Global Trends

Global Trends MGT 460: Leadership Priorities & Practice Instructor William Conaway February 17, 2011 Global Trends Education is arguably one of the biggest industries in the world. People pay to learn and if we are honest, people learn to get paid. Individuals stress to their children the importance of doing well in school. Why? The world has put a prerequisite on success, and it is education. Since we know that education is vital and we understand that the twenty-first century has brought with it a global community; it follows that the Education industry in America, especially public school, must change if this millennial generation is to be successful in the future and as a future public school worker I must be marketable for those changes. General Environment Children are different today then they were 10 years ago. Between the internet, video games, and movies it takes a lot more to hold their attention which means it takes a different type of teacher to get them to learn. Baby boomers who make up the largest population of the experienced teaching community will be retiring over the next 3-5 years. Although these teachers have years of experience this particular generation is very different from anything they have ever faced. Consequently, the students have been turned off by their traditional approach. . Lee Goeke the former head of Human Resources for Vancouver Public â€Å"studied what he calls the millennial generation — those who graduated from high school in 2000 or later. He determined they weren't obsessed with money like Baby Boomers or Generation Xers. Out of all the generations we've had, this is the perfect generation for teaching,† Goeke said. â€Å"The millennial generation is more interested in vision and philosophy. (McLatchey, 2008). Task Environment We live in a global community. The internet and other advanced technologies have brought the world together in an unusual way; resulting in Americans not just competing among ourselves, but with people all over the world. This has always been the case in some industries since the establishment of America, but never to the degree in which we see it today. Consequently, public education is becoming an industry of great importance. Parents are demanding more of the curriculum. Society as a whole recognizes the need for quality public school education if we are to continue to compete with companies around the world in the future whose educational systems will or have surpassed ours. Pulling it all Together In the next three years due to the shrinking size of the world and the competition for jobs in our global community education in America will become more world based, focusing on the total growth of the developing child, touching hearts as well as minds and encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development (http://www. bo. org/pyp/). Having a degree in both organizational management which prepares me for the global business market and psychology which helps me understand social, emotional, and cultural needs will make me not only extremely marketable in the years to come, but an effective member of the education community. References http://www. ibo. org/pyp/ Rafte ry, I (2 March). With teacher turnover high, Vancouver schools shift recruiting effort to attract idealists. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Complete database. (Document ID: 1437867971).

Macroeconomics Written Assignment

Many are saying that the U.S. economy is presently on the initial stage of experiencing economic recession due to the instability that is happening on major industries in the market (Iht.com, 2007). With the pressing condition of the U.S. economy, it is the role and responsibility of the federal government to provide the necessary solution to address the impeding economic recession in the United States. A balance in providing policies, monetary and fiscal policy, must be secured by the federal government in order to have a sustainable solution for the present instability of the U.S. economy. The instability of the present economy is being attributed to the decline of household’s disposable income in the market during the first quarter of 2006. Many economists said that the deterioration of household’s disposable income was caused by the lowering of wages of working class by the end of 2005. The GDP growth rate of the United States was down by 0.6 percent, from 5.2 percent to 4.6 percent, after the economic instability starts affecting the domestic market. Due to this limited disposable income of households or consumers in the market, the domestic consumption declined dramatically causing tremendous amount of loses on various industries in the market. Like for instance, the housing industry has been suffering to financial difficulties as the demand of consumers for housing market hit their financial stability hard. In this regard, it would be better to focus the policies of the federal government on addressing the limited disposable income of the households and the low wage rate of the working class in the market. Economic Policies for U.S. Economy Recovery One of the possible monetary policies that the federal government could implement would be the lowering of interest rates of various financial securities such as mortgages for industries in the market to provide financial support. This lowering of interest rate would give these industries enough room to stabilize their financial condition and would serve as the stepping stone of their fast recovery. The low demand of the consumers in the market creates enough pressure for the sales and profitability of various industries to perform badly leading for financial problems of companies in the domestic market. With the lowering of the interest rate, companies can now borrow much money that they need in order to restore their accounts and cover the losses that they will incur by continuing their operation. The only side effect of this policy would be a possible high inflation rate a few years after increasing the interest rate in the market since there will be an increase in the money supply in the economy. As for the fiscal policy of the government, it would be better if they would pass a law that would increase the minimum wage rate of every worker in the United States in order to improve the disposable income of every household in the United States. With this, the volume of consumption of consumers will improve thereby creating an improvement on the sales and profitability of various industries in the market. One possible side effect of this strategy would be higher unemployment rate and inflation rate as various industries either layoff some of their workers or increase the prices of their products just to give room for the increase in the minimum wage rate that the federal government will impose. In order to counteract this possible action of the private class, the increase in the wage rate of the workers will be accompanied by the provision of government subsidy for those companies that will abide the said policy and will not layoff workers or increase the prices of their products in the market. With this, the government can prevent the worsening of the inflation rate and unemployment rate in the market. In this regard, the above mentioned alternatives will be the most suitable solutions on today’s economic instability. The potential side effects of these policies can now be minimized through the aid of the countermeasures that is included on the policy itself. References Iht.com (2007). Is the U.S. Economy in Recession? Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/16/opinion/edeconomy.php

Instances of Free Will in Antigone by Sophocles Essay

? Free will is a gift given to man to remain in control of their lives; our fate and destiny are determined by our free will and the decisions we make. In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles Antigone demonstrates her free will when she decides to bury her brother, directly defying Creon’s law. As a result of this defiance her fate was suicide. The choice she made functions as a exercise of free will because she considered the consequences and defied Creon anyway, that defiance sealed her fate. Antigone clearly controlled her fate through free will. However this is not always the case in A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich written by Alexandr Solzhenistyn, Ivan has little to no free will because he does not make his own choices, his fate is controlled by others. Free will is a term used to describe a course of action you would take among various alternatives. Philosophers argue that the concept of free will is closely connected to the concept of moral responsibility. Acting with free will is to satisfy the requirements of being responsible for one’s actions. Antigone bury’s her brother Polyneices because she believes it is her Moral duty to do so, as he is her brother and everyone deserves a proper burial. Antigone’s free will is to act upon this moral responsibility in which she feels she is obligated to do. Our fate is not determined by us but a much more powerful force. Fate â€Å"is an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end. † According to the Webster dictionary. In the book A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Ivan’s fate is inevitable, he is no longer in control of his life after being sentenced to 10 years in the Soviet Gulag system. In the camp Ivan is forced to live under very strict rule and if he disobeys the regulations he can be killed. Clearly Ivan has no control over his life and is forced to live a certain way in order to stay alive. Antigony goes against Creon’s law that forbade anyone to bury polyneices, her brother. Breaking of Creon’s law will result in death. Knowing the consequences Antigone bury’s her brother regardless, having guard over his body. Antigone was caught burying Polyneices and brought to Creon where she faced death. Antigone made the decision to bury her brother. This act was not forced upon her by anyone but her own morals. She determined her fate through free will. Though she knew the consequences she made the decision that she did which sealed her fate, because she knew she would die if she buried her brother. Antigone would rather die than not let her brother be buried. â€Å"And if I have to die for this pure crime,/ I am content, for I shall rest beside him;/ His love will answer mine† (lines 72-74). This quote demonstrates how Antigone makes the decision that she does knowing she will die. She is content with the idea of dying if it means her brother will get a proper burial. Antigone is pursuing her fate by burying her brother. Antigone is not looking at it as death she has a different approach to things than others, for example her sister. This approach makes her fearless, she does not see dying necessarily as a bad thing but simply the price she will pay for burying her brother. This fearlessness in her makes it so she can confidently make the decision that she does, excepting the fact that it will result to her death. Not only does Antigone decide her fate by burying her brother but she also chooses when and how she dies. Creon had planned to kill her anyway, but with her own free will she pursues her death in the fashion that she so chooses. Antigone hangs herself with the red and gold cord of her robe. Her decision to do this is her own free will. Antigone could have ignored this option and let her fate control how she dies, by either being stoned, or perhaps Creon deciding to set her free. We will never know what Antigone’s fate would have been if she did not kill herself, she deprived us of what could have happened by making her own rash decision. Antigone believes she has the right to live the way she wants, she is controlling her fate by deciding how she dies. A contrasting example comes from the book A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich. The main character Ivan does not have free will. Ivan was charged with being a German spy and therefore sentenced to 10 years in the Gulag. Ivan knows he is not a German spy, however he has no control over his sentencing and is forced to serve the 10 years. Ivan no longer controls how he lives, he lives by a strict life style created by the guards of the camp. â€Å"In camp the squad leader is everything: a good one will give you a second life; a bad one will put you in your coffin. † (pg. 36) This quote illustrates how much Ivan and other prisoners lives are determined for them. He says that your squad leader determines weather or not you live. In these camps life were cruel not only because of harsh conditions but the fact that others determined your fate, whether you lived or died. Theses prisoners have very little control over their own life, they no longer worry about simple decisions, the concerns of the prisoners is who will be the one to decide their fate. Even though, the prisoners destiny is pre-determined based upon the harsh circumstances they are forced to live by, they can still make small unnoticeable decisions to maintain sanity in their life. These small choices they make are their free will. For instance, Ivan takes his hat off every time he eats a meal despite the fact that it is below freezing. Ivan has always removes his hat before eating long before he was sentenced to the Gulag, he feels he must continue this tradition as a sign of respect. Ivan is making this small decision on his own in a place that is filled with decisions that are made for you. Ivan wants to keep the little dignity he has left and by doing so he takes off his hat when he eats. This represents that no matter how confined a human is they will still find ways to pursue their own lifestyle. Ivan find this morally just to take off his hat when he eats, he is making that decision based off of free will. Because he makes this decision it greatly affects Ivan’s attitude towards things, because this small tradtion shows he has taken a piece of his ordinary life and continued that practice in somewhere as horrible as the Gulag. Ivan’s free will is to be able to take his hat off when eating. Finally, this essay shows how in the play Antigone and the book A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, both of the main characters in these two pieces of literature find ways to control their fate. In Antigones case she bury’s her brother, for she believes that it is her moral responsibility. Ivan takes control over his free will by taking off his hat when he eats. Antigone’s fate is determined by her free will to defy Creon. Ivan is not in control of his own fate, therefore he must find small ways to remain in control as much as possible of his life.

Hermeneutics in Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hermeneutics in Leadership - Essay Example The approach will make the leaders resemble expressive acts. They will emphasize on manifestations of meanings. According to various studies, the leaders will become conceptually driven. In the long run, there will be a close relationship between the leaders and the employees. Additionally, the approach would make the leaders become context influenced. They will understand their roles and responsibilities (OGorman, 2011). The approach will make the leaders experience deeply their actions. They will become more responsible because they will draw their actions through reflective thoughts. Experts have identified the importance of hermeneutical approach in improving self-understanding. It will help in building the understanding of the personal meaning and personal expressions. The approach is the best means of improving a leader’s inter-subjective dialogic discourse. They will not operate in a top-down less active expository exchange (Woodward J., 2011). The approach will add more logic to the leaders’ theoretical foundations. A leader is a person that has to have interest in communication. Communication is a tool that connects individuals in an organization. It will ensure there are efficiency and transparency within an organization. A hermeneutical approach would encourage leaders to reflect on their human interest in communication. The approach emphasizes on communications through conversations. It lays down the conceptual framework for developing the leaders’ communication means. For example, a media consultant in any country would use this approach to deal well with the clients (Yong, 2013). The approach pays more attention to experience. The experience will be a tool for analyzing external events, business ideas, and internal ideas. Additionally, with good experience, a person may be able to trigger questioning and any reflective perspective that may not happen at any moment.  Ã‚  

Mechanisms Used in Common Law and Civil Law in Transfer of Syndicated Coursework

Mechanisms Used in Common Law and Civil Law in Transfer of Syndicated Dept - Coursework Example It is also subject to being added upon by legislation from a law making legislature such as parliament. Here previous rulings give guidance on current cases and are referred to. It originated in England and is still used commonly there and in former Great Britain colonies such as Australia, New Zealand Canada and in most countries of the commonwealth. Debt syndication is a situation where many lenders come together to offer credit to an individual entity, a conglomerate, or a government to spread out the debt risk among the participating lenders (called the syndicate) and share in the profits of the debt proportionately under a single syndicated loan agreement. This paper gives an analytical introspection into common and civil law in reference to transfer of syndicated debt. Loan amounts involved in syndicated debts are normally much larger than normal debts, and a default could have serious ramifications on a single lender, hence the need to spread the risk among many lenders. There is a lead borrower known as the ‘agent’ that does most of the administrative work concerning the loan or contributes proportionally larger debts.1 A syndicated loan can be provided as a term loan provision where a specified amount of loan is provided over an agreed time period of time called the ‘term. In addition, the borrower is usually allowed, under the given circumstances, a brief time after the loan availability to withdraw money up to the maximum limit and then repays in installments (amortization) or once at the expiry of the term (bullet payment). The syndicated loan may also be provided as a revolving loan facility where the borrower draws portions of the loan amount for a given period, for instance, within three to six months after which the repayment is due and can draw from the loan facility to repay the outstanding loan. This is a concept which is referred to as rollover loan. A syndicated loan can also be in the form of a general loan where new bor rowers can come into the agreement under specific circumstances and may also combine rollover loans and multiple term loans. This is a concept which is legally defined within the law.2 The borrower usually starts by approaching the lead borrower (agent) who advises the said borrower and contacts other lenders. The agent is the contact person with the borrower and represents the views of the syndicate. The agent also monitors how the borrower meets terms and conditions of the loan agreement. In addition, the agent keeps all records, collects all payments and interest from the borrower, and then pays both members of the syndicate at a fee. After a loan is approved with the requisite legal requirements satisfied, the borrower can then access the loan under the agreed terms. In this case, the borrower may wish to transfer the loan to a third party for a variety of reasons listed in the following part of the discussion. Acquire Capital The borrower may sell its interest in the syndicated loan if it is a long term loan facility to get capital or benefit from new better loan facilities. Reduce or Avoid Loss The borrower may experience difficulties and decide to sell its loan commitment to distressed debt specialists Capital

Family Systems Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family Systems Theory - Research Paper Example Miller’s living systems theory also is considered for its structural elements, as it implements largely scale life systems than Bronfenbrenner’s model. Finally, Bowen’s theory is considered as it further incorporates interlocking elements into the analysis of family systems. Abstract – Depth Depth is examined in relation in relation to Bertalanffy, Bronfenbrenner, Bowen and Miller’s family systems theories. Bertalanffy’s system perspective is considered as it advances notions of family systems as necessarily embodying concerns related to interactivity. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system is considered as it implements specific life systems, notably the microsystem, mesosystem, and exosystem. Miller’s living systems model implements both specific elements, but also expands to include all living things. This is notable as it implements more foundational considerations than Bronfenbrenner’s approach, allowing for increased re cognition of the family system. Bowen’s approach expands depth considerations through the implementation of a variety of family system investigative tools, including investigations into differentiation of self, the nuclear family emotional system, and triangles. Abstract -- Application Bertalanffy, Bronfenbrenner, Bowen and Miller’s family systems theories are considered in terms of specific applications. ... Through the foundational elements this model incorporates this perspective is applied in establishing the base elements of the system. Bowen’s approach is similarly applied in terms of its emphasis on interlocking concepts. While all of the aforementioned system components implements differing perspectives, it’s recognized that their comprehensive application will reveal different results. The interstices of these results then can be considered as revealing more thorough insights than a singular approach could provide. Family Systems Theory While childhood development and human psychology have long been prominent scholarly considerations, the 20th century witnessed a decided shift in investigative emphasis. Within this spectrum of understanding, an increasing emphasis on the nature of environment or systems as contributing to psychological and developmental concerns emerged. Past theories were largely been rooted in mechanistic or atomistic accounts of psychology; these were largely abandoned for the more holistic perspectives inherent in systems models. This research considers four prominent perspectives on systems theory. Specifically, notions proposed by Bertalanffy, Bronfenbrenner, Bowen and Miller are examined within the context of family systems theory. Ludwig Von Bertalanffy was one of the original theorists to consider the importance of systems within science. While his perspectives would later be adopted in terms of psychology and families, his perspectives spanned throughout science. Referred to as General Systems Theory, this perspective shifted scientific analysis of organisms from a mechanistic model, to one that emphasizes more holistic environmental concerns. While the mechanistic approach greatly situated investigation in-terms of

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus - Essay Example The defiance that Frankenstein displays in the novel, of the natural laws and the divine modes of creation makes him a modern-day Prometheus. This paper shall also seek to show the importance of this analogy to the Romantics. Revolution against established authority was one of the major concerns of the Romantics, who sought to express this concern in their literary creations. Mary Shelley’s own concerns regarding male authority can also be seen in this analogy that is a conscious device within her work. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS Victor Frankenstein, a Modern Prometheus The character of Victor Frankenstein has intrigued critics since the time of the publication of the novel, Frankenstein. Derided by some as a blasphemous character who seeks to appropriate the functions of God and meets his just end by the end of the novel, Frankenstein has also been compared to the mythic character of Prometheus for the defiance that he exhibits by the very act of creation that h e commits. By doing so, he challenges the authority of the Christian god, very much like Prometheus, who questions the right of Zeus to withhold knowledge from mankind. Rebellious figures both, Frankenstein goes one step ahead and actually attempts to appropriate the functions and powers that are conventionally associated with God. Modeling a character on Prometheus is part of an ethos that supports revolution and liberty. This was the prevalent ethos amongst the writers who were a part of the Romantic movement in England during the nineteenth century. By explicitly stating the analogy between Frankenstein and Prometheus, Mary Shelley erases any doubt as to the nature of the character of Frankenstein. The use of the figure of Prometheus for revolutionary purposes can be seen in the work of another writer of this period, P.B. Shelley. Mary Shelley’s husband, in his poem Prometheus Unbound portrays his main character Prometheus as a long-suffering revolutionary who finally mana ges the overthrow of the tyrant Jupiter (Shelley, 2001). The influence of the VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS ideas of her husband can definitely be seen in the work of Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, even while he is performing his scientific experiments, is aware of the blasphemous nature of it. When he says, A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. (Shelley, 2003, p. 36), he proves that he knows his aspirations: become capable of something that only God was capable of. In an act that would provide mankind with the secret of life and death, Frankenstein is similar to Prometheus who aimed to do something very similar through his theft of fire that enabled man to raise himself above the savage state in which he had existed till then. For their crimes, both the characters are separated from their fellow-beings and are tortured by a providential authority, which seems to be a punishment for transgression. Prometheus undergoes separation from his beloved in a manner that is similar to that of Frankenstein’s misery at the death of the members of his family. A thirst for knowledge and the urge to discover what is new characterizes both Frankenstein and Prometheus. Frankenstein is engaged in the constant pursuit of new experiences and it is only when his torture at the hands of his creature begins that he retracts VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS from his policy of acquiring new knowledge. Similarly, Prometheus’s attempts to steal fire are born out of a thirst for knowledge. Apart from this thirst for knowle

Macroevolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroevolution - Essay Example It focuses mainly on the changes which occur above the levels of species (Levinton, 67). In contrast with the micro evolution, it refers to the evolution changes within a species population. The process of specification fall within the purview depending on the forces thought to drive it. Comparative genomics, developmental and paleontology, contribute most of the evidence for patterns and the process which can be classified as macroevolution. Annelida is commonly known as segmented worms which are found in the deepest marine sediments and the city park yards. During the 20th century, Annelida was divided into three main subgroups oligochaeta, polychaeta and Hirudinea (Levinton, 88). Leeches and earthworms are similar to annelids for most people. The polychaeta comprise extent of the divergence of the Annelida and is found near the marine habitat. There are even pelagic polychaeta, which swims, preying on the other plankton and few groups exist in fresh water and the moist environment s. Around nine thousand species of polychaeta are recognized, and the overall systematics groups remain unstable. The oligochaeta and Hirudinea comprise of several other species form a clade which can be referred either clitellata or oligochaeta. It is possible the group may well belong to polychaeta; this makes polychaeta similar with Annelida. There is evidence supporting that all annelids have recently been groped as a single group. The common system used to divide polychaeta was Errantia; his was essentially a system to convenience with no aim of characterize evolutionary relationships. Recent analyses of the Annelida and other groups have resulted into new classification of polychaeta. The group split into two groups palpate and Scolecida. Scolecida contains species less than 1000; these worms are all couch form to another. Palpate have the majority of polychaeta and is also divided into aciculate and canalipalpata. Aciculate are approximately half the polychaeta species and la rgely aggress the old taxonomic group Para podia. Arthropods have taken over almost all the environment on the surface of the earth. Pieces supporting the evidence run that more species of the arthropods are multi celled animals, but that is only true for the expound species and more hobbyists are added to that list for insects. The phylum arthropod is divided in two subphyla, which are named according to their mouthparts but have several differences. The chelicerae’s, named for mouthparts derived from the appearance of the legs and the chelicerae, they do not have antennae found in the subphylum. The chelicerates have six pairs of appendages. One pair of chelicerae is followed by a pair of pedipalps, legs which are adapted with other purposes rather than walking. The horse crab is an old group which has five pairs of legs and no pedipalps; it resembles a shield with two eyes and a tail. They live in sandy zones; have been existing for a long time looking much similar as they are today. The evolutionary theory, they suggest that creatures are suited to an environment which has remained stable for a long time which would change. When exposed to direct radiation chemicals, which mutate animals DNA, changed molecules. The process of mesmerisation is known in drosophila. The metameric pattern can be extended to arthropods and other related animals. The known diversity of metameric process should evolutionary interprets the relationship between their developmental and morphological features. We view the aspects of drosophila development which involve Para segmentation and compartmentalization patterns. The regularities are compared with what is known as phenomena in other crustaceans, onyochophorans and millipedes. The Annelida segments and hypothetical soft bodied which cannot be

Middle east studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Middle east studies - Essay Example ere still relatively fresh and had no experience, for this purpose these countries along with Palestine was brought into the reign and control through the colonial expansion (Anderson). It was during this era and span that the Jewish settlement took place and large number of immigrants started settling in, in these areas (Boger). This in turn led to the development of hatred between the two nations and ultimately multiple wars in long run in the form of 1948, 1967 and 1973 wars between the Arab world and Israel. This agreement regarding the Palestine’s future was reached through a mutual consent based accord between France and Great Britain. Great Britain at that time was at the zenith of its power and authority and under the wings and umbrella of common wealth, it had large number of regions as colonies. Iraq was another instance that fell under the system of Mandates being introduced in the post First World War scenario. It was around 1919 to 1921 when Great Britain formally took over it after the Ottoman Empire succumbed to the injuries and troubles it had long been tasted with through the entire part of 18th and 19th century. Iraqi forces had initially come up with a revolt and rebellion and had taken arms for this purpose. Finally succumbing to the force, a locally sued treaty was brought into it. It was done so through Anglo Iraq treaty that was signed towards the days when Ottoman empire had nearly collapsed (Mirza, p324) and was only away from formal burial in form of declaration by the Western powers. The next in line was Jordan. Jordan has had an important history in the affairs of Middle East politics. It was under the auspices of the British Empire for major part of the 20th century. It was only after 1946 when Jordan formally came into being as an independent state. Lebanon on other hand remained under the influence of France for greater part of the 20th century politics. Lebanon also remained part of the European influence and remained a colony

Matthew effect Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Matthew effect - Movie Review Example The different researchers and experts in the show are keen to highlight that their studies have revealed that children have different cognitive abilities. Some children face difficulties in learning how to read, whereas others register immediate progress upon entry into school. A difference in a few months of joining school can have a remarkable difference in the academic progress of students in kindergarten especially in their ability to read. The show also discusses the effects of redshirting children in kindergarten extending the experiences in the lower levels of learning. However, redshirting can introduce differences in the reading abilities of children with some children becoming the oldest in the class (Redd). In my opinion, the Mathew effect has the potential to affect the life of an individual. According to Gladwell featured in the video, teachers are more likely to give attention to students who post a better performance. Therefore, the gap between the good and poor performers only widens over time. Therefore, there is a salient need of presenting students with similar learning opportunities in order to minimize the gap in cognitive skills brought about by the Mathew effect

Outline & Evaluate the Functionalist Approach to Crime & Deviance Essay Example for Free

Outline Evaluate the Functionalist Approach to Crime Deviance Essay This question includes assessment of your understanding of the connections between crime and deviance and sociological theory. Functionalist explanations of deviance begin with society as a whole looking for the origins of deviance in the nature of society, not the biological or psychological make up of an individual. Functionalists favour quantative methods to look at society, using statistics to see society as a whole, rather than looking at the individuals effect on society. The majority of Functionalists ideas on crime derive from the work of Durkheim. Durkheim believes that crime in inevitable because not every member of society shares the same values and norms; every society has crime, particularly the most advanced industrial societies. Crime is seen as not only inevitable, but functional to society because it allows for change, which is vital for society to function. Durkheim argues that crime brings society together, as in the case of the Soham murders. From this point of view it can be questioned what the function of punishment is, Durkheim believes punishment is a form of social control and act as a signal to people. A.K Cohen developed Durkheims ideas further, providing further possible functions of deviance. Firstly deviance can act as a safety valve providing an expression of discontent. Cohen uses the example of prostitution, he believes this protects the institution of the family and provides a release from the stress of family life without undermining family stability because the relationship between prostitute and client has no emotional attachments. In other words it is fine for a man to use a prostitute, but not to have an affair because that would jeopardise the family! Cohen believes that deviance acts as a warning device too indicate that an aspect of society is malfunctioning, thus drawing attention to it and allowing the problem to be resolved. An example of this is the Los Angeles riots that drew attention to the mistreatment of blacks, likewise the Steven Lawrence case. Durkheim and Cohens work is important because it moved ideas away from biological and psychological explanations for deviance, rather seeing it being society itself creating crime. However, other sociologists believe the functions are too narrow and class differences are not examined.

Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band Essay At the start of the story there are small rises of tension and falls, the use of Victorian Melodrama creates drama for the reader. When Helen Stoner comes in and tells Holmes about her family it is slow paced and little or no tension at all. Then she tells of her sisters death, which makes the tension rise. In the story there two lulls before the storm which is when everything is quiet happy and slow paced but then the action breaks out and the pace and tension rise But we shall have horrors enough before the night is over for goodness sake let us have a quiet pipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something more cheerful. There are four main high points in the story, the last being the climax. This is where Dr Roylott dies. Sherlock Holmes was the first real fictional detective and is still very popular today. He was a private detective, not a member of the police force because in those days the police werent held in high regard. He was put on a pedestal by the people who read about him because he was fulfilling everything the police werent. Many of todays TV detectives are based on Holmes including Colombo, Jonathan Creek, Poirot and Morse. Sherlock Holmes is instantly recognizable in his deerstalker hat and his long cloak but actually these were not originally his clothes. Someone who was drawing him made them up. We also recognize him by his magnifying glass and that he plays the violin and smokes a pipe. He smokes his pipe when he is meditating or trying to work out a clue or puzzle. Holmes personality is very polite but not emotional, he is a middle class gentleman and very logical. He always tries to outdo the people he meets. He does this in the story when he describes how Miss Stoner arrives and when he straightened out the poker which Dr Roylott had bent in anger. Inspector Morse is very similar to Sherlock Holmes. He is recognized by his red car, his classical music and his love for real ale. His mannerisms are like those of Holmes too, he is a polite middle class gentleman, very clever but is abrupt. He cares inside but doesnt show it. Morse also has a sidekick who is called Lewis; he is like Holmes Dr Watson. The reason for a sidekick is to narrate the story, to make the detective look a lot cleverer and to be an ally to us the readers. I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations, and in admiring the rapid deductions, as swift as intuitions, and yet always founded on a logical basis, with which he unraveled the problems which were submitted to him. Obviously a murder mystery has to have a murder and we usually find out who the murderer is at the end of the story. The Speckled Band is quite unusual because we know that Roylott is the killer but we dont know how he does it. Dr Roylott has an imposing physique and the author associates him with what we would generally consider bad using similes and metaphors. He is an archetypal villain and his only friends are wandering gypsies that arent trusted by others. These gypsies are associated with exotic pets and curses. Roylott is reclusive and has a beastly nature. He planned the murder in advance and spent and spent plenty of money on making sure that it took place. If Roylott is the archetypal villain then Helen Stoner is the archetypal victim. In Victorian literature women were portrayed as heroines who need help from heroes. Helen Stoner is weak, vulnerable and very emotional. She brings the only element of emotion into his story. She is emotional where as Holmes is logical. She plays a vital role in the story because she is the stepdaughter of the murderer, the sister of the murdered and the next in line. Helen Stoner is the stereotypical female of her time. She is like the prey and Roylott is the predator. When she comes to see Holmes her appearance is old and worn out. Her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal. She has aged before her time her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature grey and her expression was weary and haggard. The stereotypical view of women has changed a lot over the last century. In the times that The Speckled Band was written women were seen as frail people who needed help from big strong men. In the 1920s Agatha Christie wrote books where a woman solved murder cases but people still thought she was stupid. Now in the year 2003 there are women who command entire police forces. In my opinion I dont think that The Speckled Band is very effective as a murder mystery because it is too obvious that Roylott is the killer. It is very good as a how-dun-it because its frustratingly hard to workout how Roylott killed his stepdaughter. Conan Doyle included a red herring into the story to try and throw us off course but I dont think it works at all. Its almost as if he just put it in at the end as a rushed job. Graham Dessington Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

External Environment Analysis For The Newspaper Industry Media Essay

External Environment Analysis For The Newspaper Industry Media Essay The Newspaper industry is going through a decline and is suffering through what could be its worst financial crisis as the advertising revenues are plummeting due to the economic downturn. Following the downturn in print media industry several newspapers either forgo their daily print for web or have cut the delivery of print version to 3 days a week, Major publication houses filled bankruptcy. The situation is alarming and same across Britain, US and Europe. The Decline of once great newspaper is not without cost, it means the end of certain kind of civic sensibility that was build on broad agreement about what is important and what is not. Is it the end of the Newspaper Industry? The industry is in the midst of reconstruction buffeted by deep recession. That is battering crucial advertising revenue, structured challenges as consumer turns to free news and information on web. Before year 2000 newspaper industry was a cash cow and people working as journalist never worried about looking for another job. But then internet posed threats to the business model and forced industry to cut down on cost, profit margins and reduce work force. According to American Society of news editors employment in newsroom has fallen by 15% in last two years. Advertising has been shifting from print media to new media resulting decline in profits. Paid Circulation has declined while advertising revenue which makes bulk of the newspapers income has also declined. The traditional use of newspaper being delivered at home is changing. Introduction of internet 2.1 Effect of internet Technology has not broadened the audience for news but has enabled well informed people to become better informed. Newspapers even have more readers then ever but problem is that fewer of them are paying. Consumer feels like a fool paying because they get fair selection of useful information free online. With the increasing online readership advertising brought a rising tide of revenue for aggregators, search engines there by affecting the revenue of newspapers. 2.2 Industry Reaction Business model which newspaper industry was following is not viable with intervention of technology. It was based on 3 revenue sources newsstand sales, subscription and advertising and now it relies only on advertising. Henry Luce co-founder of time found this notion of relying on ad revenue is Morally abhorrent and Economically self defeating. Internet has broken newspapers monopoly of production and distribution. This change has made situation which resulted a business that is smaller, less profitable, competitive but also efficient and innovative. Every newspaper is trying to come up with business models and Strategies to handle issues like declining revenues and expansion of media choice to consumer. Industry Condition The news industry has to fight back with reinvention and innovation. They need to identify factor that may be critical determinants of threats and opportunity that industry is facing or may face in future. 3.1 Industry Cost Cutting: Key to Survival? Bill gates said who can afford to do professional work for nothing. After Newspaper industry identified that their business model is disintegrating and is unbundling advertisement and content then they tried to make for it by putting their content onto free websites. Some publications drastically cut their print editions and focus on their ad supported websites. Newspaper Industry is now on the verge of being hanged and further rounds of cost cutting would not stave off the hangman. If they want to survive then they have to come up with cost effective revenue model. Some newspapers like financial times, Wall Street Journal came up with business model to charge certain content or certain user but they were unable to dictate there terms to the buyer as their micro payment model was unable to please buyers. Given that there were many options available to buyers and most of them free, the power of the buyers was high. One of the reasons for seller not having power was that they were not focusing on their core product which was content. Newspapers were unable to sell as they didnt had power and due to that aggregators were making money by knelling readers past ads. News folks say that aggregators are Parasites that profit from their work. Newspaper managed to survive by careful combination of free and paid for content than by new technology. 3.2 Declining Advertising Revenues, Recession, and Internet Warren Buffet said that It is hard to make money buying business that is in permanent decline. But people can make money if they capitalize on opportunity and identify threats to act accordingly. The news Market is likely to remain unstable, favouring different provider at different point in political, economical and Technological cycle. Example: An American website aggregate news and option polls, it became essential reading during last year presidential race. Its popularity plunged 75% and rivals lost readers. In Britain journalist have more competition from government rather than local crowd. British authorities have created newsletter that carry advertisings and also annual budget for state owned website is far more then countrys national newspaper. Newspapers have to think about innovations as sociologically there has been a transition in audience. The share of youth having no news at all raised from 25% to 34%, they now prefer their iPhone, PDAs and aggregators for news. Publishers and editors are thinking of reinvention and innovation that will work, one example is NRC-Next a daily magazine which aimed directly at lost generation of rich young readers. They made it look and feel cooler so that reader feel that this is better. According to Pedersen VG Netts MD they try to identify sexiest story of the day no matter how important it is in newspaper terms.VG Nett came up with innovative idea of co-operative journalism. They had dedicated phone line-2200 where anyone can transfer photos automatically from cell phone to their Server. News industry has economical factors that affect its growth. One major factor is advertising only revenue model. Other factors such as aggregator making money and online advertising revenue fall in 2008 due to recession, failure of current micro payment system. Internet littered with failed micropayment companies like digicash, cyber cash and also some successful micropayment systems such as PayPal, iTunes. If newspapers can come up with easy methods of micro payments then they can earn value for most of the content. The future lies in technology and media integration. To compete with potential entrants and substitutes like aggregators, search engines, bloggers newspapers need to adapt digital technologies and come up with business model to provide public interest journalism and still get revenue. Spread of digital technology has enabled ordinary people to file pictures and report news directly. Now first photo of any big event comes first on net from an ordinary person not a journalist. 3.3 Searching for New Business Models The Players within the Strategic group need to adapt technology and internet based business model but at the same time they have to compete within the group and face the industry rivalry. They need to understand consumer behaviour to identify the target audience and also differentiate their product from the rest. Business strategies are varying in industry as guardians strategy is to become international voice of liberal opinion so it is investing in stories of international interest like Iraq. While Daily wants to build a reputation of celebrity newspaper. Strategies can be based on consumer or product. Financial time attempted to fuse subscription model by making certain type of user pay on the other hand Wall Street Journal charges certain type of content for their e-papers. Some have Strategy of presenting days sexiest news no matter how important it is in journalism terms. But still newspaper industry need to figure out micro payment model which is easy and works well for consum er. 3.4 Industry Structure Even in diminished state newspapers attracts rich businessmen who believe that there is money to be made after all. Boundaries between Products and customer segments are blurred in strategic group so can be a potential threat for players in the group. The value of core product i.e. content is not that important now because newspapers are focusing on advertising. The intensity of competition is so high that if any newspaper doesnt adapt technology correctly and doesnt come up with business model that is cost effective is out of the game. The bargaining power in the value chain is so low that newspapers have to work on low profit margins to thrive in price war. Professor Charlie Backett argues that it matters little whether which newspaper get more online readers, it is irrelevant economically. According to calculation made by digital deliverances crosbie it takes 16 online readers to make up for one lost print reader. Industry Proposal and recommendations To safeguard from chill winds of market newspapers need to combine digital media experience with traditional media to create a co-creation experience for consumer. Newspapers should come up with business models that provide interactive services and is based on efficient micropayment model. Also they should promote public interest co-operative model of journalism i.e. use professional journalism, citizen journalism and community feedback to its best. If we think about world with no professional journalism then the situation will be very alarming, how internet aggregator and bloggers will get their content. We may have to save newspapers from bleeding red ink for saving quality journalism to service community. Making newspapers non profitable and tax free may help in keeping it alive. May be a structure that can help newspapers to share revenues with aggregator will help. What we are seeing is shift in the structure of media institution which understands importance of much more partici patory media. In current scenario newspaper represent both a problem and necessity to society and now it depends upon media houses that how they take advantage of migration of traditional platform like newspaper to digital medium and also to preserve print media. Future of Newspaper Industry In future newspaper will definitely move towards digital technology and will challenge print version. May be future will lie in digital notebooks, kindles, digital readers with integrated advertising and micropayment model in it.Revenues from newspapers digital products will help combat the erosion of traditional newspaper revenues.

Cratique on Losses Essay -- Essays Papers

Cratique on Losses The Poem â€Å"Losses† written by: Randall Jarrell, who was a poet, literary critic, and teacher, from New Orleans, served in the United States Air Force during World War Two. This helped Randall Receive most of his ideas and material for poems like this one. â€Å"It was not dying: everybody died. It was not dying: we had hied before In the routine crashes-and our fields Called up the papers, wrote home to our folks, And the rates rose, all because of us.† When people died in war it didn’t impact the majority of the people in the United States, they would just contact the papers or whoever sent the letters to there family and went on fighting the war. â€Å"We died on the wrong page of the almanac, Scattered on mountains fifty miles away; Diving on haystacks, fighting with a friend, We blazed up on the lines we never saw.† When Randall referred to people dying on the wrong page of the almanac, this just meant that when people died they were marked down as a casualty of war and not of natural death. Scattered allover the land fitting with a friend or maybe someone they have just met and never saw before. The line they never saw before is the line between them and whom they were fighting. They couldn’t see this line but they new it was there and what was needed to be done to cross this line. The soldiers were not that old, at one point Randall says,† We died like aunts or pets or foreigners. (When we left high school nothing else had di...

Implications of Information and Communication Technology for Business E

Implications of Information and Communication Technology for Business Time and geographical factors have a huge affect on the communication methods we use. In the business world time is money, and no matter how far u need to communicate to, it normally has to be done quickly and efficiently. This is where Information Systems (IS) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) have a huge impact on businesses nowadays, especially large scale organisations. Currently, Local Area Networks (LANs) are becoming more common in normal size businesses, and large-scale organisations tend to use Wide Area Networks (WANs), intranets and extranets. A LAN is a computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves; this is what we call a WAN (a system of LANs connected together). Each node (individual computer) in a LAN is able to access data and devices anywhere on the LAN. This means that many users can share expensive devices, such as laser printers, as well as data. Users can also use the LAN to communicate with each other, by sending e-mail or engaging in chat sessions. Hence LANs can be very useful for a small to medium sized businesses. For big businesses/organisations, WANs are more useful, as it means the business is not limited to where it can be based. For example a company may have its head quarters in London, but have an office in Cambridge. With the use of a WAN the same benefits as the LAN can be achieved, but in a greater geographical situation. Anot... ...et facilities means the same thing, employees can browse the net rather than doing their work. There are measures to fight against this, but they are not very efficient. As you can see, technology in the past few years has rocketed, and now ICT and IS are extremely fundamental to businesses and organisations, without the use of them everything even down to the simplest of things such as communication will be affected. Bibliography  · Rowe, Christopher and Thompson, Jane, People and Chips, ‘The Human Implications of Information Technology’. McGraw Hill, 3rd Edition 1996  · Bocij Paul, Chaffey Dave, Greasley Andres and Hickie Simon, ‘Business Information Systems – Technology Development and Management for E-Business’. FT Prentice Hall 2002.  · Langford, Duncan, ‘Practical Computer Ethics’. McGraw Hill 1995

The scarlet letter :: essays research papers

Torment Of Misfortune The guilt, hypocrisy, and vengeance revealed in The Scarlet Letter. In an age of sexual repression and conservatism, there is never room for public show of relationships. Emotions and affection are kept hidden from the public eye. With such limitations there is always an urge to break from what is considered proper. From this, lies and deceit are born to cover our mistakes. Hester Prynne stands helpless on a scaffold with her illegitimate daughter Pearl, wearing a blazoned scarlet â€Å"A†, making known she is an adulterer. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale stands silent within the on looking crowd as his lover and daughter are to be persecuted. In the far corner, stands Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband quietly embittered at his wife’s infidelities. A soiled and twisted love triangle connects these three individuals as Hester’s persecution draws near. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses these individuals to exemplify guilt, hypocrisy and vengeance through secrecy and sin in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne pities the life of her daughter Pearl, labeled a child of sin and a product of adultery. Pearl is in essence a real representation of the scarlet letter that she bears. Hester’s own doing lays out the fate of her child. "†¦[Hester's] impassioned state had been the medium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life; and, however white and clear originally, they had taken the deep stains of crimson and gold, the fiery lustre, the black shadow, and the untempered light of the intervening substance. Above all, the warfare of Hester's spirit, at that epoch, was perpetuated in Pearl." Hester has the power to make things right and announce the identity of Pearl’s father Arthur Dimmesdale, however she holds back for fear of ruining her partners reputation and esteem. Hester holds commitment to both Pearl and Dimmesdale, she endures the sting of guilt through her silence. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a supposed â€Å"man of god† takes silence along with Hester. He is guilty of his sins but more so guilty of being a walking hypocrisy in his congregation. To rectify his wrongs, he preaches of god and refraining from sin. However he continues to hide his relationship with Hester and denies his illegitimate daughter the privilege of his name. His commitments to the church are a conflict with his feelings of sinfulness and his need to confess. He yearns to confess but fears the negative outcomes. In his subconscious he wishes to tell all his sins, but results in his strong participation in church.

Ignou solved assignment 2014 Essay

Describe the evolutionary process of organization design and different perspectives of organization design and their relevance. Q. Explain the meaning and purpose of Job design and briefly discuss the impact technology has on Job design. Q. Discuss the purpose of organizational analysis and briefly describe the tools which could be used for organizational analysis and their effectiveness. Q. Identify different kinds of change which take place in organization and strategies which are used for change and their effectiveness. Discuss how resistance to change can be handled before implementing it. Give examples. Q. Discuss the process of institution building and the role of chief executive in institution building with an example. 1. Organization design-A process for improving the probability that an organization will be successful. More specifically, Organization Design is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information and technology of an organization. It is used to match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purpose(s) the organization seeks to achieve. Through the design process, organizations act to improve the probability that the collective efforts of members will be successful. Typically, design is approached as an internal change under the guidance of an external facilitator. Managers and members work together to define the needs of the organization then create systems to meet those needs most effectively. The facilitator assures that a systematic process is followed and encourages creative thinking. Hierarchical Systems Western organizations have been heavily influenced by the command and control structure of ancient military organizations, and by the turn of the century introduction of Scientific Management. Most organizations today are designed as a bureaucracy in which authority and responsibility are arranged in a hierarchy. Within the hierarchy rules, policies, and procedures are uniformly and impersonally applied to exert control over member behaviors. Activity is organized within sub-units (bureaus, or departments) in which people perform specialized functions such as manufacturing, sales, or accounting. People who perform similar tasks are clustered together. The same basic organizational form is assumed to be appropriate for any organization, be it a government, school, business, church, or fraternity. It is familiar, predictable, and rational. It is what comes immediately to mind when we discover that †¦ we really have to get organized! As familiar and rational as the functional hierarchy may be, there are distinct disadvantages to blindly applying the same form of organization to all purposeful groups. To understand the problem, begin by observing that different groups wish to achieve different outcomes. Second, observe that different groups have different members, and that each group possesses a different culture. These differences in desired outcomes, and in people, should alert us to the danger of assuming there is any single best way of organizing. To be complete, however, also observe that different groups will likely choose different methods through which they will achieve their purpose. Service groups will choose different methods than manufacturing groups, and both will choose different methods than groups whose purpose is primarily social. One structure cannot possibly fit all. , the form of organization must be matched to the purpose it seeks to achieve. The Design Process Organization design begins with the creation of a strategy — a set of decision guidelines by which members will choose appropriate actions. The strategy is derived from clear, concise statements of purpose, and vision, and from the organization’s basic philosophy. Strategy unifies the intent of the organization and focuses members toward actions designed to accomplish desired outcomes. The strategy encourages actions that support the purpose and discourages those that do not. Creating a strategy is planning, not organizing. To organize we must connect people with each other in meaningful and purposeful ways. Further, we must connect people with the information and technology necessary for them to be successful. Organization structure defines the formal relationships among people and specifies both their roles and their responsibilities. Administrative systems govern the organization through guidelines, procedures and policies. Information and technology define the process(es) through which members achieve outcomes. Each element must support each of the others and together they must support the organization’s purpose. Exercising Choice Organizations are an invention of man. They are contrived social systems through which groups seek to exert influence or achieve a stated purpose. People choose to organize when they recognize that by acting alone they are limited in their ability to achieve. We sense that by acting in concert we may overcome our individual limitations. When we organize we seek to direct, or pattern, the activities of a group of people toward a common outcome. How this pattern is designed and implemented greatly influences effectiveness. Patterns of activity that are complementary and interdependent are more likely to result in the achievement of intended outcomes. In contrast, activity patterns that are unrelated and independent are more likely to produce unpredictable, and often unintended results. The process of organization design matches people, information, and technology to the purpose, vision, and strategy of the organization. Structure is designed to enhance communication and information flow among people. Systems are designed to encourage individual responsibility and decision making. Technology is used to enhance human capabilities to accomplish meaningful work. The end product is an integrated system of people and resources, tailored to the specific direction of the organization. 2. Job design refers to the way that a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine: †¢ What tasks are done? †¢ How the tasks are done, †¢ how many tasks are done, and †¢ in what order the tasks are done. It takes into account all factors which affect the work, and organizes the content and tasks so that the whole job is less likely to be a risk to the employee. Job design involves administrative areas such as: †¢ job rotation, †¢ job enlargement, †¢ task/machine pacing, †¢ work breaks, and †¢ Working hours. A well designed job will encourage a variety of ‘good’ body positions, have reasonable strength requirements, require a reasonable amount of mental activity, and help foster feelings of achievement and self-esteem. 3. Organizational analysis may be done for different purposes. These include: 1) Enhancing the general understanding of the functioning of Organizations (i. e. educational or research purposes. ) (The direct beneficiary is the researcher or the analyst rather than the Organization). Such a study may aim at enhancing the understanding of human behaviour through a study of it in organisation, or to enhance the understanding of the society as reflected in organisational life. 2) Planning for growth and diversification An analysis or a diagostic study may be necessary for planning growth, diversification, expansion etc. Organisational analysis may reveal the strengths that could be used for growth and diversification, weak spots that need to be removed in the new plans, the precautions to be taken, structural dimensions to be kept in mind etc. Several insights may be provided on structure, people, systems, styles, technology etc. that have implications for growth. 3) Improving Organisational Effectiveness or Planning General Improvements Organisational Analysis may be used also for improving the general efficiency of an organisation. On the basis of a diagnosis made out of the analysis action steps could be initiated in terms of toning up administration, introducing new management systems and processes, reduction of wasteful expenditure, introduction of time savers, change of personnel policies to enhance employee motivation, restructuring of some parts, training, elimination of unwanted structures and teasers, improvements in general health of the organisation etc. 4) Organisational Problem Solving Whenever some subsystems departments, units etc.fall sick or start creating problems a diagnosis may be undertaken with a view to identify the source of the problem and take corrective action. A sick unit, a bottleneck, a communication block, a poor performing department, frequently occurring conflict between two departments, repeated failures of a management system or an organisational process, a frequent violation of an organisational norm, fall in discipline, reduction in output absenteeism, increase in conflicts e tc. can all lead to the need for an organisational diagnosis of a part of the organisatioin or the entire organisation. tools of organisational analysis Observation represents the careful and planned method of recording certain phenomena, objects, events in conjunction with a given situation. Constantinescu, etc. (2008) considers it necessary, within the organisation, to focus on observing the interaction between employees, in order to find answers to questions such as: What is the working pace of the employees – slow, methodical, alert, spontaneous? What rituals do you notice in the enterprise? What are the values disseminated? Do the meetings generally provide revealing information? Who participates in these meetings? Who speaks? Whom do these people speak to? To what extent is sincerity situated in these meetings? How much time is devoted to different topics? The topics which often recur and which are discussed in depth frequently represent indications of the organisational culture values. Observations are used for gathering data on the symbols which are analyzed by the qualitative analysis methods. Observations include mostly behavioural material, but also semantic symbols. Observations of behavioural symbols include monitoring and recording the organizational rituals, such as, for example, the celebration of company day as a ritual of integration. There will also be careful attention focused on the state and architecture of the buildings, decor, billboards, staff dress code, behaviour and habits, working environment, the way in which everyone fulfils their role, employee behaviour in conflict situations. The analysis of these aspects allows knowing the reality, the working environment, both the organisation’s physical components and the emotional, psychological elements, harder to decipher at first glance. The opinion interview technique always involves oral information, having the advantage of flexibility, of the ability to get specific answers to each question. Along with the use of the questionnaire, it is one of the techniques most often used in qualitative research. The interview is, however, a complex technique that requires certain abilities and skills from the researcher, especially social, communication and self-reflection skills. The interview is used in the study of organisational culture to collect qualitative data about the cognitive elements of the culture, such as assumptions, values, norms and attitudes. Interviews may also serve to identify symbols, certain expressions, stories, anecdotes specific to the organisation. â€Å"To successfully use the interview in organisational culture research, it is important to determine the persons that will be interviewed, when, where and how the interview will be conducted, the set of questions that will be used and the method of recording it† (Janicijevic, 2011 , p 85). Interviews help us perceive the consistency between what the interviewees say and the facts recorded from other sources. † These perceptions are generally useful for:  · defining an updated vision of the history, the important events and its impact on the functioning of the organisation;

Apple, Google, and Microsoft Essay

1) Define and compare the business models and areas of strength of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. A) Microsoft’s business model is operating systems which 95%of all computers use worldwide. The strengths for Microsoft are that they are still the leader in PC operating systems and desktop productivity software. But has failed miserably with regards towards smartphone hardware and software, mobile computing, cloud-based software apps; its internet portal B) Apple’s business model mainly focuses on mobile devices; such as iPhones and iPads which account for 52% of apples profits. The strengths for Apple are mobile devices, such as iPhone and tablets. These devices combine and contribute 52% of apples business. They already have a head start on the mobile phone industry where they have over 250,000 applications. Apple controls 27% of the mobile market and the iPhone is the highest grossing cellphone ever. C) Google’s business model focuses the market from the mobile, advertising and operating systems. The strengths for Google are that they dominate in advertising with their search engine. And their Android OS controls 41% of the mobile market share. This mobile market is constantly growing 3 times faster than the iPhone market share. â€Å"They bought Android Inc. to enter the mobile market.† also bought out Motorola Inc. for 12.5 billion. 2) Why is mobile computing so important to these three firms? Evaluate the mobile platform offerings of each firm. Mobile Computing is so important to these firms because of the fundamental paradigm shift. The environment is a $400 billion e-commerce marketplace and the applications used enrich the experience of using a mobile device. 3) What is the significance of applications and app stores, and closed vs.  open app standards to the success or failure of mobile computing? The company who creates the most appealing set of devices and applications will be able to derive a significant competitive advantage over its rivals. Apple makes money on each app sold through its App store which is worth billions of dollars to the company while the apps for the Android system used on non-Apple devices are available from different sources. 4) Which company and business model do you believe will prevail in this epic struggle? Apple has a very loyal customer based while Google and Microsoft is clearly catching up. It very hard to identify who will prevail in this epic struggle since all three companies continue to expand, develop strategies and create new products in mobile computing. But since I am biased Apple user, I would want them to prevail. 5) What difference would it make to a business or to an individual consumer if Apple, Google, or Microsoft dominated the Internet experience? If Apple, Google or Microsoft dominated the Internet experience, consumers would be forced to buy only one product and use only one service. The three companies would create a monopoly and the positive would be they would create a standard. This would affect quality which prices would be very high because they would have no competition. Right now it is too early to tell who would dominate the internet experience but it is very good to have competition than just one market leader the will monopolize the market.

Elements of Literature Essay

Many literature students are expected to be familiar with the basic terms listed below (and discussed in more depth in your text). Keep this study guide with your text. At the beginning of each reading assignment, write the elements of literature pertaining to the particular type of literature at the beginning of the short story or poem. After reading, define them in your text for class discussion, quizzes, and test preparation. To understand literature, it is necessary that you ask yourself certain questions, such as â€Å"what is the theme of this story? † or â€Å"why does the author use this particular type of imagery? † You are not necessarily reading for pleasure–although it is sincerely hoped you will derive pleasure from your assignments–but for the development of critical analysis skills, so observe the author’s style and intent carefully. Short Stories/Novel Theme–The idea or point of a story formulated as a generalization. In American literature, several themes are evident which reflect and define our society. The dominant ones might be innocence/experience, life/death, appearance/reality, free will/fate, madness/sanity, love/hate, society/individual, known/unknown. Themes may have a single, instead of a dual nature as well. The theme of a story may be a mid-life crisis, or imagination, or the duality of humankind (contradictions). Character–Imaginary people created by the writer. Perhaps the most important element of literature. †¢ Protagonist–Major character at the center of the story. †¢ Antagonist–A character or force that opposes the protagonist. †¢ Minor character–0ften provides support and illuminates the protagonist. †¢ Static character–A character who remains the same. †¢ Dynamic character–A character who changes in some important way. †¢ Characterization–The means by which writers reveal character. †¢ Explicit Judgment–Narrator gives facts and interpretive comment. †¢ Implied Judgment–Narrator gives description; reader make the judgment. Look for: Connections, links, and clues between and about characters. Ask yourself what the function and significance of each character is. Make this determination based upon the character’s history, what the reader is told (and not told), and what other characters say about themselves and others. Plot–The arrangement of ideas and/or incidents that make up a story. Causality–One event occurs because of another event. †¢ Foreshadowing–A suggestion of what is going to happen. †¢ Suspense–A sense of worry established by the author. †¢ Conflict–Struggle between opposing forces. †¢ Exposition–Background information regarding the setting, characters, plot. †¢ Complication or Rising Action–Intensification of conflict. †¢ Crisis–Turning point; moment of great tension that fixes the action. †¢ Resolution/Denouement–The way the story turns out. Structure–The design or form of the completed action. Often provides clues to character and action. Can even philosophically mirror the author’s intentions, especially if it is unusual. Look for: Repeated elements in action, gesture, dialogue, description, as well as shifts in direction, focus, time, place, etc. Setting–The place or location of the action, the setting provides the historical and cultural context for characters. It often can symbolize the emotional state of characters. Point of View–Again, the point of view can sometimes indirectly establish the author’s intentions. Point of view pertains to who tells the story and how it is told. †¢ Narrator–The person telling the story. †¢ First-person–Narrator participates in action but sometimes has limited knowledge/vision. †¢ Objective–Narrator is unnamed/unidentified (a detached observer). Does not assume character’s perspective and is not a character in the story. The narrator reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning. †¢ Omniscient–All-knowing narrator (multiple perspectives). The narrator takes us into the character and can evaluate a character for the reader (editorial omniscience). When a narrator allows the reader to make his or her own judgments from the action of the characters themselves, it is called neutral omniscience. †¢ Limited omniscient–All-knowing narrator about one or two characters, but not all. Language and Style–Style is the verbal identity of a writer, oftentimes based on the author’s use of diction (word choice) and syntax (the order of words in a sentence). A writer’s use of language reveals his or her tone, or the attitude toward the subject matter. Irony–A contrast or discrepancy between one thing and another. †¢ Verbal irony–We understand the opposite of what the speaker says. †¢ Irony of Circumstance or Situational Irony–When one event is expected to occur but the opposite happens. A discrepancy between what seems to be and what is. †¢ Dramatic Irony–Discrepancy between what characters know and what readers know. †¢ Ironic Vision–An overall tone of irony that pervades a work, suggesting how the writer views the characters. Poetry Allegory–A form of narrative in which people, places, and events seem to have hidden meanings. Often a retelling of an older story. Connotation–The implied meaning of a word. Denotation–The dictionary definition of a word. Diction–Word choice and usage (for example, formal vs. informal), as determined by considerations of audience and purpose. Figurative Language–The use of words to suggest meanings beyond the literal. There are a number of figures of speech. Some of the more common ones are: †¢ Metaphor–Making a comparison between unlike things without the use of a verbal clue (such as â€Å"like† or â€Å"as†). †¢ Simile–Making a comparison between unlike things, using â€Å"like† or â€Å"as†. †¢ Hyperbole–Exaggeration †¢ Personification–Endowing inanimate objects with human characteristics Imagery–A concrete representation of a sense impression, a feeling, or an idea which appeals to one or more of our senses. Look for a pattern of imagery. †¢ Tactile imagery–sense of touch. †¢ Aural imagery–sense of hearing. †¢ Olfactory imagery–sense of smell. †¢ Visual imagery–sense of sight. †¢ Gustatory imagery–sense of taste. Rhythm and Meter–Rhythm is the pulse or beat in a line of poetry, the regular recurrence of an accent or stress. Meter is the measure or patterned count of a poetry line (a count of the stresses we feel in a poem’s rhythm). The unit of poetic meter in English is called a â€Å"foot,† a unit of measure consisting of stressed and unstressed syllables. Ask yourself how the rhythm and meter affects the tone and meaning. Sound–Do the words rhyme? Is there alliteration (repetition of consonants) or assonance (repetition of vowels)? How does this affect the tone? Structure–The pattern of organization of a poem. For example, a sonnet is a 14-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter. Because the sonnet is strictly constrained, it is considered a closed or fixed form. An open or free form is a poem in which the author uses a looser form, or perhaps one of his or her own invention. It is not necessarily formless. Symbolism–When objects or actions mean more than themselves. Syntax–Sentence structure and word order. Voice: Speaker and Tone–The voice that conveys the poem’s tone; its implied attitude toward its subject. Elements of Literature. Literature is a reflection of the society. A writer appeals to our feelings, emotions through various elements of literature, such as plot, character, theme, etc. Read more to know about the elements of literature. We can summarize literature in the words of Ezra Pound that great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. Every race has its own literature, for example, English literature, American literature, German literature, etc. Various types of literaturesuch as story, novel and drama delight us through the elements of literature. In literature, theme is important to reveal the story. An author depicts the ups and downs of the protagonist with the help of characterization. The story progresses through various plots. There are prologues and epilogues in Shakespearean drama. Facts on Elements of Literature: Elements of literature denote the things that are used to make up a work of literature. There are different types and forms of literature. They are novel, drama, poetry, biography, non-fictional prose, essay, epic and short story. All these types of literature have some elements. To complete a piece of literature, a writer, dramatist or a novelist need to use certain elements like plot, character, theme, etc. However, elements of fiction and elements of drama differ from elements of poetry. These elements are discussed below: Elements of Fiction and Drama : Literary types such as fiction; drama and short story have some elements. These include †¢ Plot †¢ Character †¢ Setting †¢ Theme †¢ Structure †¢ Point of view †¢ Conflict †¢ Diction †¢ Foreshadowing Plot: Plot is the serial arrangement of incidents, ideas or events. In literature, the plot encompasses all the incidents and provides aesthetic pleasure. The story of the novel progresses through various plots and conflicts. Plots of dramas are divided into â€Å"Acts† and â€Å"Scenes†. Drama has five essential parts. These are: †¢ Introduction of the story where the characters and setting are introduced †¢ Rising action †¢ Climax †¢ Falling action †¢ Denouement Playwrights use dialogue to develop their plots. They reveal information about their characters such as their background and personality. Character: Character plays a pivotal role in a drama, novel, short story and all kinds of narratives. In drama, character reflects the personality of the protagonist and other related characters. The method of conveying information about characters in art is called characterization. Characters can be fictional or based on real, historical entities. It can be human, supernatural, mythical, divine, animal or personifications of an abstraction. There are round characters, flat characters, stereotypical stock characters, etc. In Marlowe’s drama â€Å"The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus†, Faustus is the main character of the play. Setting: It refers to geographical location of the story, time period, daily lifestyle of the characters and climate of the story. In a novel, the setting plays an important role. In short stories, sometimes it plays an important role, while for others it is not. Settings of literary forms have been changing according to theme of the literary piece, for example, Shakespeare’s tragedies and comedies have the setting of palaces, castles whereas modern and post-modern dramas have setting of houses of common people. There were supernatural elements in earlier literature and nowadays absurdity rules the literature. Setting can take place in a house, school, castle, forest, hospital or anywhere that the writers want to extend their scenes. Theme: Theme is another prime element of literature, which contains the central idea of all literary forms such as a novel, drama and short story. It reflects innocence, experience, life, death, reality, fate, madness, sanity, love, society, individual, etc. Thus, it reflects the society as a whole, for example, the theme of Hardy’s novel â€Å"The Mayor of Casterbridge† reflects the role of fate in our life. Likewise, in a drama, theme represents the brief idea of the drama. Structure: Structure is another important element of a drama, novel or short story. In dramas, there are plots and subplots. These also are divided into acts and scenes. Here the contrasting subplots give the main plot an additional perspective. Likewise, novels have different chapters and scenes. Point of view: Point of view is another element of the narrative, through which a writer tells the story. Authors use first-person point of view or third-person point of view. First-person point of view indicates that the main character is telling the story, whereas the third-person point of view directs that the narrator is telling the story. A novel can be written in the first-person narrative, third-person narrative, omniscient point of view, limited omniscient point of view, stream of consciousness and objective point of view. These points of view play an important role in the distinct structure of the story or a play. Conflict: Be it a short story, drama or novel, conflict is the essential element of all these literary forms. A plot becomes interesting and intriguing when it has its share of inbuilt conflict and twists. Conflict can be internal conflict or external. It can take place between two men, between the character and his psychology, between the character and circumstances or between character and society. Use of language or diction: Diction is another essential element of drama. A playwright exhibits the thoughts of characters through dialogue. â€Å"Dialogue† has come from the Greek word â€Å"dialogosa† which means â€Å"conversation†. Shakespeare used this to portray the thoughts, emotions and feelings of the character. This also provides clues to their background and personalities. Diction also helps in advancing the plot. Greek philosophers like Aristotle used dialogue as the best way to instruct their students. Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is another important element of literature that is applied as hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story. It creates suspense and encourages the reader to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing is used to make a narrative more authentic. Elements of Poetry : Poetry is literature in a metrical form. However, free-verse became the popular style towards the modern and post modern age. Like fiction, it may not have plots, setting, etc, yet it has a structured method of writing. There are various kinds of poetry such as ballad, sonnet, etc. All these forms have some elements such as style, theme, rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, etc. that are described below: Style: Style refers to the way the poem is written. Poems are written in various styles, such as free verse, ballad, sonnet, etc. , which have different meters and number of stanzas. Symbol: Symbol represents the idea and thought of the poem. It can be an object, person, situation or action. For example, a national flag is the symbol of that nation. Theme: Like other forms of literature, poetry has a theme of its own. Theme contains the message, point of view and idea of the poem. Imagery: Imagery is another important element that a poet often uses in poems that appeal to our senses. In the age of modernism, T. S. Eliot used images of urban life in his poems. Wordsworth used nature as poetic images in his poems. Rhyme and rhythm: Rhyme is an element that is often used in poetry. It’s a recurrence of an accented sound or sounds in a piece of literature. Poets and lyricists use this device in various ways to rhyme within a verse. There is internal rhyme, cross rhyme, random rhyme and mixed rhyme. It gives the poem flow and rhythm. It contains the syllables in a poem. Every poem has a rhythm in it. It’s about how the words resonate with each other, how the words flow when they are linked with one another in a poem. Meter: This is an important rhythmic structure of poetry. It is described as sequence of feet, each foot being a specific series of syllable types – such as stressed/unstressed and makes the poetry more melodious. Alliteration: Alliteration is another element used in poetry for the sound effect. It indicates two or more words with same repetition of initial letter, for example, â€Å"dressy daffodils†. Here the sound of the letter ‘d’ is repeated. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech used for comparison in the poetry with the words ‘like’ or ‘as’, for example, â€Å"as black as coal†. Metaphor: Metaphor is used in poetry to make an implicit comparison. Unlike simile, here the comparison is implied, for example, ‘Her laughter, a babbling brook’. Onomatopoeia: This is one important element of poetry, which refers to words that sound like their meaning, for example, buzz, moo and paw. Element of literature includes all the elements that are essential to create a piece of literature. These elements help a writer to create splendid poetry, superb drama and soul-touching novel. These elements are used to form the structure of a literary piece. | |

Private Equity Deals Essay

Private equity can be described as investing in a company through a negotiated process. Investment entails transformational, value-added and active management strategy. Private Equity investments can be undertaken following three categories. These are venture capital, Buy-out and special situation investment. Venture capital can be described as an investment to create a new company or expand a smaller company that is presently undeveloped. Buy-out investment involves acquisition of a significant portion of investment in a mature company so as to gain control or ownership of the company. Special situation investment involves changing government regulations or industry trends on investment due to availability of opportunity (Robinson and Cottrell, 2007). This paper will broadly analyze buy out investment in detail, discussing its history, growth, merits and failures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Private equity firms accrue interest on investment through any of the three ways. These include an IPO, sale or merger and recapitalisation. Private equity firms sell unlisted securities directly to investors through private offering or private equity fund which attracts different sources of contributions from small investors who prefer to invest directly to investors due to the risks associated with private equity funds. Private equity fund require a large amount of money to allow entry which cannot be afforded by most private equity firms. Moreover Private equity firms prefer to invest in firms or investors where the firm can accrue returns after a short duration unlike private equity funds which can take up to twelve years to accrue interests. Private equity firms evaluate availability of opportunity to avoid investing in a failing company which, led to heavy capital losses by the firm. The risk has been noted to be higher in venture capital funds (Lasen, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Private equity industry was begun in 1946 by the American Research and Development Corporation (ARD) to encourage private institutions provides funding to soldiers who returned from World War II. ARD aimed to provide skills and funding to the management and this would stimulate success of the companies accrue profits. The success of the industry led to permeation of few wealthy families into the industry in 1970s. The industry focussed more on debt financed leveraged buy-outs (LBOs)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Leveraged buy-out (LBO) occurs when a financial sponsor gains control of a majority of a target company’s stock ownership through the use of borrowed money or debt (Lasen, 2006). A Leveraged buy-out is a widely used strategy where a company acquires another company through significant amount of borrowed money. In most cases, the assets of the acquiring company and the company being acquired are used as security for the loans. Leveraged buyouts allow companies to make acquisitions without committing a lot of capital. In an LBO 70% debt to 30% equity ration is allowed though the debt can amount 90% top 95% of target Company total capitalisation. Private equity firm prefer to sue leveraged buyouts for two reasons. Use of debt that is widely used in US increased financial return to the private equity sponsor. Debts are exempted from taxation and hence the returns from debt are greater that from cash (Lasen, 2006; Robinson and Cottrell, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many countries for example Germany have introduced new tax laws with an aim of discouraging leveraged buyouts through reduction of tax shield effectiveness. The performance of private equity firms that used LBO as their main source of financing went into bankruptcy in 1980s and 1980s.   The insolvency was largely contributed by excessive debt financing amounting up to 97%. This led to higher interest payment that exceeded the company’s operating cash flow. Most companies were taken over by other companies and government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the recent past private equity industry has experienced a boom as noted in Great Britain as well as USA. Most pension scheme companies have invested in private equity firms and in particular LBOs. The size of private equity pool increased by 37% in 1994 in Great Britain. There is great disparity between foreign private equity pool and United States which present possibility of future growth. The rapid growth in the private equity industry has led to poor returns on capital invested. The returns from public equity deals are higher and this challenges the stability of private equity industry in using LBOs as way of financing (Clark and Whiteside, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PED projects were initially known to have positive impact in paediatrics industry. The PED projects however are on the decline. This can be attributed to poor management and appointment of nationals who have worked in public service to oversee them yet they have little experience or knowledge that is needed. The PED has encountered pressure from fear of disappointing former and future employees and this has in most cases resulted in failure or problem in implementation of the projects (Saylor, Swenson, Reynolds and Taylor, 1999). References Clark, G. L., Whiteside, N. (2003) Pension Security in the 21st Century: Redrawing the Public-Private Debate. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Robinson, M. J., Cottrell, T. J â€Å"Investment Patterns of Informal Investors in the Alberta Private Equity Market† Journal of Small Business Management, 45, (2007):11-89. Larsen, D. L. â€Å"Challenges to the Private Equity Industry† Journal of Accountancy, 202, (2006):112-156. Saylor, C. F., Swenson, C., Reynolds, S., and Taylor, M â€Å"The Paediatric Emotional Distress Scale: a Brief Screening Measure for Young Children Exposed to Traumatic Events.† Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. 28.1. (1999): 34-70.

Across the Nightingale Floor

Written by the pseudonymous Australian author, Lian Hearn embraces a contemporary writing style, and her novel shows little resemblance to that of Australian literature. Based on high recommendations from my peers and seeing that the novel was intended for teens of both genders, I was compelled to explore this novel. Although a well written quest, I believe that it is an inappropriate book for high school study due to its incomplex storyline and weak moral sense. In the mythic novel, Takeo, a young boy living in the Three Countries, is on a quest to kill Iida, the callous leader of the Tohan clan, after Iida burnt Takeo’s village and killed his family. Takeo is taken in by Lord Shigeru and begins training as a warrior. Having being brought up by the Hidden, a peaceful clan who are against war, Takeo demonstrates reluctance to kill. This creates problems in his training and his teacher is determined to help him overcome this. Across the Nightingale Floor takes on a traditional and contemporary trend, incorporating ideas such as teenage love and arranged marriages. Gender discourses are embedded within the novel and are shown through the domination of males over females. Being a female, Kaede is without freedom and is forced into an arranged marriage with no objection. Lord Iida on the other hand, being a domineering male, overpowers Kaede. The majority of the novel consists of a war discourse which is apparent through the feud between Lord Shigeru and Iida. Family discourses are also seen at the very beginning of the novel with Takeo’s family. Contrasting themes are cleverly entwined, as the novel revolves around strong themes such as love, beauty, honour, vengeance and death. Love is portrayed through many parts of the novel; Takeo and Kaede, Lord Shigeru and Lady Maruyama and all the friendships and alliances that Takeo and Kaede make throughout the novel. Beauty is shown through Kaede’s striking appearance which men die for. Honour is seen in Kaede’s obligation to marry, as well as Takeo’s pledge to avenge Iida. Vengeance and death are portrayed in both Iida and Lord Shigeru’s death, and is also present throughout the entire novel as Takeo seeks to kill Iida. In terms of moral perspectives, Across the Nightingale Floor does not depict conceptions of peace as it holds many unethical ideas. Although mentioned early in the novel, Takeo’s religious upbringing is overlooked as his trainings as a warrior requires him to kill. Iida’s vindictive character is emphasized through his intentions of strengthening his power base by destroying defenceless villages. Innocent village inhabitants are brutally punished by Iida through methods such as suspending them in midair to be further eaten alive by crows. Such immoral concepts would not be suitable for school students to absorb. While the novel contains figurative language, it is also accompanied by plain prose which dissatisfies the story, and the reader’s opportunity to broaden their vocabulary is miniscule. Through the course of the novel, the reader follows three perspectives: The protagonist, Takeo, Kaede, and the narrator. Much confusion is brought about as the story switches from first person to third person, and a considerable level of concentration is required. The reader is needed to position themself in three perceptions, as well as being able to sympathize for both Takeo and Kaede. The novel’s intermittent pace also further complicates things as the author fails to describe the situations in detail. An example of this is the death of Takeo’s family. Although Takeo’s grievance for his dead family is obvious, it is difficult for the reader to sympathize for him due to their lack of understanding of his family bonds, caused by a deficiency in information. It can be easily assumed that the imagery contained in Across the Nightingale Floor is based on feudal Japan. A tell-tale sign of quests, the maps at the very beginning of the book lead to this preconception. Although this is the case, very little references are made to the surroundings within the novel, consequently decreasing the reader’s ability to visualize the exotic Japanese backdrop. Most of the characters’ thoughts are incoherent within the novel. Takeo’s thoughts on his new-found supernatural powers are unheard of, as well as what he thinks of having to use weapons, something which disagrees with his anti-war nature. As the antagonists of the novel, Iida and his men are undeveloped characters and do not seem to make much progress throughout the novel. They are not given a chance to portray their strengths, nor are they seen to fall. Because Takeo’s role as a warrior conflicts his reluctance to kill, his personality is divided thoroughout the whole novel. Takeo takes the centre of the many conflicts between the other characters, and this mainly influences and emphasizes his divided nature. As a result, Takeo’s issues remain at the end of the novel and he is unable to resolve them. It is evident that Australian literature is gradually dominated by simple texts and to my disappointment, Across the Nightingale Floor further highlights this issue. While its intended audience is young adults, I would recommend this novel for primary school students, due to its simple-crafted language and easy to grasp concepts. Although it may not be suitable for teens, as a children’s novel, Across the Nightingale Floor is an enjoyable read. Across the Nightingale Floor Written by the pseudonymous Australian author, Lian Hearn embraces a contemporary writing style, and her novel shows little resemblance to that of Australian literature. Based on high recommendations from my peers and seeing that the novel was intended for teens of both genders, I was compelled to explore this novel. Although a well written quest, I believe that it is an inappropriate book for high school study due to its incomplex storyline and weak moral sense. In the mythic novel, Takeo, a young boy living in the Three Countries, is on a quest to kill Iida, the callous leader of the Tohan clan, after Iida burnt Takeo’s village and killed his family. Takeo is taken in by Lord Shigeru and begins training as a warrior. Having being brought up by the Hidden, a peaceful clan who are against war, Takeo demonstrates reluctance to kill. This creates problems in his training and his teacher is determined to help him overcome this. Across the Nightingale Floor takes on a traditional and contemporary trend, incorporating ideas such as teenage love and arranged marriages. Gender discourses are embedded within the novel and are shown through the domination of males over females. Being a female, Kaede is without freedom and is forced into an arranged marriage with no objection. Lord Iida on the other hand, being a domineering male, overpowers Kaede. The majority of the novel consists of a war discourse which is apparent through the feud between Lord Shigeru and Iida. Family discourses are also seen at the very beginning of the novel with Takeo’s family. Contrasting themes are cleverly entwined, as the novel revolves around strong themes such as love, beauty, honour, vengeance and death. Love is portrayed through many parts of the novel; Takeo and Kaede, Lord Shigeru and Lady Maruyama and all the friendships and alliances that Takeo and Kaede make throughout the novel. Beauty is shown through Kaede’s striking appearance which men die for. Honour is seen in Kaede’s obligation to marry, as well as Takeo’s pledge to avenge Iida. Vengeance and death are portrayed in both Iida and Lord Shigeru’s death, and is also present throughout the entire novel as Takeo seeks to kill Iida. In terms of moral perspectives, Across the Nightingale Floor does not depict conceptions of peace as it holds many unethical ideas. Although mentioned early in the novel, Takeo’s religious upbringing is overlooked as his trainings as a warrior requires him to kill. Iida’s vindictive character is emphasized through his intentions of strengthening his power base by destroying defenceless villages. Innocent village inhabitants are brutally punished by Iida through methods such as suspending them in midair to be further eaten alive by crows. Such immoral concepts would not be suitable for school students to absorb. While the novel contains figurative language, it is also accompanied by plain prose which dissatisfies the story, and the reader’s opportunity to broaden their vocabulary is miniscule. Through the course of the novel, the reader follows three perspectives: The protagonist, Takeo, Kaede, and the narrator. Much confusion is brought about as the story switches from first person to third person, and a considerable level of concentration is required. The reader is needed to position themself in three perceptions, as well as being able to sympathize for both Takeo and Kaede. The novel’s intermittent pace also further complicates things as the author fails to describe the situations in detail. An example of this is the death of Takeo’s family. Although Takeo’s grievance for his dead family is obvious, it is difficult for the reader to sympathize for him due to their lack of understanding of his family bonds, caused by a deficiency in information. It can be easily assumed that the imagery contained in Across the Nightingale Floor is based on feudal Japan. A tell-tale sign of quests, the maps at the very beginning of the book lead to this preconception. Although this is the case, very little references are made to the surroundings within the novel, consequently decreasing the reader’s ability to visualize the exotic Japanese backdrop. Most of the characters’ thoughts are incoherent within the novel. Takeo’s thoughts on his new-found supernatural powers are unheard of, as well as what he thinks of having to use weapons, something which disagrees with his anti-war nature. As the antagonists of the novel, Iida and his men are undeveloped characters and do not seem to make much progress throughout the novel. They are not given a chance to portray their strengths, nor are they seen to fall. Because Takeo’s role as a warrior conflicts his reluctance to kill, his personality is divided thoroughout the whole novel. Takeo takes the centre of the many conflicts between the other characters, and this mainly influences and emphasizes his divided nature. As a result, Takeo’s issues remain at the end of the novel and he is unable to resolve them. It is evident that Australian literature is gradually dominated by simple texts and to my disappointment, Across the Nightingale Floor further highlights this issue. While its intended audience is young adults, I would recommend this novel for primary school students, due to its simple-crafted language and easy to grasp concepts. Although it may not be suitable for teens, as a children’s novel, Across the Nightingale Floor is an enjoyable read.