Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poes The Cask Of Amontillado

Throughout the world of literary works, different elements differentiate one author from another. Poe, he was unique; one could recognize his work through his unique style. Edgar Allan Poe had a unique writing style and expressed this through the use of dashes, first person point of view and dialogue. Dialogue tends to be a major element Poe uses to convey a message or feeling. His use of dialogue can be found in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† when he writes; Nitre? he asked, at length.Nitre, I replied. How long have you had that cough? (Poe 43-44).This use of dialogue shows that Poe uses it to add detail about how the Montresor was trying to convince Nitre that he was sick. By convincing him of this through dialogue, Poe adds†¦show more content†¦For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it.† (Poe 2). Using first person in this story conveys the narrator’s motive for killing the old man. In this case, the narrator wanted to kill the man because of how his eye bothered the narrator. One could conclude that Poe uses first person point of view to develop motives, feelings and plot based off the provided evidence. Poe often uses dashes to add detail, show succession and add rhythm or pauses. In the story â€Å"Silence† Poe writes; â€Å"And the heaven became livid with the violence of the tempest --and the rain beat upon the head of the man --and the floods of the river came down --and the river was tormented into foam --and the water-lilies shrieked within their beds --and the forest crumbled before the wind --and the thunder rolled, --and the lightning fell --and the rock rocked to its foundation.† (Poe 10). This use of dashes in this text shows that Poe used them to show how things quickly turned bad and into chaos. Which shows how the use of dashes in this case demonstrates that Poe uses dashes to show succession. Poe uses dashes in â€Å"The Black Cat† to add detail. â€Å"Pluto -- this was the cats name -- was my favorite pet and playmate.† (Poe 5). He uses dashes in this context to describe more about the cat rather than just leaving the reader wondering. T he purpose behind Poe’s use of dashes can be simplyShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s The Cask Of Amontillado1232 Words   |  5 PagesPoe’s Irony To develop the analytical paper about the text â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe, some sources will be used to support the thesis statement, which is â€Å"The author uses irony in the text to illustrate the murder of Fortunado by Montresor, who seeks salvation through death†. Also, there is going to be an analysis on the irony found in the text in relation with the story. To support this thesis, I am going to use some examples from some sources such as â€Å"Literary analysis: IronyRead MoreFor the Love of God, Poe! Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesIt is not at all surprising that so many of Edgar Allan Poe’s works explore such themes as death, eyes, the power of the dead over the power of the living, retribution, the human conscience, and especially death and murder. From his disturbingly morbid short story â€Å"The Telltale Heart† to the mysteriously supernatural poem â€Å"The Raven†, Poe’s tales are a direct byproduct of the mayhem experienced in his life, as well as his (arguably) psychologically-tormented mind. Though all of this author’s piecesRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1575 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Montresor plots and kills an unwary friend/foe during carnival time for motives that are unclear. The author of this tale, Edgar Allan Poe, influenced by his somewhat tragic life and one of the most influential Gothic writers, uses symbolism and irony to show the multitude of complicated motives of the narrator in his famous horror story. Upon examining Edgar Allan Poe’s life, one is not surprised that he chooses to write such gloomy and sinister stories. Poe’s life isRead MoreThe Final Days of Edgar Allan Poe by Roger Francis 1732 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the nineteenth-century. Poe’s short stories posses the recurring themes of death, murder and his narrators often show signs of mental instability, like the old man in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and Montressor in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. Since tragedy was prominent throughout Poe’s life, his work reflects the darkness ingrained by continuously being faced with adversity. Poe’s mental stability also comes into question whenRead MoreThe Cask of Amontialldo1026 Words   |  5 PagesNever Have Too Much Pride The insult had been done, and Montresor was out for revenge on Fortunato. Not a soul but Montresor knew what the insult may have been, but this is what makes the short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe. The story is about a man, Montresor, who receives a wine that Fortunato, the wine expert, is looking for. During a carnival, Montresor persuades Fortunato to take him to his personal wine cellars, located in the catacombs. Fortunato became impaired, MontresorRead MoreRole of Realism in Edagar Allan Poe ´s The Tell Tale Heart and The Cask of Amortillado1014 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† written by Edgar Allan Poe are dark short stories relevant to murder, revenge, and mystery. Poe writes both stories in a Gothic style in order to deal with ideas of realism. One may ask were the murders and punishments justifiable in either short story? One may also ask did Poe accurately depict realism in each story? Realism, defined as a t echnique in literature that accurately represents everyday life, is questioned in Poe’s works: â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Cask ofRead MoreThe Analysis Of Montresor’S Madness. One Of1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Analysis of Montresor’s Madness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most critically-acclaimed short stories, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† is well-known  ­for covering one of the you used one of the twice in one sentence most intriguing topics: retaliation.   The author, Edgar Allan Poe, lived an interesting life full of alcoholism and drug-addiction, but still managed to write many unforgettable pieces.   like what? In this short story, Edgar Allan Poe focuses on Montresor and his determination to exact revengeRead MoreRevenge in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillad Essay1395 Words   |  6 PagesRevenge in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillado In the story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, he writes about a man named Montressor who for some reason (one that we do not know) vows revenge on a well respected and even feared guy named Fortunato, to better understand the story though you will want to know about the author Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Allen Poe has been a hugeRead MoreThe Oval Portrait By Edgar Allan Poe1490 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories Edgar Allan Poe is a much known author. He is known for writing dark and mysterious stories and poems. â€Å"His imaginative storytelling led to literary innovations, earning him the nickname Father of the Detective Story (Edgar Allan Poe Biography.com). When writing stories he wanted the readers to have that one emotion or feeling when reading his writing. Poe has very many stories he is known for two of those short stories being; â€Å"The Oval Portrait† and â€Å"The Cask ofRead MoreEssay on Revenge in The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe746 Words   |  3 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is one of the most celebrated literary authors of all time, known for writing very suspenseful, dramatic short stories and a poet; is considered as being a part of the American Romantic Movement, and a lesser known opinion is he is regarded as the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. Most recognized for his mystery and macabre, a journey into the dark, ghastly stories of death, deceptio n and revenge is what makes up his reputation. The short story under analysis is a part of his

Foster Care Research Free Essays

This paper is a summary of what research has been done in the field of foster care. It will focus on foster care social workers, foster care parents, children in foster care, etc. In this work there will also be reference to aspects of adoption and foster care together. We will write a custom essay sample on Foster Care Research or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper will encompass all parties affected by foster care and will ultimately talk about what qualities are expected of social workers who work in foster care. ?America is facing daily challenges when it comes to abortion, children with no place to go, the foster care system, adoption agencies, social services department, and just ultimately not knowing how to continue to better such a large amount a people who continue to multiply. Foster Care Social Workers are a unique group of people who try to help these children with no place to go and helps mothers to be to make the right choice in regards to having their baby and considering foster care and adoption rather than abortion. It is these individuals that some others look up to and may hope to be.These workers have the behind the scenes jobs by mentoring children and foster families. The sad fact is that most of the time these workers are overlooked and not seen as the gracious and helpful people they are. In hopes of working in this field in the future one should do research on foster care social workers, foster families, adoption since they are linked, children aging out of the foster care system, etc. As a foster care social worker there are qualities that one should possess such as having an interest in not only the child but also how the foster family they go to are managing.When a social worker helps the child get into a home and drops out of the situation without following up the child feels abandoned once again in life and the families that take those children in can get overwhelmed with challenges yet to come. Social workers, who work with foster care, should also be easy to contact and responsive when contacted. By being easy to contact the child or family can feel secure in the relationship they have with that social worker and have a trust in the social worker to be helpful and be there for them as a whole.A very important quality when it comes to a social worker following through is that they should always do what they say they are going to do, when this is not done insecurity rises in the relationship between the social worker, child, and foster family that is hard to fix. When working with children in the foster care this is also very important because a social worker should never become like all the rest of the people in that child’s past that didn’t follow through. Another important asset a social worker should have is being prepared to listen and offer encouragement. Encouragement is a gift that is given to particular people as a spiritual gift, but this does not mean other who may not â€Å"have† this gift can’t encourage another; it may just be harder for them to find the words. A social worker must choose to be an encouragement and not the opposite. The social worker must also take account of the family’s needs and circumstances, he or she cannot just place a child in a home without seeing what the family’s needs are. For the child, the social worker must attend to interests and needs and involve the foster family in this whenever it is appropriate.By doing this both the child and foster family will see that the child is your first concern, but by adding in the families when possible it shows that the social worker wants to work together with all parties. Some other important qualities would be ensuring that all payments, complaints, etc. will be processed as soon as possible and the social worker keeping the family informed and included in the planning. All of these qualities are those that foster families brought forth in an article written by Terry Fisher, Ian Gibbs, Ian Sinclair, and Kate Wilson titled â€Å"Sharing the care: the qualities sought of social workers by foster carers. â€Å"To meet these criteria social workers will no doubt need to have the qualities described by Sellick (1999). He suggests that foster carers seek social workers who are ` . . . energetic, reliable and flexible, in addition to being friendly on the one hand and knowledgeable on the other. † (Sharing the care. 231. ) By being a social worker with the above qualities will help direct the child in a positive way and will stir them from the possible negative aspects that Lita Linzer Schwartz writes about in her article â€Å"Aspects of adoption and foster care. In her article she writes that there are many positive possible settings and outcomes for children in foster care but she stresses what negative can come from it also. â€Å"The emphasis herein is on the effects on the child involved in terms of positive and negative factors, such as inept social services, emotional attachment to the new ‘parents’ in foster placements, legal rights of the adults vs. the child’s well-being, and the possibility of PTSD in the child as an adult as an outcome of adverse experiences in foster care of adoptive situations. This statement comes from the conclusion of her article and these negative factors can be deferred by simply showing interest in the child and the foster family. In a nother one of Schwartz’s articles, titled â€Å"Foster Care and Social Services,† she states that social workers should be personally involved with the child in foster care and their foster families. In â€Å"Growing up in foster care: providing a secure base through adolescence† Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek come with five important dimensions that make up a secure base for a child in foster care; they include this visual in their article.The first dimension discussed is availability and this is helping the child to trust the social worker. The second dimension is sensitivity and just like availability is helping a child to trust sensitivity is about helping the child to manage his or her feelings and behavior. The third dimension written is acceptance and this is all about the social worker building up the child’s self-esteem. The fourth dimension is cooperation and this is about helping the child to feel effective in everything in his or her life. The fifth and final dimension is family membership, this is a big one.This dimension is all about helping the child to belong and feel like they belong. All five of these dimensions are very helpful apart from each other, but in order to have the best possible secure base for the child a social worker must work on all five. One of the final big helps a social worker can give a child in foster care is educating them on what happens when he or she ages out. This does not mean that the social worker will not be involved anymore; it will just be a different relationship after the child ages out.In the article â€Å"Pathways to and from homelessness and associated psychosocial outcomes among adolescents Leaving the Foster Care System† Patrick Fowler, Paul Toro, and Bart Miles do a study about housing for foster children when they age out of the system and conclude that the â€Å"Foster Care Independence Act funding should be increased, and incentives should be built into funding procedures to encourage states to use available funds on housing programs† in order to ensure that those exiting the system complete a â€Å"stabl e transition to adulthood. After researching into a field of interest such as social work one must think about how they would impact others such on different levels such as individuals, families, society, and globally. When it comes to social work, especially when working with those children who may not feel wanted, an impact is made and there is a lot of work that goes into it to make it a positive impact. Individuals are impacting through social work through being one that is helped and had needs met. Families are affected in the same way when they are in need, but when they are not the one in need and someone living with them is they are affected in a way of being able to see it and learn from it. This also goes for society and globally, if more people just wanted to help others in need the world would be affected, it already is. How amazing would it be if was so much more than it was right now, though? ? Bibliography Fisher, Terry; Gibbs, Ian; Sinclair, Ian; Wilson, Kate . (2000). Sharing the Care: The Qualities Sought of Social Workers by Foster Carers. Child and Family Social Work. Vol. 5. 225- 233. Fowler, Patrick J. Toro, Paul A. ; Miles, Bart W. (2009). Pathways To and From Homelessness and Associated Psychosocial Outcomes Among Adolescents Leaving the Foster Care System. American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 99, Issue 8. Page 1453-1458. Schofield, Gillian; Beek, Mary. (2009). Growing up in Foster Care: Providing a Secure Base Through Adolescence. Child Family Social Work. Vol. 14, 255-266. Schwartz, Lita Linzer. (2008) Aspects of Adoption and Foster Care. The Journal of Psychiatry Law. Vol. 36. 153-169. Schwartz, Lita Linzer. (2008) Foster Care and Social Services. The Journal of Psychiatry Law. Vol. 36. 609-615. How to cite Foster Care Research, Essays

Organisational Behaviour for Scattered Geographical Locations

Question: Discuss about theOrganisational Behaviour for Scattered Geographical Locations. Answer: Introduction In order to establish a successful virtual meeting, it is imperative to take care about certain key points. Since there are least chances of having face-to-face conversations to sort out misunderstandings, the managing director must adhere to certain practices while conducting a virtual meeting. The practices that needs to be adapted are discussed below: Our scattered geographical locations Since the lead of the proposed team are from different geographical locations only a virtual meeting will be able to make a proper team coordination. The business head will maintain a continuous focus to the fact that the future meetings are arranged in such a way that it does not harm the private times of our lead members. From the companys end special care would be taken so that all the leads of the team provides their consent in accord to their own preferences. The good part of carrying on a virtual meeting is that the employees would not need to travel so far into other countries. This travelling would not only save time but also at the same time will also save unnecessary expenses and thus, save companys capital (Majchrzak et al. 2014). Meeting challenges Our major members are from different geographical locations. As such, it is quite normal that apart from the timing issue the members would also be facing language constraints. The members are from Mumbai, Sydney, New York and Beijing. Since all the different parts that the business leads are chosen from follow various culture and language practices, it may turn a bit difficult to converse in virtual meetings. It is imperative to understand the ideas and innovation skills of the member. In order to do that, it has been decided that the company will create its own website and design its own video chatting software (Binder 2016). The software will be containing preinstalled translator and all the speech would be auto translated in comfortable language of the leads. This approach would be reducing language problem to a great extent. Handling cross conversations On any given day, there would be minimum four members from Mumbai, Sydney, New York and apart from that the managing director would also be joining he discussion. In such a situation, there is no iota of doubt that there will be clashes among ideas. Other factors like the arguments and debates are no less to mention. In such conditions others leaders may overlook the arguments and statements of the leaders. There may be chaos and discrepancy in thoughts. Such situations if not handled skillfully may turn grave. In order to prevent situations like that the company has decided that it would design the meeting in a different way (Hoch and Kozlowski 2014). That is all the leads and the members will be given chance to speak, counter question, justify their speeches and argue if needed. There will be time slots divided equally among the leads to place their points. Perception of deadlines Once again, the scattered geographical location comes into account. The time zones are different and as such a 5pm deadline would mean different time at the other places. The admin needs to be tactful while allocating the deadlines. The company will also take in to account that the deadlines are not adjusted in ways so that any particular country gets only overnight time to get the work done. The company has decided that the work allocated will be in moderation. Time of whole units, that is 24 hrs or 48 hours will be given to the leads to suggest ideologies for a particular project. Most of the projects will be of long deadlines. However, if there are projects of shorter deadlines the company will take concern that the leads are comfortable with the deadlines. At times, if there are urgency of projects that needs to be get done. In such emergency situations, the leads or the lead that will be handling the projects will be given leave for the next day. The leads will also be having th e benefit of taking bonus in exchange of leave in such critical cases (Nemiro 2016). Conclusion It can thus be concluded that though virtual meeting has certain benefits yet it also has some strong constraints. The key constraints that virtual meetings can have are discussed and the possible recommendations and solutions has also been discussed. If the mentioned solutions are taken into consideration, virtual meetings would be largely successful. Reference List Binder, J., 2016.Global project management: communication, collaboration and management across borders. Routledge. Hoch, J.E. and Kozlowski, S.W., 2014. Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.Journal of applied psychology,99(3), p.390. Majchrzak, A., Rice, R., King, N., Malhotra, A. and Ba, S., 2014. Computer-mediated inter-organizational knowledge-sharing: Insights from a virtual team innovating using a collaborative tool. Nemiro, J.E., 2016. Connection in creative virtual teams.Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management,2(2).

Vandy Religion Essay Essays - Biblical People In Islam,

Vandy Religion Essay I have been around religion all my life, but only recently has it become important to me. I find this ironic, because I recently transferred to a public DODDS school from a small, private Catholic school. Only after I was removed from the Catholic school environment did I begin to see what religion really is. I came to the Catholic school system in Leavenworth, Kansas in the fifth grade. Before that time, I was na?ve; I barely knew any swear words and all I knew about sex was that I was interested in cute boys. Ironically, it was this time, all through and every year after fifth grade that I was subjected to and learned vulgarity. By the time I was a sophomore, I was so familiar with all of the four-letter words that I swore casually with my friends when we would discuss sex or gossip about other students. I picked up every slang word for every body part and knew every sexual innuendo there was to know, all during the six years I attended Catholic school. Even though we were not very good examples of church-going youngsters, my friends and I regularly went to Youth Group meetings. I never really listened to what the speaker was saying or to what I was singing, I just went to socialize with my friends. When we moved to Okinawa, I immediately wanted to make friends with the popular crowd, but my mother forced me to go to Youth Group. I only knew one person there, but I met another girl, who introduced me to her group of friends, the exact crowd I wanted to meet. We went out a couple of times, but after a few weeks at school, they decided I was not cool enough and dropped me from their group. I was crushed. However, since I was new, I had met other new people, who I brought to the Youth Group so I would not be alone. Soon I met other people at the Youth Group and began to get more involved with that crowd. They did not reject me because of my appearance or because I sometimes said stupid things, but accepted me for who I was and welcomed me into their group. I could not fathom that kind of acceptance at the time. My friends from Catholic school would never let someone else into our group without scrutinizing him/her first. I continued to attend Youth Group every Sunday to see my friends, not to hear about God. I still did not think about what I sang and I simply tuned out the Jesus talks. As the year went on, my friends from the Youth Group began to talk to me about God, mostly saying how he had helped them in their lives, but sometimes directly asking me how I felt about Him. I always hated it when they would start with the Jesus talk, because I was purely scientific. I had chosen to pursue a career in the medical field years before, and ever since, science had been the focus of my life. Also, I had learned from my friends in Catholic school that it was never cool to talk about Jesus. I tolerated the religious part of our friendship because the social part was so good for me. I never smoked or drank, and these people would never pressure me to do anything of the sort, since they were so in tune with the Lord. These were the first people who agreed with me when I would say that a good time can be had w ithout alcohol or cigarettes. Not even my Catholic school friends believed that. I went out every weekend with my friends and had a blast. We would go out Friday, Saturday, and on Sunday would end up back at Youth Group. After a few months of regularly attending Youth Group, I began to listen to what the leaders spoke to us about, but I still did not buy most of it. These people were not Catholic, they were mostly Protestant, Lutheran, Baptist, and other Christian denominations. Ideas such as being saved, and ministering to others seemed radical and unnecessary to me.

Compare the Different Attitudes to War Shown in the Poetry of Tennyson and Owen Essays

Compare the Different Attitudes to War Shown in the Poetry of Tennyson and Owen Essays Compare the Different Attitudes to War Shown in the Poetry of Tennyson and Owen Paper Compare the Different Attitudes to War Shown in the Poetry of Tennyson and Owen Paper O the wild charge they made! Tennyson was a poet Laureate and was writing poems because he enjoyed it, whereas Owen wrote his poem to warn unsuspecting soldiers of the danger. Tennysons main aim of his poem was to glorify the victory of the soldiers and he wants to make the war sound glamerous and used this to great affectiveness, Honour the charge they made! , this signals that he wants other people to respect the brave attempts of the soldiers. While Owen wants to tell people of his horrific experiences as a world war one soldier in the trenches , Owens intentions were to explain the diabolical conditions in these trenches Many had lost their boots, but limped on, blood shod. I think that it is obvious that he is making the point that the trenches were wet and sodden, and also how unfortunate the soldiers were. The poems are very different in the way they are formed as Dulce et Decorum est begins at a slow pace, whereas the charge of the light brigade starts at a face pace, Tennyson continues the slow pace until he builds up to a faster climax. Owen continues the fast pace throughout the poem Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, cannon behind them. This is the fast paced Charge of the Light Brigade. Tennyson uses repetition for emphasis Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs not to do and die. This does emphasise to the reader the bravery of the men as they didnt question what was asked of them. However Owen uses similes to describe the mens suffering Like old beggars this portrays the exhaustion of the soldiers as they make their way through the trenches. The title of Wilfred Owens poem Dulce et Decorum est is in contrast with the poem, as the old Latin phrase means it is sweet and fitting to die for there country, whereas the poem actually means, people should not die in such a terrible way. Tennyson again uses repetition Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon in front of them, it emphasises the intensity of the sound. He also uses metaphors to exagerate the horror that the men were facing Valley of death, this is the place where the battle was occuring. Tennyson emphisises the orders given to the soldiers Charge for the gas the men followed all the orders that were said beacause they were extremely brave. Owen uses very descriptive words all the way through his poem from start to finsih Of tired outstripped five-nines that dropped behind, this is very descriptive as it shows how tired the men were and the many bombs that were being dropped. The two poems are so different because Owen faught in the war and is talking in first hand evidence but whereas Tennyson used secondary evidence to write his poem. Tennysons poem The Charge of the Light Brigade starts slow with a march Half a league, half a league onward this means they are marching and prodding along slowly. This is a very slow opening, then Tennyson begins explaining the battle ground and calling it The Valley of Death. The line that reads Rode the six hundred it is repeated through the poem to show that the soldiers stuck together throughout the battle, and followed there orders. Owen however gives the reader the image of a very horrific time for the soldiers and starts off showing ,in first hand evidence, the appauling conditions that the men had to suffer, Tennyson starts off slow then builds uo to a climax which is very thunderous Charge for the Guns, he said; into the valley of death this is the build up to the climax of the poem, this poem becomes extremely fast paced and furocious Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon in front of them. This is the fastest part of the poem and is repeated at a further point in the poem, when they are retreating after there battle, Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon behind them this states that the men are coming away from the battle, while leaving it still at a maximum, but having completed their mission which was to charge for the guns. The use of writing tecniques throughout the two poems are very different, the Charge of the Light Brigade has more metaphors throughout the poem, there is a metaphor which describes the valley and how fierce it was there, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell this sentence is also used in repitition again later in the poem, the sentence describes the valley as hell. Wilfred Owens poem though uses more similes. The first sentence of the poem is a simile, Bent double, like old beggars under sacks and then theres Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, these two similes make this poem start off at tremendous pace. Then a similie which describes the man that was dying from mustard gas, And floundring like a man in fire or lime, this describes how much pain and agony the man was going through. Then the last simile in the poem is in the last verse which again describes the man who had died, His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin this shows how the dead man looked, Owen compares him to the devil. The two poems both have a different message for the reader, Tennysons the Charge of the Light Brigade wants people to honour the brave men, Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! . Wilfred Owen on the other hand leaves a direct message for the oncoming and unsuspecting soldiers, The most important part is the message to the reader in the last verse If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Wilfred Owen tells the readers that he has nightmares about that man, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest Owen also tells the reader that its hard telling kids these storys, these two quotes tell the reader directly how horrific the sights were and that it has stayed in his memory.

Adversarial System vs. Civil Law Essay Example for Free

Adversarial System vs. Civil Law Essay ? The European civil law system is all about finding the truth, even if a lawyer has to lose the case for their client while doing so. The American adversarial system is about winning, even if it means avoiding and stretching the truth to do so. Civil law has the laws made by the government and the courts apply them, while common law has the judges making the majority of the laws through precedents. The adversarial system uses specific laws, precedents, and legal rules to determine who wins. It allows lawyers to take the truth and spin it into the picture that is the most beneficial to their client. They can use loopholes in the law to keep evidence from being allowed to cause their guilty clients to be punished for what they have done. Once all the talking is done, it is up to twelve people to decide whose lawyer did a better job of convincing them to believe them. The civil system uses general ideas and broad concepts to form the framework for taking the evidence at hand and attempting to determine what the truth is. When the truth is revealed, lawyers do not try to hide it or escape from it, even if they do not like the results. A major disadvantage of this system is that those twelve people from the common law system are only used in major criminal cases, so when the truth is unclear, only a couple people get to determine who is right, and three people can be wrong easier than twelve people in 100% agreement. In my opinion from what I have learned, I believe that the civil law system has an advantage in finding the ideal of the judicial system – justice. In the adversarial system, the truth can be avoided, and once it is, there can be no justice. As to the question of whether there are constitutional problems with applying civil laws in the US, the most obvious one is that a jury trial is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights to protect a defendant from being condemned by the voice of one person. Adversarial System vs. Civil Law. (2017, Jan 20).

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Review - Article Example The previous three models of strategic change were based on the preferred methods indicating how companies can bring about fundamental changes in their work in the best manner. The first model emphasized almost exclusively over the senior management for the planning and implementation of change. This planning oriented model had several issues in the implementation phase of the planned change, such as time, speed, resources, etc. which were often found to be inadequate in comparison with the previously considered options during the planning phase. Also, the middle managers were often not committed to the planned change since they were not involved in the planning process and thereby, have difficulties in understanding the proposed plan. Though, these middle rank managers have important information and ideas to contribute to the planning of the desired change. Hence, the second model was developed that focused on the implementation phase by including the middle managers in the formulat ion of strategic change plans, where detailed execution schemes were also discussed and developed. However, the organizations still experienced a number of implementation issues such as inadequate progress, broad systemic issues (norms, culture, policies, rewards, management styles, etc.), unexpected delays and organizational resistance. Thus, the third model came into existence focusing on the readiness for change but still there were problems like broad scale resistance, time limits, and emergence of new problems not been anticipated before during the planning phase. The unusual aspect of this model had been the involvement of employees, customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders in the implementation process. Due to the drawbacks of the previous three models, the fourth model of strategic change that is called ‘the learning organization’ is under development right now. This new model engages everyone, involved in origination, in the identification and resolution of the problems, all of the time. Summary of the Author’s Conclusions and/or Recommendations The plans developed under the learning organization model are not just the concepts of top management but are also completely shared and supported by the people involved in the development of these plans. The learning organization model improvises change by means of small rewards, experiments and institutionalization of success across the organization instead of just executing plans by the numbers. The true form of the change is gradually revealed by the creative and spontaneous actions of the people across the organization. Accomplishments and successes are bolstered and institutionalized with the passing time, which changes or augments the formal structures, systems, and procedures of the organization. This model selects the action, reflects and modifies the course as it goes that improves the speed and effectiveness of the implementation of the planned change. However, there is a danger that this model will lead to its own quick fix solutions in a box and that this model will be recognized as the ultimate solution for the problems like surprise and stagnancy. Thus, this new model recognizes that any specific plan or program can be unsuccessful. Even

Assessment within a Therapeutic Relationship Essay

Assessment within a Therapeutic Relationship - Essay Example 2011, p. S98) and anxiety disorders (Boschen, and Oei, 2008, p. 811). It serves as an integrated approach in the holistic care of a patient as it inculcates the biopsychosocial assessment of the client and the management plan designed (Williams, and Garlnad, 2002, p. 172). Assessment is usually the first stage prior to a counselling intervention on any patient. It is through assessment that valuable information about the patient is collected and aids in designing action plans for the patient. Farrington, & Telford, (1996, p. 77) defines an assessment style as involving scanning of the available information about a client, selecting the necessary and appropriate information for the case, and selecting the interventions to implement. CBT assessment is aimed at formulating problems that the patient may be going through. It involves linking the feelings, thoughts and behaviours of the patient into a congruent explanation. The counsellor during the assessment reviews the current history of the patient to determine the possible trigger to the current psychological state. Thereafter, an assessment of the personal history of the patient is conducted to determine predisposing factors to the patient that upon assessment may aid in diagnosing the patient (Marsha ll, & Turnbull, 1996, p. 31). CBT assessment approach is aimed at assessing the cognitive and behavioural patterns in the life of the client and tailoring therapies that address these inadequacies. As pertains to the cognitive, these are the thought and thinking processes of a patient that become hyperbolic following a psychiatric disorder and the patient has no control over the intriguing thoughts. Cognitive assessment is aimed at aiding the patient to deal positively with the thoughts (Williams, et al. 1997, p. 72). Behavioral assessment is aimed at finding the change in behaviour patterns of the client that alter the effective performance of activities of daily living This assessment develops a 5 figure

Purpose of theory Essay Example for Free

Purpose of theory Essay A theory can be explained as a given set of principles or statements used to give an explanation to an occurring phenomenon. Theories explain existing situations and can be used to develop solutions to identified problems within an organization especially when it has been tested for a number of times hence acceptable or producing evidence based results. A theory differs from a model in such a way that a model act as a representation of a given phenomena or the actual concept. A model can in this case be used to explain a given theory. Like a theory a model can be used to make predictions and to control a given situation. Scientific inquiry involves the use of systematic methods of collecting, analyzing and concluding data and in turn developing new inventions using scientifically gathered information or facts. The process involves the formulation of theories or hypothesis and effective experiments to test the formulated hypothesis. Naive inquiry on the other hand involves an informal collection, analysis and interpretation of data and does not necessarily include the application of critically thought ideas and skills. In this case a theory is explained using natural language. Scientific inquiry is likely to produce reliable and results or findings that can be used to find evidence based solutions to an existing problem. It makes use of collected evidence to test given ideas. Evidence based management requires the application of scientific inquiry as it involves the use of meta skills and critically thought approaches in the development of workable solutions (Judd, Kidder Smith, 1991). Tested theories act as evidence and produce explanations for existing phenomena that can be used to develop new inventions which may act as control measures or solutions Reference Judd, C. , Smith, E. , Kidder, L. (1991). Research Methods in Social Relations, 6th ed. , New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. .

Success of Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew :: Taming Shrew Essays

Success of Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare depicts the common roles of men and women in the early seventeenth century. Shakespeare writes of Petruchio and Kate, a male and female who sharply oppose each other. Petruicho must "tame" his wife Kate without breaking her true inner spirit. Shakespeare touches on Kate's changing character and allows her to undergo three phases: Kate's character in the beginning, the methods Petruicho uses to tame Kate and the final outcome (how Kate has changed). The Taming of the Shrew unravels to reveal a wild beastly Katharine lacking respect for her family, herself and others around her. Kate is a very outspoken and vulgar woman without respect to authority. Katharine, although depicted as a beautiful woman quickly becomes the talk of Padua. Kate has found that if she is loud and obnoxious she can have her way. She screams and grunts and pushes those who she does not get along with. The general character of Katharine seems to be that of a small child. Peturicho's methods of pursuit in some cases border along the lines of torture. Peturicho manipulates and exploits Kate's character in order to change her outward actions. Although Peturicho does not want to change Kate's inward thoughts, he does not want to break her spirit. The greatest example can be quoted below. Petruchio says, "Thy gown's Why, aye. Come, tailor, let us see'st. / O mercy, God! What masquing stuff is here's / What's this's A sleeve's Tis like a demi-cannon. / What, up and down, carved like an apple tart's / Here's snip and nip and cut and slish and slash, Like to a censer in a barber's shop." (4.3.86-92) Petruciho uses the beautiful gown to show Kate that she will no longer have her way. Petruicho also uses several other instances to tame Kate. Petruicho is "fashionably late" to his wedding with Katharine and upon arrival is dresed as a jester. Petruciho "kidnaps" Kate from her wedding reception, and upon arrival to his home only allows Kate to smell the delicious food. Petruicho conduct himself in this manner to show Kate how she looks and behaves.

Woman as the Other and as the Other Woman

Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), French existentialist, writer, and social essayist, passed on just over two decades ago. Putting it this way makes her ideas so much more alive. She did not just write about how she lived. She wrote, and she lived what she wrote about: she refused to be the Other, but she was also, in a manner of putting it, the Other Woman.Simone’s Life and Love(s) in Philosophy Simone de Beauvoir is now noted and appreciated as a philosopher. She was not always considered a philosopher however, but a writer, and has only been given the distinction of being a noted philosopher in more recent years.Her works became considered â€Å"philosophical† only after her death. Beauvoir was born in France in 1908. She belonged to a bourgeoisie family, and had one sister. As a teenager, she declared herself an atheist, and devoted her life to feminism and writing (Marvin, 2000). Apparently, her parent’s disposition and stature were a major influence on her. H er father was extremely interested in pursuing a career in theater, but because of his societal position (and with a noble lineage), he became a lawyer (which was expected), and hated it. Her mother, on the other hand, was a strict Catholic.Some authors have noted that Simone struggled between her mother’s religious morals and her father’s more pagan inclinations, and this purportedly led to her atheism and shaped her philosophical work. As a child, Simone was religious and had a relationship with God. She wrote in early work about her thankfulness that heaven had given her the immediately family that she had, but this feeling (at least the religious aspects of it) dissipated as she aged (Flaherty, 2008). When she was around 15, Simone de Beauvoir decided she would be a famous writer.She did well in many subjects, but was especially attracted to philosophy, which she went on to study at the University of Paris. There she met many other young creative geniuses, includin g Jean-Paul Sartre, who became her best friend and life-long companion. The group of friends that she spent her time with was considered a â€Å"bad† group, a circle of rebels. Such perceptions did not matter however for Simone and Sartre whose fondness for each other only grew over the years. Their works were frequently linked as they read and critiqued each other’s writings, and she was sort of considered as his ‘student’ — the Other.However, she was not just the Other, she was a significant Other, as it were. Their relationship became intimate and Sartre even proposed to her. She however declined the proposal because she felt that marriage was such a constricting institution and that they should, instead, be free to love â€Å"others† (Flaherty, 2008). After graduating from the university, Simone lived with her grandmother and taught at a lycee, or high school. She taught philosophy at several schools throughout her life, which allowed her to live comfortably. She spent her free time going to cafes, writing, and giving talks.In Berlin, she spent time with Sartre and they got linked with two female students, the sisters Olga and Wanda Kosakiewicz. Sartre initially pursued Olga but later had an affair with Wanda. Note that he and Simone had agreed that they would be free to love others. During this time, Simone got very sick and spent some time in a sanitarium. By the time she left the sanitarium, Olga was married, and Wanda and Sartre were no longer lovers (Flaherty, 2008). This phase in her life, one could perhaps say, highlighted her journey as the Other Woman. Simone traveled around the world later in her life, lecturing.She came to the United States in the 1940s and met another man, Algren. He proposed to her, but she opted to stay with Sartre instead. Also during her travels, Simone participated, with Sartre, in the 1967 â€Å"Bertrand Russell Tribunal of War Crimes in Vietnam. † There she met several note d leaders, including Khrushchev and Castro; however, unlike Sartre, she did not particularly enjoy being in the public spotlight. (Gascoigne, 2002) In 1981, when Sartre died, Simone wrote a memoir about him. After this, she continued to take drugs and drink alcohol, which contributed to her mental decay.She and Sartre had always taken drugs and alcohol. Simone frequently became drunk throughout her life. She died in 1986, and was buried beside Sartre’s remains (Gascoigne, 2002). Beauvoir’s Views: My Reflections Beauvoir strictly considered herself a writer, not a philosopher. Others did not see her as a philosopher because, in what may today be described as sexism, she was a woman and thus inferior in some ways. Moreover, she was also seen as merely a student of Sartre and not as a philosopher in her own right. On top of it all, she was a woman who wrote about women.It must be pointed out that this field of study was not truly accepted in the academe until very recentl y; hence, Beauvoir’s work was not accepted as being philosophical during her time. She was indeed heavily overshadowed by Sartre, especially because some of her work reflects his (Bergoffen, 2004). Beauvoir’s philosophical ideas focused on how truths in life were revealed in literature. She wrote several essays, including â€Å"Literature and the Metaphysical Essay† (1946) and â€Å"Mon Experience d’Ecrivain,† which translates to ‘My Experience as a Writer’ (1956).Her works include both fiction and non-fiction, all in regards to studying literature in reaction to human relationships and thoughts (Bergoffen, 2004). Truly life is mirrored by literature, but literature is also a part of life, and life can be shaped by literary work. In the life and works of this trailblazing feminist writer-philosopher, one can see the reality of literature as a potent force not only of self-expression but also of life changing. Feminism was of primary im portance to Beauvoir, and she is considered to be one of the pioneers of the movement.In fact, Beauvoir is best known for her feminist work, â€Å"The Second Sex,† now a classic of feminist literature (Eiermann). In this work, she looks at the role of women in society, and the advantages and disadvantages that she, herself, faced. It was initially not thought of as a philosophical work because it dealt with sex, which, during the Victorian era, was not a subject openly discussed. In reality, the book closely examines patriarchal society and its impact on women, and calls for women to take action against these oppressions.It fired up women of later generations to fight for political, social, and personal change. The book remains debated to this day because of the way it addresses the issues, but it is still considered a major early book on feminism (Bergoffen, 2004). Here she put an exclamation point on her observations of Woman in society being seen and treated merely as the Other. Beauvoir is also known for an earlier work, Force of Circumstance. â€Å"Within this piece she discussed vital issues of the day-confusion and rage regarding human freedoms and the French/Algerian War† (Flaherty, 2008).Human freedom was a big issue that was crucial in Beauvoir’s work. She was particularly concerned that people needed to be free. This is reflected in the way she lived her own life, and in the way she lectured others. She walked her talk, and was for some time describable perhaps (albeit from a rather sexist perspective) as being the Other Woman, with no rancor, in Sarte’s life. She Came to Stay (1943) is another work that deals with freedom. This is a novel that deals with â€Å"reflections on our relationship to time, to each other, to ourselves† (Bergoffen, 2004).The work doesn’t fit a traditional philosophical framework, where questions are brought to a close and fully answered. Instead it only explores questions by lookin g at the lives and interactions of the main characters. In this novel, a murder is committed because of a character’s desire for freedom, and the novel examines if the murder was just or not, among other issues surrounding the situation. This work is frequently considered her first true philosophical work (Bergoffen, 2004). How many times have this student been asked this question in real life by friends and particular circumstances: freedom or life?There is something profoundly unsettling in the questions that Beauvoir’s works raises. In She Came to Stay, purportedly a fictionalized chronicle of Beauvoir and Sartre's relationship with the sisters Olga and Wanda, we are treated to an exploration of complex personal relationships. Olga was one of her students in the Rouen secondary school where she taught during the early 30s. In the novel, Olga and Wanda are made into one character with whom fictionalized versions of Beauvoir and Sartre have intimate relationships.The novel delves into Beauvoir and Sartre's complex relationship. She wrote about her life, and she lived her writings. With what she wrote, she pursued her questioning, her philosophizing. Pyrrhus and Cineas (1944) is Beauvoir’s first philosophical essay and a major turning point in her life as a writer. This essay looks at questions like â€Å"What are the criteria of ethical action? † â€Å"How can I distinguish ethical from unethical political projects? † â€Å"What are the principles of ethical relationships? † â€Å"Can violence ever be justified?† The essay looks at the moral, political, and other implications of these questions, and further explores the notion of freedom, relationships, and violence. Simone was not sure if violence was truly justified, but concludes that it is ‘neither evil nor avoidable. ’ The questions are not truly resolved in this work, much like in her previous work (Bergoffen, 2004). Then there is Ethics of A mbiguity (1947), which further looks at ethical questions regarding freedom, and the difference between childhood and adulthood.According to Beauvoir, children ‘live in mystery,’ and they should. However, she posits that children should also be forced to be adults and there could be violations of freedom involved in this. This work expands on the idea of freedom from the previous work, and looks at new dimensions of it (Bergoffen, 2004). Two themes seem to appear most prominently in the work of Beauvoir: Freedom and Feminism. The Feminine is made an agent of freedom and is problematized so in the work of Beauvoir. Today, many still turn to her work for we can see the realities that her work reflects.We still find Woman as the Other — in some societies with her multiple burdens given her second-class status. Even in the supposedly modern nation that is the U. S. we find gender an unsettling concern in electoral politics. More broadly, freedom remains a problematic ideal in the globalizing world. Many states (e. g. , North Korea, China, Cuba, the young Republics in Eastern Europe) remain unstable at their core having had to grapple with forces of change and freedom from within and from outside their societies and territories.At another level, the world is not lacking with individuals and groups with their various advocacies aimed at expanding the limits of freedom in civil society. Today the woman question has become the bigger concern that is Gender. This student now more fully realizes that gender is a social-psychological thing while sex is a biological or physical matter. The Woman is more than her body after is all. To be Woman is a choice, is a matter of freedom. The definition of gender lies not in the body. Gender is the realization of what you think and feel you are, and what you prefer as a lifestyle, to put it broadly.

Bureaucracy

One of the characteristics off eructation school/organization is specialization. Specialization is concentrating on a specific task for example; bursar as one of the school officers regulates finances of the school. According to Weber as cited in Ho and Missile (1 991 ) â€Å"division of labor and specialization means that the regular activities required for the purposes of the bureaucratically governed structure are distributed in a fixed way as official duties† (p: 104). This is to say, work in schools is divided into different task hence everyone have his/her specific task.Teachers are specializing by teaching a specific subject for example, Mathematics. Mathematics teacher specialize by teaching only Mathematics to all the grades in the school that is, form one, two and three. This is advantageous due to the fact that it makes one's job easier and to be of high quality since he/she deals with a specific subject. Furthermore, specialization goes hand in hand with what is ca lled division of labor. Light, Keller and Calhoun (1989) state â€Å"in bureaucracies the work to be accomplished is broken down into clear-cut division of labor and people are trained to specialize in performing each task† (p: 219).This is division of labor which refers to dividing work into small and manageable tasks. Therefore since tasks in schools are too complex to be performed by a single individual, division of labor is crucial. Everyone in a school has a position for example; there is a head teacher who is responsible for the running affairs of the school and teachers who are responsible for imparting knowledge to students or simply instruction delivery. Division of labor among positions improves efficiency. Ho and Missile (1991) postulate that division of labor produces specialization hence efficiency increases.And this is because specialization helps employees to be knowledgeable and expert at performing their prescribed duties. So the authors suggest â€Å"such d ivision enables the organization to employ personnel on the basis of technical qualifications. Hence, division of labor and specialization produce more expertise in school personnel† (p: 105). This is to say that workers are employed for the type of work they have skills on. Another characteristic of bureaucratic school/organization is a hierarchy of offices.According to Ho and Missile (1991) offices are arranged hierarchically; ACH lower office is under the control and supervision of a higher one. In agreement YMMV. Clientà ¨les. Com suggests that the structure of a bureaucracy is called a hierarchy because it includes a series of levels from the most menial worker in the organization to the highest executive. Each level has clearly defined authority and responsibilities. Therefore, this makes work to be easier and more manageable since everyone knows his/her responsibility in the school/organization. Light, et al. (1989) state that when an organization's operation is divide d into smaller, more manageable tasks; the arioso activities must be put together. Thus, the solution is to organize workers into a hierarchy with each person being responsible to the person directly above in the chain of command. This means that everyone will have a supervisor. For example, senior teachers can supervisor teachers to assess the efficiency of their work in the classroom. Moreover, a hierarchy of offices helps in keeping order within the organization since everyone understands his place very well and what is expected of him/her.According to Stark (1989) â€Å"all employees in the organization must know who their boss is and each errors should always respect their chain of command† (p: 594). To support this, employees should respect those in authority or their supervisors by doing what they expect them to do. They should also follow a channel of communication within the organization. The author also postulates â€Å"in this way the people at the top can be sure that directives arrive where they are meant to go and know where responsibility lie† (p: 594).Therefore, a hierarchy of offices is very important characteristic of a bureaucratic school/ organization as it allows workers to focus on their responsibilities since it Leary define them. It also encourages carefulness among workers as it is easier to trace who is not doing his/her work properly. Www. Baccalaureate's. Com/excerpts suggests that a formal hierarchy is the basis of central planning and centralized decision making of a bureaucratic school/organization.This is due to the fact that these offices are for the people who are responsible for the operation of the school/ organization hence; they plan and make decisions together on how best to do that. Stark (1989) postulates ‘to ensure order in decision making, business is inducted primarily through written rules, records and communication† (p: 593). This is to say, planning and decision making is central to a hie rarchy of offices within the school/organization due to the fact that it is where written rules, records and communication are found.Rules and regulations are one of the characteristics of bureaucratic school/organization. In any organization rules and regulations are very vital because they ensure that there is order. Weber as cited in Stark (1989) â€Å"stressed that rational bureaucracies must be managed in accordance with careful developed rules and principles that can e learned and applied†¦ † (P: 595). To support this, a bureaucratic school should have rules that guide employees' behavior since they are applied equally to everyone of them. They cannot be broken due to the fact that by doing so punishment will follow.Therefore, rules and regulations are important in a bureaucratic school since they promote self-discipline and self- control among workers. This will help the organization to run smoothly and efficiently since workers need not to be followed to do their work as they are guided by the rules and regulations. Rules and regulations maintain control thin the organization as according to Ho and Missile (1991) â€Å"†¦ By taking advantage of the screening functions of bureaucratic rules, administrators can gain and maintain some control over organizational activities.They anticipate that general and impersonal rules will be good because they provide direction without creating status distinctions. Control is the us maintained by using bureaucratic rules†¦ † (P: 109-110). Moreover, to ensure that rules and regulations are the characteristics of bureaucratic school/ organization; Bernard, Burgess and Kirby (2004) suggest that a bureaucratic school/organization should have a body of rules that governs it. For example, employees usually have a code of conduct. According to Fragrant (1980) a code of conduct is a set of rules for professional conduct since teachers are professionals.These rules are divided into two; a commitmen t to the students and to the profession. A commitment to the students are rules which outline what the teacher should do and not to do to students for example, the teacher disclosing information about students without their permission. And a commitment to the profession are rules which outline hat they society expects from the teacher for example, the teacher should not dress in an unprofessional manner. Ho and Missile (1991 ) state that rules and regulations provide continuity of operation and help to coordinate activities.This is because employees are guided by rules on what they should do and not to therefore, rules and regulations in a bureaucratic school promote cooperation within the organization since employees work well with each other. Lastly, one of the characteristics of bureaucratic school/ organization includes rewards based on merit. According to Light, et al. (1989) â€Å"positions in a bureaucracy are awarded on the basis Of technical qualifications (as measured by tests, educational degrees and diplomas and other standardized yardsticks) not on the basis of who one knows† (p: 220).This is to say that jobs and promotion in a bureaucratically school/ organization are obtained through qualifications. For example in Botswana, for one to be a secondary school teacher should have at least a certificate of Diploma in Secondary Education not just passed form five and then be employed as teacher. Employees should be employed for the job they qualify or so that work cannot be difficult for them since they will be doing what they are trained for. This will in turn, helps the school/organization to be effective and efficient.Furthermore, rewards based on merit will allow us providers to give promotions to the ones who are qualifying for those positions. This is to say they will not give promotion on the basis of favoritism like to their relatives and friends. Stark (1989) states â€Å"to ensure expert management, appointment and promotion are base d on merit rather than favoritism and those appointed treat their positions as full-time, primary arrears† (p: 593). To support this, people are rewarded because of the efforts they put in their work.So that's why in schools teachers can be promoted and given positions such as, from being a subject teacher to a subject coordinator. Nevertheless, giving jobs and promotions to people because one knows them, will make the school/organization to suffer since they do not qualify for those works. Ho and Missile (1991) suggest â€Å"promotion is dependent on the judgment of superiors† (p: 105). This is to say that promotion is made by supervisors but even though, it is upon them they should do it fairly.

Expert Interview with Rita Friedman on Revitalizing Your Career

Expert Interview with Rita Friedman on Revitalizing Your Career If you’re at a dead end in your career, Rita Friedman can help. As a job coach and career expert, she helps job hunters find the career right for them at Philly Career Coach. She spoke with us about finding a job and keeping it. What form does career coaching take?Career coaching can take a range of forms, and career coaches use varied techniques, but it’s basically a worker / job seeker and a coach working together to develop career plans. Typical topics can include trying to figure out which jobs to target, how to navigate job boards, what to say (and not say) on a resume, interview prep, salary negotiation, managing the transition to a new role, establishing career milestones and strategizing for longer term growth.Why are career coaches more important than ever in the current job market?The job market has become increasingly complex – sometimes a job seeker doesn’t even know how to look for good information or opportunities; sometimes there’s ju st so much to sift through†¦. But even an experienced person can use an objective third party to create a sense of accountability and provide support.How have changes in the economy affected job seekers? What do you find people are looking for in a job?The recession really shook things up in a lot of ways. Of course, a lot of people lost their jobs; others who survived layoffs often had to assume additional responsibilities – that instability created a lot of fear, and I think it also decreased employee loyalty. But it also showed people there are other ways to work, including holding multiple positions concurrently or taking on some freelance work. I see more people looking for work they find meaningful, maybe in part because if the idea of stability is shattered, people feel they might as well go after what they really want to be doing anyway. I also see job seekers evaluating potential employers’ stability and shying away from companies they think are likely to restructure.What can job boards do to better find the job seekers they need?Job boards have gotten more sophisticated recently, and a lot of them have gotten pretty good at organizing information so job seekers can sort through a high volume of postings. Niche boards hold a certain appeal and can create a loyal base. In terms of functionality, it absolutely has to work across all platforms – a lot of people want to apply from their phones or iPads. Transparency is always a big turn-on for job seekers who like knowing who posted a job, how long it’s been listed, how many people are in the running and if a job posting appears because it’s sponsored. Providing links to actually relevant info – not just filler content – and serving as a knowledge bank can attract and keep visitors. And a good job board is easy on the eyes – sleek and instantly navigable. And each job board should have its own flavor – it’s not enough just to look good; there has to be some reason why it stands out.How can employers write postings to attract the applicants they’re looking for?Be specific. If something is really non-negotiable, make that clear in the posting. If there’s a definite salary attached to the role, including it in the job posting can help filter out the wrong candidates. Including mention of any special perks – such as the ability to work remotely, flexible hours, a generous vacation policy – can make even a boring job sound exciting. Be sure to include keywords so that job seekers can find the listing from searching beyond job titles. Do show some personality or company culture, but don’t write a flashy or sassy job posting if it’s not in line with the actual work environment.How are careers changing? What will employment be like in the future?One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in the employment landscape is a broader range of ages in any given workplace – from college students completing mandatory internships to workers retiring later in life, or even coming out of retirement to return to the workforce. And with people working for so long, we’re going to continue to see people who switch careers multiple times during their professional lives. There’s also a move towards portfolio careers, where an employee is likely to have a couple of part-time jobs instead of one full-time position. Finally, employees want flexibility more than ever, and even though most people still want to be part of a great team, autonomy seems to be especially valued by workers right now. People want to use web-based technologies to work on their own terms – and companies are starting to realize they actually get more out of their people as a result.

Comparing two poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparing two poems - Essay Example ‘Because I could not stop for death’ is an allegory that describes death as a pleasant journey through eternity. The death is seen as a gentlemanly act which takes the person on a ‘carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality’. The poet has showed death not as a terrifying thing but as an amenable personality that helps the person to attain immortality. The poet’s imagery of death as a journey is also an effort to demonstrate that death is a natural culmination of life’s various stages. The different phases of one’s life are important destinations that are designed to provide the mankind with happiness and fulfillment. Indeed, man’s relationship with eternal force is very evident in the poem which eloquently says asserts that ‘We passed the fields of gazing grain; We passed the setting sun. Or rather, he passed us;’. Time has no relevance for death because it takes one beyond the limitation of time and space. In t otal contrast, ‘I heard a fly buzz when I died’ portrays death as portend of grief and uncertainty. It projects an imagery of death as a fearful event that inculcates a sense of dread and acute helplessness against its finality.

Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Analyze - Essay Example So, let us see the meaning of text interpretation evidenced from the article â€Å"Learning to Read† by Malcolm X. For the beginning it must be said that any author by his work intends to reach a particular purpose using for this different writing techniques. Just so Malcolm X takes advantage of every possible element for the effect on the issue of people’s perception of black-white relationship both by the black man who has to be literate for improvement of his oppressed state and by the white man who needs to realize his tyrant treatment of non-white men. Being led by such a view Malcolm X has chosen a good form of his idea presentation, that is, he has shown on his own example the whole significance of reading ability and serious reading itself for the benefit of non-white people (as a tool for their empowering in the fight against their humiliation), which suffer from white men’s dictatorship for more than four hundred years: this is the argument. Herein the realization of the purpose finds its reflection in a primary non-complex sentence structure easy for understanding by his followers, imagery providing readers with visualization of the sharp question (it is introduced through Malcolm’s descriptions of his own images from life of black population presented in the read books). In addition, author’s extremely expressive narration gives numerous details and emotions from his mastering of reading and writing, as well as his feelings about blacks’ position. As a result, rhetorical mode of pictorial description alongside with conscious tone of the author’s narration makes him to be represented as a willful concerned active defender of non-white peoples’ rights, who spends every minute of his time for resisting the white man. It seems to be that the author’s direct purpose is actualization of non-white treatment by white men and necessity of reading ability for access to

Social media make your life worse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social media make your life worse - Essay Example Social media is a platform where people from different backgrounds interact, exchange ideas or information in virtual networks. It depends on mobile and web based technologies to create platforms through which communities use, share and discuss the already existent information or content. Social media changes how communications are effected between organizations, communities and individuals at different levels. Social media has always been associated with positive incomes yet this is not the case, however its benefits are countless (Nigel 60). The negative side of the social media has impacts felt hard and they could destroy one’s view of the social sites, the world and even themselves. The benefits of using social media include; building good reputations, online marketing, career opportunities and income. For the individuals, they are able to improve their social relationships as well as networking as observed from an interview conducted between Crawford and Wang. Crawford ad mits to the advantage of the social media by saying â€Å"social media increase our social interaction and give us more ways to make social connections. It is help to make some new friends, something like that, everyone should like social media.† Social media uses different technologies that include; use of blogs, wall posting and crowd sourcing. Social media could interfere with the way someone views some ideas hence make one’s life worse if it’s not used in the right manner for the desired purpose. As Crawford states, â€Å"Social media wastes our time in chatting but we are totally updated with the present news which were happening around us. So, don't see social networking as threats but just as the opportunities where we can interact with the people globally.† It is evident that as much as social media has attractive features that make one glued to their mobile phones or computers for more time, it leads to time wastage as internet users spend more t ime on the social media site that on any other site. A research in the US shows that the total time spent on social media in mobile phones and personal computers increased by 37% in a year that is 121 billion minutes in 2012 compared to 88 billion minutes in 2012. Some school children even spend more time on social media than on their books; this corrupts their mind and makes them not concentrate on their school work. All this time wasted or spent unwisely in the social media leads to poor grades in school and under performance in the work stations. Social media has always been criticized because of its exclusiveness that is most sites do not allow the transfer of information from one site to another. This therefore leads to disparity in the sharing of information that is available due to untrustworthiness, informational reliability, media content ownerships and the different meanings of information as displayed by these social platforms (Kaplan 72). Information from one site to ano ther cannot be transferred to another hence creates individualism, which allows them to advertise and display their own information (Nigel 42). Some information that is displayed on most social media sites is destructive rather than constructive to one’s mind and view of daily activities. Some information regarding cults, death, use of warfare weapons could make one curious and ready to venture or find out the truth about such information. Pornographic pictures and linkages destroys one’s brain because they tend to be addictive, this leads to an increase in the number of rape cases, violence and other activities that are against our way of culture and belief as people from different backgrounds (Nigel 55). Social media leads

Corporate social responsibility provides greater benefits to the Essay

Corporate social responsibility provides greater benefits to the organisation than it does to society and other stakeholders - Essay Example Banerjee approach on social responsibility can be viewed on how he has approach the concept in trying to give some of the advantages and disadvantages. Historically the social helped in development of corporation and allows devolution of power from the central government to the local citizens and help in improving the economy both politically and economically. In USA social responsibility has helped in revolution of legal structures and effective government policies to deal with social responsibility however critics have stated that social responsibility should be volunteerilism not by ensuring they are incorporated in the law and must act in the interest of the society as well (Banerjee, 2008). Corporate social responsibility is self regulating by ensuring that one complies with the community needs as does is best to better the society he or she is operating his business. A business activity should be for the general good of the employees, owners, consumers and society.CRS creates c ustomer loyalty to a brand of product hence business is able to beat competition in the market; it also leads to employment opportunities in the society. Businesses with volunteerism work records have advantage in acquiring license to operate in different areas without restriction and high taxations. Supply contracts have being awarded to those companies that have clean records of contributing to the wellbeing of the community.CRS strategies should be aimed at building capacity that will help in reduction of poverty levels in a region , promote giving that increases security and human , property rights according to international standards, reduce corruption and bribery and increase accountability and transparency. Friedman’s social responsibility model can be divided into two the business and to the beneficiaries. Where the business has obligation to respect what the shareholders aim to achieve, keep costs low, ensure they comply with the state laws and also follow the ethica l customs in the area of operation, ensure they give room for free and open market competition and not to be involved in unlawful transactions. The community also has a role to play by providing labor force, creating good working condition for the business and also be actively involved in social activities (Cosans, 2011). Arguments for social responsibility According to Buchholtz corporate social responsibility should include; production of goods and services, solving social problems, simple market transactions. Milton Friedman focused on the idea that social responsibility of business is to increase its profit. The use of available resources and should increase profit, in free and fair competition .arguments in support for social responsibility is that managers have to ensure they increase the shareholders wealth should be increased. Policy making should be left to be decided by the state, giving is encouraged and engaging in social responsibility by owners of firms. Firms should a ct in a free and accountable ways to ensure it does not affects the society breaking the law and protect the environment. Act in a way not to affect objectives of the firm and consider interest of others. Arguments against Milton Friedman is that although he argued a firm should make as much as possible he does not limit this to existing laws of production ,exploitation and property right. (Schwartz & Saiia) Strategic

A Financial Analysis Of 3m Finance Essay

A Financial Analysis Of 3m Finance Essay Currently, 3M operates in more than 65 countries. The company produces a large variety of products, such as: adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, electronic circuits and optical films. 3M started operating on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Two Harbors, Minnesota in 1902. Five businessmen (Henry S. Bryan, Hermon W. Cable, John Dwan, William A. McGonagle, Dr. J. Danley Budd) came together to mine a mineral deposit used for manufacturing grinding-wheels. As it turned out, the deposit didnt have much of a value, so they opted to concentrate on sandpaper products. In 1914, 3M launched its first exclusive product: Three-M-ite cloth. Few other innovative products followed: waterproof sandpaper, masking tape, and the very well known Scotch brand tape. In 1929, 3M decided to expand its business internationally and started operating in Europe. The same year, the companys stock was first traded over the counter. In 1946 the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MMM). The company is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and of the SP 500.  [1]   1.2 Company Profile 3M Company is an American transnational enterprise based in Maplewood, Minnesota, and represents one of the major players in the conglomerate industry. Below are presented some of the highlights that compose the companys profile: 3M Co.  [2]   3-M Center St Paul, MN  55144-1000 Index Membership: Dow Jones Composite Dow Industrials SP 100 SP 500 SP 1500 Super Comp Sector: Conglomerates Industry: Conglomerates Employees (last reported count): 74,835 1.2.1 Organizational Structure 3Ms general offices and research laboratories are located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Locally, 3M has nine sales offices and operates 74 manufacturing facilities. Outside the United State, 3M has 148 sales offices and 93 manufacturing .3M owns all of its physical properties.  [3]   Key Executive: Bellow, there are presented few of the key people that are currently running this enterprise: Mr. George W. Buckley, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Mr. Patrick D. Campbell, Chief Financial Officer and Senior VP Mr. Inge G. Thulin, Executive VP of International Operations Mr. Brad T. Sauer, Executive VP of Health Care Business Mr. Jean Lobey, Executive VP of Safety Security Protection Services Business.  [4]   2. Major lines of business  [5]   3M serves its customers through six business segments: 1. Consumer and Office (15% of total sales). 3M is providing its customers with a large variety of products such as house cleaning materials and office supplies. Some of the most popular ones are: Post-it ®, Scotch ®, Scotch-Brite ®, Filtreteà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, O-Cel-Oà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, Nexcareà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, and Commandà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 2. Display and Graphics (13.5%). As a top technological innovator, 3M provides its customers with products such as: display enhancement films; reflective materials, graphics, and projection systems. 3. Electro and Communications (9.8%). Due to its continuous innovative efforts, 3M managed to provide solutions for customers in many fields: electrical, electronics and communications. They contribute to reliable sources of electrical power, high-performance electronic devices, and reliable, high speeds telecommunications network. 4. Health Care (18.6%). 3M is considered a global leader in medical and oral care products, drug delivery and health information systems, providing its customers with innovative and trustful products that help care professionals improve the quality of care services. 5. Industrial and Transportation (30.8%) The company supplies a large variety of innovative products such as tapes, abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials and filtration systems to different markets: from automotive to aerospace to renewable energy to electronics. 6. Safety, Security and Protection Services (13.8%). 3Mproducts-personal protective equipment, safety and security products, substantially contribute to the safety, security and productivity of people, facilities and systems around the world. 1.3 Operating Strategies 1.3.1 Mission Statements and Management Objectives: The main mission statement and management objectives, as presented in the companys annual report are: Demonstrate uncompromised honesty and integrity in all activities and relationships. Promote individual initiative , innovation and leadership, Establish and maintain a culture dominated by fairness and trust, where respect and responsibility, are valued and recognized. Create a safe workplace for 3M employees. Satisfy customers with high quality products and services. Provide investors with an attractive return. Respect the social and physical environment worldwide. 1.3.2 Business model and Strategies 3M business model is based on the ability to not only develop unique products, but also to manufacture them efficiently and consistently around the world (3M).   [6]   3M is a diversified technology enterprise with an international presence in different businesses, such as: industrial and transportation, healthcare, display and graphics, consumer and office, safety, security and protection services, and electro and communications. The industrial and transportation business includes products such as food and beverage, personal care, and automobiles. Industrial products include polyester, foil, and tape. Transportation sector provides the market with different types of insulation components and catalytic converters. The health care segment produces supplies and equipment for medical and dental use. The display and office business supplies stationary products, and home-improvement products. Besides the already mentioned business sections, 3M also manages a safety segment and an electro and communications segment. In order to remain a respected leader in its field, 3M employs a series of strategies. The company is continuously trying to increasing market share and the popularity of their brands. Also they make significant efforts to maintain existing customers and attract new ones. This is a very important issue considering the number of substitute products currently available on the market. Besides the already mentioned strategies that 3M employs in order to run a successful business, they also practice a very interesting hedging strategy .Instead of concentrating on a single industry, 3M operations are spread over a large variety of sectors. So, at any point in time, the effect of a slow growth sector is counteracted by the prosperity of another sector. Due to this hedging strategy, the company stock price manages to maintain relative stability.  [7]   Also, they continue to spend significant amount of funds on RD, which is critical for their image as a leading innovator, pay dividends, buy back stock and raise shareholders equity, the chief aim being the ability to offer a good return to all their investors. This is a solid company, with a very high degree of liquidity in an extremely good financial health. Another strategy that makes 3M well known is there acquisition strategies. On an average, the company performs ten to twenty acquisitions every year. This enables 3M to continuously grow, penetrate new markets and explore new technologies. Other strategies that 3M employs refer to continuous innovation, in order to introduce new products to various markets that company operate in, gaining market share in the existing markets and aiming to become more and more important to the end customers. 1.4 SWOT Analysis SWOT is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a business.  [8]   3M SWOT analysis:  [9]   Strengths: The company operates in a large variety of business sectors: industrial and transportation, healthcare, display and graphics, consumer and office, safety, security and protection service, electro and communication. Strong research and development capabilities. (According to 3M 2009 Annual Report, the company spent more than a billion dollars in RD). Multinational presence. The company operates more than 65 countries. Solid financial condition. (A complete Income Statement and Balance Sheet are presented in the annexes). Weaknesses: Low inventory turnover, which impacts inventories and margins. Some key segments are registering inferior performance. Strong and aggressive competitors. Opportunities: Acquisitions in key operating areas. 3M performs an average of 20 acquisitions every year. Continued global expansion. Healthcare spending levels in the US are increasing. Security concerns caused by a weak US economy, combined with some unfortunate events that are threatening the safety of American people, (9/11/2001, N1H1 virus infection) brings new opportunities for 3M security business. Threats: The fluctuation of commodity and energy prices (increasing).In order to mitigate this risk, the company is engaging in a multitude of forward physical contracts and price agreements. Exchange rates fluctuations. The company operates worldwide, so the exchange rates and any fluctuations of it may negatively impact the companys results. Environmental regulations. People are becoming more and more aware of the importance of respecting the environment. Any new rules and regulation may require additional funds to be invested in order to work green. 1.5 Core competencies A core competence represents the companys collective knowledge about how to coordinate diverse production skills and technologies (C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel).  [10]   3M runs an extremely diversified business, spread over numerous sectors: industrial, transportation, display and graphics, security etc. In order to manage and keep all this different types of businesses together, the company holds competencies in substrate, coating and adhesives. Besides possessing these competencies, the company also created a multitude of ways to share and apply them. The result of such combination of technology, skills and knowledge, allows 3M to participate on a multitude of businesses and markets. The literature points out that the core competencies of any company should benefit the end customer of the product and should be very difficult to copy by the competitors. 3M is aware that the stronger the customer perception in recognizing the superiority of their products, the less likely the threats of substitutes. The company makes continuous efforts to differentiate its products among the multitude of similarities offered by the competitors and their efforts are successful due to the fact that they are supplying high quality, innovative and reliable products at competitive prices. Moreover, it is a companys core competencies that keeps the businesses together. This aspect is crucial for 3M, as the company operates in multiple business sectors, worldwide. It seems that 3M fully understood this concept and its enormous advantages, because they are investing consistently in their core competencies and ability to innovate, the chief aim being to provide the market and the end customers with innovative products that really stand out. 2. Industry analysis 2.1 Industry Definition, Structure and Major Competitors. The Industrial Conglomerate industry consists of large organizations engaged in multiple business lines within the industrial sector, where at least two business lines comprise a substantial portion of the companys total operation (The New York Times, Oct 1, 2010).  [11]  The industrial conglomerate industry contains the following sectors: Basic Materials, Consumer Cyclical, Consumer Non-Cyclical Energy, Health care, Industrials and Transportation, Technology, Telecommunication, Utilities. Exhibit1. Direct Competitor Comparison  [12]   MMM AVY DD JNJ Industry Market Cap: 63.58B 4.02B 42.30B 174.16B 9.47B Employees: 74,835 31,300 58,000 115,500 28.26K Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy): 17.70% 15.40% 21.80% 0.60% 14.50% Revenue (ttm): 25.39B 6.31B 30.43B 62.59B 10.28B Gross Margin (ttm): 48.78% 28.26% 29.94% 69.98% 33.80% EBITDA (ttm): 7.03B 695.10M 5.42B 19.70B 1.63B Operating Margin (ttm): 23.18% 6.96% 13.08% 26.90% 12.29% Net Income (ttm): 3.94B 250.90M 3.13B 13.53B N/A EPS (ttm): 5.48 2.37 3.43 4.84 1.92 P/E (ttm): 16.28 16.04 13.60 13.06 19.15 PEG (5 yr expected): 1.28 1.44 1.61 2.09 1.28 P/S (ttm): 2.50 0.63 1.38 2.78 1.27 AVY = Avery Dennison Corporation produces pressure-sensitive materials, office products, tickets, tags, labels, and other converted products. DD = EI DuPont de Nemours Co. (DuPont) operates as a science and technology company worldwide. JNJ =Johnson Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. Industry = Conglomerates Exhibit2. Comparison between 3M, the Conglomerate Industry and the direct competitors, benchmarked against DOW and SP 500. Source: http://finance.yahoo.com 2.2 Industry profitability and growth. In order to get an idea about the main characteristics of the players in this industry, I have selected few key statistics. The financial indicators listed bellow shows the fact that this are large companies, highly leveraged (most of them), providing the investors with a small to average return. Market Capitalization: 366B Price / Earnings: 13.5 Price / Book: 4.1 Net Profit Margin: 7.5% Price to Free Cash Flow: 27.4 Return on Equity: 12.5% Total Debt / Equity: 242.3 Dividend Yield: 2.4% Exhibit 3. Comparison between the evolution of 3M common stock and the industry. Source: http://finance.yahoo.com 2.3 PEST Analysis of the External Factors affecting the Industry PEST analysis stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management.  [13]  Performing such an analysis and applying the findings will give any company a significant competitive advantage. The model identifies four factors that have a major impact on the companys macroeconomic environment:  [14]   Political Economical Social Technological Political Factors: Among the most significant political factors that can affect 3Ms business are: tax policies, employment laws, environmental regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs, and political stability. 3M is making all the necessary investments in order to comply with these laws. In 2009, 3M spent around $15 million for projects regarding the protection of the environment. The mentioned funds have provided among other things, pollution control devices at all its properties. Economical Factors: economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates, inflation rate. Due to large geographical presence, and the fact that 63 percent of its revenue is generated from outside the United States, the companys results may be affected by exchange rates and their fluctuation. In order to mitigate this risk, the company engages in a multitude of forward contracts. Also, the Companys business may be negatively affected by other factors, both internal and external that are beyond its control, such as instability and downturns in financial markets or economies in some countries or regions, in which the Company operates. Social Factors: population growth rate, age distribution, health and safety awareness, career attitude. 3M, through its business policies is aiming to create a safe workplace, to encourage individual initiative and innovation in an atmosphere of flexibility, cooperation and trust, promoting a culture where promise keeping, fairness, respect and personal accountability are valued, encouraged and recognized.  [15]   Technological Factors: RD activities, automation, technology incentives, rate of technological change. Research and development activities constitute an important part of 3Ms business and have been a significant contributor to the companys sales growth. Research, development expenses accounted for $1.2 billion in 2009, $1.4 billion in 2008 and $1.3 billion in 2007.  [16]   2.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis of the Industry Competition Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979 .The model is based on the idea that competitive advantage came from the ability to earn a return on investment that was better than the average for the industry sector(Thurlby,1998). The model identifies five forces which would impact on an organizations behavior in a competitive market: The rivalry between existing sellers in the market. The threat of new entrants on the market. The threat of substitute products available in the market The bargaining power of the suppliers. The power of the customers in the market. Full comprehensions of each of these five forces and the impact they have on the companys business, provide organizations with the necessary information to enable them to choose the right operating strategy in order to be successful in their market.  [17]   2.4.1. The rivalry between existing sellers in the market The conglomerate industry, although very complex, extending over a multitude of business, seems to be dominated by few key players, and 3M Co is one of them. In order to gain competitive advantage, 3M is aiming to stay ahead of the trend by continuously providing the market with new products and technologies. Given its strong balance sheet, the company is able to react fast to any negative changes in the market (lower the price of its products), in order to maintain existing customers and attract new ones. Moreover, in facing competition the company is offering well differentiated products, well known and trustful brands, the chief aim being extra value added products and services for the end customers. 2.4.2. The Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants is dictated by the market entry barriers. The entry barriers exist whenever it is difficult or not economically feasible for an outsider to replicate the incumbents position (Porter, 1980b; Sanderson, 1998). Such barriers refer to: Cost of entry: In order to enter this industry and compete against the existing firms, the cost of capital required would be extremely high. 3M is a well known company, with an aggressive mergers and acquisition strategy, holding an impressive market share. Distribution channels: 3M products are sold through numerous distribution channels, including wholesalers, retailers, and dealers in many countries around the world. The company has established a large and very well defined distribution network, developed through long association with skilled marketing and sales representatives. Cost advantages not related to the size of the company, like contacts and expertise play a major role in the companys performance. Government legislations: for example, introduction of new laws might weaken companys competitive position; 3M had to improve their environmental performance via new environmental, health and safety policies in order to comply with new government standard and regulations. Many times this requires additional funds, changes into production processes, products, and that some firms may find it difficult to do so without increasing the prices of their products and services. Differentiation: 3M is a well known brand that already gained customer respect and loyalty and the products that represent this company have a high ratio of value to price. 2.4. 3. The Threat of Substitutes Products available on the market Although the threat of substitutes in this sector is high, due to the fact that there is a large number of a substitute product available in the market, 3M products differentiate themselves through superior quality and innovativeness. The firm invests strongly in RD, in order to insure that they deliver extra -added value products, and the existing customers will not be tempted to choose from the many available substitutes. Other aspects that should be considered when trying to mitigate the risk of losing customers to substitute products refer to: relative price performance of substitute, buyer switching costs, ease of substitution, substandard product, and quality depreciation. 2.4.4. The bargaining power of suppliers In the conglomerate industry, the power of supplier is relatively modest, due to the fact that the companies in this industry are very large corporations. This companies act on an international scale, having access to an increase number of suppliers and the buying is done in bulk, immense quantities. There is still some risk regarding the price fluctuation of commodities, like oil, oil derivatives, energy, due to possible shortage. 3M is trying to mitigate this risk engaging in prices agreements and forward physical contracts. 2.4.5. The bargaining power of buyers. When trying to assess the power of buyers, two aspects need to be considered: size and concentration of the customers correlated with the concentration of the competitors. In the conglomerate industry, the bargaining power of the buyers is relatively high due to the fact that all the players in the market are targeting the same customers via similar products. Also, the end customers are more and more informed, and their expectations are continuously growing. Another aspect that should be considered in this case is that the cost of switching between suppliers is relatively low. A buyer has many options; therefore 3M makes a continuous effort to insure that their products are permanently aligned with customer preferences and needs. 2.5 Summary The nature of competition in an industry is strongly affected by the above mentioned forces. As a rule we can state that, whenever buyers and suppliers have high degrees of power, the result translates into a high competitive industry. The industry of conglomerate is moderate to high competitiveness, due to the fact that new entries are difficult (high capital requirements), but this effect is counteracted by the fact that the players in this sector are extremely large and diversified corporations, with solid resources and very aggressive financial strategies. 3. Economic Outlook 3.1 Global Outlook There is no doubt that we are on the path of economical recovery, but the speed of things moving in the right direction is slow, considering the severity of the financial crisis. In advanced economies, such as U.S., small improvements in labor markets, housing markets, and corporate bonds market generated some positive developments in the overall economy. In the emerging and developing economies, (such as China, India, and Brazil) the recovery process seems to be much faster. Even among the advanced economies, the recovery process happens at different speeds, depending of the way that the local government has chosen to deal with the crisis. If we compare The United States with Europe or Japan, we see that the American economy is doing much better than the other two. This phenomenon may have something to do with some of the following: fiscal stimulus was larger in US, the nonfinancial corporate sector is less reliant on bank credit, bond markets have improved which stimulated investments, and many financial and nonfinancial organizations went radical restructuration and improved productivity. In Japan, due to the appreciation of the yen, the countrys exports f eel dramatically, which ultimately impacts the recovery process. Similar situation can be observed in Europe. Some of the economies of this region suffered a major contraction, not only because of the financial crisis, but the real estate too. Overall the economical and financial conditions present themselves as fragile and difficult. There are some signs of recovery, especially in the emerging economies, and is expected that this will help along the recovery process of the advanced economies.  [18]   3.2 Regional outlook Asia is leading the global recovery and the regions contribution to global growth will continue to exceed that of other regions in the next two years, (Source: The International Monetary Fund). China registered 8.4 percent growth last year, and the projections for the next year are similar (9%growth in GDP for 2010). In the region, the GDP has increased 6.8 percent in 2009. The recovery process has been driven by exports combined with low internal demand and ultimately low household consumption. The inflow of capital in the region has increased, stimulating investments and speeding up the recovery process. According to IMF, for the next period of time, Asias main policy challenge will remain to achieve a rebalancing of growth from external to domestic sources. On global level, there is a political and economical issue regarding the Chinese government decision not to appreciate their local currency, and the way this decision is affecting the world trade. Europe, especially the emerging nations, was strongly hit by the financial crisis. In this region the GDP decreased by approximately 4.6 percent in 2009. The projections for 2010 GDP show an increase of 2.3 and 2.2 percent in 2011. The growth rates in most economies in the region will remain slow, due to major contraction in exports and weak capital inflow. Besides the already mentioned factors, other variables such as : high unemployment, real estate crisis, bank restructuring operations, tight credit policies, and high interest rates will also restrain the recovery process. Other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean seem to be dealing with the crisis a little bit better than other countries .The last year GDP registered a 2.6 percent drop, and the prognosis for 2010 and 2011 are quite optimistic showing a growth of 3.1 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively. The recovery process is still relatively slow, due to weaker investment and not enough tourism, both important sources of external finances. The lack of tourism may be explained by high unemployment in United States and other high-income countries. The Middle East and North Africa region experienced, an overall GDP growth slowing to 2.9 percent in 2009. The forecasts for 2010 show an increase in GDP of 3.7 percent in 2010 and 4.4 percent by 2011. These projections regarding the recovery process are based on few assumptions such as: the global demand for oil will increase, and oil prices will stabilize. The financial and economical crisis and their effects were not felt as deep in the region of South Asia. In this area, the GDP registered 5.7 percent growth in 2009. This represented a slowing of growth comparing to the boom period, mainly due to a significant decrease in investments, correlated with low domestic demand. The projections for 2010 and 2011 look optimistic: 6.9 and 7.4 percent respectively. 3.4 Local outlook According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the US economy is still growing, but at a slower pace than the first quarter of 2010(2.4% versus 3.7% in the first quarter of 2010). Some of the reasons that will restrain the recovery process are the following: The financial institution will need to recover from losses due to loan defaults. In order to boost the recovery process, the government offered numerous stimulus packages. The housing market registered slight improvements, but failed to meet the expectation. The main disruption in the housing sector was caused by a dramatic drop in house prices, and hou