Analysis Of Controlling Katherine The Cruelty, Abuse,...

Controlling Katherine: The Cruelty, Abuse, and Manipulation of Petruchio’s Language Part of why Shakespeare’s plays have enjoyed popularity and critical acclaim through the years is their status as â€Å"a handy repository of exempla, cautionary tales, and wonderfully vivid scenes and characters† (Hume 64). One of Shakespeare’s plays that both can serve as cautionary tale and contains vibrant scenes and characters is The Taming of the Shrew, particularly evident in the tempestuous duo of Katherine and Petruchio. While audiences tend to see the play through the lens of romantic comedy, there is another side to Petruchio that necessitates close reading. Analysis of Petruchio’s unscrupulous, harsh, and offensive language and staged productions†¦show more content†¦He calls her the â€Å"prettiest Kate in Christendom,† indicating she can be â€Å"pretty† only if she is as he identifies her to be, Kate, not Katherine. He calls her â€Å"Kate of Kate-Hall†: she is so notorious in her cursedness that her home g ains its reputation not from her father, its owner, but from her. She is â€Å"his super-dainty Kate, / For dainties are all Kates†; he uses diminutive words to relabel her as delicate and all delicate things as like her. The insult in his language is further visually apparent to audiences in performances. In his role as Petruchio in the Globe Theatre stage performance of The Taming of the Shrew, Day uses body language to intensify the cruelty of his language. He and Katherine circle each other as if they are about to fight, he wide-eyed and gesturing with his hands to emphasize his meaning. He even dances a few ridiculous looking steps when he calls her â€Å"super-dainty,† demonstrating that he does not mean the diminutive words to be complimentary; rather, he intends mockery. Perhaps merely renaming Katherine in this way does not seem cruel, manipulative, or abusive, but by denying her the choice of her own identity and ascribing to her the characteristics he wishes her to have (in addition to Day’s caricaturizing these qualities in performance), he prevents her from being who she wants to be and forces her to be who he wants her to be. Not only does Petruchio deny Katherine the basic right to call herself what she wants to rather

Essay on Leukemia Cancer of the Blood - 1639 Words

The river of life, the blood is the body’s primary means of transportation. Blood is a part of the hematopoietic system, which also includes lymphatic tissue, bone marrow, and the spleen. Blood is a complex transport medium that performs vital pick-up and delivery services for the body by picking up food and oxygen from the digestive and respiratory systems, and delivering those vital elements to different cells of the body. In exchange of the blood and oxygen, blood then picks up wastes from the cells for delivery to the urinary organs. These functions could not be provided for the individual cells without the blood. Like any other structure of the body, blood can be attacked by many types of disease, such as Leukemia. Leukemia is a†¦show more content†¦One cubic milliliter of normal blood contains 5,000 to 9,000 white blood cells. The number of white blood cells changes in abnormal conditions. Leukemia is a blood cancer characterized by the formation of abnormally high numbers of white blood cells. It may also transform the normal blood cells into abnormal white blood cells, and the uncontrolled growth in the number of white blood cells overwhelms and replaces normal bone marrow and blood cells. When Leukemia attacks the blood cells, the lymph nodes, the spleen, and the bone marrow are extremely weakened. Scientists do not know what causes Leukemia, but it is suspected that genetic abnormalities contribute, as do environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, and/or exposure to environmental toxins or viruses (Parks 9). Most cases of leukemia are marked by leukocytosis; abnormally high white blood cell numbers in the blood. Leukocyte counts of 100,000/mm cubed in circulating blood are common. Leukemia is either described as acute or chronic, based on how quickly the symptoms appear after the disease begins. Leukemia can also be classified as lymphatic or myeloid, depending on the cell type involved. Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), are the most common types of leukemia. Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia affects people who are 65 years or older, and rarely affects people who are under 30.Show MoreRelatedFacts, Types, and Effects of Leukemia Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesCancer is defined as the unregulated growth of abnormal, mutated cells in the body. Yet perhaps the more routine understanding of the disease is its seriousness regarding an individual’s health. Cancer comes in numerous differing forms that collectively hold cancer as the second leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. An array of cancers can affect any organ system in any person no matter the gender, age, or race. 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I believe that people do not understand exactly what leukemia is and how dangerous it can be, I chose this topic to try to help them understand. In this paper I will explain what leukemia is and what treatments you can choose from to treat the cancer. Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that have two or more important things in common. One is that certain cells in the body become abnormal. Another is that theRead MoreLeukemia: The Disease and The Treatment Essay1038 Words   |  5 PagesLeukemia Leukeumia is a type of cancer affecting the bone marrow. Bone marrow is where platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells (Leukocytes) are made. (Medical Journal Dictionary)Leukemia is caused by the rapid production (Proliferation) of Leukocytes, and causes a build-up that inhibits red blood cells, and platelets from functioning and stops other Leukocytes from fighting infection. Because of the abnormally rapid production these cells are unable to mature or develop properly and areRead MoreTaking a Look at Leukemia800 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to the Leukemia Society Lymphoma Society, leukemia â€Å"is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, the spongy center of bones where our blood cells are formed. The disease develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control.† Leukemia typically begins in the white blood cells which serve as potent infection fighters (Leukemia). However, when people have leukemia, this part of the i mmune system doesn’t work properly. The white blood cells are consideredRead MoreLeukemia Essay1226 Words   |  5 PagesLeukemia is cancerous disease that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the blood-stream (National Cancer Institute, 2008, para. 1). 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Starbucks Csr Marketing Campaigns free essay sample

I have chosen this subject because over the past year this philosophy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) keeps coming up for debate in many of my graduate classes as well as within my work industry. I am actually surprised at how much attention it is getting. In my humble opinion the fact about these initiatives shouldn’t cause contention and debate but rather we should rejoice in the fact that it is growing from just societal realms into the corporate realms as a positive benefit for everyone. This is where consumers can genuinely experience and engage with a business. What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? It is a companies’ acknowledged responsibility to society for positive advancement with improving lives and empowering people. This concept has been around for many years in many industries, and just in the last decade have experts started labeling it CSR. The NBA cares, the March of Dimes, the Special Olympics, and When You Wish upon a Star organization’s have been around for a long time. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Csr Marketing Campaigns or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Here are some points to think about. The questions causing debate are: * Should companies have an obligation to CSR? * Is it really ethical marketing for them to promote their brand through this CSR work? * With businesses involved in social initiatives, could the decision-making process be affected by pressures put on non-profit organizations to support certain decisions? A model example who incorporates CSR amp; has brilliant marketing strategies in their business model is Starbucks Coffee Co. They have a marketing plan, and brand identity that has always been very integrated into their CSR and community involvement activities. In fact, they change their causes monthly sometimes, and tie this cause to product promotions, for free coffee, or other product development. They are successfully sending a message that not only are they the premium coffee shop on every corner of the world, but they genuinely care about our communities and bettering society. They have embraced what are reading describes as the â€Å"4 E’s of Business: experience, everyplace, exchange, and evangelism. † Here are some examples of marketing amp; CSR launches done by Starbucks: 1. June 2010 CNN story – Starbucks social media campaign – to engage customers! ttp://www. youtube. com/watch? v=K9nJa_8LnSI 2. Feb. 2012 Valentine’s Day campaign – Starbucks Cup Magic app that allows you to truly experience and interact with starbucks and the one’s you love by sending virtual valentine http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=8nvqOzjq10w 3. Starbucks â€Å"Being a Responsible

Qrb 501 Week 2 Essay Example

Qrb 501 Week 2 Essay Running Head: INVENTORY SYSTEMS Inventory Systems Summary University of Phoenix QRB/501 Quantitative Reasoning for Business Instructor Joe Krupka September 21, 2010 Inventory Systems Summary In today’s economic recession, business owners are constantly looking for opportunities that would enable them to remain competitive through lowering their overhead cost. Kehrer (2010,  ¶ 1) explained, â€Å"Bloated overhead is one of the major threats to small business competitiveness†. For this reason, it can be determined that business analysts are evaluating the different types of inventory management systems that could be applied to help reduce the cost of overhead and increase product turnaround. â€Å"Dell has achieved a system that at times leaves them with average inventories for long enough to last only three days. Instead of incurring holding costs, Dell doesn’t order until the demand is in place† (Atkinson, 2005,  ¶6). Dell refers to this system as the Just-In-Time inventory system. The Vendor Managed Inventory system, a concept pioneered by Wal-Mart, is another inventory system that is paving the way for the future with its ability to communicate the demand of the customers directly to the supplier (Wal-Mart’s Focus on EDI, 2010). The summary will briefly describe the Just-In-Time and Vendor Managed Inventory Systems. Following the brief description, will be a comparison that indentifies both the advantages and disadvantages of each inventory system. Inventory Systems Description We will write a custom essay sample on Qrb 501 Week 2 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Qrb 501 Week 2 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Qrb 501 Week 2 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Just-In-Time Inventory Management System Dell Computer is a large personal computer (PC) provider. The company adopted the just-in-time inventory system to manage their profitability status and to gain momentum in the computer industry. In the former years Dell struggled with their finances in the computer technology industry because of miss-managed capital. The company maintained a large amount of inventory regardless to customer demands and forecasts. The large amount of inventory Dell retained created a significant decline in finances. In 1994, Dell introduced a new business plan that entailed a build-to-order process that included a direct sales process to the customers. Using the build by order process Dell sought out methods to eliminate excess large inventory. In the build to order process Dell would only produce the inventory when requested by the customer. The build to order process would afford Dell the opportunity not incur financial losses from overstocked inventory practices. The process would additionally allow Dell to allocate the financial resources to other critical areas. Over the course of a four-year span the revenue for Dell grew from $2 billion to $16 billion at more than a 50% annual growth rate (Greenberg, 2002). Dell’s stock earnings per share increased 62% in1998 and Dells return on invested capital catapulted to 217% (Greenberg, 2002). Dell’s profitability is credited to the management and coordinating of the organization’s activities including the thorough management of the inventory system. In the new process for Dell the inventory system maintenance did not require large expenditures of advanced capital as the former inventory system required. The process involved targeting long-term corporate/individual customers and predicting the needs of the customers and their budget cycles. Dell developed a customized intranet Website with predetermined specifications and budgets for corporate customers (Greenberg, 2002). To retain high computer demands for individual customers Dell concentrated on using the latest technology products to entice repeat customers with regular upgrades and purchases that require little technical support. The system also requires the clients to pay up front by credit card. The demand management process enables Dell to match incoming demands to predetermined supplies and the pricing system reflected in real-time demand management. The just-in –time inventory system allows the sales executives, marketing executives, and supply chain associates to ascertain accurate demand trends and to anticipate any supply issues concerning computer equipment surpluses or shortages that could likely to occur (Johnson, 2001). In summary, in the just in time manufacturing system inventories are decreased significantly with real time pricing and in some cases the inventory is zero. Vendor Managed Inventory System Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and Costco are a couple of today’s big businesses that have decided to center their focus on implementing the Vendor Managed Inventory system for their respective organizations. When utilizing the VMI system, the distributor is able to communicate directly to the supplier, via internet or web-based server, and retrieve real-time data of what items are and are not selling (Definition of Vendor Managed Inventory, 2010, p. 1). Being able to identify and communicate this valuable and accurate information, on which products are currently in high demand, is essential to the success of both organizations. Understanding the consumer demand is important because it allows the organization to properly plan for the needed supply of products in direct relation toward the demand of the consumers during similar periods of time. Hunter, King, and Lowson (1999) stated the following: Under a traditional relationship with the vendor, the delivery of goods to the store is determined ahead of the selling season; no in-season adjustments are made. A VMI relationship models the case where the retailer desires rapid shipment of PoS based reorders. Therefore, the vendor tries to accommodate the retailer by carrying inventory based upon the pre-season plan and hoping there is a match between reorders and stock, i. e. little forecast error. (p. 185) The VMI system has proven to be a valuable and vital instrument by helping identify consumer demand statistics that would in return contribute to a more precise and efficient supply plan, while lowing overhead. The key to the success of this inventory management system is the joint responsibility relationship absorbed between the vendors and the distributors in conjunction with their ability to develop a collaborative forecast. Advantages of Inventory Systems Advantages of the Just-In-Time Inventory Management System 1. Major capital is no longer held up in inventory and the funds can be allocated to other resources. 2. Storage space can be used for other resources rather than inventory. 3. Products are sent to customers in a timely fashion and response times from customers are faster. 4. With direct sales the customers select what they want from the latest technology therefore defect rates are reduced, and customer satisfaction is increased. Advantages of the Vendor Managed Inventory System . Planning and resupply cost will be reduced because the vendor has absorbed majority of the responsibility in this system. 2. Overall sales will increase due to the distributor having the right products during the right season. 3. The vendor will ensure that the distributor’s products are shipped within a timely manner due to the true partnership developed and the understanding of â€Å"I don’t succeed, if they don’t succeed†. 4. The real-time point of sale information assists the vendor and the distributor in figuring out an accurate forecast for each season. 5. In this system, the vendor has the ability to see the distributor’s current stock levels. This will enhance the ability to identify which products are of higher priority. 6. Purchase orders are derived from seasonal forecasts. This will ultimately cut overhead cost and increase inventory turnaround. 7. Human errors are dramatically reduced to the ability to transfer information from computers to web-servers. This will increase the speed and productivity of processing data. (Benefits of Vendor Managed Inventory, 2010, p. 1) Disadvantages of Inventory Systems Disadvantages of the Just-In-Time Inventory Management System 1. If a company wants to initially covert to the just in time (JIT) inventory system the process could cause a major reorganization of their business systems because of the complexity of the conversion. 2. The conversion is expensive to introduce. 3. JIT manufacturing exposes companies to associated risks with the supply chain users. Additionally with no back-up inventory stock to rely on, any disruptions from just one supplier could force production to halt with short notice. Disadvantages of the Vendor Managed Inventory System 1. Detailed testing and evaluations have to be conducted to guarantee the accuracy of data being sent from the distributors’ systems to the vendors’ systems. 2. If the vendor or distributor one is partnering with financially goes under, they are also affected and could potentially go under as well. 3. In this inventory management system, the distributor has to immediately identify any changes in the consumer base, big event, or promotions. If this is not done properly then it may alter ordering patterns hich would affect sales. 4. If an ordering error or overstocking occurs there has to be an agreement between the vendor and distributor of who would absorb the majority of the responsibility of the stock in each scenario. (Potential Pitfalls of Vendor Managed Inventory, 2010, p. 1) Conclusion Managing a successful inventory and planning system can be a highly complex but is necessary task to run a successful business. Inventory management is instrumentality linked toward achieving business goals by allowing the financial resources to be allocated properly. It is critical that businesses incorporate strategies for a good inventory tracking system to maintain information about the firm’s activities and to ensure accuracy in delivery of the products to customers. This is one of the main reasons retail organizations have put an emphasis on seasonal forecasting to aid the different types of inventory management systems. Possessing the knowledge of an estimate of how many units of an item should be in stock for a particular season could mean the difference in turning around on-hand inventory four times instead of only three. In properly maintaining inventory management systems, organizations are able to reduce existing overhead cost, know the product in demand from consumer along with current levels of on-hand inventory, and see a quick turnaround of their investments. The key to figuring out if the current inventory management system that has been implemented is the best for that organization would be to conduct internal and external audits to evaluate the accuracy of the current inventory data and cross-reference that information through a physical on-hand count of goods. Once the information has been gathered communicate with an external consultant to see even if it would be cost effective to implement a new inventory management system.

The Millers Tale Essays

The Millers Tale Essays The Millers Tale Essay The Millers Tale Essay Firstly we the audience have to understand that Chaucer is both the writer of the tale but also a member of the pilgrimage who is relaying the stories told to him on the journey. Pilgrimage was popular at the time, a long journey taken to a Holy place in order to cleanse you from sins. I think The first Step is Admitting your an Alcoholic says: Chaucer may have written them partly to amuse us but also as a way of displaying his critical views of the church at the time. The Miller, a bawdy man, tells the Millers Tale and is apparently drunk at the time. He is told thou art a fool not possibly able to tell a tale in such a state but he does. The tale is about a carpenter who is made a cokewold of fool of by his wife which annoys a fellow pilgrim the Reeve as he was once a carpenter and believes the tale to be poking fun at him. However the Miller tells his audience not to take offence or judge what he says for he means no harm by it. It is meant to be a joke and if he misspeke or seye anything bad, they should blame it on the Southwerk ale. This could be a clear indication to us that Chaucer intends himself for this tale to be a joke and wishes to amuse us. The reason it could be considered a moral tale is because some of its characters pay for their actions later in the play. The main characters are John the carpenter, his wife Alison and Nicholas an oxford scholar who is staying in Johns home. John is quite an old man and has been criticised for marrying a young beautiful woman who he t There is no real moral dilemma in this itself because it is considered socially acceptable for a man to marry a younger woman but it does cause problems later. Perhaps Johns punishment for being jealous is his wife committing adultery although I am not sure about this, as John does not finds this out. His jealousy added to the excitement and danger of Alison and Nicholas trying to fool him. Nicholas is also known as hende Nicholas. The word hende has a double meaning here. It means that he is courteous and debonair and also skilful as we see when he delivers an elaborate story to fool John into following his commands. It is also intends to suggest he is handy or good with his hands. This adds to the comical value of the play for the audience when he used his hands to grab at Alison. This is where we can again look at whether the millers tale is a moral one. Another man interested in Alison is Absalon. He comes to her window one night when she and Nicholas are in bed together, trying to court her. He a more chivalrous approach in love calling her faire brid, my sweet cinamone then bends to his knees to beg for a kiss. Cruelly Alison sticks her bottom out of the window and Absalon with his mouth he kiste her naked ers. This act of cruelty from Alison does not get punished during the play and is a clear argument against it being a moral tale. However another way it can be seen as is Absalons scourge for chasing a married woman.

Tips for Declaring Variables in Java

Tips for Declaring Variables in Java A variable is a container that holds values that are used in a Java program. To be able to use a variable it needs to be declared. Declaring variables is normally the first thing that happens in any program. How to Declare a Variable Java is a strongly typed programming language. This means that every variable must have a data type associated with it. For example, a variable could be declared to use one of the eight primitive data types: byte, short, int, long, float, double, char or boolean. A good analogy for a variable is to think of a bucket. We can fill it to a certain level, we can replace whats inside it, and sometimes we can add or take something away from it. When we declare a variable to use a data type its like putting a label on the bucket that says what it can be filled with. Lets say the label for the bucket is Sand. Once the label is attached, we can only ever add or remove sand from the bucket. Anytime we try and put anything else into it, we will get stopped by the bucket police. In Java, you can think of the compiler as the bucket police. It ensures that programmers declare and use variables properly. To declare a variable in Java, all that is needed is the data type followed by the variable name: int numberOfDays; In the above example, a variable called numberOfDays has been declared with a data type of int. Notice how the line ends with a semi-colon. The semi-colon tells the Java compiler that the declaration is complete. Now that it has been declared, numberOfDays can only ever hold values that match the definition of the data type (i.e., for an int data type the value can only be a whole number between -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647). Declaring variables for other data types is exactly the same: byte nextInStream; short hour; long totalNumberOfStars; float reactionTime; double itemPrice; Initializing Variables Before a variable can be used it must be given an initial value. This is called initializing the variable. If we try to use a variable without first giving it a value: int numberOfDays; //try and add 10 to the value of numberOfDays numberOfDays numberOfDays 10; the compiler will throw an error: variable numberOfDays might not have been initialized To initialize a variable we use an assignment statement. An assignment statement follows the same pattern as an equation in mathematics (e.g., 2 2 4). There is a left side of the equation, a right side and an equals sign (i.e., ) in the middle. To give a variable a value, the left side is the name of the variable and the right side is the value: int numberOfDays; numberOfDays 7; In the above example, numberOfDays has been declared with a data type of int and has been giving an initial value of 7. We can now add ten to the value of numberOfDays because it has been initialized: int numberOfDays; numberOfDays 7; numberOfDays numberOfDays 10; System.out.println(numberOfDays); Typically, the initializing of a variable is done at the same time as its declaration: //declare the variable and give it a value all in one statement int numberOfDays 7; Choosing Variable Names The name given to a variable is known as an identifier. As the term suggests, the way the compiler knows which variables its dealing with is through the variables name. There are certain rules for identifiers: reserved words cannot be used.they cannot start with a digit but digits can be used after the first character (e.g., name1, n2ame are valid).they can start with a letter, an underscore (i.e., _) or a dollar sign (i.e., $).you cannot use other symbols or spaces (e.g., %,^,,#). Always give your variables meaningful identifiers. If a variable holds the price of a book, then call it something like bookPrice. If each variable has a name that makes it clear what its being used for, it will make finding errors in your programs a lot easier. Finally, there are naming conventions in Java that we  would encourage you to use. You may have noticed that all the examples we  have given follow a certain pattern. When more than one word is used in combination in a variable name the words following the first one are given a capital letter (e.g., reactionTime, numberOfDays.) This is known as mixed case and is the preferred choice for variable identifiers.

Nilson Mandela Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nilson Mandela - Essay Example During the early years of South Africa, racial discrimination was so apparent in this country because of the apartheid policy. This system provided inequality among its citizens and blacks were deprived of equal opportunities for work, housing, education and political power. The apartheid policy which was referred to as â€Å"separate development† in 1950 separated the blacks from the whites, enforced segregation in public facilities, and separate educational standards. The mounting pressures from the international community led to the dismantling of the apartheid policy in 1990, and eventually, the release of all black prisoners that included Mandela. (Robinson, Jr. n.d.) Nelson Mandela was so much opposed in this system and sought to end it by becoming a leader of several groups and movements to go up against the British system. For this, he was charged with activism and treason and was sentenced to life imprisonment. For several times, he was offered his freedom in exchange of promise that he would renounce his anti-apartheid ideals and violence but he refused. When he was released from prison on February 11, 1990, it was shown that he and his delegation agreed to the suspension of armed struggle. Robinson, n.d. said that when the South African Constitution was reformed in 1994, a general free election was held wherein; Mandela was the first democratically elected President of South Africa who served the country from May 10, 1994 to June 1999. His term legally ended the apartheid policy and put the racial discrimination to rest. In what ways did the efforts of Gandhi affect Mandela? Mandela was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi because of the parallelism on their beliefs on freedom struggles through non-violent process. Although born in India, Mahatma was an adopted citizen of South Africa and was one of those who shaped the liberation movement. Mandela followed Mahatma’s strategy of non-violent protest up to a point when the passive resistance can no longer stand the brute force of the oppressor. At first, sabotage was used because it did not mean loss of life, but later on they used militant force because Mandela believed that â€Å"force is the only language that imperialist can hear; and that no country became free who did not use force†. Mahatma also conceded to arms when necessary. Mahatma said: "Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor ..." Violence and nonviolence are not mutually exclusive; it is the predominance of the one or the other that labels a struggle. (â€Å"A tribute to Nelson Mandela† 2011) What parallels can be drawn between Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.? The two shared the same vision of emancipation of the blacks in their own countries; the blacks in South Africa, and the blacks in America. They are both aspirants of non-violent demonstration of protests and h ave gathered inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. Both succumbed to prosecutions, arrests and subjected to personal abuse. Nonetheless, they were unaffected by the pursuits of government authorities and emerged as leaders of the people, steadfast in their desire for equality of men. Martin Luther King was recognized for his efforts on the civil rights movement, while Mandela was justified when he was elected as President of Sout

Research project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project - Research Paper Example The method of building residential was standard in 1970s and the mid-1980s. It was fueled by some of the second era development which encouraged by Reagan tax laws. The laws created conducive situations for the investment of real estate. The rate of construction of rental apartment collapsed in the recent past divested the idea that home is sure-fire. However, recently, multi-family construction has inclined because of more vibrant rental alternative now that is single-family homes. The rise in the number of multi-unit residential apartments is evidence that investment the residential is profitable. Multi-family is becoming very intense now. Seemingly, a significant shift might be experienced whereby most people will prefer to move to multi-family homes instead of the single-family homes, in five to ten years to come. Proprietors will be compelled to change the type of residential. It I very clear that that there is market demand for multi-family residential building. Besides the increasing love for staying in residential multi-family residential buildings, formerly Metro laundry building is located in a strategic position. It is located on Agricola in a transitioning neighborhood and lends itself very attractive retrofit into a mixed-use building. The building will be separated into sections. The ground floor will be allocated for an upscale cafà © with the residential apartment located on the second floor. Making the building, a mixed-used building will be an excellent marketing strategy for tenant in the building, as most persons would always want to get some services near their area of residence. The building will provide them with a platform to enjoy the services sold on the ground floor. Valuation is the process of determining the market value of a property using various tools. Tools that can be I would use for assessment my property include sales comparison, cost, and

How Lack of Sleep Effects Young Adults Essay Example for Free

How Lack of Sleep Effects Young Adults Essay Many people feel that sleep is a part of our lives that can be given up on to meet the burdens of a busy schedule. However, lack of sleep increases the risk of accidents, irritability and symptoms of depression as well as impairing memory and cognitive function. When a young adult is growing up they are faced with the commitments of an adult but the carefree attitude of a child. Because most teens feel this way it is hard for them to balance out an academic plan, social life and a working position. With the demands of growing up at a quite young age it is hard to get the sleep that is needed to help your brain fully develop into an adult brain. Teenagers’ sleep more because; their minds and bodies are going through so many changes into forming into an adult. Not only does puberty affect the bodies but it also affects the brain in an enormous way. Todd Maddox, a psychology professor at the Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Texas in Austin, attempts to comprehend what precisely is going wrong in the impaired brain during a sleep deprived teenager, â€Å"The brain regions that are impaired when you are sleep deprived are the same ones that are impaired with normal aging or as a result of diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. (Forbes 2011) The temporal lobe which is a brain region involved in language processing, was stimulated during verbal learning in relaxed subjects but not in sleep-deprived subjects. The parietal lobe, not activated in rested subjects during the verbal exercise, was more active when the subjects were deprived of sleep. Although memory performance was less efficient with sleep deprivation, greater activity in the parietal region was associated with better short term memory. (Wikipedia 2011) Fewer than nine hours of sleep every single night puts young adults at risk for developmental and emotional complications. Sleep deprivation may be the reason for behavioral issues calamities and even psychopathology, reports The American Psychological Association. Sleep helps brain chemistry grow larger, which improves mood and social communication. Nine to ten hours of continuous sleep helps the growing brain adjust to the chemical effects of: developmental and emotional growth, life changes, and peer and social difficulties. Healthy sleeping patterns balance hormonal alterations in the endocrine system. The extra sleep also decreases the amounts frustration levels that are often the cause of behavioral problems. Sleep deprivation can harmfully affect the brain and cognitive function. A 2000 study, by the UCSD School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to monitor activity in the brains of sleep-deprived subjects performing simple verbal learning tasks. The study showed that regions of the brains prefrontal cortex displayed more activity in sleepier subjects. Depending on the task at hand, the brain would sometimes attempt to compensate for the adverse effects caused by sleep deprivation. (Daily Science 2009) This normal developmental reaction is impaired by lack of sleep. Every day teenagers are watching and learning how to adapt to behaviors in their world and the adult world. With all of these impressions, opportunities for mistakes, and pressure to make mature choices; lack of sleep creates failure. Teenagers reach their peak of tiredness is during the early morning hours and right after lunch. Both of these times many students have been reported to have been groggy or sleeping in class, when they are tired they are commonly unmotivated during class time and there is little if any concentration on the subject at hand. And as the obvious connection to a poor attention in school would be weak grades and test scores. In August 2001, researchers at the University of Minnesota reported the results of a study of more than 7,000 high-school students whose school district had switched in 1997 from a 7:15 a. m. start time to an 8:40 a. m. start time. Related with students whose schools kept earlier start times, students with later starts reported: getting more sleep on school nights, being less sleepy during the day, getting slightly higher grades and experiencing fewer depressive feelings and behaviors. Because the adolescent minds are not fully refreshed to start a new day it is showing on their grade performance. A study in 1998 done by psychologists Amy R. Wolfson, PhD, of the College of the Holy Cross, and Mary A. Carskadon, PhD, of Brown University Medical School, surveyed over 3,000 high school students and noticed that the students who were receiving lower grades in school were getting on average 25 minutes less sleep than the students who were getting higher grades in their classes. Adolescents sleep less than they did as children, decreasing from an average of 10 hours a night during middle childhood to fewer than 7. 5 hours by age of 16. According to Wolfson and Carskadons 1998 study; 26 percent of high school students routinely sleep less than 6. 5 hours on school nights, and only 15 percent sleep 8. 5 hours or more. The same study showed that to make up for lost sleep, most teenagers’ sleep an extra couple of hours on weekend mornings, a habit that can lead to poor quality sleep and sleep disorders. Theres a real need for longitudinal studies to follow through later childhood and adulthood, says psychologist Avi Sadeh, PhD, a sleep researcher at Tel Aviv University. Although research has sufficiently established that sleep problems affect young peoples cognitive skills, behavior and temperament in the short term, he says, Its not at all clear to what extent these effects are long-lasting. (Science Daily 2011) Daily stress has a great effect on wreaking the immune system; however, making time to sleep can correct the hormonal imbalances caused by everyday stress. For teenagers, stress is inevitable, but without providing the brain with time to sleep on it, the long-term effects of stress can take their toll on adolescents. Truancy, increased sick days, moodiness and risk-taking behavior can be signs that the maturing teenager is not renewing their brains with sufficient sleep. Lack of enthusiasm and depression can arise from long-term sleep deprivation, which in teenage years can occur with only several weeks of poor sleeping patterns. (eHow 2011) With finals coming up quickly I have noticed that in myself I have been staying up later then I usually do just to â€Å"cram† an extra hour or two in studding for these tests and quizzes that are coming up I have felt the anxiety that lurking behind this week of dread. This might not be the best thing for me to do because sleep needs to happen in order to create memories; you need sleep to keep them inside your brain and thoughts. (Schacter, Gilbert Wegner 2011) Sleep deprivation may be linked to serious diseases, such as heart disease and mental illnesses including psychosis and bipolar disorder. The connection between sleep deprivation and psychosis was further documented in 2007 through a study at Harvard Medical School and the University of California at Berkeley. The study revealed, using MRI scans, that sleep deprivation causes the brain to become incapable of putting an emotional event into the proper perspective and incapable of making a controlled, suitable response to the event. Without sleep our brains don’t function as well as they should and would be if you had the time that you really need for your body to be fully rejuvenated and ready to get any job done.

Lycius Dilemma Essay examples -- Essays Papers

Lycius' Dilemma The Master and Margarita and Lamia are the vastly different works of two men from far flung times and places. Though the histories and plots of these works diverge, their thematic elements resonate. Each text invokes a dualism of worlds: the world of the imagination and the world of reality. The imaginative realm is a mythic space of love, creativity and magic. Paradoxically, the characters that speak for the realm of imagination are those aligned with the devil (Lamia and Woland). Reason control and mortality characterize the realm of reality and its representatives are Appollonius and the Muscovites. The source of conflict and distress in these works arises from the seemingly unbridgeable schism between these two worlds. The dilemma of Lycius in Lamia and the Master in The Master and Margarita is this fundamental incompatibility of worlds. These mediating figures can be seen (allegorically or literally) as artists attempting to reconcile the space of creation and imagination with t he everyday world that "will clip an angle's wings, / Conquer all mysteries by rule and line" (Lamia, Pt. II, 234-235). Keats and Bulgakov offer varying representations and outcomes to Lycius' dilemma. In these texts Appollonius and soviet Moscow society function inimically to the forces of imagination and negative capability. These characters represent sobriety and reason. They attempt to limit and control the narrative and the forces of the imagination-which often exceed their powers. A systemic vision of knowledge binds both the Muscovites and Appollonius. Both parties rely on the certainty of this knowledge to inoculate them from the more frightening and unstable aspects of existence. Through categorization they hope to contro... ...er will live a life of writing and love, but without any hope of communicating his ideas to his society: he is completely cut off from the community. The intrusion of reality (Appollonius) destroys Lycius and his relationship with Lamia. However discouraging these endings seem, they are after all texts that have reached us and communicated something to us. Though the artist might die and though society might not understand, the truth of Woland's words remains: "manuscripts don't burn" (Bulgakov, 245). The text survives as a testament to the power and possibility of the artistic spirit. Works Cited Bulgakov, Mikhail. The Master and Margarita. New York: Vintage, 1995. Keats, John. Lamia. 1820. Romanticism: An Anthology. Ed. Duncan Wu. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1998. Proffer, Ellendea. "'Commentary' in The Master and Margarita." New York: Vintage, 1995. Lycius' Dilemma Essay examples -- Essays Papers Lycius' Dilemma The Master and Margarita and Lamia are the vastly different works of two men from far flung times and places. Though the histories and plots of these works diverge, their thematic elements resonate. Each text invokes a dualism of worlds: the world of the imagination and the world of reality. The imaginative realm is a mythic space of love, creativity and magic. Paradoxically, the characters that speak for the realm of imagination are those aligned with the devil (Lamia and Woland). Reason control and mortality characterize the realm of reality and its representatives are Appollonius and the Muscovites. The source of conflict and distress in these works arises from the seemingly unbridgeable schism between these two worlds. The dilemma of Lycius in Lamia and the Master in The Master and Margarita is this fundamental incompatibility of worlds. These mediating figures can be seen (allegorically or literally) as artists attempting to reconcile the space of creation and imagination with t he everyday world that "will clip an angle's wings, / Conquer all mysteries by rule and line" (Lamia, Pt. II, 234-235). Keats and Bulgakov offer varying representations and outcomes to Lycius' dilemma. In these texts Appollonius and soviet Moscow society function inimically to the forces of imagination and negative capability. These characters represent sobriety and reason. They attempt to limit and control the narrative and the forces of the imagination-which often exceed their powers. A systemic vision of knowledge binds both the Muscovites and Appollonius. Both parties rely on the certainty of this knowledge to inoculate them from the more frightening and unstable aspects of existence. Through categorization they hope to contro... ...er will live a life of writing and love, but without any hope of communicating his ideas to his society: he is completely cut off from the community. The intrusion of reality (Appollonius) destroys Lycius and his relationship with Lamia. However discouraging these endings seem, they are after all texts that have reached us and communicated something to us. Though the artist might die and though society might not understand, the truth of Woland's words remains: "manuscripts don't burn" (Bulgakov, 245). The text survives as a testament to the power and possibility of the artistic spirit. Works Cited Bulgakov, Mikhail. The Master and Margarita. New York: Vintage, 1995. Keats, John. Lamia. 1820. Romanticism: An Anthology. Ed. Duncan Wu. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1998. Proffer, Ellendea. "'Commentary' in The Master and Margarita." New York: Vintage, 1995.

Development of Feminism

The Feministic Movement that emerged in Europe in the 19th century was a major event that changed the perception of how females were generally thought of. The publication of Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Women  (1792) and John Stuart Mill’s  The Subjection of Women  (1869) ideas, social movements, and individual feminists migrated across land and sea, generating a powerful new context for the advancement of women’s rights. In this era, women’s right and emancipation were used to refer to what we today call as feminism.Early feminists included both men and women who advocated equality for women in public institutions such as the church and the government and in the family and household. Almost all feminists advocated their right to education and literacy above everything else. These ideas were mostly fueled by major social, intellectual, economical and cultural transformations in Europe and North America. Feminist Movement has bee n classified into three categories or ‘waves’ by scholars.The first wave focused mainly on women’s suffrage which was the right of a woman to vote and stand for election. Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’ described the hardships that women endured that were inflicted by men. She talked about how women were the upholders of society as they acted as mirrors to men. The first women right’s convention was held in Seneca, New York were a Declaration of Sentiments was signed that outlined the grievances of and set the agenda for women right movement. The first wave ended with the passing of the law that gave women the right to vote.The second wave of feminism focused on gender inequality through cultures. It focused on how educated women who were housewives were dissatisfied which led them to question if that was all that there was to their life. It talked about ending discrimination and led to women enrolling in medical school an d pursuing careers. The third wave of feminism dealt with developing the different achievements of women and addressing the issues of race distinction, gender violence and reproductive rights, to name a few.The feministic movement liberated women from pre-conceived gender specific roles and their ability to make their own decisions in all walks of life. It gave women voting rights, employment opportunities and giving them the choice to have a family or not. The feminist movement continues even today with people like Gloria Steinem, Dionne Brand, Hillary Clinton, Kurt Cobain, Betty Ford, Urvashi Vaid, Sandra Oh, Naomi Wolf and Taslima Nasreen to name a few. The Feminist Movement has played a key role for the past century and continues to this day. Development of Feminism The Feministic Movement that emerged in Europe in the 19th century was a major event that changed the perception of how females were generally thought of. The publication of Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Women  (1792) and John Stuart Mill’s  The Subjection of Women  (1869) ideas, social movements, and individual feminists migrated across land and sea, generating a powerful new context for the advancement of women’s rights. In this era, women’s right and emancipation were used to refer to what we today call as feminism.Early feminists included both men and women who advocated equality for women in public institutions such as the church and the government and in the family and household. Almost all feminists advocated their right to education and literacy above everything else. These ideas were mostly fueled by major social, intellectual, economical and cultural transformations in Europe and North America. Feminist Movement has bee n classified into three categories or ‘waves’ by scholars.The first wave focused mainly on women’s suffrage which was the right of a woman to vote and stand for election. Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’ described the hardships that women endured that were inflicted by men. She talked about how women were the upholders of society as they acted as mirrors to men. The first women right’s convention was held in Seneca, New York were a Declaration of Sentiments was signed that outlined the grievances of and set the agenda for women right movement. The first wave ended with the passing of the law that gave women the right to vote.The second wave of feminism focused on gender inequality through cultures. It focused on how educated women who were housewives were dissatisfied which led them to question if that was all that there was to their life. It talked about ending discrimination and led to women enrolling in medical school an d pursuing careers. The third wave of feminism dealt with developing the different achievements of women and addressing the issues of race distinction, gender violence and reproductive rights, to name a few.The feministic movement liberated women from pre-conceived gender specific roles and their ability to make their own decisions in all walks of life. It gave women voting rights, employment opportunities and giving them the choice to have a family or not. The feminist movement continues even today with people like Gloria Steinem, Dionne Brand, Hillary Clinton, Kurt Cobain, Betty Ford, Urvashi Vaid, Sandra Oh, Naomi Wolf and Taslima Nasreen to name a few. The Feminist Movement has played a key role for the past century and continues to this day.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

â€Å"Dr. King’s Call to Action† In Dr. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he shows that nonviolence is the way to get the positive attention that his plight deserved. He believed that to use violence was negative on a couple of points. First, violence always gets negative attention. Second, violence was the way the Klu Klux Klan went about their business. He wanted to expose unjust laws and do it in a fashion that conveyed his beliefs without causing other problems. In Dr.King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he is trying to convince his â€Å"fellow clergymen† (566) that his fight for the civil liberties is a just one, and that the march was a nonviolent one and one that was surely needed. Dr. King stated, â€Å"we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny† (566). King is saying that it’s something that can no longer be ignored, that he can no longer sit on the s ideline and be an idle observer. The black man has to take it to the streets. In this letter, Dr. King showed that nonviolence, direct action, and the ability to stand by one’s convictions are the right path.In his quest for racial equality, Martin Luther King came to the conclusion that nonviolent resistance was the only way to achieve this goal. It was his belief that social justice could be achieved only by changing the hearts and minds of the oppressors. Violence would only distract from the main goal, cause bitterness between the opposing groups and shut down any possibility of reconciliation. His theory of nonviolent resistance meant that a protester could be as passionate as a violent one, but in rejecting physical aggression, the nonviolent protester leaves open the possibility of a transformation.The absence of violence lets the other person see issues from a clearer perspective, one that isn't clouded by the aftermath of a violent confrontation. Nonviolent resistanc e was the first step. Dr. King also stressed that direct action was needed for racial equality to exist. Dr. King and his followers would have no alternative but to â€Å"present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and national community† (567). Dr.King felt that direct action â€Å"is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation† (568). King felt that direct action was the only course to take because his hand had been forced this way by the unwillingness of southern society to take any action at all. Finally, Dr. King said that before anyone takes direct action, the protester first needs to â€Å"purify† (567) their soul so that he or she will have no regrets going forward. Taking direct action is the right path but, it needs to be understood that there will be consequences for those actions.Taking a stand has never been easy and can be extremely difficult, but for the f uture progress of the African American, it was necessary. The protester needed to possess a firm moral conviction that their cause was a righteous and just cause. By combining nonviolent resistance, direct action, and a firm conviction of their cause, King was confident that the oppressors would come to join him in the quest for equality. All other issues would fade away and the only thing left to see would be the true issue, a â€Å"good versus evil† perspective.The Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written at a time when America had little room for blacks and their customs. It was a white man’s country, and the white man wanted it to stay that way. If not for the courage of King’s convictions it might have remained that way. Dr. King should be seen as an American hero that had the where-with-all to follow through with what he saw as a total injustice. He accomplished this by adopting a plan of action that consisted of nonviolence, direct action, and the c onvictions of his beliefs. Letter from Birmingham Jail The struggle for civil rights and civil liberty by African American in the United States of America brought about some of the darkest days in American history. Till this day, majority of Americans regardless of race or color look back at that period with regret. Dr Martin Luther King, a prominent leader in the civil rights movement was persecuted by his oppressors but he persevered relentlessly in the fight for equal rights for African Americans mainly because we were fighting for a just cause. The letter from Birmingham Jail is a response by Dr King to statements by eight Alabama Clergymen denouncing the use of street protests by Dr King’s organization in the fight for civil liberty. Critics of Dr King’s philosophy on civil disobedience argue that the actions of his organization are well against civil law but in his letter, Dr. King tries to persuade the opposition about the relevance of street protests or civil disobedience in the fight for equality for all people. He expresses his opposition to segregation from a moral perspective, logical perspective as well as an emotional plea to sway an audience into action in a quest to achieve civil liberty and equal rights for Black people. Although the letter was a direct reply to the clergymen’s statements, it served a broader purpose by also reaching out to the large middle class which was composed mainly of moderate white Americans. In his response, Dr King uses a subtle and persuasive approach in an attempt to sway critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. By writing the letter, Dr Kings intent was to sway individuals who held opposing views from his, bringing all together to share an understanding. Knowing that the middle class comprises mainly of moderate Americans who are opposed to extreme views and actions and very much inline with religious beliefs and values, Dr Kings utilized this avenue to challenge the conscience of the group. Evidence of this is shown in the letter where he writes: â€Å"Must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to â€Å"order† than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: â€Å"I agree with ou in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action†; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a â€Å"more convenient season. † Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering tha n outright rejection. †(M. L. K, 1963, April 16) This shows that he is in touch with the views of his audience giving him the ability to make a great impact on the reader. The opposition held the view that civil disobedience and street protest were unjust, simply because it was against the law. Laws are principles and regulations that are established in a community by some authority and is applicable it people. I believe that argument posed by Dr King’s opposition is that there is no justification to breaking a law. However, in my opinion there could be moral justifications in breaking a law depending on the nature of the situation. Hence, I concur with Dr King’s philosophical view on civil disobedience. â€Å"To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. †(M. L. K, 1963, April 16) The African American civil rights movement used civil disobedience as a means of getting their voice heard by the masses and opposition. Those protests are justifiable from a moral standpoint in that African Americans unjustifiably had their rights denied by their oppressors and used civil disobedience as a means to acquire their God-given rights. According to my beliefs, it is immoral to go against the rule of law without legitimate necessity but it is morally justifiable to do so in due cause such as the case of Dr King and the African American Civil Rights movement. Accordingly, there is also a logical perspective to civil disobedience which Dr King also uses eloquently in his letter. He addressed the statements made by the clergymen which called his actions â€Å"unwise and untimely†. Letter from Birmingham Jail In the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the first three paragraphs tell the reader a lot about what is important to the author of the letter and what kind of purpose he had for writing this letter. In these paragraphs the most important aspects of what Dr. King was trying to convey can be easily identified and understood, giving us insight into a time and place that has become so important to American history for many reasons. In the introduction of the letter King describes his purpose for writing the letter, and what led him to feel that he had to write it in answer to the criticism of other clergymen who were judgmental about the actions that put him behind bars in the first place. In this paragraph we can clearly see that King is wishing to set the record straight about his actions and what his motivations were. He writes â€Å"If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day†, proving that while he is aware that people are judging him and criticizing him, he chooses not to listen to it usually because he feels that his time is better used for working towards his goals. The second paragraph is important to the rest of the letter because it establishes King’s place within Alabama and his affiliations to various organizations, all of which brought him to Alabama in the first place. He feels that his fellow clergymen were questioning his motivations for going to Alabama, as well as his purpose in being there. He wanted the clergymen to know that he had a reason to be there, saying â€Å"We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise.† Here, we see the intended audience of King’s letter, as well as the purpose and subject of his letter. All of these things are more clear because of this paragraph. The next paragraph is, in essence, is the thesis for this letter because it gives the readers a clear picture of what the rest of the letter is about. Here is where he puts, into simple terms, why he is in Alabama and why he feels compelled to do his peaceful protesting. King spells it out when he says, â€Å"Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I. compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town†. He feels that this is a labor of love, something that is his duty, and for this reason he feels that to convey his passion about civil rights through this letter is imperative to his gaining the respect of others. The rest of the letter is set up in these three paragraphs.          Letter from Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King, Jr. penned â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† in 1963 after being arrested for his participation in a non-violent demonstration against segregation. In his letter, King discusses the current societal problems of segregation and how best to demand change. King firmly believes that the best way to go about trying to enact change with regard to racial barriers is through non-violent means. Violence only breeds more violence, whereas non-violent protests and demonstrations allow for a peaceful protest that will force more change. Using a non-violent approach was the most effective way for the African American community to voice their opinions and reap the changes that they so earnestly sought. Non-violent action allows for the community to stand up and demand action through sit-ins, and other peaceful demonstrations in order to make governmental leaders and officials take note of the problem and attempt to address it. King notes, â€Å"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue†. When a community at large believes that they are being treated in an unjust manner and demonstrates their opinions through marches or sit-ins, rather than riots or other violent means, it has a much better chance of forcing negotiations with governmental leaders than a violent approach. When a responsible citizen or a group of citizens act responsibly to force change, it is much more likely that they will be taken seriously. If a group of African Americans were rioting and using other violent means to take a stand against racial injustice, they would only be labeled as part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. Non-violent demonstrations allow for a community to let their frustration and discontent out through a creative outlet that does cause a setback in their goals. King compares his passion for equality between races to the same passion that Jesus had for love, or that Paul had a passion for the gospel. Comparatively speaking, both Jesus and Paul had profound effects on the society that they existed within, though peaceful and passionate means. King says of the oppressed black man, â€Å"If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat, but a fact of history†. By acting with passion, but without violence, the African American community is able to further their cause through showing that they only want to be treated justly. The non-violent approach that King and his followers demonstrated in their fight for social equality was the most effective forum for them to voice their opinions. Through sit-ins, marches, and other non-violent demonstrations, the African American community was able to come together and demand change without causing violence that would only hinder their cause. Had violent means been used in an attempt to gain equality, the African American community would have been labeled as part of the problem, rather than being taken seriously. A non-violent approach to the injustices faced by the African American community showed the governmental leaders that these oppressed peoples were responsible citizens, deserving of the basic rights they were being denied. However, violent demonstrations would have setback the attempts to gain equality.    Letter from Birmingham Jail The struggle for civil rights and civil liberty by African American in the United States of America brought about some of the darkest days in American history. Till this day, majority of Americans regardless of race or color look back at that period with regret. Dr Martin Luther King, a prominent leader in the civil rights movement was persecuted by his oppressors but he persevered relentlessly in the fight for equal rights for African Americans mainly because we were fighting for a just cause. The letter from Birmingham Jail is a response by Dr King to statements by eight Alabama Clergymen denouncing the use of street protests by Dr King’s organization in the fight for civil liberty. Critics of Dr King’s philosophy on civil disobedience argue that the actions of his organization are well against civil law but in his letter, Dr. King tries to persuade the opposition about the relevance of street protests or civil disobedience in the fight for equality for all people. He expresses his opposition to segregation from a moral perspective, logical perspective as well as an emotional plea to sway an audience into action in a quest to achieve civil liberty and equal rights for Black people. Although the letter was a direct reply to the clergymen’s statements, it served a broader purpose by also reaching out to the large middle class which was composed mainly of moderate white Americans. In his response, Dr King uses a subtle and persuasive approach in an attempt to sway critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. By writing the letter, Dr Kings intent was to sway individuals who held opposing views from his, bringing all together to share an understanding. Knowing that the middle class comprises mainly of moderate Americans who are opposed to extreme views and actions and very much inline with religious beliefs and values, Dr Kings utilized this avenue to challenge the conscience of the group. Evidence of this is shown in the letter where he writes: â€Å"Must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to â€Å"order† than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: â€Å"I agree with ou in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action†; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a â€Å"more convenient season. † Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering tha n outright rejection. †(M. L. K, 1963, April 16) This shows that he is in touch with the views of his audience giving him the ability to make a great impact on the reader. The opposition held the view that civil disobedience and street protest were unjust, simply because it was against the law. Laws are principles and regulations that are established in a community by some authority and is applicable it people. I believe that argument posed by Dr King’s opposition is that there is no justification to breaking a law. However, in my opinion there could be moral justifications in breaking a law depending on the nature of the situation. Hence, I concur with Dr King’s philosophical view on civil disobedience. â€Å"To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. †(M. L. K, 1963, April 16) The African American civil rights movement used civil disobedience as a means of getting their voice heard by the masses and opposition. Those protests are justifiable from a moral standpoint in that African Americans unjustifiably had their rights denied by their oppressors and used civil disobedience as a means to acquire their God-given rights. According to my beliefs, it is immoral to go against the rule of law without legitimate necessity but it is morally justifiable to do so in due cause such as the case of Dr King and the African American Civil Rights movement. Accordingly, there is also a logical perspective to civil disobedience which Dr King also uses eloquently in his letter. He addressed the statements made by the clergymen which called his actions â€Å"unwise and untimely†. Letter from Birmingham Jail â€Å"Dr. King’s Call to Action† In Dr. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he shows that nonviolence is the way to get the positive attention that his plight deserved. He believed that to use violence was negative on a couple of points. First, violence always gets negative attention. Second, violence was the way the Klu Klux Klan went about their business. He wanted to expose unjust laws and do it in a fashion that conveyed his beliefs without causing other problems. In Dr.King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he is trying to convince his â€Å"fellow clergymen† (566) that his fight for the civil liberties is a just one, and that the march was a nonviolent one and one that was surely needed. Dr. King stated, â€Å"we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny† (566). King is saying that it’s something that can no longer be ignored, that he can no longer sit on the s ideline and be an idle observer. The black man has to take it to the streets. In this letter, Dr. King showed that nonviolence, direct action, and the ability to stand by one’s convictions are the right path.In his quest for racial equality, Martin Luther King came to the conclusion that nonviolent resistance was the only way to achieve this goal. It was his belief that social justice could be achieved only by changing the hearts and minds of the oppressors. Violence would only distract from the main goal, cause bitterness between the opposing groups and shut down any possibility of reconciliation. His theory of nonviolent resistance meant that a protester could be as passionate as a violent one, but in rejecting physical aggression, the nonviolent protester leaves open the possibility of a transformation.The absence of violence lets the other person see issues from a clearer perspective, one that isn't clouded by the aftermath of a violent confrontation. Nonviolent resistanc e was the first step. Dr. King also stressed that direct action was needed for racial equality to exist. Dr. King and his followers would have no alternative but to â€Å"present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and national community† (567). Dr.King felt that direct action â€Å"is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation† (568). King felt that direct action was the only course to take because his hand had been forced this way by the unwillingness of southern society to take any action at all. Finally, Dr. King said that before anyone takes direct action, the protester first needs to â€Å"purify† (567) their soul so that he or she will have no regrets going forward. Taking direct action is the right path but, it needs to be understood that there will be consequences for those actions.Taking a stand has never been easy and can be extremely difficult, but for the f uture progress of the African American, it was necessary. The protester needed to possess a firm moral conviction that their cause was a righteous and just cause. By combining nonviolent resistance, direct action, and a firm conviction of their cause, King was confident that the oppressors would come to join him in the quest for equality. All other issues would fade away and the only thing left to see would be the true issue, a â€Å"good versus evil† perspective.The Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written at a time when America had little room for blacks and their customs. It was a white man’s country, and the white man wanted it to stay that way. If not for the courage of King’s convictions it might have remained that way. Dr. King should be seen as an American hero that had the where-with-all to follow through with what he saw as a total injustice. He accomplished this by adopting a plan of action that consisted of nonviolence, direct action, and the c onvictions of his beliefs. Letter from Birmingham Jail â€Å"Dr. King’s Call to Action† In Dr. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he shows that nonviolence is the way to get the positive attention that his plight deserved. He believed that to use violence was negative on a couple of points. First, violence always gets negative attention. Second, violence was the way the Klu Klux Klan went about their business. He wanted to expose unjust laws and do it in a fashion that conveyed his beliefs without causing other problems. In Dr.King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he is trying to convince his â€Å"fellow clergymen† (566) that his fight for the civil liberties is a just one, and that the march was a nonviolent one and one that was surely needed. Dr. King stated, â€Å"we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny† (566). King is saying that it’s something that can no longer be ignored, that he can no longer sit on the s ideline and be an idle observer. The black man has to take it to the streets. In this letter, Dr. King showed that nonviolence, direct action, and the ability to stand by one’s convictions are the right path.In his quest for racial equality, Martin Luther King came to the conclusion that nonviolent resistance was the only way to achieve this goal. It was his belief that social justice could be achieved only by changing the hearts and minds of the oppressors. Violence would only distract from the main goal, cause bitterness between the opposing groups and shut down any possibility of reconciliation. His theory of nonviolent resistance meant that a protester could be as passionate as a violent one, but in rejecting physical aggression, the nonviolent protester leaves open the possibility of a transformation.The absence of violence lets the other person see issues from a clearer perspective, one that isn't clouded by the aftermath of a violent confrontation. Nonviolent resistanc e was the first step. Dr. King also stressed that direct action was needed for racial equality to exist. Dr. King and his followers would have no alternative but to â€Å"present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and national community† (567). Dr.King felt that direct action â€Å"is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation† (568). King felt that direct action was the only course to take because his hand had been forced this way by the unwillingness of southern society to take any action at all. Finally, Dr. King said that before anyone takes direct action, the protester first needs to â€Å"purify† (567) their soul so that he or she will have no regrets going forward. Taking direct action is the right path but, it needs to be understood that there will be consequences for those actions.Taking a stand has never been easy and can be extremely difficult, but for the f uture progress of the African American, it was necessary. The protester needed to possess a firm moral conviction that their cause was a righteous and just cause. By combining nonviolent resistance, direct action, and a firm conviction of their cause, King was confident that the oppressors would come to join him in the quest for equality. All other issues would fade away and the only thing left to see would be the true issue, a â€Å"good versus evil† perspective.The Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written at a time when America had little room for blacks and their customs. It was a white man’s country, and the white man wanted it to stay that way. If not for the courage of King’s convictions it might have remained that way. Dr. King should be seen as an American hero that had the where-with-all to follow through with what he saw as a total injustice. He accomplished this by adopting a plan of action that consisted of nonviolence, direct action, and the c onvictions of his beliefs.

As both Jesus and John are parallels

As both Jesus and John are parallels, so are their characterizations. In the wee years around Jesus, the inconceived son of Joseph and Mary, basically came from nowhere, as the story goes. John Coffey also came from nowhere. Both Christ and Coffey are trying to save humanity, the young girls in the movie being a symbol of humanity. John Coffey could heal urinary tract infections. Jesus healed the lepers. Both men tried to teach tolerance through nonviolence. They didnt even retaliate to bad conditions or scenarios that they were in. The both sat there and their lives just went by. They both tried to express messages of love and sitting there. Love everyone you can. And if anything disagreeable happens just sit there. Unfortunately, it is probably better to be dead than just sitting there, so you might as well be dead. Thats probably why John Coffey wanted to go ahead and be killed as soon as possible. Jesus was similar in that fashion. He probably thought it was better to be dead than to be alive, because he didnt want other men to control hi! s life. Jesus was just a very calm, self-disciplined man who disagreed with the government of a corrupting society. He was killed for his beliefs. John Coffey on the other hand was killed by accident. He was thought to have premeditatedly killed the two girls. It was an accident to be found with them. Paul spread Jesus message, and Mr. Jangles carried the message of John Coffey. Jesus Christ and John Coffey were similar in their personalities and destinies, but there were slightly different motives behind their consequences.

Meet Hera, the Queen of the Greek Gods

Meet Hera, the Queen of the Greek Gods Hera (Juno) is the queen of the gods. She is usually plotting either to favor the Greeks over the Trojans, as in Homers Iliad, or against one of the females who has caught the roving eye of her philandering husband, Zeus. At other times, Hera is shown plotting mischief against Heracles. Myths re-told by Thomas Bulfinch about Hera (Juno) include: Monsters Nisus and Scylla - Echo and Narcissus - Clytie - Hero and LeanderJuno and Her RivalsHercules- Hebe and Ganymede Family of Origin The Greek goddess Hera is one of the daughters of Cronus and Rhea. She is the sister and wife of the king of the gods, Zeus. Roman Equivalent The Greek goddess Hera was known as the goddess Juno by the Romans. It is Juno who torments Aeneas on his trip from Troy to Italy to found the Roman race. Of course, this is the same goddess who so vehemently opposed the Trojans in the stories about the Trojan War, so she would try to put obstacles in the path of a Trojan prince who escaped the destruction of her hated city. In Rome, Juno was part of the Capitoline triad, along with her husband and Minerva. As part of the triad, she is Juno Capitolina. The Romans also worshiped a Juno Lucina, Juno Moneta, Juno Sospita, and Juno Caprotina, among other epithets. Attributes of Hera Peacock, cow, crow and pomegranate for fertility. She is described as cow-eyed. Powers of Hera Hera is the queen of the gods and the wife of Zeus. She is the goddess of marriage and is one of the childbirth goddesses. She created the Milky Way when she was lactating. Sources on Hera Ancient sources for Hera include: Apollodorus, Cicero, Euripides, Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, and Nonnius. Children of Hera Hera was the mother of Hephaestus. Sometimes she is credited with giving birth to him without the input of a male as a response to Zeus giving birth to Athena from his head. Hera was not pleased with the clubfoot of her son. Either she or her husband threw Hephaestus from Olympus. He fell to earth where he was tended by Thetis, the mother of Achilles, for which reason he created Achilles great shield. Hera was also the mother, with Zeus, of Ares and Hebe, the cupbearer of the gods who marries Heracles.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a processes improvement Essay

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a processes improvement - Essay Example Lean encompasses the various just-in-time approaches. (Bryan, 2002) These two methodologies are the best practice because they fit this framework: For many managers, lean manufacturing is something that looks great on paper and sounds wonderful in theory, but they want proof that it really works in their ever-changing manufacturing environment. ( Lau, 1996). Now two years into its lean journey, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Cascade Engineering (www.cascadeng.com), is trying to avoid the common mistake of just implementing lean on the shop floor. The 1,200-employee plastic components provider in the automotive, home and office, and container industries is implementing lean throughout its enterprise. One thing that becomes clear after you tour Cascade's facilities is that the company is striving to adopt lean as a way of life for the whole company, rather than just in the manufacturing plants. The company's leaders recognize that to reduce waste and create customer value, everyone has to actively take part in the process. Cascade's founder, chairman and CEO Fred P. Keller, sent a message about how important lean was for the c ompany as a whole when he hired G.L. Brown as the company's director of lean manufacturing. Keller is making sure all of the necessary resources are available to make the gains of lean stick. "If this company wants to remain an active leader in the upcoming century, it is crucial that we eliminate waste and dedicate ourselves to becoming a lean enterprise," says Keller. (Klier, 1994, 18). To further demonstrate his dedication to the employees, Keller stressed that some job responsibilities may change but no employees will be laid off as a result of the company's lean initiatives. Their dedication to employees and their superior performance have not gone unnoticed. Cascade has been recognized nationwide for their commitment to people, most notably by recently winning a Ron Brown award and the Michigan Manufacturers Company of the year award. G. L. Brown knew that one of the hardest parts of lean was going to be creating the right environment for Cascade employees. (Lin, 1999) To ease the transition, Brown started a series of training and support sessions. With many years in operations management during his 34-year tenure at General Motors, Brown understood that the employees must have a firm grip on three crucial aspects before initiating the conversion to a lean enterprise: - everyone must understand why the company is dedicated to the lean philosophy and what's in it for them; - the employees must understand the system; - they must understand that there are a number of techniques in the toolbox to implement the system. Cascade's training consists of lean manufacturing orientation, eyes for waste and eyes for flow, takt time, standard worksheets, the 5-S processes, natural work groups, and value stream mapping as well as other aspects of the "lean enterprise system." Cascade also invites customers and suppliers to training events and kaizen events as they relate to their products. This

Individual Research Project Sustainability and Food Essay

Individual Research Project Sustainability and Food - Essay Example This is because human beings are dependent to nature for its survivability. Thus, the need for human beings to preserve ecology and maintain it by regulating a healthy environment to live. Brundtland  (1987) stressed this when saying that sustainability is about maximizing resources without compromising the needs of future generations. This is recognizes the fact that nature is limited and that to sustain resources, people should be stewards of ecology. Harwood (1990) explicates that sustainability relates to agriculture where production of farm produce be done in methods or processes that ensures balanced utilization of resource and environment. Its should be complemented with social and economic design that upholds the standard of quality life (Pearce, Makandia & Barbier,1989) This is often manifested by producing goods that are organically-driven to preserve the fertility of the soil against commercial fertilizers and pesticides. Organic foods are perceived healthy and will not produce toxic enzymes that may affect human physiological system. Thus, sustainability is about preservation of ecosystems that are essential to life. This desire to sustain life substantially correlates with the kind of food served every meal. There were robust arguments which deliberated the vital significance of enhancing life by adopting a vegetarian lifestyle. Vegetarianism is a personal option, an ethical choice and a political statement. Often it is misperceived and thus, must be explicated in a wide range of health, ethical, religious, and historical issues on this perspective. The three basic vegetarian diets are lacto-ovo (milk, eggs included), lacto (no eggs), and vegan (no eggs, diary products or any foodstuffs made with eggs or dairy products). They abstain from food sourced from animal’s meat. Vegetarians were described as with lower weight, cholesterol level and blood pressures. Studies among dieticians

Known Information about Dolphins Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Known Information about Dolphins Research - Essay Example They are relatively new creatures, appearing on the earth during the Miocene period, which was roughly ten million years ago. They give birth to single calves near the surface of the sea so that the calf would not drown. They are also literally half-asleep when they sleep. They are like these because they can’t afford to sleep with two brain hemispheres â€Å"shut off† because they will drown. They have to breathe air once in a while to do that.Dolphins have huge brains. They have even bigger brains than us humans. However, their intelligence centers are still smaller compared to human brains, that’s why we are still smarter compared to them. They also look like they smile all the time because of the way their mouths curve.  I have stumbled upon dolphin rights advocacies in my research about dolphins. As you would know, most dolphin species are considered endangered, that’s why they are protected. However, in some parts of the globe, dolphins are still h unted. They are hunted because of food, and they are tortured as well. In a certain place in Japan, there are almost 20 000 dolphins killed helplessly in a cove every year, just for commercial gain or for food. Yes, some places have dolphins as a delicacy. However, it is not safe to eat dolphins, even if they are tasty, since they have high mercury levels in their bloodstream. Constant exposure to dolphin meat would also make you at risk for mercury poisoning.Other people also hunt dolphins because for entertainment.

The Corporate Communication Strategy

The Corporate Communication Strategy This report aims to critically evaluate and analyse the corporate communication strategy, framework and main issues influencing a corporation. The company that I have chosen to examine and apply the knowledge of corporate communication is Microsoft Corporation. Communication strategy of Microsoft Corporation applies or follows which enabled it to expand and grow its business with such an immense efficiency. How does the organisation incorporates main issues of corporate communication; such as, communicating with external and internal stakeholders, maintaining its identity, image and reputation to reflect its organisational behaviour, the organisations attitude towards cultural influence, the role and impact of technology, and lastly, the role of Human Resource Management in contribution of its effective communication and overall performance in global context. (Cornelissen J, 2004) states that corporate communication is a function of corporate identity, corporate image, corporate brand and corporate reputation for the goodwill of the organization and its ongoing concern which is making profit. Corporate communication is a modern term of Public Relations. The term corporate communication is increasingly being used in practice to describe the management function that is still referred to as public relations in academic literature (Groenewald, 1998). According to surveys, over half of the heads of corporate communication departments administer communication functions. They are as follows; External and internal communications Managing corporate reputation and brand Recruiting and retaining Product launches Developing company strategy Corporate social responsibility Boosting investor or analyst perception Managing crises Corporate communication is simply the process of exchanging information within and outside of any organisation with concern of the above mentioned functions to run it effectively and efficiently. It is taken as an important aspect for any organisation to develop and flourish its capability at its best. However, it is more crucial to organisations that operate globally. Most of the successful organisation has used corporate communication as the means of success because it helps to formulate their distinctiveness, their status and mark their existence in the mind of their customers. Background of the organisation: Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in USA. It is a multinational company with headquarter in Redmond, WA, United States, and its subsidiaries in 110 countries. With 182,884 employees in USA and worldwide and annual revenue of USD 62.48 billion, it can be said that it is one of the worlds largest and dominant software companies. It provides software, services and solutions to people and businesses world-wide. The company focuses on research and developing, manufacturing, licensing, and supporting wide range of software products and services for various types of computing devices. The major software products and services it provides are; operating systems for servers, personal computers, and intelligent devices, different types of personal and business applications, software development tools, online services platform, and games; taking into consideration and benefiting all range of people from business, students, workforce to households. *According to the Microsoft Corporation, The Microsoft mission is to help people and businesses around the world realize their full potential. We work to accomplish this mission through the development of innovative products and services that help people harness the power, opportunities, and benefits of technology. http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/our-commitments/reporting/about-microsoft/ The communication strategy and its framework in the organisation: An effective corporate communication strategy is very important for any organisation to overpower todays highly competitive and information driven business environment. It protects an organisation from negative publicities and limits misleading steps of the corporate. Strategy requires choices deciding what particular kind of value an organisation wants to deliver and to whom (Porter, in Gibson, 1997). Implementation of proper and practical strategies can bring equal opportunity to people; resulting in distribution of innovative information, resolution of conflict and coordination in organisation. X-Border communication strategy issues include; degree of adaptation and standardisation, consistency, internal vs external, corporate identity and reputation, costs, role of technology. As a multinational organisation, Microsoft Corporation adapts almost all of the x-border communication strategy to stay on top of the market. (see Appendix) Steve A. Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corporation, states that they see their citizenship strategies and business strategies as complementary, creating shared value for Microsoft shareholders, employees, stakeholders, and society. http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/our-commitments/reporting/ceo-intro-letter/ Neil Holloway, President of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), focused on the balanced objectives of driving customer satisfaction, improving integration across Microsoft business units, addressing the unique technology needs of diverse markets, and growing the software business in the region. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/neilho/default.mspx The statement of Neil Holloway and Steve A. Ballmer clearly implements the communication model (shown below) in Microsoft. Keeping in mind of their identity and image, they deliver messages to their shareholders, employees, stakeholders, and society by the use of Management communication, Organisational communication, and Marketing communication. (see Appendix 1) Figure 1: Communication model, Strategy of the organisation (M. Welch and P. Jackson, 2007) Communication framework In all organisations, communication flows vertically and horizontally, internally and externally, formally and informally linking employees internally to each other and to various layers of management, and to the many external resource holder of the organisation (Fombrun and Riel, 2006). There are three main types of structures of the company and they are as follows; Functional Matrix Project Microsoft follows the matrix structure to perform communication (see Appendix 3). It has horizontal divisions for international operations and vertical divisions for product groups. Mike Love, senior director of corporate communications at Microsoft EMEA says that Microsofts matrix of management decision-making and the challenge to communicate through this matrix is very complex. He also adds that Internal and External communicators each have geographical, functional and product-area responsibilities as their direct focus (see Figure 2, below). http://www.melcrum.com/articles/clutter_at_microsoft.shtml Figure 2: Areas of responsibility at Microsoft Microsofts governing body is the Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the executive body is the Board of Directors (see Appendix 4). Microsoft adapts a centralized and functional area accompanied by a network of decentralized structure for adapting the function to the special needs of the independent business units. The main issues relating to corporate communication External and Internal communication External communication: External communication refers to communicating with external parties of an organisation which includes customers and business partners, suppliers, media, and competitors. Communication with customers: Customers are the most influential part for any organisation to exist in business environment. Microsoft claims that the success of their company is based on their ability to listen and respond to customer feedback about their products, programs, and services, and to increase customer satisfaction with all of the possible ways. They continually engage with their customers and partners through third-party surveys and feedback mechanisms within their products, and community-based websites (see Appendix). However, Microsoft has not institutionalised engagement of external stakeholders in corporate decision-making. Their customer and partner experience (CPE) strategy is sponsored by their chief operating officer and president of the Microsoft Business Division. Communication with media: Media is one of the most powerful and critical areas of any corporate communication function. According to Argenti (2009), the media are both a constituency and a conduit through which investors, employees, and consumers receive information about and form images of a company. It has the ability to turn a business up or down in a matter of seconds. It is very essential for corporation to understand this matter and have a good relationship with media. Microsoft has good understanding on this matter. Hence, they have included media as one of the areas of responsibilities (see Figure 2). They have a separate section in their company site called Microsoft News Center where it provides latest updates and information on company. For media, it has a section called Press Tools with Press Releases, Analyst Reports and many more. It has also established number of air-traffic control tools to avoid misleading and misinterpreting messages to media (see Appendix). Communication with competitors: The main competitors of Microsoft are Google, Apple, VMware, Oracle, and Open source (Linux and Firefox). However, Google is seen to be the prior competitor of Microsoft. Microsoft keeps up-to-date information about its competitors. Microsoft had some problem with its competitors in past and was accused for its unhealthy competition (see Appendix). This had a negative impact on the reputation and image of Microsoft. Since then, Microsoft has been keeping healthy relationship and healthy competition with its competitors through changes in its products and services, filtering words when having conversation on their competitors. http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/208984.asp Communication with Government: Government is involved in all stages of business development. As Microsoft operates in various regions and areas globally, it makes sure to follow the national, regional, and local bylaws and legislation of the country. Microsoft also sense importance of collaboration among the internationally recognized groups. Its Citizenship and reporting strategies are guided by those laid out in the Global Reporting Initiative, the Global Network Initiative the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and the Carbon Disclosure Project. Communication with shareholders: However, the company does not provide training to staff on stakeholder engagement, nor do they disseminate the principles through more than one medium or translate them into other languages. Microsoft has also not institutionalised external stakeholder engagement in corporate decision-making.**** Internal communication: Strong internal communications- fostering increased workforce loyalty and productivity will thus continue to play a pivotal role in a companys employee relation and overall success (Argenti, 2009). Microsoft fully realise the role of employees and vendors for its overall success. It is also aware that with change in culture and business environment, employees and their attitudes, beliefs are changing and they need to be treated in different ways. To understand the values and attitudes of employees to gain their loyalty and productivity, effective communication among and with employees is very crucial. Communication with employees: One of their most important developments during the past year has been the establishment of an Internal Communicator Community (see Appendix). They have also developed a new approach to the annual planning process by creating a forum for sharing internal and external communication plans across all business disciplines to build a one company approach. They have also established a regular quarterly meeting and monthly Live Meeting1/conference call for all Public Relations leads in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regardless of their areas of responsibility. This has become a clearing house for communication plans and has helped establish the discipline of air-traffic control. Communication with vendors: http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/microsoft-adds-human-element-to-corporate-communications/110453 Identity, Image, and Reputation The concept of corporate identity is traced by organisations marks or logos, name, motto, products, services, and any other possessions of the organisation that is visible and tangible to differentiate themselves from their competitors and print their image in the minds of consumers (Argenti, 2009). Image is shaped by the identity of an organisation, it is the way internal and external constituents perceive the organisations identity get fulfilled. Finally, strong reputation of an organisation is achieved when identity and image align with each other. Microsofts identity is majorly reflected by its name, products and services, market capitalisation, market capture, and Bill Gates, former CEO, Microsoft Corporation (see Appendix). Microsofts image has been problematic since its establishment. It has been accused Microsofts holds a highly valued reputation Read more: Corporate Identity http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Con-Cos/Corporate-Identity.html#ixzz18qO7ytiL Corporate Identity Names, Brands, Symbols, Self-presentation is perceived by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Employee Image Investor Image Community Image Customer Image The sum of their Corporate Reputation perceptions equals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Figure 3: Reputation Framework (Argenti, 2009) Culture and its influence in corporate communication Any organisations culture is reflected by the behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, norms and values of its employee working with each other towards attaining a common goal. It has become a serious issue with prevalence of globalisation (see Appendix). Hofstede (1980, 1982, 1987) has outlined five dimensions of cultural impact in an organisation. They are as follows; Power distance Individualism Vs Collectivism Uncertainty avoidance Masculinity or Feminity Long term or Short term Microsoft believes that the following listed values guide their behaviours and it is reflected in their employees in their interaction with each other and their stakeholders. Integrity and honesty Passion for customers, partners, and technology Open and respectful with others and dedicated to making them better Willingness to take on big challenges and see them through Self-critical, questioning, and committed to personal excellence and self-improvement Accountable for commitments, results, and quality to customers, shareholders, partners, and employees (see Appendix 5) The above statements by Microsoft shows that it follows collectivism idea, there is no power distance as employees believe in open and respectful relation with each other. They believe in one company approach. We should communicate with and not at our internal audiences, engaging in a dialogue not a monologue. Such an approach fits well with Microsofts corporate culture, which strives to be devoid of hierarchy. http://www.melcrum.com/articles/clutter_at_microsoft.shtml The role of technology The role of technology in carrying on communication effectively has been immense. With rapid development of technologies nowadays, it is almost impossible to have a thought of communication without technologies. Microsoft Corporation itself is a leader in developing and distributing innovative technologies world-wide. There are numerous software products and services produced by Microsoft for communication use. However, technologies that they use for internal and external communication are; e-mails, video conferencing, teleconferencing, telephones, webcasts, podcasts, blogs, internal intranet site, air-traffic control tools, and integrated communication planning. The role of Human Resource in corporate communication HRM is a strategic and coherent approach to the managers of the organisation. The most valued assets, the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievements of its objectives. (Armstrong, 2003). According to Ulrich (1997), there are four roles of Human Resource Management in an organisation. They are as follows; Administrative expert Employee champion Change agent Strategic partner http://www.stw.de/typo3temp/pics/c98097d6bc.jpg Figure 4: The HR Business Partner (based on an idea by Dave Ulrich, 1997) Conclusion and recommendation In conclusion, Microsoft practices a very good and practical corporate communication strategy and framework. Microsoft follows the matrix structure with strongly centralized and wholly decentralized framework for communication. They understand the importance of effective communication between their internal and external stakeholders for their success. Microsoft has implemented various communication tools and plans, such as, air-traffic control tools and integrated communication planning specially for effective communication with employees and media. The use of technologies for communication are; e-mails, telephones, video conferencing, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, Annual Report, Press Releases, internal intranet site. Their identity is basically its name, products and services, and Bill Gates, former Chairman of Microsoft who is known as one of the wealthiest people alive. Their image and reputation were frequently in stake and problematic with different kinds of accuses. However, they are doing their best in overcoming and maintaining a superior image. Microsoft practices open and respectful culture with equal opportunities for all employees. They practices This invariably means they work within communication silos roles rather than taking a broader view of the company as a whole.