accounts that the company

Research proposal in Systems Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research proposal in Systems Biology - Essay Example For instance, "power techniques like RNAi for the first time enables a very precise perturbation of parts of biological pathways," (Goldbeter, 2002) and development in fluorescent techniques offers us for the first time the possibility to measure mobility of single molecule in a living system and the distances and interaction of protein in vivo or calcium concentration in Cytoplasm or organelles (Goldbeter). It is no longer news that reconstructing genetic circuits into synthetic replicas may afford unique insight into the underlying mechanism of the circuits, and that, consequent on this synthetizaton, the possibility now exists to study circuits' mechanism without impairing cellular functions. However, such insights into underlying mechanisms cannot explain why certain kinds of biological behavior can occur only under certain sets of precise conditions, and why extrapolative and intuitive expectations based upon very exact (non-quantitative) descriptions do not suffice to accurately predict such conditional behaviors. For instance, cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations of the cellular rhythms [2,3] category "are triggered in various types of cell by treatment with a hormone or neurotransmitter." (Science Week, 1997) contrary to speculative expectations of such outcomes as dissimilar, perhaps

Maximising Stock Valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maximising Stock Valuation - Essay Example With this background, as per the BT management's opinion as on 31st March 1983 with the NFL loan amount of 2944 million the debt ratio for the company was too high and a new capital structure was needed to increase the stock valuation for the proposed floatation move. In the management's view the ideal capital structure should have a low level of debt which not only increases the value of the stock but also reduces the interest burden. One possible way to achieve this was to consider writing off of some portion of the debts or converting them into equity. The management also estimated that the company would have to borrow additionally to meet the cash outflow in the form of dividends, tax payments, interest charges and other necessary capital expenditure. This may increase the debt content of the capital structure which will further have negative impact on the stock valuation. Taking the argument of the management it would be ideal for the company to arrive at a capital structure where the debt equity ratio is kept at the ideal level from the point of payment of interest as well as to maintain the value of the stock. In order to achieve these objectives, the proposal by the government in converting 750 million of debts into preference shares would have been the best suggestion to follow. This can be substantiated by the following arguments that go in favour of this suggestion: 1. The calculation of the financial leverage ratio and debt equity ratio based on the projected balance sheets after incorporating the proposed conversion of debt into preference shares look as shown below: 2. In view of the lowering leverage and debt equity ratio figures the proposed Scheme of structuring of debts as suggested by the government appear to be of the optimum solution available to BT in the matter of capital structuring. 3. The proposed leverage ratio and equity ratio make the shares attractive to the shareholders since it will result in increased earnings per share. 4. Since immediately after the floatation there would be no chances for BT to go in to the equity market for making a right issue to raise funds for the capital expenditures. Even if the company had to go in for acquisitions, the company should have more cash resources to meet the acquisition cost. Such a situation can be handled only with the above proposed restructuring where the company's cash flow position improves every year with lower cost of capital. 5. Another argument that goes in favour of the proposed restructuring is that without the government converting certain portions of the loan into equity BT would be showing a 126 percent debt to equity as at the end of the year 31st March 1983 and even with the flow of retentions without the write offs the debt-equity ratio would at best be at 96 percent as the end of 31st March 1984. These levels are very high as compared to the other quoted companies. 6. Moreover the level of gearing without debt restructuring along with the interest cover of 2.8 times as existed for 1983-84 would not have made the BT's share attractive for investment. 2. As an advisor to the Government, what level of gearing would you recommend for BT and

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant observation - Essay Example Moreover, the concept of participant observation also requires maintaining a reasonable distance between the participants and the researchers so that the process of observation is not affected (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1994). Participant observation is a data gathering technique used to understand and examine the thoughts, feelings and views of the participants under their normal routine life (Adler & Adler, 1994; Wiersma, 1995). They are observed in their normal or regular milieu. The method involves the observation of participants’ behavior and requires the participant observer to look closely, listen carefully and ask sensibly (Lofland, 1971). The aim of this paper is to define participant observation in detail by describing the advantages and drawbacks of this method as a researching method. Moreover the paper suggests some possible steps to overcome the weaknesses of this method. Participant observation is widely known as a technique to collect qualitative data. The idea of participant observation is similar to other qualitative techniques which are based on the assumption that there are multiple perceptions about a particular issue in the associated population. Participant observation is always carried out in a community setting. The distinct feature of participant observation is that it does not distract the participants from their normal behavior. Other research techniques include surveys, interviews, questionnaires etc. All these techniques do not ensure the normal and actual attitude of people. People may answer the way the observer wants them or there may be a diplomatic response to the questions in the surveys and interviews. An example can be taken as a slight or considerable change in a person’s natural behavior due to the presence of television camera capturing him. However, the use of Participant observation ensures the correctness of the c ollected data if the observer knows how to tact situations and keep the observations away from

Individual report-corporate strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual report-corporate strategies - Essay Example With its vision of enabling its customers to make the most of their world and possibilities though the services it offers, O2 plc (O2) accomplishes its commitment of providing mobile communication services in Europe. The business organisation also profits from its leading mobile internet portal business. Armed with its values of being bold, trusted, open, and clear, O2 continues its quest to become the telecommunication industry’s market leader. The creation of O2 in the 1990s can be traced backed to the decision of British Telecommunication to â€Å"demerge its mobile phone business† in order to strengthen the financial position of the latter. From its beginning, the firm is currently a major player in the various nations where it operates including the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Isle of Man, and Asia. As the business organisation is focused on satisfying consumer needs, O2 strategic business units are classified according to their geographic locations. It should be noted that the products being offered varies in each region (O2 Plc 2006). The major products of O2 are mobile telecommunication equipments which are either paid through installment plans or pre-paid. With its thrust to provide the market with higher quality products, the company offers complementary services like third generation telephony (3G), O2 Active, I Mode, and O2 Online. O2 also ensures the satisfaction of customers by offering product features like entertainment through its sponsorship of the England Rugby Team and Arsenal FC and partnership with Anschutz Entertainment Group (O2 Plc 2006). As stated above, O2 Plc operates in different geographic locations, battling head-on with various competitors. Table 1 shows the geographical locations of firm’s business activities alongside with its competitors in each region. It can

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using participant observation - Essay Example Moreover, the concept of participant observation also requires maintaining a reasonable distance between the participants and the researchers so that the process of observation is not affected (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1994). Participant observation is a data gathering technique used to understand and examine the thoughts, feelings and views of the participants under their normal routine life (Adler & Adler, 1994; Wiersma, 1995). They are observed in their normal or regular milieu. The method involves the observation of participants’ behavior and requires the participant observer to look closely, listen carefully and ask sensibly (Lofland, 1971). The aim of this paper is to define participant observation in detail by describing the advantages and drawbacks of this method as a researching method. Moreover the paper suggests some possible steps to overcome the weaknesses of this method. Participant observation is widely known as a technique to collect qualitative data. The idea of participant observation is similar to other qualitative techniques which are based on the assumption that there are multiple perceptions about a particular issue in the associated population. Participant observation is always carried out in a community setting. The distinct feature of participant observation is that it does not distract the participants from their normal behavior. Other research techniques include surveys, interviews, questionnaires etc. All these techniques do not ensure the normal and actual attitude of people. People may answer the way the observer wants them or there may be a diplomatic response to the questions in the surveys and interviews. An example can be taken as a slight or considerable change in a person’s natural behavior due to the presence of television camera capturing him. However, the use of Participant observation ensures the correctness of the c ollected data if the observer knows how to tact situations and keep the observations away from

Compare and Contrast the Operating and Financial Review in UK and Dissertation

Compare and Contrast the Operating and Financial Review in UK and Delaware US - Dissertation Example As the discussion declares the United Kingdom's version of the operating and financial review3 was made into a statute by a working steering committee and the Accounting Standards Board of the United Kingdom. The immediate and strict implementation of this United Kingdom operating and financial review was ordered by the head of the Department of Trade and Industry. According to the research findings more than sixty five percent of the respondent managers of the two hundred companies that traded stocks in the United Kingdom stock exchanges agreed that there should be an operating and financial review report. Their main reasons is that the stockholders will really need the operating and financial review report to determine if they will have to invest more money in the corporation or to withdraw their hard earned cash and invest in another more lucrative business. After approval by the United Kingdom Accounting Standards Board of the operating and financial review in 2004, businesses in the United Kingdom discontinued the use of the 1993 Delaware (USA) version operating and financial review. One major reason Accounting was born was because there had to be created a common language of business. Accounting is defined as the language of business. Accountants from the many countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Asian countries get toget her to form an international accounting board. This international accounting board gives out pronouncement or rules that its member countries are required to follow. The main purposes for the establishment of such accounting pronouncements are consistency and comparability. Consistency and comparability covers financial statements between two years or between two companies having the same business types. When an American sees a balance sheet of the United Kingdom company, he could easily understands what the board of directors are trying to say because there is a standard and the accounting language used are universally understood. All companies are enjoined to follow the 1993 Delaware version of the operating and financial review when it was issued by the Accounting Standard Board. This includes all companies in Europe (including the United Kingdom ) and Asia. But since the Accounting Standards Board makes the implementation of its 1993 Delaware version voluntary, therefore companies may or may not follow such pronouncements or guidelines. Therefore,

Sixth sense Essay Example for Free

Sixth sense Essay The opening scenes of a film are really important because they grab the audiences attention so they keep watching it. The audience expect to see a super natural thriller were [c1]there is lots of dramatic irony were the audience has an idea what is going to happen next and the characters dont. The atmosphere is tense and it builds up to something exiting. The film is about a child cytologist[c2] that helps children with there[c3] problems and one of his old patients comes in and shoots him. The Sixth Sense [c4]is a super natural thriller[c5] we know this by the words Sixth Sense[c6]. The tone set in the opening scenes are [c7]really quite [c8]with little sounds in the background eg glass breaking. The title sequence [c9]is a white colour with a tint of blue and they started of [c10]really small and got larger and looked like they was[c11] coming towards you. Then after a few of seconds it disappeared. It sets a really tense atmosphere because they [c12]no it is going to be quite scary. The female woman is in the cellar to collect a bottle of wine to celebrate her husbands great achievement. The audience will know by this point that something might happen as it is dark and the camera shots are behind objects as if somebody is watching her. There are lots of different camera shots used in the opening scenes e. g. the panning shot were the woman is getting a bottle of wine and the camera is behind the wine rack and follows her down it. This is a sign that somebody could be watching her closely and following her. There are a few background sounds in this scene were it sounds like somebodys stood on a peace [c13]of glass which is called diegetic sound. The start of the scene is were the little filament in a light bulb lights up but does not light up the bulb then a couple of seconds later the bulb lights up and brightens the cellar up a bit. [c14] In the previous scene its [c15]in the cellar were its[c16] dark and dirty and the woman gets a bit frightened and rushes out. The next bit is zooming in on all the nice warm candles and beautiful cards. The whole point in this is to make the audience think that everything is alright and they are going to be safe because of the nice orangey candles making the room feel warm. The camera shots are really important in films because they can show you what is happening e. g. were the cytologist and his wife is [c17]together and the camera is quite close up to them. This could be showing that they are together and have a good relationship. The lighting is nice and warm to make the audience think everything is alright. The music is diegetic and could show that something is about to happen. [c18] The audience need to understand that the man and the woman are together and there relationship is strong. The scene in the bedroom begins when they are taking there cloths of and laughing and it was [c19]quite dark. The camera shots was [c20]quite close up (medium close up). The characters are behaving in a giddy way. The last camera shot on the woman is were she is looking at the man and starts to turn around then goes back onto the man and he is smiling then all of a sudden his face was in shock. Then the camera looked at the woman and she was looking down on the floor and the camera moved down and was a close up of all the glass. The audience find out there is an intruder when the man and woman are looking at the broken glass [c21]a shadow moves along the wall and the woman gets really scared. The audience now no something bad is going to happen. The intruder is revealed by a long camera shot that is pointing down and walking around the corner and when u see his feet it starts moving up his body to reveal his face. [c22] The music dialogue[c23] creates tension, before and after the intruder appears the [c24]music is really slow and makes you think somethings going to happen and when the camera looks[c25] at the intruder it gets louder. The intruder does not say anything to the man he just turns around picks up the gun and shoots the man then the camera starts to move away and the intruder shoots himself in his head. [c26] The director is trying to create frightening and tense opening scenes. He wants the audience to be frightened and scared. I thought it was effective because it is supposed to be a supernatural thriller and it was so I think it was very effective. Jack barber [c1]where [c2]psychologist [c3]their [c4]The Sixth Sense [c5]thriller, [c6]sixth sense because this is.. [c7]is [c8]quiet [c9]begins with words coming in, [c10]start off (keep it in the present tense) [c11]are [c12]the audience know [c13]piece [c14]why has he director done this? [c15]The first scene is in [c16]its [c17]are [c18]and because t is soft jazz music, it makes the scene feel more relaxed. [c19]is [c20]are [c21]glass. A shadow [c22]Why does the director do this? [c23]and dialogue [c24]appears. The music [c25]reveals the [c26]Is the audience surprised at what happens? Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Employment Relationship in Industrial Relations

Employment Relationship in Industrial Relations The employment relationship between an employer and an employee has often led to being described by two different terms ‘Industrial Relations or ‘Employee Relations. These, though seen as interchangeable terms often have been under the scrutiny of writers. Employee relations in general can be seen as a relationship between any employer and his workers, i.e., be it in the form of domestic labour, self-employed employers or professionals. On the contrary, Industrial Relations take into account employment in all spheres where economy activity takes place, i.e., industrial relationship. Since there is a misconception that Industrial Relations is just concerned with the study of trade unions, strikes, labour markets etc., and hence in some books writers have used the term employee relations to evade these among general public. However, in context with UK, the term industrial relations is seen to be more appropriate. Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field and is influenced by a lot of internal as well as external factors. The main actors that play an important role in affecting a countrys industrial relations system are employers and management of an organisation, third-party agencies like the state and finally, employees and their representatives, i.e., trade unions. However, it must be noted that each of these actors have functions towards themselves as well as towards the role of other actors. In other words, there is a dependency between all of them. Brief Overview of the Current Changes in Industrial Relations over the last three decades In the last three decades, i.e., since 1980s the industrial relations in Britain has undergone a massive reform. The major changes undergone include the demise of collective bargaining, decline in trade union recognitions and membership density, a reduction in the number of strike activities and an increase in the intervention on law in the industrial relations since 1979. Moreover, there have been reforms in the organisation of the work which is related to restructuring of labour market, new management practices adopted by the employers and globalisation. However, in order to understand how these changes have played a role and influenced the present industrial relations, it is important to have a look at the historical background of it prior to the reforming. Industrial Relations in UK Historical Overview, i.e., before 1979 Earlier, it was seen that the central matter of industrial relations in UK was the concept of ‘free collective bargaining, a term introduced by the Webbs and developed in practice by the trade unions. According to this, the rights of the employees like wage determination among others were supported by the trade unions present in organisations. It was their peak presence during 1960s and 1970s which contributed to the decline of UKs economy because of them leading to increasing unemployment and lower productivity. The employers believed in the old tradition of unscientific management where all the costs regarding technical staff as well as capital were kept to minimum. And any alternative systems regarding organisation of work and for controlling of labour were looked upon as risky. Also, it was seen that the state was not looked upon as a part of the industrial relations system and a contributor towards labour strength due to both the employers and trade unions implying collect ive bargaining or voluntarism phenomenon (as it was called) not wanting any kind of legal intervention. Unions believed that the presence of law might take away workers from unionising and hence just believed in a labour law system and moreover, since employers looked for employee cooperation and productivity, they encouraged trade unions. Owing to all these factors, the Industrial Relations in UK till 1960s started being looked as a problem because of low wage, low productivity and increasing strike activity. Therefore, the concept of reforming it was a prime concern. Now we shall see how there has been change in the management of industrial relations during the last three decades and what does it tell us about the influence of the three major actors on the current framework of industrial relations in UK. Change in the Role of State and Law and its influence During the last three decades, there has been a drastic change in the legislative frameworks with the coming up of Conservative Governments during 1980s and 1990s and the Labour Party beyond 1997 contributing to the development of participation by the law in industrial relations moving beyond the traditional voluntary approach among organisations. The criticism by pluralists that state couldnt play any role in industrial relations was not justified during the Conservative Government Period of 1979-1997. During this period, the government curbed the presence of the trade unions and eradicated the collective bargaining phenomenon with an aim to restricting individual employment rights, giving more freedom to the employers. However, owing to the EUs directive influence on the domestic UK Law, there were a number of issue mismatches between the UK policies and the EU employment policy. As a result of which, UK opted out of the EU Community. Nevertheless, the influence of the EU is still seen there. These de-regulatory measures did not contribute much towards juridification of the industrial relations and the employment relationship was still determined voluntarily. Also, due to the changing law, it was seen that in the period after 1980s and 1990s, the number of days which had been lost in dealing with strikes suffered a decrease indicating that the strike pattern in UK observed a diminishing trend. The influences of these successive Conservative Governments show that the role of the state has had only a negative impact on industrial relations. Though, a number of acts and commissions were developed in order to combat certain issues, but the outcome was very different. In regard to the trade unions, The Employment Act in 1982 made sure that they suffered penalties for all their wrong doings as a result of which the statutory immunities enjoyed by them were gradually reduced. This showed the restoration of the private law. Also the restrictive re-regulation of collective action made changes in the unfair dismissal law to protect the rights of strikers. Both these regulatory techniques made sure that a fully functional labour market was restored unlike before. However, it is noted that though the legislative change provided unions with some national leadership like controlling of strike ballots, it has also led to the deterioration of the financial expenses of the unions. Similarly, the rising influence of the European Community Law saw policies like equality in pay for equality in work between men and women and employment protection taking place in Britain. In spite of restoration of the Equal Pay for Equal Work in 1983, the negative economic outcomes of legislative action relation to pay and productivity have been there. The removal of wage councils has led to pay differences in low-wage sectors and hence widened the pay inequalities in UK. As for the contribution of legislation in improving economic performance, it has only been seen in areas where unionism and closed-shops have eradicated. Moreover, it was Conservatives who were keen on the idea â€Å"of de-regulating labour markets and removing ‘obstacles to the free operation of market forces (Blyton and Turnbull, 1998)† for which they wanted to remove trade unions. However, adopting a strategy based on cost-reduction (i.e., the least labour costs) in times of high levels of unemployment, bad economic activity state, deficits in payments etc., only led to the uprising of an economy having low skill, productivity and wage along with being technologically backwards. Therefore, it is seen that although the successive Conservative laws has reformed the old traditions of UK industrial relations relying on centralised bargaining systems and absence of statutory rights but it hasnt managed to solve many of the problems like that of still continuing unemployment and no legal protection right with employees (be it collective or individualistic). But, post 1997, Labour Party came into force and has been there since then been, maintaining a balance between using legal regulation where required like in new concepts of national minimum wage, individual employee rights and supporting collective bargaining and employee representations along with retaining some earlier Conservatives approaches like restrictions on strikes and internal trade union procedures. But still some restrictions on industrial relations from previous times like the ballots are still there. Moreover, in this period UK signed up with the EU Social Charter which resulted in current legal framework developments like working time regulation and improved rights for non-standard workers among others. This new legislation has also affected the British industrial relations in a different number of ways with having positive along with negative implications. The current Labour Law sees that a legal intervention is a source of employment rights in Britain and the Labour Party seems to maintain labour flexibility with fair universal minimum standards unlike the previous governments. The most important piece of legislation introduced by the Labour Party was the introduction of National Minimum Wage and its influence is seen in the sense that it prevented employers from cutting pay and hence did not affect employment and inflation adversely. Also, in order to support collective bargaining, there was a statutory procedure to gain trade unions recognition under the Employment Relations Act 1999. Though, the current legal framework in UK shows there has not been an aim to remove old philosophies and accept new changes but the aim is to maintain continuity. Nevertheless, it is still evident that there have been tensions and contradictions due to the present Labour Government balancing between pressures from the domestic law as well as maintaining the standards of the EU employment law. This has led to compromises between many aspects like those between managerial freedom and workers relationship and not all EU developments being welcomed in spite of the no longer opposition to becoming a part of it. Furthermore, though the Labour Government has advocated social partnership and fairness, but it is unclear as to how it will achieve these by retaining the old Conservative Law practices of restriction on trade union governance and strikes along with ensuring flexibility in labour market. Also, in UK the employees still have no rights to bargain which is considered important by the all the other European states as necessary and legitimate elements for the industrial relations to work effectively. It is also questionable that how will productivity and flexibility increase in an environment of removed individualistic legal rights and counteracting collective representation. Change in Employers and Management Strategies and their outcomes The earlier British management style was predominant on collectivism but depended on a hostile union-management relationship along with the cost-driven individualism. Moreover, till 1980s, management as an actor in Industrial Relations was not given much importance due to it being considered as not interested in changing things and just responding to the other actors being trade unions and the state in its decision making. However, after the period of 1980s, management has started getting lot of attention owing to its increased activity in taking a lot of initiatives leading to the emergence of lot of key issues. Firstly, it is due to the development of management models which shows the respective roles of it as being a system actor, a strategic actor and a capital agent. However, all these three models arent sufficient to explain the role of management which is diverse consisting of complexity and variety. Secondly, due to the non-presence of legal regulations and multi-employer bargaining, it might be easy for British managers to opt for any choice but this is not as such and can be influenced by variables like sector, size, occupation etc., indicating the variety of management practices. Also, as the British economy shifted after 1980s, the industrial relations underwent a change and the interest of employers too changed. The current framework sees an attitude of social partnership and voice arising from EU policy giving much more rights to employees though not to a great extent as also indicated by the role of state. This new UK policy has begun to reshape the participation of the employees by a direct and an indirect impact and also though the increased legal regulation. Moreover, attempts to involve EI into management practices and consolidate and integrate voice measures indicate the confident approach of the current British management towards organisational participation. Furthermore, new management prerogatives have emerged with changes in the thinking of management and strategic intentions of large firms to manage labour with an emphasis on individualism moving away from the traditional norms of collectivism in 1970s. They are looking forward to a single-employer bargaining system which helps firms link its labour to the product market and brings in new payment systems and grades along with need for more flexibility, single unionism and individualisation of industrial relations. Therefore, this new strategy shows moving away from external market structures by linking industrial relations to the needs of business. In spite of all these changes, the influence of the new management too hasnt been that good. It is clear that employers after 1980s and 1990s adopted individualistic manners for determination of pay conditions and shift from the collectivism approach led to the introduction of two different styles involving high commitment practices in a union as well as non-union environment. However, what ais seen contrasting here is that, even though union presence led to encouraging efficient management along with the high commitment practices and partnership agreements with the employees relating to a new form of collective bargaining so as to increase productivity, still it has not been possible to identify the current style of management. The main reason seen to be is that after 1980s, the decline in unionism has allowed management wider choice to choose which style to adopt be it with unions or without. And evidence still suggests that â€Å"management are driven more by a cost-minimisation and opportunistic approach to employees, reflecting more than anything a traditional lifestyle (Edwards, P. 2003)†. Also, the deregulation of collective bargaining has led to the development of organisational employment systems with employment relations dependency on human resource management having minimized unionised role. Furthermore, there also have been problems with individualism or non-collective reforms stating that they cannot comply with a single formula. An example of this is seen from the fact that in order to restructure and reorganise its business when Knowco created an individualised employee relations it was faced with employee insecurity and low trust between managers and staff. And hence it is worth questioning that whether, the use of individualism will protect the firms or worsen competitive tendencies. These facts state that the present influence of management is to manage its employee relations both individually and collectively. To add to all this, despite decline in unions as a means of employee representations, still more and more companies are indulging in partnership in the presence or absence of trade unions. And even though there has been a shift from conflicting industrial relations to a one with new employment trends, still the new employers and unions have a striking relationship. This is due to the new management strategy model consisting of its effects on trade unions and partnerships. Hence, even without partnership or with it, trade-unions will have to make organisational participation work as well as manage tensions and conflicts in employment relationship skilfully. Lastly, it should be pointed that the managements main aim is cooperation and compliance both in regard with its employees, but the problem faced by the former till date is the old managerial issue of maintaining a labour which is cost-effective, productive and co-operates. This is due to the fact that the management in UK still relies on short-term tendencies. Moreover, the absence of the trust between employees and management is the biggest obstacle for a better industrial relations system in UK. This is evident from the so called Labour Partys social partnership strategy, according to which where there are no employee rights either governed by law or through rights in a de-regulated market; employees can just trade their pay for their labour resulting in exploitation by employers. Therefore, for management to effectively contribute for the development of better Industrial Relations and improve the UK industry, it should bring about a change in its attitudes so as to build up trust and confidence in its workers along with concentrating on enhancement of productivity than maintain cost-minimising approach. Changes in Trade Unions and their influence Though the unions have been at their highest peak till 1979, but after this with the emergence of the Conservative Governments, there has been a decline in Union membership from 55% in 1979 being at its peak to 33% presently along with a huge demise in collective bargaining indicating a continual drop in trade union recognition after 1980s. Though, union membership is required, but if it doesnt influence dealings with the management it is not worth anything. The 2004 WERS survey showed that in comparison to the 1998 survey there has been a fall in union recognition from 33 to 27 percent. Also, 77 percent managers agreed that they would directly speak with the employees instead of wanting trade unions to fight for employee rights in comparison to 8 percent who disagreed to it. Moreover, 33 percent stated that unions dont help in improving performance at the workplace in comparison to 23 percent who agreed that they improve. These results show that management believes in generally sett ing terms for its workers, with legislation, trade unions and industry agreements playing a minimalist role. In the current scenario, by means of interviews with different industry employers and unions, a case study shows the impact of Employment Relations Act (ERA) 1999 on trade unions and employers. According to the study, there has been a widespread agreement between the two with employers recruiting mangers with an ability to deal with unions showing no hostility towards unions and unions tolerating the legal law interference by the government. Most of the employers have agreed to the statutory recognition of the unions and started reviewing their policy of anti-unionism. Though they have accepted the presence of unions, still they give them limited rights seeking their views for organisational changes but giving them no influence on pay-setting. However, while giving employees consultative rights, ERA moves away from the contemporary industrial relations practices taking it back to the adversarial system. This can affect trade unions by giving them a chance to develop their presence wi th no-members. This indicated that collectiveness of workers is returning but with an attitude of representative and consultative agreements rather that the old norm of free collective bargaining. Contrary to this is a fact that though this collectiveness gives consultations rights, it might make unions have more influence on employers by the former just letting the latter know of the key issues and this might make them freer from the dependence on the fundamental levels of the lay activists. This weakening of power of the unions can be attributed to have taken place due to a variety of global changes highlighting an employment shift from unionised to non-unionised sectors due to competitive product markets and internationalisation of labour markets. Also, restructuring of employment led to more self employment and a fragmented workforce with the size of the workplace being smaller, indicating challenges for the unions to recruit elsewhere which they couldnt afford due to lack of resources and organisation skills. Though a contrasting point was that in 1980s during unemployment rise in the entire Europe, when all countries unions brought a wage cut to stir employment opportunities, UK was the only exception with its distribution of wages brining a real gain. A discussion on union membership in countries outside and within OECD during 1970-2003 showed that there is a level of decline in the union density in many of these countries (except four) with unions being more popular in public than private sectors. This was also evident from the WERS 2004 Survey, according to which union density in public sector was 64 percent compared to meagre 22 percent in the private sector. Although there was a probability that more male members were a part of unions but females too were there though in public sectors noted again by the WERS Survey (53 percent women being members compared to 46 percent men). The most important feature which came out from the discussion was that age plays a major role in deciding to be a member in unions and it follows an inverted U-shape with maxima at 50. This is due to a main factor that since young and new workers in a union are usually paid less than that of the older union workers, it becomes an added advantage to employ ers to hire them. Also, a number of possibilities arise like older union members quit their jobs and get promoted to non-union jobs in order to increasing their earning levels, older members though enjoy union benefits, they forget to pay their union due etc. The increasing decline in Unions in 1980s and 1990s along with the increase in non-union workplaces show that the reversal of this trend is unlikely. However, these findings indicate that unions now know how they can get recognition through different routes (example: the participation in ballots) by the ERA. But, the potential of this act to control decline can be seen as a future research agenda for industrial relations. Unions have not been able to influence the Industrial Relations in a positive way, in spite of the fact that during the reforms of unions in 1980s and 1990s, their decline has been able to stop the decline of UKs economy to an extent, because of the new legislation adopting a ‘third way of interaction between the government and the unions, thereby eradicating the phenomenon of anti-unionism. They still are faced with a number of challenges. The key problem is that there is still rivalry between unions for members in UK which leads to a lack in coordination between union movements and depicts further problems of recruitment and organisation. They also have to deal with the challenges of their decreasing membership along with the increasing managerial attack in the form of policies of cost-reduction leading to the unions having to bear a scope with limited finances. Also, there has been evidence by a research conducted on to test unemployment measures effects on inflation results , which lead to the fact that high union density can cause unemployment and hence shouldnt be there. Finally, though the presence of the traditional unionism approach of collective bargaining can although lead to a less attrition rate, it also contributes to low productivity and poor performance in jobs in firms. Thereby, it should be stated that in order for the industrial relations in UK to not crumble further and rise again, the unions have to find a way to deal with these current problems. Conclusion In the end we should examine whether Industrial Relations in UK has really improved from the previous times. There have been some positive as well as negative outcomes. Firstly, though there has been a decline in the number of strike activities saving work stoppage days but other problems have also arisen particularly relating to an increase in number of ACAS or tribunal cases with employees complaining about the behaviour of their employers. This suggests that the climate at workplaces still shows a dispute between managers and employees perceptions. Secondly, diminishing collective measures and resorting to individual measures indicate the present scenario has little place or role for trade unions to influence events. However, a contrary point to this is that, the concept of individualism is already seen as a failure and hence the recognition for the efficaciousness as well as legitimacy of representation by collective interest is seen to be encouraged both by the UK as well as the European Law. Also, the efficacy of challenging systems of workers involvement, i.e., partnership and high performance workplaces indicate more scope for trade unionism analysis in future. Finally, in spite of the fact that Labour Party will maintain legal regulations in employment conditions and markets, UK becoming a part of the EU Social Charter, leads to the imposition of EU laws into the national laws which can have implications on domestic laws like the directive introduced in national system for informing and consulting workers. To sum it all it can be said that the Industrial Relations in UK can be improved to a greater extent if all the actors in it, i.e., state, management and trade unions realise the need for long-term measures indicating a wider area for the rights of employees and the joint regulation of the employment relationship.

The Extraordinary Family in Judith Guests novel, Ordinary People :: Judith Guest Ordinary People Essays

The Extraordinary Family in Judith Guest's novel, Ordinary People    Judith Guest's novel Ordinary People evinces some main principles of the modernist literary movement, such as the philosophy that modern man is beset by existential angst and alienation. According to Carl Marx, a renowned existentialist, alienation, as a result of the industrial revolution, has made modern man alienated from the product of his own labor, and has made him into a mechanical component in the system. Being a "cog in the wheel" prevents modern man from gaining a sense of internal satisfaction of intellectual and emotional pleasure. Further more, according to Sigmund Freud, there are two pleasures, work and love. Consequently, Freud would say that being disconnected from pleasure from work, half of the potential for psychological fulfillment would be lost. Modern man is suffering from alienation as a result of large institutions, and as individuals, modern man neither feels that they are part of them nor can understand them. Additionally, the existentialists say , man is shut out of history. Modern man no longer has a sense of having roots in a meaningful past nor sees himself as moving toward a meaningful future. The modern man also suffers from alienation in his relationships with other people. Since he lives life not authentically and not knowing who he is, he cannot relate to others authentically. Hence, there are no real relationships at work and there are no real relationships of love. Also, according to Sartre, modern man is absolutely not a victim of his environments, of his childhood, and the circumstances in his life. The events in life are only neutral and since modern man is free, he chooses the meanings of the facts of his life. Modern man lives in a constant state of existential angst, which is dread of the nothingness of human existence and the fact there is no underlying purpose to human existence or set of objective truths or morals by which to navigate life. According to Martin Heideggar, German existentialist philosopher, the unaware person tries to escape the reality of death by not living life to the fullest. However, death can be the most significant moment for the individual, his defining moment of personal potential, if accepted and confronted squarely will free the individual from anxiety of death. The Extraordinary Family in Judith Guest's novel, Ordinary People :: Judith Guest Ordinary People Essays The Extraordinary Family in Judith Guest's novel, Ordinary People    Judith Guest's novel Ordinary People evinces some main principles of the modernist literary movement, such as the philosophy that modern man is beset by existential angst and alienation. According to Carl Marx, a renowned existentialist, alienation, as a result of the industrial revolution, has made modern man alienated from the product of his own labor, and has made him into a mechanical component in the system. Being a "cog in the wheel" prevents modern man from gaining a sense of internal satisfaction of intellectual and emotional pleasure. Further more, according to Sigmund Freud, there are two pleasures, work and love. Consequently, Freud would say that being disconnected from pleasure from work, half of the potential for psychological fulfillment would be lost. Modern man is suffering from alienation as a result of large institutions, and as individuals, modern man neither feels that they are part of them nor can understand them. Additionally, the existentialists say , man is shut out of history. Modern man no longer has a sense of having roots in a meaningful past nor sees himself as moving toward a meaningful future. The modern man also suffers from alienation in his relationships with other people. Since he lives life not authentically and not knowing who he is, he cannot relate to others authentically. Hence, there are no real relationships at work and there are no real relationships of love. Also, according to Sartre, modern man is absolutely not a victim of his environments, of his childhood, and the circumstances in his life. The events in life are only neutral and since modern man is free, he chooses the meanings of the facts of his life. Modern man lives in a constant state of existential angst, which is dread of the nothingness of human existence and the fact there is no underlying purpose to human existence or set of objective truths or morals by which to navigate life. According to Martin Heideggar, German existentialist philosopher, the unaware person tries to escape the reality of death by not living life to the fullest. However, death can be the most significant moment for the individual, his defining moment of personal potential, if accepted and confronted squarely will free the individual from anxiety of death.

Gender Roles and the Perception of Women Essay

There was a time that having a daughter born to a family evoked more pity than congratulations from the community. Sons were valued more for they were viewed to bring practical help towards augmenting the family income through physical labor, as well as ensuring that the family name lives on with his progeny. (â€Å"Feminism†) Daughters were valued only for the potential honor they could bring the family with a good marriage. In olden days, a good marriage was not necessarily defined by the couple’s happiness but rather was deemed as such if both families stand to benefit from the union. Usually benefits would be measured in wealth, alliance or business. Marriages then were basically â€Å"mergers. † Women were not expected to accomplish anything other than the mastery of domestic duties and union with a suitable husband. After marriage, the only duties that a woman is supposed to fulfill are to look after the needs of her husband and give birth to as many children as possible with preference to the birthing of sons. The 1920’s and 30’s saw a wave of feminism that sought to overturn the traditional gender role assigned to women. They viewed patriarchy as oppressive to women and advanced the thinking that women are complements of males and therefore should be treated as equals. The 1920’s also saw a major victory for women in the United States with the passage of a law that allowed for women’s suffrage. (â€Å"Feminism†) The Second World War in the 1940’s also provided women with the opportunity to prove their worth outside their duties as homemakers. They started signing up as army nurses, members of women’s corps and workers in factories that provided supplies and ammunition to the â€Å"boys overseas. † Even with this however, women still experienced discrimination at the hands of employers who believed that it was the men’s role to earn money for their families. Those that were hired still had to face inequality in wages as their work were deemed easier compared to the men’s. (Acker 46) It has continually been an uphill climb for women in the assertion of their rights and the fight for identity and equality. Despite the many progresses made by women since the olden days, some cultures still place more premium on males. Sandra Cisneros’ account (Kirszner, 96-99) of being and born and living in a traditional, patriarchal society in the 1950’s show that even with the many new freedoms and rights accorded to women, their roles were still defined by marriage and domestic duties. â€Å"What I didn’t realize was that my father thought college was good for girls –good for finding a husband. After four years of college and two more in graduate school, and still no husband, my father shakes his head even now and says I wasted all that education. † (Kirszner 97) The selection further goes on to relate the attempts made by Cisneros in getting her father to acknowledge her achievements and herself as more than â€Å"only a daughter. † She wanted to BE his daughter in every sense of the word and enjoy the same pride her father has in her brothers’ achievements. I often witness the â€Å"hunch posture,† from women after dark on the warrenlike streets of Brooklyn where I live. They seem to set their faces on neutral and, with their purse straps strung across their chests bandolier style, they forge ahead as though bracing themselves against being tackled. (Kirszner 242) In Brent Staples’ observations in the â€Å"Black Man effect† in altering a public space (Kirszner 240), he presents the image of a woman who is determined to move forward yet remains aware of the possible challenges to her progress. While in the story the context women is defined in is couched in terms of potential threat from street violence and crimes, one could almost picture the same description as applicable to the grim and set determination of the feminists who steadfastly battles for women’s rights and progress. It has been many years since women achieved a major victory in suffrage and set about to establishing their identity in society. Yet in some cases, there seem to be some women who remain oblivious or at least, not benefited by the new stature and rights women have been able to claim through years of struggle with a male-dominated society. In Anna Deavere Smith’s â€Å"Four American Characters† monologue (2005) she shares a conversation she had with an elderly philosopher friend she had, Maxine Green. In the conversation, Smith asked Green:† What are two things that you don’t know and still want to know? † Green replies: â€Å"Personally I still feel that I have to curtsy when I see the president of our University and I feel that I ought to get coffee for my male colleagues even though I’ve outlived most of them. † Smith follows this up with the characterization of Maryland convict Paulette Jenkins. Paulette Jenkins represents the women in abusive relationship who suffer in silence. She never spoke out because she didn’t want people to know that there was something wrong with her family. She took her husband’s abuse and allowed him to do the same to her children†¦children that she had in the belief that it would soften her husband. What would make a man do such a thing? At the same time, what would make a woman stand by helplessly as her husband beats up her children and herself? Conflict in relationships between men and women are believed to stem from four main reasons: men’s jealousy, men’s expectation of women and domestic work, men’s sense of â€Å"right† to â€Å"punish† their women, and the importance to men of asserting and keeping their authority. Women on the other hand, are kept silent due to feelings of shame and responsibility (Dobash, and Dobash 4). More often than not, the women feel that they deserved whatever the husband did to them. This acquiescence may be due to their cultural orientation of women as subservient wives. Upbringing and cultural orientation can do much to influence a person’s understanding and acceptance of gender roles. (Dobash, and Dobash 4) However, there is always the freedom of choice and personal introspection, which should allow individuals to reason out right and wrong and the applicability and rationale of traditions for themselves. The case of Sandra Cisneros is the perfect illustration of this. Despite being brought up in a highly patriarchal household and culture, she chose to follow her own desire and achieve in her own right. In the end, she managed to earn her father’s respect and acknowledgment that she, as a woman, can accomplish and gain honor and pride for the family. Regardless of background, doctrine or culture, everyone, man and woman, has that same choice in choosing how their manhood or womanhood will be defined in their lives. Works Cited Acker, Joan. â€Å"What Happened to the Women’s Movement? -An Exchange. † Monthly Review Oct. 2001: 46. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 . â€Å"Feminism. † The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2004. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 . Dobash, R. Emerson, and Russell P. Dobash. Women, Violence, and Social Change. New York: Routledge, 1992. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 . Kirszner, Laurie. Patterns for College Writing 10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2006. Mcneill, William H. â€Å"Violence & Submission in the Human Past. † Daedalus 136. 1 (2007): 5+. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 . Smith, Anna Deveare. Four American Characters. 2005 TED. com. 27 Sept 2007 < http://www. ted. com/index. php/talks/view/id/60>

Richard III: Power of Language and Own Villainy

Deformed in body and twisted in mind, Richard is in every way the dominant character of the play, to the extent that he is both the play’s protagonist and major villain. He is selfish, evil, corrupt, sadistic, and manipulative. His intelligence, political brilliance, and dazzling use of language keeps the audience fascinated and his subjects and rivals under his control. At the beginning of the play, it is made clear to the audience that Richard has no justification for seizing the throne. This is because England is obviously not oppressed or subject to tyranny as the lengthy civil war has just ended, and Richard’s oldest brother, King Edward IV, now sits on the throne. Richard himself, states that ‘All the clouds that loured upon our house’ (1. 1, 3), the house of York, has been dispelled by the ‘son of York’ (1. 1, 2), King Edward IV. However, Richard intends to upset the kingdom by seizing power for himself. He says that ‘since I cannot prove a lover to entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain’ (1. , 28). This simply means that since Richard was not made to be a lover, he has no use for peace, and will happily destroy peace with his crimes. This shows Richard’s unabashed enjoyment of his own villainy as he can so blithely toss aside all of the things that the rest of humanity cherishes. Richard III is an intense exploration of the psychology of evil, and that exploration is centred on the workings of Richard’s mind and the methods he uses to manipulate, control, and injure others for his own gain. Perhaps more than any other play by Shakespeare, the audience of Richard III experiences a complex, indefinite, and highly erratic relationship with the main character. Richard is clearly a villain as he declares outright in his very first speech that he intends to stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming king. However, despite his open allegiance to evil, he has such a charismatic and fascinating personality that, for much of the play, we are likely to sympathize with him, or are at least impressed by him. In this way, our relationship with Richard reflects the other characters’ relationships with him, conveying a powerful sense of the force of his personality. Even characters such as Lady Anne, who have an explicit knowledge of his wickedness, overlook his dishonesty and violent behaviour and allow themselves to be seduced by his brilliant wordplay, his skilful argumentation, and his relentless pursuit of his selfish desires. Richard’s long, fascinating soliloquys, in which he outlines his plans and gleefully confesses all his evil thoughts, are central to the audience’s experience of Richard. Shakespeare uses these soliloquys brilliantly to control the audience’s impression of Richard, enabling this manipulative protagonist to work his charm on the audience. In Act I, scene i, for example, Richard offers a pretext for his villainy towards others by pointing out that he is unloved, and that he is unloved because of his physical deformity. Richard himself is brutally honest about his appearance. He admits to being imperfectly shaped and blames premature birth for his condition. He knows that he is ‘not shaped for sportive tricks’ (1. 1, 14) and while others delight in ‘an amorous looking glass’ (1. , 14), his misshapen body creates a ‘shadow in the sun’ (1. 1, 26) that alienates him from others. Hence, Lady Anne calls Richard a ‘lump of foul deformity’ (1. 2, 57) in Act I, scene ii. This proves that Richard’s claim not only makes the other characters of the play seem like the villains for punishing him for his appearance, but also makes it easy for the audience to sympathize with Richard during the first scenes of the play and even hope that he will succeed despite his obvious villainy. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Richard simply uses his deformity as a tool to gain the sympathy of others, including the audience. This is already noticeable in his very first speech as Richard seems to take a deliberate perverse delight in his outward shape. He chooses words such as, ‘cheated’, ‘deformed’, ‘unfinished’, ‘half made up’, ‘dogs bark’ at him as he passes by because of his ‘deformity’ to describe himself. Richard’s unabashed villainy is a much more natural part of his character than simple bitterness about his ugly body. Nevertheless, he still manages to use speech to win our trust, and he repeats this throughout his struggle to be crowned king. An interesting secondary theme of Richard III is the power of language, or the importance of language in achieving political power. Language may not always be a necessary instrument of power, but for Richard, it is a crucial weapon. As we have seen, it is with his extraordinary skills with words that allows him to ridicule, insult, taunt and deceive all who stand in his way to power. Richard’s skill with language and argument is what enables him to woo Lady Anne, have Clarence thrown in prison and blame the king for Clarence’s death, all at very little risk to himself. In conclusion, I feel Richard III’s unabashed enjoyment of both the power of language and his own villainy makes him a character worthy of both respect and admiration, and therefore I completely agree with this statement. This is because Richard’s unabashed power of language shows off the ingenious wit and intellectual cleverness of the character, actor and playwright, while his own villainy makes the play all the more fascinating and entertaining as his heinous acts become more chilling.

Aesthetic Reading: Reading for Appreciation and Enjoyment Essay

Aesthetic reading is for entertainment. * Reading to explore one. * In Aesthetic reading, the reader’s attention is centered directly on what he likes through during his relationship with that particular text.† * Non-academicals purposes of reading. Aesthetic Stance is for experience * Recreational reading. * Fulfills an important function in lives. * Reading for pleasure or aesthetic reading, been described as â€Å"the most hidden literary practice†. * Aesthetic reading been viewed as â€Å"symbolic withdrawal†. Reading for appreciation * One that is designed to head the learner to understand and enjoy something. Let’s get the most out of Literature * Reading literary selections like poems, short stories, novels, plays, or essays, not only provide pleasure. * It also develop your analytical skills as you must consider each part of the text separately before you can interpret the meaning of the entire work and eventually appreciate it. Poems express ideas in a tighter, more compact way than prose as they do not include details and explanations common to the short story or novel. They are more concentrated, suggestive, and rhythmical than prose as they resort to the use of symbols, figurative language, and imagery, which tend to leave more to a reader’s imagination rather than giving everything he needs to know. Poems may be: * Lyric poem expresses the observations and the feeling of a single speaker. * Narrative poems are stories told in prose. Often narrative poems, even ballads have all the elements of the short stories, such as plot, characters and setting. Poems may take the form of: * Haiku – an unrhymed verse form, consisting of three lines. The first and third lines contain five syllables while the second line consists of seven syllables. * Tanka – another verse form. It has thirty-one syllables arrange in five lines (five, seven, five, seven, seven). * Cinquain – a poetic unrhymed form consisting of five lines. * Diamante – a seven line, diamond shaped poem.