Monday, September 30, 2019

Gene Kranz Essay

Apollo 13 directed by Ron Howard is the story of the real space mission that took place in 1969. The three astronauts had always dreamed of landing on the moon but not long after the astronauts launched into space did they realize that the task would be near impossible due to an explosion of an oxygen tank. Getting home safe became their next mission. A character in this film from whom I learned something is Gene Kranz played by Ed Harris. I learned that thinking calmly helps you and people around you to think positively in hard situations and that instead of being scared and giving up in tough situations, you should think outside the box and find an solution. The audience learns from this about the importance of the idea(s) of leadership attributes and skills. Gene Kranz is an important character in Apollo 13 because even with a responsibility of the whole mission which is going to through a crisis, he was still calm and determined as ever. For example when the whole staff is tensed and worried, Kranz voice cut through a simple command, â€Å"Let’s work the problem, people but not make worse by guessing. This shows me that Ron Howard knew that every problem has a solution, or at least the damage could be managed, but you have to be methodical and work through the issues. Stop worrying, and start working. Another example of a lesson from Gene Kranz is When the NASA director said that this could be the worst disaster in the history of NASA, Kranz cut him off. â€Å"With all due respect sir, I think this is going to be our finest hour.† This shows that he more focused on the positive goal than think the negative. This positiveness also gives him and people around the confidence needed to complete the mission. This is how the sc ript and director show us the importance of leader’s positive attitude in tough situations and what I learn from him. Another reason Gene Kranz is a character from whom to learn is because he never portrays any fear or sense of panic that he might be feeling and always thinking clearly as to what can be done next. Always in control and remain in the moment. For example when he says â€Å"We’ve never lost an American in space, we’re sure as heck not going to lose one on my watch Failure is not an option! By this example Rom Howard shows us that leaders are supposed to have these attributes of Firmness and Flexibility. Being on a firm to do  something and think of flexibly ideas of how to do it. We could also see this when he says â€Å"I don’t care what anything was designed to do. I care about what it can do. As NASA’s scientists worked the problem, Kranz made them think outside the box. They broke down systems and used the parts to create new tools and systems that helped saved lives. By showing us these things which he does/says/ experiences, director emphasises the idea of never treating failure as a possible option or outcome which is also important in our own lives. Gene Kranz is an important character from Apollo 13 because the director uses him to teach me lessons about being able to think calmly in tough situations like an anchor in a storm and that to never be scared of failure and give up. These ideas are also importa nt to my own life because there may be a lot of tough situations coming up in my life, which may only be solved only if I don’t get scared and think calmly. If I get scared of failure and back off my life would end being a regrettable one.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Analysis of Battle Royal – 1

A White Compromise In the short story, â€Å"Battle Royal†, Ralph Ellison uncovers a boy’s fight to maintain his dignity in a world of racial injustice. The first person narration portrays a naive view of the boy’s values of what he believes is important in life that is only questioned by his grandpa’s firm conviction of dignity. On page 39, starting with paragraph 99, the text depicts the differences between the two segregated worlds of black and white. The text elucidates the boy’s conformity to the wishes of white man.His acceptance of the scholarship symbolizes his acceptance of separation between the two societies as â€Å"it was a scholarship to the state college for Negroes. † Although the boy realizes that whites and blacks are restricted to societal confines that can never merge and never become equal, the boy fails to see the force exercised by the whites that lock him into this box. When he prioritizes materialistic wealth, â€Å" smelling the fresh leather† of the brief case over his own dignity, he resigns himself to the desires of society in that he blinds himself with affluence and thus becomes incapable of realizing his own visions.This is further strengthened by the boy’s quote â€Å"I felt an importance that I had never dreamed† because it implies that he no longer needs his dignity in order to achieve a feeling of success. It provides him with self-respect and happiness that prevent him from questioning the advantages of conformity. Stripped from his pride and naively reaching for wealth he contributes to his own confinement as he goes to â€Å"attend college† in order to â€Å"shape the destiny of [his] people† and thus fulfills the plans of whites.While the boy puts his destiny in the hands of white society, he conforms to the rules of white control. Despite the boy’s conformity to white rule, he continues to struggle in discovering his dignity. The repetitio n of the word â€Å"blood† serves as an important symbol for the boy’s dignity; it signifies the pride he has in his own race and binds him to his people. However, the boy remains ignorant of this tie and his â€Å"rope of bloody saliva† only forms â€Å"a shape like an undiscovered continent†.This imagery represents the possibility of discovering his own dignity and a new world in which he is free to shape his own destiny. Yet the boy’s blindness leads him to wipe the blood â€Å"quickly away† as it had â€Å"drooled upon the leather† of his brief case, and smeared the desired promises of the white men. The juxtaposition of the line â€Å"I was overjoyed; I did not even mind when I discovered that the gold pieces I had scrambled for were brass pocket tokens advertising a certain make of automobile† strengthens the idea of the boy’s blind struggle for dignity.It connotes that the â€Å"scholarship to the state college f or Negroes† he had received is just as fake as the â€Å"brass pocket tokens†, thus symbolizing his reach for a false dignity. The boy’s dream in the following paragraph continues to enhance his internal struggle to find dignity by contrasting his character to that of the grandpa. Through the setting of a circus, the narrator suggests that the boy is merely a clown and compliant to any orders that he is given, while the grandpa, who â€Å"refused to laugh at the clowns no matter what they did,† sticks to the dignity of his race.The juxtaposition of this sentence also shows that the grandpa is not humored by the naivete of the boy; instead he is rather disappointed as the boy is unable to see that he serves as entertainment to society. Unlike his wizened grandfather, the boy idealistically believes any promise given to him, â€Å"another and another, endlessly† until his dignity is consumed by the will of white men. The boy is so occupied in reaching these promises that he â€Å"would fall of weariness† before he could realize that the further he reached, the more distant he was from discovering his dignity.While society wants to â€Å"‘Keep This Nigger-Boy Running’† by undermining his dignity with the false glamour of a scholarship, the boy realizes that the whites only give him what he thinks he wants; means to attain racial equality as a return for complacency. However, what he truly desires is break free from being oppressed and gain equal status through demonstrating that his intellect and abilities are equivalent to that of the whites.Because â€Å"at that time [he] had no insight into its meaning,† he had to compromise between what society could offer him and his dignity. Nonetheless, the authorial intrusion demonstrates that the narrator gained extensive perspective on his former naivete when telling his story; thus the reader can infer that the boy no longer sees any value in the confo rmation to white society. The trade-off between his dignity and false glamour is similar to the zero sum theory in that it takes power from one entity and puts it in the hands of another.Every time the boy conforms to the wishes of white society he gives up some of his dignity, similarly when he strives to find his dignity he gives up his willingness to conform to ways of the white men. In the end, his realization depicts him choosing his dignity above all as illustrated by the last line â€Å"First I had to attend college†. Therefore, the boy’s struggle to discover his dignity is resolved through his gain of power that allows him to shape his own destiny and simultaneously break free of white oppression.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Human resource development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human resource development - Essay Example Gone are the days when, competency was defined by the level of education one has attained. Although, there is a link between academic qualifications and professional knowhow, competency can be enhanced via advanced training. It’s for this reason that the government has initiated lifelong learning as a main initiative, with the aim of raising employability. Through government spending on investments that promote lifelong leaning such as job training programmes, in addition to other normal education schemes, citizens not only get access to these facilities but also motivation to improve their skills. As matter of fact, it’s the mandate of the government to ensure steady economic growth as well as improving citizen’s welfare status, given that UK is a welfare state. Thus, since capital in UK has almost been fully employed, the only ways to increase productivity has been seen as increasing labour efficiency, achieved through generation of self-motivation of employees to lifelong learning. To boost self-motivation, the government provides work base awards through the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) initiative. Possessing an NVQ in a certain fields implies that one has satisfactorily completed a certain training and assessment and thus guarantees both capability and efficiency in the field. Moreover, training needs to be extended to include literacy help to refugees, asylum seekers, and mostly parents to increase their social lives which is exactly what the government has been doing. Competency movement, came into light with the aim of establishing the difference between academic qualification and job expertise, with the latter defining competence more precisely than the former. The development of competency movement was accompanied by economic growth as well as increased competition among all industries (Cohen-Scali, 2012). Due to this both private and public companies developed a culture of

Friday, September 27, 2019

Discuss some of the key challenges in the reporting of war from the Essay

Discuss some of the key challenges in the reporting of war from the frontline and the roof top. What are the implications for re - Essay Example Due to such a high level of overall importance with relation to the role that the these reporters play in integrating key facts to the general public, this analysis will consider the key challenges that front line journalists face, key challenges that roof-top journalists face, the issue of balance/bias in reporting, and the implications for reporting upon and understanding conflicts in the current system. As a function of this, this short analytical piece will seek to define the roll of a rooftop reporter as well as the role of an embedded reporter, seek to draw inference to the types of situations they have been, and likely will continue to be exposed to within the near future as well as drawing a level of interpretation with regards to overall bias that such journalists must face. Firstly, with regard to the front line journalist, this is something that has been in existence since the earliest conflicts in human history. There have always been citizen reporters that had sent lette rs or messages home so that these could be read by the appropriate authorities/loved ones as a means of better understanding the given conflict (Cameron et al 2005). After the Crimean War, the role of the war journalist and front-line reporter was greatly aided by the inclusion of photographic images that detailed the plights of the combatant and the harsh realities or patriotic fervor that was intended to be represented. Of course the advent of film greatly added to the means whereby the front line reporter could hope to integrate key information to the audience. Likewise, the availability of the internet and the use of satellite phones enabled with video has only served to further enhance the role that these reporters play in bringing key facts to the viewing populace at home (Boylan 2011). Although the role of the front-line reporter has enabled individuals half a world away to quickly understand and integrate with certain aspects of the situation that is unfolding on the ground, it does represent a unique level of key challenges which will be discussed. The first of these determinants is of course the full scope and overview that the front-line reporter is able to understand and integrate with. Although it is useful to integrate with the viewing public how the situation appears on the micro scale, this is of course invariably at the expense of a more full and nuanced view of how the broader conflict is progressing (Hannon 2008). Similarly, with regards to the overall balance and bias that is interjected into the report, the proceeding section will cover this in some depth; yet, suffice it to say that the level to which non-bias can be presented with a reporter who is ultimately embedded with shareholders within the conflict is quite high (Emeigh 2003). The use of the embedded reporter was perfectly exhibited during the recent invasion of Iraq. The United States, as well as the United Kingdom and other actors, participated in the action all the while utiliz ing embedded reporters within their armies as a means of reporting back to the citizen at home with regards to t

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Epidemiology Project Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Epidemiology Project Interview - Assignment Example So, my training in pharmacy and public health have prepared me to perform my job successfully. Oenga’s response: my interest in epidemiology was sparked by one of my uncles who was an epidemiologist. As an epidemiologist, my uncle Mr. Patrick Ongeri was very dedicated to his work and he really loved his work; my uncle inspired me when I was young and I resolved that I would be an epidemiologist when I grow up. Oenga’s response: for me, the main positive aspect of being an epidemiologist is that I find a lot of fulfillment it; I really love this job and I find it so fulfilling in life. On the negatives, I would say that this job is quite risky because one can easily end up getting an infectious and incurable disease like Ebola. Oenga’s response: yes I do a piece of advice to them. My advice to them is that if they want to be really happy in this carrier, they have to do it not for the love of money, but for the love of people whom they will be serving through this carrier; if they do it for the love of money, they may end up being frustrated because they will never get enough of it. Appreciation: As we conclude, I would like to sincerely thank you for giving me your time for this interview; thank you also for being so cooperative and for answering all my questions clearly and enthusiastically, thank you very  much.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

History of capitalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of capitalization - Essay Example Neo-colonialism (that flourished after the 16th century) is just another name for Western influence by means of political, military and ‘economics’ of the third world (Naipaul 3). The European merchants benefitted a lot from the colonialism as the sub-states depended so much on their European masters; the African colonies are the best examples of this dependency (Naipaul 75) that nurtured Merchant Capitalism. People were buying things they didn’t need but they lacked the skill and knowledge to make things that people (especially in African colonies) (Naipaul 54) and the merchants capitalized on this. Africa wasn’t the only colony that gave a boost to Merchant Capitalism, the Indian subcontinent was once the capital of world trade. During the 17th century, the world trade was governed by Mercantile Capitalism, and the Indian subcontinent was the busiest workshop of the world. That place alone contributed to nearly a quarter of global manufacturing output (Ro bins 61). Considering what mercantilism means, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that various trading houses in India governed by people such as Amir Chand and Jagat Seth were wealthier than East India Company (Robins 65), which had huge military support and connections. The East India Company (a monopoly corporation) was an essential part of England’s commercial armory (Robins 48). This company alone revolutionized the whole business pattern of the world. Other than capitalizing on merchant trade, this company was accompanied by the British navy and headed by a brilliant Merchant brain, Sir Josiah Child. Just like other successful merchants of the world, Child believed that wealth lies in extracting as much as possible from the landed regions (Robins 48). India was known as the golden sparrow of the world and the East India Company had caught this bird and was enjoying the benefits. Child believed not only in military dominance but in commercial conquest abroad (Robins 49); the typical merchant business strategy. He traded with Mughals and got the better part of the trade by taking Bengal (Robins 49). Despite the fact that Mercantile Capitalism enjoyed world domination for centuries but like all other business tactics, time makes them old and they get replaced by a newer and a better one. By the end of eighteenth century, neo-colonialism didn’t remain as strong as it once used to be and lost its sparkle and with it went down the mercantile capitalism and the world witnessed the dawn of Industrial Capitalism. With the start of the nineteenth century, great revolutions in Industrial field manifested and formed the basis for factory culture. Machines such as spinning jenny and cotton gin ruled the manufacturing grounds and produced remarkable results in terms of efficient output. As opposed to Mercantile Capitalism, the new trade strategy focused more on capital intensive market rather than going for labor intensive flea markets. Less labor me ant more machine work, and this is where people like Walter Shewhart and Eli Whitney come in. They revolutionized the trade with their great inventions (Green 74). Industrial machines such as spinning wheel, Spinning Jenny, Handloom and Power Loom etc., brought industry and trade to new heights. Productivity skyrocketed, and thus came mass production at lower prices. Technology wasn’t the only player in revolutionizing the trade; business practices played a huge part in it. Andrew Carnegie’s name will always be remembered in business reformation. Born in

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Our Survival in the Desert Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Our Survival in the Desert - Coursework Example My father, Harris, is an experience truck driver, who has been delivering goods, in the remote areas, as per the instructions of his transport company. On arrival of our father, we all discussed with him about our plan to go on an adventure trip, in his truck. He readily agreed, as he had accumulated number of off-days, which he could utilize for going on vacation. The next point was to decide on the area, which we could explore as part of our travel plan. As he was familiar with high deserts of Northern Nevada, we all decided to explore that region. My father had no hesitation in doing so, as he was confident of finding his way in this desert. Fortunately, his vehicle had white color paint on the outside, as same could not absorb much heat, in the hot and dry areas, where temperatures ran high. This also saved engine from getting overheated. As part of our preparations, my father carried his fully loaded gun and the ham radio equipment, while he informed us that cell phones do not w ork in most of these places and amateur radio is dependable, comparatively. Water was the most precious commodity which we had to carry for survival in the desert. My father loaded the truck with necessary supplies and a pistol, apart from the gun. We all sat in the truck and it rolled out in the eastern direction, going away from the civilization. We could smell the freshness of air, as we kept heading towards the desert. The hot wind was blowing at high speed and the scorching sun stood over our heads. We could not afford to get out of the truck, in such condition. However, the track on which my father was driving seemed to have vanished with sand and dust, seen everywhere. This made me to rush out and look in all directions for any clue to find the right track. My father had specifically asked me to carry the map of this desert, so that we could understand area topography. Holding the map in my hands, I tried to unfold it and read the same. At this time, a strong gush of hot wind took away my precious possession and I stood horrified for a moment. My father tried to look around for the map, but it could not be seen anywhere. Perhaps, it got buried under the sand tunes, which kept on forming in different shapes, at fast speed, with the help of strong desert winds. The anxiety and fear of getting lost made us thirstier and we decided to consume some of the water, which we had with us. We could not help to have full water intake as thirst overcame us, at that moment. Looking around, the desert was same in all directions. Therefore, my father decided to walk around in search of a track, which can lead us to anywhere. We all followed him. Although we wanted to go on an adventure that involved excitement, I had never thought of any such expedition, which could make us really fearful. My mother started praying to god. Walking aimlessly, we could feel the arrival of evening and night, as sun started setting. This helped us in knowing the eastern and western directi on. But having no paper with me, I could not make a map, with reference to that point where we saw the sun setting. A little later, we could not afford to walk further, as darkness covered whole desert. We had the hot sand as our bedding, which became cooler with the passage of night. Fear and anxiety could not let us sleep, while we waited for the morning light to appear. Meanwhile, my father tried to send message through the radio equipment, but he did not find any signal and this hope also seemed getting lost. The worst thing to happen was not anticipated by any of us. However, we did experience the real shock, as a cobra snake crawled towards me and was

Monday, September 23, 2019

Managenent and leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managenent and leadership - Assignment Example For example, many of the leaders in the Arab world are ruling their country only because of their heredity. It is not necessary that these leaders are as effective as other leaders. Some people label leadership as an art whereas others label it as science. In fact, it is a mixture of these two. Both scientific and artistic skills are necessary for a leader to become an effective leader. It requires skills such as intelligence, emotional control, communication abilities, temperament, patience, authority, power, decision-making abilities etc. Since these skills are not available to many, it is impossible for all the people to become effective leaders. This paper analyses the question can anyone can be an effective leader. Skills necessary for an effective leader According to Daniel Goleman, â€Å"that the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional Intelligence. In his research he found that emotional intel ligence is the sine qua non of leadership (Goleman, 2009, p.82). Emotional intelligence or EQ is different from intelligence quotient or IQ. Emotional intelligence is the ability to know other people and their needs. It is the ability to adapt with the surroundings and the people. On the other hand, IQ is the abilities of a person with respect to intelligence. It is not necessary that a person with high IQ score may have high EQ score also. Same way, it is not necessary that a person with high EQ may have high IQ. In short, both EQ and IQ are entirely different concepts. To become an effective leader, high EQ is necessary. It is not necessary that a leader with high IQ may become an effective leader if he has low EQ. There are plenty of situations in which control of emotions are necessary to manage a complicated situation well. For example, Iran is currently threatening America and other westerners because of their ambitions to become a nuclear power. Iran’s current presiden t is trying to provoke America and Israel in many ways. Obama is neglecting the allegations of Iran since he has higher abilities in emotional controls. Another American president would have responded differently to Iran’s threat and the problems could have been worse. In short, an effective leader definitely needs strong controls over his emotions and he should never approach situations based on emotions. Wisdom should prevail over emotions for a leader to become effective. Since emotional controls are less for many leaders, it is difficult for them to become effective leaders. Saddam, Gaddafi and Mubarak were some of the leaders of the present century who failed to lead their people effectively because of their lack of EQ. Nobody can argue that these people have less IQ. In fact, all of them had high scores of IQ. However, they cannot be labelled as effective leaders since they failed to lead the people based on their needs. Emotional intelligence helps a leader to take sou nd decisions in difficult situations. For example, there are plenty of organizations, which struggled to overcome difficult situation created by recent recession. However, there are many other organisations, which come out with success even in the difficult business climate. This is because of the effectiveness of the leaders in those organizations. For example, Apple is one American company which excelled even during the recession period. They are the most valuable technological company in the world at present.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Franklin Park Zoos Valentine Celebration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Franklin Park Zoos Valentine Celebration - Essay Example The park will be crowning this year’s â€Å"Zoo Sweetheart 2010† base on who among the animals receives the most valentines. A winner will also get a chance to go in a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo with the whole family. ‘Catching Joy’ would feature a craft hands-on table where children could create their own valentine artworks on two Saturdays, February 13 and 20, inside the Tropical Forest from 1:00p.m.-4: 00 p.m. Zookeepers would also join in through various activities and encounters where people would get a chance to chat with them and answer questions. Make sure to bring your thinking cap and try to stomp them with questions regarding your favorite animals. Get to know more about the animals’ habitat, trivia and meet the zoo’s favorite residents up close and personal. Daily activities within the week include a valentine dating activity for the animals at the Tropical Forest which starts from 10:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. From 11:00 a.m. l earn more about the interesting information on one of the most romantic creatures at Bird’s World Building. Daily story time starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Hippo Theater situated inside Tropical Forest. Afterwards, raise your awareness regarding wildlife and the proper conservation of the earth by seeping in all the knowledge at the biofacts area. This is designed to raise consciousness not only among children but with adults as well. While at it, visit the ring-tailed lemur exhibit nearby. The gorillas, one of the most beloved primates are also featured from 2:00 p.m. with a zookeeper for an encounter at the Gorilla Exhibit. A zookeeper would also talk about the animals that call Franklin Farm home at 3:00 p.m. Think out of the box (or out of the restaurant) and take your date and the entire family to the Zoo. The week’s activities would surely grab the attention of everyone regardless of the age.  

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Nursing management Essay Example for Free

Nursing management Essay Introduction To lead effectively, you have to strike the difficult balance between communication and accountability. Different situations call for different leadership approaches, depending on corporate needs, objectives and available resources. Ultimately the goal of any leader is to get results. Here’s a list of the various common leadership types. Types of Leadership The Autocrat The autocratic dictator is the one of the most common types of leaders. The autocrat’s approach is to make unilateral decisions without asking for suggestions from other members of the group. Such totalitarian leaders have the advantage of saving time and receiving little oppositions as they seek solutions. The classic example of autocratic leadership is seen in the governments of countries like North Korea, which control their citizens through force and fear. Used positively, this type of approach is helpful to tighten up companies that are suffering from inefficiency or a lack of discipline. The Laissez-Faire Leader This type of leader is the opposite of the autocrat: employees are given a lot of freedom and eeway to work as they see fit. The laissez-faire leader rarely monitors employees and does not get feedback or updates on a regular basis. The style can be advantageous for companies that aim to harness individual leadership skills and encourage initiative among employees. The laissez-faire approach can result in time savings and better intra-office relationships, but only in companies with efficient, honest workers that require little supervision. Over time, leaders still need to follow up on the employees or they may sacrifice efficiency, productivity and affordability. The Motivational Leader A motivational leader helps to bring out the best in everyone. By taking the time to get to know each member of the organization, this type of leader gets to study employee’s strengths and weakness and develop strategies for taking advantage of them. This approach leads to good communication throughout the different levels of an organization. Employees get to share their feelings, thoughts and ideas, and so feel empowered and satisfied. AÂ  motivational leader is perfect in sales organizations or companies that are in need of a creative spark—or a jolt of enthusiasm. The Democrat The democratic leader values every member of the organization and seeks to make each group member feel content and useful. A democrat participates in tasks while respecting and acknowledging the suggestions and contributions of other workers. This approach generally leads to team efficiency and happy employees. Note that while members of the group participate in the planning and decision-making process, the leader makes the final decision based on all available information. The Gratifier The gratifier follows the old carrot-and-stick approach. Such a leader sets goals and then offers relative rewards depending on the contribution and achievements of members. If an employee or department performs poorly, there may be punishments or penalties. One benefit of this traditional management strategy is that it’s possible to initiate competitions within the workplace that often lead to improved—even transcendent—performance. The Innovator An innovator is creative and dynamic, adapting quickly to change and spearheading explosive growth. An innovative leader is aware of new developments in the marketplace and is always listening to other team members, on the lookout for fresh ideas and solutions. The best thing about the innovator’s approach is that the lead-by-example creativity inspires other employees to explore, expand and come up with new concepts of their own. This type of management strategy is particularly effective for tech, media and other idea-driven businesses. Your company’s current needs and goals may dictate the most effective management approach. Be flexible, and respond to changing circumstances or personnel by varying that approach as needed. It’s also wise to tailor your style of management to the capabilities and personalities of your company leaders.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Modifying Consumer Behaviour Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

Modifying Consumer Behaviour Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay The use of plastic bags warrants attention in the sustainable consumption debate, especially when packaging accounts for a significant amount of the resources consumed and waste generated by our consumer lifestyles. Governments, retailers and manufacturers are striving to improve sustainability performance by finding ways to reduce plastic bag use. The authors have done sufficient research in providing a global perspective through approaches adopted by different countries in reducing their plastic use. For example, India banned the use of plastic bags while voluntary action is on the part of consumers and the business community to reduce plastic bag use in the UK. References obtained by the authors are credible and reliable as information was based on recent data and reputable sources. The authors also present a balanced view of both advantages and disadvantages of plastics bags. They are energy efficient to produce, cost-effective, convenient to store and easy to use. However, they have adverse impacts in terms of waste disposal and one significant problem is that plastic bags are non-biodegradable and take at least hundred years to decompose. When they break down in size, they kill marine animals which mistake the plastic bags for food and ingest them (Aldred, 2007). Plastic bags clog drainage systems and create pollution where discarded plastic bags float in oceans. Large amounts of money also have to be spent on cleaning up the plastic bags and the damages caused by them (Russo, 2012). However, the claim that many countries spend a substantial amount on cleaning up the plastic bags and the damages caused by them is not justified. In many cases, these claims are merely guesses by advocates instead of data based on actual studies, and cost is often thrown in as a justification after bans are enacted for political reasons (†¦). Science also does not support the fact that plastic bags do any genuine harm. Plastic bags end up doing less damage than other alternatives and the benefits that the bags offer far outweigh their cost. Independent studies also show that plastic bags are environmentally preferable to paper because plastic bags have a lighter environmental footprint than paper and when they are reused, they are preferable to the reusable plastic totes. In addition, current plastic bags use 70% less plastic than those of 20 years previously and account for less fuel to transport, fewer emissions than paper bags. Nevertheless, moderate reuse; plastic totes mad e from polypropylene are better for the environment even though plastic bags are a more environmentally friendly choice than paper bags and reusable totes. Due to the damaging environmental effects which plastic bags have, countries like Taiwan banned the use of plastics bags to reduce environmental issues such as litter and landfill. With a ban on plastic bags, funds would be redirected to infrastructures. Consumer demand shift toward other alternatives, creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs to come up with alternatives to plastic. Companies that manufacture reusable bags could also expand their product lines and create more jobs (..). However, research by †¦ revealed that banning of plastic bags would lead to an increase in paper bag production, resulting in a greater amount of methane being released in landfill. Other research also revealed that banning plastic bags does not help the environment as it increase carbon emissions and other environmental problems. Research by Lane showed that even though most of the waste in landfill sites comes from packaging, plastic bags form only a small fraction of the litter stream. They occupy lesser of the landfill space, leading to lesser greenhouse gases and pollution, as compared to wood and paper (British Retail Consortium News, 2007). I agree with the authors assumption that plastic-bag bans would not lead to a long-term solution in saving the environment. The use of materials and energy should not be restricted where only unnecessary use of plastic bags is avoided. Instead, there should be a sustainable use of everything which includes the reinforcement of public awareness and motivation to reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) to resolve environmental problems. Therefore, some countries like UK do not support an outright ban on plastic and seek other possible alternatives such as reusable totes or paper bags or having a tax imposed on plastic bags. Prendergast et al. (2001) found that consumers are more likely to reuse a paper bag an average of 2.7 times whereas a plastic bag will be reused 1.6 times and retaining a paper bag over a plastic bag leads to increased re-usage. However, alternatives such as reusable totes and paper bags have a worse effect on the environment than plastic bags. Plastic bags require 40 perce nt less energy than paper bags and that paper bag manufacturing creates 70 percent more air pollution and 50 percent more water pollution (†¦). Alternatives to plastic bags may not be practical because in many cases, efforts to increase bag recycling have shown minimal success to date (†¦). Furthermore, when governments outlaw plastic bags to encourage consumers to use other environmentally damaging products, more pollution is actually created. There might also be society and economic impacts on the less affluent in terms of employment loss, due to reduced plastic bag manufacturing Another possible alternative which the authors did not consider could be the recycling of plastic bags in recycling centers where plastic is melt and polymers are reused to carpets or clothes. However, plastic recycling has proven to be difficult to process mechanically as plastic bags are made of polyethylene where it is often labour intensive and cost intensive to sort plastic waste. A key assumption made by the authors is that plastic bags bans are beneficial for the environment. Therefore, the issue of banning plastic bags still remain a controversy as many variables are at play and the process of changing consumer behaviour in relation to plastic bag use can be a complex one. There are different perspectives as to how such consumption should be modified. For countries such as Bangladesh and India, flooding and public health concerns resulted in the use of legislation to ban the use of plastic bags. Plastic bag bans can prevent flooding in urban areas and human health problems. In the UK, voluntary action is on the part of consumers and the business community to reduce plastic bag use. Consumers are urged to reduce their use of plastic bags while manufacturers and retailers are expected to introduce measures to encourage consumers to act responsibly. Other countries like Italy, Ireland and Denmark prefer to impose tax to encourage consumers to reduce plastic bag use and taxes collected can help raise revenue for further environmental improvement. To conclude, the use of plastic bags have a great impact on sustainable consumption and changing consumer behavior through voluntary action, legislation banning the use of plastic bags, or taxing their use can make an effective contribution to a more sustainable future.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Agriculture Technology Essay -- Farming Technologies Essays

Agriculture Technology People have depended on agriculture for years as the primary source of getting food. We have developed all kinds of ways to manipulate nature so what we can produce higher yield crops, more nutritious crops, bigger crops, crops that withstand cold, and farming equipment that allows us to manufacture these crops with relative ease. Why then are there five billion people being malnourished and forty thousand children dying each day from hunger? It seems as though world hunger is more a result of the lack of distributing the food properly than the lack of quantity. agriculture has turned into a high profit business and biotech companies like Monsanto are constantly trying to come up with better and more efficient ways of farming. Are they doing this to try to solve the world hunger crisis, or merely to make a profit? Background In Agriculture The first people that started to depend on farming for food were in Israel and Jordan in about 80000 B.C.. Farming became popular because people no longer had to rely on just searching for food to get their food. In about 3000 B.C. Countries such as Egypt and Mesopotamia started to develop large scale irrigation systems and oxen drawn plows. In about 500 B.C. the Romans started to realize that the soil needed certain nutrients in order to bare plants. They also realized that if they left the soil for a year with no plants, these important nutrients would replenish. So they started to leave half of a field fallow (unplanted). They then discovered that they could use legumes, or pulses to restore these vital nutrients, such as nitrogen, to the soil and this started the process known as rotating crops. They would plant half the field one year with a legume... ...ural land to produce soybeans, and manioc for export to feed cattle. As you can see the real cause of hunger is the lack of access to food, not the lack of food itself. Hopefully some day we will be able to distribute the food that we have to all of the hungry people across the world. This would be the real fix to the problem, not genetically altered foods. Bibliography Thompson, Paul B. Agricultural Ethics. Iowas State University Press: Ames, Iowa, 1998 Barbour, Ian Ethics in An Age Of Technology. Harper Collins Publishers Inc: New York, 1993 Altieri, Miguel A. Genetic Engineering In Agriculture. Food First Books: California, 2001 Thompson, Paul B. and Stout, Bill A. Beyond The Large Farm. Westview Press, Inc.: Colorado 1991 The World Book Encyclopedia.World Book, Inc.: Chicago 1993 Links http://www.biotech-info.net http://www.foe.org

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Carpe Diem Theme in the Work of Ronsard and Edmund Waller :: essays papers

Carpe Diem Theme in the Work of Ronsard and Edmund Waller â€Å"Seize the Day.† This is most commonly known as the Latin phrase â€Å"Carpe Diem†. For some this is just a phrase, but in classic literature, it is a way of living and writing. This theme was revived during the Renaissance period and it made its influence in Italian, English, and French poetry. The simplest way to describe the theory of â€Å"carpe diem† is to say, â€Å"eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you shall die.† It means that life should be lived to the fullest everyday, just like it was going to be the last. The rose is a very important symbol used in literary work containing â€Å"carpe diem.† It is because the poet can use imagery to describe the youth and beauty of the rose, along with the death and suffering. Ronsard was one of the many poets to use this theme. An example of one of his poems is â€Å"Roses.† In this poem he uses allegory, which is like an extended metaphor, to create the imagery of roses and to compare them to the beauty of the women he is in love with. He wants to tell her that he appreciates her beauty and that he will love her forever. In Edmund Waller’s poem, â€Å"Go, Lovely Rose,† he compares the love of his life to a gorgeous rose. He tells her to come forth and be thankful for her great beauty. He tells her in the poem, â€Å"Bid her come forth, suffer herself to be desired, and blush not so to be admired.† He is trying to tell her to enjoy her beauty now, because tomorrow may be her last. He is using the rose as a metaphor for his lover’s beauty. Ronsard also uses â€Å"carpe diem† in the poem â€Å"When You are Old.† The speaker of this poem is a scored, self-pitying lover. The speaker is longing for his lover to reciprocate his love. He is trying to convey to them to appreciate him now because, when he is† thin and ghost beneath the earth,† then they will be mourning, because they didn’t take the chance while they had it.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Lab Report: Specific Heat :: essays research papers

Introduction The porpoise of these is to determine the Specific Heat. Also known as Heat Capacity, the specific heat is the amount of the Heat Per Unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius. The relationship between heat and temperature changed is usually expected in the form shown. The relationship does not apply if a phase change is encountered because the heat added or removed during a phase change does not change the temperature. Q = cn^T The molar specific heats of most solids at room temperature and above are nearly constant, in agreement with the Law of Dulong and Petit. At lower temperatures the specific heats drop as quantum processes become significant. The Einstein-Debye model of specific heat describes the low temperature behavior. The metal samples are:  · Copper (CU)  · Aluminum (Al)  · Zinc (ZN)  · Tin (Sn)  · Lead (Pb)  · Steal/iron (Fe)  · Brass (an alloy of Zn and Cu) PROCEDURE: 1. In a Styrofoam cup, record the temperature of the 200 ml of cold water. This is 200 g of water, as the density of water is 1 g/ml. 2. Obtain a sample of metal that has been immersed in boiling water and place it in the cup of water. 3. Wait until the temperature no longer rises (thermal equilibrium), and record the temperature increase. 4. Discard the water and measure the mass of the metal. 5. Repeat the above for each metal. CALCULATIONS: 1. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/a)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(128g)(20c)=1.5625cal/goc 2. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(20.1g)(2oc)=400cal/40.2 goc=9.95cal/ goc 3. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(53.9g)(20c)=37.38cal/ goc 4. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(65.3g)(20c)=3.06 cal/ goc 5. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(70.5)(20c)=400cal/141goc=2.83 cal/ goc 6. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(70.1g)( 20c)= 2.83 cal/ goc 7. H=mc^T=(200g/1)(1cal/goc)(2oc/1)=400cal C=H/m^T=400cal/(50g)(20c)=4 cal/goc RESULTS: Type of Metal Experimental  © of Metal Actual  © of Metal CU 400cal 1.5625cal/goc Al 400cal 9.95cal/ goc ZN 400cal 37.38cal/ goc Sn 400cal 3.06 cal/ goc Pb 400cal 2.83 cal/ goc Fe 400cal 2.83 cal/ goc Brass 400cal 4 cal/goc

Monday, September 16, 2019

Home Deferring Dreams in a Raisin in the Sun

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† she does a great job of intertwining Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Montage of a Dream Deferred,† to incorporate her underlying theme of dreams. In his poem, Hughes asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? † and then goes on to list the different things that might happen to a person if his dreams are put â€Å"on hold. † His overall point is that whatever happens to a postponed dream is never positive. Meanwhile, the question Hansberry poses in her play is, â€Å"What happens to a person whose dreams grow more and more passionate — while his hopes of ever achieving those dreams grow dimmer each day? Dreams get put on hold for many different reasons but in the case of the Youngers, it was their home environment that ensured that none of them would be able to accomplish their ultimate dreams. Lena, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha Younger were a poor African American family that share d a small one-bedroom apartment in the south side of Chicago. Each person had vastly different goals and dreams. Being the head of the household, Lena dreamed the dreams of her children and would do whatever it took to make those dreams come true.Walter, Lena's oldest son, set his dream on starting his own business with a liquor store. He had the basic â€Å"American Dream† of starting from the bottom before ultimately working your way to the top with his entrepreneurial spirit. Beneatha, on the other hand, wanted to become a doctor when she got out of college and Ruth, Walter's wife, wanted to be wealthy. While trying to reach these dreams, each member of the the Younger family had their own dreams postponed and put on hold at some point or another for various reasons.Lena was a widow in her early sixties who devoted her life to her children after her husband's death. Retired from working for the Holiday's family, she was waiting for her husband's insurance money to arrive. With the ten thousand dollar check in her hand, Lena decided to buy a three thousand dollar house in Clybourne Park and she was also going to put some of the money in the bank for Beneatha's medical school. She realized this money was a one-way ticket for her family to get out of their environment and improve their lives and believed buying a house in a different neighborhood was the best way to do this.However, Walter was upset when he heard his mother had spent the insurance money on the house and thought it wasn't fair that Beneatha got some of it for her medical school while he got nothing for his liquor store business. Lena, who always wanted her son to be happy, trustingly gave the rest of the insurance money to Walter. However, he then gave the money to Bobo and Willy, two of his friends with questionable character, to help him get his liquor license. Unsurprisingly, Willy betrayed Walter, taking off with the money and causing his dream to crumble to pieces.Walter was deceive d by his friend Willy but the reality is his dream was never going to happen anyway, and the rest of the family knew this. Living where they lived, the environmental pressures were extremely high. There were five people living in a tiny, run-down, roach-infested one-bedroom apartment, with two families sharing a bathroom. Everyone was looking for a way to improve their lives and Walter wanted to be the one to do it with his liquor store. â€Å"Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me – just plain as day. The future, Mama.Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me – a big, looming blank space – full of nothing. Just waiting for me† (980). Walter knew there was no future ahead of him if he continued on his life path and he knew he needed to get out. Living in this type of environment, your dreams will always be put on hold until you can finally get out. Ruth, Walter's wife, was pregnant at the time her husband was trying to start up his liquor store and she realized her dream of being wealthy and having a fine family was simply just that – a dream.To her, it was a consolation that her husband had come back to reality after his goals fell through. The problem Walter faced and the reason he was so unsuccessful was that his main goal was not to escape their environment, but merely to improve it. Due to where they lived, the family was destined to fail unless they made a move to get away from it. A lot of the family realized this but Walter didn’t. As Kristin Mathews says in her article â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, â€Å"Walter’s failing is his acceptance of the capitalist economic system that necessarily excludes him from ascendancy† (par. ). She says that Walter doesn’t wish to change the system but merely change his position in it and until the very end of the play, he is willing to â€Å"surrender his will to this system and exchange his dignity for whatever ‘life’ it might offer him and his family† (7). Unlike Walter, Beneatha, on the other hand, knew that she wanted to escape the system altogether. This is why she was extremely upset when she found out Walter didn't put anything in the bank for her medical school because she knew that was her way out.She gave up hope and her dream of becoming a doctor seemed to fade away with Walter’s liquor store business. Fortunately, her friend Asagai came over and took her out of her environment. By marrying him and moving to Nigeria to practice her medical career, she found her new ticket out of the environment and system that was setting her up for failure. Lena was also well aware of the difficulties of living where they did. She knew moving away was the best decision for the family which is why she bought the house in Clybourne Park with some of the insurance money she received.However, pr ior to the family moving, Mr. Lindner, a representative from Clybourne Park, offered to pay the Youngers to not go into his neighborhood. Lindner, along with the rest of the community, didn’t want a black family living in their neighborhood. Taking the money would have been immoral in the family's eyes, and prioritizes money over human dignity. They understand that moving is the best choice for the family but once again, Walter did not. He was willing to push all his ethical beliefs to the side to take the money and improve his life within his system before ultimately changing his mind.Even though the road ahead will be difficult, they know that they have made an honorable choice and have finally gotten out of the environment that has been holding them back this whole time. They didn’t just improve their lives within the system, they got out of it. Lorraine Hansberry had successfully described the four main characters in the story as human beings with desires, dreams, aspirations, conflict, foibles, and strength. It was â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† that expressed those dreams and desires and how they ended up as â€Å"dreams deferred. Once the family was finally able to leave their home environment in the south side of Chicago, their dreams began to form into more of a reality. A major underlying theme of the book is to not give up on your dreams and do whatever it takes to accomplish those dreams as soon as possible. It is very rare that putting your dreams on hold turn out in a positive way so you need to seize the moment at all times and push aside anything that holds you back. The Youngers realized that what was holding them back was the system of their home environment and they got away from it as soon as they could and they were happier for it.Works Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950-1021. Print. Hu ghes, Langston. â€Å"What Happens to a Dream Deferred? † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950. Print. Kristin L. Matthews. â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. † Modern Drama 51. 4 (2008): 556-578. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. .

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Post-War World Has Been Shaped Primarily

1. The post-war world has been shaped primarily by a clash between Communism and Capitalism OR The post-war world has been shaped primarily by a clash between Nationalism and Imperialism Choose one of these assertions and develop an argument for it. With regards to the assignment question, I will certainly be in agreement with the argument the clash between imperialism and nationalism had shaped the post-war world more prominently as compared to the idea of communism and capitalism constituted to the molding of the past decades.Very simply, studies showed that even till this age of globalization, the notion of imperialism and nationalism are still floating among us, with a modern twist, that is (Tomlinson, 1991). We first have to ask the question, what sparked off nationalism? The answer by most scholars would most probably be the oppression of great powers during the time of imperialism. What then, defines imperialism and how did it came about? According to O’ Brian (2007), i mperialism is the practice of any one state to influence or conquer another with the intention to expand its wealth, power and control over dominions or self-governing colonies.After the end of World War Two, with the declination of powers among the former colonizers across the globe, the industrializing countries like Britain and France were increasingly gaining possession of many colonies (Best, et al. , 20008). It is through colonialism that the imperial powers executed what we call as imperialism where in its best sense, is the ‘natural overflow of nationality’; its test is the power of the colonist to transplant the civilization they represent to the new natural and social environment in which the colonists find themselves.And in which of course, lying beneath is a negative connotation that is often associated with a loss of identity and belonging (Hobson, 2007). The post-war world as according to Rajan and Sauer (2004) was significantly changed by the settling of foreign authority onto lands that previously had not been under any control. The intrusion of political and economic rights and cultural imperialism to mention a few had taken place and in fact, had subsequently prompted radical, socialist and even nationalist movement.To be able to gain control over a country, military force is not necessary at times (Hobsbawn, 1990). The British had illustrated a perfect scenario where apart from military control; they had also planted seeds of ‘the British way of life’ indirectly by Anglicizing basically anything from street names to the lingua franca of a local community (Moore & Johnson, 2004), like what happened in Ireland and the Malayan Peninsula where English was once to be used as the spoken and official language for all formal documents in the bureaucracy (Othman, 1990). This formed the basis for cultural imperialism.Tomlinson (1991) mentioned that cultural factors are instrumental in maintaining political-economic dominance. Hence, he defined cultural imperialism as â€Å"the process of imperialist is aided and abetted by importing supportive forms of culture† (p. 3). This issue has been so central that even Irish poet Seamus Heaney, a renowned Irish Nobel Prize winner and nationalist emphasized a great deal on cultural identities in his works, in relation to the colonization of Ireland and the intrusion of the British that seemed to wipe out the local culture by Anglicizing the names of placed in Ireland, killing those who disobeyed. I am the tall kingdom over your shoulder That you could not cajole not ignore. Conquest is a lie. ’ (Act of Union 1. 9, 74) Similarly, Brian Friel, who is another famous Irish playwright in his play Translations also highlights the loss of cultural identity after the Irish language has been literally translated into English and what is left with the locals were fragments of memories and left as victims of imperialism (Friel, 2002). What has been a quest for most colonized countries was an ‘oppression-free’ nation.Repression of minority rights is often the first restriction on emerging ethnic national groups which includes outlawing native language, discouraging trade, and even relocating minority groups like the how the British imposed a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy that eventually separated three different ethnic groups to their ‘specialty’ in labor to yield the best outcome of profit for the British (Goodwin, 2001). With the increase awareness that these powers were slowly taking over bits and pieces of what originally belonged to them and the need to come together as one, the idea of nationalism seeped in.During this time, the struggle towards nationalism, or establishment of political union on the basis of nationality ‘has been a dominant factor alike in dynastic movement and as an inner motive in the life of masses population’ so said Hobson (p. 1). To define nationalism is no e asy task either. What becomes a great matter of dispute is how these national borders should be drawn, i. e. what constitutes a nation. What Joseph Stalin described a nation as depicted by Whitaker (1960) is the ‘historically evolved, stable community of language, territory, economic life and psychological make-up manifested in a community of culture’ (p. ). The idea of nationalism is often connected to the French Revolution back in 1789. It has then emerged as a powerful force in the post-Cold War world. Perhaps the most dynamic changes have taken place in areas once dominated by the Soviet Union and maybe the British (Price). It is critical to know that nationalism has reemerged as a vital factor in restructuring the international political scene in the post-war world especially during the post-Cold War period after British has transformed itself into a Commonwealth.The dynamics of a bipolar nature of the dominance by the United States and the Soviet Union was not app reciated. Lesser powers cooperated in varying degrees with the ‘superpowers’ and a multi-polar and this restored a multi-polar world increasingly driven by contentious nationalist rivalries. This is supported by Milward (1992) that the world has witnessed the collapse of empire and the resurfacing of national components from within. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union into fifteen nations is one example.The nature of nationalism itself is neither good nor bad as compared to extreme capitalism, socialism and imperialism. The events behind the scenes are what give meaning to these notions. Hence, some authors did classified nationalism into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ nationalism. The ‘good’ type talks about how the nations strived to create and maintain their own nations to create a territorial boundary and something in common to be called as ‘one’ nation. It is similar to patriotism, but nationalism goes beyond the affection to wards a country which sometimes lead to the ‘bad’ side of nationalism.The â€Å"bad† kind of nationalism pitted one own’s â€Å"superior† nation or race against all others in a struggle for survival of the fittest, in other words, the hatred and despise towards other nations started to manifest in the process of acquiring strength and unity. It is this kind of nationalism that gave nationalism its bad name in Europe through the actions of men like Adolf Hitler and Slobodan Milosevic in the 20th century (Moliss, 2002). One important element of the Holocaust was that the Nazi genocidal machine was aimed not only at the destruction of the European Jewish Community, but also at the Jewish seed itself.The mass murder of the European Jews was a watershed event in human history (Gilbert, 1985). In the aftermath of World War II, the world — from individual nations to the United Nations; from religious leaders to professionals in fields as diverse as law, medicine, and science; from presidents and prime ministers to private citizens confronted its legacy (Signer, 2000). Many of the issues raised by this cataclysmic event continue to have an impact on our lives and the world in which we live.The Vietnam War of 1955 which took twenty years to end was considered to be one of the most brutal nationalist movements in world history with the victory of Vietnamese over the Americans (Willbanks, 2007). Yet this distorted view of the Vietnam veterans as victims as much as victimizers, if not as brave heroes, was not accompanied by new public policies. Although most veterans did succeed in making the transition to ordinary civilian life, many did not. More Vietnam veterans committed suicide after the war than had died in it.Even more perhaps three-quarters of a million became part of the lost army of the homeless. And the nearly 700,000 draftees, many of them poor, badly educated, and nonwhite, who had received less than honorable discharg es, depriving them of educational and medical benefits, found it especially difficult to get and keep jobs, to maintain family relationships, and to stay out of jail (Chambers, 1999). If these do not prove enough that the clash of imperialism and nationalism had altered the magnitude of the post war world, what would be the other causes then?The society of the post-war era was not concerned of what kind of social system that are benefitting to them in general. Rather, the primary issue was to fight for something in common the nation could relate to. The clash of communism and capitalism was not sufficient to demonstrate that the period had revolved around it as compared to the bloodshed and never-ending quest to fight for the independence of a nation. Try naming a successful communist country. Unfortunately, there are none.The disintegration of the Soviet Union is a solid proof that communism just does not work in the modern society and as for capitalism, the economic success of the States was at a price of other nations which have a large struggling population (Schalit, 2002). It is only within a state with well-to-do economics, capitalism shall prevail. Hence, this clash has certainly not changed the post-war world as much as imperialism and nationalism. Bibliograpghy Best, A. , Hanhimaki, J. M. , Maiolo, J. A. , & Schulze, K. E. (2008). International History of the Twentieth Century and Beyond. Oxon: Routledge.Friel, B. (2002). Translations. Kent: Faber and Faber. Gilbert, M. (1985). The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Goodwin, J. (2001). No other way out: states and revolutionary movements, 1945-1991. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Heaney, S. (1990). New Selected Poems. Cornwell: Faber and Faber. Hobsbawn, E. J. (1990). Industries and Empires. London: Helicon Press. Hobson, J. A. (2005). Imperialism: A Study. New York: George Allen & Unwin LTD. Moliis, J. (2002). Nationa lism. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from http://moliis. rg/jani/nationalism. pdf Moore, B. L. , & Johnson, M. A. (2004). Neither led nor driven: contesting British cultural imperialism in Jamaica, 1865-1920. Kingston: University of West Indies Press. O'Brian, P. (2007). World History: An Illustrated Guide. London: Star Fire. Othman, W. (2004). The Monitoring and Management of Ethnic Relations in Malaysia. In R. F. Farnen, Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Identity: Cross National and Comparative Perspectives (pp. 35-36). New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Price, G. W. (1995/1996). The Impact of Nationalism on Joint Force Planning. Joint Force Quarterly , 20-24.Rajan, B. , & Sauer, E. (2004). Imperialisms: Historical and Literary Investigations, 1500-1900. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Schalit, J. (2002). The anti-capitalism reader: imagining a geography of opposition. New York: Akashic Books. Sim, S. (1998). Spectres of Nostalgia: Post-Marxism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Tomlinso n, J. (1991). Cultural Imperialism. London: Continuum. Whitaker, U. (1960). Nationalism and International Progress. San Francisco: Howard Chandler. Willbanks, J. H. (2007). The Tet Offensive: A Concise History. New York: Columbia University Press.

Evaluate the claim that personal identity is self- defined Essay

Your identity is what makes you who you are and what makes you unique as an individual and different from other people. Identities are not static but dynamic and constantly changing. A personal identity is made up of several different aspects, and can be defined by culture (nationality, religion and gender) as well as family and career. Your identity is defined by how you see yourself and also by how you are seen by others. It is part given and part taken and also can be something we are born with. In some instances an identity may be something you are given and may not be through choice. I am going to look at what makes a personal identity and is it self-defined and made without the assistance of anyone else. I am also going to compare the opinion of the theorists Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freud and I will be using the case findings of the research project into becoming a mother for the first time and more importantly the case of Silma and her experiences, this was a research program me which included detailed interviews as well as observational research. There are numerous ways in which our Identity can change, for example our bodies change and how we look alters as we get older but our appearance and our bodies can also be changed by choice for example hair colour, cosmetic surgery etc. (chapter 4, Exploring Social Lives) Our identities also change through practices and when there is an upset to our normal routines and we need to establish new ones or learn new skills, this also has an impact on our identity. This is the case when practices turn into routines and we no longer need to think about doing them as they become second nature. Finally we also experience relationship changes where our views on who we think we are is influenced by the opinions of other people and how they see us. We become who we are and modify ourselves through the way others treat us and respond to us. This is witnessed when a woman becomes a mother, she may be treated differently by her parents as a result of moving to parenthood herself. This was the claim for theorist Erik Erikson who studied that our identity changes are influenced by past experiences, the moment-by-moment activities and relationships we have daily. This is spanned over a lifetime and although can happen at any time, Erikson defined 8 stages in which identity is transformed in unique ways, as transition was not a smooth process, these stages he called â€Å"identity crises†. These stages were seen as times when conflict was introduced, conflict is contending with happenings in everyday life that stops life running as smoothly as before. Conflict is being faced with choices, feeling confused and although he uses the example of passing from adolescence into adulthood it could also mean becoming middle aged, old or moving into parenthood. (chapter 4, Exploring Social Lives) Everyone experiences conflicts and in turn experiencing conflicts make us who we are and give us an identity One way our identity can change is through identification, which is what it is called when we â€Å"try on† someone else’s persona. We try on other people’s identity and see life through their eyes and empathise with how they felt at a certain time, for example when you become a mother you can empathise and understand how other mothers feel. This was the case with Liyanna, she used to look at pictures of her mother with her sister and the mother daughter relationship meant nothing to her, however now she is a mother herself she looks at the photo differently and can identify with the love and the emotion her mother was feeling when the photo was taken. She says that now she looks at the photo and â€Å"she knows exactly what her mum was feeling†, she sees her mother in a new light and because of her own experiences can now put herself in her mother’s shoes. She is now identifying with her mother. The theorist Billig looks at identification and associates it with groups of people and how they are connected by the common quality or interest that they share. Sigmund Freud also claims that identification is the expression of an emotional tie with another person, an identity can be borrowed from someone else. The theory suggests that there are two kinds of identification, projection which is the message we give off and introjection which is the messages we take in. Both are done unintentionally and unconsciously to furnish ones identity. (chapter 4, Exploring Social Lives). All these theories can be backed up by the case study completed on first time mothers and in particular Silma’s case. Silma’s identity begins to change with practices, she has had to learn a whole new routine which will need to adapt as her baby grows. She also has a new relationship to establish as mother and daughter with her new baby, the relationship with her husband and family will also change. Silma has also to deal with the conflict of becoming a new mother, this conflict between being the â€Å"indulged eldest daughter† to motherhood and also between pleasing yourself and having to put your baby first are all aspects of defining her new identity. Silma is also seen differently not only by her neighbours but also by her family and in particular her aunts and her sister. Silma feels she is treated with more respect by her aunts and is now welcomed into their group as a mother. This is a generational shift for Silma and where she once thought of her aunts as boring who only talked about babies she now finds this interesting and likes to stay around them and can actually relate to them and now sees herself more like them. Silma also starts to behave differently and sees herself differently because people are treating her differently. Silma admits that she has left her wild days behind and become more mature and motherly and spends more time with her family. This has also had an effect on her choice of clothes and prior to becoming a mother Silma preferred to wear jeans but now she is a mother her choice of clothing is now the traditional salwaar kameez, she refers to these clothes as â€Å"normal† and now feels less comfortable in jeans. Silma received several gifts of salwaar kameez for her birthday after becoming a mother which may have encouraged her decision. Silma’s new identity has also caused conflict with her sister who now sees her as becoming like her aunts and gives Silma a hard time for being boring and because she prefers the aunts company. Silma has also taken on the identity as a mother and this is implemented in her concern for her younger sister and the way she behaves, she worries that by staying out late she may get hurt but in actual fact this was the same way Silma used to behave prior  to becoming a mother. Silma’s sister makes reference to the fact that Silma â€Å"used to be worse than me† but Silma puts this down to her having changed. Silma talks about meeting up with old friends at McDonalds and although we cannot assume that she would wear the salwaar kameez this is a clear distinction of how Silma has changed and her new identity as a mother is the dominant one. We have looked at various theories on what makes up personal identity and it is clear that self- definition on its own is not sufficient. Personal identity is made up through interacting with others and through projection and introjection, it’s a two way thing people see you differently so you behave differently. When we use identification it can only be done through another person to allow you to identify, this is not self-defined as you need another person to be able to do it. You need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and yourself definition shifts when you look at someone else. Also some identities are already defined by others and you are moved into this social category without choice, as was the case for Silma when she became a mother, this identity is social and it is defined by how a mother should behave. If we require others to create our identity then our personal identity cannot be self-defined.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Mass Media and Its Influence in Shaping Ideas Essay

Dramatic advances in mass communication and transportation during the past 50 years have truly created a global village; a mass society. Things occurring anywhere are now quickly known everywhere. Mass media both overwhelm us with information and help us to sort it out. The development of mass media has had a great influence on our lives. We have come to depend on it for information and so forth. In doing so, we allowed it to affect important aspects of our lives. Media, why is it has been a hot topic of discussion in our nowadays society? We find that in our country, Malaysia, the mass media plays a very crucial role in influencing and changing the thinking of our current society. Taking this one issue as an example; the issue that has been a viral recently, which is Public Resurrection Rally or also known as Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat. Apart of being famously spread through media in internet such as online news and videos, surely the main mass media including television, radio and newspaper also made a wide coverage on this issue no matter they are supporting it or not. However, for sure when they differ in their goals and interests, hence the way they report about the issues also differ. This different ways of reporting thus causes varying acceptance in society. Quoting one finding by Shanto Iyengar in his book entitle ‘Is Anyone Responsible? ’ while he was doing an evaluation on the effects brought by news on television concerning political issues, he found that the carriage of the issue through the news on the TV has developed an understanding of the general public towards the political problems occurred. Meaning to say here, it could be the media who the one creating the issue permitted, or it could be media too who provides the solution for it. We cannot deny the enormity of the power and influence of the media in shaping the flow of thinking of our society. When there is only one issue raised by the media, then the issue will also be followed by the society either through their leisure or through serious discussion, through their words, as well as through their status shared on Facebook or Twitter. And that’s why, Iyenger again mentioned together with his friend; Donald Kinder in ‘News That Matters’, â€Å"when television news focuses on a problem, the public’s priorities are altered, and altered again as television news moves on to something new. † Sometimes, the issue raised is only one. However, different ways of putting up the stories may cause different way of viewpoint. It may be that with dealing on an issue will make people have a good look toward one party or side. Meanwhile, it can also be that with another way of handling an issue may causes people to have bad sentiment at one side. Mass media, if they are honest, thus the true way of thinking can be mould among the society. Conversely, if they deviate and go off from the principle they should be, then so goes the pattern of thinking that will exist in the community. Thinking of how great is the influence of media in determining the current mindset of society; media thus should be honest and trustworthy in carrying any issue or theme into the community. Seeing the reality of nowadays media, it is not easy for them to stand as a natural institution or unequivocal to any party. When the media were in favour of any party, then the way they play with an issue or problem will always favour to the side they support. Sometimes, mistakes and glares made by the side supported no matter how big would it be are usually hidden or removed by creating offense related to the other side which have different ideology or schools of thought. Any media if it is used for the benefit of one party, surely it will be a mouthpiece of the party. Hence, all reports, news, issues taken will surely favour them. Media should act as a tool to educate the community. Media plays an important role in developing the mindset of society, whether to form a good and clean mindset or the other way around. Media should not be exploited to manipulate people to have the wrong way of thinking. The effect will lead to duping of the society itself.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Business Ethics and Deontology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Ethics and Deontology - Essay Example Business Ethics and Deontology Most businesses deal with problems and constraints instead of prime movers of ethical business. In this study, we are going to give a critical analysis of a business problem using deontological ethics as discussed below. Step 1, The three major ethical problems raised in the WorldCom case include, corporate strategy of growth through acquisition, use of loans to senior executives, threat to corporate governance created by chumminess and lack of arms length dealing. Step 2, Evaluating WorldCom’s ethical problems using the deontological framework. This framework entails undertaking of duties with the right motives. It is a philosophy developed by Immanuel Kant. His theory is considered deontological for reasons such as acting in the morally right way suggest that people act from duty and lastly Kant says that it is the motives of the person and not the consequences. Corporate strategy of growth through acquisition We have many models different kinds of governance in the world. T he difference comes due to the variety of capitalism in which they are formed. Liberal model tends to give priority to shareholders interest while the coordinated models recognizes other stakeholders interest such as workers, managers, customers, suppliers and community (Penrose, 2009.). Each model has an advantage. In view to WorldCom ethical, Bernie Ebbers who was considered to be colorful and likable had nothing to show after the collapse of WorldCom. Achieving position as a significant player in the telecommunication sector through the successful completion of 65 acquisitions was deontological. This is because only two of the acquired were significant. Total accumulated debt amounted to $41billion due to acquisitions. As Chief Executive Officer it was advisable to only make acquisitions of companies that were very significant at that particular time. This would have made the company free from the big debts the company has. As much as a business strategy was a success at that tim e with the continued rise in the stock market, the manager should not have used this as a driving tool for business to enable him purchase other companies. During this all process of mergers and acquisitions there was managerial challenges in two areas. That is management dealing with integrating new and old organizations. This evident when the British telecommunication corporation made a bid of $19 billion and there was a quick response of countering the offer by Ebber to $30. In addition to this, Ebber also agreed to assume $5billion in MCI debt making the deal $35. It is time consuming because of its involvement in planning and managerial attention. There is also a challenge in accounting for financial aspects in the acquisition e.g. accounting for assets, debts and goodwill. This process illustrates areas where management did not address well. For instance, Ebber was an indifferent executive who did not pay attention to operation details. A good example is the deterioration of c ustomer service and it was evident when a customer contacted customer service was discontinued incorrectly. The company was not up to the task of merging the different companies acquired. The effect of poor integration of acquired companies include little effort by management to develop a cooperative mindset among various units, closure of three important MCI services that helped in maintenance of network and opening twelve inefficient and duplicate centers.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Development and business potential of automobile industry Essay

Development and business potential of automobile industry - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the Chinese automobile industry is one of the most diversified yet compact industries of the world. In comparison to the global automobile region, China has developed high standards of performance for its automobile segment. Since 2008, China has topped the charts for being the highest producer of automobile units and has crossed the European Union, USA, and Japan with their efficient automobile management processes. The production process of the Chinese automobile segment is mainly performed by establishing relationships between the local and foreign firms. Global automotive brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, etc have established their manufacturing units in China for increasing their output. However, the primary market for the local automobile companies of China such as Great Wall, Beijing Automotive Group, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, Geely, etc still remains the Chinese market. The history of Chinese au tomobile segment started before the Second World War. The first Chinese produced vehicle was a truck which was developed and used for military purposes. According to Oliver, Holweg, and Luo, most of the public transport and luxury vehicles used in China prior to the Second World War were imported from abroad or made within the country by manufacturing units of Multinational Companies. Jones noted that most of MNCs entered China for leveraging the benefit of low labor cost in comparison to the high-end labors of Europe or Japan.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

None - Essay Example Glass camera is a new concept in the market whereby a person wears the gadget on the face similar to a Smartphone. The glass camera fundamentally transforms all human interactions including getting driving directions, check mail, and even make calls. This hands-free gadget projects images onto a transparent screen suspended in front of the eyes. The gadget stimulates the inner eye through vibration, using this gadget is similar to being naked with a machine with synapses and wires combined. Glass camera is a head-mounted computer and it has a microphone, a camera, as a result seeing, and hearing what the person sees and hears. However, this gadget not meant for recording daily activities like other cameras is a smart device for alerting messages, answering questions, and provides driving directions. This gadget can take pictures without raising alarm because a person only needs to press the button on the side of the device and start instant recording. This glass has a processor although in the cloud, and accesses internet through an internal Wi-Fi. With the help of a Bluetooth, this gadget can share a person’s mobile data and a bone conduction transducer helps in receiving the sound. As a result, this is a credible gadget for any consumer especially on the road. Glass camera efficiently gives the driver directions without necessarily having to use both hands to get direct the information. In other words, this gadget may reduce road accidents caused by drivers searching for directions from other hands-on gadget. Technology is on the increase and Glass camera is not only flashy, but also classic. Everyone can use this gadget at the comfort of his or her homes or offices. The Glass camera may have a better advantage to people with poor vision. As a result, this gadget may become a head-mounted eye for this group of people. On the other hand, the gadget has many opportunities for scientific, industrial, and medical applications. It

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Failures in Scope Control when Developing a Web Portal for EBazar.com Essay

Failures in Scope Control when Developing a Web Portal for EBazar.com - Essay Example Problems have emerged, however, that have not allowed the projects to progress smoothly into phases of development that are needed to stay current and continue to evolve in relationship to trends and competition. The problem of scope has been determined to be the primary issue in developing IT projects for the firm, scope creep being a serious issue as every project for IT expansion has experienced change that comes from allowing individual departments the ability to add to the project in ways that lay decidedly outside of their original scope. The following report discusses how scope and the consequences of scope in relationship to time and cost are relevant to the efficient development of projects under the project manager for the firm. Without developing good practices in quality project management in relationship to defining and maintaining scope, the past problems will continue to plague future projects for EBazar.com and the position of project manager will be operating at a lo wer level of quality that is needed to serve the needs of the project. 2. Web-Portal Project A web portal is defined as a way for business to create a consistency in how their site operates, providing for procedures that use multiple applications and databases which would not otherwise be able to be tied together. Web portals are classified generally in two different states: either horizontal or vertical. A horizontal portal provides for several entities to be tied together within the website space. A vertical portal, which can also be termed a ‘vortal’, is specific entry into information that is relevant to a set of related topics, or even just one specific topic. This can also be defined by the concept of the vertical information portal (VIP) which will provide news and editorial content, publications, and e-commerce together through the use of dynamic multi-media applications which include blogging and social networking (Lazar 2001, p. 4). The purpose of creating a w eb portal is to allow a user to have multiple accesses to the site through a single sign-in function. Aggregation of content is an important part of the efficiency with which a website works, which is essential for an e-commerce operation. Through designing this portal for EBazar.com, the gap between the company and the consumer will be reduced, allowing smoother operations to produce higher firm performance (Al Zabar 2008, p. 12). 2.1Ready Made Versus Custom Design One of the most important problems to be addressed in creating a web portal is in making sure that it provides control of access to data that is presented available to the consumer. The heart of control for a web portal is the ability to customize the use of widgets so that content users can create customization without compromising speed and security. When using ASP.NET, as an example, the default page allows widgets to be added and subtracted without having to refresh (Al Zabar 2008, p. 12). Capacities to use ready-mad e software in order to create the portal that was needed for EBazar.com was discarded in favour of customizing the project so that it would reflect the unique nature of the business. This required an extensive project in which the scope of the project was initially limited through the current definitions of the web parts

Monday, September 9, 2019

Romantic Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Romantic Literature - Essay Example The evolution of the style of romantic literature was borne out of the need of many writers to express their inner thoughts in a way that is characterized by freedom, imagination, as well as creativity, without the impediment of following normal human logic. As a result, many romantic works such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto bear situations that are not realistic, even during the time that these works were published. While these two works are entirely different, one is a poem while the other is a novel, what ties these two together is the creation of suspense as far as the main characters of the stories or narratives are concerned. The succession of events may not be as clear as logic to predict, thus adding a sense of uncertainty to what could possibly happen to the protagonists, the antagonists, or both. In the course of this analysis, these two important works from the Romanticist era of litera ture would be used to illustrate how the combination of the use of imaginary settings as well as adding a feeling of uncertainty in behalf of the characters not only appeal to the senses of the readers but also draw them into their lives and shoes, as well as being able to see the triumphs, the losses, and other emotions of the cast as real emotions that are valid in their given situations. Real Emotions in Surreal Situations In comparing the first chapter of The Castle of Otranto to the summary of the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, it can be seen that the settings of the narratives are surreal or even imaginary. However, the characters are portrayed as ordinary people, without any superpowers or whatnot. This puts real people in unreal or surreal situations. In the case of the Ancient Mariner and the rest of the crew of the ship, they felt real terror when they saw the ghost ship with Death and Night-mare Life-in-Death: Are those her ribs through which the Sun Did peer, as t hrough a grate? And is that Woman all her crew Is that a Death? And are there two? Is Death that woman’s mate? (Coleridge 11). The writer vividly described the people or apparitions aboard the appearing ship in order to help the reader visualize the passengers of the ghost ship. A few lines after the description of the passengers of the ghost ship came the terror that the mariner and his shipmates felt after Death and Night-mare Life-in-Death decided which souls they would take as their own, We listened and looked sideways up! Fear at my heart, as at a cup My life-blood seemed to sip! (Coleridge 11). To put it bluntly, the mariner felt as if his blood has totally drained away after hearing that the souls of all passengers of their marooned ship would be taken away. It can be likened to how a person would feel when facing immediate danger or seeing it approach, where time seems to stand still and it would feel like there is no other choice but to die. The same feeling of terro r is also depicted in the character Isabella when she was being pursued by Prince Manfred in the first chapter of The Castle of Otranto: â€Å"Words cannot paint the horror of the Princess’

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Analytical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Analytical - Essay Example By understanding the effect of Confucianism on the culture of the people in china, we will be able to identify how the people in china think and relate with one another as compared to the western culture (Rainey, 100). Confucianism was developed on religion foundation with asn intention of establishing social values, transcendent and institutional ideas in the culture of the people in china. Master Kong was the founder of Confucianism. He however did not intent to develop a new religion but to revive and interpret the kind of religion presented by Zhou dynasty. Confucianism is either viewed as religion or philosophy. The approach encompasses humanism and neither slights nor denied heaven. The approach has impacted on the political nature and the spiritual life of many Chinese people (Zhang & Schwartz, 50). Confucius teaching has been followed by the people in china for many years. Its influence has been extended to neighboring regions like Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Confucianism has greatly influenced the way of life and the culture of the Chinese people. Most of the teaching of Confucius are still upheld and practiced in china to date. During the recent Olympics that was held in china, in the year 2008, a quote from Confucius was used when kicking off the ceremony (Rainey, 120). A performance was also presented by the Chinese community dressed in Confucius discipline. All these show the impact of his teaching on the culture of the people in china. Even though most of the temples in the china have been named after him, western people perceive it as not being a religion. There are no priests, god, churches or shrines and no one in china has been associated with the name Confucianist. He was more of a philosopher than a statesmanship. He lived during a period that china experienced a lot of conflicts and chaos. The question that existed at that time was to find better way of putting the

Saturday, September 7, 2019

HRM of Apple Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

HRM of Apple Company - Assignment Example The organization chosen for this coursework assignment is Apple Company. This organization is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and personal computers. The most famous products of the company are Macintosh computers, iPods, iPad, iPhones, etc.It was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, in the year 1976 and incorporated on January 3rd in the year 1977. The company was called as Apple Computer, Inc. for nearly 30 years of its incorporation and later computer was removed from the company’s name for its ongoing expansion in designing and producing new products. The company by the year 2010 has nearly 284 retail stores operating in ten countries and an online store where the software and hardware products are sold. It also sells and delivers digital content through its application stores. The products are sold through worldwide retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force, other third parties, and value-adde d resellers. This company ranks as the tenth largest company in the world. This organization has employed 80,000 people worldwide of which majority hail from the US. Apple Company serves its customers by offering a broader range of services and products which include mobile communication and other technological and sophisticated gadgets which attract more consumers in purchasing. Besides these services and products, the Apple Company offers its characteristic software products. Task 1 a. The differences between personnel and human resource management Personnel management deals with people employed and its management; and HRM deals with managing employee skills, acquaintance, abilities and aptitudes. Personal management views employees as a money-making or profitable man where he offers his services and gets paid in the form of wage/salary. Therefore, it views employee as equipment which can be purchased and utilized. On the other hand HRM considers employees to be not only economic but also as social and psychological. This approach regards employee as a complete man and are viewed as a reserve or source for his services rendered. Personnel management considers employees as charge centre and hence expenses of employment are maintained by the management whereas in HRM employees are treated as profit centres and hence put in capital for human resources development and future effectiveness. Personnel management uses employees for organizational benefits while HRM uses them for the multiple mutual benefits of the organization, employees and the family members. HRM is a function of strategic management and it lays much emphasis on strategic fit and integration (Armstrong, 2006, p. 19), while in personnel management, personnel functions are considered supplementary. The HRM functions in terms of its contribution to organizational purpose. Managerial functions and Operational functions together constitute to the Human Resource Management functions. Managerial functions include Planning, Organizing, Directing and Controlling. All these functions are important towards the contribution to organizational purpose. The operational functions include Employment, Human Resource development (HRD), Compensation and Human Relations. b. The role and responsibilities of a line manager The line manager plays an important role in the Apple Company. The responsibilities in the performance and development system are diverse and require varying skills for effective management. The line authority is direct authority exercised by a supervisor or manager over his subordinates so that his orders and instructions are carries out in a proper manner. A line manager is considered as generalist of an organization, who directs his subordinates and delegates authority and has power to vote. He makes the operating decisions and bears the final responsibility. The role manager has to motivate his employees, subordinates to work effectively and maximize the potential by identification and