Modern and Ancient Interpretations of Xerxes Essays

Ancient and modern sources present differing views of Xerxes. It’s difficult to make a judgment of Xerxes character and effectiveness as a King since there is a bias in a majority of these sources. Ancient Persian Ancient Persian sources are mostly inscriptions and reliefs found in Persepolis though there are also inscriptions found in other parts of the Persian Empire. An example are the Daiva inscriptions â€Å"A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth †¦ who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many†. This states that Ahuramazda made Xerxes king and supports Xerxes. It emphasizes his right to rule through divine sanctions. In many bas-reliefs Xerxes is much larger than his counterparts. The size of the king, the robes†¦show more content†¦Xerxes gets angry and has Pythius’ eldest son cut in half and orders the army to march between the two halves. - Another example is Xerxes having the engineers of the Hellespont Bridge executed after the bridge was destroyed. This is contradicted by ancient Persian archaeological sources where Xerxes claims that he is â€Å"not hot tempered†¦I am ruling firmly over my own will† Aeschylus - The Persians Aeschylus’ The Persians is an Athenian tragedy with a moral purpose designed to reaffirm the power of the Greek gods. In the play, Xerxes’ invasion of Greece is presented as an example of hubris or excessive pride, which must be punished by the gods. Xerxes actions lead to the downfall of his empire and the demoralization of Xerxes. The Persians was written for a Greek audience so naturally it is biased and inconsistent. Modern historians present Xerxes in a less biased light however; they share differing opinions on his success as a king and as a military commander. Olmsted states, â€Å"Against one military failure†¦must be placed a whole series of victories†. Victories include Xerxes extensive building programs and swift suppression of Egyptian and Babylonian revolts. Olmsted also presents a negative image of Xerxes toward the end of his reign, stating that his failed expansion into Greece carried â€Å"deadly consequences.† Olmsted presents Xerxes as a good king, planner and architect but a failed military commander. Callender Another modern historian isShow MoreRelatedI See Xerxes As An Effective King Or Bumbling Tyrant1856 Words   |  8 PagesXerxes the Great, King of Persia and Media, Pharaoh of Egypt, the Great King, the King of Kings, and King of Nations. Throughout history, the view of Xerxes has varied, and depending on which historian you spoke to, and their context, you would hear a completely different story. Some said Xerxes signalled the downfall of the Persian empire, but others say he was an effective king marred by plain bad luck. It is my goal to delve into the vast range of sources on Xerxes and his reign, rise to prominenceRead MoreHistorical Accuracies in the Snyders Film 3001593 Words   |  6 Pages300: Historical Accuracies in the Snyders Film Introduction Herodotus and Zac Snyder have at least one thing in common: they both portray the ancient Persians in very unflattering terms. The grim, ghastly, almost monstrously barbaric (yet weirdly effeminate) features of the Persian leader Xerxes is one of the most visually arresting elements of Snyders film 300 (based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller). How historically accurate is the film? Considering the fact that Snyder shot almost the entiretyRead MoreThe Book Of Esther, The Holy Bible1288 Words   |  6 PagesJewish history and its overall themes are expressed through The Book of Esther, which is in The Holy Bible. This sacred text takes place in 486 BC, when King Xerxes I ruled Persia. This story is an historical interpretation of the life of Queen Esther along with the lives of the Jewish people. Even though The Book of Esther is only ten chapters, it contains many rich themes. Also, the characters exercise many different traits such as: fortitude, empathy, and divine providence. Th e Book of EstherRead MoreThe Battle Of Thermopylae 480 Bc2759 Words   |  12 Pagesnote. The rough estimate of the Greek Defenders numbered from 4000-7000. They were able to hold of the Persians for a couple of days, until Xerxes the Persian king discovered a pass to outflank the Greek defenders, thus allowing him to slaughter the Greeks. Thermopylae was in all respects a defeat. The Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC was a significant battle in ancient history and others would speculate that it is primarily important for Western Culture. Though the battle had resulted in defeat it had echoedRead MoreEssay about The Mystery of the Battle of Thermopylae2087 Words   |  9 PagesThe Battle of Thermopylae was fought between alliances of Greek city states, which were led by King Leonidas of Sparta, against the Persian Empire led by Xerxes over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium, in August or September 480 BC, at the pass of Thermopylae (The Hot Gates). The event was later recorded by Herodotus, who interviewed the surviving soldiers and Greeks. When it comes toRead MoreCompaing Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield and the Film 300 Essay2569 Words   |  11 Pagesand the decedents of Herakles decided the course of western civilization. Three-hundred brave, free citizens of Sparta defended the â€Å"Hot Gates,† a narrow mountain pass in northern Hellas, against 2 million servants of the self-proclaimed god-king Xerxes. For 3 days, the Lakedaemonians made the savages pay so dearly they lost the taste for battle. However, this heroic effort would prove insufficient and the Persian swarm was too big to fail. The historical events are compelling on their own butRead MoreAthenian Democracy and Divination Essay2601 Words   |  11 Pagessuch as crop failure or drought. This is illustrated in the Homeric epics, which depicts numerous oracle interpreters, such as Calchas, consulting oracles on domestic, as well as, military decisions. Divination was a guiding authority in ancient society. However, during the fifth and fourth century BC, the democratic establishment and the dominance of politics, overtook the importance of divination, so that decision making occurred in democratic assemblies, with the use of Read MoreEssay about Ancient History: Sparta 98% Assesment Mark6373 Words   |  26 PagesANCIENT HISTORY ASSESMENT: SPARTA By Jorge T What are the main features of Spartan government in the period to 500BC?: HOW SPARTAN CONSTITUTION/GOVERNMENT CAME TO BE: Throughout the Greek world at this time, a great period of expansion and colonization took place, chiefly due to land hunger. Sparta attacked neighboring Messenia and engaged in a series of wars, reducing the population to serfdom. The success in these wars enabled Sparta to double the agricultural resources. At some point

Rousseau’s Theory about Education Free Essays

â€Å"The neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore.†-Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft believed that children should be allowed to grow freely and learn to use their education practically. We will write a custom essay sample on Rousseau’s Theory about Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now Children would then grow up to be free thinking adults that would keep soceity from becoming materialistic and oppressing. Nonetheless, they vehemently disagreed on who should receive such an education. Rousseau thought that only males, because they are stronger should receive such and education. Wollstonecraft believed everyone, no matter what sex, should be able to be educated to reform and better society as a whole. Though both their works were considered extreme, they are both apparent in the public education system of today. Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) and Rousseau (1712-1778) both agreed that society oppressed human kind, but Wollstonecraft felt that men were oppressing women. They both believed that education should mean letting children grow freely and placing little restrictions. They should protect them from immediate dangers and provide food and shelter. They should not, however, force books and controlled learning upon the children. He thought that children should also develop common sense and each child would choose whatever interests him to study in greater detail. He thought that this method of education would produce a well balanced, free thinking child. Therefore this would lead to a natural society rather than a materialistic one. Rousseau†s theory of natural education was not intended for all children. He felt that girls should be limited motherhood, and how to be a wife. To Rousseau, women exist in order to serve man, because they are weaker. Wollstonecraft stated that women should be taught medicine in order to take care of parents, infants, and husbands properly. She endorsed equal education for all children no matter what the sex. They should not only be taught the same things, but should be taught together, to learn social interaction they would encounter as adults. Girls and boys would attend day school together and then boys would be sent to their apprenticeships and girls would learn how to sew and other skills. Wollstonecraft tried to prove that by denying a woman†s education you are denying her the ability to raise children adequately. Therefore it would benefit both sexes if women were properly educated. Rousseau was applauded for advocating human rights and natural education but when it concerned women he broke no new ground. He actually promoted women†s role as a wife and mother present to serve her husband. He stated that because women were weaker physically that their minds were as well. Wollstonecraft upheld his philosophy of natural education to encourage individual freedom to benefit society. However, she detested his treatment of women. She advised that women and men should both be educated, and educated together. Both of Emile and The Vindication of the Right†s of Women were considered radical, they were both revolutionaries. Emile impacted practical applications, and the exploration of natural curiosity in education. Wollstonecraft†s radical idea of educating boys and girls equally, and together are applied on public education today. How to cite Rousseau’s Theory about Education, Papers

Beowulf Society Essay Example For Students

Beowulf Society Essay Beowulf Society The earliest known manuscript of Beowulf is thought to have been written in the tenth century, however, the poem had most likely been told as an oral tradition for centuries before that. In fact, the poems events date back to the sixth century. However, because there is only one manuscript of Beowulf still in tact very little is known about the poem or its author. The poem does, however, give us great insight into the culture of the people who composed and told this epic tale. Because the poem was performed orally mainly between the eighth and tenth centuries, but dealt with subject matter of centuries earlier, it is difficult to decipher and separate the cultural context involved in the poem from one century to the next. The poem was probably unrecognizable from its original state after two hundred years of oral tradition that would have changed its content drastically. The storyline of the poem, the battles and significant events, probably maintained most of their identity while the cultural context took on another form more suited to the current culture of the people. By the time it was written, in 1000, the poem was probably most representative of the tenth century culture yet it still managed to tell a story similar to the original version. Beowulf, then, gives us a significant insight into the cultural views of the tenth century Anglo-Saxons including their political, social and moral views. The individualistic society was just beginning to replace the tribal system in which no individual had been seen as more important to the success of the tribe than any other. The individuality that Beowulf displayed helped establish new rules in society. Beyond this, Beowulf gives us an even greater insight into middle ages society. Woven throughout almost every aspect of their culture and the poem are very strict moral codes and values. Loyalty, honesty, family ties, courage and even Christianity play a major role in this epic poem. In each of the stories told throughout the poem elements of these values are openly displayed. All three of Beowulfs battles demonstrate qualities deemed virtuous and essential to the people of the middle ages. Beowulf, a godfearing, heroic warrior, first faces a monster that represents all things evil. The monster is a descendant of Cain, a bloodthirsty avenger of man and an outcast. Beowulf confronts this evil figure without any fear and without the aid of any manmade weapons of war. The strength of the wickedness is outmatched by the goodness and purity Beowulf. Only because Beowulf displayed no fear and used no weapon was he able to destroy this wicked force of destruction. The hero, Beowulf, is glorified more for his virtue than for his strength in defeating the monster. For those who displayed no virtue, despite their valor, the consequence was quite different. Ecgtheows son, who displayed no bravery, for example, had been despised for a long while, for the Geats saw no spark of bravery in him (75). The true hero of the middle ages managed to maintain a balance between his personal glory and maintaining the good of his people. As we see in later stories of this period, like the Arthur stories, this is a very delicate balance. Beowulf became a folklore hero because he maintained this balance well. He displayed personal heroism while at the same time keeping his priorities towards the safety of his people. Beowulfs first attack on the monster Grendel displayed many qualities that were significant in a hero of that time. First of all, Beowulf was not called upon to save the Danes from Grendel. Instead, he came on his own accord, out of duty and principle. .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .postImageUrl , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:hover , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:visited , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:active { border:0!important; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:active , .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8 .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6bfcb5dd394eecf0752152d23dcd73e8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Multiculturalism In Canada Essay He took responsibility upon himself in a situation that required none. The individualistic society did not require that an person remain part of the tribe, but rather encouraged them to seek adventure while doing good. Beowulf recognized his physical strengths and he utilized them for personal gain and glory and the good of the nation. Beowulfs second battle with Grendels mother is quite similar to the first. However, because Beowulf brought along a sword as protection he is seemingly less pure and as he attempts

Cadbury Essay Example

Cadbury Essay Cadbury Dairy Milk  encapsulates an enormous breath of emotions, from shared values such as family togetherness, to the personal values of individual enjoyment. It stands for goodness. A moment of pure magic! Cadbury Dairy Milk  (CDM) entered the Indian market in 1948, and since then for consumers across India, the word Cadbury has become synonymous with chocolate. CDM  remains at the top of the Indian chocolate market not only because of its most delicious, best tasting chocolate but also because of its memorable communication. Cadbury India is a food product company with interests in Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks, Snacks, and Candy. Cadbury is the market leader in Chocolate Confectionery business with a market share of over 70%. Some of the key brands of Cadbury are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Perk, Eclairs, Celebrations, Temptations, and Gems. In Milk Food drinks segment, Cadburys main product Bournvita is the leading Malted Food Drink in the country. * Sell thr ee kinds of confectionery: chocolate, gum and candy * Operates in over 60 countries. * 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers. * 187 years old. * 45,000 people are employed CURRENT MARKET SITUATION The chocolate market in precedent years has been witnessing tremendous growth in terms of value as well as volume. The governance of the market is maintained by large international giants through franchisee and expansion into new markets which is leading to the growth of the chocolates market in India. The Indian chocolate industry has registered a growth of 15% per annum from 2008 to 2012 and is projected to grow at an even higher rate in the future. The industry has a positive outlook due to rising per capita income and the gifting culture in the country. According to this report, the er capita consumption of chocolates is increasing in the country which will continue to increase market revenues. It is expected that Indias chocolate industry will be growing at a CAGR of 23% by volume between the years 2013-2018 and reach at 341609 Tons. Dark chocolates are expected to account for the larger market share when compared to milk and white chocolates in the comi ng years. The introduction of medicinal and organic ingredients in the manufacturing of chocolates has led to a new trend and development in the country, which will be adapted by major manufacturers to remain active in the market. We will write a custom essay sample on Cadbury specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cadbury specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cadbury specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Indian chocolate market is getting bigger and better. While on one hand, the premium segment (composing imported varieties) is opening up on the other, companies like Cadbury India are launching indigenous product made to international standards. Of the 20,000 tons chocolate market worth about   Rs. 400 crore, Cadbury account for about 70% followed by Nestle, with a share of around 20%. Amul has about 5% of the market, with minor player taking the rest. The battle, though, is between Cadbury and Nestle. Though with a much smaller portfolio, Nestle is putting up a tough fight. From a treat for kids, chocolate are now being positioned near meal substitutes, thanks to the initiative taken by the Cadbury India during early nineties. The market itself has become broader based, in the sense adults are an important target segment now. The reposting of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in 1994 as the ‘real taste of life (through the Slice of Life and Cricket commercial by Ogilvy and Mather) grew the entire milk chocolate by 20%, and gave the Cadbury’s range – 5 Star, Gems, Eclairs, Fruit amp; Nut, Crackle, Nutties, Butterscotch amp; Tiffns – a new lease of life. In other words, it facilitated the repositioning of Cadbury’s sub brands in the basket. Some of the strategic clicked, while other did not quite take off. The company is pushing the gifting segment, through occasion linked gifts. Chocolates contribute to 64% of Cadbury’s turnover. Confectionary sales accounting for 12% of turnover is contributed largely by Eclairs. The company attempted expanding its confectionary product portfolio, with launch of sugar based confectionary goodly and fruits, without much success. Cadbury also has a strong brand bornvita in the malted health drink category which account for 24% of turnover. There exists an even larger unorganized market in the confectionary segment. Cadbury has 4% of the market share in this segment. Leading national players are nutrine, Parry’s Ravalgoan, Candico, Parle, Joyoco India and Perfetti, the MNCs such as Joyco and Perfetti have aggressively expanded their presence in the country in the last few years. Malted food drinks category consists of white drink and brown drink. White drinks accounts for almost two third market of the 82,000 for market south and east are large market for drinks, accounting for largest proportion of all India’s sale. Cadbury’s Bourn Vita is leader in the brown drink coca based segment in the white drink segment Smith Kline’s Horlicks in the Nestle Milo , GCMMF nitramul and other Smith Kline brand Boost, Maltova and Viva Cadbury bold 14% market share in food drinks segment. Despite tough market condition and increased competition Cadbury managed to record a double digit (11%) top line growth in 2000. The company achieved a volume growth of 5. 2%. This was achieved through innovative marketing strategies and focused advertising campaign flagship brand Dairy Milk. Net profit rose sharply by 41. 8% to Rs. 520 million. Reduced material and energy cost and tighter control over working capital over working capital and capital expenditure enabled the company to improve the profitability. Company added 8 million new consumers and saw its outlets grow to 4. 5 lakhs and consumer to 60 million. In the food segment, Britannia is the leader brand with 21% among those who expressed an opinion saying that they like advertising for the brand Cadbury was clearly No. 2 with 18% to which CDM throw in its weight with 13% and perk with 4%. For the Chocolate Company, Khane Walo Lo Ko Khane Ka Bhanna and the Karwa Cauth, Sports are clear winners. Tied for the brand place are Amul, Parle and south based Arun Le Gram with 5% each. Disappointment among bid brands Kissan and Maggi and Kwality Walls (1%) each. MARKET DESCRIPTION * The chocolate market in precedent years has been witnessing tremendous growth in terms of value as well as volume. The governance of market is maintained by large international giants through franchisee and expansion into new markets which is leading to the growth of the chocolates market in India. Indian chocolate industry has registered a growth of 15% per annum from 2008 to 2012 and is projected to grow even at a higher rate in future. The industry has a positive outlook due to phenomenal growth in the confectionery industry, rising per capita income and gifting culture in the country. * According to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"India Chocolate Market Forecast amp; Opportunities, 2018†,  the  per capita consumption of chocolates is increasing in the country which will continue to flourish the market revenues. It is expected that India chocolate industry will be growing at the CAGR 23% by volume between the years 2013-2018 and reach at 3,41,609 Tons. The dark chocolates are expected to account for the larger market share when compared to milk and white chocolates in the coming years. The introduction of medicinal and organic ingredients in the manufacturing of chocolates had led to a new trend and development in the country, which will be adapted by major manufacturers to remain active in the market. * Sweet-toothed Indians have increasingly moved towards premium chocolates due to growing preference for better quality chocolates. Consumption of premium chocolates by rural consumers also witnessed a sharp rise in 2012. Interestingly, small pack sizes experienced a rapid increase in sales across rural areas and tier III cities owing to the affordability attached to it. In line with the preference for small pack sizes, volume sales of mini chocolates launched by Mars also started to emerge in 2012. * India has always had a sweet tooth, and chocolate is fast becoming its favorite treat, ahead of sugar candy, with an annual market growth rate of 15%. Cadbury’s now owns 70% of the market, introducing innovative products that can survive in the extreme heat. Global market share by region, 2011:| Western Europe 32%| North America 20%| Asia 17%| Latin America 13%| Eastern Europe 12%| Middle East and Africa 4%| Australasia 2%| PRODUCT REVIEW Cadbury India Ltd. is a part of Mondelez International. Cadbury India operates in five categories – Chocolate confectionery, Beverages, Biscuits, Gum and Candy. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are  Cadbury Dairy Milk, Bournvita, 5 Star, Perk, Bourneville, Celebrations, Gems, Halls, Eclairs, Bubbaloo, Tang  and  Oreo. Our core purpose make today delicious captures the spirit of what we are trying to achieve as a business. In India, Cadbury began its operations in 1948 by importing chocolates. After over 60 years of existence, it today has six company-owned manufacturing facilities at Thane, Induri (Pune) and Malanpur (Gwalior), Bangalore and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) Hyderabad and 4 sales offices (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai). The corporate office is in Mumbai. Cadbury India enjoys a value market share of over 70 percent  in the chocolate category and our brand  Cadbury Dairy Milk (CDM)  is considered the gold standard for chocolates in India. The pure taste of  CDM  defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer. In the Milk Food drinks segment our main product is  Bournvita   the leading Malted Food Drink (MFD) in the country. Similarly in the medicated candy category Halls is the undisputed leader. We recently entered the biscuits category with the launch of the Worlds No 1 biscuit brand  Oreo. Since 1965 Cadbury has also pioneered the development of cocoa cultivation in India. For over two decades, we have worked with the Kerala Agricultural University to undertake cocoa research and released clones, hybrids that improve the cocoa yield. Our Cocoa team visits farmers and advises them on the cultivation aspects from planting to harvesting. We also conduct farmer meetings amp; seminars to educate them on Cocoa cultivation aspects. Our efforts have increased cocoa productivity and touched the lives of thousands of farmers. Hardly surprising then that the Cocoa tree is called the Cadbury tree! CONSUMER TRENDS 1. Mithai- the traditional Indian sweats is getting substituted by chocolates among upwardly mobile Indians. Instead of buying sweats on Raksha Bandhan, sisters prefer offering chocolates to their brothers. This is the reason for sudden spurt in advertisement between July amp; Sep by  most of the companies. . The range and variety of chocolates available in malls seems to be growing day by day, which leads to lot of impulse sales for chocolate companies. 3. Chocolates which use to be unaffordable, is now considered mid-priced. Convenience over Mithai in terms of packaging and shelf life in making both middle class and rich Indians opt for chocolates. 4. Designer chocolates have become status symbols. They are linke d to one’s aspiration and lifestyle and malls are perfect points of sale as people usually are happy and gay at these destinations. 5. Cadbury initial communication for Celebrations was concentrated on occasions like Diwali and Rakshabandhan. Over the last seven to eight years, the brand emerged as a good gift proposition for occasions and enabled people to come closer. Research done by Cadbury suggested that they should extend the plank of occasion-based gifting to social gifting i. e. all-year-round gifting options. 6. Consumers can choose from wide range of chocolates, which initially was limited to Milk chocolates like Dairy Milk and Milky Bar. In past few years we have seen so many SKUs with almonds, raisins and all sort of nuts. And how can we forget latest 5 star crunchy and Ulta Perk, which has opened new windows for consumers. 7. In past, consumers had negligible inclination for dark chocolates. But now we have seen a change in the Indian palate, which is increasing the base of this sub-segment. COMPETITIVE REVIEW * Cadbury India continued to enjoy dominance in chocolate confectionery and is set to hold a value share of 56%, followed by Nestle at 22% in 2012. The two leading companies have enjoyed established presence in chocolate confectionery for years. However, the two companies lost shares to Mars and Ferrero India, which are gradually gaining ground in chocolate confectionery. * Chocolate and confectionery makers say adult consumption of chocolates and candies is growing at the fastest pace in India, and companies like  Mondelez, Mars, Nestle,  Perfetti Van Melle,  Parle  and  ITC  are launching new products and brands that target the grown-up. * These days there are over 50 good chocolate brands available in India and all of them are doing good business. Some of them are: Amul, Nestle, Ferrero Rocher, Mars, SK Industries, Campco, Hershey Company. Market Analysis We have already completed the first level of analysis in identifying the driving forces that lead to changes in our industry. The next step is to analyze individual consumers (individuals, and organizations) and to set out our primary and secondary segments or target markets. Customer Need Analysis Key Customer Groups Customer Needs 1. Children 1. Desire for Chocolate 2. Youth2. Gift 3. B2B 3. Revenue generation (Distributer, Wholesaler, Retailer and All type of channel members) 4. Parents 4. Care of own children 5. Old age 5. After having lunch or . Dinner as sweet Product Review I. Chocolate amp; Confectionary 1) Dairy Milk 2) Fruit amp; Nut 3) 5 Star 4) Break 5) Perk 6) Gems 7) Eclairs 8) Nutties 9) Temptation 10) Milk Treat II. Beverages III. Food Drinks 1) Bourn vita 2) Drinking chocolate 3) Cocoa CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION * Cadbury dairy milk  are sold directly to wholesaler and  retailers. * Cadburys distribution network encompasses  2100  distributors  and 50,000 retailers. * Consumer base of over 65 million. * Cadbury reaches 0. 6 million retail outlets. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength 1. Very strong brand equity in India. 2. Due to its 54 years presence in India – has deep penetration – 2100 distributors; 450,000 retailers, 60 mid urban (22%) customers. 3. Three sectors; Chocs (70% share), Confec (4%), food drinks (14% leader in brown segment). 4. Low cost of production due to economic of scale. That means higher profits. Better market penetration . 5. Second best manufacturing location throughout Cadbury Schweppes. Weakness 1. Poor technology in India compared to current international technologies (Godiva, Mozart, Fazer, Dint, Naushans, etc ) 2. Ltd. Key products, only one central brand (CDM). Pralines range totally wising in India. 3. â€Å"Make in India† tag once the economy opens up wore and imports rush in. Opportunities 1. Tremendous scope for per capita consumption (160 gms of 8 – 10 kg) 2. Increasing per capita national income resulting in higher disposable income. 3. Growing middle class and growing urban population. 4. Increasing gifts cultures. 5. Substitute to â€Å"Mithais† with higher calories/cholesterol. 6. Increasing departmental stores concept – impulse @ at cash counters. 7. Globalization: optimal use of global Cadbury Schweppes. Threats a) Major:- Due to low cost and highest brand equity, it is success in India. b) Minor:- Globalization will bring in better brands for upper end of the market (Lint, Hershey’s, Monarch, Godiva, etc†¦) 5 P’s Of Marketing 1 PRODUCT I. Chocolate amp; Confectionary 1) Dairy Milk 2) Fruit amp; Nut 3) 5 Star 4) Break 5) Perk 6) Gems 7) Eclairs 8) Nutties 9) Temptation 10) Milk Treat II. Beverages III. Food Drinks 1) Bourn vita 2) Drinking chocolate 3) Cocoa 2 – Pricing Make no mistake. Second P of marketing is not another name for blindly lowering prices and relying on this strategy alone to increase sales dramatically. The strategy used by Cadbury’s is for matching the value that customer pays to buy the product with the expectation they have about what the production is worth to them. Cadbury’s has launched various products which cater to all customer segments. So every customer segment has different price expectation from the product. Therefore maximizing the returns involves identifying right price level for each segment, and then progressively moving through them. Dairy Milk Rs. 15 Perk Rs. 10 Star Rs. 10 Fruit and Nut Rs. 22 Gems Rs. 10 Nutties Rs. 30 Bournvita (500 gm) Rs. 104 Drinking chocolate Rs. 65 3 Physical Distribution – â€Å"Place† Distribution Equity: It takes much more time and effort to build, but once built, distribution equity is hard to erode. The fundamental axiom of Indian consumer market is this: You can set up a state-of –the-art manufacturing facility, hire the hottest strategies on the block, swamp prime television with best Ads, but the end of it all, you should know how to sell your products. The cardinal task before the Indian market in managing is to shoe-horn its product on retail shelves. Buyers are paying for distribution equity not brand equity and market shares. Why does the company need distribution equity more in India? With technology and competitive pressure slash in it is becoming increasing difficult for marketers to retain a unique product differentiation for long period. In a product and price parity situation, the brand that sells more is the one that reaches the highest number of customers. India – 1 billion people, 155 million household has over 4 million retail outlets in 5351 urban markets and 552725 villages, spread cross 3. 28 million sq. km. elevision has already primed and population for consumption, and the marketer who can get to the to the consumer ahead of competition will give a hard – to – overtake lead. But getting their means managing wildly different terrains-climate, language, value system, life style, transport and communication network. And your brand equity isn’t going to help when it comes to tackling these issues. Own distribution network consist of clearing and forwarding (Camp;F) agents amp; distribution stockiest. This network of distribution can either contact wholesalers and which in turn retailers or the distributors can contact to the retailers directly. Once the stock product reaches retailers, the prospective customers can have access to the product. Cadbury’s distributes the product in the manner stated above. Cadbury’s distribution network has expanded from 1990 distributors last year to 2100 distributors and 4,50,000 retailers. Beside use of TI to improve logistics, Cadbury is also attempting to improve the distribution quality. To address the issue of product stability, it has installed visi colors at several outlets. This helps in maintaining consumption in summer when sales usually drops due to the fact that the heat affects product quality and thereby off takes. Looking at the low penetration of the chocolate, a distribution expansion would itself being incremental volume. The other reason is arch rival Nestle reaches more than a million retailers. This increase in distribution is going to be accompanied by reduction in channel costs. Cadbury’s marketing costs, at 18% of total costs, is much higher than Nestle’s 12% or even pure sugar confectionery major Parry’s 11%. The company is looking to reduce this parity level. At Cadbury, they believe that selling confectionery is it like selling soft drinks. 4 Promotion Effective advertising is rarely hectoring or loudly explicit†¦. It often both attracts and generates arm feelings. More often than not, a successful campaign has a stronger element of the unexpected a quality that good advertising shares with much worthwhile literature. To penetrate into the inner recesses of customer memory, communication must first ensure exposure, grab his attention evoke his comprehension, grab his acceptance and then extract retention competing with thousands of other units of communication trying to do the same. Finding showed that the adults felt too conscious to be seen consuming a product actually meant for children. The strategic response addresses the emotional appeal of the band to the child within the adult. Naturally, that produced just the value vacuum that Cadbury was looking to fill. Thereafter it was the job of the advertising to communicate customer the wonderful feeling that he could experience by re-discoursing the careful, unselfish conscious, pleasure – seeking child within him – and graft these feeling onto the Ad campaign like â€Å"Khane Walon Ko Khane Ka Bahana Chahiye† for CMD and â€Å"Thodi Si Pet Pooja – Kabhi Bhi Kahin Bhi† for Perk have been sure shot winner with the audience. Whirl with the new launched temptations with the slogan â€Å"Too To Share† the communication resolves around the reluctance of a person who’s got their hand on a bar of temptation to let anyone else to have a bite. As well as outdoor and radio ads, ad agency contract has created communication for cinemas and even ATM machines for the brand. All ICICI’s ATM a message flashes on the screen as soon as customer inserts his ATM card. It tells the customer that this would be good time to get out of his temptation since he/she is bound to be alone. Something familiar is planned for phone-book as well. In cinemas, Cadbury as a message on-screen just before the lights are dimmed to give them a chance to get their temptations. There will also be after dinner sampling in restaurants – to begin with, 30 catteries in Mumbai have been selected. The next round of activity will include the wafer-chocolate Perk and the Picnic bar, which has faced problems with its taste, because of the peanut it contains. Milk treat has also been launched in a module bar form, just in time of Diwali gifting market. Eclairs has got potential for much wide distribution, in a small sweets that airlines, hostels, and up market retail outlet offer to guest and customers. Ad spend in 2000 was about 14% of sales and the management said that plans to maintain as spend at this level in the current year also. Ad since any discussion today would be incomplete without mention ‘e’ word, the management plans to tap this new channel of marketing. Beside three company website (i. e. www. cadburyindia. com, wwww. bourvita. com, www. cadburygift. com) that the company has launched, it had also entered into various marketing relationship with other portals, specially targeted during festivals and events such as Valentine’s Day, etc†¦. It’s a combination of spiffing up its key brand, researching and improving the newer products that haven’t taken off, supported with high ad – spends that Cadbury hopes will see it emerges stronger after the current slowdown, as well as expand the market. 5 Positioning In the 1970s consumers were ready to pay â€Å"more for more†, and luxury goods flourished. In the 1980s, consumers began to demand â€Å"more for same†, and the discounting era grew strong. Today’s consumer demanding â€Å"more for less†, and the winner will be that super value marketers†¦. Some of today’s most successful companies recognize those customers are more educated and able to recognize true customer value†¦ Positioning is simply concentrating on an idea – or – even a word defines that company in the mind of the consumer. It is more efficient to market one successful concept to one large group of people than 50 product or service ideas to 50 separate group†¦ repositioning is a must when customer attitude have changed and product have strayed away from the consumer’s long standing perception of them†¦ Cadbury’s is an anchor in sea of confectionary products. As a variety of competitive claims assails her senses, today customer uses complicated decision making process to assess the alternative before making a purchase. Since Cadbury’s is more clearly associated with a particular set of attributes in terms of benefits and prices, the quicker becomes her search process. Positioning of individual product: 1) CMD: is and always remain flagship brand. The punch by the company for advertising this product life. ‘Real taste of Life’, itself defines the positioning of the product. The chocolate is meant for all age groups. It symbolizes fun, enjoyment, good items. It has goodness of milk, taste and appetite appeal. 2) 5 star: although positioned internationally as an energy bar, 5 star was positioned on an emotional platform in India during the late 1980s. Symbolizing togetherness, 5 star was originally targeted at teenagers. In June 1994, the company reworked the strategy for 5 star to make it a source of energy. In fact, before the launch of Perk, 5 star’s energy bar positioning made it a snacking chocolate. 3) Eclairs: competing in the chewable toffees segment. Eclairs was re-launched during the mid-nineties with a new name, Dairy Milk Eclairs. 4) Gems: broadcasting Gems, though, didn’t prove to be feasible proposition for Cadbury. Targeted at children under 12 years with ‘Gems Bond’ advertising. Cadbury decided to sell it to teenagers with the ‘Smart Very Smart’ campaign. But now, the company is retargeting children with its animated commercial. â€Å"Gems are the best brand to speak to children. Colorful chocolate buttons appeal most to children and that is why Cadbury is re-targeting children. † ) Crackle: it was the first Cadbury’s chocolate to have crunch in it. It was targeted as a funky chocolate to add spark to life. 6) Perk: in September, 1995, Cadbury preempted the launch of Nestle’s Kit-Kat by rushing a new brand, Perk into the market. Positioned much further on the functional scale of 5 star, Perk was meant to be light snack-product for subduing the first pangs of hunger. 7) Bournvita: positioned as tasty health drink. While its competitors concentrated only on health aspect, Bournvita combined the nutritious value   with taste. PREPARED BY: Kunal malik

Taiwanese Development Model Essays - Taiwanese Culture, Republics

Taiwanese Development Model Essays - Taiwanese Culture, Republics Taiwanese Development Model According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U.S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The growth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT"S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers salaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports. The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education ezdards rose the citizenry demanded a shift away from hard authoritarianism. Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 by a developmentalist power, Japan to which is had close ties even after 1950. Second, Taiwan was the recipient of financial aid during its critical early years because of a inter-core competition for hegemony between China and the United States. Third, Taiwan benefited by having a implacable foe with a very different vision of development. Fourth, Taiwan was given breathing space following 1949, this enabled Taiwan to revive production and consolidate power without foreign powers interfering. All these factor make Taiwan unique from other nations that would try to copy it. One of the elements that nations should not copy from the Taiwan Model according to Gold is Taiwan's harsh authoritarian government which was much too strictly authoritarian and had a hard time changing as the attitudes of the Taiwanese people changed. (Gold's book was published years before the 1996 democratic elections in Taiwan) But Gold does say that Taiwan's development model does have some lessons that could be copied in other nations seeking to industrialize. These are a official commitment to development, land redistribution, fostering of agriculture, creation of extra-ministerial ministries to guide development, strategic credit allocation, collection and efficient management of data concerning the economy, investment in infrastructure and human capital, and proper allocation of foreign assiezce. Taiwan's development model was a combination of an orwellian state and effective ways of industrializing. Taken as a whole the repressiveness of the Taiwanese model makes it undesirable for government to adopt; but other aspects of Taiwan's industrial policy could prove effective for countries outside of the pacific rim.

Writing Compare and Contrast Essays

Writing Compare and Contrast Essays Before you begin to draft a compare and contrast essay, you should brainstorm by creating a Venn diagram or a chart to list the ​pros and cons of each subject you are comparing to another. The first paragraph of your compare and contrast essay should contain references to both sides of your comparison. This paragraph should end with a thesis sentence that sums up your overall purpose or results, like this: While city life brings many social opportunities, country life can provide the best of both worlds. Comparison essays can be constructed in two ways. You can focus on one side of your comparison at a time, describing the pros and cons of one topic first and then moving on to the next topic, like the example here: Cities have lots of great restaurants.City life offers culturally diverse populations.Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.Country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.Country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural exposure.Entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.Summary paragraph You could instead alternate your focus, covering one after the other in a back-and-forth pattern. Cities have lots of great restaurants.On the other hand, country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.But entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.City life offers culturally diverse populations.However, country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural exposure. Make sure that each paragraph contains a smooth transition statement, and end your essay with a sound conclusion. Country Life or City Life? City Country Entertainment theaters, clubs festivals, bonfires, etc. Culture museums historic places Food restaurants produce Some ideas for your compare and contrast essay might make your work easier. Think about the following topics and see if one feels right for you. middle school and high school experiencepizza and spaghettidoing household chores or doing homeworkprivate school and public schoolattending big university and attending small collegecomparing two gamescomparing two types of phoneslaptops to tabletscomparing two teaching stylescomparing English to Spanishowning a dog and owning a cattravel abroad and domestic travelgrowing up rich and growing up poortalking to dad and talking to momhaving a sister and having a brother If the list above doesnt appeal to you, it may spark an original idea that fits your situation. This type of essay can be a lot of fun!

Internal and external (domestic and foreign policies) changes in the Essay

Internal and external (domestic and foreign policies) changes in the US since 1980 - Essay Example When George bush was appointed president, he appointed an experienced team that runs all matters of foreign policy (Beisner 90). He rejected many of Clinton’s policies and adopted others that were from a unilateralist approach. In his term, several international treaties were not implemented, and new realism was adopted as the new policy. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 on the United States led to major changes in the foreign polices of the country, and adopted an overwhelming priority, which was war on terrorism (Beisner 91). The domestic policies that were in place during the cold war focused on supporting businesses and expansion of opportunities of people who fall in the middle class. As a country, the United States has a history of promoting and disregarding human rights abroad; however, it has a mixed record at home (Beisner 49). The federal branch of the government continues to support the use of abusive counterterrorism policies. The criminal justice system employs policies that are marred with racial disparities and harsh sentences (Beisner 57). The US has undergone several changes in the foreign and the domestic policies. These policies are implemented with the aim of establishing better lives and security for American citizens. This paper has been a discussion of the changes that have taken place in the domestic in addition, the foreign policies of the country since

DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Essay Example Nevertheless, one main issue remains to be satisfactorily resolved and it involves accurate measurement of the occurrence of plagiarism. Scholars have relied on student reporting of their own and their peers’ plagiarising behaviour in obtaining such measures. Although, scholars may obtain useful data this way, the method develops its paradox because it requires survey participants to offer honest reports regarding their dishonesty. Moreover, although self-reporting in any behaviour is problematic, self-reporting of dishonesty behaviour is extremely challenging and studies show that student responses are not congruent to their employed behaviours; nevertheless, the advent of plagiarism detection software made the task easier. The use of software that detect plagiarism by university lecturers enables the lecturers to perform what was previously difficult or impossible namely obtaining a clear picture of the extent of plagiarism in student assignments; moreover, the use of plagia rism software has deterrent effect on plagiarism. Despite the potential usefulness of the various plagiarism software and their unequivocally acceptance by the community of academicians, a backlash against their use seems to be underway as academicians consider the use of such software to control students. The scholar’s goal is to fill the gap between what students actually do instead of what they say they do with regard to plagiarism in assignments. The main strength in the research includes a collection of records on the form and extent of plagiarism over a period of five years in two main university assignments. However, the study had several limitations one of which is over reliance on Turnitin, which only matches material found on the internet. Materials of the university textbooks cannot be matched unless the material gets online in some form like through lodging a student’s assignment in the software’s database. Moreover, the database of Turnitin may be u nable to detect material within invisible web sources like password-protected databases or even customised assignments produced by writing companies. Another disadvantage is that the measurement process relied to a certain extent on the interpretation of the original report in conjunction with checking of the assignment script; hence, absolute objectivity cannot be claimed in the data. The disadvantage of the of a convenient sample like non-randomness and potential absenteeism in generalization are acknowledged; in addition, the study is limited to New Zealand where the data was derived and the findings indicate that they may not be generalised. The findings confirmed the established view that international students have high rate of plagiarism compared to domestic students because they not only topped in rates across students, but also were at the top of rating regarding verbatim plagiarism and were among students with high rate of extensive plagiarism. The notion that students wit hout experience are more prone to plagiarism was not fully supported in the study findings because students in year one submitted the smallest percentage of plagiarised script in the year of enrolment, while students in their fourth year of enrolment plagiarised extensively. From the present6ed data in the study, it is possible to develop a profile of

Women in the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Women in the Civil War Essay In American society during the 19th Century, men and women occupied different realms. Women dealt with private affairs, while men were in charge of public matters. When the Civil War broke out, the rigid distinction between the sexes became flexible. Women changed because the war allowed them to expand their roles to become active in the realm that previously isolated them. From housewives, women became doctors, nurses, and spies. Some even did the extreme; they assumed a masculine appearance to join the army. The concealment of their gender proved to be the downside of the changes in women during the war. They may have had relevant contributions in the war, but it was left unrecognized because of its concealed nature. The Civil War was a defining moment in American history. It was the event which determined the fate of the nation as the American community was divided into two opposing sides. It was also a time of significant social change. The realm of war previously belonged to the men; it was the male soldiers who fought in the battlefields. However, the Civil War altered the situation. The status of women dramatically changed as they became active participants in the war effort. Indeed, the Civil War opened many opportunities for women and allowed them to be active members of society. This research paper aims to discuss how women changed during the American Civil War, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the said changes. In the 19th Century America, men dominated society and women were regarded as inferior to them. Women lived under the authority of the opposite sex, either that of the father, husband or another relative (Massey, 1994). They were confined in the domestic sphere; their main concerns were their home and family. Women had no voice in the political arena because only the men had dealt with public affairs. Not only was it objectionable for women to fulfill men’s jobs, it was also disagreeable for them to wear men’s clothes (Eggleston, 2003). When the Civil War began, the social lines were blurred. Women suddenly were presented the chance to go beyond their realm and participate in the world of men. They were given roles and jobs that were not accessible to them before. Both the Union and the Confederacy allowed women to take part in the war effort. For the first time, the government allowed women to become doctors and nurses (Eggleston, 2003). Women also served as messengers and spies. Meanwhile, there are also those women whose contributions were domestic in nature; these include cooking, as well as mending and sewing uniforms for the soldiers (Eggleston, 2003; Silber, 2005). These activities may have been the same as those women were tasked to do in the past; however, there was a significant change. Before, women only did those jobs due to the necessity in the household. During the war, the women did those jobs due to the necessity of the nation. Their domestic activities were no longer performed for private purposes; they had become part of the public affairs. However, women were not merely passive participants. They were also directly involved in the war effort as soldiers. The battlefield was reserved for males, but the females eventually found themselves fighting the same war. Women became soldiers by concealing their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). There were many reasons why women opted to disguise themselves as male soldiers. There were those who fought in the war to either escape from their betrothal or to be with their loved ones. Some saw the war as an adventure and craved its excitement. There were others who saw fighting for its financial benefits and the opportunity to better provide for their families. Meanwhile, there were women who took part in the Civil War for more noble reasons; they went to war because they were compelled by duty and patriotism (Eggleston, 2003). Women had to resort to extreme measures to appear like male soldiers. There were women who were immediately discharged because the way they acted revealed their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). Meanwhile, there were women who dramatically changed their actions and behavior before enlistment to successfully disguise themselves. They modified the color of their complexion and learned how to chew tobacco. They used vests with pads to conceal their breasts; the pads also made them seem more bulky and masculine (Eggleston, 2003). Having women disguised as men in war had its share of difficulties. The problems arose from the different toilet habits as well as other personal routines (Eggleston, 2003). Nonetheless, the recruitment of young men in the army proved to be advantageous for the female soldiers. The army consisted mostly of boys, who were still shy and reserved around each other. Most of them were hesitant to relieve themselves in the company of other soldiers; to attend their toilet needs, they had to hide in the woods or others areas which offered privacy. The meek nature of young men was beneficial for the female soldiers because it allowed them to seek privacy without appearing unusual. In addition, the young men of the army have not yet started shaving, so it did not appear unusual for the females if they did not shave (Eggleston, 2003). It is remarkable that women have finally reached the public realm during the Civil War, even if they had to pretend as men to do so. However, that kind of participation had disadvantages. Women who had successfully kept their real identities hidden as part of the army suffered all the difficulties which came with war (Eggleston, 2003). Female soldiers were held captive by their opponents, brought to prison camps and killed in the battlefields. There were those who perished and buried without their real identities discovered. Because women soldiers were not supposed to be fighting in the war, their participation in the war was previously not acknowledged. There were even those who denied the direct involvement of women as soldiers (Blanton, n. d. ). The non-recognition of women fighters in the Civil War prevented the discovery of the total number of female soldiers who offered their services. The numbers available on record are merely estimates. This situation posited a real problem, as it undermined and ignored the contributions of women in the battlefield. During the American Civil War, women changed because they went beyond the roles that were initialed assigned to them. The war effort presented them to enter the public realm of men and participate in it. Women had indeed changed during that time, as they progressed from housewives to participants in war. Women even came in disguise to become soldiers. While it is a great thing that women became active members of the community, some of their contributions were not recognized or accurately recorded because of their secret identities. Nonetheless, this does not diminish that fact that women were a significant part of the American Civil War. References Blanton, D. (n. d. ). Women soldiers and nurses of the American civil war. American Civil War Website. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://americancivilwar. com/women/index. html Eggleston, L. G. (2003). Women in the Civil War: Extraordinary Stories of Soldiers, Spies, Nurses, Doctors, Crusaders and Others. North Carolina: McFarland. Massey, M. E. (1994). Women in the Civil War. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Siber, N. (2005). Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

The Formalistic Approach to Hays Rapunzel Essay -- Hay Rapunzel Essay

The Formalistic Approach to Hay's Rapunzel Prayer has been always a symbol of faith, and even in modern poetry it is still used as a desperate cry to the One in Heaven. One of the great examples of this desperate cry would be Sara Henderson Hay's "Rapunzel".After reading her modern version, familiarity with Grimm's fairy tale "Rapunzel" will reveal a completely new interpretation. Sara Hay chooses Rapunzel's prayer to be in the sonnet structure. Sonnet, being a part of a lyric genre, represents the most personal and direct speaking manner. Here, the lyric poet is speaking from Rapunzel's point of view almost singing her sufferings, her feelings and her past experiences. Let's remember the first line of the sonnet: "Oh, God, let me forget the things he said". The elegy starts in the prayer form. It helps us to understand from the first line that the lyric hero is in suffering and is desperate. Through the words "let me forget", we can hear the echo of the past life, past things, that may never come back. The author (heroine) is leaving us in suspense, because she will never reveal to us "the things he said" and "the promises he made". The repeating formula "let me" reveals to us Rapunzel's feelings and is establishing the tone of the poem. The first lines help us to hear our heroine's voice tone, and to understand her suffering. Looking more at the first stanza, we can see many associations and connections between some words and the religious motif of prayer. The words "freezing and burning" are the extremes that help us to hear the echo of "Hell" (Rhetoric 102K class discussion, January 23 2001). In the same way the word promises in the Bible is syn onymous with the word covenant (or Testament). In the fifth li... ...ed by love, now has become the knowing one: " I knew...I knew...I might have known." Looking at the last line of the sonnet we understand its purpose. Here, we see the image of many symbolic Rapunzels. The heroine is looking at the past and at the future, and realizes that her life is just one small piece, compared to the Eternal concept, or a concept of All. She realizes that the earthly life is not eternal and she is just a suffering traveler like many others. Hay’s "Rapunzel" begins as a true worshiper, and finds her plight to be too disconcerting to communicate even to her Creator. So, she devolves into her own imaginings with groans so deep that only her soul can commune at this level. Prayer turns to song, song turns to fantasy, and in her heart, fantasy reveals tragic reality. Her only true hope is found in first heart cry: "Oh, God..."

Black & Decker Case Study

Black & Decker Case Questions Address the following questions with regard to the Black & Decker case study in up to two pages (one-sided) or two sides of one page. Do not use a font smaller than 12 or margins less than 1 inch. Please consider the writing rubric as you begin (available on Angel). Also, do not hesitate to use bullet points when listing items. 1. Briefly, what is the nature and background of the company? Black & Decker Corporation is an organization located in Towson, Maryland. They blueprint and trade in power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology based fastening systems (Wikipedia, 2011). For a long time, B&D brands magnetize great strength from the consumers and the Professional Industrial segments while its Professional-Tradesmen segment has been sour. This case analyzes different alternatives on how to gain profitable market share in the Professional-Tradesmen segment. 2. Do a SWOT Analysis for Black & Decker. Use bullet points. And feel free to use boxes here and elsewhere. E. g. , Strengths * High brand awareness * High service rating and high quality tools done in field test * Small market share for Professional Tradesmen which makes it easy in the event they want make changes in their products line in this market segment. | Weaknesses * Small market share in the Professional Tradesmen market segment. * B&D brands are more focused on household products * Professional Tradesmen do not associate quality with B&D products. Opportunities * Fast growth opportunity for professional-Tradesmen (9%) * Yellow color unused by other brands. Yellow represents safety. * Makita does not have retailers’ channels to distribute their products, and B&D develop businesses with retail stores. | Threats * Yellow color is subjective; it can be interpreted otherwise rather than safety. * No retail channels where Makita dominates. * Other segments can be impacted if the new strategy planning for Professional Tradesmen does not work. | 3. In a sentence or two, what is the issue being faced here? The issue faced here is the decline of the market share of the Professional Tradesmen segment and how to overcome that decline and gain larger market share in this segment of the market. 4. Briefly present the plusses and minuses of each of the three proposed options. Option 1: The Professional Tradesmen segment focus is to be profitable at the expense of other segments market shares. This cannibalization method can only be successful for the short run. However, in the long run, competitors may take over the other two segments market shares. Option 2: Sub-branding B&D name. This option can only work for products that are already sub-branded; however if this strategy fails, the parents brand may suffer. Moreover, Professional Tradesmen can lose loyalty to B&D brand if their sub-brand is too much differentiated. Option 3: Drop the Black & Decker name. The percentage of purchase interest, which reflects consumers behavior toward the new brand, is higher when DeWalt brand is included in the survey (63%) compared to B&D (44%). On the same token, one should consider that DeWalt brand may be an interest to consumers, but in fact not be a product that consumers may actually buy. 5. Indicate which alternative you would choose and explain why. Knowing that brand awareness has a big influence on an organization success or failure, let's first determine Professional Tradesman needs or want: – Quality and durability issues rose from the fact that Tradesmen were using consumer quality power tools in their job sites; making those house products unsustainable. Lack of differentiation in B;D products design did not give them a competitive advantage in the Tradesmen market segment. To resolve the aforementioned issues, I strongly recommend B;D to create a new brand without B;D name attached to it that specifically targets Professional Tradesmen. From that new brand, B;D can build up a new different portrait representing durability, quality and any other features that competitors do not offer or provide. Moreover , the product differentiation can easily be distinguished by Tradesmen at their work place, especially if they differentiate by color, size and shape. . What further steps would you take to help assure that your chosen course of action succeeds? [This is important. Don’t skimp here. ] – Closely work with tradesman to insure their needs are being met. – Do some marketing campaign and ads targeting Tradesmen market segment. – Implement competitive pricing. – Develop retail distribution channel with Lowes, Home Depot since these stores sell for most part heavy duties and superior quality tools made for heavy duty jobs. This can give a competitive edge to B;D.

Music Observation Classroom Essay

Before entering this classroom my purpose was to see the difference from a music class compared to a regular kindergarten class. I wanted to observer her lesson plan and see how she handles the kids with a different activity. This observation was very different compared to the other ones I have done. I usually sit down in a classroom and just take notes on what’s happening but this teacher, Mrs. Wineski, had me involved the second I walked in. I could have observed a 3rd grade music class but I picked kindergarten instead because I was more curious on how the younger kids reacted when there is music involved. I feel like the younger they are the more excited they get for things. The kids in this specific class have music once a week on Wednesday mornings. This classroom had 16 children in it, which I think is a good amount so everyone gets enough equal attention. The larger the class the less they get noticed and have one on one time with the teacher. Music in this school has changed drastically since I went there. Starting with the fact there is no actual classroom for music anymore it is now â€Å"traveling music. † They said there weren’t enough classrooms for music to have its own, so now the teacher has her cart she wheels around all day. On the cart she has her keyboard, computer, work sheets, posters she temporarily hangs up with magnets and instruments the kids use like; tambourines, drum sticks, and triangles. On the computer she had music videos the kids get to watch if they had time at the end of class and if they were well behaved. To be honest I don’t think I am a fan of this concept. The kids don’t get a change of scenery and they’re stuck in the same classroom all day, especially since they’re so young. The room they are in now though, is very colorful and alive. It is separated into sections and in each one they do different activities through out their day. As soon as she arrives in the classroom each time she told me that she starts the morning by singing each of their names and have them sing back to her. She does this as an exercise to get them worked up and catches all their attention. The lesson I was able to witness was adorable. She had a very high pitch voice, very hyper, and had the personality of a kid. The theme for this entire month is Halloween and she says each time they meet they do something different related to the season/holiday coming up. When I was there they played dress up in a box of costumes she brought in. They were set up in groups of 4 but they had the opportunity to pick which they wanted to be. She had witches and warlocks, Disney princesses, animals, and super heroes. After they got dressed they sang songs and danced in a circle as a whole group, then they separated into what costumes they were in and made up a little skit using drum sticks. All the kids participated and once the skit was made up they had to put on a little show. By the time each group presented all the kids basically forgot what they made up and just banged the sticks on the ground and giggled at each other. Mrs. Wineski never put them down for forgetting, she clapped and enjoyed each one equally with a warm smile. The goal of this activity was to use their imaginations and to have an open mind. Also, they used group work so working with one another is a big step in developmental learning. The students loved every second of music class. Of course because they are so young at times they got side tracked but over the entire lesson Mrs. Wineski did with them she captured all of their attention. I lucked out with observing a tame group of kids. No one had to be put in â€Å"time out† or talked to. The younger the kids I always thought it was easier to get them interested and into the lesson but Mrs. Wineski showed that it was harder than that. She had the entire class time scheduled out and planned far in advance. She has only been a teacher for 4 years so, she said everything she does she is still an experiment; how confortable she feels doing it and how the kids enjoy it. When I said that as soon as I met Mrs. Wineski she had me participating I wasn’t kidding. We both wore witches hats and she had me playing with them. I gained some useful knowledge that will come with me when I pursue becoming a teacher. First would be patience, and a whole lot of it. She was cool, calm, and collect. Many teachers I’ve come across aren’t like that. They seem almost uncaring and just there for a paycheck. Those are the teachers who should not have a job like this because teaching is much more than that. You impact the children’s lives and help shape who they grow up to be. I also learned that the crazier the lesson is the more fun they will have. Don’t stick to basic and boring and don’t be afraid to try something different. So, I went in looking to just compare and contrast music vs. a regular kindergarten day and I ended up completely doing something different. I saw how music is really important for all kids. They need it in their life for many reasons. I observed how the teacher interacts with the students and how much fun teaching could be if you love your job.

What to Do If You Cant Answer an Interview Question

What to Do If You Cant Answer an Interview Question You’re in the interview. Things are going well. You’re almost to the promised land. And then†¦ it happens. You get the question you can’t answer. A total stumper. What to do? Luckily, you can rely on the following super useful strategies to pull yourself out of this dreaded situation and exit the interview with your pride and job prospects in tact.Take a MomentYou may fear nothing more than the sound of silence in an interview situation, but sometimes that silence is your friend. Try a simple, â€Å"That’s an excellent question; let me think about that one for a second.† Then compose yourself, dig deep, and try to come up with something good to say. No one will fault you for taking a minute to compose yourself.Think Out LoudHalf the time, your interviewer asks tough questions because they’re curious to see your problem-solving skills in action. You want to spit out a perfectly worded answer every time, but in these cases it might even be to your advantage to let them see your math, so to speak. Talk through the question as you would the problem. Most times you’ll arrive at the answer and the interviewer will have had the chance to see your mind in action!PivotThere’s no rule that says you can’t just redirect the question. If you’re asked about a skill you don’t have, try to steer the topic onto a skill or skills you do have, and discuss how, when put together, they put you in a prime position to solve the problems the company needs solved. Tell them what you do know as a way of distracting them from what you don’t.Have a Few Sound BytesSay you get asked to define or discuss an industry term you just don’t know. Don’t panic. Turn this moment into an advantage. Simply say: â€Å"That’s not a concept I’m completely familiar with yet, but I’m very excited about (field) and have been actively learning more and more about it.† Then pivot to something you’ve just learned that’s relevant to their concerns.Buy TimeTry rephrasing the question or clarifying that you understand it before answering. That will give you enough time to start thinking through your answer on the sly. It could also be that the question wasn’t clear,. i.e. you know the answer, but you just didn’t quite understand the drift of the question itself. If not, it should go without saying that you shouldn’t lie. Fess up. But don’t say â€Å"I don’t know† until you absolutely have to.Answer in the Follow-UpIf you really fluff it, or simply have to admit you just don’t have an answer at the moment, you can always answer it in greater depth when you follow up. A simple: â€Å"I wanted to clarify my answer to your question†¦Ã¢â‚¬  will suffice, and could just dig you out.Emphasize Your Learning CurveWhat you don’t know, you can learn! Tell your interviewer how you would go about fi guring out the answer, and how you would equip yourself to be prepared to solve it by the time your start date rolled around. Emphasize your eagerness to know all there is to know about this company or field.Don’t PanicPerhaps the most important bit of advice: stay calm. Falling apart is not an option. Being surly or upset isn’t either. Stay cool and rely on the tools above.

Quality Management Tools & Techniques Assignment - 3

Quality Management Tools & Techniques - Assignment Example Three design specifications are to be maintained in development of the process. The first two design specifications are measurement of distance between two parts of the process while the third specification is power in form of current. Measurement of the distance is in millimeters, where the first one, A, must be 11.5 +/- 1.0mm while the second one, B, must be 8.5 +/- 2.0mm. Finally, current, C must not exceed a maximum threshold of 2.5 amps. In order to appraise the processes technical capabilities, a histogram for the three variables will be plotted and resultant patterns used in selecting optimal set of conditions. Process testing is an essential step in development of manufacturing processes. Engineers and process owners cannot commission manufacturing processes before validating their level of compatibility with pre-determined standards. In this regard, one reason for carrying out process testing involves the need to detect errors. New processes may have technical errors which may lead to increased cost of operation. For example, the process in subject may need current exceeding the technical limit of 2.5 amps. However, optimal operation of the hard drive production process needs a maximum current of 2.5 amps, above that threshold compromise on the power efficiency of the entire production setup. In this case, testing facilitate early detection of errors which would hinder optimal performance later. Apart from errors, testing is also necessary as a means of appraising safety standards. Douglas (2008) mentioned that employees involved in operating the disk drive machine must be certain of the ir safety aspects. Conventionally, every industrial process must conform to some specified safety standards. Therefore, testing will facilitate quantification of the process’ integrity. Detection of any deviation from conformance limits warrants use of appropriate corrective measures. Normally, most processes fail to undergo thorough testing because of

SAMSUNG 3D T.V Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SAMSUNG 3D T.V - Research Paper Example The edge-lit LED backlighting combines the benefits of local dimming with the thinness of edge-lighting. The 240 Hz processing exhibits motion resolution performance like its UNB8000 series. The interactive features like other Samsung models of 2010 include Internet @ TV (i.e. Yahoo widgets) and Samsung Apps, from Samsung’s new proprietary content portal, connecting to one’s favorite digital content like videos, sports, games, social networking and much more. With web-connected apps on the Samsung Smart TV, you can stream movies from Netflix or Blockbuster, TV shows from Hulu, videos from YouTube, Next Level sports information from ESPN, music from Pandora and view updates on Facebook or Twitter accounts. The UNC7000 series of 3D TV is the most economical. It is available in 40-inch ($1999), 46-inch ($$2599) and 55-inch ($3299) sizes. The 3D compatibility has been added to three LCD lines and one plasma line (CNET editors take). Samsung 3D TV was launched in April 2010 in Ireland. It has been a huge hit like Avatar, putting Samsung in leading position in the emerging market. The launch of Samsung 3D in the Irish market besides many other countries was the first in the retail 3D TV segment. â€Å"We are the first manufacturer to mass-produce 3D TV and you will physically see that in the Irish market in April so we will be first to market on this," said Kevin Maguire, country manager for Samsung Ireland. â€Å"Getting to market first is critical to us from a brand point of view and for brand positioning.† The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at Las Vegas, a show-window of technology trends, found 3D everywhere (B & F). The technology used in the Samsung 3D TV is differentiating with the selection of â€Å"Active† and â€Å"passive† panels and lenses depending and deciding its total cost and picture quality. The active 3D screen syncs electronically with battery-powered and

Community Outreach Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Community Outreach Program - Essay Example There are various avenues available to Coney Island Hospital in its effort to ensure that this program is accessible to all members of the community. The program will require its medical providers to alter their regular treatment schedules in the hospital to go conduct door to door health checks in patients’ home. The providers will begin in areas with low-income people as they are the ones most likely to be affected by diseases due to their inability to afford medical care. In order to do it safely, door-to-door program would better be conducted during morning hours. However, if the hospital is willing to hire night security, night visitations could be carried out as well. The disadvantage of conducting a daytime campaign is the act of having to travel to different residences in order to visit people who may not be home. Night time visitations have the advantage of having the majority of people indoors and therefore more effective. Door to door campaigns are one of the most e ffective methods of reaching out to everyone in the society as they give people or the populace targeted the privacy in their homes. These campaigns are however not cost-effective as extra expenses are incurred when medical personnel are dispatched to go on door-to-door visitations. The transport costs are an added expense which is not the case with in-hospital treatments. This method is also extremely time consuming and will require more than six months to be successfully completed. The source of funding of the program must be considered carefully as it is a crucial for the success of this outreach project. Due to the enormous cost of the program, one option is involving the State of New York to fund the program since it is a community project aimed at benefiting the residents of Coney Island. Moreover, as the services offered at a medical checkup are generally of a basic level, Coney Island Hospital will request medical student volunteers to come and assist in the work as part of their internship program as they get training from their supervisors. The checkups that do not call injections or prescription of medicine can be performed by them upon training thus saving time for senior staff who will do the more sophisticated work. The students should be those of senior level who are already familiar with checkup procedures so that the hospital does not need to invest more funds in training. This will give them an opportunity to acquire hands-on experience as well as add credit to their coursework if the hospital is willing to collaborate with universities from the area or to get staff from the medical reserve corps to

International Standards for Financial Reporting Case Study

International Standards for Financial Reporting - Case Study Example Looking first to Profit Ratios, the investment analyst would take interest in the return on invested capital that is a measure of profits earned on the capital that is invested in the company. The profit ratios would inform an investor about the reliability of the company in the use of its resources. The more reliable and efficient a company the more profitable it will be. ROIC is of value as a benchmark for Morrisons or other investors to compare the company to compete in the marketplace, as well as to compare subsidiary companies that Morrisons envelopes (Hill and Jones C3). Over time, profit ratios can show if a company’s performance is improving or declining. There are many types of profit ratios, for Morrisons, the Return on Investment Capital ratio (ROIC) will be analyzed: ROIC = Net profit/Invested capital   = â‚ ¤ 93.4 million (over 25 weeks)/ â‚ ¤ 3, 662.4 million Thus, profits were down, before tax being â‚ ¤ 61.5 million. Although the overall financial re sult was disappointing for Morrisons in 2006, achievements were made; so it was a period of dramatic changes. Benchmarking has had a strong focus at Morrisons over the past financial year, and a range of company labeled products has been adapted and extended to meet market demands. Also, the retraining of almost 90, 000 Safeway employees has led to progress in the contributions of experience, skills, competencies, and knowledge that are of deemed value to the Morrisons team (Morrisons’ Annual Report 5).  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Annual Report 5). It appears from the Annual Report published by Morrisons, that ROIC weaknesses are being buffered by a

Importance of Mental Toughness in Sport

Importance of Mental Toughness in Sport Mental Toughness: What is the Real Difference Between Winning and Losing? When it comes to being successful, you can never find a substitute for hard work. In the corporate world, you need to learn the ropes of the business and spend countless hours on reading books and attending seminars on self-improvement. In sports, you have to train consistently in order to reach your full potential. But what if during an important business meeting, you suddenly had a mental block and anxiety followed? As a result, you forgot to mention an important point and because of it, the business deal fell apart. Same thing can happen in a Jiu-jitsu practice session where a sudden lapse in judgment could lead to a reversal, and in a matter of seconds, you were the one tapping out. How come we can be so prepared in doing something and then lose just like that? UFC 117: Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen Sonnen dominated the first four rounds of this championship match by using his wrestling skill. In round 5, Sonnen went for another takedown. Almost two minutes is left, and the audience is in awe. A new champion will be crowned, the long-time reigning champion will be defeated, the one considered as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) will lose— the unthinkable will happen! Sonnen is on the guard again and continued with the ground and pound to add more damage to his opponent. Silva threw a few punches from the bottom and Sonnen lifted his left arm to block. In the process, Silva quickly positioned his leg behind Sonnen’s neck and a leg triangle was in place. Silva secured the hold and one of the greatest comeback fights in sports happened†¦.Sonnen tapped out! He was only 1 minute and 50 seconds from being a champion. A lot of professional fights end up this way; one lapse in judgment can make or break a career. Some fighters learned from it but some of them never recovered. Concentration makes you apply everything that you have learned in training. Success starts in the mind but unfortunately, not everyone can sustain that concentration during a fight. When two combatants face off, you can take advantage of your skills and concentrate on executing it. However, if both fighters have a similar skill set and conditioning, the only deciding factor here is how mentally tough they are. Who will break first? Who will make the first mistake? That’s when you need to be mentally tough more than physically tough. Relaxation and Concentration Mental toughness encompasses not just fighting sport but all competitive sports and other areas in our everyday life, including our job. Several competitors can be so good in practice but underachieves in the actual competition when the pressure of the game starts to mount up. Lebron James was called â€Å"Lechoke† before, and it only stopped when he won an NBA championship not just once but twice. Now, people in the media and fans think that he can surpass Michael Jordan and be the GOAT in basketball. Concentration is the ability to have that laser-like focus on what’s important and to let go of all distractions. However, in order to concentrate, you should be relaxed. Relaxation is defined as the state of being calm despite pressure. Take note that relaxation and concentration are interacting mental skills—they work hand in hand. You cannot be mentally tough if you don’t have both. Float like a butterfly (be relaxed) and sting like a bee (concentrate and hit the target). That’s how Muhammad Ali became the GOAT in boxing! Keep in mind that being relaxed means that you are excited in a good way. If you are totally relaxed, you will fall flat during the competition. You need to be pumped up and ready for action. Like physical conditioning and learning skills, being relaxed also takes practice—the more time you invest in it, the more it will develop. During boxing, if you are relaxed, you can see the incoming punches and you will be able to dodge them easier. If you are nervous and under pressure, you are more likely to close your eyes as the opponent’s gloves hit towards your face. If you are too anxious, your body will tighten up and you won’t be able to execute all of the skills that you have learned during practice. That is the reason why fighters have their entrance music as they walk their way towards the ring or the octagon—it makes them feel relaxed. Another way to relax is to embrace and accept nervousness. It’s very normal and once you accept the reality, then you will be calmer. Pre-competition rituals such as mumbling repeated words and doing rhythmic movements that could take the fighter’s focus away from distractions are also of great help. When it comes to defense, breathing plays a very important role. You can be the best striker but without oxygen, you will be like a race car without a fuel. Thus, deep, slow breathing is needed before and during the competition. Throwing combination punches and kicks or going for a reversal during a jiu-jitsu match requires a lot of air in your oxygen tank. If you don’t breathe properly, you won’t be able to recover and soon, your legs will feel heavy, your arms will start falling, and it’s your turn to get punched in the face. Laser-Like Concentration A laser pen doesn’t dance all over the place when you focus it on an object; it will stay there as long as you allow it to. Concentration is all about focusing on the present situation. Recalling failures in the past or worrying about the future will not help. Do what you need to do at that very moment. Before you drink water, you don’t try to determine where it came from or think whether you will sweat it out or urinate afterwards. Be honest. You just drink it, right? Likewise, when you are competing, you can only control the present. So, focus on what needs to be done right now and focus on it like a laser! Don’t Drift Away Losing your focus can happen during a match but it’s up to you if you want to drift away or return to focus. A bad call from the referee, trash talk, boos from the crowd, intimidation by your opponent and a lot of other stuff like these can break your concentration. However, remember to compete the way you have been trained. A secured submission can slip by if one of the basic jiu-jitsu techniques is not well-executed. A sure win can turn to a loss, so the focus should be within YOU – you may drift away but return as quickly as you can. Conclusion All your hard work will become futile if you are not mentally tough. Remember that a sharp mind can cut deeper! So, the pain, the struggle, the exhaustion, the thought of giving up— all of these will take your game or career to the next level!

Wuthering Heights Essay -- Literary Analysis, Emily Bronte

When initially diving into a novel, it is common knowledge that there is an already preconceived agreement of trust that the reader instills in the story’s narrator. The reader virtually always relies on the narrator to illustrate the story in an honest unbiased manner, but the story teller in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights appears to break the chains of trust understood by the audience. The novel is heard through the keen ears of Mr. Lockwood who is being told the history of the Earnshaws, Heathcliff, and the Linton family by his housekeeper, Ellen Dean. Establishing herself as the primary narrator, Nelly reminisces upon her experiences at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. She fails to give Lockwood and ultimately the reader a precise narration of the affairs that took place in the past. Throughout her vivid flashback, Nelly on numerous occasions lessens the impact of her role and participation in certain events to keep her hands clean from the tragedi es that more or less ruined those among her presence at Wuthering Heights. As Nelly Dean embarks on her tale to Lockwood, she is caught uttering the words, â€Å"I am to follow my story in true gossip fashion† (Bronte 51). By her own confession it can be inferred that her account of what actually took place could quite possibly be exaggerated to tell a more fascinating version of the truth. It is apparent that Nelly creates the identity of herself as only being a key witness instead of the manipulating agent that she truly is. The fact that she has some sort of interaction with all the characters in the novel makes her more than just an onlooker. Furthermore, one critic reiterates that Nelly is too close to the action and is often up to her neck in the world of Wuther... ...ictions of duty; from which, it struck me then, all the misfortunes of my employers sprang. It was not the case, in reality, I am aware; but it was, in my imagination, that dismal night; and I thought Heathcliff himself less guilty than I† (Brontechp27). It is here that Nelly is no longer blinded by her own ignorance. She is one of the last to live but is cursed to tell a tale of wickedness just like the remaining survivor of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Nelly Dean’s poor narration to Mr. Lockwood is the housekeeper’s way to justify that she posses no blood on her hands. Her upbringing with the novel’s main characters gives her a poor choice in judgement and makes her extremely biased on how the story is portrayed. Nelly’s actions cause nothing but despair to the Earnshaws and Lintons, pushing the idea that she is the silent villain of Wuthering Heights.

Transforming anglian water

Introduction It is believed that survival of an organization in contemporary era of globalization & liberalization is directly correlated to the extent to which it utilizes advanced information technology tools and practices Total Quality Management. The concept of â€Å"Learning Organization† was introduced by Chris Argyris and further researched and explained by Sange (1990). Sange defined Learning Organization as the organization â€Å"in which you cannot not learn because learning is so insinuated into the fabric of life.† He further defines Learning Organization as â€Å"a group of people continually enhancing their capacity to create what they want to create.† The purpose of this assignment is to study Anglian Water in the light of Learning Organization and: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investigate the extent to which the organization could actually claim to be a Learning Organization. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify those factors that may undermine the concept of â€Å"Learning Organization† in   Anglian Water and call into question the investments made. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Explain if Anglian Water can sustain the ideals and practices of a Learning Organization. While exploring the definitions and characteristics of Learning Organizations, the case study of Anglian waters will be investigated and comparisons will be drawn. Chris Argyris differentiates between first order or single loop learning versus second order or double loop learning.   Learning is further explained as detection and correction of errors. Single loop learning detects the errors and then functions within the construct of organization’s governing variable to achieve the desired result. Double loop learning challenges the governing variable itself and aims at producing drastic cultural changes within the organization. Argyris further divides organizations into Model I and Model II. Model I represents the traditional bricks and mortar culture, a few characteristics of which are: Achieve the purpose as the actor defines it, Win, do not lose, Suppress Negative Feelings, Advocating courses of actions which discourage inquiry, Defensive relationships, low freedom of choice. Model II represents a learning organization, the characteristics of which are: Valid Information, Free and Informed choice, Internal Commitment, Sharing control, Surfacing conflicting view, Minimally defensive relationships, High freedom of choice, Increased likelihood of double loop learning. Considering the above view point, Anglian water clearly falls in the Model II category of double loop learning. In the 1990’s it diversified into new markets, conducted employee satisfaction surveys and acted on the results of it. The Management clearly had a vision to introduce and sustain drastic cultural changes and move towards becoming a learning organization. This was achieved to a great extent through employee empowerment & implementation of ‘transformation journey’ which enabled incumbents at all levels to develop attitudinal and behavioral change to be able to cope up with turbulent and uncertain environment. Argyris further introduces us to the concept of triple loop learning (Learning how to learn) which is in continuation to single loop (What to do); Double Loop (Learning what to do). Triple Loop Learning questions the structures and strategies of learning; and how our mental map affects the way we behave. It is considered as the highest level of organizational learning and restructuring. Triple loop learning leads to restructuring of current systems and processes. Dialogues are initiated with in the organization in the form of â€Å"collective mindfulness† to understand the basis of existence of hierarchies; policies, procedures etc and RESTRUCTURING within the organization takes place. A Learning Infrastructure is created where existing structure is studied, dialogue is initiated and new and more effective structures are proposed. Focus then is on developing competencies and skills of individuals – teams – organization and hence emerges a Learning Organization. Anglian Water as an organization seems to have all the characteristics that the Triple Loop learning mentions as that of a Learning Organization. At Anglian water, face to face communication is given utmost importance amongst employees; university of Water was established to integrate , support and accredit all forms of learning; develop skills and competencies that was required to move Anglian water to the 21st century and place it as a global player. Peter Senge (1990) remarks â€Å"The rate at which organizations learn may become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage†. He differentiates between adaptive and generative learning. Adaptive Learning is the initiation of a company into the community of Learning Organization. Generative learning utilizes the power of creativity and innovation to reconstruct those systems and processes that govern consequences. Senge, in his much acclaimed book The fifth discipline explains the five disciplines which according to him are cucial in building a learning organization. The first discipline Personal Mastery concentrates on learning of each and every individual in the organization resulting in Learning organization as a whole. Individual goals and tools to measure the proximity to these goals are developed. Significant evidence of Personal Mastery can be found at Anglian water through the introduction of the concept of travelers whose four guiding principles were a willingness to get to know myself, a desire to develop myself, a desire to develop my full potential with and through others, an ability to link my personal development to the development of Anglian water. The second discipline of Mental Model is the framework of cognitive processes of our mind which determines our thought and action process. Argyris concept of theories of action is similar to the Mental Model concept and govern actual behavior. Espoused theory is what we would like others to believe as our actual action theory. Anglian Water does not seem to have incorporate the Mental Model theory in its learning curve. The third principle of systems thinking or the ability to see interrelationships / circular causations (where a variable is both the cause and effect of another)is prevalent in the practice of Transformation Journey , Total Quality Management , Change Agent Networks. The Fourth principal of shared vision (build on individual vision of it’s members) is not well supported at Anglian Water. While the vision and value statements were rolled out in the 1990s it is unclear if these were created through the interaction between leaders and employees of the organization. It seems more likely that the vision and values were communicated from top to bottom. The fifth discipline of team learning or â€Å"genuine thinking together† was highly encouraged by the leadership at Anglian water and is corroborated with the team and group formations through the methodology of Transformational Journey. Victoria Marsick states that learning organizations involve deep change in the mind sets of people as well as the culture of the organization and socities. Gephart , Marsic & Van Buren 1997 emphasize on Continuous Learning at the system level which at Anglian Water was initiated in the form of Transformational Journey and University of Water. Knowledge generation and sharing was made possible through the introduction of University of Water which aimed at acknowledging, integrating, supporting and accrediting all forms of learning in the company. The concept was further given a boost with the establishment of an intranet for information exchange and communication. Systematic Thinking capacity which enables employees to identify linkages and feedback loops. The presence of the concept of systematic thinking can be illustrated by the feedback statements of employees on the Journey being a good learning experience OR the findings of the employee satisfaction survey that clearly demanded a cultural change in Anglian Water. Greater Participation and accountability by a larger percentage of employees is promoted by Anglian Waters through various methods such as ‘employee satisfaction survey’ , ‘employee empowerment’ , ‘transformational journey’ that saw the participation of more than 3000 employees, new ‘HR Performance Management Policies’. Culture and structure of rapid communication and learning was introduced with the advent of the 2 year long traveler role and Aqua University. Rapid communication was facilitated through the installment of Intranet. Pedler, another major pioneer, in his work ‘Blue prints of a learning company’ characterizes such organizes through the usage of five themes. ‘Strategy’ is explained through: i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Learning approach to strategy was seen in the efforts to promote team working and cooperation through transformational journey which would have a direct bearing on the operational effectiveness and business performance. ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participative Policy making is missing in Anglian Water’s organizational learning. ‘Looking in’ encompasses: i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Informating or use of information technology to inform and empower employees by giving them access to information was being practiced at Anglein Water through installation of Hawk – their intranet system. ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Internal Exchange was facilitated through the introduction of Total Quality Management i.e. Each department treated the other as Internal Customer iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Formative Accounting and control and iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   reward flexibility are missing from the grounds of Anglian Water. ‘Enabling structures’ are flexible organizations which revisit & reformat structures, goals, objectives to align with the interest of employees, shareholders and suppliers. Post privatization, Anglian Water reorganized it’s business, restructured to a flatter organization, encouraged cross functional and individual participation to facilitate positive change. Transformational Journey empowered employees to arrange for their own support and skill development. ‘Looking out’ encompasses i. ‘Boundary workers as environmental scanners’, which refers to the collection of information from the external stakeholders of an organisation in order to establish their needs is evident through the introduction of TQM a key element of which is to be: ‘sensitive to customer requirements and to respond rapidly to them†¦to achieve customer satisfaction†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Stark, 1998) ii.‘Inter-company learning’ which entails joining with customers and suppliers in training experiences, research and development and job exchanges is conspicuous by its absence in Anglian Water. Learning Opportunities talks of i.    Learning Climate encourages employees to seek continuous improvement, learn from their experiences and make time to question practices and try out new ones. Establishment of university of water by Anglian Water for the sole purpose of learning and development of employees attests the presence of Learning Climate in the company. ii. Self Development opportunities for all was encouraged at Anglian Water through the introduction of Transformational journey which was a holistic strategy designed to prepare and equip employees for the technical and emotional challenges of operating in a turbulent and uncertain environment. To Summarize, whether Anglian Water can claim to be a learning organization, I would like to include a few ideas organized by Art Kleiner states as Why Bother? i.   Because we want superior performance and competitive advantage ii.    For customer relations iii. To avoid decline iv.    To improve quality v.    To understand risks and diversity more deeply vi.    For innovation vii.   For our personal and spiritual well being viii.    To increase our ability to manage change ix.       For energized committed work force x.   To expand boundaries Above mentioned ten points are positive results of a successful learning organization. Anglian Water when viewed in the light of the above mentioned results comes out as a winner in the field of learning organizations  The next step is to identify factors that may undermine the concept of Learning Organization in Anglian Water. Senge states that the role of a leader is to build a shared vision. Though the vision and value statement that were released at Anglien Water were designed to inculcate new attitudes and behaviors, no evidence of participation of employees in shared vision building exercise is found. Shell (1997) also talks of Creative tension as a characteristic of Learning Organization. This enables innovation and visioning the future and further working towards a commonly agreed goal. However, this capacity to vision the future seems to be lacking in the employees of Anglian Water. This was more than evident when in 1990 Ofwat recommended a price reduction of at least 17.5%. and this decision hit the company hard. It suffered tremendous losses and had to initiate a major cost reduction strategy. If the government decision had been predicted by the visionaries of the company, they would have had time to prepare ground for the turbulence that they faced as a result of this Change. Davenport and Prusak (1998) are concerned with the magnitude of importance that has been given to Information technology centric Knowldege Management in Learning Organizations. They state that it is more important to build a culture conducive to knowledge and learning rather that emphasizing on information storage, retrieval and transfer. Clarke and Cooper state that in their goal to be a learning organization, Anglian Water rolled out a complete Knowledge Management Policy. However, their Intranet, despite of being called HAWK – Harnessing Anglian Water’s Knowledge appears to play only a secondary role. One of the major characteristics of Learning Organization is Experiential Learning. Polanyi (1967) characterizes experiential learning as tacit or not highly conscious. Lave and Wenger term the process as ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ which further dilutes   lessons learnt. Employees undergoing experiential learning might not be capable of fully understanding the reasons for success or failure. Thought Processes that are different from that of the value systems of a learning organization might be considered null and void. Marsick points out that when an organization is undergoing change and simultaneously assessing feedbacks, a confused and chaotic situation is bound to emerge. Multiple feedbacks emerge resulting in reception to various signals at the same time. Envisioning the environmental factors that would affect the well being of the company in future and predicting the types of challenges that the company should be ready for becomes very difficult. A tiny random fluctuation, often called Noise ‘can induce the path of choice’ (Capra 1996). It is hence expected of a learning organization to analyze well the various feedbacks and signals and prepare for the future challenges. It appears that the visionaries ay Anglian Water missed the point and hence future environmental challenges could not be well predicted. A few other vital characteristics of a Learning organization, mentioned by Pedler, seem to be missing at Anglian Water are â€Å"Formative Accounting and Control†, â€Å"Feedback loops being built in policy making process†. Formative Accounting and control insists on accounting , budgeting and reporting systems that are designed to help people understand the operations of organizational finance. However, It is important to add here â€Å"scholars often caution against one size fits all approach to creating the learning organization† (Marsick). Hence, it should not be a mandatory criteria for companies to absorb all characteristics defined by all scholars in the field of learning organizations. The third step is to analyze if Anglian Water can sustain the ideals and practices of a Learning Organization. If we refer to that portion of case study which is called â€Å"The future†, what immediately comes to our mind is that Anglian Water can not sustain the ideals and principles of a learning organization. When Anglian Water adopts a major cost reduction strategyin 1998 – 99; it seems to be moving away from the concept of Learning Organization. 10% of the employees (400 in number) were seen losing their jobs. While Learning Organizations are all about Investment in social, human and intellectual capital; Cost reduction strategies include downsizing, ‘low levels of risk taking, ‘short term focus’ ‘minimal levels of employee training and development,’ and ‘narrowly defined career paths’ (Schuler and Jackson, 2006:168) These practices are in stark contrast to senior managements bid to change Anglian Water’s approach to doing business to ‘entrepreneurial, innovative and outward looking’ (Jenkins, 2008:1) Cost Reduction would further mean minimizing overheads and it is assumed that the worse affected areas would be Human Resources & logistics. Under Human Resources, most of the benefits such as training programs, employee engagement activities would have been scrutinized and the logical conclusion would be to cut the costs related to them. In this scenario, existence of a corporate university might come under investigation with respect to the total costs being incurred on it. Huczynski and Buchanan (2001:135) describe LO practices as: ‘A complex difficult set of practices, difficult to implement systematically.’ This criticism is relevant toAnglian Waterin numerous ways. Firstly, with regards to the University of Water, in the long run, those employees involved may struggle with coping with learning and their ‘day job’ at Anglian Water and also the need to encourage employee attrition and encourage ‘new blood’ at Anglian Water. Secondly after the initiation of the cost-reduction strategy the practices of a Learning Organization would be even harder to implement for reasons which were discussed previously. It is imperative to mention here that a lot of scholars in the field of Learning Organizations consider downsizing as a part of the Learning and restructuring process. Labbas 1999, states that employment downsizing has been regarded as the preferred route to improving organizational performance. Success or failure of a downsized organization depends on the workforce remaining after the downsizing (Best Practices in Downsizing: 1997). The Organizational trends in late 1990’s and then at the advent of 21st century was moving towards downsizing , restructuring and outsourcing. Managers continue to use downsizing – and other forms of restructuring – to improve productivity ( Ellis, 1998 ).   Downsizing has been termed as a reorganization strategy by Mckinley, Sanchez and Schick. Few other companies which downsized in 1998 and are still going strong are Kodak, Levis and Citicorp. Freeman and Cameron mention downsizing as an intentional reduction in personnel intended to improve the efficiency of the firm. Last but not the least, the chaos theory related to learning organization deserves to be given its due importance while discussing the probability of success of Anglian Water after downsizing. This theory talks about a situation when an organizational equilibrium becomes structurally unstable at critical bifurcation points†¦.in the system’s evolution where a fork suddenly appears and the system branches off in a new direction (Capra 1996). As a result of occurrence of chaos, a new form of organization would evolve. Since it is important for an organization to always be in the learning category to be able to survive environmental changes, downsizing at Anglian water could be looked as a phase in the learning process. It can be assumed that Anglian Water emerges successful after the process of downsizing and continues in its process of learning through as innovative techniques as â€Å"Transformational Journey†; â€Å"Traveller† and â€Å"University of Water†. 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