India Today Essay

Slowly, but surely, in the year 2000, India is beginning to erase the Nehruvian social contract that created the public sector and bound the employees to a corporate unit and the corporate unit to the nation. In the age of restructuring and re-engineering that this has ushered, employees are no longer valued resources but expendable commodities. And likewise, the employers are no longer demi-gods and fuedal lords in one. They are going to become one with a mind-boggling scenario of a private sector, where the growing manager with the corporate experience of a lifetime might suddenly be written off as hopelessly old fashioned; and replaced with a young nerd, who along with, maybe the new owner’s driver, will be sitting on a stack of stock-options valued in millions. Clearly it is time to think seriously about wealth and what it means to be wealthy in India today. The last time Indians thought self-cautiously about being rich through joint holdings with non blacks, was in the 19th Century when the East India Company revealed to the worldly wise Indians occupying crucial positions within the system, the plunder-potential of their land. They got busy right away. This continued for almost a century till historic events triggered off a freedom struggle under Gandhi over the equitable distribution and domestication of India’s wealth. The idealism lasted barely two decades. Political debates then were all about the baneful influence of capitalism and money. It was okay to generate jobs but not great wealth which could corrupt our most sacred institutions. Slowly some crusading investigative journalists and economists followed this logic and began to glean disturbing facts about the trumpeters of this brand of Hindu socialism. They made dark revelations repeatedly about questionable personal behaviour and financial chicanery that they had discovered among various political groups in power.

Tanks in World War I

In 1915 Europe was in the midst of World War I and was at a stalemate caused by trench warfare. There was a need for new and revolutionary weapons to end the dilemma. The British found a solution to this problem by inventing tanks. The invention of the tank had numerous pros and cons, but it ultimately changed warfare. Tanks were built for the purpose of traversing through trenches. Trenches were becoming a literal wall and prevented either side from advancing. Tanks were the solution to the predicament that was the Western Front. The first prototype was called Mark I and was tested for the British Army in the September of 1916. Tanks were progressive and enabled many new tactics. They used caterpillar tracks which had a less likelihood of becoming stuck due to sinking. Tanks offered protection against firearms and intimidated German infantry men that were shocked deeply by the fact that they cannot destroy a tank with machine gun alone. Tanks were also great for accompanying infantry to protect them. There were also cons that went along with the use of tanks. Tanks were very slow, moving at a rate of four miles per hour; casual human walking speed. They were mechanically unreliable, and broke down frequently. Most of the time tanks were hot, numbingly loud and generally uncomfortable for the crews. After the British introduced the tank into the war other countries had their own variations. France launched their first tank, the Schneider CA1, shortly after Britain had introduced the. Mark I. These tanks were the same as British tanks in most aspects, except for that they moved faster by 1 mph. Close to the end of World War I, Germany had their own tank. The A7V, nicknamed â€Å"The Moving Fortress† by the British because of the shape of the hull, was entered into war in 1918 and were in action for eight months. One hundred vehicles were ordered during the spring of 1918, but only 21 were delivered.

Langston Hughes: Harlem a Dream Deferred Essay

A dream cast aside can rankle a person’s will in the deepest of ways. It tends to permeate their every thought and becomes an unshakable burden. In the poem â€Å"Harlem (A Dream Deferred)† by Langston Hughes, the language used describes how a suspended goal can frustratingly linger. The writer first poses a question: â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† He then compares a postponed dream to a dried up raisin or a festering sore, giving a reader the idea of how treacherous it can be to put off one’s goals. What only can make it worse is when we have little control over our fate; when the determination of whether or not our goals are achievable is decided by someone else as was done with the African American population in the United States throughout the early 20th century.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Life for the black population of America throughout the early 1900s was less than ideal. While they’d been free from slavery for nearly 100 years, they remained i n segregated schools and were restricted to menial work nonetheless. Between 1920 and 1930, a movement was followed by African Americans across the United States known as the Harlem Renaissance (see Great Days In Harlem). The movement aimed to establish an identity for blacks in America and gave many hope that they might be seen equal to their white counterparts. The movement lost momentum, but its ideals remained in the hearts of the people; their dreams of equality left behind to fester in the backs of their minds. So what happens when a dream such as this is deferred? If it is a true dream, reflecting our hearts desire, it cannot be forgotten easily. Hughes, an African American in the Harlem Renaissance era, writes a poem full of bitter possibilities reflecting his frustration.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Evidently, Hughes felt frustrated when he wrote this poem in 1951. It was 30 years after the start of the renaissance movement, and it seemed to him that the black identity had made no steps toward equality. At this point in time, the African Americans were feeling neglected; their goals cast aside and their lives seeming more like a nightmare than a dream. But what happens to a dream deferred? Hughes offers many responses to this question, all equally unpleasant. In using similes, the writer creates imagery allowing a reader to imagine a festering sore or a piece of rotten meat and understand how toxic a postponed dream can be for a person.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Equally unpleasant is allowing oneself to â€Å"sugar over†, to simply nod ones head and accept the crushing of ones dreams as reality. To be sweet to those who’ve taken away every ounce of one’s dignity can be just as irksome. Then the idea that was once a dream will linger evermore, weighing a person down, sagging like a heavy load. In the final statement of the poem, the writer leaves it as a separate sort of thought, â€Å"Or does it explode?† This final question seems more like a warning, an indication of the author being at wit’s end. A dream deferred can linger so long that a person can no longer bear the load and they may retaliate. In this instance, the writer as well as his fellow African Americans were beyond frustrated with the exhaustion of carrying the load of their unfulfilled dreams. Harlem’s ideals had been forgotten.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨From the language used to the thoughtful structure, â€Å"Harlem (A Dream Deferred)† speaks to a reader. The writer creates strong imagery that can be connected to the situation he’s describing. A dream deferred really takes its toll on a person, or as proved by the context surrounding the poem, a group of people. To have ones goals setback is hard enough, but having them dismissed by another simply makes it linger and inflame. We’re brought back to the question of what happens to a dream deferred? As suggested it can rot like meat and dry up like a raisin but eventually we crack under the pressure. There’s only so much a person can take; in the end our deferred dreams will cause us to explode.

Writing and Reporting News, page 94, exercise 2 Assignment

Writing and Reporting News, page 94, exercise 2 - Assignment Example In the article, it brought about the divide between the republicans who do not support gay marriage. Gay marriage has been on debate for a very long time on whether to make it legal on various states. In an article written by Rick Pearson on November 6th, 2013 about the legalization gay marriage in Illinois as having made a boost to the Democrats in the forthcoming elections. Furthermore he continues that high unemployment rate coupled with financial woes could tract the party too. In a newspaper article written on June 11th by Jennifer Weigel, a research finding linking social media to narcissism was reported. This came as a concern as many people in our society use social media for communication. She reported that the common social media sites like Facebook and Twitter promoted the culture of narcissism. In an article written by Jan Wiezorek, it more focused on college orientation programs. In campus, it is evident that quite a number of factors need to be considered during orientation process. This include issues like HIV, drug abuse and alcohol, HIV, Homophobia among others. Manchir, Rick Pearson and Michelle. "Poll: Same-sex marriage still divides GOP voters in Illinois." 17 February 2014. Chicago Tribune. . Pearson, Rick. "Marriage vote could re-engage 2014 campaigns." 6 November 2013. Chicago Tribune. . Weigel, Jenniffer. "University of Michigan study links social media and narcissism." 11 June 2013. Chicago Tribune. . Wiezorek, Jan. "College Orientation Programs Are Focusing On

Rabbit Proof Fence Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rabbit Proof Fence - Movie Review Example Further, orders were issued to eradicate forcibly half-caste children from their paternal and maternal families. It was a disastrous and dangerous racist policy that brought about the suffering and misery of what they called the stolen generation. In the movie Rabbit proof fence, the director Philip Noyce presents a perspective of what real happened to the half-caste children in Australia during the 20th century. In addition, via the movie, the director highlights the events that happened in order to overcome the disastrous racist law. For instance, having been removed forcibly from their mothers, the three women, Gracie, Sampi, and Sansbury escape from one of the detention center in Moore and goes on mission to look for their mothers. It is rational to argue that with the incredible journey ahead of the three women in the movie, they try to free themselves from the oppressive government policies. It is depicted in the film that they tried to identify their way out of the rabbit proof fence. I think this represents the unrelenting effort to fight for equality in society. In addition, the movie depicted how racism or racial profiling in 20th century Australia. It is evident that during this time, racism in Australian society looked like cancer in that it had no cure and it would have continued were it not for the effort of the three women to fight for justice. However, separation and exclusion is seen all around Australian aborigine children. It is clear that suspicion, fear, and ignorance parting away communities. At the same time, public figures, the media, and heads of states, who are the people supposed to fight and defend pluralist and inclusive societies, initiate attacks on multiculturalism. While this negative outlook may be so widely accepted challenging it seems to be a hard but important

Decline in the American middle class Research Paper

Decline in the American middle class - Research Paper Example They then define what we come to know as white collar jobs and blue collar jobs. These classifications show the diversity of this social stratum in a way that only emphasizes their vast contribution to the growth of the nation and what they fundamentally embody, the American people. The ruling class, many would argue, pertain to the country’s upper class that holds wealth and a monopoly of power. But rather than being antagonistic against this other class, most Americans aspire to be part of it by becoming rich. Contrary to the privileged few, a survey show that around 45% of Americans identify to being in the middle class. These people include highly educated professionals such as lawyers, doctors, engineers and managers. They are classified into living in the suburbs and partaking of other posh activities including country clubs. Similarly, another face of the middle class includes small business owners also called the ‘petit bourgeoisie’ among others. â€Å"Th us, in subjective terms, the middle class is the largest single class in American society, but in cultural terms, it is highly diverse because so many different lifestyles are represented within it† (Kornblum 275). There is no doubt that there really has been a drastic decline in the country’s middle class. ... This is down by 21% from the 1970 recorded 65% of families as middle income. To show the discrepancy, one-third of the families in the same area classified as affluent or within poverty increased from 15% in 1970. This study was conducted through a census involving 117 of the largest metropolitan areas throughout the United States. It is part of US2010 funded by Russell Sage and Brown University. What this implies, Stanford sociologist Sean Reardon explicates, is that the next generation will see the most effects. More children will have less access to better education and child care. In a sense, the affluent families will be isolated to their own class with less interaction coming from public amenities such as schools and transportation. This could perceptively affect future investments and public policies for the benefit of mostly the middle class population. The gap between the rich and the poor is also seen in test scores and consequently college education. More children from wel l to do families are able to complete college compared to low income earners (Tavernise, n.p.). The disparity in education is an easily apparent effect of the continued decline of the middle class. As the gap between income increases, more and more of those from the higher strata are able to afford the increasingly high cost of university education. The bulk of the middle class are in turn become unable to support sustained tertiary education in expensive private institutions. This then becomes a vicious cycle as those from lower income families often begin their career without college education. Education is universally known as a determinative factor in professional success. More

Puritan Heritage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Puritan Heritage - Essay Example Such features as industriousness, desire to get knowledge, as well as restraint and adherence to morality are regarded as the features inherent to the Puritan conscience. To my mind, many value conflicts that are observed in the field of modern education cannot be properly investigated without understanding historical heritage. I think that similarities that unite both parts of the nation are partly defined by the legacy of the Puritans, so it is necessary to observe this heritage in its historical perspective, because it influenced many aspects of nation's development. I suppose that using experience of the past is necessary to forge out effective strategies for future successful progress, so understanding the sources of the mentality is extremely important for many sciences, and I find this issue to be important for educational discourse at the moment. Some facts described below will prove that the Puritans influenced both the characters and minds of the nation in the process of it s development. The Puritans were aware that the level of economical and political prosperity depends upon educational level of populati

It took a long time, but there is now a good standard of protection Essay

It took a long time, but there is now a good standard of protection against unfair standard contract terms imposed by one par - Essay Example In the past, one party to a contract could violate the contract by exploiting the loopholes in the English Law. But today, legal safeguards are in place to stem such practices (Gretchen 2000, p.67). UK has various statutes stating that when one of the parties to a contract disobeys the contract, the other is at liberty to seek legal redress. Contract law encompasses issues as whether a validly executed contract is in place, what it entails, whether the actions of a party amounts to contract violation, and the level of compensation that a victim of contract violation is entitled to. Historical development Standard clauses were in a contract conceived out of the need for discipline among parties in business practices; however, it was insignificant in pre-commercial practices (Howells, and Weatherill, 2005p.p.101). In ancient times, the largely primitive societies employed other methods of implementing the dedication of parties to an agreement. Before the advent of contract law, deals a nd promises between individuals were done through familial connections or under religious organizations. In the ancient system premised upon barter, transactions were self-enforcing since transactions would be deemed complete by both parties at once. In contrast, Blythe (2005, p.77) argued that many parties is such transactions would notice problems with the commodities after the transaction was complete, but these historical challenges have been usually arbitrated through property law. The lack of fair standard terms in contact law would complicate the issue, since clear rules guiding the promise such as the conduct of both parties was lacking. In the ancient English law, the then primitive society continued to employ notions of issues to do with property instead of a pledge (Gretchen 2000, p.67). In the society’s ancient forms of transactions involving informal contracts, familial connections helped in securing the credit in as much the same way as when a community or an et hnic group provided hostages for the period within which the debt was to be settled. Other types of security included promising a property such as land or giving away individuals as pawns (Bar 2004, p.54). Some credit options were basically commonly accepted across board: livestock, for example, would be assigned to a concierge whose services were paid with a fixed proportion of the animal’s young ones. The problems arising from the quantification of values of assets impacted the enforceability of the largely casual agreements, especially following the expansion of business transactions beyond familial connections in the second half of the twentieth century. These business activities eventually led the development of solid, enforceable, binding laws of contracts in the modern United Kingdom (Heidemann 2007, p.35). Modern statutes put in place enforceable promises, which basically went hand in hand with the expansion of the country’s market economy. In contrast though, cases of violations of standard terms of contract even after the enactment of the first major contract law in 1977 persisted. The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, which basically aimed to streamline the behaviour of parties in a contract were still rampant in the United Kingdom (Forte 1999, p.121). Legal safeguards The English law of contract has sections dealing with unfair standard terms

Financial resource management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial resource management - Assignment Example From the year 2010 the company has focused in launching range of its venture brands. For the first half of 2011 the company profits were ?1.9 billion, there followed a period of low growth of sales attributed by the changing consumer behavior switching to budget rivals. The market in which this company operates is considered to be competitive. Its major competitors being Asda, Sainsbury, the Co-operative Food Plc. and Morrison’s and as by 2011 the market share standings in the context of United Kingdom were as follows (Schuh 2012). Tesco Company 30.6%, Asda Company 17.3, Sainsbury plc. 16.6% and the Co-operative Food Plc. 7.3%. Tesco plc. Financial performance The financial year for Tesco comes to an end on 27 February, thus the financial year 2010 covers 2010/2011. In this financial year there had been a registered total sales increasing by 8.3% in its first half and 8.8% in the third quarter (Infinancials 2012). For the case of international sales it increased by 15.7%. The return on equity has also increased significantly putting into consideration the impacts of the financial crisis. The company has engaged on big expansive programs notably on international markets using both retained earnings and debt financing for these projects. As at August 2010 the company balance sheet indicated a short-term debt of ?1.6 billion, ?10.5 billion long term debts with an offset of ?1.977 billion cash position which gives a net debt of ?10.1 billion (Schuh 2012). Thus the company is committed in paying down the debts. The company has greatly diversified its property assets having a gained greatly in comparison with its book value. Attributing to this is that it has provided a buffer to the current company leverage position. Better financial position of this company is attributed by the predictable and reliable earnings as well as profitability. The major products that the company is consumer staples and personal goods and the implication of recession may not signifi cantly affect its sales and profits respectively. J Sainsbury plc. J Sainsbury plc is the parent company of a chain of supermarkets in United Kingdom also referred to as Sainsbury’s. The company is the third largest chain of supermarkets thus considered to have a significant market share in the United Kingdom domestic market. This company currently operates 1012 convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets and a bank as well which sells financial services. In UK market the company is ranked third as it offers high quality grocery compared to its rivals. The company controls a market share of 16.4% coming fourth after its competitors Morrison’s, Asda’s and Tesco respectively (Infinancials 2012). Subsidiary businesses include Sainsbury’s local, Sainsbury’s online, Sainsbury’s Active Kids, Sainsbury’s Local and Sainsbury’s Bank. J Sainsbury plc. Financial performance For the past years the financial performance of this compan y has been characterized with increased turnover. From 1990 to 2010 the turnover has increased significantly from ?6.9 billion to ?21.4 billion with a fall in 2005 when the company way in the transition of restructuring itself (Schuh 2012). It is notable that for most of the years the company had a pre-tax profit of between ?500 million to ?700 million. The earnings per share have also increased significantly except in 2005 and 2006 (Infinancials 201

Business patents report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business patents report - Essay Example Following suit, other companies in the software segment are beginning to analyze their innovative intellectual properties for opportunities to exploit their unique technology developments and thus gain market share. Seeking patent protection on this business’ new software will restrict market entry from other software companies looking for B2B information technology solutions market potential. The main issue with attaining a patent is the litigation risk of not performing an adequate patent clearance search to identify software in our market already holding patent protections. The recent course case involving Apple and Samsung has set a business precedent for the high financial costs of accidentally duplicating various icons or display features in the development process. However, this business can offset these risks by assigning a patent clearance team to conduct appropriate external research to ensure development does not infringe on intellectual property protections. Patent protectionism will provide for licensing in the event that the business is unable to secure high volume of market interest post-launch. It is more likely that this business will be able to attain venture capitalist interest in financial investment, which will offset development and patent clearance costs, by minimizing litigation risks or competitor replication of the

Democratic ticket Essay Example for Free

Democratic ticket Essay Alvin Greene’s win was as a result of good, hard work. The models of voting used favored him. Research on models of voting shows that a candidate should be smart and sharp during campaigns. Models used by voters influence voting choice. Some of these models include Ballot Position Effect also known as Name Order Effect, Mere Exposure Effect, Name Letter Effect and No Information Voting. Use of research papers such as, Who is Alvin Greene by Mark, Greene on the Issues by Buster Brown, among others listed on the reference list shows the different types of models of voting. Questions asking advantages of using one or more or more models, limitation of each model, strengths and weaknesses of one model to another have been researched. The conclusion of this research shows ways which influence the behavior of voters. It summarizes the effects of different models applied and the effect they have on a candidate. Alvin Greene, an unemployed army veteran, is the winning candidate using the Democratic ticket. He has surprised analysts, pundits, and academics by winning with more than 58 percent of the votes. However victory was not a surprise for him because he worked hard and therefore earned it. His campaigns were simple; he traveled with friends, friends of friends and family members. He did not have any campaign website; neither did he put out signs nor fliers. Alvin’s victory was as a result of good, hard work. The phrase Get South Carolina Back to Work which was his campaign slogan had been acquired through Greene being motivated to run for one of South Carolina’s two senate seats to help Get South Carolina Back to Work. He had his priorities straight which included; focusing on jobs, education and Justice in the judicial system. These issues helped him rally against his running mate DeMint (Robert, Para. 5). Greene’s winning had benefited from unusual circumstances. One of them was his name appearing first in Alphabetical order on a ballot for U. S senate. This effect is called the Ballot Position Effect or Name Order. The candidate being listed first increases his or her performance by 2. 5 points as the average. This has primacy effect and affects a person psychologically in that people making a choice from a visual list considers top as best choice (Valerie, Para. 6). Secondly, Greene was able to win as a result of Mere Exposure Effect. In this type of model of voting, it is believed that the more a person is exposed to a certain stimulus, the more he or she is inclined to liking it. In this case Greene is a more common type of word compared to Rawl. Another type of model of voting is Name Letter Effect. This model holds that people prefer names that share their own initials. No Information Voting is also a type of model used to vote in USA. This is where voting is done with the voters having less or no information about the subject. In this case, the name order effect rises as voters get down the ballot to a candidate they know little about. Models of voting influence vote choice. Choice voting, a form of proportional representation is widely used by world’s established democracies. It gives political parties and candidates an assurance to gain the percentage of legislative seats reflecting their support by the public. Choice voting is a form of limited voting where voters maximize their ballot. Every model of voting has its advantages which affect vote choice. The Name Order Effect favors the candidate who appears first on the ballot. This is because the person voting might have no information about candidates on the ballot, therefore will go for the candidate appearing first with the assumption first is best. Secondly, Mere Exposure Effect gives the candidate who is more exposed to a certain stimulus an advantage and a higher chance of being voted. For example if it is the name, Greene and Rawl, Greene is a more common word, and voters are inclined to liking it. Other voters will use the No Information Voting type of model which will be an advantage to the candidate appearing first in the ballot. This is because voters will again tend to think that first is always the best and will vote for the person who appears first on the ballot. The voters have less or no information about the candidate and they will assume that if they vote the first one, chances are the person is the best (Mark, Para. 4). However, these models of voting may have limitations. A model may favor one candidate but be a shortcoming to other candidates on the ballot. When candidates use Ballot Position Effect, the candidates who appear at the bottom of the ballot will have less chances of winning the elections compared to the candidate appearing first. Similarly if voters use the No Information Voting type of model voting, voters will assume that the first is most likely the best causing the candidates who appear at the bottom of the ballot less likely to win. Sometimes, voters will use Mere Exposure Effect as their voting choice. This type of model of voting will give the candidate with a less exposed stimulus less chances of being voted in. If there is a candidate whose name is more exposed compared to other candidates’ names then that type of voting model will be a limitation to the candidates. Similarly, if the candidates use the Name Letter Effect when voting, a candidate with names that share initials with that of the voter will have a higher chance of being voted in compared to the candidate whose initials do not match with those of the person voting (Can Anyone Explain How Alvin Greene Actually Won Para. 1). When compared, all these types of voting models are related to one another. They can either be related through their strengths or weaknesses. Each one of them has their own strengths or weaknesses. Ballot Exposure Effect also known as Name Order Effect is related to No Information Effect in both strengths and weaknesses. Due to a voter having no information about the subject, the person can opt to vote for the candidate who appears first on the ballot. This is strength to the candidate appearing first on the ballot paper. On the other hand, it can still be a weakness because the person appearing last on the ballot might be the best candidate but loses because the name appears last. There is also a relation between Mere Exposure Effect and Name Letter Effect. When the name of the voter and that of the candidate match, then automatically their initials match. Voters using these types of model voting will relate their names and that of the candidate with a certain stimulus which they are exposed to in relation to the matching of their initials. In some cases, a candidate can be favored by majority of the model of voting, whereby a candidate appears first on the ballot, is exposed to a certain stimulus and the voters have no or less information about the candidates. Here the three types of model voting will be related to the candidate being voted or not being voted (Buster, Para. 3). CONCLUSION Models of voting being the behavior in which people vote can be influenced psychologically, socially or economically. As a candidate it is important to know about the people and their expectations during campaigns. Different types of voting affect vote choice in different ways. As a candidate, it is wise to make one known to the voters. This way, voters are able to avoid No Information Voting which leads to Name Order Effect. It is also advisable for candidates to address key issues which affect the people. This way a candidate is able to let the people be conversant with him or her. Reference List Buster Brown. Alvin Greene on the issues:Candidate gets beyond the headlines. Available at:http://www. charlestoncitypaper. com/charleston/alvin-greene-on-the-issues/Content? oid=2121463 Can Anyone Explain How Alvin Greene Actually Won? Available at:http://www. newsweek. com/2010/06/17/can-anyone-explain-how-alvin-greene-actually-won. html Mark Leibovich. Who’s Alvin Greene? State Asks After Vote. Available at:http://www. nytimes. com/2010/06/12/us/politics/12greene. html? _r=1src=mv Robert J. Baker. Local Dems had never met Greene Available at;http://www. theitem. com/news/local_news/article_0524b36c-ec80-5eba-882f-713558543451. html Valerie Bauerlein. Puzzle Roils South Carolina Contest. Available at:http://www. marioguerrero. info/ps151/wsjarticle. html

The Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop Essay Example for Free

The Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop Essay In my answer I will be talking about my ideas on the themes, styles, and images in the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. Elizabeth Bishop was born on the 8th of February 1911 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father died when she was eight months old and her mother, in shock, was sent to a mental hospital for five years. They were separated in 1916 until her mother finally died in 1934. She was raised by her grandparents in Nova Scotia. There are four main themes in the poetry of Bishop. These include nature, childhood, domesticity/motherhood, and the resilience of the human spirit. The two poems I will be discussing about in my answer related to the following themes are ‘Sestina’ and ‘The Filling Station’. The two themes I will be discussing about are domesticity and childhood. The first poem I will be discussing on is ‘Sestina’. The theme in ‘Sestina’, which I will be discussing, is childhood and domesticity. In ‘Sestina’ Bishop is looking back at her childhood in a child’s perspective. The use of the third person voice in Sestina blends the poets adult perspective with the childs. A sestina is a seven stanza poem with 6 lines in every stanza except for the last one, where there are only three. If we look at the last word in every line of the first stanza we realize that house, almanac, stove, grandmother, child, and almanac are used over and over again as the last word of every line, except the last stanza where there are two words in every line. The reason why Elizabeth Bishop titled her poem after the form it was written in was because she wanted the reader to understand the way a child sees. A child rearranges things until it makes sense, the way the words are rearranged over and over again. In stanza five of the child is drawing a picture. The picture is an outlet of the child’s emotion. I think this is a great way of doing so, after all a picture tells a thousand words. The picture the child draws therefore reflects truly what the child dreams of, †Å"a rigid house† and â€Å"a man with buttons like tears†. Apparently, this is a complete contrast to the current situation. It is a happy past that she’ll never have again. It is the bitter mirror image of the present and the past of dream and reality. Although, in the last two stanzas the mood of the poem takes a turn for a brighter theme because of the child’s picture â€Å"†¦little moons fall down like trees from between the pages of the almanac into the flower bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Personally, I take the image of flowers in the rain as a very interesting one. It resembles the silver lining in every cloud and the light at the end of the road. It’s about restoring hope in the face of affliction. This is clearly shown at the beginning of the last stanza. The verse â€Å"time to plant tears, says the almanac† marks the turning point of the poem. It is also at this moment that the child becomes happy, therefore not being completely unhappy. It’s time for the grandmother to bury her tears in the earth and grow hope. The message of the poem is then unveiled: there will be a rainbow after the rain, just as there will always be hope for tomorrow. â€Å"The grandmother sings to the marvellous stove and the child draws another inscrutable house†. The grandmother stops crying and starts to sing, the child stops dwelling on the past and starts to draw the future. The almanac in the poem represents the domestic. Its secular and full of information. We have this domestic scene with a stove a grandmother and a childbut then we have tears. The tears tip the poem towards the absurdity. The child can sense the grandmothers tears even though she is trying to hide it. The child expresses this through the picture she drew if a man with buttons like tears,, and by watching the teakettles small hard tears dance like mad. And in the last stanza where it ends with an inscrutable house, the last thing that should be inscrutable is her house. But in this case there are many symbols and the child is having a difficult time making sense out of things, so even though we have this domestic scene, it isnt really. I think that the tears are from the lack of the grandmothers children, the childs mother. Maybe thats the unspoken reason. The second poem I will be discussing is ‘The Filling Station’. In this poem I will be discussing the theme of domesticity/motherhood. I think it is the domestic details that fascinate the poet in this poem. I think so because the poet seems to write in a lot of detail about the domestic items in the â€Å"little, filling station†. Instead of saying it’s an oily filling station, she describes it further in saying it’s â€Å"oil-soaked, oil-permeated to a disturbing, over-all black translucency†. This is one example of her in-depth detail of the filling station in the poem. The two things in which she goes into extreme detail in are the â€Å"doily† and the â€Å"plant†. She becomes very interested in these two domestic objects because they greatly contrast the atmosphere which the poet saw the filling station to be, â€Å"somebody embroidered the doily. Somebody waters the plant, or oils it maybe.† This shows how interested the poet was in these two objects. I understand the â€Å"somebody† in stanza six to be a caring mother. This may be linked to Bishop’s personal life in that she lost her own mother and is longing for a caring mother figure in her life, or, at least, in her life as a child. The realisation that the mother isn’t to be seen happens gradually as we see that it’s a family filling station and that there is wicker furniture, a woman’s touch surely, but then the sudden realisation floods Bishop in the sixth stanza when she repeats the word â€Å"somebody† again and again. The repetition of â€Å"somebody† appears to be a method of ignoring who this person might be even though the association is obvious. Bishop seems to be hiding from the realisation, reinforcing the thoughts that this is about her own lack of a mother. One of the things I love the most about the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop is the imagery. Elizabeth Bishop is well-known for her ability to take the mundane or most unimportant things in life and use her imagination to change it into something completely out of the ordinary. ‘The Fish’ is a great example of this. Elizabeth Bishop is renowned to write poetry about the beauty of poetry. This poem is not an exception. Bishop merely catches a fish, yet by her imagination and creativity, which is a part of her poetry, she is able to imagine the fish beyond what it is, not only talking about its skin but also talking about its innards and portraying it as a war veteran. In fact, the ending speaks of how Bishop even begins to see the colours of the rainbow. Sad to say, the poem focuses more on poetry itself; it is unlikely the poem is speaking of morality or life and death between herself and the fish. This is what makes it such a great poem. The main thing I like about this poem is the vivid imagery Bishop gives, especially when describing the fish. In this poem, the central image is of the poet holding the fish beside her rented boat. There are three main groups of factual images. The first group contains thirteen physical images of the fish: â⠂¬Ëœtremendous fish†¦ mouth†¦ brown skin †¦ speckled with barnacles†¦ infested with tiny white sea-lice†¦ his gills were breathing in the terrible oxygen†¦ the coarse white flesh the big bones and the little bones†¦ his shiny entrails†¦ the pink swim-bladder†¦ his eyes†¦ mechanism of his jaw†¦ his lower lip’ The second group contains seven factual images of the boat: ‘ beside the boat†¦ the little rented boat†¦ the pool of bilge where oil had spread a rainbow around the rusted engine†¦ to the bailer rusted orange†¦ the sun-cracked thwarts†¦ the oarlocks on their strings†¦ the gunnels†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The third group contains seven factual images of fishing: ‘ my hook fast in a corner of his mouth†¦ five old pieces of fish-line†¦ or four and a wire leader with the swivel still attached†¦ with all their five big hooks grown firmly in his mouth†¦ A green line, frayed at the end where he broke it†¦ two heavier lines†¦ and a fine black thread still crimped from the strain and snap †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Overall, there is a great variety in the imagery used in this poem, which is why I like the imagery in this poem. The writing style of Bishop was very different in comparison to her notable contemporaries such as Robert Lowell and John Berryman. In contrast to their confessional style involving large amounts of self-exposure, Bishops style of writing, though it sometimes involved sparse details from her personal life, was known for its highly detailed and objective, distant point of view and for its necessity on the personal subject matter that the work of her contemporaries involved. In contrast, when Bishop wrote about details and people from her own life, as she did in her story about her childhood and her weeping grandmother in Sestina, she always used discretion. Sestina, in other words, is not personal confession, as the lack of personal names indicates, but representative in the way that a tale is. Along with the persona, the point of view, and the poetic form, the language creates a complex experience for the reader. One sympathizes with the grandmother and the child, sensing sorrow, yearning, and the tensing of the childs effort to be an individual within the sheltering, suffocating domestic scene. Yet one also hears wariness in Bishops telling of their story.

Vortioxetine: Long and Short Term Effectiveness

Vortioxetine: Long and Short Term Effectiveness Clinical Efficacy and Tolerability Studies:  Effectiveness in short term therapy Thase M et al. performed meta-analysis on 10 short term placebo-controlled clinical trials [studies analyzed were with Clinical trial registry no:NCT00839423, NCT00635219, NCT00735709, NCT01140906, NCT01153009, NCT01163266, NCT00672958, NCT00672620, NCT01179516, NCT00811252]outcome submitted to USFDA for vortioxetine approval purpose and demonstrate the efficacy of the compound in treatment of MDD. They observed existence of dose response correlation across the dosage strength (5-20mg/day) of vortioxetine on the basis of MADRS as efficacy measurement scale. The analysis reported clinically meaningful efficacy of vortioxetine through mean difference in change from baseline MADRS total score (32.4 ±4.1 for vortioxetine(n=2416) and 32.1 ±4.0 for placebo(n=1439)) observed for 5mg strength(difference of change in score: -2.6; p=0.008), 10 mg strength (-3.5; p The very first study to identify efficacy, safety and tolerability of vortioxetine 5mg and 10 mg/day dosage vs. placebo was carried out for 6 weeks with participation of 429 patients with baseline Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score 30. Venlafaxine XR 225mg/day was used as an active reference in this multi-site study. The study exhibited superior treatment by vortioxetine in comparison of placebo as evident by significant difference (p Impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a chronic illness directly related to depression. Improvement in HRQoL in patient suffering of MDD reflects therapeutic effectiveness and enhance patient adherence to the drug. Florea I et al. performed random effect meta-analysis on 9 placebo controlled short term studies [Studies included are Clinical trial registry no.: NCT 00839423; NCT00635219; NCT01323478; NCT00672958; NCT00672620; NCT00735709; NCT01153009; NCT01163266] of patients with MDD receiving vortioxetine using a variety of quality-of-life assessment tools. The meta-analysis (FAS, MMRM) showed a statistically significant difference from placebo in favor of vortioxetine (p Effectiveness on Cognitive function: Efficacy of vortioxetine on cognitive function in depressed adults Memory impairment as a Neurocognitive mutilation is prominent in patients with MDD and the same is considered s a marker of brain dysfunctinality (Burt D). Antidepresant drugs with positive effect on reversal of cognitive dysfunction are differenciated from the antidepressants with no cognitive effect to facilitate good prescription in general. In a preclinical study, Vortioxetine enhanced memory in rat as evident by novel object recognition test and alleviated extracellular level of acetylcholine and histamine when 1-10 mg/kg drug is administered subcutaneously to experimental animals (Mork A, 2013). The chronic dietary administration of drug also found to be effective in alleviation of stress-induced impairment in reversal learning when adult male rats were exposed to chronic intermittent cold (CIC) stress and 4-chloro-DL-phenylalanine methyl ester hydrochloride (PCPA), a 5-HT depleting agent (Wallace A, 2014). Restoration of 5-HT depletion impaired memory by Vortioxetine was also demonstrated by Jardin KG and Jansen JB through PCPA induced 5-HT depletion model and behavioural tests including object recognition (OR) and Y-maze spontaneous alternation (SA) tests respectively. SERT (Serotonin transporters) occupancy (>90%) by vortioxetine was established in their preclinical work, with reports of dose-dependently reversed recognition memory and spatial working memory in rats. Effectiveness in MDD relapse prevention (Long term therapy) Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients have to maintain therapy even after remission by acute treatment to prevent relapse especially when residual symptom and comorbid illnesses (E.g: MDD with generalized anxiety disorder) are present at the remission point (Keller M, 2007). The long term efficacy of antidepressants is also be established by study of its role in maintenance treatment in preventing depression recurrence in patients who responded to acute therapy (Kornstein 2006)(Steinert C 2014). Alam M et al (NCT 00707980) carried out an open-label, 52-weeks, long term study to identify efficacy of vortioxetine along with monitoring of adverse effects. This was the extension of two double blind, placebo controlled short term (8weeks) lead in studies involving participants suffering of MDD. Total 834 patients were treated with 5 mg/day dose of vortioxetine for first week followed by dose titration from 2.5 mg/day to 10 mg/day depending on intensity of response till 52 weeks. The study concluded with absence of potential adverse effect reports and proved efficacy of vortioxetine by maintenance of remission observed by Change From Baseline score of MADRS Total Score (Observation: -7.4  ±9.81 units Change from baseline score as end point result) and 24-item Hamilton Depression total score (Observation: -7.9  ±9.66 units change from baseline score as end point result). Furthermore, Baldwin DS et al reported safety and efficacy of vortioxetine in prevention of relapse of MDD o n the basis of 52 weeks of remission maintenance therapy in patients who previously completed acute therapy of vortioxetine for 8 weeks with evidence of remission. Patients reported approximately 8 points reduction from 13.5 ±8.7 base line MADRS score after 52 weeks of treatment indicated favorable profile of vortioxetine (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/day) in relapse prevention during long term remission maintenance therapy of MDD. At the end of 52 week treatment, approximately 2% patients have shown sign of relapse (MDRS score ≠¥ 22) as per Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. For vortioxetine, a MDD relapse prevention study was carried out with participation of 639 MDD patients aged between 18-75 years and diagnosed with a current major depressive episode (MDE) within four weeks duration. In this investigation, against baseline score in MADRS scale ≠¥26, a remission point was considered as MADRS total score ≠¤10 for vortioxetine (5 or 10 mg/day) treated patients to enter in double-blind, 24 weeks phase of treatment with either placebo (n=192) or vortioxetine (n=204) for relapse time analysis. At the end of the study, relapse rate was 13% and 26% for vortioxetine and placebo treated groups respectively as an evidence of efficacy of vortioxetine in prevention of relapse in 396 patients participated in 24 week phase (Boulenger JP 2012). COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY Treatment with vortioxetine (2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg) failed to make differentiation from placebo when Change From Baseline in MADRS Total Score was considered as a primary efficacy analysis tool in a 8 Week randomized, double blind clinical study. In the same investigation, Duloxetine (60 mg), a reference drug used to find efficacy of vortioxetine, also failed to make differentiation against placebo in primary efficacy analysis. Secondary efficacy outcome analysis and tolerability analysis suggested efficacy of vortioxetine with 5mg and 10 mg strength through MMRM (Mixed-Effect Model Repeated Measure) model (Badwin DS, 2012). In a randomized, double blind study involving comparison of vortioxetine (n= 252) and agomelatine (n=241), superiority of treatment with vortioxetine (p Katona C et al reported significantly (P = 0.0011) higher efficacy of vortioxetine (5 mg/day) in comparison of placebo by 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D (24)) total score () as the primary measure. 29.2 vs. 19.3% remission rate were observed at the endpoint for vortioxetine and placebo controlled population respectively during the study which also involved duloxetine as active reference. The patient adherence rate was 94.2% in case of vortioxetine and 90.1% in case of duloxetine demonstrated tolerability of vortioxetine in their study. Comparative Safety of vortioxetine (10mg per day) in MDD treatment was established on the basis of 15 days study demonstrating its effect on psychomotor performance in 24 healthy subjects. The drug didn’t show alteration in psychomotor functioning withing and at the end point of te study. The investigation also involved use of Mirtazapine as an active reference which was found to be inferior through strandardized driving test due to cognitive impairment obsrved by it. (Theunissen). EFFECTIVENESS ON ETHNIC POPULATION Majority of the clinical investigations listed in table 3 were carried out at multi sites involving global population and diverse demographic distribution. The drug was found to be equally effective on participants from different countries. Recently H.Lundbeck announced head-to-head study results comparing efficacy and tolerability of vortioxetine 10mg/day and venlafaxine XR 150mg/day in treatment of MDD in 437 adult participants (Inclusion criteria: MADRS total score ≠¥26) from four Asian countries, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The end point outcome established slightly more effectiveness of vortioxetine compared to venlafaxine with mean difference of -1.20 points in change observed in baseline MADRS total score(with 95% CI: -3.03 to -0.63). The superiority of vortioxetine was strongly supported by its tolerability data observed as lesser incidences of adverse events (6.6% vs. 13.7%) and lesser drop out ratio of participants (18% vs. 27.4%) in case of vortioxetine treatment compared to active reference. Efficacy of vortioxetine in Asian population was established by substantial improvement in MDD as evident by change in baseline score i.e.: -19.4 points on MADRS total score. SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY Efficacy and safety for Sexual function maintenance Sexual dysfunction is one of the major risks of antidepressant therapy particularly with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)(Strohmaier J 2011). Therapy discontinuation is reported frequently in clinical studies involving various antidepressants due to adverse effects associated with sexual problems which includes including anorgasmia, problems in ejaculation, absence of libido and impotence but still sexual dysfunction is one of the most under-rated AEs (Serretti A). at the same time symptoms and illness of depression is also known to be associated with sexual dysfunctions(Baldwin D, 2013 AND Foong T; Reichenpfader U,). In this dilemma, the data generated through efficacy and safety studies of vortioxetine are supporting the selection of vortioxetine as an antidepressant with the minimum side effects as far as sexual health impairment is concerned. A study involving MDD patients suffering of SSRI monotherapy (Treatment with citalopram, paroxetine or sertraline) induced sexual dysfunction indicated effectiveness of vortioxetine in clinically meaningful improvement in sexual functioning compared to escitalopram. This multicentre, randomized, double-blind, active controlled clinical trial was carried out on SSRI treated 447 participants who were already in partial or full remission state from MDD as measured by the MADRS and CGI-S/I(Clinical global impression severity and improvement scales). The participants were switched 10 mg/day fixed dose of vortioxetine or escitalopram for the first week of study. Further, the dose was increased to 20 mg/day in second week followed by flexible dose (10-20 mg/day) till the end of 8th week. The dose was taped down to 10 mg/day for escitalopram control group whereas vortioxetine treated group was switched to placebo control for another 1 week. Treatment with vortioxetine(n=169) concluded in a s tatistically significant treatment effect by change from baseline CSFQ-14(Changes in sexual functioning Questionnaire) total score at the end of 8th week of study in comparison of escitalopram(n=179). A mean treatment difference of 2.2 points for vortioxetine vs escitalopram groups(95% CI: 0.48—4.02; p=0.013, MMRM) proved efficacy of vortioxetine in sexual function restoration and MDD remission mintenance in patients treated with other antidepressant previously. Previously, during the proof-of-concept, short term efficacy study for vortioxetine (5mg/day and 10 mg/day) with placebo control and active reference control has demonstrated statistically higher safety of vortioxetine in comparison of active reference (12.4% incidences for venlafaxine vs. 1.9% incidences for 5 mg/day vortioxetine and placebo, p=0.0033, Fishers exact test) and equivalent safety in comparison to placebo group for the incidences of sexual dysfunction related adverse effects. In contrast, Mahbaleshwarkar 2013 (NCT00672620) reported high incidences (51% for and 37.5% for vortioxetine 2.5 mg and 5 mg versus 26.9% duloxetine and 33.3% placebo group) of treatment-emergent sexual function impairment by treatment with vortioxetine. They monitored sexual dysfunction as a adverse effect using the ASEX (Arizona sexual experience) scale. The study involving a total 9f 611 participants also concluded with observation of non-significant difference in changes from baseline of HAM-D2 4 total score between 5mg, 10 mg vortioxetine and placebo. The above studies indicate that sexual function related AEs is not a concern for long term use of vortioxetine as a remission maintenance therapy unlike other antidepressants whereas patients may suffer by adverse effects related with sexual dysfunction when the therapy for remission with 5mg or 10 mg dose is started in patients suffering of MDD. Adverse Effects Frequency and severity of adverse effect and change in selected vital body parameters, ECG, weight change due to vortioxetine (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0mg/day) administration were observed during a 52 week open labeled study by during a open label long term study by Baldwin DS. They also considered physical examination and clinical safety laboratory tests to make thorough investigation. Out of 535 participants, only 2% of individuals have shown sign of severe adverse effects but none of the adverse effect was prevalent in more than 0.56% individuals among total participants. Apart from this, majority of the patients reported the non-serious adverse effects have shown sign of nausea (19.81%) and headache (15.33%). Sexual dysfunction related adverse effects were reported in six patients at the end of the study. This study was also concluded with effectiveness of vortioxetine in long term treatment as mentioned previously in this article. The study was concluded with positive outcome in terms o f tolerability of vortioxetine for long term maintenance therapy in patients with MDD remission. Drug Interactions Vortioxetine dose adjustment is not required based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, renal or hepatic impairment but due to serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, the drug is contraindicated in concomitant administration with irreversible non selective MAOIs(Monoamino oxidase inhibitors). Chen G et al reported drug interaction cases affecting pharmacokinetic profile of vortioxetine in healthy subjects. They observed need of dosage adjustment of vortioxetin when it is concomminately administered with bupropion, rifampicin as steady state AUC and Cmax of of vorteoxetine enhanced by 128 and 114% in case of bupropion co-administration and suppressed by 72% and 51% in case of rifampicin co-administration. At the same time, tolerability of simultaneous therapy was evident by absence of any severe adverse effects. They also reported safety of vorteoxetine in concomminent administration of popular contraceptive, Estradiol. Vortioxetine is mainly metabolized in liver by CYP2D6 and up to some extent by CYP2C9 and CYP34/5. This makes vortioxetine sensitive to other drugs which are CYP2D6 inhibitors, CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 inhibitors and Cytochrome P450 inducers. Other than these, reversible and non-selective MAOI and serotonergic medicinal products are also potential drug substances affecting efficacy and safety of vortioxetine.

Essay On Poems :: essays research papers

Essay on 3 Things The three sources I have selected are all based on females. They are all of change and transformation. Two of my selections, "The Friday Everything Changed" by Anne Hart, and "Women and World War II " By Dr. Sharon, are about women’s rites of passage. The third choice, "The sun is Burning Gases (Loss of a Good Friend)" by Cathleen McFarland is about a girl growing up. The first selection of mine was a short story called "The Friday Everything Changed" by Anne Hart. The changes in this story are good in a woman’s point of view. The author Anne Hart talks about her school years in this short story. She talks about how a girl in her class asked a question that changed their lives forever. The question her friend Niles asked was "Why can’t girls go for the water, too?"1. In those days getting the water for the class was a boy’s job. To go out every Friday, to fill the bucket up with water, and bring it back to class. This showed that you were strong, and you also got to have some fun missing half an hour of class. Because the boy’s felt threatened by this question, they started bugging and picking on the girls to make them change their minds. But the girls didn’t, and that is what changed their lives. At the end the teacher did let the girls go for the water, and that was a big change for the girls in those days. To show that they can do what the boys can do. Now the girls also get to miss class getting the water and not only the boys. This short story had a humorous tone to it. For example when the author say’s "are you trying to be saucy , alma?"2 and "Alma threw a bombshell of her own,"3 etc. The second selection of mine was an essay named "Women and World War II " by Dr. Sharon. There were two different changes in this essay that the war created for the women of America, there was a bad change and a good change. The bad change in this essay is that most of the women were left to take care of their families by themselves. They had to find jobs to provide for their families. The good change was that it widened the horizons of American women.

Critical Review of Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Wri

‘Helping students meet the challenges of academic writing’ by Fernsten and Reda is an interesting study how reflective writing practices can be useful for marginalized students, who are struggling with â€Å"negative writer self-identity. The possible causes according to Fernsten & Reda are, â€Å"issues such as race, class and gender that are marginalized factors for many basic writers†, in addition to the expectations of the dominant academic culture. However, even though Fernsten & Reda illuminated the ‘potential conflicts’ within the academic world, they have failed to provide conclusive evidence that supports their argument regarding their solution. Their reliance on dated research that provides a one sided historical perspective, may no longer accurately reflect current socio/economic issues. In addition, education has been evolving to an inclusive curriculum approach, as immigrated children enter the school system in record numbers. à ¢â‚¬Å"Persons obtaining legal permanent status in the U.S from the year 2000-2010 are roughly eleven million† (Homeland Security,pg.10/2010). Fernsten & Reda’s confidence of their own limited teaching practices without legitimate comparables from an empirical study leads to their underlying assumptions about the true effectiveness of reflective writing strategies and the causes they believe are associated to a student’s socio/economic background. Evidence given in Fernsten & Reda’s article, lists the numerous barriers students endure academically due to their socio/economic background. Factors include â€Å"negative self-identity of believing they are ineffectual and inept writers and internalize aspects of negative instructor discourses†. (Fernsten & Reda). Additional confirmation under the ... ... practices could be put into action, to build towards an anti-biased curriculum and inclusive environment. Works Cited 1) Carbone II, Steven A. (2010). Race, Class, and Oppression: Solutions for Active Learning and Literacy in the Classroom. Student Pulse, 2.01. Retrieved from: 2) Routio,Pentii. (2007). Planning an Empirical Study & Normative Point of View. http://www2.uiah.fi/projects/metodi 3) Kenneth Tyler | Ruby Stevens | Aesha Uqdah. (2003-2009). PREVALENCE OF CULTURAL BIAS EDUCATION. The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved http://www.education.com/reference/article/cultural-bias-in-teaching/ 4) Homeland Security. (2010) 2010 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. Office of Immigration Statistics. http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/yearbook/2010/ois_yb_2010.pdf Critical Review of Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Wri ‘Helping students meet the challenges of academic writing’ by Fernsten and Reda is an interesting study how reflective writing practices can be useful for marginalized students, who are struggling with â€Å"negative writer self-identity. The possible causes according to Fernsten & Reda are, â€Å"issues such as race, class and gender that are marginalized factors for many basic writers†, in addition to the expectations of the dominant academic culture. However, even though Fernsten & Reda illuminated the ‘potential conflicts’ within the academic world, they have failed to provide conclusive evidence that supports their argument regarding their solution. Their reliance on dated research that provides a one sided historical perspective, may no longer accurately reflect current socio/economic issues. In addition, education has been evolving to an inclusive curriculum approach, as immigrated children enter the school system in record numbers. à ¢â‚¬Å"Persons obtaining legal permanent status in the U.S from the year 2000-2010 are roughly eleven million† (Homeland Security,pg.10/2010). Fernsten & Reda’s confidence of their own limited teaching practices without legitimate comparables from an empirical study leads to their underlying assumptions about the true effectiveness of reflective writing strategies and the causes they believe are associated to a student’s socio/economic background. Evidence given in Fernsten & Reda’s article, lists the numerous barriers students endure academically due to their socio/economic background. Factors include â€Å"negative self-identity of believing they are ineffectual and inept writers and internalize aspects of negative instructor discourses†. (Fernsten & Reda). Additional confirmation under the ... ... practices could be put into action, to build towards an anti-biased curriculum and inclusive environment. Works Cited 1) Carbone II, Steven A. (2010). Race, Class, and Oppression: Solutions for Active Learning and Literacy in the Classroom. Student Pulse, 2.01. Retrieved from: 2) Routio,Pentii. (2007). Planning an Empirical Study & Normative Point of View. http://www2.uiah.fi/projects/metodi 3) Kenneth Tyler | Ruby Stevens | Aesha Uqdah. (2003-2009). PREVALENCE OF CULTURAL BIAS EDUCATION. The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved http://www.education.com/reference/article/cultural-bias-in-teaching/ 4) Homeland Security. (2010) 2010 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. Office of Immigration Statistics. http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/yearbook/2010/ois_yb_2010.pdf

The Lie of the Land :: Haydn Middleton The Lie of the Land Essays

The Lie of the Land This is a list of explications--things a North American reader might need to know in order to make most sense out of Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land. I re-read the novel and made a list of unclear references or ambiguous words or terms. I included the page number and a short explanation of the context; I then proffered each word with the definition I was able to find! Before delving into my textual explications, let me add a short "preface" first. As I re-read Middleton's novel, I found myself intensely interested in the cultural differences between North Americans and the English from (you guessed it...) England. My fascination with the inexplicable difference, yet explicable intertwining of our two cultures is probably provoked by a book I'm reading for another class, Cultural Misunderstandings by Raymonde Carroll, a French anthropologist. Carroll has extensively studied the differences between Americans and Europeans, mainly French. She gave an interesting analysis concerning Americans and our way of conducting or cultivating relationships. Well, I was reading the novel again, and if you caught it, Rachel offers Alasdair an invitation to dinner. This might not strike you as significant at all, but hold on--note that here in the United States, we will frequently end a conversation with, "Call me!" or "Let's get together, sometime, okay? I'll cal l you sometime!" These advances are never realized, of course, but are merely conversation climaxers. Rachel says to Alasdair, "Look . . . you should come round some time with Maggie. We'd love to see you . . . " (25). A couple of chapters later, the dinner scene is a very significant addition to the story, hmm? Carroll made the comment that Americans portray themselves as superficial and flighty with their many unrealized invitations. Europeans, on the other hand, tend to extend invitations and set the date in the proceeding avenue of discourse. Details. Dr. Gilgun taught my Fiction class last semester, and we learned that details develop ordestroy the story. Details divorce me from the story or seduce me, leaving me wondering where reality ends and the surreal begins. Details characterize the culture behind the author, the culture in and within where delight is reached, found, discovered and eventually shared. But anyway . . . enough of diversion! TEXTUAL EXPLICATIONS--please feign acquiescence, and pretend that this list is complete and can stand alone; there were so many more textual nuances that I wanted to include! Hmm .

IKEA Global Sourcing Essay

1. How should Marianne Barner respond to the invitation for IKEA to have a representative appear on the upcoming broadcast of the German video program? a. Marianne Barner, business manager for IKEA’s carpets, should respond with a firm â€Å"no† to the invitation. Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006) stated that the German video program would only bring detriment to the company, rather than relief or support for the issue at hand. In comparison to the Swedish program, which did not target a specific company, this German-produced program planned to take a confrontational and aggressive approach targeted directly at IKEA and one of its suppliers (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Moreover, Germany currently brings in the most sales for IKEA with $10.4 and 29.7% (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Since Marianne Barner’s goal was to stop the issue, accepting this invitation would only bring fuel to the fire. 2. What actions should she take regarding the IKEA supply contract with Rangan Exports? a. Marianne Barner knew that IKEA must take on this issue and sign up to an industry-wide response to growing concerns about child labor in the Indian Carpet industry (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). It would be in IKEA’s best interest to force Rangan Exports to comply with the addendum which explicitly forbade the use of child labor on pain of termination (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Rangan Exports is one of IKEA’s major suppliers, so cutting them off would cost them millions of dollars and hurt sales. Because IKEA began addressing this issue in 1994, there should be policies set in place for termination of suppliers that decide they don’t want to comply with said addendum. Marianne’s ideal solution would entail IKEA figuring out a way to keep its contract with Rangan Exports while making sure children were no longer working at the looms. 3. What long-term strategy would you suggest she take regarding IKEA’s continued operation in India? Should the company stay or should it exit? (Be prepared to describe the impact of such a decision and how you would manage it.) a. Marianne Barner knew that the long-term strategies for IKEA would need to make differences in the lives of the children and taking a very proactive stand (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Many others within the company felt that this proactive stance would put IKEA at a significant cost disadvantage to its competitors (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Getting involved with Rugmark or Save the Children would be the  great long-term strategies for Barner and IKEA. Also, continuing to stay active and semi-micro-managing its manufacturing plants in India would provide IKEA with results and knowledge. Visiting the plants often, unannounced, might scare away some manufacturers, but that is the cost that must be paid if IKEA wants to avoid child labor issues. The company should stay and source from India because the people need jobs and money. Additionally, since India is the biggest purchasing source for carpets and rugs, exiting from the country would result in major losses (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). 4. For those recommending that IKEA continue to source carpets in India, would you suggest that she: a. Continue IKEA’s own monitoring and control processes or sign-up to Rugmark? i. Although maintaining a monitoring and control process is imperative for IKEA, the sign-up to Rugmark would results in more sales. Rugmark, a recently initiated industry response to the child labor problem in the Indian carpet industry, certifies whether a carpet was made with or without the use of child labor (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). IKEA was invited to sign up with Rugmark as a way of dealing with its ongoing potential problem for child labor problems on products from India (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). This would be the better solution because this creates a level of transparency for the consumers and IKEA. Seeing the Rugmark label on a carpet or rug would communicate that IKEA was not dealing with child labor anymore and that these products wouldn’t conflict with their consumers’ morals and beliefs. Thus, the consumers would become aware and make more purchases based upon this new visible label. b. Continue to focus only on eliminating the use of child labor in IKEA’s supply chain or engage in broader action to address the root causes of child labor as Save the Children is urging? i. Eliminating the use of child labor in IKEA’s supply chain is necessary for the company’s success, but only focusing on this matter will be wasteful of time and money. There are many other issues that arise whilst focusing on the issue of child labor. Engaging in a broader action addressing the root causes of child labor and teaming with Save the Children would expand IKEA’s public interests and fix more issues. Doing what’s best for the children will include the issue of child labor, so broadening its actions will also broaden its efforts and results. However, Barner realized that the more she learned about the issue, the more complex  the situation became (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Therefore, engaging in efforts to do what’s ultimately best for the child would simplify the issues. Barner also stated that the Swedish Save the Children’s expert taught IKEA much about the issue and emphasized that they must do what’s in the best interests of the child (Barlett, Dessain, & Sjà ¶man (2006). Since the Save the Children is such a large organization, getting to the root of the problems IKEA face on a daily basis will be slightly easier than doing it on its own. References Barlett, C., Dessain, V. & Sjà ¶man, A. (2006). Ikea’s global sourcing challenge: Indian rugs and child labor. Harvard Business School. Retrieved from https://learn.unt.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-338330-dt-content-rid-1517326_1/courses/MDSE_4660_001_11235W2/IKEA%27s%20Global%20Sourcing%20Challenge%20-%20Indian%20Rugs%20and%20Child%20Labor.pdf

“Celia behind Me” by Isabel Huggan Essay

â€Å"Celia behind Me† is a Canadian short story, which was written by Isabel Huggan and published in 1984. The setting of the short story is a typical neighborhood in Canada, where two girls, Celia and Elizabeth, are living. The short story is written from Elizabeth’s point of view. * The title ‘Celia behind me’ is exactly what it says; Celia is always behind the narrator, Elizabeth, whether it’s in school, on the way home or in their community. Celia is always a few steps behind. Ex. Celia is in the grade below Elizabeth, she always walks just a few steps behind Elizabeth on the way home, and Elizabeth is only a smidge better than Celia in her social circle. Celia is a diabetic and obese girl; she wears thick glasses and has a rare name, which always makes her classmates mock her. She is an easy victim for humiliation, because she is different from her classmates in both behavior and appearance. She really wants to be a part of the popular group and make friends, but it is almost impossible for her, as she is expelled from her classmates’ community. Celia is always alone, even though she very well could be a very nice, and sensible, girl. She only tries to get along, but unfortunately she seems to be so desperate, that her behaviour annoys her classmates. No matter what she does, she is always the selected scapegoat. The teasing only gets worse, after she falls behind in school and has to do the entire grade all over again. Elizabeth is a young girl and the story’s narrator. Elizabeth is very uncertain about herself, and she is afraid of being bullied, so she tries to be a part of the clique with her classmates, and being in the clique means, that Elizabeth has to be the bully. Her clique victimizes Celia. Elizabeth is aware of the reality; if it wasn’t for Celia, she would be the next in the line of being humiliated by her so called friends. She bullies Celia as a way to guard her reputation and place in the clique. Elizabeth knows what it feels like to be a victim of bullying, and she is scared. She sucked her thumb openly in kindergarten and got the nickname: â€Å"Sucky†, which everybody called her until Grade 3. She ignores Celia’s feelings, because she has a very low self-confidence and feels alone, so she won’t face the risk of standing up to her mean classmates. She doesn’t feel peace inside herself, which makes her very frustrated. (P. 3 ll. 60-66) â€Å"Little beasts we were, making our way along slippery streets. Celia, her glasses steamed up even worse than mine, would scuffle and trip a few yards behind us, and I walked along wishing that some time I’d look back and she wouldn’t be there. But she always was, and I was always conscious of the hatred that had built up during the winter, in conflict with other emotions that gave me no peace at all.† Elizabeth abhors Celia, because she knows deep down inside, that they have a lot in common. They both wear glasses, they are both a little chubby and they both have a rare, way too grown-up name. It is obvious, that Elizabeth’s worst fear is to be singled out with Celia, because she will not be able to deal with being a victim. The girls control Elizabeth’s behavior, because they can expel her from their clique, and treat her like they treat Celia. The girls really are very poor in solidarity, and they leave no place for differences. Elizabeth’s mother warns her about the way she treats Celia, telling her that she herself will get to feel that way in the future. One day Elizabeth falls behind on the way home from school, Celia is still following them around, and when Celia calls for Elizabeth to wait, the girls turn on Elizabeth. They start calling her ‘Sucky’ and doing what Elizabeth fears most; they bully her like they do Celia. Elizabeth snaps, and starts beating the living daylight out of Celia, yelling at her how much she hates her. When the other girls get her pulled of Celia, Elizabeth runs. (P.6 ll. 164) â€Å"She’d been half-carried; half-dragged home by the heroic others†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  I think it is kind of ironic, that the mean, bullying clique of girls carry Celia home, because a few minutes earlier, before Elizabeth attacked Celia, they had left Celia wandering around alone and scared in the pipe. That is a testimony of how fake girls can be. Celia being the way she is forgives Elizabeth very quickly, but even as Celia dies at seventeen, Elizabeth never really does forgive Celia. Because what Celia has done to Elizabeth is a lot worse than a physical beating, Celia is the one that showed Elizabeth, how ark and frightening she really is. * The short story’s main theme is bullying, which clearly reflect all trough the story. The more original thing in the story is that we experience the occurrences in Elizabeth’s perspective. Normally you would follow the story in the victim’s point of view, but is more interesting and provoking, to follow the mind of the â€Å"mean† character, like for example Elizabeth.

Holden’s Transition Into an Adult

There is a moment in every child’s life where he or she realizes that growing up is not as desirable as they once thought. Before this moment they fantasize about not having a bedtime or driving or finally being able to drink. But then they feel the weight of the adult world with its responsibilities and restrictions of a society that doesn’t value the individual and expects its citizens to morph into mature, controllable adults. This is the time parents hate, the time when their children try to rebel or run away to escape their future as adults, but time, alas, cannot be outrun. The adult world expects many things of its inhabitants—a job, a family, taxes, sex, and much more. Unfortunately, most young adults feel as though they will be crushed under this strange new world. Holden Caulfield is no different. When we meet Holden and when we leave him at the end of the novel he is in a mental hospital because of a recent break down. J. D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is Holden’s reflection on the events that led to this mental break down. He is a young adult still trying to hold on to the world of children for as long as he can. The child world is a place with very few things to worry about. It is a place of innocence and a time when anything is possible. The adult world could not be more different. As Holden is starting to see, the world of adults is cold, uncaring, and unfair. When people make the transition from children to adults they change forever—they become what society believes acceptable adults to be. Holden is reluctant to make the transition and conform to the adult world because he believes that in conforming he would lose his innocence and disappear. Holden is reluctant to leave his childhood behind because that would mean conforming to the public opinion of what adults should be. There are very few examples of adults in this novel for Holden to see what an exemplary adult is and does. One of the few adults we meet is Mr. Spencer. Even if Holden doesn’t fully respect Mr. Spencer he does like the man enough to go and see him before leaving Pency Prep. During that visit Mr. Spencer tells Holden that â€Å"life is a game that one plays according to the rules† if they want to survive in this world (Salinger 8). The problem is Holden has no desire to follow anybody’s rules just because some one tells him he has to—there is no reason for Holden to learn faulty and unnecessary rules. Holden believes that life is only a game for the people who are winning. The winners only believe in the rules because they work for them. Holden, according to Mr. Spencer, is not one of the winners because he won’t shut up and do what the adults tell him to do. The thing is, Holden doesn’t fully understand what the rules are because Holden doesn’t truly understand the world of adults. A side effect of this, as Peter Shaw points out, is that Holden is â€Å"most reliable when dealing with the world of children, and less reliable when addressing the adult world† (Shaw 124). Holden doesn’t want to understand the world of adults; he doesn’t ever intend to enter the game so why should he learn the rules? Holden scoffs at the â€Å"phonies† who have succumbed to life’s rules. He only hates these phonies because he is afraid of turning into one himself. All throughout the novel, Holden is reluctant to join the world of adults because he is afraid of changing into something he’s not. Literary critic Alsen agrees by saying that Holden is afraid that he is going to turn into a phony of he is forced to live around them in the near future (Alsen 3). He is out on a date with the queen of phonies Sally Hayes when he reveals how he believes he can escape the adult world. It is then that he shows us how he believes he is going to escape the adult world; he says he’s going to live in a cabin â€Å"with a brook and all† where he would pretend to be a deaf-mute so he wouldn’t have to deal with anybody (Salinger 132). This way, Holden avoids all of the things that would force him to grow up such as a job and relationships with people such as friends and family—in short, society. That, however, wouldn’t solve anything because he knows deep down that would never happen. Sally points out that his plan is not practical. Holden wouldn’t be able to keep himself alive for longer than a week if he just packed up and moved to the wilderness. And he would still need to communicate with adults to get the supplies he wanted even if he did pretend to be a deaf-mute. Sally’s flat out refusal of the plan shows the qualities of a sure thinking adult, and that is why he calls her the queen of phonies—because she’s already acting like an adult. Physiologists say that girls mature faster than boys do so it would make sense that Holden is avoiding the adult world instead or embracing it like Sally. But Holden already knew Sally’s personality from previous encounters. Jane, however, he is not too sure about. Another thing that Holden is afraid might have changed is Jane Gallagher. Throughout the novel Holden is searching for a person to call and almost calls her but time after time he puts it off by saying that he’s â€Å"not in the mood† (Salinger 59). Holden doesn’t want to call Jane and find out that she has changed since the last time they were together. Holden would rather live with a memory of a girl who won’t move the last row of checkers than get to know Jane all over again. Holden doesn’t want to face it, but his world is losing its innocence—Sally, Jane, and even Holden are maturing, even if it is at different rates. Holden is dimly aware that in the process of losing his innocence he is being dragged into the adult world whether he likes it or not. This losing of innocence has been happening gradually over time and it’s impossible to stop mostly because Holden didn’t realize it until it was too late. One point in the novel where Holden becomes aware of this is when he is at Mr. Antolini’s house. Holden believes that Mr. Antolini is â€Å"being perverty† by making a pass at him when he wakes up to find Mr. Antolini stroking his hair. Holden is at a kind of limbo in his life where he is mature enough to know what a sexual pass is but immature enough to not be able to differentiate that from a warm gesture of caring love (Salinger 192). Holden is scared and confused by this; he is actively trying to prevent himself from growing up but the losing of innocence happens with the passage of time and cannot be prevented. The imbalance of maturity and innocence inside of Holden is dangerous and Mr. Antolini can see that; that’s why he tries to help him. But then Holden misreads Mr. Antolini’s intentions and flees his house in an even more desperate state than which he came. Another way his departing innocence is made know to Holden is when he goes to his sister’s school and the history museum after quitting Mr. Antolini’s house. He goes inside his sister’s school—his old school—when he sees the worlds â€Å"Fuck you† on the wall (Salinger 201). After he wipes them off the wall he realize that even if he spent his whole life rubbing Holden’s life where he realizes that evil exists in the world and he can’t get rid of it nor protect people from it. The adult world is a nasty place and no one can change that. Then he goes to the museum and once inside he heads for the mummies’ tombs. These are the final resting places of some ancient and highly respected people—it is supposed to be a place of peace. However, Holden sees another â€Å"Fuck you† sign written there (Salinger 204). This enforces his revelation he had at the school; that there is no escaping the bitterness of the world no matter where he goes. Even though Holden is just realizing these things now, his real changing point is when he saw James Castle lying dead on the ground after his fatal jump. During the talk Holden has with Mr. Antolini we see some parallels drawn between Holden and James Castle. Mr. Antolini says that he can see Holden â€Å"dying nobly [†¦] for a highly unworthy cause,† which is exactly what James Castle did (Salinger 188). James died protecting something he said because he believed it to be true, but his death didn’t change anything. If Holden carries on like he is he’s going the come to the same end James did—suicide. Antolini also lays out a new meaning for maturity that Holden might be able to live with; he says that an immature man is one who dies â€Å"nobly for a cause† rather than a mature man who is willing to â€Å"live humbly for one† (Salinger 188). Holden, however, doesn’t fully understand what Antolini is saying and just assumes that, like everybody else, Mr. Antolini is trying to turn Holden into something that he’s not. Holden can’t envision himself living in the adult worlds and as a result, he feels as though he is fading away, soon to be lost forever. A strong moment where Holden is afraid he is going to disappear I when he is talking a walk in New York. He feels as though once he steps off of the ledge he’s â€Å"never going to get to the other side of the street [and] go down, down, down, and no one would ever see [him] again† (Salinger 197). Whenever this happens he prays to Allie, his strongest link to the world of children, that he won’t disappear. Allie is symbolic or Holden’s childhood because Allie is never going to mature—he’s dead. Also, Allie died when Holden was at a tender young age, â€Å"only thirteen,† which is the time when puberty is supposed to start (Salinger 38). That is part of the reason why Holden misses Allie so much; it’s because Holden’s childhoods disappeared along with Allie. Even the structure of the end of the novel lends evidence to Holden’s predicament. At the end of the novel we don’t know if Holden is going to be ok, or what he is going to become in future years—in short, we don’t know any more than Holden does. Holden’s problem is that he has been trying to change the world to fit him, while everybody else is saying that he needs to shape himself to fit the world. Even though Holden ends up in a mental hospital doesn’t mean he is crazy. Carl Luce, one of Holden’s friends from the many schools he has attended, is the first person in the novel that suggests that Holden gets Psychoanalyzed which, as Trowbridge points out, suggests that the world will not change to Holden’s needs, but that he needs to tune his mind to the world (Trowbridge 25). This is exactly what Holden is afraid of—the whole reason why he is avoiding the adult world is because he wants to stay true to himself. The thing he doesn’t realize is that he can do both. There is a way to adapt to the changing world and still remain Holden Caulfield. We, however, never find out if Holden learns this crucial lesson. We do know that as long as Holden remains in New York he will remain confused about the adult world. Holden is baffled by the world that surrounds him when he is in New York because New York is symbolic of the adult world. As Robert P. Moore points out, the vulgarity of the story comes not from Holden but from his surroundings (Moore 159). Seeing as how Holden spends most of the novel in the adult world, Moore backs up Holden’s belief that the world of adults is a vile place not fit for the innocent. Another thing that enforces that belief is when Holden is in the hotel and he is watching the people on other floors play these weird sex games like the guy and girl spitting water on each other or the man dressing up in women’s clothing. Holden frightened of the adult world because he believes that the adult world destroys the beautiful. This harsh world destroys the beautifully simplistic things in life like a short story about a boy and his goldfish or a perfectly formed snowball. Holden is afraid of his journey from childhood to adulthood because he doesn’t want to conform to society, disappear, or lose his innocence. The problem is, the process has already begun. Holden is becoming more aware of the adult world and he does not like what he sees. Holden is being forced into a cruel world that consumes child after child. So, predictably, Holden is trying to run away from the unpleasantness like any scared and misguided person would. Holden is unaccustomed to dealing with the complexities of adult life, and he therefore tries to cling to the simplistic life of a child, simply because he can’t deal with this strange new world. And Holden is not alone in his feelings of helplessness and melancholy—most every child has felt this way before, at varying degrees. Holden is just has extremely passionate feelings so naturally he feel very strongly about this. Holden believes that the only person he can count on one hundred percent of the time is himself. He doesn’t trust people too easily and is an accomplished liar. So naturally he doesn’t trust the few people who actually try to help him to ease his way into the adult world, like Mr. Antolini. All Holden sees is a bunch of adults trying to squish him into the mold of a mature, respectable adult. Any young adult would be wary of people trying to impose their will onto them—adolescents hate structures that try to stifle their individuality and will do almost anything within their power to actively avoid them. Many people find it strange that children can’t wait to grow up but adults spend an eternity trying to regain their youth, but both the children and the adults want the same thing—freedom to do what they want when they want.

Down East Spud Busters Case Analysis Essay

This will give this big conglomerate grounded to the â€Å"little guy† and hopefully keep the company connected on the local level as it expands. As Deep East Spud Busters expands from Canada and Maine to Idaho, Europe, the Pacific Rim, and then into nationwide sales and distribution, the â€Å"people factor’ will become increasingly important. By the â€Å"people factor,† I am of course, to put it into business terms, talking about Human Resources. Given the immense geographical expanses and logistical challenges that will no doubt be a factor in such a major expansion, Human Resources are going to very important as they open up the new production plant in Idaho, continue innovating at the Maine higher-value processing plant where new, fresh ideas are paramount, penetrating international markets in Europe and the Pacific Rim where consumers have a totally foreign culture and speak a different language, and as they tap into nationwide sales and distribution here across the United States. The reason being is that folks are different wherever you go and to have a successful company these days, management needs to be less rigid and more organic while treating its stakeholders as individuals with different needs and embracing diversity. But maybe you’re saying to yourself right now â€Å"potatoes are potatoes anywhere you go† or something like that. My response would be that sure potatoes are potatoes but people and their cultural situations are unique wherever you go. Laws and regulations are also different wherever one might go. Legislation, the role of trade unions and governments and their agencies, culture and values vary between regions and countries. Therefore the particular institutional structures operating in different national economies and societies are no doubt influential in my opinion, in maintaining dissimilar Human Resources policies in different countries, American states, counties, and cities. People’s behavior and needs will be influenced by the land in which they reside, and Deep East Spuds Busters is going to have to adjust accordingly. If DESB holds the people factor in high regard as they expand into new territories, they will increase their chance of success exponentially. I have personally have had several jobs where the company couldn’t care less about its employees and it’s not only miserable for the workers, but in my opinion it’s got to be bad for business as well. Company’s like Home Depot, Whittier Wood Products, and literally every wood mill in the Eugene/Springfield area treats their employees like crap, doesn’t pay them enough, overworks them, fires them and lays them off like it’s nothing, and most importantly, those businesses don’t take into account their employees individuality at all. There are definitely companies that not only should follow my idea of how Deep East Spud Busters should maintain their Human Resources departments, but also could be successful in adopting a similar organizational structure to their current and future business models. Some types of companies that I think could benefit from copying DESB’s current and future organizational model are of the following: Land owners who have timber on their land, independent gardeners, independent gold miners, independent mushroom growers, local artisans of pottery, wood crafts, and textiles, the list goes on and on. There are many types of businesses that could follow a template starting with a local cooperative, refinement of received products and materials, nationwide distribution and sales involving local salesmen, and then expansion into international markets. I think companies that produce a product easily made by the individual person could follow this model and not so much highly technical and industrial fields that already have their structures well establishes. For example, it would make no sense for Intel’s microchip producers to follow this model but it would make sense for an individual or small business that creates popular art pieces. Important Mechanisms Used to Coordinate Work: Modular Network: Temporary arrangements among partners that can be assembled and reassembled to adapt to the environment: also called a virtual network. Broker: A person who assembles and coordinates participants in a network. Standardization: Establishing common routines and procedures that apply uniformly to everyone. Formalization: The presence of rules and regulations governing how people in the organization interact. Coordination by Plan: Interdependent units are required to meet deadlines and objectives that contribute to a common goal. Business Agility and Ways to Improve It: Business agility is the ability of a business to adapt rapidly and cost efficiently in response to changes in the business environment. Business agility can be maintained by maintaining and adapting goods and services to meet customer demands, adjusting to the changes in a business environment and taking advantage of human resources. Agility is a concept that incorporates the ideas of flexibility, balance, adaptability, and coordination under one umbrella. Put in the context of business, agility refers to the ability of an organization to rapidly adapt to market and environmental changes in productive and cost-effective ways. The agile company is an extension of this concept, referring to an organization that utilizes key principles of adaptive systems and complexity science to achieve success. One can say that business agility is the outcome of Organizational Intelligence. Different areas that enterprises can improve their business agility are through strategy, commitment to customers, and their use of technology. Organization Structure Definition: Definition: The typically hierarchal arrangement of lines of authority, communications, rights and duties of an organization. Organizational structure determines how the roles, power and responsibilities are assigned, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between the different levels of management. A structure depends on the organization’s objectives and strategy. In a centralized structure, the top layer of management has most of the decision making power and has tight control over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and divisions may have different degrees of independence. A company such as Proctor ;amp; Gamble that sells multiple products may organize their structure so that groups are divided according to each product and depending on geographical area as well. An organizational chart illustrates the organizational structure Citation: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/organizational. html Four Dimensions of an Organizational Structure: Authority: The legitimate right to make decisions and to tell other people what to do. Span of Control: The number of subordinates who report directly to an executive or supervisor. Delegation: The assignment of authority, responsibility, and accountability. Centralization: When important decisions are made at the top rather than spread out over the mid and lower levels of an organization. 4 Basic Forms of Horizontal Structures of Organizations: Functional Organization: Jobs and departments that are specialized and grouped according to business functions and the skills they require: production, marketing, human resource, research and development, finance, accounting, etc. Divisional Organization: Groupings of all functions into a single division that duplicates functions across all divisions. These are created as an organization becomes more diverse, complicated, and spread out over geographical regions. Matrix Organization: A hybrid form of organization in which functional and divisional forms overlap. Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Design / Research Group Design / Research Group Production Group Production Group Supply Group Supply Group Divisional Manager Traditional Potato Line Divisional Manager Traditional Potato Line Network Organization: A collection of independent, mostly single-function firms that collaborate to produce a good or service. Organizational Structure Chart for Down East Spud Buster (Note: Chart Represents Each Division): Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Sales ;amp; Distribution Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Personnel Group Personnel Manager Personnel Manager Sales ;amp; Distribution Manager Sales ;amp; Distribution Manager CEO CEO Divisional Manager Frozen Food Line Divisional Manager Frozen Food Line Divisional Manager Dried Food Line Divisional Manager Dried Food Line Divisional Manager Traditional Potato Line Divisional Manager Traditional Potato Line Supply / Purchase Manager Supply / Purchase Manager Design and Research Manager Design and Research Manager Production Manager Production Manager Sales ;amp; Distribution Manager Sales ;amp; Distribution Manager Supply Group Supply Group Production Group Production Group Design / Research Group Design / Research Group Supply Group Supply Group Production Group Production Group Design / Research Group Design / Research Group Supply Group Supply Group Production Group Production Group Design / Research Group Design / Research Group