English essay The decline of the west Essays

English essay The decline of the west Essays English essay The decline of the west Essay English essay The decline of the west Essay West Sometimes In your life you have times, where everything do not makes sense for you. We all have bad days, button still need to find a meaning of your life. It Is Important to find yourself and live life as it is. There are also declines In the real world, for example the decline In the West. The short story The Decline of the West Is a good example of this, because the theme Is about these kinds of problems. The text Is written by Hanoi Kurdish, and the short story was published in 2010 in a collection of Hanoi Surprises stories. Mike is the main character in the short story The Decline of the West. Mike is 45 years old. He has a wife whose name is Imagine. Mike looses his job, because he gets fired and after that he thinks a life is difficult and he cant see positive things in his life. Mike is also under pressure, because the short story takes place in the middle of the financial crisis. Mike seems to be a little bit weak. Mike at forty-five, had no idea what he would do. First he had to lose everything. (Page 4 1. 1. 73-74). This quote shows us that Mike seems to be weak after he loses his Job. Mike Is also a little bit an egoist after he loses his Job. He does not care about what his family tries to say to him. Just call me the Delivery man. Thats my name. But even you might have noticed theres a financial crash taking place. (Page 5 1. 1. 147-148). Mikes wife, Imagine, tries to talk with Mike about the problems, but Mike does not want to talk with his wife. He does not want to tell her wife what was happened at his work, and it shows that Mike is a egoist. He does not care about anything. The point of view in the short story (The Decline of the West) is a limited point of view from Mikes site. We know that, because the narrator follows the main character Mike in the whole story. We are as readers able to understand (a little bit) what Mike is thinking about. I have a quote, which shows us that the point of view in the short story is a limited point of view in third person. He switched on the garden lights and, looking out at the new deck where last summer theyd held barbecues, thought, l paid for this with y time, Intelligence, and the education the state provided me with. (Page 2. L. L. 18-20). The quote shows us that it Is a Limited point of view. The narrator knows a little bit about Mike, and sometimes we are In his thoughts, but the point of view Is not an omniscient point of view, because the narrator is not omniscient about Mike. The limited point of view makes the short story more open. It gives the effect that we sometimes need to think about what the short s tory is about. We do not hear what the author thinks and it makes the short story more clear. The setting in the short story The Decline of the West is described a bit negative. In any case if we look at the relationship in Mikes family. In the beginning the setting is good. Mike is looking forward to seeing his family again. Mike had endured, and hed been looking forward to opening the door into the warm hall, hearing the voices of his wife and children. (Page 2 1. 1. 1-3). The quote shows that the setting is quite good In the beginning of the short story. The story takes place In London In the comfortable outskirts. Mikes family has a big house with five floors and off-street parking, which Is overlooking a green. In that way the setting Is also good and the environments are very well But teen setting changes quickly. MIKe loses Nils JODI Ana rater Tanat teen setting is bad. Mike cant see positive things in his life anymore, and he only thinks about himself. Family life could appear chaotic, but theirs was finely organized, with every hour accounted for. (Page 4 1. 1. 77-78). Leave me alone! Dont ever talk to me again! Buck off, evil old man, Just die! Eve been wanting to do this all day! These quotes show us (the fact) that there is a rough atmosphere in the family. The setting is described in a negatively way in the most of short story. The title is called The Decline of the West, because we can compare the short story to the decline in the West. There was a big decline in the West in the middle of the sass. Sometime in the mid-sass debt stopped being shameful and after 1989, there appeared to be general agreement: capitalism was flourishing and there was no finer and more pleasant way to live but under it, singing and spending. (Page 4 1. 1. 83-85). The quote describes a little bit the decline in the West in the middle of the sass. It is a little bit the same in this short story, but this is a personality decline. It is a decline in Mikes life, because he gets fired, and he cant see positive things in his life. How easy it was to fall, and how tempting it was suddenly would be best to die! (Page 4 1. 1. 100-101). The quote says something about the situation in Mikes life. The quote shows us that Mike cant see positive things in his life and that is why, we can say the act that there is a personality decline in the short story. dubbed!

Strategies for Writing a 20-Page Paper

Strategies for Writing a 20-Page Paper Research papers and essays can be intimidating enough as an assignment. The long paper assignment, though, can scare students into total brain freeze. If youre facing a twenty-page writing assignment, just relax and break the process down into manageable chunks. Make a Plan and Follow It Start by creating a timetable for your project. When is it due? How many weeks do you have between now and the due date? To create a timetable, grab or create a calendar with plenty of space to write on. Then, jot down deadlines for each stage of the writing process, including: Initial research. Before you can choose a topic, youll probably need to do some basic research to learn more about the general subject area youre studying. For example, if youre studying the works of Shakespeare, youll want to do some research to decide which play, character, or aspect of Shakespeares work is most interesting to you.Topic selection. After youve finished your initial research, youll want to select a few possible topics. Talk with your teacher before making a final decision. Be sure the topic is really interesting and rich enough for a twenty-page essay, but not too big to cover. For example Symbolism in Shakespeare is an overwhelming topic while Shakespeares Favorite Pens wouldnt fill more than a page or two. Magic in Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream might be just right.Topic-specific research. Now that you have a topic, you may need to take a few weeks to conduct research until you have five to ten subtopics or points to talk about. Jot notes onto note cards. Sepa rate your note cards into piles that represent topics youll cover. Organizing your thoughts. Order your topics into a logical sequence, but dont get too caught up in this. Youll be able to rearrange the sections of your paper later.Drafting. Take your first set of cards and write all you can about that specific topic. Try to use up three pages of writing. Move on to the next topic. Again, try to use three pages to elaborate on that topic. Dont worry about making this section flow from the first one. You are just writing about individual topics at this time.Creating transitions. Once you have written a few pages for each topic, think again about the order. Identify the first topic (one that will come after your introduction) and the one that will follow. Write a transition to link one to the next. Continue with order and transitions.Crafting an introduction and conclusion. The next step is to write your introduction paragraph and your conclusion. If your paper is still short, just find a new subtopic to write about and place it between paragraphs tha t exist. You have a rough draft! Editing and polishing. Once youve crafted a full draft, be sure you have enough time to set it aside for a day or two before reviewing, editing, and polishing it. If youre required to include sources, double check that youve correctly formatted footnotes, endnotes, and/or a bibliography.

The concept of globalisation and assess if globalistion brings Essay

The concept of globalisation and assess if globalistion brings economic success to all countries - Essay Example To underline the influence of the aspect of globalisation, it should be noted that globalisation manifests itself under different dimensions in the economic, cultural, health, social, political, environmental, security, and even in other spheres of the world. Nonetheless, the focus of this expose will discuss globalisation within an economic perspective with globalisation defined as the process of economic integration based on the exchanging of products, worldviews, various aspects of culture, and ideas within an economic perspective (Margalit, 2012). Advancements in technological, transportation, and communication infrastructure have promoted an interconnection between nations in the world. Hence, trade activities have intensified across the world leading to a new phenomenon known as international trade, which is a result of globalisation. International trade underlines a situation whereby various jurisdictions exchange each other in the exchange of services and goods across international territorial boundaries (Ingham, 2004). In this case, international trade has become synonymous with globalisation as nations increasingly engage in business with each other at the international front. Each nation has a unique domestic market. Hence, the effects of globalisation on each market vary due to its uniqueness and various determining factors. Some national markets are filled with products from other countries with domestic products suffering especially in instances whereby the cost of production in a specific country is high. These effects are due to the integration of global markets with each nation’s market incorporating various aspects of the global market with producers focusing not only on the domestic markets, but also expanding their production to reach the global markets (Intriligator, 2003).. Integration of markets within the global economy has occurred through various approaches. Among them, Mussa (2000) identifies interactions between individuals as the

History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

History - Term Paper Example New Confucianism became the dominant political ideology for nearly 1,000 years to come. In fact, the rise of money economy along with new systems of landholding and taxation that took over in the middle of the Song Dynasty changed the Chinese economy throughout its history† (232). During the Song Dynasty, â€Å"the severe restrictions on women began to appear, and with the rise of Neo-Confucianism, women’s roles began to diminish and to receive strict definition. The boundary of activities for women revolved merely within the family’s needs† (Tierney, 232). II. Discussion â€Å"The feudal China made women more submissive to men† (Fan, 196). It was during this time women stayed at home, took care of the household chores, bear children, reared and nurtured them. â€Å"This became the most significant role of women who were merely associated as men’s attachments, slaves and possessions† (Fan, 196). â€Å"Footbinding became the ultimate to ol to deny women the physical expression of freedom† (Fan, 196). It became a symbol of oppression as women because victims of physical and psychological abuses. â€Å"More often than not, a woman accepted her own physical castration and acknowledged herself as inferior and accepted the negative roles of femininity. Footbinding was therefore the pre-eminent symbol of sexual oppression† (Fan, 196). The late nineteenth century was the period when anti-footbinding campaigns began in China. It was during the visit of Helen Snow to Yan’an in 1939 when she noticed that most of the women in that area, including peasants had bound feet. It was during this time when equality between men and women was declared by women’s associations. The rationale behind the practice of foot-binding among Chinese women is that â€Å"it marked the beginning of the womanhood of a young girl† (Rosanlee, 143). It became a family affair and not just a private occasion as the mothe r of the young girl sought the â€Å"divine blessings prior to the commencement of footbinding† (Rosanlee, 143). It became a part of the family’s heritage, as the â€Å"technique of footbinding varied not just from different regions, but from different families as well, and was sort of knowledge and work that was passed on from mothers to daughters and from aunts to nieces† (Rosanlee, 143). â€Å"Correct attire was a sign of civility of Wen, the woman’s needlework and artifacts, whose meaning encompasses not only literary patterns of artifacts and clothing† (Rosanlee, 144). In the seventeenth century, â€Å"footbinding in China was regarded as: First: an expression of Chinese wen civility; Second: a marker of ethnic boundaries separating the Han from the Manchu; and Third: an ornament of the body that is the correct concealment of the female body† (Rosanlee, 144). III. Conclusion Chiu Chin became a symbol of freedom and liberation among Chin ese women. â€Å"Towards the end of her short life, she became one of the most passionate and influential among revolutionaries and was beheaded by the still-ruling Manchus when she was only 31 years of age. Before her death, she fought valiantly for the rights of the women, the poor and the oppressed†

To what extent does success in china depend on businesses Essay Example for Free

To what extent does success in china depend on businesses Essay Success for a business in a large market such as china can be a very difficult thing to achieve; there are many factors that can affect the success or failure of a business that decides to merge into Chinas markets. Most people would assume that due to the very large population of china (roughly 1. 35 billion/l ,363,496,913) operating a business there would not be a problem, this however is incorrect, Just because there is lots of people there doesnt for a minute make it any easier to set u-p and run a successful business. The main point I would say that is essential to success in china s adaptation. If a business is able to adapt well to its surroundings, i. e. the ability to easily change its products and services to match the needs of the local consumer. Just because a company has been successful in other large countries with big markets, does not mean that they have what it takes to succeed everywhere. Being able to change a product range, or the way a service is provided to the consumer needs to be carried out in order to do well in China. Take for example Starbucks coffee, what Starbucks did right in China is a perfect example of how food brands can ucceed despite rising labour and real estate costs, and increased competition on the Mainland. Instead of trying to force onto the market the same products that work in the U. S, such as whip cream-covered frozen coffee concoctions, Starbucks developed flavours (such as green tea-flavoured coffee drinks) that appeal to local tastes. This change in the products that Starbucks offer is the reason why people in china bought into the Starbucks chain, by seeing products that they would normally drink, and having drinks made to their own needs and wants Starbucks was able to cater recisely to what they wanted by doing research into what would work well. As well as the products, Starbucks also changed the way in which the consumers actually got their drinks. Rather than pushing take-out orders, which account for the majority of American sales and is how they made such a big empire, Starbucks adapted to local consumer wants and promoted dine-in service. Making their chain stores very traditional and fitting with the local culture. Surprisingly Starbucks charges as much as 50% more for some of its products in China than in the U. S. , the U. K. and India, but yet it is still a huge success, this is because the business catered well for the needs and adapted. Carrying a Starbucks cup is seen as a status symbol, a way to demonstrate sophistication and the capability to afford a personal luxury for the up- and-coming middle class in China. This links into the brand recognition that Starbucks has created for itself and shows how they carefully targeted their products at the new middle class, it is estimated that its more than 300 million, already larger han the entire population of the United States. This middle class is about 25% of the total Chinese population and as Starbucks has such a recognisable brand people are more liable to visit the store. However, that being said some large companies have tried to adapt for the Chinese markets, and failed despite their efforts.

Pregnancy in the Military :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the United States military moves towards a more bi-gender dependant force, it will be necessary for leaders and managers to combat the growing increasing of junior enlisted pregnancies. Through leadership skills, communication, and understanding the causes of the problems, leaders will be able to lower the rate of pregnancy, henceforth, increasing fleet readiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To even consider any type of resolution or solution to the problem of pregnancy amongst junior enlisted members, we must first analyze the concept of fleet readiness and the units that comprise it in today’s military. As the post-Cold War military is downsized to fit the new world order and the decreasing defense budgets, there is increasing concern about the readiness of the military. If the military is called upon to achieve our national objectives, will they be where they are needed, when they are needed, and prepared to perform their missions? Since no one wants another episode of the ill-equipped, poorly trained â€Å"hollow force† that existed in late 1970’s, both President Clinton and former Secretary of Defense Perry cited readiness as the top defense priority.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The joint forces Publication 1-02 defines readiness as the ability of forces, units, weapon-systems, or equipment, to deliver the outputs for which they were designed (this includes the ability to deploy and employ without unacceptable delays).2 In other words, deployability of servicemen/women and equipment to accomplish tasks around the globe is paramount. With this broad definition of fleet readiness, we can determine that the deployability of junior servicemen and women is a major factor to accomplishing fleet readiness within any force. While junior enlisted personnel comprise the majority of service people deployed throughout the world, this paper will explore the impact of the junior enlisted servicewoman and how different factors within command climate cause pregnancy to be a fleet readiness problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since readiness of the military is a high priority issue, Public Law 103-337, Section 533 requires the Department of Defense to submit an annual report on readiness factors by race and gender, beginning in FY96. As part of this report, deployability trends must be tracked. To ensure the data is reported correctly, a contract was issued to Logistics Management Institute to provide â€Å"a comprehensive analysis of the impact of non-deployable personnel on readiness. This study will also look at the degree to which individuals in active component units, who are non-deployable, are adversely affecting readiness.†1 With all the attention being given to readiness, it is important to understand some of the factors that may impact readiness

Loneliness is an important theme in ‘Of Mice and Men’ Essay

In ‘Of Mice and Men’, there are three lonely characters. Candy, Crooks and Curleys wife. The novel is set in the 1930’s, and shows you what living conditions certain people were under. Candy is an old man, who has been working on the ranch, for years. He’s got his hand cut, by accident, and since then, he has always been at risk of getting fired. He’s a very lonely character, because of his age, and because he doesn’t spend time with the other workers, due to his accident. He has had a dog, since it was a puppy. And it seems that his dog, is the only loyal friend he has got. But since Carlson, has shot his dog, he has been feeling lonelier than ever. There is a lot of age discrimination. And everyone sees him as an old man, waiting to die. There’s a big comparison between Candy and his dog. His dog is also old and lonely, and Carlson wanting to shoot it, is like saying that Candy’s time is over as well. Also Candy feels guilty not shooting his dog himself, instead of a stranger (Carlson). â€Å"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shooting my dog.† Candy’s dog was more than just a dog to him, it was his companion. Crooks is another lonely character in the novel. He has been working on the ranch, for a long time, and he also is injured. A horse kicked him on the back, and now he can’t stand up right. He lives in the stable buck, and keeps himself occupied with books. One of the books he has got is a copy of the ‘California Civil Code’ for 1905. I think he had this book to remind himself, that he has rights, even though he is black. Nobody will give him these rights though. I think he is the loneliest character in the novel. This is because his only communication is with the Boss, and his son Curley. As their conversations, are only about work, they don’t have a friendship with each other. But he still keeps his pride, for example, when Lennie comes to his room; he says, â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† He says that, even though he really wants to talk to somebody. But he assumes, that Lennie has the same attitude, as other white people. That’s why he says; he doesn’t want him in his room. But as he finds out, that Lennie’s ‘mind’ is like a kids, so he doesn’t share the same opinions about black people as white’s, he doesn’t mind him in his room. Crooks starts telling/asking Lennie what he would do if George didn’t come back, that indicates, that he is explaining how it is for him, how he hasn’t got anyone to confront. Then Lennie and Candy start telling Crooks about their dream. Then Crooks says, â€Å"†¦If you†¦guys would want a hand to work for nothing – just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to.† Curley’s wife is the only female in the novel. Her status as the Boss’s son’s wife doesn’t make any difference on the ranch. As other male workers won’t associate with her, as they will get in trouble, with Curley, who is her jealous husband. She married Curley, not because she loves him, but because of his status, wealth and because she wanted to get away from home. She doesn’t have any friends, so therefore, to have conversations with the male workers; she has to flirt her way. She is very beautiful, and the workers find her very attracting. But because they don’t want to get into trouble, they try to stay away from her, by for example saying â€Å"Maybe you better go along your own house now. We don’t want no trouble.† She knows that they all fancy her in some way, e.g. â€Å"Funny thing, if I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad.† Because of the time and place (1930’s, Soledad), Curley’s wife, as a woman, don’t have as many rights as men, and living on a ranch with male workers, doesn’t make it any easier. In the novel, Steinbeck, has written Curleys’s wife’s character, so we wouldn’t have any sympathy for her. This might suggest that, he wants, to show/tell us, that men didn’t give any sympathy to women either. Lennie likes Curley’s wife a lot, because of her looks. So Curley’s wife takes advantage of that, by trying to build up a ‘friendship’ with him. Also to show him, that what the other male workers are saying isn’t true. That she can be sensitive, and that she isn’t trying to cause trouble to anyone. For example when she lets Lennie touch her hair, â€Å"Course I brush it a lot. That makes it fine. Here – feel right here.† She also tells Lennie about her dream, her dream to become an actress. She confines in him, because she thinks that he’s the only one who wants to listen to her. He’s a listener.

Nirma University CSR Activity Essay

Nirma is one of the few names – which is instantly recognized as a true Indian brand, which took on mighty multinationals and rewrote the marketing rules to win the heart of princess, i.e. the consumer. Nirma, the proverbial ‘Rags to Riches’ saga of Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, is a classic example of the success of Indian entrepreneurship in the face of stiff competition. Starting as a one-man operation in 1969, today, it has about 14, 000 employee-base and annual turnover is above Rs. 25, 00 crores. India is a one of the largest consumer economy, with burgeoning middle class pie. In such a widespread, diverse marketplace, Nirma aptly concentrated all its efforts towards creating and building a strong consumer preference towards its ‘value-for-money’ products. Now, the year 2004 sees Nirma’s annual sales touch 800,000 tones, making it one of the largest volume sales with a single brand name in the world. Looking at the FMCG synergies, Nirma stepped into toilet soaps relatively late in 1990 but this did not deter it to achieve a volume of 100,000 per annum. This makes Nirma the largest detergent and the second largest toilet soap brand in India with market share of 38% and 20% respectively. It has been persistent effort of Nirma to make consumer products available to masses at an affordable price. Hence, it takes utmost care to provide finest products at the most affordable prices. To leverage this effort, Nirma has gone for massive backward integration along with expansion and modernization of the manufacturing facilities. The focal objective behind modernisation plan is of up gradation with resource-savvy technology to optimise capabilities. Nirma’s six production facilities, located at different places, are well equipped with state-of-art technologies. To ensure regular supply of major raw materials, Nirma had opted for backward integration strategies. These strategic moves allowed Nirma to manage effective and efficient supply-chain. Nirma has always been practiced ‘value-for-money’ plank. Nirma plans to extend the same philosophy in categories as commodity food products, personal care products and packaged food. Distinct market vision and robust infrastructure allowed Nirma to have cost leadership. Apart from this, lean distribution network, umbrella branding and low profile media promotions allowed it to offer quality products, at affordable prices. The man behind the success of Nirma phenomenon – Dr. Karsanbhai Patel is a recipient of various awards and accolades. He has been bestowed with various awards like†¦ COMPANY VISION Nirma is a customer-focused company committed to consistently offer better quality products and services that maximise value to the customer. This customer-centric philosophy has been well emphasised at Nirma through: Continuously exploring & developing new products & processes. Laying emphasis on cost effectiveness. Maintaining effective Quality Management System. Complying with safety, environment and social obligations. Imparting training to all involved on a continuous basis. Teamwork and active participation all around. Demonstrating belongingness and exemplary behaviour towards organisation, its goals and objectives. Nirma is a phenomenon and synonymous with Value for Money. The brand transcends the specific dynamic of any particular product category, which is best captured in its above mission statement – a statement of sustained innovation, an unceasing effort to deliver better value to consumers, through better product quality. OBJECTIVE To know what is Corporate Social Responsibility To know wearies CSR by NIRMA To know effect of CSR by NIRMA on society. CSR ACTIVITY BY NIRMA Nirma’s vision visualizes itself as a vibrant, pro-active and widely admired, ethical corporate citizen. Nirma believes that exemplary achievements on the business points are not enough in the making of a good corporate citizen. In fulfillment of this role as a responsible part of the society and environment in which one operates, Nirma has undertaken a host of activities in the educational and social development areas. Realizing the significant role of education – especially technical and managerial in socio-economic development of the nation, Nirma played a vital role by establishing the Nirma Education & Research Foundation (NERF) in 1994. Recently, this Foundation has been awarded University status. This status gives way to shape up and expand into a body providing education in other courses like medicine, nursing, biotechnology, etc. along with the existing courses under a single roof of Nirma University. Today, this state-of-the art academic infrastructure runs various institution bodies such as Institute of Technology, Institute of Management, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Diploma Engineering. These all institutions are located in a disciplined, serene and pleasant environment. The campus blends beautifully with the green landscaping, aesthetic elegance of arches and the vibrant pursuit of knowledge by the young aspirants. The environment gives full scope for gr oup activities, which are plenty, as also to individual pursuits for development on preferred tracks. Education Institute of Management Institute of Technology Institute of Diploma Studies Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Nirma Labs Another contribution of Nirma with an objective to nurture, promote and facilitate potential entrepreneurs in their pursuit of knowledge based large-scale wealth generation for stakeholders and society. The prospects will undergo the program of grooming and incubation at Nirma Labs, and will then be supported to build the incubated ventures with appropriate support. Nirma has already contributed Rs. 350 million for the development of these institutes, an amount, which is likely to rise further to Rs. 500 million. The infrastructure facilities created here are of international standards and they have already become models for similar institutes. Plans are underway to start Post Graduate & Research Courses in Management and Technology, as well as an IAS training center and a programme in Masters of Computer Applications. Nirma Memorial Trust and Nirma Foundation Nirma Memorial Trust looks after deprived women in Gujarat. It builds Ashrams and guesthouses for pilgrims and the elderly. The Nirma Foundation, set up in 1979, contributes towards the running of schools, colleges, temples and social institutions, within the state and outside. Chanasma Ruppur Gram Vikas Trust In Mehsana of which Mr. K. K. Patel is the founder trustee and President provides education, maintenance of public health and related facilities in rural areas. The trust has started several institutions in Ruppur, including the Arts & Commerce College, and an ITI training institute and a ladies hostel REFERENCES http://www.nirma.co.in/images/comimg/corp_presentation.swf http://www.nirma.co.in/social_responsibilities.htm http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/definition.php http://www.nirma.co.in/images/comimg/corp_presentation.swf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp http://mhcinternational.com/articles/definition-of-csr

Human Resource Management Training and Development

Human Resource Management Training and Development Introduction Every business enterprise aims at making profits by minimising operational costs. Although expenditure is inevitable, every business enterprise, regardless of its size, applies every possible strategy available to ensure maximum returns. Employee training and development is one of the key aspects that most companies factor into their expenditure in the determination of their priority expenses and long-term business development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management: Training and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the choice of strategy mainly depends on the available resources to a company, it may also be a result of the choice of human resource management models. Some companies prefer to hire individuals with the skills that suit the job description while others choose to employ individuals with basic knowledge of the job and conduct private training in order to cu stomise the employees’ skill set to suit their purpose. While both methods work, they possess different advantages and disadvantages, as well as impacts on the companies and employees. This paper explores a case study of two different companies and provides a concise analysis of their choice of managerial models. It also includes a discussion on some of the lessons that managers can learn from the case study mainly with regard to inter-related human resource policies and practices. Case study analysis Total Customer Services (TCS), an outsourced group of housing benefits caseworkers, applies the use of contracts that encourage and enforce specialisation among workers. In essence, the management format involves the distribution of specific duties for each worker. The company strictly stipulates the duties in a contract, which means that workers lack any mandate beyond their stipulated duties and only apply the use of specific skills in the accomplishment of such duties. The co ntracts also require employees to exercise a huge degree of disclosure to management regarding their actions. The main advantage this arrangement has for the workers is that they can perfect the skill they apply at work, which makes their work easier with time (Leitch 2006). Another advantage is that the disclosure policies allow the management team to detect problems as soon as they arise, thus solving them before they do damage to the business. However, this management model has several disadvantages. First, the restrictive manner in which the management governs the employees means that the employees lose their autonomy and are unable to make critical decisions in time, as they have to consult the management as the contract stipulates (Goleman 1998). Subsequently, the company suffers undue delays in solving trivial problems that would be better suited to the employees in charge. For instance, one of the caseworkers mentions that one of their obligations as caseworkers under TCSâ⠂¬â„¢s management was to fill out paper work and pass the forms to the local authority for approval instead of providing approval when necessary. A logical assessment of such a situation would indicate that the council lost a lot of valuable time that it would otherwise apply in improving its operations and raising its performance levels.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another disadvantage related to lack of autonomy is the lack of innovative solutions to problems. By providing that the employees should not operate outside their contractual duties, the contract and in extension the company, bars the employees from providing different perspectives on issues, which is an advantage they possess owing to their extensive experience dealing with one particular issue. In the case study, a worker in the company indicates that caseworkers have the advantage of dealing with the same case over a long period and thus know their clients’ names, addresses, and their needs. This aspect is a taxing oversight for the company as it fails to exploit its work force to its full potential. The second major disadvantage of the TCS contract system is that it fosters the decline of valuable skill among the employees (Keep Mayhew 2010). By giving specific tasks to specific people, the company hinders the improvement of other skills that employees may possess that would benefit the company. Looking at the issue from a financial perspective, the company fails to make potential savings on expenditure available through encouraging the application of multiple skills by its workers. It would take fewer workers to accomplish numerous tasks if each worker had the ability to perform two or more different tasks at the company. It would also solve problems that result from understaffing from time to time. In turn, the company would benefit from savings in salaries and w ages providing funding other projects (Evans Lindsay 2004). The local authority applied the use of TCS to outsource employees as a measure to counter its underperformance in the housing benefit department. However, substandard training of recruits is one of the vices caseworkers state to hinder the improvement of the company’s performance. It would thus benefit the company to save more money through employment of fewer workers use of savings from salaries and wages to improve training standards. The second company in the case study that serves comparative purposes is Scotchem, a large pigment manufacturing company in London. Scotchem’s management takes a different and liberal approach to employee management. Although the company also applies the use of contracts as part of the employment requirement, it strives at maintaining the autonomy of its employees, thus creating a friendlier environment conducive for innovation and overall development for the company. Unlike T CS, Scotchem has created a system under which employees interact with suppliers and consumers on a personal level. In essence, the company thrives on relationships and their resultant loyalty. The system at Scotchem forms the definition of a collaborative organisation (Morgan 2012).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management: Training and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the main advantages with this model is that the employees retain some degree of autonomy. Autonomy is an important ingredient in providing innovative solutions for the company as well as improvement of products and ensuring that the company retains its competitive edge. Lack of excessive restrictions on employees enables them to explore numerous options, thus providing objective insight on the accomplishment of their roles. Allowing employees to interact with customers ensures that the company produces products that offer consumer satisfaction without compromising the company’s need to keep expenditure levels low. Secondly, fostering relationships within and outside the company enables easy flow of useful information that would otherwise not be accessible for the company (Buckingham Coffman 1999). For instance, by using one supplier over a long period, the company has built trust, which has in turn enabled the supplier recommend the use of quality material at reasonable prices. Not only does such a relationship ensure that the company produces quality products through financially sound means, it is a great contributor to consumer satisfaction and builds the company’s reputation. The third advantage of the liberal nature of Scotchem’s management system is that the management enjoys a time advantage, which provides more room for the company improvement (Covey, Roger Merill 1994). By reducing the company’s human resource management role to supervision, the system all ows the management more time to deal with, solve company problems, and strategise on any necessary improvements. The fact that TSC’s model requires managers and supervisors to play an active role everyday denies them the opportunity to observe keenly and correct errors in service delivery and consumer satisfaction issues. Scotchem’s human resource management department plays a supportive role by enabling workers to feel a sense of ownership in the overall success of the business. Another advantage worth noting is that Scotchem provides its workers with more permanent contracts, thus creating a sense of job security, which is a crucial component in the determination of employees’ behaviour at work. Employees with better job security tend to work harder resulting in improved productivity for the company (Carre et al. 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Permanence also enables employees to improve their skills and learn from others, hence improving the overall quality of their work (Porter Tanner, 2011). It also ensures that the company benefits from its employee-training program as workers get to apply their skills to the company’s benefit, which is a vital factor in determining the quality of training that companies give employees. It is very probable for Scotchem to give better quality training than TCS considering TCS’s employee turnover. Lastly, the collaborative nature of Scotchem’s model allows for teamwork, which is essential in the achievement of the company’s goals. By working as a team, the employees consolidate their efforts towards a common goal, thus reducing instances of rivalry among employees that usually results from unhealthy competition among co-workers (Mintzberg 2008). It also ensures that both the management and employees maintain their focus on attaining the company’s goal s regardless of whether the means to that end appear in their employment contracts. The only possible foreseeable disadvantage with the liberal method is that empowering employees enough to explore solutions outside the company may lead to leakage of information such as trade secrets, especially in cases where the employee feels short-changed. However, the model’s advantages far outweigh its disadvantages, thus making it a better option in comparison to the TSC’s model. Lessons from case study The main lesson that the case study imparts is that the application of a liberal approach to governance such as the one by the Scotchem Company ensures some level of employee autonomy, which has more advantages than disadvantages to the overall development of the company. Employee autonomy fosters the formation of networks, innovation, and teamwork. Secondly, although training employees makes them better suited to their tasks in a company, high employee turnover erodes the benefi ts employees have to offer the company through the application of their skills. In the end, the company suffers loses both in finances and skills. In addition, multi-skilled employees provide better value to the company as it reduces the need to employ numerous individuals to perform even the most trivial tasks. This aspect saves the company money for other projects such as improvement of training programs. Thirdly, the supportive management method that comes with collaborative managements provides time for company managers to observe the company and make diagnostic strategies for the improvement of a company’s gain. Human resource managers should also implement policies that provide practicality, such as allowing employees the opportunity to make emergency decisions that relate to their duties as long as they do not jeopardise a company’s success in achieving its goals. Conclusion Every company has a right to select a management method suitable to the achievement of i ts overall goals. However, it is important for the management to consider the welfare of the employees, especially with regard to training and retention of autonomy in the performance of duties. Reference List Buckingham, M Coffman, C 1999, First, break all the rules: what the world’s greatest managers do differently, Simon and Schuster, New York. Carre, F, Findlay, P, Tilly, C Warhurst, C 2012, Are bad jobs inevitable?, Palgrave, London. Covey, S, Roger, A Merill, R 1994, First things first, Free Press, New York. Evans, J Lindsay, M 2004, The Management and control of quality, South-western Cengage Learning, Mason. Goleman, D 1998, Working with emotional intelligence, Jossey Bass, San Francisco. Keep, E Mayhew, K 2010, ‘Moving beyond skills as a social and economic panacea’, Work, Employment and Society, vol. 24 no.3, pp.565-577. Leitch, S 2006, Prosperity for all in the global economy- world-class skills, The Stationery Office, London. Mintzberg, H 2008, M intzberg on management, Simon and Schuster, New York. Morgan, J 2012, The collaborative organisation: A strategic guide to solving your Internal business challenges using emerging social and collaborative tools, McGraw Hill, New York. Porter, L Tanner, J 2011, Assessing business excellence, Taylor Francis, London.

What is a Plot Point How To Identify Turning Points in Books

What is a Plot Point How To Identify Turning Points in Books What is a Plot Point? We’ve all read a book without a plot point, or, should I say, without a point to the plot. Every story needs a beginning, middle, and end - we’ve known that for about two thousand years, thanks to good old Aristotle. But it doesn’t stop there.In this article, we’ll show how plot points are used to move organically from the beginning to the middle to the end. Then, we’ll cover the difference between a plot point and plot and why it’s important to identify plot points. Finally, we’ll map two popular books by only their plot points.So†¦What is a plot point?A plot point is an incident that directly impacts what happens next in a story. In other words, it gives a point to the plot, forcing the story in a different direction, where otherwise it would’ve just meandered.Any event in a story can be significant, but if it does not move the story forward, it is just a point in the plot- not a plot point. The latter must:Move the sto ry in a different direction.Impact character development.Close a door behind a character, forcing them forward.Think of it like a bolt, holding your story together: without it, you just have separate pieces of scrap metal. But connect them together and they form a whole, each piece informing the event before it and after it. (image: Harper Row)Clocking in at barely 300 words, Sendak’s classic children’s book has a predictably simpler plot than The Handmaid’s Tale. And yet, broken down in the same way, it is surprisingly comparable. It has a beginning, middle, and end, with two Plot Points to transition between and one at the Midpoint altering the course of the story. It also has a narrative Hook, a handful of Pinch Points, and a Resolution.Laid out by only its plot points, Where the Wild Things Are would look like such:Hook: Max is mischievous and dresses like a wild thing.First Plot Point: His mother yells at him and he yells back.First Pinch Point: She sends him to bed without dinner, so he sails to where the wild things are.Midpoint: They make him king of all wild things.Final Pinch Point: He sends them to bed without dinner, then realizes he’s lonely and wants to be loved.Final Plot Point: He journeys back home.Resolution: He finds his dinner waiting for him, still hot. 7 Plot Points of Where the Wild Things Are. What do they mean for your book? Where the Wild Things Are is a tightly structured story that moves naturally in a full circle and ends satisfactorily. More importantly, its bare bones bear uncanny resemblance to The Handmaid's Tale - and countless more stories in the Western canon.Once again, these authors surely did not adhere to strict, structural guidelines in plotting these stories. All good stories simply flow in similar ways, ways that keep the attention of the person being told. In order to keep it flowing and not dribbling, keeping your plot points in mind is crucial.What other stories could you break down by plot points? Tell us the 7 plot points of your favorite book in the comments below.

Political Anthropology Power, Ideology & Inequality Essay

Political Anthropology Power, Ideology & Inequality - Essay Example It was feudal kingdoms of Europe, which associated the word 'civilization' with their culture, way of life, religious beliefs and political system. Other cultures were addressed as 'uncivilized': "The comparison was a series of forced understanding and a justification to carry and implant civilization in the rest of the planet, which had been declared either lacking some properties or having them in excess." (Jameson and Miyoshi, 1998, p. 33). This was the first attempt of expanding own way of life on others, later on labeled 'globalisation'. Globalisation is the right of the strongest - this 'core feature' has remained in almost primeval form. Western civilization unites the most developed countries of the contemporary world into a hegemony inducing its culture to the rest of the planet. There is no constant leader of this expansion: "At any one time a single state can be number 1 among the Great Powers... This was the case with Britain in the mid-nineteenth century and with the United States from 1945 to the 1970s" (Agnew, 1998, p. 7). Through this form of hegemony understandings and practices regulating world politics originated from Europe become dominant. Advocates of globalisation often speak of 'new choices' brought into regions. 'Global' gives a new perspective to 'local', therefore producing new ways of life: "More persons in more parts of the world consider a wider set of 'possible' lives than they ever did before. recently, whatever the force of social change, a case could be made that social life was largely inertial" (Appadurai, 1991, p. 197). Influencing on local traditions with a global view is meant to give bigger picture of the world we live in. Sadly, this good intention has a horrible implementation in violent propagation of 'better' or 'more civilized' culture destroying local way of life too often. Meanwhile there is a clear variance between theoretical debates on globalisation (how should it be) and its practical side (how is it in reality). "By encouraging students to display their virtuosity in abstraction, the discipline brackets questions of theft of land, violence, and slavery - the three processes that have historically underlain the unequal global order we now find ourselves in" (Krishna, 2001, p. 401). Indeed, the means of globalisation repeatedly look horrible in comparison to its ends. Globalisation habitually serves as an excuse for further expansion and the theory silently turns away from how locals are given these 'new possibilities of life'. While modern culture obliges globalisation to avoid the unnecessary violence, there are more effective ways of influencing local cultures. Countries of western civilization have enough economic power at their disposal to make 'brute force' avoidable. "The countries that form the Group of Seven, with their 800 million inhabitants, control more technological, economic, informatics, and military power than the rest of the approximately 430 billion who live in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America". (Hetata, 1998, p. 274). Capitalist culture uses its power for indirect methods of control, such as informational dominance. Information is the key to control - this simple truth has already become moss-grown. Culture is based on the knowledge people accumulate through their lives and transfer to