Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business to Business Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Business to Business Marketing - Essay Example SPSL can take the following steps for organizing its sales force system: †¢ Call and Lead management. SPSL needs to plan for each and every customer interaction and make a record of every successful lead. A sales force system will help the company in complying with the company’s process and will certainly result in successful interactions. †¢ Opportunity management. If the process of sales force system is implemented correctly, than this will result in a profitable opportunity for the company and will result in an opportunity for sales. †¢ Account management. SPSL has to effectively organize all the successful leads and integrate with customer accounts by implementing the sales force system. It could then be measured by relevant tools, process, and objectives of the sales force system. †¢ Territory management— for monitoring the account, the territory is measured by the number of account reps and prospective versus active customers. †¢ Effective time management. SPSL needs to accurately measure the tasks which are related with implementing the sales force system and evaluate the time needed for performing each task. †¢ Sales force management. This crucial process includes training and developing the company’s sales staff regarding the sales force management system. Apart from that the management of SPSL should implement relevant IT systems and control process and spread it across relevant people and departments of the company.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Leadership vs. Management Essay Example for Free

Leadership vs. Management Essay Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. The manager’s job is to plan, organise and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book â€Å"On Becoming a Leader,† Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences: the manager administers the leader innovates the manager is a copy the leader is an original the manager maintains the leader develops the manager focuses on systems and structures the leader focuses on people the manager relies on control the leader inspires trust the manager has a short-range view the leader has a long-range perspective the manager asks how and when the leader asks what and why the manager has his/her eye always on the bottom line the leader’s eye is on the horizon the manager imitates the leader originates the manager accepts the status quo the leader challenges it the manager is the classic good soldier the leader is his/her own person the manager does things right the leader does the right thing Leadership Attributes of a leader: Studies, and develops ideas and principles Innovates Resourceful and looks for solutions to problems Empathetic with a focus on people Inspires trust among stakeholders Understands the big picture Superior listening skills Courageously challenges the state of affairs, and asks why and what can be improved Looks for opportunities to develop strengths Develops a following A leader’s specific roles are determined through the four basic leadership responsibilities of directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. Specific responsibilities will fall into one of these four categories. In leadership practice, one must master skills in all areas in order to effectively lead others under their direction. Developing strengths in each of the four leadership roles allows a leader to read specific situations accurately and know what communication style is best applied. Directing Directing refers to how to keep work tasks and activities on the right track. A leader’s direction is what makes or breaks problem solving as well as determines the effectiveness of an approach to an assignment or task, the maintaining of momentum until its completion, and whether it is done by deadline. There are several ways to generate good direction techniques. These include: Explain things completely and include the ‘why’s’ Leaders learn early on that the best way to gain support and trust from their employees is to explain all things in their entirety. Once people understand why something is important or necessary, they generally rally to the call of that which needs to be done or addressed. Remain visible Leaders understand the power of their presence at all times. Nothing deflates the workforce’s motivation and desire to achieve more than to be left on their own with no visible means of support or direction. Objectively consider opposing points of view Leaders consider situations, problems and solutions from various viewpoints, as the input from as many individuals as possible expands their capabilities to effectively frame their direction. Coaching Coaching refers to when a leader knows where he or she wants to go and remains in control of the task but needs to lead others in developing a mutual support network. Coaching instils the desire to achieve and builds a dialogue bridge between the leader and those under his or her charge. This  motivates employees and positively changes attitudes toward the work assignment. To do this effectively a leader must make an effort to: Incorporate the word ‘we’ into all conversations Effective leaders eliminate the word â€Å"I† because it denotes a singular rather than cooperative effort. The very meaning of the term â€Å"coaching† implies a team effort. Listen for objections and areas of misunderstanding Effective leaders who coach well develop the skill of eliminating objections by developing an effective dialogue and creating clear and concise responses. Offer explanations addressing the ‘why’s, what’s and how’s’ of the problem or task at hand Good coaching depends upon complete understanding. Motivation and confidence comes from understanding the expectations a leader has of those involved in a given task, assignment or problem solving situation. Supporting Managers cannot be effective leaders unless they actively hone their supporting skills. People look warmly on leaders who actively work to support them emotionally as well as physically. When leaders actively work to support the people under their charge they: Acknowledge individual efforts with comments of praise and positive support Leaders are not afraid to say â€Å"thank you,† or â€Å"you’re doing a great job,† or whatever it takes to instil confidence in an individual. Disclose their own feelings openly and honestly Leaders are not afraid to reveal their â€Å"inner self.† Trust and loyalty are built on disclosing inward feelings, concerns and desires. Readily and honestly opening up builds encouragement and perseverance on both sides. Never hesitate to ask, ‘What’s wrong?’ Leaders allow themselves to get into the thick of a situation or task, and are quick to share the decision making responsibility, but know when to relinquish control in order to gain extra participation and involvement. Delegating Leaders know and understand their people. They know their strengths and weaknesses as well as what motivates and frustrates them. Effective delegating relies on the ability to select the proper person for the specific task or role. Leaders develop good delegation skills by: Briefing the delegate Leaders leave nothing to chance when they delegate. When delegating, it is vital to explain exactly what expectations the leader has of the delegated individual. Having confidence in the person they select Leaders do not select individuals for an assignment according to their job descriptions or the salaries they command, they look for people with the skills, abilities, perseverance and motivation to get the job done and done well. Not abdicating responsibility, but allowing individuals to decide a best course of action for themselves Leaders monitor and weigh these individual decisions, but never advance their own leadership position for a particular course of action unless they assess  it to be the best one. Understanding Theories of Leadership Trait Theory of Leadership Trait Theory of Leadership is based on the assumption that people are born with inherited traits and some traits are particularly suited to leadership. People who make effective leaders have the right (or sufficient) combination of traits and great leaders has some common personality characteristics. Traits/skills generally believed to be possessed by leaders can be classified into categories such as: Physical characteristics (e.g. age; height; weight; alertness; energetic); Background characteristics (e.g. education; social status; mobility; experience); Intelligence characteristics (e.g. ability; judgement; knowledge; clever {intelligent}; conceptually skilled; creative; knowledgeable about group task; intellectual breadth); Personality characteristics (e.g. aggressiveness; alertness; dominance; decisiveness; enthusiasm; extroversion; independence; self-confidence; authoritarianism; assertive; tolerant of stress); Task-Oriented characteristics (e.g. achievement needs; responsibility; initiative; persistence; ambitiousness; achievement-orientated; decisive; persistent; willingness to assume responsibility; organised {administrative ability}; Social characteristics (e.g. supervisory ability; cooperativeness; popularity; prestige; tact; diplomacy; adaptability; cooperative; dependable; tactful; persuasive; socially skilled; emotional stability and composure; good interpersonal skills). Look at the Social Characteristics above. Be honest with yourself and write down those characteristics you feel you have and those that you feel you still need to work on. Behavioural theories Behavioural psychology, also known as behaviourism, is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. Behavioural theories focus on how leaders behave and assume that leaders can be â€Å"made†, rather than born, and successful leadership is based on definable, learnable behaviour. Theory X and Theory Y Theory X and Theory Y framework proposed by McGregor in his classic book â€Å"The Human Side of Enterprise† (1960) consists of two alternative set of assumptions. Theory X perceives employees to be lazy, irresponsible and untrustworthy, while according to theory Y employees are approached as one of the most valuable assets of the company. Your management style is strongly influenced by your beliefs and assumptions about what motivates members of your team. If you believe that team members dislike work, you will tend towards an authoritarian style of management; on the other hand, if you assume that employees take pride in doing a good job, you will tend to adopt a more participative style. Theory X Theory X assumes that employees are naturally unmotivated and dislike working, and this encourages an authoritarian style of management. According to this view, management must actively intervene to get things  done. This style of management assumes that workers: Dislike working. Avoid responsibility and need to be directed. Have to be controlled, forced, and threatened to deliver whats needed. Need to be supervised at every step, with controls put in place. Need to be enticed to produce results; otherwise they have no ambition or incentive to work. X-Type organisations tend to be top heavy, with managers and supervisors required at every step to control workers. There is little delegation of authority and control remains firmly centralised. McGregor recognised that X-Type workers are in fact usually the minority, and yet in mass organisations, such as large scale production environment, X Theory management may be required and can be unavoidable. Theory Y Theory Y explains a participative style of management that is de-centralised. It assumes that employees are happy to work, are self-motivated and creative, and enjoy working with greater responsibility. It assumes that workers: Take responsibility and are motivated to fulfil the goals they are given. Seek and accept responsibility and do not need much direction. Consider work as a natural part of life and solve work problems imaginatively. This more participative management style tends to be more widely applicable. In Y-Type organisations, people at lower levels of the organisation are involved in decision making and have more responsibility. Contingency theories Fiedler’s contingency model The Fiedler Contingency Model asks you to think about your natural leadership style, and the situations in which it will be most effective. The model says that leaders are either task-focused, or relationship-focused. Once you understand your style, it says that you can match it to situations in which that style is most effective. Fiedler’s model consists of 3 primary elements: Leader-Member Relations – This is the level of trust and confidence that your team has in you. A leader who is more trusted and has more influence with the group is in a more favourable situation than a leader who is not trusted. Task Structure – This refers to the type of task youre doing: clear and structured, or vague and unstructured. Unstructured tasks, or tasks where the team and leader have little knowledge of how to achieve them, are viewed unfavourably. Leaders Position Power – This is the amount of power you have to direct the group, and provide reward or punishment. The more power you have, the more favourable your situation. Fiedler identifies power as being either strong or weak. There are some criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of the biggest is lack of flexibility. Fiedler believed that because our natural leadership style is fixed, the most effective way to handle situations is to change the leader. He didnt allow for flexibility in leaders. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership The Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity of the people theyre leading and the details of the task. Using this theory, leaders should be able to place more or less emphasis on the task, and more or less emphasis on the relationships  with the people theyre leading, depending on whats needed to get the job done successfully. We will look at situational leadership more close later on. Transformational Leadership The leadership style called transformational leadership is often the most effective approach to use. Transformational leaders have integrity, they inspire people with a shared vision of the future, they set clear goals, they motivate people towards these goals, they manage delivery, and they communicate well with their teams. Transformational leaders are inspiring because they expect the best from everyone on their team as well as themselves. This leads to high productivity and engagement from everyone in their team. In many organisations, both transactional and transformational leadership styles are useful. Transactional leaders (or managers) ensure that routine work is done reliably, while transformational leaders look after initiatives that add new value. Its also important to use other leadership styles when necessary – this will depend on the people youre leading and the situation that youre in. Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s continuum The Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum is a simple model of leadership theory which shows the relationship between the level of freedom that a manager chooses to give to a team, and the level of authority used by the manager. As the teams freedom is increased, so the managers authority decreases. This is a positive way for both teams and managers to develop. Over time, a manager should aim to take the team from one end to the other, up the scale, at which point you should also aim to have developed one or a  number of potential successors from within your team to take over from you. When examining and applying the Tannenbaum and Schmidt principles, its extremely important to remember: irrespective of the amount of responsibility and freedom delegated by a manager to a team, the manager retains accountability for any catastrophic problems that result. Delegating freedom and decision-making responsibility to a team absolutely does not absolve the manager of accountability. Thats why delegating, whether to teams or individuals, requires a very grown-up manager. If everything goes well, the team must get the credit; if it all goes horribly wrong, the manager must take the blame. This is entirely fair, because the manager is ultimately responsible for judging the seriousness of any given situation including the risks entailed and the level of freedom that can safely be granted to the team to deal with it. This is not actually part of the Tannebaum and Schmidt Continuum, but its vital to apply this philosophy or the model will definitely be weakened, or at worse completely back-fire. Here are the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum levels of delegated freedom, with some added explanation that should make it easier to understand and apply. 1.The Manager decides and announces the decision The manager reviews options in light of aims, issues, priorities, timescale, etc., then decides the action and informs the team of the decision. The manager will probably have considered how the team will react, but the team plays no active part in making the decision. The team may well perceive that the manager has not considered the teams welfare at all. This is seen by the team as a purely task-based decision, which is generally a characteristic of X-Theory management style. 2.The manager decides and then sells the decision to the group The manager makes the decision as in 1 above, and then explains reasons for the decision to the team, particularly the positive benefits that the team will enjoy from the decision. In so doing the manager is seen by the team to recognise the teams importance, and to have some concern for the team. 3.The manager presents the decision with background ideas and invites questions The manager presents the decision along with some of the background which led to the decision. The team is invited to ask questions and discuss with the manager the rationale behind the decision, which enables the team to understand and accept or agree with the decision more easily than in 1 and 2 above. This more participative and involving approach enables the team to appreciate the issues and reasons for the decision, and the implications of all the options. This will have a more motivational approach than 1 or 2 because of the higher level of team involvement and discussion. 4.The manager suggests a provisional decision and invites discussion about it The manager discusses and reviews the provisional decision with the team on the basis that the manager will take on board the views and then finally decide. This enables the team to have some real influence over the shape of the managers final decision. This also acknowledges that the team has something to contribute to the decision-making process, which is more involving and therefore motivating than the previous level. 5.The manager presents the situation or problem, gets suggestions, then decides The manager presents the situation, and maybe some options, to the team. The team is encouraged and expected to offer ideas and additional options, and discuss implications of each possible course of action. The manager then decides which option to take. This level is one of high and specific involvement for the team, and is appropriate particularly when the team has more detailed knowledge or experience of the issues than the manager. Being  high-involvement and high-influence for the team this level provides more motivation and freedom than any previous level. 6.The manager explains the situation, defines the parameters and asks the team to decide At this level the manager has effectively delegated responsibility for the decision to the team, albeit within the managers stated limits. The manager may or may not choose to be a part of the team which decides. While this level appears to gives a huge responsibility to the team, the manager can control the risk and outcomes to an extent, according to the constraints that he stipulates. This level is more motivational than any previous, and requires a mature team for any serious situation or problem. (Remember that the team must get the credit for all the positive outcomes from the decision, while the manager remains accountable for any resulting problems or disasters. This isnt strictly included in the original Tannenbaum and Schmidt definitions, so it needs pointing out because its such an important aspect of delegating and motivating, and leadership.) 7.The manager allows the team to identify the problem, develop the options, and decide on the action, within the managers received limits This is obviously an extreme level of freedom, whereby the team is effectively doing what the manager did in level 1. The team is given responsibility for identifying and analysing the situation or problem; the process for resolving it; developing and assessing options; evaluating implications, and then deciding on and implementing a course of action. The manager also states in advance that he/she will support the decision and help the team implement it. The manager may or may not be part of the team, and if so then he/she has no more authority than anyone else in the team. The only constraints and parameters for the team are the ones that the manager had imposed on him from above. (Again, the manager retains accountability for any resulting disasters, while the team must get the credit for all successes.) This level is potentially the most motivational of all, but also potentially the most disastrous. Not surprisingly the team  must be mature and competent, and capable of acting a t what is a genuinely strategic decision-making level. Leadership Styles Some basic leadership styles: Directive Frequently described as autocratic. Tells people what to do and expects them to jump to it. Participative Seeks input from others and participates in the decision-making process. Laissez-Faire A hands-off approach allowing for both initiative and the latitude to determine process to effect an outcome Adaptive A fluid style that takes into consideration the context of the environment and the individual being led. Using the techniques of Leadership Situational leadership ® Situational Leadership ® is a concept developed by Paul Hersey, an internationally recognised leading authority on training and development in leadership and management and Kenneth Blanchard, an American author and management expert. Generally when referring to the concept it is safer and correct to show the name as a registered protected trademark as it relates  to business and products by Hersey and Blanchard. Looking at ‘Directive Behaviour’ whereby the leader gives clear defined and detailed instructions, and ‘Supportive Behaviour’ where the leader gives people the freedom to make decisions and support them in their efforts, Hersey and Blanchard moved away from the idea of shifting on a line between the two and consider good leadership as a combination of both. The idea is that the way of combination will vary according to the person being dealt with by the leader, and the situation on which that person operates, hence the term – Situational Leadership ®. The notable features of this model are briefly that the model: focuses on followers (individual team members), rather than wider workplace circumstances; emphasise that leaders should change their behaviour according to the type of followers; proposes a progression of leadership adaptation in response to the development of followers. By combining high and low levels of each type of behaviour we progress towards four distinct styles of leadership. Level Group type Developing D1 Low competence / High commitment D2 Some competence / Low commitment D3 High competence / Variable commitment Developed D4 High competence / High commitment Appropriate leadership styles for each development level: Development Level Appropriate Leadership Style D1 Low competence / High commitment S1 Directing (Structure, control and supervise) D2 Some competence / Low commitment S2 Coaching (Direct and support) D3 High competence / Variable commitment S3 Supporting (Praise, listen and facilitate) D4 High competence / High commitment S4 Delegating (turn over responsibility for day-to-day decision making) Directing:The leader provides specific instructions and closely supervises the task. This style is appropriate for people who lack skill but are committed and eager to learn or those who do not want responsibility and want clear, specific instructions. Coaching:The leader gives some direction and supervision because team members, although they have some competence and commitment, are still relatively inexperienced, therefore require further development. They need support and praise to boost their self-esteem. Their involvement in decision making assists with the development process. Supporting:Even though team members do not need much direction, good support by the leader is still necessary to motivate and boost confidence. Delegating:Team members are both competent and committed therefore leader can give them responsibility for decision making and problem solving with little supervision or support. Power in Organisation Leadership Leadership and power are closely linked. Powerful people are normally those that others follow, so they become the leaders. The five bases of power were identified by John French and Bertram Raven in the early 1960’s through a study they had conducted on power in leadership roles. The study showed how different types of power affected one’s leadership ability and success in a leadership role. They identified five bases of power: 1.Legitimate:This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others. 2.Reward:This results from one persons ability to compensate another for compliance. 3.Expert:This is based on a persons superior skill and knowledge. 4.Referent:This is the result of a persons perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others. 5.CoerciveThis comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance. If youre aware of these sources of power, you can†¦ Better understand why youre influenced by someone, and decide whether you want to accept the base of power being used. Recognise your own sources of power. Build your leadership skills by using and developing your own sources of power, appropriately, and for best effect. Trust The first task of any leader is to inspire trust. Trust is confidence born of two dimensions: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, motive, and intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, skills, results, and track record. Both dimensions are vital. The foundation of trust is your own credibility, and it can be a real differentiator for any leader. A persons reputation is a direct reflection of their credibility, and it precedes them in any interactions or negotiations they might have. Behaviours you can adopt to build trust in yourself: Talk Straight Demonstrate Respect Create Transparency Right Wrongs Show Loyalty Deliver Results Get Better Confront Reality Clarify Expectation Practice Accountability Listen First Keep Commitments Extend Trust Bibliography The Wall Street Journal Article: What is the difference between Management and Leadership (last accessed 4 August 2013) (http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/) The Biz Coach Article: 10 Key Differences between Leaders and Managers (last accessed 4 August 2013) (http://www.bizcoachinfo.com/archives/8426) Techno Funcâ„ ¢ Article: Trait Theory of Leadership (last accessed 4 August 2013) (http://www.technofunc.com/index.php/leadership-skills/leadership-theories/item/trait-theory-of-leadership-2) Article: Behavioural Theories of Leadership (last accessed 7 August 2013) (http://www.technofunc.com/index.php/leadership-skills/leadership-theories/item/behavioral-theories-of-leadership) About.com – Psychology Article: Psychology Theories (last accessed 7 August 2013) (http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/u/psychology-theories.htm) Research Methodology Article: Theory X and Theory Y (last accessed 7 August 2013) (http://research-methodology.net/theory-x-and-theory-y/) Mind Tools Article: Theory X and Theory Y (last accessed 7 August 2013) (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_74.htm) Article: Fiedler’s Contingency Model (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fiedler.htm) Article: The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership ® Theory (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm) Article: French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power (last accessed 11 August 2013 (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_56.htm) Slideshare Article: Fiedler’s contingency model to leadership (by Bhobotosh Debnath) (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://www.slideshare.net/bhobotoshdebnath/assignment-on-2) Businessballs.com Article: Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://www.businessballs.com/tannenbaum.htm) The Build Network Article: Leadership styles to master (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://thebuildnetwork.com/leadership/4-leadership-styles/) The Fast Track Article: The 5 Types of Power in Leadership (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2011/08/26/the-5-types-of-power-in-leadership/) Leadership Now Article: How the best leaders build trust (last accessed 11 August 2013) (http://www.leadershipnow.com/CoveyOnTrust.html)

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Naked and Free in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Naked and Free in The Awakening The Awakening, by Kate Chopin seems to fit neatly into twentieth century ideals. Chopin addresses psychological issues that must have been difficult for people of the late nineteenth century to grasp. Just as Edna died a premature death, Chopin's book died too. The rejection of this book, at the time, ironically demonstrates the pressure many women must have felt to conform to society. Chopin shows the reader, through Edna Pontellier, that society restricts women the right to individuality. This restriction by society can be seen in the clothing Victorian women wore during the time. For example, we see clothing used as an important metaphor in the story. Victorian women's clothing was extremely confining, much like their life. The clothing can be seen as a type of "cage" which is apparent when we see Edna and Adele walking to the beach in chapter seven. Adele wore a veil, "doe skin gloves, white gauntlets ... was dressed in pure white, with a fluffiness of ruffles that became her" (478). Adele was the ideal of beauty. Edna, on the other hand, "wore a cool muslin that morning ... a white linen collar and a big straw hat" (478). We learn that "a casual and indiscriminating observer ... might not cast a second glance" (478) towards Edna. The fact that Edna was simply dressed showed her non conformity towards society's standards. When the two women get to the beach, Edna removes her collar and unbuttons her dress at the throat. Her decision not to wear all the garments is a hint at the rebellion to come. Another obvious example of the symbolism of clothing is seen at the end of the novel when Edna removes all of her clothing before committing suicide. Chopin writes that when Edna was "there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, prickling garments from her, and for the first time in her life stood naked in the open air" (558). Edna seems to be removing her final restrictions before finding her freedom in death. This last rebellion against society seems to give Edna her final "awakening". This awakening can be seen when Chopin writes, "She felt like some new born creature opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known" (558).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Business Report Essays -- Business and Management Studies

This report is to show Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor the problems of their business in more detail than the report give (case study). I will outline and investigate further into the following matters: Growth Performance Management REPORT- SOFTWEAR SYSTEMS Executive Summery In this report I have given a lot of research into the relevant subjects. I think that the way I have looked at the possibilities will help Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor overcome some of the obstacles in their organisation in order to make there business successful. Suggestions on what you should be specifically looking at in order to make your business a success, in my view would be the try to improve employee attitudes and training for employees. I think I have covered all the points that you have given me in depth if I have not apologies on my behalf. Introduction- Aims of the Report The aim of this report is to show Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor the problems of their business in more detail than the report give (case study). I will outline and investigate further into the following matters: * Growth * Performance Management * Performance Appraisal Systems and Motivation * Motivation * Rewards * Employee Turnover/Retention * Training and Development * Communication Growth To consider the growth of Brian and Helens company, we will look need to examine into the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors) and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for this company, this will help us identify if the company should continue to grow. By understanding about the SWOT and PEST analysis this will show us key information and help us identify some of the problems with the business. SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is a very effective way of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, and of examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework helps you to focus your activities into areas where you are strong and where the greatest opportunities lie. SWOT Analysis is a strategic method for identifying your businesses' Strengths and Weaknesses, and to examine the Opportunities and Threats. These are just some of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats there may be more if you feel that there are, pleases do not hesitate to call me w... ...owledge. You should also try to offer recognised qualifications. * Communication- look at Appendix 2 I recommend that you try to bring in the process of complete network communication. There are numerous factors that help conclude an organisation’s ability and skill in maintaining the stability and organisation among its employees/members, one of these factors includes attaining an organisational communication process through effective communication skills. References Recommend looking at this text: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: INDVIDUALS, GROUPS AND THE ORGANISATION I. Brooks (1999) 1st Ed, Pub: Financial Times HUMAN RESOURCE STRATAGIES Salman, (1998) Pub: The Open University MANAGING PEOPLE R. Tompson, 2nd Ed, Pub: Institute of Management ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: A MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE G.B.Northcroft & M.A.Neale (1990), Pub: Ronda Colour PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT GA Cole, 4th Ed (1997), Pub: Ashford Colour Press MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES J. Weightman, 2nd Ed, (1996), Pub: Cromwell Press The following Web-Sites are useful also: www.bized.com www.hrmang.co.uk www.humanrecourses.co.uk/text/hrissues www.resourcemanage.co.uk Business Report Essays -- Business and Management Studies This report is to show Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor the problems of their business in more detail than the report give (case study). I will outline and investigate further into the following matters: Growth Performance Management REPORT- SOFTWEAR SYSTEMS Executive Summery In this report I have given a lot of research into the relevant subjects. I think that the way I have looked at the possibilities will help Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor overcome some of the obstacles in their organisation in order to make there business successful. Suggestions on what you should be specifically looking at in order to make your business a success, in my view would be the try to improve employee attitudes and training for employees. I think I have covered all the points that you have given me in depth if I have not apologies on my behalf. Introduction- Aims of the Report The aim of this report is to show Helen Marsh and Brian Taylor the problems of their business in more detail than the report give (case study). I will outline and investigate further into the following matters: * Growth * Performance Management * Performance Appraisal Systems and Motivation * Motivation * Rewards * Employee Turnover/Retention * Training and Development * Communication Growth To consider the growth of Brian and Helens company, we will look need to examine into the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors) and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for this company, this will help us identify if the company should continue to grow. By understanding about the SWOT and PEST analysis this will show us key information and help us identify some of the problems with the business. SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is a very effective way of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, and of examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework helps you to focus your activities into areas where you are strong and where the greatest opportunities lie. SWOT Analysis is a strategic method for identifying your businesses' Strengths and Weaknesses, and to examine the Opportunities and Threats. These are just some of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats there may be more if you feel that there are, pleases do not hesitate to call me w... ...owledge. You should also try to offer recognised qualifications. * Communication- look at Appendix 2 I recommend that you try to bring in the process of complete network communication. There are numerous factors that help conclude an organisation’s ability and skill in maintaining the stability and organisation among its employees/members, one of these factors includes attaining an organisational communication process through effective communication skills. References Recommend looking at this text: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: INDVIDUALS, GROUPS AND THE ORGANISATION I. Brooks (1999) 1st Ed, Pub: Financial Times HUMAN RESOURCE STRATAGIES Salman, (1998) Pub: The Open University MANAGING PEOPLE R. Tompson, 2nd Ed, Pub: Institute of Management ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: A MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE G.B.Northcroft & M.A.Neale (1990), Pub: Ronda Colour PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT GA Cole, 4th Ed (1997), Pub: Ashford Colour Press MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES J. Weightman, 2nd Ed, (1996), Pub: Cromwell Press The following Web-Sites are useful also: www.bized.com www.hrmang.co.uk www.humanrecourses.co.uk/text/hrissues www.resourcemanage.co.uk

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Men and Women in Business Society Essay

It is said that in nowadays we live in a modern and developing world where people have unlimited opportunities for development.Widely supported statement is the one which says that the individual success fully depends on the individual abilities and skills.Although it is true,still there are some prejudices which reflect on us and our choice.In our more tolerant community(compared to the past) discrimination is unacceptable but unfortunatelly it still exists. More particularly we will pay attention to one popular belief in the sphere of business according to which men are better leaders than women.Where does this statement come from?What are the differences between businessmen and businesswomen?We will compare men and women in the business society and we will try to find out the truth. It is not a secret that men and women have some significant misunderstandings in their way of thinking and character. As it is said-Men are from Mars and Women from Venus. But lets take a closer look at what exactly show the surveys and statistics.According to them in tensed situations men are more cold-blooded while women are subordinated to emotions.Women are more insecure and prefer to do the things on their own,while men would rather give the task to someone else.That is why because unlike women,men feel comfortable giving orders to other people.Men prefer using competition to cooperation,in the contrary women prefer cooperation to competition because women really appreciate their social contacts on their working place.In difficult moment men accept that obstacle as ‘’problem-solution’’while women-‘’situation-reaction’’.For men taking risks is a question of profits. They ask themselves-‘’What will I win taking this risk?’’For women taking risks is a question of sacrifice or ‘’What is the price of this risk?’’, ‘’What will I have to sacrifice taking it?’’Women accept success as happy concurrence of circumstances while men in case of success take merit to themselves. From all mentioned above we come to a conclusion that women are more emotional and they pay more attention to their feelings-Business as a game of interests does not tolerate such behavior. That is why the sensibility of women and their subordination to criticism are perceived as disadvantage. In spite of all statistics and statements of psychologists my personal opinion is that we do not have to make a difference between a man and a woman. In spite of all supporting the thesis that men are better business leaders we-women know that the best way, in which men can obey to the women, is to remain them to belive that they are the leaders.So weather men are better business leaders or we women let them(in purpose) believe so is still a question with no answer.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Beatles2 essays

The Beatles2 essays There has been more books published about one 20th-century icon than any other, this band that is said to have broken down barriers in all ways, is the Beatles. Their music was said to have driven that younger generation mad. Perhaps it was because they were one of the first bands ever play real rock and roll music. Or maybe it was just because they were foreigners in the world of music, yet seemed to fit right in with the young people. Whatever reason was, the Beatles were a band that shaped a generation and ones soon to come. The Beatles were more than just a rock and roll band, they were a group of young men who wanted to go a new direction in music. John Lennon, one of lead vocalists, basically started with the intention of moving away from the "Skiffle Boom Era" which was dominating the time (Buskin 110). In his doing so, he began to lay the foundation for what would later be the most famous rock band ever. The original band members were as follows : John Lennon, vocals and guitar ; Paul McCartney, vocals ; George Harrison, guitar ; Pete Best, drums ; Stuart In March of 1961, the Beatles began to play at the club that would later be nicknamed "The Home of the Beatles". The Cavern Club, which's premises comprised a small group of cellars below a seven story warehouse which had originally been used as an air raid shelter during the war. Later, Alan Sytner, a jazz fan decided to open it up as a new jazz club. After a few years, he sold it to Ray McFall another jazz fan. The club was originally strictly jazz and no rock. Luckily for the Beatles, the times were changing and McFall quickly changed the policy the Beatles soon became regulars. This would be the club that would make them famous.(Davies 78) News of the band's Liverpool popularity soon became know throughout England and later a large part of Europe. Shortly after their first tour of Hamburg, ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Otto Bayer and the History of Polyurethane

Otto Bayer and the History of Polyurethane Polyurethane is an organic polymer  composed of  organic  units joined by  carbamate (urethane) links. While most polyurethanes are  thermosetting polymers  that do not melt when heated,  thermoplastic polyurethanes  are also available. According to the Alliance of The Polyurethane Industry,  Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives. Polyurethanes are best known to the public in the form of flexible foams: upholstery, mattresses,  earplugs, chemical-resistant coatings, specialty adhesives and  sealants, and packaging. It also comes to the rigid forms of insulation for buildings, water heaters, refrigerated transport, and commercial and residential refrigeration. Polyurethane products often are simply called â€Å"urethanes†, but should not be confused with  ethyl carbamate, which is also called urethane. Polyurethanes neither contain nor are produced from ethyl carbamate. Otto Bayer Otto Bayer and co-workers at IG Farben  in Leverkusen, Germany,  discovered and patented the chemistry of polyurethanes in 1937.  Bayer (1902 - 1982) developed the novel polyisocyanate-polyaddition process. The basic idea which he documents from March 26, 1937, relates to spinnable products made of hexane-1,6-diisocyanate (HDI) and hexa-1,6-diamine (HDA). Publication of German Patent DRP 728981 on November 13, 1937: A process for the production of polyurethanes and polyureas. The team of inventors consisted of  Otto Bayer, Werner Siefken, Heinrich Rinke, L. Orthner and H. Schild. Heinrich Rinke   Octamethylene diisocyanate and butanediol-1,4 are the units of a polymer produced by Heinrich Rinke. He called this area of polymers polyurethanes, a name which was soon to become known worldwide for an extremely versatile class of materials.   Right from the start, trade names were given to polyurethane products. Igamid ® for plastics materials, Perlon ® for fibers.   William Hanford  and  Donald Holmes   William Edward Hanford and Donald Fletcher Holmes invented a process for making the multipurpose material polyurethane. Other Uses In 1969, Bayer exhibited an all-plastic car in  Dà ¼sseldorf, Germany. Parts of this car, including the body panels, were made using a new process called  reaction injection molding  (RIM), in which the reactants were mixed and then injected into a mold. The addition of fillers produced reinforced RIM (RRIM), which provided improvements in  flexural modulus  (stiffness), reduction in coefficient of thermal expansion  and better thermal stability. By using this technology, the first plastic-body automobile was introduced in the United States in 1983. It was called the  Pontiac Fiero. Further increases in stiffness were obtained by incorporating pre-placed glass mats into the RIM mold cavity, called resin injection molding, or structural RIM. Polyurethane foam (including foam rubber) is sometimes made using small amounts of  blowing agents  to give less dense foam, better cushioning/energy absorption or thermal insulation. In the early 1990s, because of their impact on  ozone depletion, the  Montreal Protocol  restricted the use of many  chlorine-containing blowing agents. By the late 1990s, blowing agents such as  carbon dioxide and pentane were widely used in North America and the EU.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Advanced French Verb Conjugation

Advanced French Verb Conjugation Conjugation refers to the five possible inflections of a verb: Person, Number, Mood, Tense, and Voice. Once youve made a choice from each of these five, you have a conjugation or inflection. For example:Verb - parlerPerson - first personNumber - singularMood - indicativeTense - presentVoice - active je parleVerb - allerPerson - third personNumber - pluralMood - subjunctiveTense - presentVoice - active quils aillentWhen conjugating a French verb, the first things to figure out are the tense and mood, which work hand-in-hand. All moods have at least two tenses (present and past) out of the possible 8 (only the indicative has all 8). The verb timeline lists moods horizontally and tenses vertically.The indicative is the most common mood and is normally not stated. When you talk about the passà © composà ©, the imperfect, or the present tense, for example, you mean of the indicative mood. Its only with other moods like subjunctive and conditional that the mood is stated explicitly.All m oods have a present tense, which is again not made explicit except in the indicative and participle (parentheses indicate what normally goes unsaid): present (indicative)(present) conditional(present) subjunctive(present) imperative(present) infinitivepresent participle So for example, the imperfect (indicative) and the imperfect subjunctive are two different moods of the same tense. On the other hand, the (present) conditional and the past conditional are two different tenses of the same mood. The verb timeline can help you understand this, because it lines up moods and tenses so that you can see how they all fit together. X axis Y axis verb form and basis of individual conjugations. Voil - now that you understand the basics of French verb conjugation, study the lessons on individual tenses and moods (linked from the verb timeline) to learn more, or visit my French grammar glossary. Tricky Subjects When you understand subject pronouns, tenses, moods, and how to conjugate  French verbs, youre in great shape. There are however some grammatical subjects which make conjugation a bit more difficult. Multiple Subjects When you have more than one subject, you have to figure out which  subject pronouns  would replace that group and then conjugate the verb accordingly. For example,  toi et moi  would be replaced by  nous, as would  David et moi.  Toi et lui  and  Michel et toi  would be replaced by  vous.  Lui et elle  or  Marc et Anne  would be replaced by  ils. The trick is to make this replacement in your head without actually saying it out loud, as denoted by the (parentheses):  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toi et moi (nous) pouvons le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and I can do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul, Marie et moi (nous) mangeons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul, Marie, and I are eating  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toi et elle (vous) à ªtes en retard  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and she are late  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sophie et toi (vous) devez partir  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and Sophie have to leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luc et sa femme (ils) sont arrivà ©s  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luc and his wife have arrived  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lui et elle (ils) lisent beaucoup  Ã‚  Ã‚  He and she read a lot Subject +Object Pronoun In a construction with an  object pronoun, usually  nous  or  vous, there is sometimes a tendency to conjugate the verb according to it, rather than to the  subject pronoun, because the object directly precedes the verb. Though this tends to be a careless mistake made orally rather than a lack of understanding, its included here just as a little reminder.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je vous ai donnà © la liste  Ã‚  Ã‚  I gave you the list  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Je vous avez donnà © la liste xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vous nous avez menti  Ã‚  Ã‚  You lied to us  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Vous nous avons menti xx Cest... qui The construction  cest  Ã‚  stressed pronoun  Ã‚  qui  makes many people - including at times native French speakers - want to use the third person singular verb conjugation because of  qui. But this is incorrect; in fact, the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest moi qui ai gagnà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its me that won  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest moi qui a gagnà © xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest vous qui avez tort  Ã‚  Ã‚  Youre the one whos wrong  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest vous qui a tort xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest nous qui allons le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  Were the ones who are going to do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest nous qui va le faire xx Pronoun + Qui Similar to the  cest... qui  construction is a subject or  demonstrative pronoun  Ã‚  qui. Again, the  qui  makes people want to use the third person singular, but once again the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vous qui avez mangà © pouvez partir  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those of you who have eaten may leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Vous qui a mangà © pouvez partir xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ceux qui veulent aider doivent me voir  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those who want to help need to see me  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Ceux qui veut aider doivent me voir xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je cherche celles qui à ©tudient  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im looking for the ones who are studying  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Je cherche celles qui à ©tudie xx Collective Subjects Collective subjects can take the third person singular or plural:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Un tas de fleurs sont mortes / Un tas de fleurs est mort  Ã‚  Ã‚  A bunch of flowers died  Ã‚  Ã‚  Un grand nombre de livres ont disparu / Un grand nombre de livres a disparu  Ã‚  Ã‚  A large number of books disappeared Adverbs of Quantity Adverbs of quantity  take the third person singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun that follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Beaucoup dà ©tudiants sont arrivà ©s  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot of students have arrived  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peu de pluie est tombà ©e  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little rain fell  Ã‚  Ã‚  Combien de livres y a-t-il  ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  How many books are there?Also see ...dentre... below. Indefinite Pronouns Indefinite pronouns  always take a third person conjugation (either singular or plural, depending on the number of the pronoun).  Ã‚  Ã‚  La plupart a dà ©cidà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most have decided  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plusieurs sont perdus  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many are lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tout le monde est l  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone is thereAlso see ...dentre... ...dentre... When an  adverb of quantity  or  indefinite pronoun  is followed by  entre  Ã‚  personal pronoun, many non-native French speakers (including myself) want to conjugate the verb according to the personal pronoun. But this is incorrect - in this construction, the verb has to be conjugated to agree with what comes before  entre, not what comes after.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Certains dentre vous ont oublià ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of you forgot  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Certains dentre vous avez oublià © xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beaucoup dentre nous sont en retard  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of us are late  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Beaucoup dentre nous sommes en retard xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chacun dentre vous peut le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each one of you can do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Chacun dentre vous pouvez le faire xx

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Benefit Design Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benefit Design Report - Assignment Example The new benefit design will adhere to all legal law constraints governing pay systems such as overtime pay. The common overtime issues to be compensated include compensatory time off, training time, travel time, and non-exempts incentives. In order to ensure fair incentives for performance, the company will be using variable pay system. This means compensation linked to team/group, individual, and organizational performance. Variable pay system will ensure fair compensation because some employees show good working efforts, which are highly productive than others. Therefore, better performing workers should be compensated more. Additionally total compensation need to be linked directly to results and performance. Lastly, certain jobs contribute a lot to the corporation than others and need higher compensation rate. The benefit design avoids use of team/group benefits compensation because rewarding employees in equal rates seems to be â€Å"unfair† since there are employees who work harder or carry out difficult jobs than others. Also team/group members may not be willing to accept co-workers’ incentive decisions. Moreover, most employees expect to receive benefits as per individual

Friday, October 18, 2019

Applied Econometrics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Applied Econometrics - Assignment Example causes a reduction of median housing price by 0.028 in the first variant, a reduction of 0.027 in the second variant, and a reduction of 0.027 in the third variant. In the third variable, nitrogen oxide concentrations in parts per hundred million (NOX), the coefficients are 1.479 and 1.529 in the second and third variants respectively. These figures suggest that 1 percent change in nitrogen oxide concentration increases the medium housing price by 1.479 in the second variant and by 1.529 in the third variant. Beta coefficient is the measure of the sensitivity of the estimates in influencing the median housing price. In the estimates, the beta coefficient is the slope of the model summarized into ÃŽ ²0, ÃŽ ²1, ÃŽ ²4, ÃŽ ²3, and ÃŽ ²2. Normally, the coefficients would imply 1 percentage change in the estimate 1 and 2 would cause an increase of 0.566 and 0.0261. However, using the beta approach, the two coefficients are below, suggesting that they are below the median housing price. 6. Suppose in model (3) I added in the variable NOX DCHAS, resulting in ln(MVi) = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1RMi + ÃŽ ²2 ln(DISi) +ÃŽ ²3NOXi + ÃŽ ²4DCHAS;i + ÃŽ ²5 NOX DCHAS +Æ i . How would the interpretation of Æ 3 change in model (3) after the inclusion of this variable? What is the interpretation of Æ 5 in this model? 9. Given that the BP and White tests yield the same conclusion regarding the presence of heteroskedasticity, does this imply that the BP test is as good as the White test? Explain your reasoning in detail. Heteroskedasticity implies to the circumstance when the variability of a variable is unequal across the range of values of a second variable that predicts it. In this circumstance, it means that the Bp test is as good as the white test since in the presence of heteroskedasticity, it is expected to be different for variability, which is not the case. Heteroskedasticity does not necessarily imply an error, but only imply variableness, i.e. variability of a variable is unequal across the range of

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning Essay

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning - Essay Example An ex-prisoner can explain this best based on the experience the person had when behind the bars. Being denied so many privileges could also mean being denied to access learning. When such happens outside the prison circles, the ex-prisoner may take time to connect to the world hence denying the person chances to learn. Learning for an ex-prisoner is important for reconnection to the free world. Though such involvement has positive consequences for the person and the community, it might be faced by challenges (Portes 1998). One of the major challenges that face this venture is the society unwillingness to protect the ex-prisoner. This sense of social exclusion affects the person’s learning ability even after they are out of prison. According to Blewett (2005), too much power forms a chain of contradiction that isolates the subject hence leading to a form of instability. The instability caused by the power exercised in prison also affects them mentally and socially (Gaventa 2003). Most of the ex-prisoners find themselves in a state of exclusion where nobody wants to be associated with them. An ex-prisoner may have a desire to learn but the desire may die out of mental instability and the state of exclusion experienced outside prison. Social exclusion has an effect in creating accumulative experience of class oppression. This saturates around the entire social body in that both the ex-prisoner and the people around him feel the exclusion (Lucas 2004). Any efforts to access skills when such saturation has taken place are rendered futile since concentration is not guaranteed. The person’s feeling of oppression may act negatively towards concentration and willingness to participate in the learning process. Both the team and the ex-prisoner may not be at ease with one another for fear of the unknown. However, the above discussion does not dismiss the fact that access to learning for ex-prisoners may be attainable at certain instances. When

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Movies Influence Among the People Research Proposal

Movies Influence Among the People - Research Proposal Example The most popular and influential of all movie industries is obviously, Hollywood. According to Allan and Barbara Pease, American films have been one media that brought about the vast spreading of American culture throughout the world, even in shaping the culture of the younger generation of in some parts of Asia. Hollywood plays a big part in the development of one's culture, as well as in the development of one's life. The media gives, and the audience receives. By studying (Hollywood) movie fanatics, we will know the reason as to why these people love to watch movies a lot; it could be discovered what genre of movies people of a certain culture prefer - as this is related to their daily routine and lifestyle; finding out if movie fanatics lead lives influenced by movies, or if these have affected their lives. Hollywood, too, is quite curious as to the numbers that upcoming box office hits may produce. They have hired three companies, namely, IAG Research, OTX, and the National Research Group to actually study these. These companies conduct different surveys, but only have one question they want answered, "Are movie goers still interested in a new release" (Horn 1). Just like in anything else, movie goers too have their own preferences when it comes to the movies they are fond of watching. Is this connected to their culture and lifestyle That is one question we would like to find out. In 2008, it has been noted that one of the quite surprising box-office results has been the performance of the movie, "The Game Plan." Most movies usually drop some 50% every weekend. However, this feel-good football film stays on, even on its second week of release (Horn 2). Americans are sports lovers by nature, and having baseball, football, and basketball in the list, this movie surely captured the audie nces by its relation to their cultural side, as a sporty nation. It is also to be noted that the movie showed the story of a father and his estranged daughter, which also reflect a part of the American lifestyle today. Movies' influence among the people is very strong that scenes depicting the stars smoking are being asked to be removed from youth-rated movies as this could influence, mostly the young members of society when they see their favorite star having a fondness for it (Guardian News and Media 2008). The lifestyle of the current times is very much faster and more stressful compared to those in the past that watching movies have been such a pacifier against stressful living. The movies create an escape from reality, and into the land of one's imaginary desires. Whatever the theme may be, it is a refuge for the busy minds of today's world and the hustle and bustle that comes with it (Connors). Plans for the Research Since movies are released weekly in the cinemas, plus movie goers are everywhere - as it is quite a trend, having movie watching considered as a recreation for some, it would probably take 4-6 weeks to complete the research. Observing the weekly releases and how the people in general respond to it is one way of gauging what do movie goers/movie fanatics really want, in terms of movies' genre. The

Response to a critic of the film, A Place at the Table. topic can be Essay

Response to a critic of the film, A Place at the Table. topic can be chosen - Essay Example In a fascinating voyage that ends up changing the perception that people have on hunger in America, the movie displays the possible solutions that will lead to the solution of food insecurity in America. Ultimately, American people are for the opinion that ending hunger will be one of the most substantial life accomplishments of all time. In summary, the movie is directed in a manner that depicts the state of hunger in America in a less cruel way. It reveals some interceptions that a common viewer will not stand a position to acknowledge. Again, the film seems to shun the bare-knuckle and fury journalism that the dishonorable topic of hunger deserves to have an appropriate expression. The directors make their choices from the working poor populations and frames the condition of obesity as a chronic form of malnourishment to those areas where getting a burger is simple than getting a banana. In the whole movie, the problem of food insecurity is displayed in a soft manner redirecting it away from petty politics. Throughout the movie, those who represent the administration are seen to be emitting platitudes while the issues of the agribusiness persons suffer from adverse perceptions. When the ten-year-old from the movie by the name Rosie goes ahead and confesses that she actually longs for â€Å"extreme makeovers" in o rder to rip her home apart, the viewers really dont have an option but to continue wishing that the "Table" had made similar attempt just like the United States Department of Agriculture. The critic of Nora Lee gives several examples of people affected by the problem and how a teacher goes on to help a student in the movie. This clearly shows that the issue is real and some people have made a step further in helping those affected by the problem. The actors extended family challenges, tend to leave her in a situation that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Movies Influence Among the People Research Proposal

Movies Influence Among the People - Research Proposal Example The most popular and influential of all movie industries is obviously, Hollywood. According to Allan and Barbara Pease, American films have been one media that brought about the vast spreading of American culture throughout the world, even in shaping the culture of the younger generation of in some parts of Asia. Hollywood plays a big part in the development of one's culture, as well as in the development of one's life. The media gives, and the audience receives. By studying (Hollywood) movie fanatics, we will know the reason as to why these people love to watch movies a lot; it could be discovered what genre of movies people of a certain culture prefer - as this is related to their daily routine and lifestyle; finding out if movie fanatics lead lives influenced by movies, or if these have affected their lives. Hollywood, too, is quite curious as to the numbers that upcoming box office hits may produce. They have hired three companies, namely, IAG Research, OTX, and the National Research Group to actually study these. These companies conduct different surveys, but only have one question they want answered, "Are movie goers still interested in a new release" (Horn 1). Just like in anything else, movie goers too have their own preferences when it comes to the movies they are fond of watching. Is this connected to their culture and lifestyle That is one question we would like to find out. In 2008, it has been noted that one of the quite surprising box-office results has been the performance of the movie, "The Game Plan." Most movies usually drop some 50% every weekend. However, this feel-good football film stays on, even on its second week of release (Horn 2). Americans are sports lovers by nature, and having baseball, football, and basketball in the list, this movie surely captured the audie nces by its relation to their cultural side, as a sporty nation. It is also to be noted that the movie showed the story of a father and his estranged daughter, which also reflect a part of the American lifestyle today. Movies' influence among the people is very strong that scenes depicting the stars smoking are being asked to be removed from youth-rated movies as this could influence, mostly the young members of society when they see their favorite star having a fondness for it (Guardian News and Media 2008). The lifestyle of the current times is very much faster and more stressful compared to those in the past that watching movies have been such a pacifier against stressful living. The movies create an escape from reality, and into the land of one's imaginary desires. Whatever the theme may be, it is a refuge for the busy minds of today's world and the hustle and bustle that comes with it (Connors). Plans for the Research Since movies are released weekly in the cinemas, plus movie goers are everywhere - as it is quite a trend, having movie watching considered as a recreation for some, it would probably take 4-6 weeks to complete the research. Observing the weekly releases and how the people in general respond to it is one way of gauging what do movie goers/movie fanatics really want, in terms of movies' genre. The

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

North Carolina's Criminal Justice Process Essay

North Carolina's Criminal Justice Process - Essay Example This principle is expressed in the maxim ‘Nullen Crimen, Nulla Poena, Sine Lege’, a Latin phrase which means ‘there is no crime, there is no punishment, without law’ (Schebb, 1999). Criminal law distinguishes between serious crimes, known as felonies, and less serious offenses, called misdemeanors. Generally speaking, felonies are offenses for which the offender can be imprisoned for more than one year. Common examples of felonies include murder, rape, kidnapping, arson, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and grand larceny (Mitchell 2008). The common law developed a doctrine where an accused is engaged in the commission of a felony and a homicide occurs, the felonious act is regarded as a substitute for the proof of malice aforethought required finding the defendant guilty of murder. Thus, it becomes felony murder where an accused unintentionally killed a human being while committing or attempting to commit, such common-law felonies as burglary, arson, rape, or robbery. The theory is that if a killing resulted, even though unintentional or accidental, the required malice is carried over from the original felony. Consequently, the felon would be found guilty of murder (Schebb, 1999). Although of dubious ancestry, the felony murder doctrine has been incorporated into most criminal codes in the United States even in North Carolina (Hall, 2000). With the proliferation of crimes classified as felonies, legislatures have generally limited its applicability to felonies, involving violence or posing great threat to life or limb. Felony murder statutes have produced much litigation in the criminal courts (Hall, 2000). Some of the question raised include-can a felon ho perpetrate an offense be guilty of felony murder where the victim of the intended offense kills a co-felon or -should the felon committing a crime such as robbery be guilty of felony murder if a police officer mistakenly kills the felon’s intended victim? And -can a felon be guilty of

Informative Paper Essay Example for Free

Informative Paper Essay Introduction I. Attention-Grabbing introduction: Staple center, Los Angeles, California. Friday November, 4th 2013 1:24PM The Championship match. After a weekend full of ups and downs, twist and turns it all comes to this. 1 week earlier, the previous Friday thousands have flown down to the heart of it all. Crowded around the event hall doors, people everywhere, spectators itching to get the best seats. Players going over in game builds, timings, and strategies just one more time until the doors finally open. 8 teams of 5 players to a team were seated into the week long tournament and now only two remain. Royal Club and SK Telecom are season veterans of League of Legends and now they sit on opposite ends on top of the world championship main stage. Ready to compete head to head for the grand prize of 1 million dollars in front of 1000s right there in Los Angeles and millions watching from all around the world. II. Topic: These millions from around the world have emitted their love for gaming into a hugely popular phenomena known as Electronic sports or better known as of E-Sports. Viewership has seen explosive growth in 2013 and is still growing with no sign of deterrence. Now with the integration of technology into our culture a new type of athlete has risen. One that doesn’t achieve victory heavily based on the bronze that is armed but with the critical thinking and reflex of the mind. An outsider might find this such a concept laughable but these pro gamers are far from any negative stereotypes you may have. III. Ethos Audience Adaptation: My name is Jonathon Allen and I have been a fan and member of the E-Sports community for nearly a decade. I have had opportunities to play professionally at the MLG North American Regionals in Columbus and New York  in 2012 which I have placed 2nd and 3rd in out of 30 teams. Over the years I have also conducting extensive research on E-Sports ranging from players and teams to the technology side of running and mending events in the industry. E-Sports can be a lot to digest for someone looking in for the first time so I’ll explain exactly what and how big E-Sports really is including the potential E-Sports has to expand and grow. Before we go any further I’d like to present this video to visually show you exactly what E-Sports is and most importantly what it feels like. Visual Aid! Body I.This is E-Sports, competition at its finest. Players competing for cash prizes ranging from thousands to millions. Top players make 6 figure incomes and are even sponsored by big corporations such as Monster, Intel, Redbull, Asus, and Kingston. Pro gamers are locked into head to head combat in games like League of Legends. A DOTA-MMO style game that’s played as a team of 5 people VS 5 people. The object of the game is strategizing on how to win by taking the enemies base while leveling up and generating gold. Most games usually last around 40 minutes. II.You may ask; why would someone watch someone else play a video game? That’s simple; the excitement from watching others play video games stands as the same excitement we get from watching other athletes perform at sports such as football. T.J. Heffer from PC gamer Magazine states â€Å"What makes any competition interesting is watching very skilled individuals struggle for victory in a setting where the outcome is uncertain and the moment to moment back and forth keeps you on your toes.† Heffer continuous â€Å"Rather or not you want to call them sports they showcase people with amazing critical thinking, planning, and decision making skills and frankly inhuman reflexes as well. The level of professional level in a game lie League of Legends is mind boggling.† Professional gamers put their heart and soul into the game. They have drive, passion, hard work and dedication just like any professional athlete you can think of. III.As I’m assuming E-Sports may be alien to many of you but in nations like South Korea games such as StarCraft have already become something of a national sport. Paul Tassi of Forbs Magazine said â€Å"Overseas, top players are treated like professional Athletes.† Though South Korea has become atoned to the notion of playing games professionally North America believe it or not is where the biggest interest for pro gaming lies. In North American E-Sports, leagues and organizations have risen and grown in the past 3 years. In of these leagues the biggest E-Sports organization is Major League Gaming or MLG. Founded in 2002 Major League Gaming features numerous tournaments in a year where various gamers fly out to major cities across the US like Columbus to compete. In MLG’s Annual Viewership Report for the 2013 season they reported 15 million unique viewers tuned into watch online during the 2013 season. As those 15 million viewers tuned in last year it’s clear that E-Sports has already landed a very stable footing into the hearts of Americans across the United States. But perhaps even more thrilling and exciting is the growth that E-Sports has already shown. Between 2010 – 2013 MLG has seen a 733% growth in viewership from 1.8 million to 15 Million. Comparing that to the NFLS record growth of 18% in the past 3 years that’s 715% more than the NFL. Let’s not down play the viewership of the NFL which has recorded a record of 28.1 Million viewers for their 2013 – 2014 season. But you start to understand thus to how much potential E-Sports has when MLG a company that’s only been around for 11 years has acquired a viewership of 15 million. Just a little above half of the NFLS record viewer count 28.1 an organization that has been around for nearly a 100 years. Conclusion With these statistics of expansion and with how overseas treats E-Sports like a national sport and with pro gamers possessing the same set of virtues that any professional athlete has along the millions around the globe that  already are a part of the community only drives E-Sports. It’s not really a question of is it, it’s really a question of when! When asked about where he sees E-Sports going and what to expect of the industry. MLG Co-Founder Sundance DiGiovanni in a position that puts him at the hell of the entire E-Sports industry told Forbs Magazine in 2012 â€Å"that in 5 years he expects E-Sports to be a globally recognized phenomena. A truly established global sport.†

Monday, October 14, 2019

Comparison of Weber and Durkheim

Comparison of Weber and Durkheim Anomie and forced division of labour for Durkheim and rationalization and bureaucracy for Weber summed up the problem of industrial societies. Discuss. Introduction Emile Durkheim Max Weber Conclusion Bibliography Introduction Anomie represents a concept that was introduced by Emile Durkheim (1997, pp. 303-304) in â€Å"The Division of Labor in Society†, which was first printed in 1893. Durkheim (1997, pp. 303-304) utilized the word to describe the deregulation of society whereby the rules representing how people should behave with respect to their interaction with each other was breaking down thus creating confusion as to what in what others expected from one another. In said book, Durkheim (1997, p. 184) advises that that term is where the moral and social norms are not clear, and the removal of behavioural limits represented a path to deviant behaviour. Durkheim is credited with turning sociology into a science as well as its installation as part of the academic curriculum on France, and is considered by many to be the father of sociology (emile-durkheim.com, 2006). Max Weber (cepa.newschool.edu, 2007) is also recognized as one of the founders of sociology. He advises us on many instances that in the world of modernity, that the gods have deserted us (Turner, 1993, pp. 115-117). As Durkheim focused upon a set of social features that represented the subject of sociology, Weber essentially is considered as defining sociology (Marxists Internet Archive, 1999). This exercise shall delve into concepts and terms with respect to how anomie and forced division of labour under Durkheim, and rationalization and bureaucracy for Weber summed up the problem of industrial societies. Durkheim In defining sociology as an academic subject, Durkheim separated sociology from psychology, philosophy as well as economics and other disciplines through stating that sociologists study features of group life (About Sociology, 2007). Durkheim defines solidarity as representing the cohesion of society’s human groupings into social unity, which can consist of mechanical as well as organic (Durkheim, 1997, p. 13-14). Mechanical solidarity represents a condition whereby the individuals within a society are linked via a ‘conscience collective’ (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 61-65). The preceding represents a condition whereby the belief systems and the sentiments that are common in the citizens within the same society (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 31-33). Thus, the individuals within the society are connected, or linked to each other as a result of their common beliefs, thereby belonging to society as opposed to belonging to themselves (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 31-33). A horde is what Durkhei m (1997, pp. 126-127) termed a group or collection of people whereby their cohesiveness is founded in resemblances. Such a group, horde, has no organization or form, and within this group the collective membership look upon each other as kin, whether or not such a relationship exists by blood or union (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 126-127). Within such a group, horde, punishments and responsibility are collective in action and nature and represent the more primitive, or non evolved societal types whereby individual personalities are submerged in the collectivity of the group (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 126-127). As individuals come to rely upon others, outside of themselves for various aspects of life, they have, or are moving towards an organic solidarity (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 69-71). People become and are reliant upon each other whereby individuals have parts to contribute to society as a part of the whole, whereby responsibility to others is a trait as well as moral character (Durkheim, 1997, p. 77). The foregoing is important in understanding the interactions within society that he termed as the moral density (Durkheim, 1997, p. 201). The preceding, moral density is proportionately linked to the division of labor within a society (Turner, 1993, p. 3). Moral density represents an important factor in understanding what causes increased division of labor. Durkheim’s (1993, pp. 113) believes in this revolved around two facets that he thought were responsible for the preceding, material density and social volume. The former, Durkheim states is (Turner, 1993, p. 113): â€Å"Social life is based on a substratum whose size and form alike are determined. It is made up of the mass of individuals that constitute society, the manner of their geographical distribution and the nature and configuration of the whole range of phenomena that affect collective relations. The social substratum varies in relation to the size or density of the population, to whether it is concentrated in towns or scattered in rural areas, to the layout of the towns and houses, to whether the space occupied by the society concerned is large or small, to the kind of frontiers by which it is bounded, to the transport links which run the length and breadth of it, etc, On the other hand, the makeup of this substratum directly or indirectly affects all social phenomena, in the same way as all psychic phenomena are in mediate or immediate relation to the state of the brain. So these are all problems that are patently concerned with sociology and which, as they all refer to the same obj ect, must be part of one science. It is this science we propose to call social morphology.† Social volume, Durkheim states is (Turner, 1993, p. 116): â€Å"†¦as the various elements constituting the group grow more numerous, yet without at the same time ceasing to be closely connected, individuals can only hold their own if they become differentiated, if each chooses a task and a lifestyle of his own in this enlarged battlefield, where the intensity of the struggle grows in keeping with the number of the combatants. The division of labor thus becomes the primary condition of social equilibrium. And indeed, this simultaneous increase in the volume and density of societies is the major new element distinguishing the nations of today from those of former times; this is probably one of the principal factors dominating history as a whole; at any rate, it is the cause which explains the transformations which social solidarity has undergone.† Durkheim (Turner, 1993, pp. 98-99) brings together the facets of anomie, organic solidarity and â€Å"the abnormal forms of the division of labor† through â€Å"distinguished three pathological forms: the anomic, the enforced division of labor, and ‘another abnormal form’, which might be termed lack of internal organizational coordination†. With respect to the foregoing anomie â€Å"is expressed in economic crises, the antagonism between capital and labor, and anarchy in science, arises at times of rapid change, during which new organs and functions develop without a corresponding development of rules of cooperation and therefore of social ties† (Turner, 1993, p. 98). Anomie, represents the rapid as well as radical change in social conditions that presents itself as â€Å"the lack of regulation or deregulation† Turner, 1993, p. 98). Durkheim (Turner, 1993, p. 98) explains that the foregoing does not represent a â€Å"fundamental crisis of the system, but rather a crisis of adaptation, and continuous contact will eventually produce new rules and a new functional equilibrium between the divided functions, thus assuring social integration†. Whereas â€Å"anomie can be eliminated by the gradual development of new rules, in the case of the enforced division of labor it is ‘these very rules themselves which are the cause of the ills† (Turner, 1993, p. 98). The preceding represents when the rules and underpinnings of society are not responsive to the underlying changes in the fabric of society, and thus the established order is retained by force (Turner, 1993, p. 98). This represents the abnormal form of the division of labor that is representative of privileged positions being held by birth and social standing as opposed to abilities and talents Turner, 1993, p. 99). The condition, asserts can be alleviated through the adoption of â€Å"formal equality of opportunity †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as â€Å"†¦ freedom to choose a profession† (Durkheim Turner, 1993, p. 99). Max Weber Breiner (1996, p. 26) advises that the critics of Weber’s approach to social science have issues with his reduction of â€Å"all socially interpreted activity to instrumental rationality†. Those who interpret him in a sympathetic manner see â€Å"his focus on the interpretation of the meaningful conduct of social agents a strong argument in favor of the subservience of explanation to the rules or everyday understandings under which actions are intelligible† (Breiner, 1996, p. 26). Turner (1993, p. 4) advises us to be circumspect with regard to Weber’s approach to modernism and rationalization as â€Å"he remained highly ambiguous about the content and consequences† with regard to the foregoing. The preceding, Turner (1993, p. 5) states that the preceding is a result of â€Å"Weber’s ambiguities over capitalism were also expressed in his ambivalent attitudes to socialism as a rational planning of the market†. He, Weber, argues that â₠¬Å"socialism was another step in the growth of rational management of resources; socialism represented a further development of the second serfdom—to calculation, planning, and instrumental rationalism† (Turner, 1993, p. 5). Turner (1993, p. 5) further informs us that â€Å"main issue in Weber’s political sociology is the absence of any analysis of the processes of democratization, about which Weber remained skeptical, if not dismissive†. He (Turner, 1993, p. 5) supports the preceding in stating that â€Å"In this respect, Weber was significantly influenced by Robert Michels’s theory of ‘the iron law of oligarchy’, which suggested that all mass-party organization would come to depend on an elite†. To further understand Weber’s meaning, before we delve into the preceding further, we must understand vocational politics, which represents a vocation, stating that â€Å"For everything that is striven for through political action, operating with violent means and following an ethic of responsibility, endangers the salvation of the soul† (Breiner, 1996, p. 6). Weber continues: â€Å"If, however, one chases after the ultimate good in a war of beliefs, following a pure ethic of absolute ends, then the goals may be damaged and discredited for generations, because responsibility for the consequences are lacking and those diabolic forces which enter into play remain unknown to the actor. These [forces] are inexorable and produce consequences for his action and even for his inner self, to which he must helplessly submit, unless he perceives them†. His â€Å"ambiguity over whether he is giving an impartial general account of the logic of methodical action or a subjective situation-bound account of the multiple logics that constitute the different terrains of action† along with vocational politics have bearing on his concept of rationalization as it tends to skew his view against democracy â€Å"by appealing to objective standards of feasibility while maintaining that commitment to either form is a matter of personal choice† (Breiner, 1996, p. 10). The foregoing has direct bearing upon Weber’s concept of rationalization (Breiner, 1996, p. 10). The preceding thus permits us to explore Weber’s approach and concepts of modernisation within what Turner (1993, p. 12) calls â€Å"a Weberian conceptualization of modern social change†. Within modernity the social as well as cultural facets of life do not point us towards an orderly life, but instead â€Å"a number of life spheres whose demands are objective and not influenced by the subject† (Breiner, 1996, p. 59). Each of these spheres is represented by â€Å"its own logic of action† (Breiner, 1996, p. 59). Turner (1993, p. 16) advises that â€Å"In bureaucracy, rationalization produced a system of reliable, dependable decision-making for the realization of public goals†. Weber argues that â€Å"Secularization had liberated human beings from the magical world of the ancients†, and that â€Å"the very same processes of rationalization threaten to subordinate imagination and inspiration to the demands of standardized routines and technical procedures† (Turner, 1993, pp. 16-17). Turner (1993, p. 17) continues â€Å"they threaten to produce a new characterology of soulless, machine-like robots†. The preceding is contained in context in Weber’s address of September 1919 (Turner, 1993, p. 17). â€Å"The fate of our age, with its characteristic rationalization and intellectualization and above all the disenchantment of the world is that the ultimate, most sublime values have withdrawn from public life, either into the transcendental realm of mystical life or into the brotherhood of immediate personal relationships between individuals. It is no accident that our greatest art is intimate rather than monumental, nor is it fortuitous that today only in the smallest groups, between individuals, something pulsates in pianissmo which corresponds to the prophetic pneuma which formerly swept through great communities like fire and welded them together† Conclusion The bureaucratic maze sees â€Å"the projects of political actors may collide not only with the maximizing logic of economic actors seeking power over the market but also with the logic or bureaucracy, which undermines this economic logic† (Briener, 1996, pp. 115-116). In order to overcome the preceding, Weber explains that the political actors â€Å"may have to mobilize masses of citizens under party machines† (Briener, 1996, p. 116). Turner (1993, p. 92) explains that under â€Å"patrimonialism, at each stage of the tax-gathering exercise and at each level of the bureaucracy, the tax-yield was progressively creamed-off by the bureaucracy†. The bureaucratic nature of the new state systems utilized bureaucratic level to administer programs that were overseen by inefficient levels of management and response to the public good, thus creating a tax based support system that stood upon the back of its supporters (Turner, 1993, p. 93). The preceding stifled creativity and innovation within the system as those in power seeking to maintain their power acted out of their own self interests and political interest first, as opposed to a view to the future that would have benefited their nation as a whole. This defensive posture of holding onto the popular and or accepted views in face of better approaches is a hallmark of bureaucracy which dehumises the human element in support of its own well being and safekeeping. The bureaucracy nature of industrial societies is still in force today, whereby the conforming to the norm represents the belief systems for the majority of its populations thus making Weber’s â€Å"soulless, machine-like robots† Turner, 1993, p. 17)a reality for the lower and middle classes. An upper class still does exist as defined by educational attainment and or family heritage, and this can be found throughout the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and other industrialized nations whereby the founders of major corporations have the heirs and or appointees installed as the operative heads of these machines of capitalisation. This brings us back to Durkheim’s forced division of labor (Turner, 1993, pp. 98-99)which still exists and is a control factor in modern industrialized societies as indicated by the aforementioned educational and heritage facets. The existence of unions and associations to obtain rights and conditions for workers is proof of the foregoing, for if the machinery of society were in fact skewed to all of its individuals, then the need for these types of organizations would not be necessary. This is brings us to what Durkheim (Turner, 1993, p. 98) stated as a â€Å"fundamental crisis of the system, but rather a crisis of adaptation, and continuous contact will eventually produce new rules and a new functional equilibrium between the divided functions, thus assuring social integration†. Privileged positions are to a large degree still a factor of one’s birth, with specialised higher education and contacts representing a path to the upper echelons. Thus Durkheim and Web er were prophetic in their analysis and understandings on some facets. Bibliography About Sociology (2007) Emile Durkheim. Retrieved o 27 May 2007 from http://www.aboutsociology.com/sociology/Emile_Durkheim Briener, P. (1996) Max Weber Democratic Politics. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y., United States cepa.newschool.edu (2007) Max Weber, 1864-1920. Retrieved on 27 May 2007 from http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/weber.htm Durkheim, E. (1997) The Division of Labor in Society. Free Press. New York, United States emile-durkheim.com (2006) Emile Durkheim (1858-1917). Retrieved on 27 May 2007 from http://www.emile-durkheim.com/ Marxists Internet Archive (1999) Max Weber: Definition of Sociology. Retrieved on 27 May 2007 from http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/weber.htm Turner, S. (1993) Emile Durkheim: Sociologist and Moralist. Routledge Publishers, New York, United States Turner, B. (1993) Max Weber: From History to Modernity. Routledge Publications, London, United Kingdom

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Stuck In Time :: essays research papers

It's 2139 and Charles Stimatra, head of the ITEDRC (International Time Exploration and Defense Research Company), has figured out a formula and machine enabling one person at a time to be transported to another time. The glitch he is working on is the person can only be estimated where he will be when he gets transported. The closest they can get is three kilometers within the configured destination. Seven out of twenty three men have been lost and killed because one ended up inside a rock, another 300 feet in the air and the last got stuck in another person causing a time malfunction and creating an explosive object. The others whereabouts are unknown. The other men went back again and tried to save as many from dying as they could because it could cause a chain reaction through history and completely change everything. The future is a whole different matter. Since the future can always be changed, sending someone to the future could change the past. Charles and his associates are not the only ones experimenting in time travel. These people are called hackers, which is why there are Time Police. They devote their lives to protecting the past. For example, if someone went back and killed Hitler, it could change everything. The Time Police stop these people from doing so. Captain of the Time Police used to be Sergeant Carl Lamberg. He was one of the many that had to erase their identity and lives so they could protect the future of the human race. Which brings us to the story of how Carl died. How do I know? Because I am Carl Lamberg. "Control, I'm ready to transmit. Confirm safety for time transport." I let go of the intercom button and waited for the confirmation. "This is Control, we confirm transport. You have the go ahead." This is my thirteenth time and I still get nervous. I reach for the bottom of my shirt to wipe my forehead but the chair starts to shake and I end up in 1642 five feet above the ground. I drop and absorb the impact with my knees. My mission is to find a gold transport to a king and stop a hacker from robbing it. Hackers can easily kill people from the past because they use modern weapons, while the people they are robbing have to reload after every shot. I brush myself off and set off down the road.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Term Paper on Computer Games

Intelligence and Dexterity are beneficial gift that God has endowed us. Hence, Man has the ability to tinker with nature. It is factual and concluded. We have the greatest opportunity to manipulate things like: The Development of Medicine; Swift Transportation; Rapid Communications and the Aggrandizement of Technology. One of this is COMPUTER GAMES. Computer Games is one of the vital issues in our society to be focused on. Why? Because they say that Computer Games are one of the vices that the teenagers are been addicted, attached with.They could spend all day just to play various online or downloaded games. Seemingly, it is there cravings for them to be satisfied. Just like there days wouldn’t complete if not played just even one game. According to Surveys, Computer Games has indeed a great effect on everybody. Because, we can visualize myriad teenagers seated in front of computer set playing, enjoying, and cussing with each other. YES, CUSSING. When been fond of it, teenager s are gradually adapting the nature of a maniac player. Now, they know how to use vulgar words to express their feelings, a volcano that would about to erupt.Another thing is that, we can no longer more to see youth who plays basketball, volleyball and the rest of the Sports Games that can really helped a lot in our health and physical attributes. That’s why they also added that Computer Games is gradually defeating sports. This is why the Government should take its action to give remedy to this epidemic issue concerns our youth of today. Today, parents still worry about the effects of violent computer games and of course it also remains a popular topic for the media.However, with a growing number of children and teens spending excessive time playing computer games, perhaps parents should be more worried about teenagers addicted to computer games than the effects of violent Computer Games. An examination of the literature reveals that those who study video game addiction some times disagree on the proportion of children and teenagers addicted to computer games. However, the majority of studies suggest that approximately 5 to 10% of youth who play computer games become addicted.Compared to other psychological difficulties (such as depression and anxiety), teenage computer game addiction is obviously a relatively new problem faced by families. As such, parents may lack accurate and/or helpful information on the signs of computer game addiction, the risk factors for video game addiction, and strategies for helping teenagers addicted to computer games after the problem develops. BACKGROUND The debate on whether Computer Games have social effects and cause violence among the players, especially children, can be traced back to 1976 when a video game entitled Death Race was released on the market.The main aim of the game was to run over screaming gremlins using a car which would then turn into tombstones. The pace of the game was pedestrian and the gremlins res embled human figures. There was a public outcry over this video game and eventually its production ceased. There were other violent Computer Games that were produced later in 1993, such as Night Trap and Mortal Combat, that were followed by public outcry. In the same year, a board was established in the United States to look into Computer Games and rate them according to their content (Siwek, 2007).The board is known as the entertainment software rating board (ESRB). The other video game that attracted media attention was Rapelay, produced in 2006 (Siwek, 2007). The video game required players to rape and stalk a woman and her two girls. Such Computer Games are said to cause behavioral change among children. There are several incidents that are linked to Computer Games, such as the massacre at Columbine High School that claimed 13 lives. Laws have been enacted to ban or control the sale of Computer Games.For example, on the 27th of June 2007, the Supreme Court of the United States o verturned the law in California that banned the sale of Computer Games to minors (Siwek, 2007). The court ruled that the law violated the freedom of speech even though the state has an obligation to protect kids from harm. Another aspect that should be noted regarding Computer Games is that boys spend more time playing than girls. Not many girls are interested in playing Computer Games, hence they are not affected as much as boys of a similar age (Anderson & Bushman, 2001).The Drawbacks of Children Playing Computer Games Most of the negative effects as a result of playing Computer Games among children can be blamed on the violent scenes contained in these games. When a child spends an extended amount of time playing such Computer Games, they becomes socially isolated. This means that a child does not have enough time to interact with other members of society (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). The child who spends many hours a day playing Computer Games will have no time to meet and make ne w friends. They may in turn become more depressed and lonelier in their homes.Children will also spend little time on other activities such as sports, reading, and doing homework. The child becomes socially inactive since they do not get involved in social activities. Some Computer Games teach children wrong values (Gunter, 1998). Most of the children who spend much of their time playing Computer Games are likely to perform poorly in school. A solid number of Computer Games are addictive. Rather than studying or completing homework, a child spends time playing Computer Games. As a result, poor performance will be seen at schools. Computer Games reduce a child’s imaginative thinking as well.This means that a child who ends up spending most of their time playing Computer Games does not get a chance to think creatively or independently. Imaginative thinking is crucial in developing a child’s creativity. By fostering isolation, Computer Games may also affect a childâ€℠¢s health. Since they do not get enough bodily exercise, children who spend the majority of their time playing Computer Games are likely to suffer from video-induced seizures, obesity and skeletal, muscular and postural disorders like tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, among others.Computer Games promote children to associate happiness and pleasure with the capability to cause pain to others. They develop the feeling that in order to be happy, one has to make other people suffer. Children who play Computer Games tend to develop selfish behavior (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Computer Games teach the player to be dependent and since the child is left alone while playing the game, they can develop selfish behavior. A certain study that was done at the Minneapolis-based national institute for media indicated that kids can get addicted to Computer Games and exhibit social phobias.The interactive quality of Computer Games is quite different from passively viewing movies or television. The games allow players to be active participants in the script. The players who are able to benefit from acts of violence are then able to proceed to the next level (Sherry, 2001). As a negative result of playing Computer Games, violence in children has shown an increase. â€Å"Anderson and Dill found that males who were high in aggression and irritability, showed the strongest association between video game play and aggressive behavior (Lillian Bensely & Juliet Van Eenwyk, 2001)†.There are many incidents of violent behavior among children who play violent Computer Games worldwide (Gunter, 1998). One of the high-profile incidents is the Columbine High School massacre that was caused by 17 year-old Dylan Klebold, and 18 year-old Harris Eric. The massacre happened on the 20th of April, 1999, at Columbine High School, located in Jefferson County. 12 pupils and a teacher were killed by two pupils. It was later revealed that the two shooters in the massacre were frequent players of w eapon-based combat games.It was also noted that the two shooters used to play Wolfeinstein 3D and Doom, games which are violent. After the incident, many newspaper articles claimed that the key cause of that incident was violent Computer Games. Another incident occurred in April, 2000 when Jose Rabadan, a sixteen year-old Spaniard, killed his parents and his sister using a katana sword, claiming that he was Squall Leonhart, the main character in the video game titled ‘Final Fantasy V111,’ on a mission to avenge. This was a consequence of playing the game too much and fantasizing about what he saw in the video game (Williams, & Marko, 2005).In 1997, there was the case of a thirteen year-old Wilson Noah, who was killed by his friend using a kitchen knife. The mother of the deceased claimed that Noah was stabbed because of the obsession his friend had with the video game known as Mortal Combat. She alleged that the child who killed Noah was obsessed with the game, and thou ght he was one of the characters in the game named ‘Cyrax’. In the game, Cyrax is using a finishing move whereby he grabs the opponent and stabs him in the chest. It was alleged that this was the move that motivated the killing of that child.There are many other incidents that were caused by the effects of playing Computer Games. A report that was compiled by the FBI in the year 2006 showed that the playing of Computer Games among children was one of the behavioral traits linked to school shootings. The report outlined several factors behind school shootings of which playing violent Computer Games was the most obvious (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). According to Gentile and Anderson, playing Computer Games increases the aggressive behavior of the player, since the acts of violence are continually repeated during the game (Gentile, & Anderson, 2003).â€Å"Although heightened physiological arousal (e. g. , heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance) can be beneficial in ce rtain situations, physiological arousal produced by violent media (or by other sources), can be linked to an increase in aggressive behavior, especially when that arousal can be erroneously attributed to another provoking event, rather than to the violent media. Repetition of an act has been considered an effective teaching method, reinforcing learners patterns (Barlett, Harris, & Bruey, 2007). †The games encourage the players to role play or identify with their favorite character (Gentile & Anderson, 2003). The increase in physical bullying in many schools can also be linked to the popularity of Computer Games that contain violent content. A study done in 2008, indicated that about 60% or more of middle school boys ended up striking or beating somebody after playing at least one mature-rated video game. The research also showed that about 39% of boys who never played violent Computer Games were not involved in any form of violence.When playing Computer Games, players are rewa rded for simulating violence. This enhances the learning of violent behavior among the children who find pleasure in violent Computer Games. When violence is rewarded while playing Computer Games, players tend to develop aggressive behavior. As noted earlier, Computer Games desensitize players to real-life violence. The exposure to Computer Games causes a reduction in P300 amplitudes that are contained in the brain. The child will later experience aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence (Bartholow, Bushman & Sestir, 2006).After children experience violence while playing Computer Games, they are likely to develop a fear of becoming victims of violent acts. According to the report compiled by six leading national medical associations in 2000, children do not trust their fellow children and hence will develop violent, self-protective measures. The exposure to cruel Computer Games also leads to reduced empathy among the players. From a survey conducted by Jeanne Funk in 2004 , Computer Games are the only media linked or associated with low empathy.Empathy is described as the capacity or ability to understand other people’s feelings. The level of empathy plays a noteworthy role in evaluating a person’s morals. Empathy also controls aggressive behavior among individuals, especially children (Bartholow, Bushman & Sestir, 2006). After lacking empathy as a consequence of violent Computer Games, these children are likely to be violent. Repetition of actions when one is playing a video game affects the subconscious mind, hence a behavioral script is developed. A sound example of a behavioral script is that developed by drivers.It urges the driver to first get into a car, fasten their safety belt and then start the car. Similarly, Computer Games induce a child to develop a behavioral script that urges them to respond violently to a certain situation (Gunter, 1998). Playing Computer Games teaches children that violence is an acceptable way of solvi ng their conflicts. Those who play Computer Games, especially games with violent content, do not develop the belief that using non-violence means can solve a problem. They tend to be less forgiving when compared to those children who play non-violent Computer Games (Sherry, 2001).Children tend to confuse real-world violence with video game violence. After fantasizing about the violence in Computer Games, children are likely to fight in schools and in the streets. New Computer Games allow a lot of physical interaction with the players. Some Computer Games train players on how to be a killer. For example, in 1996, the Marine Corps in the United States authorized the release of Doom 11, which was a violent video game. The game was previously used to train marine soldiers. Such games can train children to be high-profile killers.Most Computer Games have portrayed a negative attitude towards women. Violence against women is likely to increase in a child who plays brutal Computer Games (G unter, 1998). Counter Arguments In any life situation and with any sort of problem, there are those who disagree with the majority. Likewise, there are researchers who present various counter arguments to support the idea that Computer Games can be beneficial for children. The first counter argument against the side effects of Computer Games is the fact that children are not isolated as they have online gaming communities.Children who are unable to associate with others do not feel isolated since they are left to play Computer Games. For example, a child who is not physically fit to play with others can turn to Computer Games during their free time to reduce boredom. It has been noted that violent juvenile crimes have been decreasing in the recent years, yet the popularity of Computer Games has been increasing. For the period 1995 to 2008, the rate of arrest of juvenile murderers decreased by 71. 9%, while the overall arrest cases concerning juvenile violence decreased by 49%.In the same period, the sale of cruel Computer Games increased by almost 4 times compared to the years before. From these statistics, one can conclude that there is no direct correlation between violent juvenile crimes and Computer Games. There has been no scientifically proven link between violent behavior among children and Computer Games. Most of the surveys carried out on Computer Games are affected by design flows. The surveys are done within a short duration of time and do not follow kids for any considerable period of time. After a short observation, conclusions are then drawn.The other counter argument against Computer Games is that children learn real life-skills when playing Computer Games. Players of brutal Computer Games are able to learn how to regulate their emotions when playing (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). The level of control developed while playing Computer Games in terms of directing actions and pace are prudent ways of regulating the emotional state of childre n. The perception of being in control of actions minimizes emotional and stressful responses to events. Aggressive and angry feelings can be relieved by playing Computer Games.When a child plays Computer Games, it is one of the best ways of relieving aggression and depression. Many children play Computer Games to relieve anger while others play Computer Games to relax their bodies. Children are given healthy and safe opportunities to virtually explore the rules and consequences of violent behavior when they play Computer Games (Bartholow, Bushman & Sestir, 2006). After playing Computer Games, especially ones that contain violence, children are able to develop ways of escaping violence. The form of violence can be affected by Computer Games, but does not necessarily lead to the occurrence of violence.Through the challenges faced while playing some Computer Games, children are able to learn how to avoid violence, or how to escape from violence. Those who hold the view that Computer Ga mes do not have negative effects on children indicate that Computer Games do not lead a child to violence, but instead, violent children are the ones who are interested in Computer Games (Anderson, Gentile & Buckley, 2007). Conclusion The argument about whether Computer Games have negative or positive effects on children is broad, and depends on one’s philosophical views.â€Å"Most of the research projects that have been conducted on the authentic effects of media brutality on behavior of children have included small, often unrepresentative samples and unique examples of media violence (Dietz, 1998)†. This paper has compiled some of the negative effects of Computer Games among children. Some of the negative effects include children feeling isolated from society, becoming more violent and aggressive, as well as lacking communicative skills. When playing Computer Games, children spend extended periods of time by themselves and do not have much interaction with other chil dren, except for the virtual ones.As a result, children who play Computer Games do not develop effective communication skills with others, since hours, if not all their spare time is spent on Computer Games. There has also been a rise in violence among children who play Computer Games, the Columbine High School massacre being one such example. Injuries and fighting at home and outdoors have risen because of children playing brutal Computer Games (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). Some researchers however argue that Computer Games can and do have positive effects on children.They point out that children are not isolated, as they develop online gaming communities. Children are also able to learn real-life skills while playing Computer Games, as well as, learn how to escape violence. However, what both sides agree upon is that parents should guide their children on the outcomes of playing Computer Games. Personally, I think that Computer Games can be allowed when selected with cauti on and are not played frequently. As long as virtual reality does not replace a child’s real-life communication, Computer Games can become a great option for a child’s leisure.