Saturday, August 31, 2019

Homer †“The Odyssey Essay

It is surprising that Odysseus, ‘a master of stratagems,’ can also be reckless and impulsive? Throughout the Epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is determined to be a survivor and return to Ithaca with a status appropriate to his own sense of excellence. Odysseus is not going to make any suicidal heroic stands on the battle field and refuses to compromise a very narrow sense of integrity. On the contrary, he is ready to use any stratagem to get home. Odysseus lies, accepts insults, disguises himself, represses his emotions and even conceals his true identity in order to get through his journey. Odysseus is impulsive and reckless. The Epic, is only the story it is due to Odysseus being a character of impulse and recklessness. He creates opportunities for events and challenges and also the opportunity to return home as a heroic icon. Odysseus was surely a ‘master of stratagems.’ Cunning, strong, skillful, courageous and patient. The King of Ithaca, leader of his people. He was both these things before he departed for Troy. Although he was a great king, admirable, and resourceful, at times Odysseus was also reckless and often acted impulsively. The roles of being a hero and a leader were always implied. In a search for glory and glamour Odysseus sought out danger, mocked death and ways prepared to accept an honorable death. He also risked the lives of his men. This was most evident in the Cyclopes saga, where Odysseus persisted in entering and remaining in the cave despite the pleas of his men to take what they could before the giant returned. He chose to be too greedy, because of his actions six of his men died. Odysseus could not resist the temptation of boasting to Polyohemus who had blinded the Cyclops, again despite the pleas of his men. Not knowing what he was playing around with, not just his life but the lives of his crew as any one of those boulders could have struck the vessels and destroyed the lot of them. Later, Eurylochus was to refer to this episode with the Cyclops when he virtually attempted suicide by resisting Odysseus plan to take the whole crew back to Circe’s palace. â€Å"Why are you looking for trouble – going to Circe’s palace, where she will turn you into pigs? We have had all this before, with the Cyclops, when our friends found their way into his fold with this foolhardy Odysseus. It was the man’s reckless folly that cost them their lives†(Homer 1991, book 10, line 430) There was a lack of trust between Odysseus and his crew at times. Odysseus’ lack of leadership and recklessness was clearly pointed out on the island of thrinacle. The crew broke their oath and disobeyed Odysseus’ commands about eating the cattle of Hyperion. This incident underlined their weaknesses and Odysseus’ iron will and self control-but also showed the limitations of his leadership. On the other hand, there is evidence of care and concern by Odysseus for his crew. He was a man of stratagems but at times acted purely on impulse which resulted in consequences that only made himself look reckless. A man who clearly had the ability to lead by example, as a king and military leader, he had the inspiration, confidence and loyalty. This is seen throughout the text many times. On his journey, though, circumstances were somewhat different, the individualism and egotism of the hero as well as his failure to communicate effectively on several occasions created distrust. A man of tremendous courage, although he made those impulsive decisions he did care for his crew. Without Odysseus being this character there would be no story, and The Epic probably would not exist today. This man was chosen to be a king and a leader of a crew for a reason. He may have gotten a little caught up in the glamour and glory at times, however he was appointed leader and king by the gods above. If the crew had been just as impulsive as their leader, and followed his commands then they to would have returned to Ithaca with their leader.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Organizational Structure of Walgreens Essay

This week’s learning team assignment focused on the organizational structure and design. Team C will examine the organizational chart of Walgreens and restructure it to make it more efficient and beneficial for the company. The students have decided the CEO of the organization is overwhelmed with departments reporting to him. Therefore, some departments will be consolidated and moved to more specialized officers under the CEO for a more productive company. The officers to receiver these additional departments will be Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Chief Informational Officer (CIO). This paper will discuss structural changes, the work to be completed and how this work can be done effectively. Financial Reorganization Currently, the Administration and the Human Resources departments report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. We have proposed a change to the chain of command with Human Resources being combined with the Administration department and have that new, combined department report directly the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Human Capital Management (Human Resources) directly affects the bottom line of an organization through the workforce, benefits costs, training and development and finally employee engagement. The Administration department manages the overall direction of Walgreens. Since the management of the workforce is one of the main driving factors that directly relate to the financial success of an organization, it will be efficient and cost effective to reorganize and combine these departments under the CFO. To accomplish this reorganization, we will use cross-functional teams to address each department’s work specializations, strengths and weaknesses. And then outlay an effective plan of action. The CFO’s financial expertise will be used to analyze the underlying financial  implications of the reorganization as well as the daily cost of business operations. Strategy and Community Management Reorganization The Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) will continue to report to the CEO. To be more efficient in work specialization, we have decided to move the following departments and make them branches under Strategy: Customer Experience, Customer Experience and Daily Living and Community Management. As Walgreens embraces today’s consumer, creating a unique customer experience is apart of the strategy to build their trusted brand and set them apart from the competition. Moving these departments will be beneficial because the leaders in each department can collaborate on strategies and plans that are customer focused. In addition to reporting to the CSO now, the Community Management department will also receive new responsibilities. Currently Facilities Development and Store Operations report to them. In order to create a more efficient department they will now oversee two additional departments; Well Experience and Operations Community. The Community Manager will have Store Operations and Operation Community work as a specialized team focused on lowering operational cost for the company. One of Walgreens key strategies is to create a â€Å"Well Experience† (Walgreens 2014). The Well Experience â€Å"starts with leading-edge store design, new layouts, enhanced product assortments and state-of –the-art pharmacies, including bringing the pharmacist from behind the counter for a greater interaction with patients (Walgreens 2014). They will work with the Community Management department in collaborating together to create a partnership for success in â€Å"Well Experience† initiative. Once the pharmacist is engaged with the customers in their community it creates transparency and trust not only in them but also in the Walgreens’ brand. Information Technology Reorganization The eCommerce and Design departments will be moved under the direct supervision of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to reduce the direct reports of the CEO. Consolidating these two departments under the CIO will help turn Walgreens into a technology-driven company that has consistent creative across all platforms. These two departments will also benefit from the CIO’s more specialized technical skills. The Chief Information Officer  already oversees the enterprise technology that supports Walgreens operations, including security software. For eCommerce, security is a major concern for Walgreens’ customers. The CIO’s specialization in the information technology will help him better implement the eCommerce tools and keep those tools secure. The Design department produces the creative that is used to promote the Walgreens’ brand. As Walgreens expands its digital presence with an enhanced web experience and new mobile app (Walgreens, 2014), it is important that creative remain consistent and functional across all platforms. Having the Design department working hand-in-hand with Information Technology and eCommerce will produce consistent creative that is technology-focused across all marketing channels. The CIO’s technical skills will allow him to lead the Design department in an every-growing online world. Conclusion The team decided to restructure the organizational chart of Walgreens. Ultimately, taking responsibilities off the CEO and moving those departments to more specialized officers. In doing so, this will allow the CEO to be more productive because his or her workload is more manageable. The reorganization of these departments under the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, will make these departments more efficient because they will benefit from their specialized skills. References Robbins, Stephen, & Coulter, Mary (2012). Management, 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Press. 978-013253894-7 The Official Board (2014). 2014 organizational chart of Walgreens Co. Retrieved from http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/walgreen Walgreens Co. (2014). 2013 annual report of Walgreens. Retrieved from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WAG/3514601079x0x709191/5F506D54-9148-47D1-9494-D4E4A4CB95B1/WAG_2013_AR_lo.pdf

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Apple a Day

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away Eating Healthy and exercise are essential to the health and well-being of all people. A healthy diet along with exercise can help you live longer, feel better about better food choices; provide you with more energy, help you stay at a healthy weight, and help you fight stress. Do you want to live longer and be healthier? Then make that first step and maximize the benefits from being active and eating healthier. It is important to make sure and eat fruits and vegetables daily, at least 5 servings.The best way to be healthier is to incorporate into your daily routine eating fresh fruits and vegetables such as: apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, grapes, carrots, potatoes, peas, and broccoli. This list can go on and on and you will find there are plenty of fruit and vegetables that you will enjoy. â€Å"Vegetables and fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but var iety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy.The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat† (Willet, 2007, Harvard School of Public Health). Doctors and nutritionists highly promote fruits and vegetables because they offer many benefits to being healthy. They are excellent sources of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and anti-oxidants. People who eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables have a decreased risk of several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. As the saying goes, â€Å"an apple a day keeps the doctor away. A healthy eating plan will protect against many health problems and improve the way our body functions. Annabel Bentley, BUPA assistant medical director, has this advice: â€Å"As one of the leading independent health and care providers in the country, BUPA is pleased to support this campaign. A balanced diet i s one of the best ways to maintain good health and help prevent the onset of some serious diseases. Eating well need not be expensive or complicated and this new campaign is geared to leading people towards the right things to eat. † Eating healthy can help in living a longer and healthier life.It can also strengthen your immune system, which can help in fewer sicknesses. The benefits from eating healthy go on and on and will improve your lifestyle dramatically. Proper eating can even help some have healthy lush looking hair, skin and nails and everyone wants to have beautiful skin, hair and nails. Eating healthy can help in feeling better within oneself. A healthy diet along with exercise will provide the body with more energy and make you feel better about yourself and can help fight stress and depression. Eating unhealthy can cause many health problems.Besides obesity and diabetes, there is high blood pressure, heart problems, breathing difficulty, anemia, and joint problem s all due to extra weight. Healthy eating can help protect people from cancer, heart attacks, diabetes and problems with blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force that pushes the blood from the heart through the arteries in the body. High blood pressure becomes dangerous because is makes the heart work too hard. Even when the pressure is only slightly raised for a long period of time it can damage arteries and cause organ damage.I personally have high blood pressure and the doctors are constantly advising me to eat better, exercise and lose weight and when I apply their council my blood pressure does improve dramatically. † High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it is a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study.This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve† (Appel, Moore, Obarzanek,1997, clinical trial).By making sure to eat a balanced diet then the occasional fatty food or takeaway will not hurt, but it will become a problem if you eat fatty foods everyday. It can be easy to fall into the trap of eating takeaway food every night because most people have busy hectic lives and find that they do not have the time or energy to cook something healthy. â€Å"Junk food has become a pillar in modern society. It offers a quick fill, fast service, or you can bring it home to watch a m ovie with. From chips, pop, ice cream it goes on and on.There is no nutritional value in any of it. Even the canned produce should be considered junk food. Preservatives are jamming the tops of these containers of fruits in order for them to remain edible for months and months† (Healthy Eating, 2008, Health benefits of food). While it would be nice to take a pill and wake up 15 lbs lighter, the truth is that weight loss takes time and effort as well as a commitment to eating healthy everyday. The best way to begin to reduce the amount of weight people put on would be to reduce any un-necessary fat intake.Fat intake can be difficult to manage because fat makes food taste so much better. It is so tempting to grab a donut or candy bar when craving a snack, but it can be just as easy to grab an apple or a bag of carrots and your body and your health will reap better benefits from it. â€Å"Most people who work at eating better know that the salad bar can be a terrific way to eat out, eat great food and have a healthy meal. There are a few items that can tip the scales as far as fat and calories are concerned, especially if you are trying to watch your weight.A major offender is salad dressings. † Doctor Gourmet, (2008). Weight is such a sensitive subject for many people, young and old , which is why it+ does need to be addressed, because people today especially children are becoming obese at alarming rates. Many people think that it is just too difficult to eat healthy, or they do not know what to eat. â€Å"What you should eat is actually pretty simple. But you would not know that from news reports on diet studies, whose sole purpose seems to be to confuse people on a daily basis.When it comes down to it, though—when all the evidence is looked at together—the best advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain, which makes exercise a key partner to a healthy diet† (Willet, 2007, Harvard School of Public Health) As for keeping the weight off, avoid the elevator and take the stairs.If you take the stairs regularly, you will burn more calories. As you do it more often, you will learn that you have more energy. In order to be healthy, we need to learn what it means to eat healthy and to live healthy. The first step is making sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and avoid unnecessary fats in our diet. The best way to avoid fats is by not eating fast food or junk food on a regular basis. Exercise needs to be a top riority in our lives to keep stress away and to feel energized, even if it is as simple as a walk in the park. When it comes to diet and exercise, you have to ask yourself a very important question. How mu ch do you care about yourself? It is up to all of us to make a commitment to set aside a little time each day for exercise. As far as eating healthy is concerned, just focus on each individual day. Do not go to the extreme, because this is setting you up for failure. Just make small changes throughout the day.At night, simply walk away from that huge slice of chocolate cake. It is all up to you to live a healthy lifestyle. Discipline, control and focus can be hard to maintain when it comes to eating healthy and exercising regularly. It can be hard, especially in the beginning, but it is essential that you be consistent. By being consistent it will get easier and easier to make necessary lifestyle changes. By making these positive lifestyle changes in your life it will go a long way in living a long healthy life for years to come.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

T-Mobile - Sprint Merger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

T-Mobile - Sprint Merger - Essay Example It partnered with Clearwire and dominates more than 43 markets. T-mobile International AG is a German holding based in Bonn, operating GSM and cellular networks in Europe and US. Globally T mobile has more than 150 million subscribers and it is 10th largest mobile service provider of world. T - Mobile USA is fourth largest mobile service provider of US. Sprint plans for 4G upgrade through T mobile. T-mobile has effective network build out and better advantage over competitors. T-mobile has high paying customers tied to monthly schemes. Hence, the merger will be beneficial for Sprint shareholders. Sprint is third largest mobile wireless service provider having increasing number of subscribers and better customer satisfaction rate, and it uses Google’s software, enjoys a strong spectrum position in conjunction with Clearwire’s WiMAX Network making it first 4G product offering and has unlimited data plans. T - Mobile shareholders will be benefitted in the deal as Sprint owns more spectrum than its competitors and its customer list is 48% more than T-mobile. Overall, it is an attractive stock for shareholders and the target shareholder may earn positive returns from competitive offers. The shareholder earnings of T-mobile and Sprint Nextel depend on the conditions, in which, the deal is made. Mergers can be successful if the merging firms retain focus on better outcomes (Swerdlow et al. 2001, p. 2) Deutsche Telekom spent $30 billion to get VoiceStream Wireless- which is now T-mobile USA and the deal has been beyond limits for Deutsche Telekom, which plans to get into $20 billion to $30 billion deal with Spirit. The equity value of T-mobile is $26.8 billion and equity value of Sprint is $19.8 million. Sprint’s total market value is $13.8 billion and it carries $20 billion debt load. Sprint suffered losses of $8.6 billion from 2008 -

Anonymity and Abuse on the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anonymity and Abuse on the Internet - Essay Example The issue of anonymity is one that has posed a number of concerns for the people who use the Internet because there are so many individuals who hide their identities and therefore pose as imposters (Saco 2002). Similarly abuse is another aspect that has come to the fore with the passage of time. Abuse means that the users of the Internet are being blamed and cursed for no mistake of theirs. It also means that the individuals who are using the Internet are being treated in an unfair manner. This is an important tangent that needs to be resolved in a proactive fashion and should be taken care of in a quantifiable capacity. Anonymity and abuse over the Internet are some of the most pressing issues that need to be analyzed and understood in a proper way. This is because the repercussions for the same are immense and the magnanimity of these could be estimated with the passage of time. The different software and programs that are used over the Internet have been effective at outlining the issues and problems which have come to the fore (Mclean 2002). One should believe that anonymity and abuse over the Internet remains a problematic area that must be understood within the proper contexts (Cowan 2004). If this is not done in the most righteous way, there could be serious consequences for the people who matter the most within the related settings. These could include the users who are browsing over the Internet, the ones who frequent social networking websites, blogs and so on and so forth.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Case study about Verizon wireless issues and possible improovements - 1

About Verizon wireless issues and possible improovements - Case Study Example However, there are several problems with the technologies that Verizon has available that are causing some concern with consumers. In addition, their pricing is well above the average and in the current economy will not encourage consumers to come to their service. Prepaid services are extremely limited and with the number of displaced workers and people who have experienced problems on a financial level, these limitations will hurt their bottom line where increases from alternative forms of service are considered. As well, the iPhone, although a great benefit to the company product line, is currently seeing problems in the way in which consumer groups are rating the product, thus causing problems in promoting the product. As well, AT&T are claiming that they are the only network on which the iPhone can be used for both voice and data at the same time. This deficit in technical capability will hamper the marketing capacity that Verizon has for the product, putting their service in a secondary position. The wireless industry, within the last decade, has taken over the land line industry through increases in product technologies and wireless access technologies. By 2004, the number of minutes used by wireless customers had reached 1 trillion, but in the three years that followed the number doubled to 2.1 trillion. Wireless communications are now used by 80% of the population and exceed 250 million users. The wireless industry invested 24 billion dollars in 2007 and is the resource for employment of 3.4 million Americans. Instant messages are out distancing e-mails as the preferred form of instant communication. The changes in the way in which people communicate through the technologies of wireless and broadband have revolutionized communications in the world (Verizon Wireless, Inc.) In 2007, worldwide revenue for telecommunications through wire line and wireless revenues

Monday, August 26, 2019

DreamWorks Animation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

DreamWorks Animation - Research Paper Example The opening of the thesis report consists of the background information about the DreamWorks Animation Company. DreamWorks Animation is a studio located in Glendale in California and founded in the year 1994. The company specializes in the development and creation of televisions programs, animated feature films and virtual worlds online. The company has successfully released more than 20 feature films which also includes the online series of Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. The studio of the organization was created out of the merger between Pacific Data Images and the division of feature animation called DreamWorks in 1997. The company was originally founded under DreamWorks’s banner by the alumni of Amblin Entertainment it went out to generate a separate public company existence in the year 2004. The live action studio of DreamWorks had been acquired by Paramount Pictures in 2006 which has the responsibility of distributing the films created and produced by DreamWorks. Presently, DreamWorks Animation accounts for the highest grossing brands of its time, whose films account for a worth of more than $3750 million. The company employs approximately 2100 numbers of employees as on 31st of December, 2010 and majority of them are covered under the employment agreements. Majority of these employees are appointed for working as modelers, animators, visual development artists, story artists, lighters, technical directors and the like. Apart from these employees are also employed to perform administrative and corporate functions and take part in supporting and developmental activities (Edgar Online, 2010, p.12). The success factors of the company’s films are predominantly dependant on the extent of acceptance from audience of the films. However, there are great difficulties in predicting such acceptance and thus the business remain risky. It is not possible to predict success of the company’s motion picture as it does not directly relate with the company’s distribution, rather it depends on the extent to which the motion pictures are accepted and appreciated by the public, and this cannot be predicted accurately. The success factor also depends on the availability of alternative motion pictures at the time of release of the films and their success, other leisure time activities and even other common economic factors (Edgar Online, 2010, p.14). Some of the world’s most successful animation companies are located in Japan, USA, Europe and Korea, of which USA accounts for being the leader in the industry. The Asian countries too have been promoting their creative industries rapidly and have also made successful strives and achievement in the domain (Press Release Distribution, 2009). USA accounts for one of the earliest adopters of this sector. Considering the 3D production technology and the advantages in the size of industry America so far holds the leading position in the worldwide a nimation industry. Considering the advantages of ACG industry, i.e., animation, cartoons and games scenario, industry chain architecture, two dimensional designs and character design, the Japan holds the second largest position in the global animation industry. Apart from that considering manifestations and uniqueness of cultural field's, other regional and countries' animation industries provided by the animation industries of Europe and South Korea are expected to attain new growth points through outsourcing as well as other forms of strength accumulation (CCID Consulting, 2010). Some of the leading and prominent competitors of the company are Aardman Animations Ltd. in the United Kingdom, Animal Logic, Anschutz Film Group LLC in New South Wales and California respectively (Hoovers, 2012). Relevance of theories in practice The working of DreamWorks Animation can be explained using the metaphor of a mechanized machined as explained by Morgan (1998). It is important to explain the m etaphor first before

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice Research Proposal

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice - Research Proposal Example Organizations and practitioners involved in new programs must understand the goals and objectives and information concerning referral processes and qualification criteria. The extent of this understanding is critical to the success of any working partnership. An effective way of nurturing common understanding is to involve all stakeholders in the development of protocols, policies, and procedures that define the partnership (Clarke, 2014:24). Moreover, practitioners, who are not part of the main partnership, must understand the qualification criteria if the partnership is to succeed. The leaders of the partnerships should develop induction and continuous training, which is a constructive way of ensuring the existence of shared goals in the initiative. A history of sound and support joint working is an important element in the success of partnerships. For instance, in the UK, a past history of collaboration between doctors, mental health professionals, and mental health administrators created a new initiative to capitalize on existing informal communication processes and exploit the goodwill that that past experiences had nurtured (Elder, Evans, and Nizette, 2012:19). In many countries, positive strategic cooperation in the past, that may have occurred between various entities (e.g., welfare and private health agencies), have also been identified as supportive of working partnerships. Effective information sharing systems, including shared records and shared or common IT systems are factors that have been identified as enhancing working partnerships by facilitating faster and timelier evaluations of need. Effective communication has also been identified as supportive of priority management (Francis, 2014:12). Many types of research have demonstrated the importance of having enough finances to support working partnerships.  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Modernity - Essay Example They have sought to find out the ways through which modernity could get transformed into an ideal feature, rather than following the path of returning to the idealized past. Marx’s perception regarding modernity was built up by three developments – the French revolution of 1989, and 1848, and the French theorists; the industrial and agricultural revolution in Great Britain and the economists of Britain; and finally decline of Churches credibility. He actually tries to make some projection regarding what kind of shape all these developments will take in future. Very often it is perceived by many economists and politicians that Marx’s analysis of capitalism is mainly based on the experience of the textile industry the Manchester. According to Marx capitalism has lead the way to ultimate modern society, which can also be termed as stateless communism. According to Marx modern world has also taken its birth through class struggle. Marx treated the classes in the society as the agents of social change. The determinants are nothing but the organization of production. This kind of assumption stemmed from the consideration of some philosoph ical ideas in the very early days. In past, each society no matter whatever be it form – tribal, feudal or capitalists, was characterized by how its member used produce their basic needs for living. Each society had a tradition of creating a ruling class and a subordinate class on the basis of the mode of production they used. Since it’s impossible for any individual to live without work, and to propagate his own style, each individual has a tendency to enter into relationships with other and form family. People use different tools to fulfill their needs, and as old needs get satisfied, new needs arise and along with it, there also arise the need for improving or inventing new technique of production. This kind of technological innovation results in division of labor which affects societal arrangements too. Division

Friday, August 23, 2019

Arts in Our Lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arts in Our Lives - Essay Example One observed that women had been portrayed in different art works both as the subject or the model, and as the artist. Either way, the talents and skills manifested by women artists could be deemed at par with their male counterparts. The works are very inspirational and one strongly believes that even viewers who do not have some inclination in the arts could not help but appreciate these art works in colorful and vivid designs. The experience was therefore very educational and informative. The Pearl Jam concert was viewed online and was noted to have been held on the 31st of March, this year, at the Lollapalooza Festival at Sao Paolo in Brazil (Concerts Videos). One had actually attended other concerts and believe that the atmosphere of being amongst the crowd is significantly different, as compared to viewing the concert online. However, one could view that there was much power and intent enthusiasm in the crowd as manifested by the highly responsive audience. Since Pearl Jam is an alternative rock band, the songs were full of energy, dancing, singing with the lead singer, and vividly showing genuine enthusiasm for the band. From the audience, one could see that male and female are both fans of the band and therefore exemplifies that music knows no bounds on terms of gender, racial or ethnic orientation, or demographic factors. Finally, the film Man of Steel is another Superman movie of contemporary times. Since one had been a fan of Superman ever since the character appeared in comic books and had been shown in previous films, the new film was no exception to the heightened anticipation and elation that was felt for the super hero. Although one thought that the film could not possibly detract from the previous plot, the new actor who assumed the role of Superman, Henry Cavill, was very effective in enticing

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Experience Essay Example for Free

Experience Essay I personally believe that a persons field of experience plays a very pivotal role in defining who that person is. With that in mind, there are definitely countless experiences and accomplishments that made me who I am. It is said that a persons field of experience is the sum of all experiences that have ever happened to that person since birth. As such, the things that make me who I am are the people I meet, the things I am exposed to every day, and the things that I do. In my life, I continuously meet new people. These people help form me. Whenever I meet someone, especially if I get to know them well enough, that person leaves his or her mark on me. Friends, family, and strangers have all contributed to my edification. The kindness I see in some of them make me realize that if you are nice to people, they will, more often than not, reciprocate your kindness. Likewise, the blind idealism Ive seen in some of them made me understand that the world is not a place full of sunshine and rainbows. I once had a friend who was going through a very difficult time in his life. I saw him suffer at the hands of typhoon Ondoy. The next time I saw him, he was practically homeless. His grades plummeted and he told me he kept seeing flashes of the flood happening again and again. I assumed there was no hope for him. I thought he was falling in a downward spiral. That taught me life isnt always fair. Sometimes we go through hardships that we have done nothing to deserve, but, as the days went by, I saw that same person get back on his feet, beat the odds, and persevere despite what he went through. This taught me that, no matter what happens, we must remember that God will always be with us, and His grace abounds. The things I am exposed to every day can be anything from what I read, what I see on a billboard, or even what I smell on the way to the cafeteria. These things help me stimulate my thoughts and reach certain realizations that help in my formation. For example, when I was at Lake Tahoe, I remember seeing a snowflake fall on my hand. When I was staring at my garden at home, I saw a petal from a flower fall down to the floor. Those things didnt mean anything to me then, but just recently, I understood that they can mean so much more. Something as beautiful as a snowflake or flower petal falling only lasts so long. The snowflake melts, and the petal withers and dies. It made me realize that the best things in life are simply the fleeting moments that come and go in a blink of an eye. That only means we need to enjoy the falling of the snowflake or the petal even more, and we can always wait for the next one to fall. My actions have caused me both great joy and deep sorrow. There are things I regret doing and there are opportunities I have missed. Despite it all, I still say the both the things I have done, and things I could have but didnt do all contributed to my current self. If even one decision Ive ever made or action Ive ever done, no matter how seemingly insignificant, was changed, I probably wouldnt be who I am today. If I decided not to go with my grandmother to the hospital; if didnt suggest that she go take the helpers home and leave me there; even if I decided to stop by 7-Eleven on my way up the stairs to buy a Coke, I wouldnt have been the only one there to see my great-aunt die. If I didnt experience that, I would definitely be different. How I would have turned out, I do not know. All I know is whatever I do or dont do contributes to my field of experience. Our fields of experience make us who we are. Everything that weve ever been through makes us who we are. Everything we see, everything we feel, every person we meet, and everything that we do help define us. As our life goes on, we continuously change. Minds broaden or narrow. Skills may sharpen or dull. Ideas may spark to life or wither and die. It is up to us whether these changes are for the better or for the worse.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Career Objectives Essay Example for Free

Career Objectives Essay My career objective is to develop and build-up manpower with practical knowledge and problem solving skills to expand small and medium agribusiness enterprises and improve the productivity of agribusiness value chain in agricultural industry and also in my country. Also I plan to apply acquired knowledge and practical skills from TAMU to up-scale agribusiness management, farmer producer organizations and groups, agribusiness supply chain management and improve agribusiness marketing of processed commodities and small business enterprise development. To be involved in international research, outreach programs and teaching in various aspects of agribusiness management and Enterprise Development. These activities inform our domestic efforts and enable me to address important problems and opportunities in my countrys (Nigeria) agribusiness supply chain and Enterprise Development. Also to help in the attainment of the national objective of poverty alleviation and food security in my country as envisage by the Agricultural Perspective Plan (APP) through assured and efficient agricultural marketing system. To create environment for incentive price of the farmers at the same time help the consumers in their access to agricultural produces at a comfortable price. To carry out relevant agriculture marketing research activities to support the future marketing policies and programs. To facilitate and support agro entrepreneurs association for promoting agribusiness and export from Nigeria. To construct and strengthen agriculture marketing infrastructure. Commercialization of the agriculture has been my priority at the recent time which has increased substantial market surplus of various agricultural commodities, like vegetables, fruits, species, cash crops and other agricultural products within the country. With the increase in volume of marketable surplus, the need for assured market outlet has become very necessary. This calls for improvement is the my overall interest.

Effect of the Inorganic Filler Contents on Polymer

Effect of the Inorganic Filler Contents on Polymer ANALYSIS OF ZIF 8/PAI AND CMS/PAI MEMBRANES FOR CO2/CH4 GAS SEPARATION Yohannan Subin Sabilon Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, India Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks 8 (ZIF 8) nanocrystals and Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS) particles were prepared by using standard procedures. UV visible spectroscopy and XRD tests were done for the confirmation of the particles prepared and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis were done to study the morphology of the particles prepared. ZIF 8/PAI and CMS/PAI MMMs were successfully synthesized by using ZIF 8 and CMS inorganic fillers and Polyamideimide (PAI) polymer using phase inversion technique. Various weight contents (1%, 2% and 3%) of the inorganic fillers were incorporated in the polymer matrix. Reinforcing of the polymer matrix with inorganic fillers was done in the form of nano and micro particles respectively. The effect of the inorganic filler contents on the mechanical properties of the polymer was investigated. Hydrophilic nature and porosity determination test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (F TIR) and SEM were done to study the hydrophilicity and morphology of the composite system. Keywords: Carbon dioxide, Methane, Mixed Matrix Membranes, Carbon Molecular Sieves,Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks INTRODUCTION Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the components of landfill gas, natural gas and biogas. It is also the main combustion product of fossil fuels and a leading contributor to global warming as its a greenhouse gas. In order to obtain fuel with enhanced energy content, to prevent corrosion problems in the gas transportation system and to reduce the climatic impact of CO2 gas it is quite essential to remove CO2 from those gas streams. This has driven the development of different technologies for CO2 gas separation. Among the different types of technologies being used membrane technology has experienced substantial growth, breakthroughs and advances during past decades [10]. Membrane technology offers high energy efficiency, simplicity in design and construction of membrane modules and environment compatibility. Although there are different types of membranes being used the combination of the superior performance of inorganic materials with the handling properties of the polymers is offered by Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs). Therefore in our study we will be using MMMs for CO2/CH4 gas separation. In the MMMs the inorganic fillers are added to the polymer matrix. Over the years different inorganic fillers have been used for preparing MMMs for CO2/CH4 gas separation out of which Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 8 (ZIF 8) is known to show maximum selectivity while Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS) is known to show maximum permeability [19]. In this study the preparation and characterization of these inorganic fillers is shown. These inorganic fillers were successfully incorporated in the Polyamideimide (PAI) polymer matrix and MMMs were prepared. The characterization and analysis of the ZIF 8/PAI and CMS/PAI MMMs have been done with different loading of inorganic fillers in order to choose the best possible membrane combination for CO2/CH4 gas separation. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION Materials Zinc hydrate crystals and N-methyl 2-pyrrolidone (NMP) required in the preparation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were purchased from Merck Life Science Private Limited, Mumbai, India. Methanol used for washing during centrifugation was also bought from Titan Biotech Limited, Rajasthan, India. 2-methylimidazole and n-butylamine also required for the preparation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were bought from Otto Group Hamburg, Germany, Polyamidieimide polymer was also purchased from UTM, Malaysia. Acetone was purchased from Merck Specialities Private Limited, Mumbai, India. All reagents were used without any further purification. Synthesis of ZIF 8 nanocrystals ZIF 8 nanoparticles were synthesized based on the procedure reported by Cravillon et al[3]. The ZIF-8 nanocrystals so formed was sent for UV spectroscopy, XRD, HRTEM and SEM analysis. Synthesis of CMS particles CMS particles were synthesized based on the procedure reported by De. Q. Vu et al[8] The CMS particles were then sent for XRD analysis. Synthesis of ZIF 8/PAI membranes Membranes of 3 different concentrations i.e., 1%, 2% and 3% of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were prepared by solution casting method. 17wt% of polyamideimide polymer solution was prepared by dissolving exactly 5.274g mixture of polyamideimide polymer i.e., Torlon and ZIF 8 nanocrystals in 25ml of NMP solvent in a beaker. A magnetic bead was cleaned and dried using acetone and was placed in the beaker. The 3 beakers containing the 3 different concentration solutions were kept on 3 different magnetic stirrer for complete dissolution. The exact amount of polymer and inorganic filler taken for respective concentrations is given in the table below: Table 1 Composition of ZIF 8/PAI membranes Concentration of ZIF 8/PAI Amount of PAI (g) Amount of ZIF 8 membranes (wt %) nanocrystals (g) 1 5.116 0.158 2 5.169 0.105 3 5.221 0.053 Now 3 glass plates and casting rods were washed and kept for drying. After drying the glass plates and the casting rods were cleaned and dried by using acetone. After complete dissolution the polymer solution in the 3 beakers were casted on 3 different glass plates using casting rods of 750 ÂÂ µm thickness. The glass plates after casting were allowed to dry at room temperature overnight for all the NMP solvent to evaporate. After drying the polymer membrane so formed was peeled off the glass plate. The membrane samples were sent for SEM analysis. Synthesis of CMS/PAI membranes Membranes of 3 different concentrations i.e., 1%, 2% and 3% of CMS particles were prepared by solution casting method. 17wt% of polyamideimide polymer solution was prepared by dissolving exactly 5.274g mixture of polyamideimide polymer i.e., Torlon and CMS particles in 25ml of NMP solvent in a beaker. The exact amount of polymer and inorganic filler taken for respective concentrations is given in the table below: Table 2 Composition of CMS/PAI membranes Concentration of ZIF 8/PAI Amount of PAI (g) Amount of CMS particles membranes (wt %) (g) 1 5.116 0.158 2 5.169 0.105 3 5.221 0.053 A magnetic bead was cleaned and dried using acetone and was placed in the beaker. The 3 beakers containing the 3 different concentration solutions were kept on 3 different magnetic stirrer for complete dissolution. Now 3 glass plates and casting rods were washed and kept for drying. After drying the glass plates and the casting rods were cleaned and dried by using acetone. After complete dissolution the polymer solution in the 3 beakers were casted on 3 different glass plates using casting rods of 750 ÂÂ µm thickness. The glass plates after casting were allowed to dry at room temperature overnight for all the NMP solvent to evaporate. After drying the polymer membrane so formed was peeled off the glass plate. The membrane samples were sent for SEM analysis. TESTING AND CHARACTERIZATION Confirmation tests for inorganic filers UV visible spectroscopy analysis. The ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis)utilizes light to determine the absorbance or transmission of a chemical species in either solid or aqueous state. The UV Visible Spectroscopy analysis was done for the confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. XRD analysis. XRD can be done on a number of different kinds of samples. Smallvolume of sample was tapped on microscope slide glass. The intensity of the beam used was 40 kV and 40 mA. The XRD analysis was done for the confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals and CMS particles. Morphological studies of Inorganic fillers and MMMs SEM with EDX analysis. The surface morphology of PAI polymer was observed usingthe JSM-6701F with high resolution field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with the magnification of 5000ÃÆ'-. For EDX analysis the acceleration voltage was set to 20kV and the working distance was set to 14mm. The detector was moved down to 45mm. The sample was scanned by X-rays for a time of 200s. The elemental analysis of film in order to confirm the presence of carbon was done using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) with magnification of 3000ÃÆ'- and acceleration voltage of 15 kV. After the scan was completed the spectrum was plotted using the data obtained from the scan. SEM with EDX was done for the confirmation of the CMS polymer film. TEM analysis. The sample preparation was done by sputtering the same with gold.Then the chamber door was opened and the sample was placed in the sample holder. The chamber door was closed and the required input like voltage, acceleration and time for scan were given to the system connected to the TEM analyzer. The scan was started and the results were recorded. TEM analysis was done for the size determination of the ZIF 8 nanocrsytals. FTIR analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a technique whichis used to obtain an infrared spectrum of absorption or emission of a solid, liquid or gas. An FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects high spectral resolution data over a wide spectral range. Sulfonic acid group functionality of membrane was studied using attenuated -total-reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy (Thermo scientific Nicolet iS5 FTIR spectrometer). The spectra for all dried membranes were observed from the range from 4000 to 400 cm-1 wavelength. Mechanical strength test The material strength of the membranes prepared were studied by the performing Stress-Strain tests. The Universal Testing Machine was used to perform the tests. The samples of the membranes were cut into dimensions of height 30mm, width 10mm and thickness 0.45mm. The initial gauge length was set at 20mm. The samples were placed in a sample holder one at a time and the tests were performed. The data was recorded and the graphs were plotted for respective samples. Hydrophilic nature and Porosity determination test The hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of the membranes were studied by immersing a 1cmx1cm membrane samples in different beakers each containing 20ml water. The beakers were kept on a rotary shaker for continuous mixing overnight. After 24 hours the membrane samples were taken out and the weight of the wet membranes were measured using a digital weighing balance. After that the membranes samples were dried in a vacuum oven at 60oC for 6 hours and then the weight of the dry membranes were measured similarly. The amount of water absorbed and the average porosity of the membranes were determined and the results were tabulated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Confirmation of ZIF 8 Nanocrystals The UV Visible Spectroscopy analysis was done for the primary confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. UV of ZIF 8 nanocrystals 12 10 Absorbance 8 6 4 2 0 200 212 224 236 248 260 272 284 296 308 320 332 344 356 368 380 392 404 416 428 440 452 464 476 488 500 512 524 536 548 560 572 584 596 Wavelength Series1 Figure 1 UV visible spectroscopy result of ZIF 8 nanocrystals The penetration depth was found to be directly proportional to the exciting wavelength i.e., 325nm because of decreased absorbance which is in accordance with the reference paper, Liu et aL, (2013)[1]. Therefore we can confirm that its ZIF 8 nanocrystals. The XRD analysis was done for the secondary confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. Figure 2 XRD result of ZIF 8 nanocrystals When n-butylamine is added as the modulating ligand, nearly instantaneous formation of a solid is observed upon combining the component solutions, and pure-phase ZIF-8 nanocrystals are recovered after 24 h (see XRD pattern in Figure 2). An average size of 18 nm is estimated from the broadening of the Bragg reflections. The XRD results were also in accordance with the reference paper Cravillon et aL, (2011). Hence we can confirm that the particles synthesized were ZIF 8 nanocrystals. Morphology of ZIF 8 Nanocrystals ZIF materials constitute a new distinctive, rapidly developing subclass of crystalline porous coordination polymers (PCPs) or metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The tetrahedral framework structures of ZIFs are constructed from bivalent metal cations and bridging substituted imidazolate anions and frequently possess a zeolite topology. Numerous ZIFs combine the attractive features of MOFs (diversity of framework structures and pore systems, large surface areas, post-synthetically modifiable organic bridging ligands) with high thermal and chemical stability. Figure 3 SEM image of ZIF 8 nanocrystals It is this combination of properties which makes ZIFs very promising candidate materials for many technological applications. Properties and performance of porous materials rely much on their supply as nano and microcrystals of well-defined size and shape, as is well-known for zeolites. SEM images (Figure 3) reveal that the well-defined nanocrystals have a rhombic dodecahedral shape crystal structure. Figure 4 TEM image of ZIF 8 nanocrystals TEM images (Figure 4) show roughly spherical particles being Confirmation of CMS Particles It is not possible to directly measure permeation properties of CMS particles as with CMS films, replicate mixed matrix films prepared with the two different sieves give very similar effective mixed matrix film permeation properties using powder-pyrolyzed sieves versus the film-pyrolyzed sieves. XRD was performed on the CMS films and powder, as shown in Fig. 5. The XRD diffractograms show very similar peaks and d-spacings, suggesting similar planar dimensions between the film-pyrolyzed CMS and the powder-pyrolyzed CMS, thereby confirming that the particles produced were CMS particles. CMS particles Polymer film Figure 5 XRD results of CMS particles and CMS polymer film Surface Morphology of CMS Polymer Film The CMS membrane films have an intrinsic CO2/CH4 selectivity of 200 with a CO2 permeability of 44 Barrers at 35oC. For UltemÂÂ ®-CMS mixed matrix membrane films, pure gas permeation tests show enhancements by as much as 40% in CO2/CH4 selectivity over the intrinsic CO2/CH4 selectivity of the pure UltemÂÂ ® polymer matrix. Likewise, for MatrimidÂÂ ®- CMS mixed matrix films, enhancements by as much as 45% in CO2/CH4 selectivity were observed. Effective permeabilities of the fast-gas penetrants (O2 and CO2) through the mixed matrix membranes were also significantly enhanced over the intrinsic permeabilities of the UltemÂÂ ® and MatrimidÂÂ ® polymer matrices. These encouraging selectivity and permeability enhancements confirm that mixed matrix membrane behaviour is achievable with CMS particles. Figure 6 SEM image of CMS polymer film Fig. 6 shows top surface SEM micrographs of a CMS polymer film. These micrographs show a smooth surface without any defects. Figure 7 EDX result of CMS polymer film The table below shows the EDX analysis of the CMS polymer film. The sharp Silicon peak is present due to the Silicon detector used during the EDX analysis. Table 3 EDX result of CMS polymer film Element Series unn. C norm. C Atom. C Error (3 [wt.%] [wt.%] [at.%] Sigma) [wt.%] Carbon K-series 8.50 23.61 36.45 4.40 Oxygen K-series 9.89 27.46 31.82 4.26 Sodium K-series 1.16 3.22 2.60 0.31 Aluminium K-series 4.56 12.67 8.70 0.74 Silicon K-series 9.37 26.03 17.19 1.28 Calcium K-series 2.52 7.01 3.24 0.31 Total: 36.01 100.00 100.00 The Oxygen peak is due to the oxygen present in the atmosphere during EDX analysis. The Carbon peak denotes the confirmation of the CMS polymer film prepared. As expected it shows a maximum wt % of 23.61. Cross Sectional Morphology of CMS/PAI Membranes Scanning electron micrographs of the CMS fibers are shown in figures 8, 9 and 10 Figure 4.8 SEM image of 1% CMS/PAI membrane Although asymmetry appeared to be present in the CMS fiber morphology, the thicknesses of the layers were markedly different from each other and from those of the precursor fibers (compare with those of the precursor fibers in Figure 6). The original polymeric precursor fibers consisted of a very thin dense skin (1000-2000 Ã…) on a porous core. This skin layer in polymeric fibers has been observed at very high resolution under SEM. In figure 8, high magnification of the wall in the cross section of the PAI CMS fiber reveals a gradual transition from the porous inner core to the denser outer micropore structure. In contrast, high magnification of the PAI CMS fiber shows a uniform dense micropore structure in figure 9. Figure 9 SEM image of 2% CMS/PAI membrane Figures 8, 9 and 10 show SEM micrographs of a mixed matrix film after these modifications. These micrographs demonstrate smaller CMS particles (mostly Figure 10 SEM image of 3% CMS/PAI membrane Cross Sectional Morphology of ZIF 8/PAI Membranes Figures 11, 12 and 13 shows SEM images of ZIF-8/PAI mixed matrix dense films, which indicates good contact of bare ZIF-8 to the PAI matrix without sieve-in-a-cage morphology at each loading. It is noteworthy that the good contact was achieved without any surface treatment of the sieve. This should be due to the hydrophobic nature of ZIF-8, proved by TGA measurements in reference paper Zhang et. al. (2012). Interestingly, in the SEM images of ZIF-8/PAI mixed matrix dense films, as shown in figures 11, 12 and 13, we observe a morphology that has not been previously reported in mixed matrix membranes prepared with other molecular sieves. Other than well-dispersed 10 nm ZIF-8 particles, there also exist many non-ideal large clusters of ZIF-8 with size ranging from 50 nm to several microns, which is more than an order of magnitude larger than single ZIF-8 particles. Also, volume fraction of large ZIF-8 clusters in the matrix increases with increasing ZIF-8 loading. Figure 11 SEM image of 1% ZIF 8/PAI membrane Unlike agglomerations of molecular sieve particles that have been previously reported in mixed matrix membranes prepared with other molecular sieves, the surface of these large ZIF-8 clusters as revealed in figures 11, 12 and 13 looks fairly smooth. Also, almost no defects were observed for these clusters among all the ZIF-8/PAI dense film samples. Since film samples were randomly fractured for SEM analysis, we believe that the mostly non-defective feature of these large ZIF-8 clusters shown in figures 11, 12 and 13 is representative of their interior structures. It is important to understand the formation mechanism of these large ZIF-8 clusters and their impacts on gas transport properties of the mixed matrix membrane to allow extension to practical asymmetric structures. By achieving the desired uniform distribution of individual ZIF-8 particles with the PAI matrix we can achieve outstanding gas separation results. Figure 12 SEM image of 2% ZIF 8/PAI membrane Figure 13 SEM image of 3% ZIF 8/PAI membrane The cross sectional view of the ZIF 8/PAI membranes shows good adhesion between the inorganic filler ZIF 8 and the polymeric membrane PAI. The figures show the SEM images of 1%, 2% and 3% ZIF 8/PAI membranes prepared respectively. FTIR Analysis of ZIF 8/PAI membranes The FTIR results shows that the aluminosilicates are present in the ZIF 8/PAI membranes prepared. The aluminosilicates are present due to the presence of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. FTIR Results Conjugated cyclic Aluminosilicates 120 100 %T 80 Unsaturated aromatic 60 40 20 ketoaldehydes or enols dimer esters and lactones 0 3691 2970 4000 3897 3794 3588 3485 3382 3279 3176 3073 2867 2764 2661 2558 2455 2352 2249 2146 2043 1940 1837 1734 1631 1528 1425 1322 1219 1116 1013 910 807 704 601 498 cm-1 Series1 Series2 Series3 FTIR Analysis of CMS/PAI membranes The FTIR results shows that the carbon bonds are present in the CMS/PAI membranes prepared. The carbon bonds are present due to the presence of CMS particles. FTIR Results Carbon bonds 120 100 %T 80 60 unsaturated aromatic 40 dimer ketoaldehydes or enols 20 0 Conjugated cyclic esters and lactones 3691 2970 4000 3897 3794 3588 3485 3382 3279 3176 3073 2867 2764 2661 2558 2455 2352 2249 2146 2043 1940 1837 1734 1631 1528 1425 1322 1219 1116

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Triple E Senate Of Canada :: essays research papers fc

The Triple E Senate of Canada Public interest in the Senate is currently stronger than it ever has been. Nearly everyone agrees that our present Senate is unsatisfactory. Political parties such as the New Democratic Party want the outright abolition of the Senate while others such as the Reform Party want to elect it. Since the Senate has not been considered an effective forum for regional representation- which was one of the reasons for its creation-many Canadians have wondered what reforms would allow it to perform that role better. The objectives of Senate reform are based on one idea, that of enhancing the quality of regional representation of politicians within national political institutions. Through the implementation of a Triple E Senate (Equal, Effective, Elected), a federal principle can be constructed into the national government and therefore provide a check on the majority in the House of Commons. A major function of second chambers is legislative review. This means that bills coming from the other house are examined, revised and sometimes delayed. Unless regional representation is included, the legislative review function does not examine the purpose of proposed legislation, but instead attempts to improve it technically. In federal systems, the legislative review function of the Senate is only secondary to their role in providing for representation for various parts of the country in the national legislature. Representation is selected in favour of the smaller regions, in contrast to the first chamber, where representation is always based on population. Therefore the functions associated with the Senate are legislative review and the representation of the various regions on a different basis from the lower house. The Fathers of Confederation originally intended for the Senate to play the legislative review role. As sir John A. MacDonald said, the Senate was to have "the sober second thought in legislation" and should not be "a mere chamber for registering the decrees of the Lower House". They also agreed on a particular qualification of Senators, which was intended to help them act as a check against the majority in the Lower House. This qualification has remained unchanged since 1867, but its practical meaning has long been discarded. The other major role meant for the Senate was to preserve what MacDonald called "sectional interests". It is believed that this agreement about representation in the Senate was the main factor that allowed the Canadian federation to be formed. The Senate has functioned quite effectively as a house of legislative review up to the present time, but its intended role in regional representation has not been as effectively performed. seventy-five), the Senate's ability to represent the regions of Canada has been weakened.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Pride And Prejudice :: essays research papers

Pride and Prejudice: Is it possible?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† written by Jane Austen during the nineteenth century, describes the trials and tribulations of five sisters of marrying age. The story is based in England around the turn of the century, and upon careful review, we find that many of the events do not reflect the time period. The relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy, and the Lydia-Wickham affair, are not realistic. Despite the fact that the novel is fiction, it is questionable that such events could take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Darcy first lays eyes on Elizabeth after she is pointed out to him by Bingley, his statement is not that of love, nor of fondness, rather it is one of complete disgust. â€Å"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies slighted by other men.† From Darcy’s reaction, we can only imagine what he really thinks of Elizabeth, but we are given a very good idea. This is not love at first sight, there is no attraction between the two, there is nothing at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elizabeth has an equal reaction to Darcy. When she overhears the comments he has made about her, she is anything but drawn to the man. â€Å"Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him.(pg.12)† The two seem destined to become worst enemies, in fact they seem to become anything but a couple in love, which is exactly what they end up to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon after their original meeting at the ball, Elizabeth and Darcy’s paths cross again. This time it is at the home of the Bingleys where Darcy is staying, and where Elizabeth comes to visit Jane, her ill sister. When Darcy see her this time, his reaction to her is quite different: â€Å"he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness.(pg.22)† I find it hard to believe that his impression of Elizabeth could change so drastically within a matter of days. Elizabeth, on the other hand, has a more reasonable reaction. She made no notice of Darcy’s reaction. â€Å"perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who had made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparing and Contrasting the Portrayal and Warfare in Poetry :: War Poems Jesse Pope Wilfred Owen Essays

Comparing and Contrasting the Portrayal and Warfare in Poetry War poetry A Comparattive Essay Choose two poets that we have studied so far. Compare and contrast the portrayal of warfare in four of the poems studied. This essay will compare and contrast the portrayal and warfare in four of the poems studied. The first world war was portrayed as a glorious and credible cause, fighting war for your country was deemed as the duty of any credible man. Being able to represent your country on the battlefield was the greatest honour a man could have. Men were engulfed with the idea of being able to fight for their countries futures. Women would have to do everything they could to stop their husbands and sons from risking their lives by signing up for the war. At this time poetry was written to encourage men to go and fight, poets like jessie pope who wrote war poetry enforced this view. JESSIE POPE WILFRED OWEN WHO’S FOR THE DULCE ET DECORUM EST. GAME? THE CALL DISABLED These poems were written about (and at the same time as), World War I, between 1914 to 1918. In these barbaric four years->killing spree 7 million men and leaving 17 million men injured, (physically-the war tactics resorted to the tortures of gas attacks, gun-shot wound, shell shock, starvation and exposure, to name a few...), the rest were scarred by memories never fading. World war one devastated lives and souls, time and space. But citizens back home had no way of knowing what war was capable of, without television or radio to communicate to them, they were only left to imagine the true horrors men were enduring. If people had reailsed the true extent and the horrors of what was actually happening, morale would have been severely detrimentally affected. These poems were created by the thoughts and feelings expressed by soldiers at battle. Propaganda was partially to blame for the young lives that were stolen by the war, because it encouraged men to actively volunteer for the dream of taking the empire to victory and in return recieve the pride of serving their country. Propaganda was engineered to give citizens a false impression/ illusion of positivity about the events that were truely making history horrifically, and consistently sent a message of fortitude and unity to the enemy. Men were driven by promised finicial gain, status and the chance to travel, but under such pointless pain, suffering and horror that awaited them, ready to engulf them all in battle, in such conditions as; 48 hours bomboardment, being surrounded by dead bodies, acheing (mentally, physically and emotionally), foul infestation, and living in fear and horror was not worth the cost of a

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Rationale: Learning and F-16 Falcon Paper

Rationale for Micro Teach 1 I have chosen the topic of making an F-16 falcon paper aeroplane as an ice breaking exercise; this will create a fun atmosphere and will help build a good working rapport with my students helping the students to relax making the learning environment a lot more comfortable, which in turn will aid learning. Equal opportunities are met by this topic and the method is not gender, ethical, moral or socially biased.This initial lesson will help me gain an understanding of the student’s practical skill capabilities. A practical first lesson will help me visually assess student’s ability to work with equipment and to follow simple instructions, as students progress through the harder stages of the demonstration, some students will pick up the skill almost immediately whilst others may struggle informing me of the levels that these students will learn at. Kolb learning cycle will help the students to achieve the final product.Through the actual proces s of creating the plane, students would be having concrete experience. Students will be able to observe and reflect at each stage helping them to perform each step at a time. Students will then be able to learn from the experience (Abstract Conceptualisation), through trial and error on the harder stages. Finally they will be making the final product and testing it, which refers back to the original concrete experience.The use of PowerPoint to demonstrate the processes involved will be aimed towards the learners who learn via the cognitive domain, these learners work from visual knowledge by applying the instructions. This will be white writing on a blue background to help aid any learners with dyslexia as this is a preferred visual style. Psychomotor domain learners will have the most benefit throughout the actual process of making the plane; these learners can then visually see the processes involved and will immediately be able to mimic the actions involved.There will be an under lying of the cognitive domain for these type learners to help reflect. I will have a pre-made product to show the class as an example, this type of resource can be passed around the class for all to see the method used in construction. I am able to offer assistance to those pupils who I feel may lack in confidence with practical activities, as this type of exercise will allow me to move around the classroom and see learners progress on a one to one basis.The affective domain learners will gain from personal tuition, and in return will be able to complete this exercise. As I go from person to person giving advice and hands on help, I can also mentally assess those learners in the other two domains as I see them progress. My learning objectives will be: These are obtainable and I will know that they have been achieved by the end of the lesson, through the learners answering questions and once learners have successfully made the F-16.As this is my first teaching experience I will be ne rvous but will teach with confidence, I have thoroughly researched this topic, and therefore have a strong basis of the topic being taught. Learners will see that I have a great knowledge of the subject and this will be portrayed throughout the lesson. I will achieve this by having correct posture, effective body language, and will use eye contact; I will use my voice to maintain a steady pace so that my language will flow. Whatever happens you need to cultivate a confident exterior, even if it is something of an act and you are feeling far from assured inside. † (Capel, Leask & Turner 2005)References Capel, S & Leask, M & Turner, T 2005, Learning to teach in the secondary school: a companion to school experience, London ; Routledge Kolb learning cycle [Online]. Available from : http://www. ldu. leeds. ac. uk/ldu/sddu_multimedia/kolb/kolb_flash. htm District, F D A C C 2010. Learning Domains [Online]. Available from : http://pixel. fhda. edu/id/learning_domain. html

Friday, August 16, 2019

In the country or in the city Essay

Where is the best place to raise a child, in the city or in the country? I would rather live and raise my family in the country, because of the clean environment, peaceful atmosphere, and smaller schools. My primary reason for choosing the country instead of the city is the clean environment. The air smells fresh and clean, because there are less cars creating pollution. In the city, there are busses, taxis, and cars on all the streets contributing harmful chemicals into the air. While automobiles are not the only cause of pollution, there are also more factories and plants to pollute the air. In the country, the only major industry would be farming, which does not pollute the air in any way. There are more people in the city breathing the air and less forest area to help control the pollution. Since there are less people in the country than in the city, the amount of littering on the roads is also less. The polluted air is very harmful to the human body and that is why I will choose to raise my family in the country where there is less pollution. The clean environment is not the only reason that I will choose to live in the country. Another reason for my decision to live in the country is the peaceful atmosphere. There are many more crimes committed in the city than in the country, because there is more drug use there. People with drugs are probably not going to sell them in the country, because they know they can sell more in the city. Drugs are not the only reason for the high crime rates in the city. There are shopping malls and businesses that are not in the country, which leads to more theft in the city. Also, the atmosphere in the country seems to be a much slower pace, because there are fewer people and jobs. The peacefulness in the country is very soothing and calming after a hard day at work. Also, I hope that my children will grow up to be good people, and I believe that the odds of that are much better if they are raised in the country rather than in the city. My last reason for choosing to live in the country instead of the city is that the schools in the country are much smaller than in the city. I believe  that smaller schools are better for the students. The schools in the city are much larger to accommodate the larger population of students that live there. I feel that the advantages of attending a smaller school are many. They have smaller classes, which gives the students more one-on-one time with their teacher. The teacher can really get to know each of their students and learn how they can help them be successful. In larger schools, teachers have too many students to have the chance to know each one personally, and they do not have the time to help them as much as a teacher in a smaller school. I also think it is easier for the students in a smaller school to make friends, because they get used to the same faces and know each other well. There are more students in larger schools, which will make it harder for them to get to know one another. City schools are also known for having cliques, which makes it hard for some students to be accepted by others. I believe that the smaller schools in the country are more beneficial than the larger schools in the city. In my opinion, the country is the best place to live and raise a family. I have discussed the three main reasons I chose the country rather than the city: the clean environment, peaceful atmosphere, and smaller schools. I hope others will agree that the country is the land of the free.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Organisational Behavior Notes Essay

Definition * The study of human behaviour, attitudes and performance within organisational setting to improve performance and differences. * Frameworks of theories, methods and principles from disciplines such as psychology, sociology, political * The organisational Iceberg The study of organisational behaviour embraces, therefore an understanding of * The nature and purpose of the organisation * The human element and behaviour of people * Business strategy, organisational processes and the execution of work * The process of management as an integrating and co-ordinating activity * Social responsibilities and business ethics * The external environment of which the organisation is part of and * The need for organisation success and survival. The Pyschological Contract * The PC is not a formal written document that is referred to but a people organisation relationship where mutual expectations and satisfaction of needs are implied. * Important to enhance the level of trust and teamwork. * Human capital to be seen as a responsibility and a resources to be added to * Two observations in human behaviour at work * Peter Principle * Parkinson’s law ../2 The pyschological contract: possible examples of individual and organisational expectations Individual’s expectations of the organisation * Provide safe and hygienic working conditions. * Make every reasonable effort to provide job security. * Attempt to provide challenging and satisfying jobs, and reduce alienating aspects of work. * Adopy equitable human resource management policicies and procedures. * Respect the role of trade union officials and staff representatives. * Consult fully with staff and allow genuine participation in decisions which affect them. * Implement best practice in equal opportunity policies and precedures. * Reward all staff fairly according to their contribution and performance. * Provide reasonable opportunities for personal development and career progression. * Treat members of staff wit respect. * Demonstrate an understanding and considerate attitude towards personal problems of staff. Organisation’s Expectations of the Individual * Uphold the ideology of the organisation and the corporate image. * Work diligently in pursuit of organisational objectives. * Adhere to the rules, policicies and procedures of the organisation. * Respect the reasonable authority of senior members of staff. * Not to take advantage of goodwill shown by the management. * Be responsive to the leadership influence. * Demonstrate loyalty, respect confidentiality and not betray positions of trust. * Maintain harmonious relationships with work colleagues. * Not to abuse organisational facilities such as email or internet access. * Observe reasonable and acceptable standards of dress and appearance. * Show respect and consolidation to customers and suppliers. A pyshcological contract is not only measured in monetary value or in exchange of goods or services, it is in essence the exchange or sharing beliefs and values, expectations and satisfactions. Mutuality is the base principle of the pyshcological contract and consensus or mutual understanding is the basis of mutuality. Ideally therefore self-interest should be balanced with common interest in a win-win arrangement. In the past this unspoken contract might have implied that employees could expect job security and adequate rewards from their employer in exchange for hard work and loyalty. Today’s pyshological contract may be different, in line with a changed working environment that includes factors such as increased rationalism, technological changes, and management aproaches such as outsourcing. The new pyschological contract may revolve more around an employer’s willingness to assist you in developing your skills to order to maintain your marketability. The Peter Principle This is concerned with the study of occupational incompetence and the study of hierarchies. In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence. Employees competence in their postion are promoted and competence is each new position qualifies for promotion to the next highest posotion until a position of incompetence is reached. The principle is based on perceived incompetence in all levels of every hierarchy political, legal, educational and industrial and ways in whcih employees move upwards through a hierarchy and what happens to them after promotion. Peter suggests tow main means by which a person can effect their promotion rate. â€Å"Pull and push†. * Pull is an employee’s relationship – by blood, marriage and acqaintance – with a person above the employee in the hierarchy. * Push is sometimes manifested by an abnormal interest in study, vocational training and self-improvement. In small hierarchies push may have a marginal effect in accelerating promotion; in larger hierarchies the effect is minimal. Pull is therefore, likely to be more effective than Push. Parkinson’s Law A major feature of PL is that of the rising pyramid, that is â€Å"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. There is little, if any, relationship between the quantity of work to be done and the number of staff doing it. Underlying this tendency are two statements; * An official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals * Officials make work for each other What is driving leaders & organisations behaviour? * The continuous importance that consumers base on value of product and service. * The diverse workforce is also an important factor that drives organisational behaviour. * Consumers expect that organisation understands their needs and produces top quality products at best price possible. These demands place leaders in a challenged situation by domestic and global markets and competition. What are organisational factors? * Organisational factors may be identified as the organisational environment, structure & design * Individual characteristics, group behaviour * Overall decision making * The change processes adopted by the organisation The fast momentum in any industry highlights the importance of the leader to align the human resources with the organisational factors. Framing the Organisational behaviour Organisational behaviour may be studied under the following main contributors * The environment * The individual in the organisation * Group behaviour and interpersonal influence * Organisational process Organisational environment is the external and internal environment, the legal and political constraints, economic, technological changes and development all have an impact on the decisions that are taken by the management. The individual is the foundation of the organisation performance. This should therefore highlight the importance of managing individual behaviour at any level of the organisation. There are 3 important influences that mould the individual behaviour. 1. Individual characteristics 2. Individual motivation 3. Rewards Group behaviour Groups may form either intentionally by managerial decisions or form out of individual efforts. * Formal groups are groups that were intentionally created by managerial decisions * Informal groups are groups that form out of common interests and friendships that may have a negative or positive effect and therefore affect the organisation or individual performance. * Organisational processes are the communication, the decision making and the leadership elements that the organisation fosters as part of its culture and which in turn have an impact on the general performance of the individual and collective behaviour. Factors of organisation process Communication process is the ability of management to receive, transmit and act on information. The information integrates the internal activities with the external demand and information also integrates internally the activities of the organisation. Decision making process Decisions by managers have a direct impact on the employees well being, the organisation’s resources and the design and implementation of rules in a organisation. This should illustrate the importance of managers to communicate, assess and analyse the feedback of decisions and practises in the organisation. Leadership process Leaders in an organisation may be managers and non- managers. The manager may not always be the leader, yet leadership skills contribute in attaining the set goals. Some people believe that leadership styles should vary according to the situation, other believe that one style of leadership is effective in most situations. Importance of effectiveness * Surviving in the environment * Organisation ages- it forms, develops, matures and declines Importance of the Dimension of Time Quality, productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, adaptiveness and development are 6 general categories of effectiveness criteria. Each of the categories have a time base, short run criteria – 1 year, intermediate 5 years, long run are those for which the indefinite future is applicable. Personality Individual difference and work behaviour * Individual differences have a direct effect on behaviour because peole who perceive things differently behave differently. * Individual differences shape organisaitional behaviour and consequently, individual and organisaitional success. What is the ASA framework? This is the attraction- selection-attrition to careers and organisations. * Prospective employees are attracted to careers and organisations. * Organisations elect employees on the basis of the needs of the organisation. * Attrition occurs when individuals discover that they do not belong to the organisation. Studying individual differences at the work place is important since not addressing differences among employees may hinder from achieving organisation and personal goals. Understanding work behaviour Inorder to fully understand where individual differences arise the personal environment also needs to be given attention, weight and considered. Heredity factors are also important. An effective management must; * Observe and recognise the dufferences and * Study relationship between variables that influences individual behaviour. For discussion * What are the variables at work? * Give examples of work behaviour. Can you think of how these may be fostered on connected? The following variables impact employee productivity, creativity and performance extensively; * Heredity factors and diversity * Abilities and skills * Attitudes Heredity factors Gender, race and ethnic background are all heredity factors, mental and moral differences are also influenced by genetic inheritance and such factors mould each individual which in turn have a direct effect at work behaviour. 1.a Diversity * Diversity refers to those attributes that make people different from another. Primary dimensions of diversity include age, ethicity, gender, pyshical attributes, race and sexual orientation. When an employee is harassed as a resukt of diversity, due to isolation they become less enthusiastic in their job. * Managing diversity therefore ensures that employees become top level contributors especially in today’s †¦ Abilities and Skills * Ability is a pesson’s talent to perform a mental or pyshical task. * Skill is a learned talent that a person has acquired to perform a task. * Ability tends to be stable over time while skill tends to change according to training and experience. One needs ability to be a sales executive (appearance and manners are important) yet one may attain skills with years of experience in sales. * Mental ability therefore refers to the level of intelligence including comprehension, indicative or deictive reasoning, body language, associative memory etc. * Tacit knowledge is the work related to practical know how of the employees acquired eitehr through observation or direct experience on the job. Emotional intelligence – When you probe people to get to know them more * It is important that managers assess and attest abilities and skills snice no amount of leadership and motivation can make up for such deficiencies- job analysis therefore becomes important. * Job analysis is the process of defining and studying a job interms of tasks and behaviour and specifying responsibilities, education and training needes to perform a job – therefore removes guess work when recruiting. Attitudes Attitudes are deteriments of behaviour because they are linked with perception, personaility, fdeelings, etc therfore has a certain amount of importance to the managers. Attitudes are * Learned * Define one’s predeposition towards a given aspect or situation * Provide the emotional basis of one’s interpersonal relations and identifications with other * Attitudes are close to the core of personaility * Some attitudes are persistent and enduring while others are liable to change over time. Changing attitudes at the workplace How can a manager change attitudes of his employees? The process depends on three main factors / contributors 1. The Communicator 2. The Message 3. The Situation The Communicator * If the communicator is trusted and the employees perceive the manager as having prestige, they are more likely to change their attitudes. Employees change because they try to identify with a liked communicator and tend to adopt attitudes and behaviour of the liked individual. * A manager with a low prestige is not show respect / trust by peers and superiors – therefore more difficult to change attitudes of his team. The Message * Intentional and unintentional messages are delivered through verbal and no nverbal communication by managers. * The message delivered to employees has to be clear, understandable and convincing. * Developing persuasive verbal and non verbal communication skills is essential to managers. The Situation * The managers success in delivering a change in attitude also depends on the situation when the message is being delivered. * Distraction and pleasant surroundings are two factors that facilitate change in attitude (perks, performance allowance, training opportunities†¦) Is job satisfaction an attitude? Job satisfaction results from the perception of the job itself and the degree which there is a good fit between the individual and the organisation Factors to consider * Pay – not just the pay but the perceived fairness. * The work itself – are job tasks considered interesting? Do they provide opportunities for learning and accepting further / higher responsibilities? * Supervision – technical competence and interpersonal skills of the immediate boss. * Co workers – extent to which co workers are friendly, competent and supportive. Advancement opportunities – availability of opportunities Work conditions – the physical work environment is comfortable and supportive of productivity. Job security – it is reasonable expectation that one’s position is secure and contured employment within the organisation. Job relation in relation to Job performance on Effectiveness Are these 2 factors related or dependant on each other? * Attempts by management to satisfy employees may not mean higher performance while high performance may not mean that the employers are satisfied at work. * Discuss the ripple effects of rewards, warnings, absenteeism, fair promotion etc. That these have on job performance in general. Effect on OC Personality Personality refers to a relatively stable set of feelings and behaviour that have been significantly formed by genetic and environmental factors. * The manager attempting to understand his employees must give attention to the major forces that shape personality. * Cultural forces, heredity, family, relationship and social class are all factors that mould personality. How? * Culture – society, institutes various pattern behaviour with the result that members of a culture have common personality characteristics. * Heredity – varies from personality to another but are not constant since it is associated with values or ideals (temperament) * Family relationships – the experience one has with his parents, grandmothers, other family members / life experiences. * Social class – influences one’s self perception, perception of others, of work, of authority of money factor. * Personality is therefore a product (a number of forces that together have attributed to shape the unique individual). Personality is interrelated with perception, attitudes, learning and motivation – therefore analysis behaviour is incomplete unless personality is considered. Personality and Behaviour in Organisations The big five Personality Dimensions is key in understanding organisational behaviour. 1. Extroversion (Open minded, sociable, etc) 2. Emotional (Stability) 3. Agreeableness (More open to people, challenges and change) 4. Conscientousness (to understand your people’s attraction) Other three major factors are: Locus of control This relates to the extent to which employees believe that their behaviour will influence what happens to them. (Differing personalities of Internals & Externals). Self efficacy Personal beliefs of competencies and abilities. This has an impact on Org behaviour and decisions like selection, training programmes and goal setting and performance. Creativity This is a personality trait that requires deviation from the normal thinking to produce new and useful ideas. (Think in an unconventional way). While a personality factor of the individual organisations play an important role to develop creativity at work by giving opportunities and freedom to think and come forward with new ideas. Reward winning ideas and discuss failures positively to nourish creativity all round. The Importance of Culture National Culture is the sum total of the beliefs, rituals, rules, customs, artefacts and institution that characterise the population. How organisational transactions are conducted is affected by nation’s culture and its subcultures. Values, customs and rituals of cultures do not simply appear. They are revolutionary and are influenced by politics, religion, language and cultural aspects. Managing in the 21st century For effective management understanding different cultures and various organisational cultures is important in the 21st century. ../9 ../9 Adaptation to new environment is becoming a common occurrence and although adaptation from one origin to another is always difficult, it can be better understood by learning about organisational culture. Organisational Culture Organisational culture is the shared values, norms, beliefs and norms which influence the way employees think, feel and act towards others inside and outside the organisation. OC gives unique identity to an organisation Although culture cannot be seen, it can be sensed and felt through a person’s attitudes, emotions and perceptions. â€Å"The way we do things around here† Deal and Kennedy 1982 â€Å"The collective programming of the mind†, Geert Hofstede 2001. Hostede identified four dimensions of culture: power distance, uncenrtainty, avoidance, individualism and masculinity. Power distance is essentially used to categorise levels of inequity in organisations which Hofstede claims will depend upon managment style, willingness of subordinates to diasgree with superiors, and the educational level and status accruing to particular roles. Uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to which members of a society feel threatened by unusual situations. High uncertainty avoidance is said to be characteristic in France, Spain, Germany and many Latin American societies. Individualism describes the relatively individualistic or collectivisit ethic evident in that particular society. The USA, France and Spain display high individualism. Masculinity refers to a continuum between masculine charactertistics such as assertiveness and competitiveness, and feminine traits such as caring, a stress upon the quality of life and concern with the environment. Can organisational culture be created by management? * Ann Cunliffe (2008) states that OC is important for 4 reasons *Slaps the image that the public has as an organisation * Influences organisational performance * Provide direction to the company * Help to attract and retain motivated staff Creating the desired OC may be difficult since imposing a particular culture may not be met with resistance. Why? Is disparity between what the management states as values and the reality with the employee an issue? What organisational factors may be attributed to the development of a desired OC? Communication is an organisational factor that is an important factor is developing and fostering an OC Why? Discuss with example? Communicating top down only leaves management out of touch from the real situation and may lead to a gap in culture that management wants to create another culture that actually develops. Uncover the levels of cultures Artefacts – Visible organisational structures and processes (had to decipher). Annual report, newsletter, furnishings are examples of artefacts. Espoused Values – Strategies, goals, philosophies (espoused justifications). Assumptions that tell individuals how to perceive, think and feel about work, human relationships and performance of colleagues. Basic underlying assumptions – Unconscious taken for granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings (ultimate sources of values and actions). Summary with examples of Schein’s three levels of culture * Surface manifestation of culture – most accessible forms which are visible and audible behaviour patterns and objects (observable culture, send a message) * Organisational values – the accumulated beliefs held about how work hold be done and situations dealt with that guide employee behaviour ( be honest, be creative, work hard) * Basic assumption – invisible perceptions, taken for granted understandings, held by individual with an organisation concerning behaviour, the nature of reality and its relationship to its environment (stability, excellence, quality and responsibility). Where does OC come from? Values are the basic element that distinguishes one organisation from the other. Changing organisation structure and its process will mean a change in values and therefore a change in culture. Why? Discuss the difference on a change from tall hierarchy to a change in flat hierarchy.