Thursday, October 31, 2019

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

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

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

Sunday, October 27, 2019

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!

Friday, October 25, 2019

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.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

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†. Bibliography Peter Sange, Fifth Discipline Chris Argyris On Organizational Learning Watkins and Marsick Sculpting the Learning Organization Beardwell, J and Claydon, T (2007) Human Resource Management A contemporary approach Fifth Edition Pearson Education Ltd Organizational Behavior Tata Mcgraw Hill Burnes, B (2004) Managing Change Pearson Education Ltd Easterby-Smith, M, Burgoyne, J and Araujo, L (2006) Organizational Learning and The Learning Organisation Sage Publications Huczynski, A and Buchanan D (2001) Organisational Behaviour (4th Edition ) FT/Prentice Hall Paton, R, Peters, G, Storey, J and Taylor, S (2005) Handbook of Corporate University Development Gower Publishing Pedlar, M., Boydell, T. and Burgoyne, J. Learning Company Project: A Report on work (see mullins p205) Mabey, C and Salaman, G (1999) Human Resource Management a Strategic Introduction Blackwell Publishers Ltd Schuler, R and Jackson, S Strategic Human Resource Management (2006) Blackwell Publishing Torrington, D and Hall, L(1995)   Human Resource Management Prentice Hall Perter Clarke & Maggie cooper, Knowledge Management & Collaboration      

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Food is culture, culture is food Essay

A majority of people really do care about their health when they choose foods to eat. They always think: The food they eat must gives their bodies the â€Å"information† and materials they need to function properly. If they don’t get the right information, their metabolic processes suffer and their health declines. http://www. takingcharge. csh. umn. edu/explore-healing-practices/food-medicine/how-does-food-impact-health Espcially in Vietnam, most of people always use five fundamental taste elements when they’re cooking. For Vietnamese people, salt is used as the connection between the worlds of the living and the dead. Cooking and eating play an extremely important role in Vietnamese culture. The word an (eat) is included in a great number of proverbs and has a large range of semantic extensions. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vietnamese_cuisine#Cultural_importance Vietnamese cuisine is reflective of the Vietnamese lifestyle from the preparation to how the food is served. Going through long phases of war and political conflicts, as well as cultural shifts, the vast majority of the Vietnamese people have been living in poverty. Therefore, the ingredients for Vietnamese food are often very inexpensive but nonetheless, the way they are cooked together to create a yin – yang balance make the food simple in look but rich in flavor. Due to economic condition, maximizing the use of ingredients to save money has become a tradition in Vietnamese cooking. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_cuisine#Food_in_relation_to_lifestyle. WHAT DOES FOOD IS CULTURE, CULTURE IS FOOD MEAN TO YOU? In every country, there’s always have their icons or foods which is symbolize for their country image. Espcially food, in my opinion, food is one of the thing which can be introduced to foreigners about the country’s culture much easier than the other things such as clothes, souvernirs†¦ And a lot of countries have shown their culture through the way they cook food, through the way they eat and through the way they use ingredient for their cooking.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

is america a success essays

is america a success essays At the first of the year Miss Schoonmaker asked us if we thought America was a success or not. This got me thinking what are we going to learn that will make us think our country isnt a success? Well throughout the year I learned things that made me believe America is not a success. Things that made me not believe in America were how we go against things we pledge. Like the Constitution and how we treated blacks in the Civil Rights era. Another example is the American dream. The Dream was all centered primarily around money. Has it not been said that money is the root of all evil? Do we really believe in a country thats dream is evil? I believe the thought of the American dream brought us into civil war. The North and the South both had their views on what the American dream was. The Northern States wanted the "American dream" achieved for the whole country to be industrial, anti-slavery, and very federalist. Upon these institutions they planned to make the U.S. a superior nation in the world. The South wanted to achieve the same ultimate goal for the U.S. but with agricultural, pro- slavery, and states sovereignty institutions. These are the differences between both sides in achieving "the American Dream." In order to resolve the conflict of interests, North and South had to go to war to prove superiority thus proving which side is "the city upon the hill in which the losing side would follow. The American dream later made us build the suburbs like Levittown where the country was trying to make us all the same. We had the same house just different colors than everyone else. This all brought up the issue of conf ormity. America was trying to live up to an ideal that was not securing the blessings of liberty. In the best document ever written the opening clause is a big fat lie. It says we will ...establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide f ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Learned Illness

Carillo 1 Debates have been occurring on the classification of alcoholism since early times. Is alcoholism a disease or is it a learned behavior? For most, alcohol is a common factor at parties, celebrations, and perhaps even everyday life. Many people abuse alcohol by developing risky drinking patterns. They develop cravings and a high tolerance, allowing them to increase the intake of alcohol and believe that they need more to satisfy a taste. There is also the loss of control and(,) very importantly(,) the physical dependency. Withdrawal symptoms heighten(,) making it difficult to quit drinking. So, is this term â€Å"alcoholism† really a disease, or can the individual control their behavior? Medical organizations have researched this condition over and over(,) running tests, experimenting, and analyzing. There is potential that the nature of this condition could very well be classified as a disease. Symptoms are one key in defining a disease, but complications come about in the definition. There is a mental obsession with alcohol. One can lose control of their thought processes(,) causing a sense power loss. (this last phrase is confusing – do you mean a loss of sensory power?) This can lead to a physical obsession and compulsion to drink. Although alcoholism has almost been deemed by everyone as incurable, there (replace with â€Å"it†) is the (replace with â€Å"a†) progressive disease. Progressive meaning it makes drastic changes at a subtle pace. It may progress over such an extended time, (delete) that the alcoholic doesn’t realize the changes. In actuality there is no evidence that alcoholism is in fact a disease. It does not even satisfy the meaning of and (spelling: an) illness. Scientific canalizations ( I’m not sure what you mean by this term) have failed in providing concrete facts and solid proof that alcoholism is a learned, and controllable, behavior. An Carillo 2 old A.A. group even... Free Essays on The Learned Illness Free Essays on The Learned Illness Carillo 1 Debates have been occurring on the classification of alcoholism since early times. Is alcoholism a disease or is it a learned behavior? For most, alcohol is a common factor at parties, celebrations, and perhaps even everyday life. Many people abuse alcohol by developing risky drinking patterns. They develop cravings and a high tolerance, allowing them to increase the intake of alcohol and believe that they need more to satisfy a taste. There is also the loss of control and(,) very importantly(,) the physical dependency. Withdrawal symptoms heighten(,) making it difficult to quit drinking. So, is this term â€Å"alcoholism† really a disease, or can the individual control their behavior? Medical organizations have researched this condition over and over(,) running tests, experimenting, and analyzing. There is potential that the nature of this condition could very well be classified as a disease. Symptoms are one key in defining a disease, but complications come about in the definition. There is a mental obsession with alcohol. One can lose control of their thought processes(,) causing a sense power loss. (this last phrase is confusing – do you mean a loss of sensory power?) This can lead to a physical obsession and compulsion to drink. Although alcoholism has almost been deemed by everyone as incurable, there (replace with â€Å"it†) is the (replace with â€Å"a†) progressive disease. Progressive meaning it makes drastic changes at a subtle pace. It may progress over such an extended time, (delete) that the alcoholic doesn’t realize the changes. In actuality there is no evidence that alcoholism is in fact a disease. It does not even satisfy the meaning of and (spelling: an) illness. Scientific canalizations ( I’m not sure what you mean by this term) have failed in providing concrete facts and solid proof that alcoholism is a learned, and controllable, behavior. An Carillo 2 old A.A. group even...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A Personal Account of the Dream of Making the Deans List, the Fear of Failure, and the Support of My Parents

A Personal Account of the Dream of Making the Dean's List, the Fear of Failure, and the Support of My Parents Failing Well I always wanted to make the dean’s list and unfortunately I have been unable to do so which can be very frustrating when you try your very best and it isn’t good enough. I mean I try everything possible to get straight A’s and nothing seems to work. I have got a tutor for every class possible and it helps bring my grade up but not high enough to where I need it to be. I try multiple studying techniques all of which seem effective but I don’t really do too much better on my test. I do all extra credit assignments that are available but those tend to be only worth a few points so it doesn’t make much of a difference. Now under no circumstances am I saying that I am doing horrible in college, I am actually doing really well achieving A’s B’s. I learned that pluses and minuses make a big difference with grades and GPA so even though I got A’s and B’s those grades were too low in their percent tile for me to make the deanâ €™s list, I want to at least make it once before I graduate. I would always call home and tell my parents about my grades and how I felt and they responded two completely different ways but were both helpful in their own unique way of comforting me. When my mom would listen to me talk about my grades she would tell me how proud of me she was and that I tried my best and that I would get it next time. She never once let me talk bad about myself and she always encouraged me to try my best and that is more than enough when it comes to my grades. Now my dad did the same but he did it with more of a just try to not get lower than a C and he’s okay with it. He knew how hard I was working and pushing myself and he didn’t want me going overboard and stressing myself out more than I had to. Once I got to college is when he came to be very encouraging and always telling me he was proud of me which meant a lot and would calm me down when I would freak out about my grades. Both of my parents are very supportive and let me know that no matt er what happens they are always proud of me and that they always will be and that means more to me than they will ever know. My biggest fear was always failure itself, never being able to be good enough for anyone or anything. Now my dad is very supportive but when I was younger all he focused on was where I could improve. Nothing I ever did was good enough so I always felt like a failure because if I can’t even make my own family proud than how am I supposed to make others proud and show them that I am more than good enough. A lot of my childhood was spent trying to make my dad proud of me, my mom was very supportive and always there for me which I am forever grateful for but I crave the approval of him. I didn’t get that growing up so I always felt like a failure and like I would never be able to be successful because of the fact that I couldn’t even get the approval of my dad. My dad first time telling me he was proud of me was towards the end of my freshman year fall semester so about a year ago†¦I cried due to the fact that I had finally succeeded at what I wanted to for so long but I couldn’t figure out why it took so long for it to happen. He had this tough love mentality and just never gave encouraging words because he didn’t want us to get used to being complimented or getting rewarded for doing what we were supposed to do in the first place. Looking back on it, I understand where he was coming from but I don’t think his way of trying to make his point helped me at all. I honestly think it hurt me more than anything else because I just always felt like I was a failure. I will thank him though for being hard on me because it pushed me to work harder and never give up even when I wanted to. My mom helped me a lot when it came to not giving up and keeping me going and for that I thank her as well. I learned that you can’t succeed at everything as well as you can’t please everyone. You will fail at certain points of your life but I believe you fail at certain things because there is something better and more worthy of your time, energy, and focus. If you try your best and it doesn’t get you to where you want to be then that is okay, the fact that you tried your best should be more than enough and you can try a different approach next time. No one is 100% successful and no one is a 100% failure. Failures are lessons you learn from to figure out how to finally come to the solution you want and I think they are very much necessary believe it or not. If you never fail, you won’t understand the meaning of success nor will you appreciate it and then it won’t mean anything. At the time it might not seem like a good thing to fail but in the end it was part of an instruction to steer you in the right direction to success.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Labor Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Labor Relations - Essay Example Economists are of the opinion that increasing the minimum wage will increase business costs. They, however, insist that these increased costs will be quite modest and easily absorbed through slight increases in productivity and prices of business products. Republicans seem to be inconsistent in their opinions concerning the issue of minimum wage increase. This is because some of them are in support of increasing the minimum wage, just not as consistently as the Democrats. The Republicans are hypocritical because those in support of an increase in the minimum wage condemn increased economic regulation by the government, same the other Republicans who oppose the increase in the minimum wage. On the other hand, conservatives avail a convincing argument against increasing the minimum wage. In their opinion, raising the minimum wage results in unemployment since it increases business’ prices and labor costs, which will in turn force unskilled workers off the market.Public pensions refer to contracts for fixed sums of money to be issued regularly to persons following their retirement from service. Publicly funded pensions are an example of unsustainable programs that have to be disregarded in the years to come. One thing that is certain is that systems and programs that are unsustainable have to go away and be replaced by more sustainable arrangements whether we are willing to accept this reality or not. Unsustainable public pensions have to be disregarded.

Discuss Hamlet as a revenge tragedy Research Paper

Discuss Hamlet as a revenge tragedy - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The basic elements of the play Hamlet proves its importance as a revenge tragedy (special references to the elements of revenge tragedy like revenge, ghost, hero’s hesitation, madness, capable villains, philosophical content, horror and suicide/murder) Hamlet as a revenge tragedy As pointed out, the basic elements of revenge tragedy are applicable to the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The basic elements of revenge tragedy like revenge, ghost, hero’s hesitation, madness, capable villains, philosophical content, horror and suicide/murder are discussed under. A. Revenge: One can see that revenge is the most important element of the play. Within this context, Hamlet’s revenge is to be considered as most important because his aim was to regain the lost honor of his father. At the same time revenge leads him towards his ultimate doom at the end of the play. Rebecca W. Bushnell points out that the basic quality of a revenge tragedy is the protagon ist’s inability to understand his own self or the outside world (68). From a different angle of view, Hamlet’s revenge can be evaluated as his attempt to escape from mental and emotional trauma originating from his personal feeling/fear of losing his mother. In short, revenge is the main component of the play which entraps the protagonist (Hamlet) and his enemies. B. Ghost: The basic element of revenge tragedy consists of the presence of a ghost, which curtails the deeds of the protagonist and acts the role of a motivation to take revenge. Within the context of Hamlet the play, King Hamlet’s ghost acts the role of the ghost who deeply influences prince Hamlet to take revenge of his father’s untimely death and the following incidents. The ghost encourages Hamlet by pointing out that â€Å"So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear† (16). One can easily identify that the ghost’s inspiration forces Hamlet to be suspicious about his uncle†™s and mother’s roles in the conspiracy against his father. But he hesitates to believe in ghost and tries to ignore. Gradually, the ghost forces his son to destroy his enemies and to regain the throne. In short, the presence of ghost, similar to the other revenge plays, ignites fury in the mind of the protagonist and forces him to take revenge of his father’s death. C. Hero’s hesitation Like other revenge tragedy heroes, Hamlet did not believe in ghosts. When his father’s ghost tried to influence him, he did not believe in him and hesitated to act against his enemies. Later, his friend forced him to act according to the will of the ghost and to act against his enemies. Paul Arthur Cantor opines that Oedipus complex hindered Hamlet from his actions (21). The hero’s hesitation can be evaluated from different levels. For instance, he was not sure about the presence of his father as the ghost. Later, he did miss more than one attempt to kill his unc le. This hesitation caused more troubles in his life because he accidentally killed a counselor who was so close to his uncle. This hesitation ultimately led him towards his doom in the end. D. Madness Madness, whether acted or real is one of the most important elements of revenge tragedies. When this element is superimposed to the context of the play Hamlet, one can easily identify that Hamlet’s madness was not real. For instance, Hamlet acted himself as a mad person because he wanted to know more about the deeds of his enemies. He was aware of

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia Essay

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia - Essay Example In effect, these factors essentially make the behaviors of human beings different, which essentially bring cultural differences in various societies. It may be stated that each country around the world has its own unique culture. However, there are also some similarities in some country's cultures. There are characteristic cultural differences and similarities between the Americans and the Saudis. However, in general, it is obvious that the differences in culture are way more than the similarities. For example, the Saudis believe that the religion is essentially the most important part in their daily lives. Americans do not attach a significant value to religion in their daily lives. Also, the Saudi government mainly depends on the religion as a constitution to lead the country. Because of all that, in this paper I will be focusing on the most important culture differences and some common similarities and of the United States and Saudi Arabia. Differences The following are the various cultural differences between the American and the Saudi societies. Collectivism The Saudi society is considered to be more collective in its cultural aspects than the American society. This can be attributed to the fact that collectivism is given more importance in Saudi than in America. People in Saudi Arabia prefer group work. That is, they favor undertaking their work in companies as a group rather than working alone. For instance, the Saudi people would prefer funding a business rather than looking for people to invest in it. Similarly, Saudi people think of themselves as members of one group hence they work together to effect things for each other according to Sam and Berry (2006). They also base their decision on group basis as opposed to Americans who mainly base decisions on personal thoughts. Power distance In Saudi Arabia, there is higher power distance as compared to America. The lack of development in Saudi followed by the belief in old customs has led to higher power distance in the country. This can be attributed to the fact that Saudi men have mor e authority than women hence women cannot make any decisions without the approval of men. On the other hand, in America, the man and the woman share in decision making hence there is almost no power distance. Uncertainty Avoidance Among the Saudi, the society is considered close minded while in America, the society is open minded. As a result, the Saudi people have uncertainty avoidance as opposed to their America counterparts, as they try to keep away from the unknown. For instance, in Saudi, the employees in a company are always opposed to change in procedures while in America the workers are more open to any change in company procedures according to Kleypas and McDougall (2011). Moreover, in Saudi, the people’s emotions at work are important hence good relations are ensured among workers. On the contrary, In America, work itself is the most important aspect at work as people do not allow personal relationships to interfere with their work. Nepotism Nepotism is considered a positive thing among the Saudi people and most family members succeed through family businesses. Men shake hands in meetings while good friends shake hands and kiss in Saudi. Similarly, men are free to approach fellow men in Saudi. This is however not the case when dealing with Saudi women. However to the American culture people are free to approach each other. To the Americans, this is an issue of freedom as opposed to Saudi where this is a matter of respect. Similarities Despite the above

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Growth strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Growth strategies - Essay Example The product development strategy involves developing existing products or introducing new lines of products in order to increase the firm’s revenues. The market development strategy involves creating new markets for the company such as penetrating new geographical regions (Gaebler, 2010). Multinational corporations often utilize market development strategies. A diversification strategy makes sense when good opportunities can be found outside the present business (Kotler, 2003). Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a healthcare delivery system founded in 2003. It is one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers with 49 acute care hospitals in 11 states, 64 outpatient centers, 3.88 million outpatient visits (Tenethealth, 2009). The firm generated in 2009 over $9 billion in revenues. The company current has a presence in 22% of the United States region. The company recently made a strategic move to achieve growth. The growth strategy the company utilized was the market devel opment strategy. The company reached an agreement with Keystone Mercy Health Plan which covers Hahmemann University and St. Christopher Hospital for Children in Philadelphia (Tenethealth, 2011). I believe that the approach utilized by the company to achieve growth was the right decision. The firm was able to successfully penetrate the Philadelphia marketplace without investing resources.

Information sources in marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information sources in marketing - Term Paper Example They also contain accurate information on past financial activities and thus act as reliable historical sources of information on financial management (Mort, 2003). Information sources in financial management also dwell on financial accounting, its principles and its assumptions. These sources analyze the international accounting standards that are upheld in terms of analysis and presentation of financial information. Some of them give a good analysis on currencies in Financial Management. The world has many currencies; as many as the number of countries available. These currencies vary in their market strength, and studying them is essential in establishing their relationship. It also enables one to compare the imports and exports of countries in terms of foreign exchange and international trade. To add to this, one gets to understand the various Fiscal policies and their implications in the modern financial markets. The information sources in this field of business are easily available. They exist in both soft and hard copy, with some being exclusively digital sources. Audit and government institutions provide this information through the cri tical analysis of the economy. There are various communication structures in Financial Management. These include associations, societies and journals. Some of the major associations include the Financial Management Association. This association supports scholars in various financial grounds and activities. It assists in the professional, academic and day-to-day life development of college students who are interested in banking, real estate, investment management and financial management. It gives them a firm background and foundation in their business studies, enabling them to be among the best in the financial industry. The European Financial Management Association is another association that is used as a communication

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia Essay

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia - Essay Example In effect, these factors essentially make the behaviors of human beings different, which essentially bring cultural differences in various societies. It may be stated that each country around the world has its own unique culture. However, there are also some similarities in some country's cultures. There are characteristic cultural differences and similarities between the Americans and the Saudis. However, in general, it is obvious that the differences in culture are way more than the similarities. For example, the Saudis believe that the religion is essentially the most important part in their daily lives. Americans do not attach a significant value to religion in their daily lives. Also, the Saudi government mainly depends on the religion as a constitution to lead the country. Because of all that, in this paper I will be focusing on the most important culture differences and some common similarities and of the United States and Saudi Arabia. Differences The following are the various cultural differences between the American and the Saudi societies. Collectivism The Saudi society is considered to be more collective in its cultural aspects than the American society. This can be attributed to the fact that collectivism is given more importance in Saudi than in America. People in Saudi Arabia prefer group work. That is, they favor undertaking their work in companies as a group rather than working alone. For instance, the Saudi people would prefer funding a business rather than looking for people to invest in it. Similarly, Saudi people think of themselves as members of one group hence they work together to effect things for each other according to Sam and Berry (2006). They also base their decision on group basis as opposed to Americans who mainly base decisions on personal thoughts. Power distance In Saudi Arabia, there is higher power distance as compared to America. The lack of development in Saudi followed by the belief in old customs has led to higher power distance in the country. This can be attributed to the fact that Saudi men have mor e authority than women hence women cannot make any decisions without the approval of men. On the other hand, in America, the man and the woman share in decision making hence there is almost no power distance. Uncertainty Avoidance Among the Saudi, the society is considered close minded while in America, the society is open minded. As a result, the Saudi people have uncertainty avoidance as opposed to their America counterparts, as they try to keep away from the unknown. For instance, in Saudi, the employees in a company are always opposed to change in procedures while in America the workers are more open to any change in company procedures according to Kleypas and McDougall (2011). Moreover, in Saudi, the people’s emotions at work are important hence good relations are ensured among workers. On the contrary, In America, work itself is the most important aspect at work as people do not allow personal relationships to interfere with their work. Nepotism Nepotism is considered a positive thing among the Saudi people and most family members succeed through family businesses. Men shake hands in meetings while good friends shake hands and kiss in Saudi. Similarly, men are free to approach fellow men in Saudi. This is however not the case when dealing with Saudi women. However to the American culture people are free to approach each other. To the Americans, this is an issue of freedom as opposed to Saudi where this is a matter of respect. Similarities Despite the above

Information sources in marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information sources in marketing - Term Paper Example They also contain accurate information on past financial activities and thus act as reliable historical sources of information on financial management (Mort, 2003). Information sources in financial management also dwell on financial accounting, its principles and its assumptions. These sources analyze the international accounting standards that are upheld in terms of analysis and presentation of financial information. Some of them give a good analysis on currencies in Financial Management. The world has many currencies; as many as the number of countries available. These currencies vary in their market strength, and studying them is essential in establishing their relationship. It also enables one to compare the imports and exports of countries in terms of foreign exchange and international trade. To add to this, one gets to understand the various Fiscal policies and their implications in the modern financial markets. The information sources in this field of business are easily available. They exist in both soft and hard copy, with some being exclusively digital sources. Audit and government institutions provide this information through the cri tical analysis of the economy. There are various communication structures in Financial Management. These include associations, societies and journals. Some of the major associations include the Financial Management Association. This association supports scholars in various financial grounds and activities. It assists in the professional, academic and day-to-day life development of college students who are interested in banking, real estate, investment management and financial management. It gives them a firm background and foundation in their business studies, enabling them to be among the best in the financial industry. The European Financial Management Association is another association that is used as a communication

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Project Management Recommendation Essay Example for Free

Project Management Recommendation Essay Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research Development of a new product, market leader, project in-progress Five Phases of a Project: A project can have any number of phases depending on how you break it down. A project for land reclamation in dump site would probably have three phases such as: 1. Facility Decommissioning Phase 2. Waste removal phase 3. Landscaping Phase. While a project involving the building of a new factory may contain four phases such as: 1. Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 2. Design Phase 3. Construction Phase 4. Commissioning Phase. It is therefore assumed that what is been referred to here as five phases of a project is what is known in project management as process groups. The following phases / process groups will be used to complete the project: 1. Project conception and initiation The conception of the project is that the project is a new line widget product including enhancements through the use of existing technology. The initiation of this project will be upon the approval of the project by the CEO. 2. Project definition and planning Stage two of the project is making a project plan. The project plan will be completed by the project team with the consultation of the technicians and experts. The project plan will be in writing and will be well defined. 3. Project launch or execution The project plans and task will be discussed amongst all team members and the task will be divided among the project team. 4. Project performance and control The project manager will be the leader of the project. His or her task will be to monitor performance and control. All project team members are responsible in evaluating each other and helping the team to perform better together. 5. Project close The project will be closed only upon completion of the project, evaluation of the project, and client approval of the project. Key deliverables associated with the selected project: If after the Estimated Budget at Completion of $575,000 is spent and the  product is developed as specified in the project plan, then the project would have met the substantial product deliverable. Secondly, if the Piper Industries Corporation is able to deliver the product within 12 months, the company would have met the project schedule deliverable.

Monday, October 14, 2019

A Dolls House Noras Emancipation Proclamation English Literature Essay

A Dolls House Noras Emancipation Proclamation English Literature Essay A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, demonstrates the powerful independence of the constrained and confined wife figure, Nora. The symbolism of the macaroons, the lamp, costumes, the Christmas tree, the lark and Noras departure demonstrate the characterization of Nora as an individual who is at first treated like an object, but later fights as a woman who wants to live for her own merit. Her husband Torvald sets the typical standard of a man who controls and manipulates his wife like a doll, Noras break from the oppressors in her life are unheard of at the time the play was written; Nora thus being an exceptional individual who was ready to emancipate herself from a male driven household. Early in the play, Nora subconsciously seeks her own freedom. She craves macaroons which her husband explicitly forbids her to eat. Despite this, she often sneaks them anyways for her own pleasure. Hasnt Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today? Taken a bite at a macaroon or two? (Ibsen 1091) The macaroons and Dr. Ranks love for her are symbolic for an escape from Torvalds dominant nature. Nora acknowledges that Dr. Rank loves her and is thoroughly aware of it; however, she refuses to tell her husband and keeps it secret from him, just like the macaroons. Though Nora does not turn on Torvald and leave with Dr. Rank, she acknowledges him as a friend, which effectively brings forth camaraderie between the two that is separate from Torvalds grasp. Noras persona is brought forth as a doll to be dressed up according to her masters whims. Noras father would consistently be unhappy and disgruntled with her if her opinions differed from his own, and she was later haunted by forging her fathers signature as well as Krogstads loan, even if it was just to help her husband. Perhaps she is afraid to tell Torvald because it would demean him as a man to know he owed anything to his wife. Nora states, How painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything! (Ibsen 1128) Her husband also further established the idea of Nora as a doll of his own. He dressed her up in costumes for their masquerade. This dress up is also seen in the Christmas tree that Nora and Torvald decorate. Like their marriage, the beauty and light of the Christmas tree is a faà §ade. Torvald often enjoyed calling Nora his little lark, Miss. Obstinate, my little squirrel, my little songbird. This terminology reaffirms that though he felt she was endearing and cute, her desires ultimately were subordinate to his own. This is especially true in the symbolism of the lark. Torvald questions Nora, Is that my little lark twittering out there? (Ibsen 1137). Birds are typically a symbol of flight and freedom, for him to compare her to a bird becomes ironic due to the lack of freedom he gives her in their home environment. She lives by and for her husband, in his house, with her wings clipped. Towards the end of the play, Nora has an epiphany and brings forth the claim that thought she has been oppressed her whole life, she no longer will be. Our home has been nothing but a play-room. Ive been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papas doll-child (Ibsen 1146). For Nora, this realization is vital to her development as a free woman. The two primary men in her life, her father and Torvald, have been treating her not as equal persons, but as a plaything. Torvald states, I wouldnt be a man if I didnt find you twice as attractive because of your womanly helplessness (Ibsen 1143). The ugliness and falsities of their love have also come forth when Torvald reveals how its Noras job to be solely, helplessly rely on her husband. This is brought forth especially in the symbolism of the Christmas tree. Like their marriage, it was thought to be beautiful and ornate, but is now ugly and desolate after the truth is revealed. Though Torvald descents and says that Nora has an equally important duty as a mother and wife, this does not sway Noras resolve. She proclaims, I have another duty equally sacred (Ibsen 1147). The duty Nora speaks of is the duty of self-actualization. She wants to be recognized as her own person, not just as a wife or a mother. This ideology was very much considered blasphemy at the time the play was written; however, now one can look at it as one of the first steps toward the feminist movement. Noras ending scenes demonstrate the validity and reality of her break from her oppressors. She goes so far as to say she cannot spend another night in a strangers household, showing that her husband never really knew her. Torvald feels Noras deceit would poison the children, stating, I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you (Ibsen 1142). This is Torvalds way of stripping Nora of her motherhood. Nora, however, realizes that it was not her debt that would poison the children, but rather the treatment of the children that would poison them. If it continued, they would become dolls like her. Along with the Christmas tree being stripped and dismantled, Nora also changes out of her tarantella costume. The costume that Torvold adored and made him feel so in love with her. She leaves the disguise of her costume and exposes her true self. This is symbolic of Noras departure from a man who enjoyed making her dress up for his amusement. I pretend you are my s ecret love, my young, secret bride-to-be, and nobody has the slightest suspicion that there is anything between us (Ibsen 1137). Torvalds fantasies of Nora in some sort of peril, almost a different person, show the illusion and faà §ade behind their marriage. Torvald believes in his honor as a man; he does not consider the validity and moral backing behind Noras loan until its too late. He reprimands Nora until he realizes she wont be charged. Only when his reputation is not at stake is he willing to make amends. This is characteristic of a man who loves his wife when it best suites him, instead of a man who loves his wife through turmoil. Torvald exclaims, What a horrible awakening! All these eight yearsshe who was my joy and pridea hypocrite, a liarworse, worsea criminal! (Ibsen 1142) Nora sacrifices incredibly for Torvald, but he is not willing to repay the favor because of his honor, even willing to disgrace her. Torvald also says, Nora, I would gladly work for your sake. But no man can be expected to sacrifice his honor, even for the person he loves (Ibsen 1111). Noras rebuttal shows that his hypocrisy is sex based, and that women give for their husbands all their life. Millions of women have done it (Ibsen 1149). This shows that Nor a recognizes that she and many women of her time sacrifice for their husband to the point of it being excessive and unfair. By the end of the play, Nora has entirely realized that she can no longer survive as a doll to be toyed and paraded around. She slams the door behind her after announcing to Torvald that she wants nothing to do with him anymore. By shutting the door on Torvald and her family, Nora opens a new door to a life where she can live how she wants. She could never love Torvald unless he treated her like an equal, not a doll. Nora left a man who looked at her like a commodity or a pet, his little lark. She did what most women even in the modern era do not have the courage to do; she broke free.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Howard Stern Essay -- essays research papers

.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howard Stern has been labeled as many things, such as offensive, obnoxious, discussing and by the majority of his listeners a genius. He grew up in a suburb of Manhattan in the early sixties. His father, Ben Stern, worked at radio station WHOM where the was the engineer. His father commuted every day about 40 miles to and from work. Howard would spend little time with his father but on occasion he would get to go to work with him. This is what interested Howard to being on the radio.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the time, the area Howard lived in was going through a racist change. His mother told his friends who were making racist comments about the negros that she and Howard were part negro, but they weren’t really. Roosevelt High School, his school, was a fully integrated educational system, which in his words meant â€Å"six thousand black guys and him.† In his high school years he turned to marijuana because he had to deal with several personal problems. He said the personal problems affected his personal life forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his college years it was pretty hard for him to find a date. So, he stayed at home and masturbated constantly. His senior year he got on at the college radio station known as WTBU. That year he met the woman who would be his future wife. She was in his first film for his film class. He won an award for the film.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After completing college Howard went to his first job interview on May 12, 1977. His interview was at WRNW and he got the job. After two months on the air, the manager who said he would never be a good DJ and that he had a lousy voice, promoted him to program director because he was a hard worker and came to work on time.† After saving money and working for awhile he then married Alison. They got their own place and was doing well with Howard making $250.00 a week.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After three months of being program director Howard quit his job because he didn’t want to fire an employee. So, Howard was now unemployed himself. Howard decides to make a major decision and move to another city. He moves to Hartford and begins working as a morning man on WCCC. Time has moved to October , 1979. Howard then met his partner Fred who wil... ...ey say â€Å"I want to see what he will say next.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howard is invited to be on the David Letterman show and talks down about NBC. On a July of 1985 he tops the rating charts in New York. A rally is thrown for his accomplishment AC/DC plays at the ceremony. It is held in Central Park, on the field it is a sold out show. During the concert Alison’s water breaks. He named his first daughter Emily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three children later he is still the best known radio personality in years. Occasionally he might make a fool of himself in public like the MTV music award incident as Fartman. To this date the FCC still wants him off the radio and so does every other fundamentalist group in the United States. Most of the things he does are mostly misunderstood but that is the fate of most geniuses right? Stern, Howard (1997). Private Parts. New York City, NY: NBC Retived (11/17/00) From http://www.california.com/~rpcman/HOWARD1.HTM Retived (11/17/00) From http://www.sgi.net/~jon/howard/

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Baldwin and The Little Rock Nine Essay -- James Baldwin

The Little Rock Nine: Weaving the Tapestry of American History Throughout his literature, James Baldwin discusses the issues of racial inequality within America and discusses reasons for the conflicts between races, proposing his solutions to the problems. One of the most important and recurring motifs between his works is the idea of history; the history of whites in western society and its origin in European thinking and the history of the American Negro, whose history is just as American as his white counterpart’s. The importance of these histories as being one combined â€Å"American history† is integral to the healing process between the two races. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision is a landmark event for blacks and whites alike, and the events following three years later in Little Rock, Arkansas mark the beginning of a long journey to fulfill the promise of equal education made by the Supreme Court. The 1957 events in Little Rock quickly became the nationally covered story of the Little Rock Nine, a legacy that still lives on today despite a James Baldwin prediction made in his essay â€Å"Take Me to the Water.† Specifically, nine African-American students were given permission by the Little Rock school board to attend Central High School, one of the nation’s top 40 high schools, integrating a formally all-white campus. During the initial weeks, these students were prevented from entering the school by US military summoned by the Arkansas governor. The Little Rock case drew immediate media attention and became a nationwide symbol of the civil rights movement. The story of the Little Rock Nine embodies James Baldwin’s arguments and observations regarding necessity of education as a crucial step to achievin... ... to Enter Topeka School.† New York Times 29 Aug. 1958: 11. Calloway-Thomas, Carolyn, and Thurmon Garner. â€Å"Daisy Bates and the Little Rock School Crisis: Forging the Way.† Journal of Black Studies 26, 5 Special Issue: The Voices of African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement. May, 1996: 616-628. JSTOR. 10 April 2004 Figures of the Civil Rights Movement. Videocassette. Princeton, 1999. Fine, Benjamin. â€Å"Little Rock Faces Showdown Today Over Integration.† New York Times 7 Sept. 1957: 1. ---. â€Å"Little Rock Told To Integrate Despite Militia.† New York Times 4 Sept. 1957: 1. ---. â€Å"Students Unhurt.† New York Times 24 Sept. 1957: 1. United States. â€Å"Commission on Civil Rights. School Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas June 1977.† Washington, D.C. June 1977. Baldwin and The Little Rock Nine Essay -- James Baldwin The Little Rock Nine: Weaving the Tapestry of American History Throughout his literature, James Baldwin discusses the issues of racial inequality within America and discusses reasons for the conflicts between races, proposing his solutions to the problems. One of the most important and recurring motifs between his works is the idea of history; the history of whites in western society and its origin in European thinking and the history of the American Negro, whose history is just as American as his white counterpart’s. The importance of these histories as being one combined â€Å"American history† is integral to the healing process between the two races. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision is a landmark event for blacks and whites alike, and the events following three years later in Little Rock, Arkansas mark the beginning of a long journey to fulfill the promise of equal education made by the Supreme Court. The 1957 events in Little Rock quickly became the nationally covered story of the Little Rock Nine, a legacy that still lives on today despite a James Baldwin prediction made in his essay â€Å"Take Me to the Water.† Specifically, nine African-American students were given permission by the Little Rock school board to attend Central High School, one of the nation’s top 40 high schools, integrating a formally all-white campus. During the initial weeks, these students were prevented from entering the school by US military summoned by the Arkansas governor. The Little Rock case drew immediate media attention and became a nationwide symbol of the civil rights movement. The story of the Little Rock Nine embodies James Baldwin’s arguments and observations regarding necessity of education as a crucial step to achievin... ... to Enter Topeka School.† New York Times 29 Aug. 1958: 11. Calloway-Thomas, Carolyn, and Thurmon Garner. â€Å"Daisy Bates and the Little Rock School Crisis: Forging the Way.† Journal of Black Studies 26, 5 Special Issue: The Voices of African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement. May, 1996: 616-628. JSTOR. 10 April 2004 Figures of the Civil Rights Movement. Videocassette. Princeton, 1999. Fine, Benjamin. â€Å"Little Rock Faces Showdown Today Over Integration.† New York Times 7 Sept. 1957: 1. ---. â€Å"Little Rock Told To Integrate Despite Militia.† New York Times 4 Sept. 1957: 1. ---. â€Å"Students Unhurt.† New York Times 24 Sept. 1957: 1. United States. â€Å"Commission on Civil Rights. School Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas June 1977.† Washington, D.C. June 1977.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Summary of the Yellow Wallpaper

Summary of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gillman In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Charlotte Gillman tells a story of a woman, her husband, and their three month stay at a beautiful home with hideous yellow wallpaper in the master bedroom. The story begins with the woman’s complaints to her husband John about his choice to use the room with the yellow wallpaper instead of one with roses on the window being denied because he felt it would be good for her â€Å"nervous condition†.The woman thought that there was something strange about the house but John told her that her feelings were mere nonsense and that she should get plenty of rest during their stay to try and help her condition. He told her that she should also stay away from her love of writing while he is away treating his patients because it would be too stressful for her condition. During John’s frequent absences the woman begins to obsess over the yellow wallpaper, even going as f ar as to stare at it all night. The woman began to hallucinate about a lady being trapped within the wallpaper after dark and creeping around the garden by day.Her husband thought she was getting better when all that was occurring was his wife was going crazy trying not to bother him. The woman spoke of a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes staring at you upside down. By the end of the story the woman barricaded herself in the master bedroom, ripping down wallpaper in a desperate attempt to free the lady that creeps in the garden by day and is trapped in the walls at night. The purpose of the story is to show how both men and women should have a purpose in society.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Michel Foucault and John Locke

The private realm, with family life as its foundation, has a significant place in western culture, which has its roots in the notion of pater familias or family head that formulates the family life as a unique kingdom in Roman law. The private sphere that includes the family life and means a realm outside the public sphere began to be used only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This concept initially referred to the realm outside the dynamic or active social life. This idea of the private sphere outside of the public life and of the center of the private activities have forced some political thinkers to take part in theoretical discussions regarding the separation of the public and private spheres. According to Locke, as the foundation of political authority, the social contract emerges outside the family life. Accordingly, the private realm can be defined as the realm of women, symbolized by sentimentality, compassion, love, sympathy and generosity. Contrary to this, the public sphere is the realm of men, dominated by rationality, mutual exchange and observation in every aspect of social life. Despite inspiring the emergence of a state, Locke's understanding of the public sphere continues to live on with different social elements that have their own dynamism. For Locke, therefore, the public sphere has two dimensions: â€Å"political† and â€Å"social.† The objective of the defined political sphere is to protect the freedom of the public along with its life and property rights. This is demonstrated in the Second Treaties of Government, in which Locke offers three different realms: the â€Å"private sphere† of women, the â€Å"public sphere† of men in general and the â€Å"political sphere† of state servants such as members of the police, military and judiciary. Contrary to Locke, Foucault focuses primarily on the notion of the public sphere merged with political authority. In this regard, â€Å"General Will† dominates public life as the product of men who have gone beyond family life. Such an understanding sharply differentiates Rousseau from Locke. In any case, it was Foucault who laid the foundation for a notion of a transcendental state that overshadows the public life dominated by free men. In Foucault's view, men who make up the differentiating public life outside of family life become the objects of civil society in a transcendental state. This transcendental state, he further argues, first combines all unique aspects and elements of different societal groups within its metaphysical container and then enforces its own ideology in order to claim control over them. In sum, as opposed to Locke, for Hegel and Rousseau there are two opposing spheres: a private realm belonging to women, children and the disabled, and a public life belonging to men who are united to the state structure with compassion and affection. It is thus evident that their conception of the public sphere is intimately connected to the political authority. In his Rà ©umà © des cours, those summaries published for all the prestigious Collà ¨ge de France lectures, the chapter entitled â€Å"Il faut dà ©fendre la socià ©tà ©Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Society must be defended†) makes passing reference to race. Foucault was concerned with how war came to be an analytic tool of historical knowledge and of social relations at large. Moreover, the issue of racism in the lectures seems ancillary and oddly displaced. This is not a prelude to an argument that we have all missed the â€Å"real† Foucault, and that the key to a genealogy of racism is waiting for us in his taped lectures rather than in published form. Both texts are concerned with the emergence of an alternative discourse to that of sovereign right, to â€Å"a discourse of the war of races† that Foucault will identify as the first â€Å"contre-histoire† (counter-history) to a unitary conception of power represented in a historical discourse that served the sovereign state. Racism emerges as one of several possible domains in which technologies of sexuality are worked out and displayed. In the lectures, state racism is not an effect but a tactic in the internal fission of society into binary oppositions, a means of creating â€Å"biologized† internal enemies, against whom society must defend itself. On the issues of race and colonialism, we can notice several contradictory impulses in Foucault's work: a focus on racism and an elision of it, a historiography so locked in Europe and its discursive formations that colonial genocide and narratives about it could only be derivative of the internal dynamics of European states. The studied absence of the impact of colonial culture on Foucault's bourgeois order did more than constrain his mapping of the discourses of sexuality. In the end, Foucault confined his vision to a specific range of racisms, a range that students of colonial history who might choose to follow his genealogical methods would be prompted to reject. English political and social thought in the seventeenth century is characterized by the idea of possessive individualism. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it became an underlying and unifying assumption. Its â€Å"possessive† quality is found in the condition of the individual as essentially the proprietor of his (or presumably her) own person or capacities, owing nothing to society for them. Thus for theorists such as John Locke, the individual â€Å"pre-figures† society, and society will be happy and secure to the extent that individuals are happy and secure. Not only does the individual own his or her own capacities, but, more crucially, each is morally and legally responsible for himself or herself. Freedom from dependence on others means freedom from relations with others except those relations entered into voluntarily out of self-interest. Human society is simply a series of market relations between self-interested subjects. For Foucault it is guided by an â€Å"invisible hand.† For John Locke society is a â€Å"joint stock company† of which individuals are shareholders. Paradoxically, while the impact of individualism was dominant in relation to the social, political, educational, and scientific ideas of the late nineteenth, early twentieth century, this period actually marked a major extension of the State's authority over every aspect of the individual's life and to every corner of society. The problems of urbanization, population increases, immigration, war, and a major concern with eugenics gave rise to more regulation and control, leading to the State's encouragement of various forms of social research. Locke argues that since absolute monarchs claim the right to be â€Å"Judges in their own Cases,† because absolute monarchy is based on the assumption that no individual on earth has a right to challenge the legitimacy of the will of an absolute monarch, it is irrational because of the rational prohibition against any man being a judge in his own case. Moreover, since an absolute monarch claims the right to absolute power and control over all his subjects, it is irrational because any attempt to exert absolute power and control by one person over another violates the rational precepts of the law of nature and establishes a state of war between individuals. As such, an absolute monarch is held by Locke to be in a state of war with his subjects, and since civil government is established to prevent a state of war, absolute monarchy provides no â€Å"remedy for the Inconveniences of the state of nature,† for it is but a continuation of a state of war. In this manner, Locke presents us with his criticism of the rational and moral legitimacy of absolute monarchy, and thereby establishes the principle that a necessary condition of legitimate government is that it be limited in the permissible exercise of political power and authority. Limited government, that is, becomes the legitimate alternative to any form of absolute government. Furthermore, it is also possible to understand that, for Locke, the law of nature establishes the legitimate limitation on government, in the sense that the exercise of political power and authority is only legitimate if it protects the natural rights of individuals to â€Å"Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions.† At this point, Locke introduces the idea of consent, by claiming that since individuals are, â€Å"by nature, all free, equal and independent, no one can be put out of this Estate and subjected to the Political Power of another, without his own Consent.† Accordingly, it logically follows that the transformation from a nonpolitical existence to a political one can only legitimately be accomplished by the individual consent of each individual in the state of nature. Does this particular use of the idea of consent constitute anything more than formal conformity to the methodological requirements of contractarian thought, or does it have a more substantive status within the context of Locke's political thought? In relation to the issue of subjectivity, Foucault rejects identity-based politics rooted in the notion of an historical, pre-discursive â€Å"I.† For Foucault â€Å"identities† are â€Å"self representations† or â€Å"fixations† that are neither fixed nor stable. The subject is not a â€Å"thing† outside of culture, and there is no pure â€Å"state of nature† to ground history either. The subject is not a substantive entity at all but rather a process of signification with an open system of discursive possibilities. The self is a regulated but not determined set of practices and possibilities. Conclusion Asserts Foucault, â€Å"If the genealogist refuses to extend his faith in metaphysics, if he listens to history, he finds that there is ‘something altogether different' behind things; not a timeless and essential secret, but the secret that they have no essence or that their essence was fabricated in a piecemeal fashion from alien forms.† Contrary to what John Locke would contend about power, unity (whether of consciousness proper or the continuity of personal experience) is not the essence of subjectivity. Unity is a mask for an interplay of anonymous forces and historical accidents that permits us to identify subjects, to identify ourselves, as specific human beings. Unity-identity-is imposed on subjects as the mask of their fabrication. Subjectivity is the carceral and incarcerating expression of this imposition, of the limitations drawn around us by discourses of truth and practices of individualization; but seen through the â€Å"differential knowledge† of genealogy, the identity of subjectivity collapses. RESOURCES John Locke â€Å"Second Treaties of Government,† Two Treaties of Government, ed. Peter Laslett (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988), chapter VII. Foucault M. (1997k). â€Å"Society must be defended†. In M. Foucault, Ethics, Subjectivity and Truth: The Essential Works (Ed. P. Rabinow, trans. R. Hurley) (pp. 5966). Allen Lane, London: Penguin Press. Â