Thursday, October 31, 2019

Presentation Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Presentation Critique - Essay Example The introduction did, however, set up the presentation well and give some general themes that would be explored better further in the presentation, though one thing I would have liked to see would be some explanation of context (a power outage that affects a huge area vs a small area, or home vs office etc.) The content was good, though some parts of it were more disjointed than was necessary. The introduction gave some topics that would be discussed, but some of these were either missing in the presentation (such as how to stop equipment damage) or else not clearly correlated with those introductory ideas. However, all content presented was on topic, appropriate and effective. This was one of the weaker areas of the presentation. Some of the visuals were good (the lightning one, for instance) while others seemed very out of place: the â€Å"Key to success† visual was both off topic (equating success to money, which was not really what success is in terms of power outages), while also being low resolution and overly

Monday, October 28, 2019

On Becoming a Leader Essay Example for Free

On Becoming a Leader Essay The book I chose to review is â€Å"On Becoming a Leader† by Warren Bennis. At the crux of this book is a search to understand how leaders are made. Throughout the book, the author tries to prove through polls and observations, that leaders are not born but are made through a combination of nature and nurture. Leaders who excel tend to have similar characteristics which have been developed by a series of experiences in their lives (these include embracing mistakes, taking risks and learning from adversity). Another idea discussed in the book is that of the role of education in making leaders. Bennis notes a number of qualities and abilities that are common amongst the leaders he interacts with. Some of those are relating well to others, trusting others and in turn being trustworthy, the ability to motivate people and to not give up, inspiration and competence in the job. However, he claims that a major problem in business leadership is the â€Å"societal disease of our time† (as said by Norman Lear to him) short term thinking. He highlights throughout the book that this form of thinking is not beneficial to organizations and that a good leader should be able to look further and not give the short term too much importance. At one point he claims that short term thinking is what kills one of the most important attributes a leader must have innovation. The author mentions that leaders are important to an organization since they are of paramount importance to the operational performance, stability and integrity of the organization. To this end, Warren Bennis presents in a systematic manner various attributes that are required of a leader to be able to perform well. The first attribute discussed is the ability to â€Å"Master the context†. In this chapter, the author discusses the fact that a leader must be able to understand the reasons and outcomes of different situations. Only once he has managed this, will he be able to act in the best possible way for his organization. This is in line with what we have learned throughout our course regarding improving one’s self-awareness as well as the 4 perspectives of organizational effectiveness. A leader must be able to understand the context of work and respond by being aware that he needs to look after different perspectives of people and systems related to the organization. The second thing discussed is â€Å"understanding the basics†, which is quite similar to mastering the context. In this, Warren Bennis explains that leaders need to understand the underlying concepts at work before making decisions. He lists a series of attributes that can be found in most leaders including self-knowledge, passion, vision and trust. He argues that most of the leaders are not born with these attributes but life experiences and a desire to lead people enables them to develop a good understanding of this. Their drive to acquire and learn are much higher than on average and they actively pursue these drives while taking risks and placing lesser importance on their drive for safety. In this he also discusses the difference between managing people and leading them. We have gone through various topics related directly to this effect in class. According to me, one of the strongest drives an individual has is the drive to safety. An individual would be much more comfortable if they can trust their leader. The ability to understand the thought process of their leader and their belief/trust in him helps shore up their drive for safety. Across cultures, people tend to avoid uncertainty and if a leader is able to, through knowledge and an understanding, provide people with an image of consistency; it goes a long way in settling people and reducing stress. The third lesson is â€Å"knowing yourself†. Warren Bennis argues that in order to lead others, one must fully understand themselves. To be able to trust your decisions/inner feelings is extremely important for leading people and making correct choices. The author goes on to highlight 4 lessons that enable an individual to understand themselves. They are â€Å"you are your own best teacher†, â€Å"accept responsibility†, â€Å"you can learn anything you want to learn† and â€Å"true understanding comes from reflecting on your own experience†. All these lessons are at the core of organizational behavior as we have learnt. These 4 lessons can apply even to organizations as well as being useful for individuals. Self-concept is an important part of an individual’s make up and to feed that we must be able to reflect on our past experiences to learn from them. Social learning, learning through reinforcement and learning through experience are discussed as important factors of learning in organizations in our course. I believe this same applies to individuals as they are able to develop their social identity and self-concept through these lessons. Next, the author discusses â€Å"Knowing the world†. This takes a similar route to the previous subject of knowing yourself, while developing a greater scope to the understanding. Cultural understanding is an extremely important attribute in a leader. In an increasingly diverse workforce coupled with increasing globalization, a leader must have the ability to and desire to understand various cultures and behaviors. Values and behavior are very different for different cultures, and a lot of organizations have failed due to the incompatible understanding of their leaders. The HP-Compaq merger was a major case where while it was beneficial financially and operationally for the companies to merge, their leaders were not able to fully adapt the two company’s cultures properly, causing the merger to have not performed anywhere near expectations. One point that I found particularly interesting and felt that was very important was the need for a person to find a mentor who can help them enhance and shape their cultural understanding. The social learning aspect discusses similar concepts, where a person learns from someone whom they aspire to be. Being able to find a mentor who has an in depth understanding of cultures, or at least has a desire to learn cultural differences can help an individual become a more complete leader. The next thought discussed by the author is â€Å"Operating on instinct†. This discussion focuses on the fact that a good leader should be able to believe in himself and should be able to take decisions from his gut feeling. More often than not a leader and even individuals will have to make decisions without knowing all the details they would like to know. The presence of incomplete information should not make the leader less likely to make a decision. A good leader will have developed enough self-awareness and through self-evaluation and verification be able to rely on his instinct to make the right choice. This enables the leader to be able to quickly and decisively contemplate and decide issues. The next discussion is based on †Deploying yourself†. In this the author talks about the fact that a successful leader is a person who is willing to take on challenges even though he might have failed in earlier challenges. The drive to learn and acquire are, I feel, major contributors to this topic. A good leader will be able to reflect on his past experiences and learn from them; and this gives them confidence to continually drive for newer challenges and tasks. Another topic discussed is â€Å"Moving through chaos†. In this chapter, Warren Bennis describes the difference between all individuals and leaders. He points out that everyone faces problems and issues in their career, but that leaders analyze these problems and tend to learn from these. Conflict resolution can take many forms through third-party conflict resolution or negotiation. Leaders reflect on their conflicts and develop an understanding of how to overcome those challenges. â€Å"Getting people on your side† is the next topic covered. The main point of this discussion, and a very important learning for me personally, is the ability of the leader to be trustworthy. To be trusted, a leader must display consistency in his actions, congruity meaning what they say, reliable to their followers and have a strong integrity. This once again gravitates towards the drive for safety individuals have. To be lead by someone, an individual must trust them to act on their behalf and be able to predict to a certain extent what their leaders will do for them. The concept of romanticizing leadership is down to this ability of leaders. If a leader is able to bring their employees/followers on their side, the leader’s ability to work through tasks and challenges is increased. Even mistakes made by them will be viewed in a positive light, enabling them to continue taking risks. â€Å"Organizations can help or hinder† is the next topic that is discussed. This focuses on the fact different organizations will have different expectations from their leaders. The culture at an organization will dictate how well a leader will be able to lead the organization. A good leader will be able to understand the context of the organization and will try to devise strategies he can implement to make changes. The author also mentions that the leader should try and develop organizational characteristics that are in line with their culture. This also transposes into the last discussion of â€Å"Forging the future†. The impediments faced by leaders in an organization can be very hard, but a good leader will be able to develop his own culture and characteristics to move the organization forward. One major issue I had with this book was that while the author continually refers to short term thinking as a â€Å"societal disease†; he himself to a certain extent subscribes to that notion. His interaction with the leaders seems comparatively very short term. Throughout the statements made in the book, it felt that the interviews were more about successful past rather than forward looking. I understand that one of the major attributes is to learn from experiences but the I’d prefer if the author also focused equally on the leader’s thoughts about the future. Secondly I felt that there was quite a bit of political commentary in the book. I knew that it was going to have some after reading the reviews while selecting the book, but the political leadership aspect seemed to be a comparatively one sided. I feel that the author could have refrained from making this political and focused instead on the corporate leadership aspect.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Comparison of Economic Systems: Germany and the UAE

Comparison of Economic Systems: Germany and the UAE Introduction â€Å"Economy is the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services, and the supply of money†(Oxford Dictionaries 2012). Before profound studying about the mentioned countries one important aspect should be taken into consideration the similarity between these two countries is their critical role in their region, both of those countries has a significant influence on the political and economy climate in their respective regions. Germany is located in Central Europe, south of Denmark, between Poland and the Netherlands. It has a direct access to North and Baltic seas. The countrys total area is 357,022 sq.km and the population around 82 million people. Historically, Germany has evolved couple of unifications and reunifications including the last one in 1990. Excellent infrastructure, location, skilled workforce and moderate wage rate make Germany very attractive for business. Notwithstanding, there are some environmental problems, such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, diminishing biodiversity and shortage of resources. The United Arab Emirates is located on the eastern part of Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south, Oman to the east and sea sharing borders with Qatar. Also, country has a direct access to Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The UAEs total area is much smaller, only 83,600 sq. km. The United Arab Emirates thrift and stability is substantiating by its considerable oil wealth that was discovered in 1960th, most of which is concentrated in Abu Dhabi the countrys capital (â€Å"United Arab Emirates profile’ 2012). Although, the UAE will remain be contingent on the oil reserves for many years to come, nevertheless, its level of dependency is gradually declining. The main role in development was taken by Dubai, which has become a regional financial, commercial powerhouse and o one the prime tourism centers of the Gulf Region. Moreover, a strong combination of oil prices, plentiful financial and fiscal resources, political stability, regulator y reforms and infrastructure development will backing the UAEs country risk profile. Germany represents a federal parliamentary, representative republic with a six main political parties, dominated by the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria and the Social Democratic parties. The head of the government who exercises executive power is a Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, due to the fact that Germany is a member of European Union and G8, policies are subordinated with those organizations. As the biggest economy in Europe, Germany contributes 25% of Eurozones GDP. The political structure of the United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven monarchical emirates. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is an emir of Abu Dhabi and the President of the country. The federal system of government includes the President, the Prime Minister, the Supreme Council, Crown Princes and Deputy Rulers, the Federal National Council,the Council of Ministers (UAE Government 2012). Although, Germany has the second largest population in Europe, it faces an aging population. This implies some long term problems, such as increase in governmental welfare expenditures, healthcare expenses, pension’s payments and loss in income tax. Nevertheless, countrys immigration policies and laws set up favorable conditions for immigrants, and immigration rate exceeds emigration level. 10% of Germanys population consists of non-native nations, such as Turkish, Greek, Italian, Russian, Polish, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian. According to World Bank, UAE’s locals constitute only 16.5% of the total population. Meanwhile, the number of expatriates increasing over time, Indians accounts the biggest part with a 1.7 million people. Also, most of native representatives tend to work in public sectors, benefiting with a higher salaries, shorter working hours, greater job security, while 98% of private-sector workplaces are occupied by expatriates. As the graphs below represent the population pyramids for compared countries, we can mention the aging population in Germany, as was described previously. Also we pay attention on difference in population composition of those countries. Almost in every age group Germany’s population is somewhat balanced between male and female genders. On the other hand, we can see the drastic difference between male and female composition of United Arab Emirates’ population. Age groups from 20-64 is highly dominated by males; this caused by the fact that most of them are expatriates and they are coming to the country in search of a job, leaving their families in home countries. Source: US Census Bureau, International Data base (IDB) GDP Growth The economy of Germany continues to be based on individual consumption and going to strengthen by further investments, meanwhile next exports is still deterring growth. Germany has been decreased its dependence on exports in recent years. In addition, the Social Democratic Party has successfully pushed for an expenditure increase in infrastructural, educational sectors, as well as pension increase and minimum-wage regulation across all country by 2015. Eurozone’s debt-crisis caused uncertainty on consumers’ confidence and future expectations about their personal finances. Income is continuing to be supported by stable employment and increase in average wages. Also the expected perseverance of historically low interest rates will reinforce investment growth during upcoming years. Cheap mortgages will robust construction industry. Exports will recover during 2014, but the Eurozone crisis and geopolitical conflicts in the Ukraine and the Middle East are limiting scope. Although consecutive economic stabilization in the European Union will permit German exports to strengthen, the spikes in rebound trend during end of 2013 and beginning of 2014 – the natural structure of European debt crisis which in turn will limit the speed and vigour of export recovery. Furthermore, incandesce of Ukrainian situation and possible further escalations of actions in Iraq are incrementing world’s uncertainty and keeps internati onal trade back. The expected growth of the GDP of UAE is 4.3% in current year. Compared to the previous year the GDP growth, the highest after Great Recession, has declined. Economic growth had a strong acceleration in 2013 of 5.2%, but then economy faces some difficulties. Oil GDP expands only at a 1.8% rate this year, following 4.8% in 2013. With average global price of $109 per barrel in 2014, UAE oil output – which concentrated within the Abu Dhabi emirate – is going to reach around 2.7-2.8 million barrels per day. Non-oil sectors of the economy will continue to outrun growth driven by oil extraction. Activity in the non-oil sector has been steadily recovering following the downturn in 2009 and will continue to be the driving force of the economy’s growth momentum in 2014. Non-oil GDP is continuing holding on the same level as in 2013 – approximately 5.4%. The UAE has economy is relatively stable amid the disorder in the region. The key non-oil activities such as tourism, retail, and service help to drive the growth. Manufacturing activities led by aluminium and petrochemical industries is going to strengthen the following years. Also strong economic conditions will benefit both the transport and trade sectors. Real estate and construction sectors also improved along with overall market conditions. Infrastructure and development projects also had an additional motivation with Dubai’s award of next Expo city. A set of regulations implemented by authorities will help against a repeat of a boom cycles in Dubai. All these facts regarding Expo 2020 should provide a platform for a stable growth in tourism, construction, transport and hospitality industries in next 5 years. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Germany -0.38% 1.16% 0.68% 3.70% 3.27% 1.08% -5.14% 4.01% 3.33% 6.89% 4.32% UAE 8.80% 9.57% 4.86% 9.84% 3.18% 3.19% -4.80% 1.67% 3.88% 4.37% .. GDP by type of Expenditure According to the expenditure approach of calculation of Gross Domestic Product, it equals to the sum of such components as consumption (C), investment (I), government purchases (G), and net export, i.e. difference between export and import (NX): Y=C+I+G+NX. Germany UAE Gross capital formation (% of GDP) 17.26 22.66 General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) 19.29 6.90 Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) 57.53 49.75 Net Export (% of GDP) 5.92 20.68 Inflation UAE consumer inflation surpassed the 2% mark in April for the first time in five years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Housing price inflation was relatively continual with 2.6% year on year in May; Dubai’s inflation has lowered to 3.7% compared to 4.9% in April. Real estate has become the main inflation driver in UAE, excelling food price inflation of 2.1%, even as food prices are increasing at 0.9$ rate per month. Consumer inflation is soon averaging 2.2% in 2014. The recovery of housing prices reflects the prolonged downturn in the real estate market. The annual inflation rate is expected to soar up to 3% by the end of 2014. Mildness of world’s commodity prices is going to benefit the inflationary pressures. The United Arab Emirates could face higher problems in their inflation outlook if commodity and food prices go up. 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Germany 2.6% 0.3% 1.1% 2.1% 2.0% UAE 12.3% 1.6% 0.9% 0.9% 0.7% Germany’s nationwide inflation should remain at a very kind level between 1% and 2% in near future. Following the consumer prices inflation leaped from a 22-year low of -0.5% in 2009 to around 2.5% in 2011, the economic deceleration caused by the Europe’s debt crisis during 2012 and early 2013 have led to a softening below 1.5% that will remain during 2014. On balance, core inflation should move broadly sideways to around 1.5% during 2014, as a boosting effect from the Germany’s economic recovery is offset by the continuing restraints of the Eurozone debt crisis, also the anticipated downward tendency of oil prices due to global supply factors. Although, monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB) will be much lighter than Germany’s economy is demanding. Germans’ traditional disinclines to inflation should limit the extent to which Germany’s inflation will exceed the European average. Also, inflation will be stacked the level ECB considers unproblematic. Also due to pressure on ECB to buy Eurozone’s governments’ bonds and to allow higher inflation rates is enduring upward economic risk within the region. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Germany 96.1 98.6 98.9 100 102.1 UAE 87 97.6 99.1 100 100.9 Human Development Index The Human Development Index summarizes the long-term development of a particular country or region. It includes three basic parameters: living standard, knowledge accessibility and health and longevity. The HDI is primarily based on international data provided by the United Nations Population Division, the United Nations Educational. In year 2013, The United Arab Emirates had a very high HDI value of 0.827— which places the country on 40 out of 187 countries. From the very beginning of its existence as a government, the United Arab Emirates HDI had value increased from 0.640 to 0.827, and soared up for 29.2 percent. This gives us the average increase of about 0.78 percent per year. The Table below reviews the United Arab Emirates progress of the HDI indicator. Between 1980 and 2013, that was achieved by couple of factors: the United Arab Emirates life expectancy at birth increased by 9.2 years, average years of schooling increased by 5.5 years and expected years of studying increased by 4.7 years. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates GNI per capita has decreased by about 62.2 percent between 1980 and 2013, due to tremendous increase in expatriate population. UAE Germany GNI per capita (2011 PPP$) HDI value GNI per capita (2011 PPP$) HDI value 1980 153,654 0.64 25,588 0.739 1985 139,421 0.686 27,355 0.752 1990 97,141 0.725 31,002 0.782 1995 102,203 0.764 32,643 0.825 2000 103,798 0.797 35,497 0.854 2005 104,668 0.823 37,259 0.887 2010 57,360 0.824 40,542 0.904 2011 56,393 0.824 41,907 0.908 2012 57,095 0.825 42,965 0.911 2013 58,068 0.827 43,049 0.911 The recent Germany’s HDI value is 0.911— which in turns is one of the highest on the globe —positioning the country at 6 out of 187 countries and territories. Taking the same time range as for UAE, 1980 and 2013, Germany’s HDI value increased from 0.739 to 0.911, an increase of 23.3 percent or an average annual increase of about 0.64 percent. This in comparison to UAE is slightly lower. The table reviews Germany’s progress in the HDI index. The increase in HDI is consisting of: Germany’s life expectancy at birth increased by 7.7 years, mean years of schooling increased by 7.2 years and expected years of schooling increased by 1.9 years. In terms of GNI, Germany’s per capita increased by about 68.2 conversely to UAE, during the same period of time.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Dual Structure in Japan :: essays papers

Dual Structure in Japan What do you understand by the term â€Å"dual structure of an economy†? How do you explain the dual structure of manufacturing industry in Japan? The word â€Å"dual† has the meaning of double, twofold or in two parts according to The Australian Oxford Dictionary (1996). Applying the word to an economic context, I would describe the term â€Å"dual structure of an economy† to indicate the co-existence of two different sectors alongside each other with disparities in technology and productivity between them. Take for instance, the existence of a traditional primary sector along with a modern non-primary sector constitutes to a â€Å"dual structure†. Duality can exist within a particular sector of the economy. The existence of traditional subsistence agriculture alongside export agriculture among the Southeast Asian countries during colonial period is an example of duality within a sector. Minami (1994, p.239) defined â€Å"dual structure† to mean the existence of two distinct sectors; one that has modern technology, a high capital-labour ratio, high labour productivity and wages, against another one, which has all the opposite characteristics. Therefore, one can infer that if large-scale industries with high capital intensity (K) were promoted at the stage in which labour supply (L) is relatively abundant then differentials in labour productivity (Y/L) and the wage rate would arise and lead to a dual structure. For Japan, three characteristics of the economy indicated the existence of a â€Å"dual structure†. First, the coexistence of a very low unemployment rates and continued low incomes in agricultural and small business. Second, the existence of large (â€Å"industrial giants†) and small scale firms within the manufacturing sector. Third, the existence of peculiar characteristics of the labour market such as enterprise unions, wages differentials according to the size of the firm and long term employment (Odaka, 1967 p.50). Furthermore, duality existed in the manufacturing sector too. In general, â€Å"dual structure† of the Japanese economy began before the Second World War as seen in a widening of income differential between agricultural and non-agricultural. The widening income differential was due to two main reasons. Firstly, productivity differential widen as productivity in the industrial sector increases faster due to relative ease in technology borrowing than productivity in agriculture. Secondly, the existence of surplus labour in traditional industries has tended to hinder increases in productivity due to limited arable land for agriculture so the farmland area per worker increased very slightly.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Explain the ethical significance of the Sermon Essay

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the key sections of the New Testament, in which Jesus builds upon the Decalogue to form the first blueprint of Christian ethics. Jesus was preaching in direct contrast to the Greek philosophy of stoicism, which sought to separate man from his emotions. Emotions, especially love, feature heavily in the Sermon on the Mount. It remains ethically relevant over 2000 years later for many reasons, the first of which is the underlying principles behind it. Jesus did not come to abolish Old Testament law, but to fulfil it. The Jews were trapped in a system of harsh legalism, where obedience was motivated by fear rather than love. The Pharisees made a grand display of holiness by keeping the law, but the Sermon on the Mount teaches that their hearts were empty. Jesus built on the Ten Commandments to create a system ruled by mercy, love and dedication to God. Even if the culture changes the basic ethical principles behind the sermon do not change. It is a moral code that focusses as much on inward moral disposition as it does our external actions: Jenkins wrote, â€Å"inner attention and attitude is crucial. † Even if a typically good action is performed with sinful thought then it becomes immoral. The most important thing to realise about the Sermon on the Mount is that it is impossible for anyone to keep it completely, as it demands perfection. Although they will never be free from sin in this life, Christians use the sermon in order to try and become more like Jesus, who was perfect. The Sermon is all about Christian sanctification. Jesus speaks not only on what Christians should do to be moral, but he also explains why it is important to be ethical in the first place. He states that Christians are the salt and light of the world. Salt is significant because it represents purity, preservation and flavour. Therefore we understand that Christians should maintain a good ethical code in order to set an example to society and to preserve it from total corruption. The image of the light is also key: in the Bible light always symbolises joy and blessing. A light is visible to all, and so the Christian should seek to make Christ visible to all through their actions. A light is also a warning, representing the Christian’s duty to lovingly warn their fellow-men about their sin. Further on in the Sermon Jesus admonishes that, â€Å"If the light then within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! † Furthermore, the Sermon on the Mount gives many specific examples of Christian ethics, the first of which is regarding murder. Jesus equates anger to murder, and speaks of the fires of hell. This is contrary to the contemporary universalist view of Jesus and his death which has led some scholars to claim that when he speaks of hell it is merely metaphorical. Regardless, Jesus is affirming that you cannot be right with God until you are right with your fellow men, which all relates to the salt-and-light reputation of a Christian. Jesus also teaches about adultery and sexual morality. Again he equates the inward sin of lust to the outward sin of adultery. He also declares that marrying a divorced woman counts as adultery, a part of the Sermon that even Christians have begun to disregard. This is contrary to the Old Testament where Moses permitted – but did not command – divorce due to the hard heartedness of the people. The close relationship between a husband and wife mirrors the relationship Christ shares with his Church, which is why sex features so highly in Christian ethics. Love, when fully understood. Is opening oneself to another completely and can succeed only where trust and fidelity are present. Subsequently, another part of the Sermon on the Mount that is ethically significant would be where Jesus deals with how we should relate to other people. The standards set by Jesus are so high it is easy for Christians to look down upon those that are struggling. Jesus, ever a carpenter’s son, uses the metaphor of the speck in your brother’s eye and the plank in your own. We are all sinners and it would be highly hypocritical to judge another when we are also flawed. We never know the whole story about someone and it is impossible to be impartial in our judgement. The Jews were familiar with the concept of loving your neighbour and not judging him, but they did not feel the same about their enemies. Jesus commanded us to show agape love towards our enemies. Such love does not naturally come from the heart, but is instead must be put into action through one’s own will. As Jesus was merciful and forgiving to sinners, so we should be. This is vital to Christian ethics. Another ethical aspect of how we relate to other people is how we treat those who are poorer than us. It is not enough to simply preach to them, but we must take care of their physical needs as well as spiritual. Jesus said, â€Å"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. † Charitable giving was a fundamental part of Jewish life, but Jesus added another element: it was only ethical if done with the correct motivation. The Greek word translated as hypocrite in the Bible literally means ‘actor’. This is why Jesus commands us to give in secret, lest we become boastful. Moreover, there is a definite eschatological aspect to the Sermon on the Mount as it draws to a conclusion. This emphasises to the Christian how their ethics are eternally significant and will be considered on the Day of Judgement. Jesus states that few will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and that not all that profess to believe in him as Lord will be saved. He warns of false prophets who will come in sheep’s clothing; in this situation the ethics presented in the Sermon on the Mount are vital so a Christian can identify who is a true believer. We are not saved by works, but they are an important part of our Christian identity. The Sermon on the Mount also has certain evangelical tones throughout. It shows the unbeliever what is required of them if they follow Jesus, and the severe consequences if they do not. Spurgeon wrote of this passage, â€Å"The shepherd best discerns his own sheep, and the Lord, Himself alone knows infallibly them who are His. † To conclude, there are conflicting theories regarding the nature of the Sermon – certain theologians such as Calvin believe it is a compilation of many separate sermons. Others debate technical details, such as whether it was preached on a mount or a plain. However, something that every Christian will agree on is that the Sermon on the Mount is of the upmost important as a foundation for Christian ethics. Stott said, â€Å"The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, thought arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed. †

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on The Phases Of Hamlet

The protagonist of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an extremely layered and complicated character. He has been studied for years by scholars and average readers alike and all come to the agreement that Shakespeare’s incredible skill makes Hamlet’s character and personality. There’s always more than meets the eye. In our drama literature class we have discussed the progression of Hamlet through three main phases. These phases are inspired by the plot in which his character falls: from pre-murder and speculation to climactic action. Hamlet 1 represents the Hamlet before his father’s murder. He is a university student who loves to study and is devoted to philosophical questions. He’s very calculated, analytical, and intelligent. Hamlet 2 refers to Hamlet after his father’s murder. He becomes obsessed with proving the murderer and is often perceived as mad. He is no longer very logical and over analyzes situations always thinking and never acting. Hamlet 3 represents the Hamlet who is aware of Claudius’ guilt. He is brash and full of anger and passion. His actions often occur with little or no premeditation, yet he always acts. It is almost a foil of Hamlet 1, his original self. The murder of the King strikes Hamlet at a very personal level. Being an intellectual person, when he drives himself near mad with obsession, it is one of analytical thought, monologued debates, and elaborate scheming. Hamlet will sometimes wander from his state of obsessive rhetorical questions, to logical analysis but never farther until later in the play. Hamlet, although fond of questions that can’t be answered (his soliloquies about suicide, death and the afterlife) needs to be certain of the murderer. Suspicion or reasonable doubt will not suffice. So when his elaborate scheme of the play within a play is carried out and Claudius’ question of guilt is then answered with certainty, Hamlet 3 immerges as he follows the King into ... Free Essays on The Phases Of Hamlet Free Essays on The Phases Of Hamlet The protagonist of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an extremely layered and complicated character. He has been studied for years by scholars and average readers alike and all come to the agreement that Shakespeare’s incredible skill makes Hamlet’s character and personality. There’s always more than meets the eye. In our drama literature class we have discussed the progression of Hamlet through three main phases. These phases are inspired by the plot in which his character falls: from pre-murder and speculation to climactic action. Hamlet 1 represents the Hamlet before his father’s murder. He is a university student who loves to study and is devoted to philosophical questions. He’s very calculated, analytical, and intelligent. Hamlet 2 refers to Hamlet after his father’s murder. He becomes obsessed with proving the murderer and is often perceived as mad. He is no longer very logical and over analyzes situations always thinking and never acting. Hamlet 3 represents the Hamlet who is aware of Claudius’ guilt. He is brash and full of anger and passion. His actions often occur with little or no premeditation, yet he always acts. It is almost a foil of Hamlet 1, his original self. The murder of the King strikes Hamlet at a very personal level. Being an intellectual person, when he drives himself near mad with obsession, it is one of analytical thought, monologued debates, and elaborate scheming. Hamlet will sometimes wander from his state of obsessive rhetorical questions, to logical analysis but never farther until later in the play. Hamlet, although fond of questions that can’t be answered (his soliloquies about suicide, death and the afterlife) needs to be certain of the murderer. Suspicion or reasonable doubt will not suffice. So when his elaborate scheme of the play within a play is carried out and Claudius’ question of guilt is then answered with certainty, Hamlet 3 immerges as he follows the King into ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Your Guide through the Receptionist Interview Maze

Your Guide through the Receptionist Interview Maze Are you on the hunt for the perfect receptionist position? Finding the ultra-competitive job search jungle a bit daunting? Best-Job-Interview.com helps you catapult to the front of the interview pack with an inside look at the sort of questions you can expect on the big day.Your potential next boss will want to know if you have the experience to hit the ground running and start making his or her office run smoothly and efficiently from day one. Expect to hear the following questions: â€Å"What were your primary responsibilities?,† â€Å"How many calls did you take on an average day in your last job?,† â€Å"What sort of people did you interact with on a daily basis?,† and â€Å"What sort of inquiries did you have to handle?†They’ll also want to know if your receptionist skills are top notch, so be ready for the following sorts of questions as well: â€Å"What are the most important skills for a receptionist?† and â€Å"What computer skills do you have?†Great receptionists can always think fast on their feet, multi-task like champs, and come up with effective strategies for handling any situation. Therefore, expect interview questions designed to task your on-the-job behavior and ability to think fast when it’s needed: â€Å"Tell me about a recent situation where you had to handle a difficult customer?,† â€Å"Describe how you organize your tasks for the day?,† â€Å"Tell me about a tough problem you had to sort out recently,† and â€Å"Can you give me an example of where you used your initiative in your previous job?†Beyond a great receptionist background and stellar skills, potential employers will want to know if they’re hiring someone with a motivated and positive work attitude and ethic. After all, receptionists are typically the face of the organizations they work for and have to work with every department and person in the office. Be prepared to hear the following questions on the day of your interview: â€Å"Why do you want to work as a receptionist for this company?† and â€Å"What do you like and dislike about working as a receptionist?†Now that you know the sort of questions you should expect when you’re on an interview you should invest some time leveraging your experience and skill set to craft the perfect responses to dazzle potential employers. Forewarned is forearmed!

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Analyse Principles Of Christian Giving Religion Essay Essays

Analyse Principles Of Christian Giving Religion Essay Essays Analyse Principles Of Christian Giving Religion Essay Paper Analyse Principles Of Christian Giving Religion Essay Paper Introduction Frank Jabini ( 2009 ) , How to Give Joyfully discusses rules of Christian giving. I will summarize the major instructions of the book. He places accent on the importance of being faithful stewards of what God entrusts to us. Biblical support will be given to the chief rules that will be discussed. My church s learning about giving, in the visible radiation of the rules in Jabini, will be discussed. Similarities and differences will be indicated. Where there are differences I will bespeak the position I consider most Biblical and why. My ain wonts with regard to giving will be evaluated and I will depict how the book affected my ain thought about giving. This resolved to alter in my ain giving wonts, I will bespeak what I intend to alter and what caused me to take that determination. Jabini s rules about giving Jabini ( 2009:1 ) says we can take our billfolds to the Lord gleefully. This is the cardinal message of the book. Jabini s principals can be sum-ups under the followers: Misconceptions about giving Jabini ( 2009: 12 ) explains that the Bible does non learn us that 10 % is the per centum that we should give. God s people gave more than 10 % on a regular footing by giving three types of tithes. In add-on to tithes they gave assorted freewill offerings from their first fruits. It is non true that you have to give when and how God moves your bosom. It has to be done on a regular basis ( like supplication ) . You can non be excessively hapless to give. Jesus told the narrative about the widow, who gave her two coins, to exemplify this ( Luke 21:2-4 ) . When we give to the Lord, it is because God is the proprietor of everything we have. We acknowledge His ownership by giving Him the first and the best of all that He gives us. ( Jabini: 2009 ) Motivations for giving A echt retainer of the Lord will non give because of greed to anticipate anything in return but will admit them as God s gifts to His people, free of charge ( Matt. 10:8 ) ! Jabini ( 2009 ) gives four motivations for giving: The first motivation for giving is: gratefulness. In the Old Testament Abel gave a freewill offering to the Lord ( Gen 8:21 ) . As an act of worship Noah made an offering of thanksgiving when he walked out of the Ark. Israel offered forfeits of Thanksgiving ( Lev. 1 ) . Christian should give themselves to the full and wholly to the Lord ( Rom 12:1-2 ) . God wants our whole lives ( Rom 6:13 ; 19 ) . Harmonizing to the New Testament our congratulationss ( Heb 13:13 ) and our money ( Phil. 4:18 ; Heb. 13:16 ) should be given to God as a forfeit of gratefulness because He has done great things in our lives. ( Jabini: 2009 ) . Gratitude to those who have fed us spiritually is the 2nd motivation. In the Old Testament God commanded Israel to give their first tithe to the demand of the Levites ( ( Lev. 27:30-32 ; Num. 18:21, 24, 26-28 ) . The first fruit was for the priests ( see Lev. 2:14 ; Num. 18:8-20 ) In the New Testament God ordains that those who preach the good intelligence should be supported by those who benefit from it ( 1 Cor. 9:14 and Gal. 6:6 and 1 Tim. 5:17 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) The 3rd motivation is love and compassion for the needy. God cares about the hapless, orphans and widows. In the Old Testament He asked the people of Israel to give a tithe to them ( Deut. 26:12 ) . God s people has a duty towards the needy and He wants them to give liberally, non merely leftovers ( Deut. 15:10 ) In the New Testament Paul devotes two chapters to promote the church of Corinth to give toward the demands of the hapless in Jerusalem ( 2 Cor. 8-9 ) . Jabini ( 2009 ) calls on us to give joyful to the needy in our local churches. ( Jabini: 2009 ) Fourthly we give because we have a passion that the ministry of the Gospel would be advanced. Believers in Philippi set a good illustration. By directing money to Paul he could transport on prophesying the Gospel in Thessalonica. In Phil. 4:16 he thanked them. ( Jabini: 2009 ) In drumhead, Jabini ( 2009 ) says the following must steer us in giving to the Lord: Gratefulness to Him Gratitude toward His workers Love and compassion for the needy Passion for the promotion of the ministry of the Gospel. ( Jabini: 2009 ) Motivations for giving Harmonizing to Jabini ( 2009 ) another four things should be our motive for giving. In the first topographic point God has given us the illustration. God is the proprietor of everything. All that I am and have belongs to Him ( 1Chr. 29:14 ; 1 Cor. 6:19-20 ; Ps 24:1 ) . Money does non possess me. God gave His best His lone boy ( John. 3:16 ) . Jesus gave His life ( Mark 10:45 ) . The Holy Spirit gave me gifts ( 1 Cor. 12:11 ) . We should follow His illustration by giving the best! ( Jabini: 2009 ) Second, God commands us to give. It is compulsory ( 1 Cor. 16:2 ; 2 Cor. 8:7 ; Heb. 13:16 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) Third, we could follow the illustration of Godly leaders, like David, who gave copiously ( 1Chr. 29:2 and 1 Chr. 29:3-5 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) Fourthly, Jabini ( 2009 ) says giving has a positive consequence on our religious life. Giving brings religious approval. It will take the focal point from the earthly towards the heavenly and protect us against the love for money ( 1Tim. 6:10 ) . If our hoarded wealth is in Eden, our Black Marias will be at that place ( Matt. 6:19-21 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) To summaries our motives forgiving: God s illustration God commands us. The illustration of Godly leaders A positive consequence in our religious lives. ( Jabini: 2009 ) Methods of giving Jabini ( 2009 ) points out that even though we focus on money and material ownerships in the stuff, we should besides give clip, gifts and organic structure ( all ) to the Lord. God want us to give our best and our first, non leftovers like Abel in Gen. 4:4. Paul instructed the Corinthians to give regular and systematic ( 1 Cor. 16:2 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) We should give mandatary and voluntarily. We should give cheerfully ( God loves cheerful givers ) ( 2 Cor. 9:7 ) We should give sacrificially ( 2 Cor. 8:3 ) We should give volitionally ( Exod. 25:2 ) We should give candidly ( non like Ananias and Sapphira ) ( Acts 5:1-11 ) We should give on a regular basis and consistently ( 1 Cor. 16: 1-2 ) ( Jabini: 2009 ) The hapless ( 2 Cor. 8:9 ; Luke 21:2-4 ) and the rich ( 2 Cor. 19:1-10 ; 2 Cor. 8:14 ) should give. Giving is a affair of our attitude. We should react with generousness when God s people are in demand. Our local church and community is our first duty. ( Jabini: 2009 ) Mercy of giving When we give, our religious life is affected. We grow when we give. We focus on Eden and God alternatively of earthly ownerships ( Matt. 6:19-21 ) . Giving frees us from the love of money ( Matt. 19:21 ) . The Old and New Testament promise that God will bless those who give ( Luke 6:38 ) . ( Jabini: 2009 ) Decision Giving is a privilege and a bid. God wants His people to give gleefully to His causes, back up His worker and back up His work. He uses His kids as instruments of blessing to the needy. We all have something different to give ( Lev. 1:9 ; 13 ; 17 ) . We should inquire ourselves: What is my part at this phase? ( Jabini: 2009 ) My church s learning about giving My church understands that it has a responsibility in assisting the members become the best Christian he/she can be. Therefore it helps and advice the members on the affair of giving by scriptural instructions out of God s word and their illustration. The best manner they teach the right attitude and values of giving is by reflecting a perfect illustration in the manner that they as an administration manage the fold s money, Gods manner. Our leaders set good illustrations, merely as the scriptural leaders, that we can follow. ( David: 1Chr. 29:3-5 and 1 Chr.29:6-8 ) . The money of our church is handled by known and trusted people, full of the Spirit and wisdom ( Acts 6:2-3 ; 2 Cor.8:18 ; 2 Cor. 8:21-22 ) . Our church works really responsibly and be after each twelvemonth s budged decently. Proverbs 24:27 besides teach us that. They make proviso in the budged to pay all costs and to give money in a regular and systematic manner to all the assorted ministries. Like Paul taught the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 16:2. Congregation members are encouraged to pay their tithe on a regular basis and consistently by manner of debit orders. During services or particular occasions people are besides encouraged to give voluntary gifs by agencies of self-generated gifts of thanksgiving. A scriptural illustration of this is Cain in Gen 4:3-5. As Cain we have to give the best with the right attitude ( Luke 21:2-4 ) fluxing out of gratefulness and worship to God. Congregation members are bucked up and supported to non merely gleefully give money but besides clip, cognition or whatever you can offer for the good of the Kingdom. The fold is besides encouraged to give ownerships ( other than money ) if particular undertakings arise out of demand. As the Israelites brought the stuff for the edifice of the Tabernacle ( Exod. 25:2 ; 35:29 ; 36:5, 7 ) . In the annually budged proper proviso is made for missionaries and people who work in ministry. This shows a passion for the ministry of the Gospel. The trusters in Philippi set a good illustration in this respect as they supported Paul ( Phil 4:16 ) . Our church has assorted ministries where the demands of the hapless every bit good as the demands of the fold members are addressed ( Gal 6:10 ; 1 Tim 5:4-5, 9, 16 ; Acts 2:44-45 ) They help people to see the beatitude of generous and adoring giving. By giving we know we are hive awaying up hoarded wealths in Eden ( Matt.6:19-21 ) and this makes us free from the love of money ( Matt 19:21 ) . To us giving is an escape of God s grace and redemption ( John 12:1-3 ) . I believe my church does hold a good scriptural learning about giving. After reading Jabini ( 2009 ) I can see that our church succeeds in making most of the scriptural principals Jabini ( 2009 ) pointed out. Our church gives cheerfully and prayerfully out of gratefulness to Him who is the proprietor of all we are and have. ( Dutch Reformed Church ) My strong beliefs about giving I can truly attest that taking the principals of Jabini to bosom, over the past few months, truly changed my life. I have ever been good at giving liberally but I discovered I have room for much betterment. I have neer consciously separated myself from perfectly everything I am, and have, by puting it back in the custodies of God. Just for a minute to state: I will be ( and have ) nil without Your grace and approval in my life GOD! Confessing that all I am and have does non truly belong to me. I realized that God entrusted me with everything and I have a duty on how I receive and manage it. Let me explicate the deduction of to the full giving back to God. Over the past two old ages God helped me with the most hard thing to consciously allow travel my kids. As they grow up and leave the house you realise that you can non ever have control over their protection. This was an easy undertaking when they were small. I am so thankful that God taught me that I was non the one prot ecting them in any instance. After being taught to put your kids s protection in His custodies, how hard could it be to consciously put earthly ownerships in His custodies? With His grace and the strength of the Holy Spirit I will confidently state: I trust you God. It was within this bare, hapless and delicate province that I discovered the true significance of giving gleefully . I have ever been highly blessed my whole life. For this I will be everlastingly thankful. I am besides thankful that God has given me a sensitive bosom to acknowledge agony and non to take anything I have for granted. During the last six months we have experienced fiscal trouble because of a really expensive house we have in Cape Town that we could non pull off to sell. I have besides experienced God s celestial proviso. For six months we, and everybody we know, were praying but perfectly nil happened. I could non understand why God did non reply our supplications. He provided miraculously in the most unexpected ways to cover our deficits and He gave us the peace that Phil 4:7 speaks about but still perfectly nil ( except ailments ) happened on the house. One twenty-four hours after reading in Jabinis book I prayed the supplication where I placed all that I have in the custodies of God. That same twenty-four hours our estate agent called and informed me that everybody in their office had been speaking about a unusual thing that had happened. Their phones had been lifelessly soundless for the past few yearss but all of a sudden the phone could non halt pealing with questions about Fairwinds 41 . The first offer that came in was for precisely the sum we advertised. The offers had been coming in of all time since and are waiting in line. I have learned so many lessons through this experience. I have even received really gracious approvals through this. I am genuinely thankful for all the approvals in my life particularly the religious approvals that I receive when God reveals His truth to me. He is my loyal defender and my gracious supplier. I choose to swear Him. Knowing this, I will be the faithful and obedient steward of that which the Lord entrusted to me. I will take Jabinis rules to bosom and pattern them. God will give me the counsel, wisdom and the strength to cognize how and where to give gracefully. Decision There are many lessons to be learned from the principals in Jabinis book. I am really thankful that my church besides teaches the same principals. Personally I have grow from the lessons that I have learned. It will give me the greatest joy describable to give!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Religious Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious Studies - Essay Example Religious Definition by Steve Bruce: In his book â€Å"God is Dead: Secularization in the West†, 2002, Steve Bruce defines religion as â€Å" beliefs, actions and institutions predicated on the existence of entities with power of agency (that is gods) or impersonal powers or processes possessed of moral purpose (the Hindu notion of Karma), which can set the conditions of, or intervene in human affairs†. Comparison of the Definitions: My definition starts with the element of sharing, whereas in the definition of Steve Bruce there is no element of sharing. From the perspective of individuality and extreme secularization the element of sharing in my definition is a weakness. It makes it necessary that religion is not individualistic, but a shared activity of a group. From my perspective I do not find this a weakness. Social living is an essential part of human existence. Social interaction and society developed from sharing of common factors that bound a group of humans together, which included religion. With time, in more advanced societies tolerance of members with belief in other religions became a norm and so no longer was it necessary that all members of a society or community shared the same religion. Still religion is shared and is not an individualistic belief and action, as even Steve Bruce makes institutions a necessary part of religion. In my definition religion needs to answer the purpose of existence and having served this purpose to the satisfaction of the almighty, what happens after death.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings Dissertation

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings - Dissertation Example Despite the importance of these country risk ratings, the utility of these measures for predicting market volatility has been called into question (DiGregorio, 2005; Oetzel et al, 2001) while global debt crises have occurred that have been likened to a heart attack for the international financial system (Gokay & Whitman, 2010).   Current literature on country risk ratings indicates a focus on political, financial, and economic factors without inclusion of social or cultural factors (Miroshnik, 2002). Description of the Population and Sample In selecting the sample size three factors into consideration and the study came up with a sample size which will consist of a total of 49 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.   This sample surpasses the minimum required sample size as computed from G*Power, which should reduce the possibility of committing Type II errors when running the analyses.   Data from the samples will be collected from the International Country Risk Guide database, Euro money Country Risk score database, Hofstede Uncertainty Avoidance Index databas e, and the World Bank databases. Table 4.1 Economic indicators and the previous year country risk ratings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Years compared    Predictors 2007 ? 2008 2007 ? 2009 2008 ? 2009 2008 ? 2010 2009 ? 2010                      Euromoney .998*** .906*** .908***          Intl Country Risk Guide .982*** .959*** .965***          Economic indicators                                     Export growth       .132   Ã‚  Ã‚   .090 -.240    Ratio current account to GDP       .878*** .826*** .910***    Growth foreign exchange       .039*** .181*** .695***    Inflation       .892*** .867*** .950***    GDP per capita       .994*** .991*** .994***    Combined indicators       .528*** .445** .732***    **p< .01, ***p< .001, all 2-tailed. Source: International Country Risk Guide database To confirm the applicability of factor analysis a t-test was carried out at 95% confid ence level. The table above shows all the identified economic factors that could probably affect a country’s risk ratings. The test results are only significant if the p-value or the significance value of the test is lower than .05.   The t-test statistics (table above) shows that all identified

Theory Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory - Lab Report Example This is affected by electron intensity. If for example the intensity of the electrons is significantly high, there may be a lot of scattering which may produce a result which is far from what is expected. This is used to estimate the formation porosity and the formation density. Through the use of the litho-density the fluid type can also be established. The pore space of the oil and gas is also measured through the litho-density log. This refers to the amount of pores that are in a volume of a solid which is porous in nature. In this case, the value of the porosity is measured as a percentage. However, the true porosity includes the volume of the pores that are sealed. Clean formation is usually more than shales. As a result of this the bulk density will read less than the actual density. Therefore, the density porosity which is computed will be higher in terms of shales as compared to the actual porosity. The SP and GR log complement each other in the sense that Sp log uses electrical charge for the purpose of recording whereas the GR uses Gamma rays. Both of these measure different attributes which are existent in the well. These logs would not be advisable in situations where there is excessive radiation or electrical charge in the well. This is because these may cause fault in the equipment. They are, however, advocated in situations where the quantities of such attributes are average. The quality of caliper in this section will be low. This is because the porosity will take away a significant amount of materials from the region. The result of this is reduced quality of rock and

Prepare for a meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Prepare for a meeting - Essay Example Apparently, Nasbitt is abusing her position. After episodes of conflict with her co-workers , Nasbitt told Mr. Robbins that she had been a victim of discrimination since she is gay. This was a revelation that surprised Mr. Robins . In such case, the HR is the authority in resolving these type of issues since sexual discrimination is a serious matter. However, the HR cannot conclude anything since there is no investigation yet. Because of these two issues, meeting is called for by the Director, Ms. Wilkinson, so that the situation can be analyzed and decisions can be made. The structure of the meeting is focused on officials who can make decisions regarding Nasbitt’s case. The concerned employee would not be invited in the said meeting since a separate investigation would still be conducted on a sensitive issue. Therefore, the meeting intends to review the behavior of the employee and its implications to the business. The meeting is formal since the issue is serious. The dissemination of the agenda would be immediate as the Marketing Director would send an email to those concerned. Moreover, an office assistant would confirm the attendance of those invited to come in the meeting. It would be a close-door meeting at the conference room. First issue is Jaynes unsatisfactory work performance which is evidenced by her behavior toward an advertising agency. She threatened the agency with an authority she does not have. ( Problem analysis ) What will happen after this meeting : Certain set of actions must be delivered such as decision-making and investigation. Thus, a meeting would be called for to assign people certain tasks that would clarify the issues of Ms. Nasbitt. Ms. Wilkinson called for the meeting since she is the Director for Marketing. Even at the start of Nasbitt’s case, she was consulted by Mr. Master’s on actions that can be taken against Ms. Nasbitt. She needs to resolve the issue carefully

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Evaluation of Learner Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation of Learner Performance - Assignment Example The complexity factors are often associated with the dynamism and constant interactions among various attributes and dimensions of training and organizational goals, training situations, trainees, and technologies aiding instructions (Bushnell, 1990). Evaluation goals entail varying purposes at assorted levels. The purposes entail the evaluation of instructional materials, student learning, the return of investment, transfer of training and many other factors. To attain all the mentioned purposes, collaboration among different people is essential at different parts of an organization. Furthermore, some of the goals of learners are never well defined and may change with the passing of time. Attempts have been made to come up with approaches to assist in tackling the various complexities associated with learner evaluation. How technology can be incorporated to address these challenges has also been highlighted.Similarly, approaches to evaluation and even associated models are covered in depth. The variety of approaches used in evaluation has their foundation in systematic approaches for training designs. They are characterized by systems of instructional development. Evaluation mainly targets the final stages of systematic approach usually within the main aim of improving the interventions. The other reason can be to aid in making judgments about worthiness and effectiveness of an instructional design. In the recent past, most instructional system developments have incorporated evaluation all through the process (Carnavale & Schulz, 1990). Six approaches applied in instructional evaluation have been identified as, goal-based evaluation, goal-free evaluation, responsive evaluation, systems evaluation, professional review, and quasi-legal. Systems and goal-based evaluations  are predominantly applied in evaluating training. This has led to the proposal of a variety of evaluation frameworks. Kirkpatrick’s model is widely used and is based on the criteria of reaction followed by learning the behavior and finally results.   

Pursuing Growth Opportunities in Business Sector Personal Statement

Pursuing Growth Opportunities in Business Sector - Personal Statement Example As far as my family background is concerned, I was the first in my family to complete a college education, not because I was smart, but because it was my ambition and I was passionate about it. For instance, I took advantage of the available opportunities in pursuit of my dream to become a patriotic soldier who would contribute to prosperity and well – being of my beloved nation. During my tenure at military quarters, I came across with hundreds of new things and worked with thousands of personnel from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences. I learned a lot in those years because I had to even work with many military officers; no matter I disliked them from the core of my heart. Nevertheless, patience and tolerance was the biggest lesson I received in the past 30 years in the military. I also pay tribute to my mother and am thankful to my siblings who laid the foundation in my life. My dearest mother and beloved siblings always trained, endorsed and motivated me to make my own decisions with confidence and to never get scared from any extremely challenging and tough assignments or jobs. Indeed, she portrayed a life of Godly and steady fast character. That was what I saw in her throughout life, which in fact, made the difference more than what she communicated and presented to me. My family members taught me not to just become a woman of success, ra ther a woman of value and character who is always extolled and commended. Apart from my dream to become an exalted army officer, I was also interested in university education, more specifically the business studies. I initially had plans to join a business school for a Masters in Business Administration (after college) but then I postponed the idea after multiple growth opportunities in the military. However, the lust and ever-rising internal desire for MBA compelled me to take retirement from the army after 31 years of service and active participation in the stability  of the USA.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Prepare for a meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Prepare for a meeting - Essay Example Apparently, Nasbitt is abusing her position. After episodes of conflict with her co-workers , Nasbitt told Mr. Robbins that she had been a victim of discrimination since she is gay. This was a revelation that surprised Mr. Robins . In such case, the HR is the authority in resolving these type of issues since sexual discrimination is a serious matter. However, the HR cannot conclude anything since there is no investigation yet. Because of these two issues, meeting is called for by the Director, Ms. Wilkinson, so that the situation can be analyzed and decisions can be made. The structure of the meeting is focused on officials who can make decisions regarding Nasbitt’s case. The concerned employee would not be invited in the said meeting since a separate investigation would still be conducted on a sensitive issue. Therefore, the meeting intends to review the behavior of the employee and its implications to the business. The meeting is formal since the issue is serious. The dissemination of the agenda would be immediate as the Marketing Director would send an email to those concerned. Moreover, an office assistant would confirm the attendance of those invited to come in the meeting. It would be a close-door meeting at the conference room. First issue is Jaynes unsatisfactory work performance which is evidenced by her behavior toward an advertising agency. She threatened the agency with an authority she does not have. ( Problem analysis ) What will happen after this meeting : Certain set of actions must be delivered such as decision-making and investigation. Thus, a meeting would be called for to assign people certain tasks that would clarify the issues of Ms. Nasbitt. Ms. Wilkinson called for the meeting since she is the Director for Marketing. Even at the start of Nasbitt’s case, she was consulted by Mr. Master’s on actions that can be taken against Ms. Nasbitt. She needs to resolve the issue carefully

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Pursuing Growth Opportunities in Business Sector Personal Statement

Pursuing Growth Opportunities in Business Sector - Personal Statement Example As far as my family background is concerned, I was the first in my family to complete a college education, not because I was smart, but because it was my ambition and I was passionate about it. For instance, I took advantage of the available opportunities in pursuit of my dream to become a patriotic soldier who would contribute to prosperity and well – being of my beloved nation. During my tenure at military quarters, I came across with hundreds of new things and worked with thousands of personnel from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences. I learned a lot in those years because I had to even work with many military officers; no matter I disliked them from the core of my heart. Nevertheless, patience and tolerance was the biggest lesson I received in the past 30 years in the military. I also pay tribute to my mother and am thankful to my siblings who laid the foundation in my life. My dearest mother and beloved siblings always trained, endorsed and motivated me to make my own decisions with confidence and to never get scared from any extremely challenging and tough assignments or jobs. Indeed, she portrayed a life of Godly and steady fast character. That was what I saw in her throughout life, which in fact, made the difference more than what she communicated and presented to me. My family members taught me not to just become a woman of success, ra ther a woman of value and character who is always extolled and commended. Apart from my dream to become an exalted army officer, I was also interested in university education, more specifically the business studies. I initially had plans to join a business school for a Masters in Business Administration (after college) but then I postponed the idea after multiple growth opportunities in the military. However, the lust and ever-rising internal desire for MBA compelled me to take retirement from the army after 31 years of service and active participation in the stability  of the USA.

Effects of the Fur Trade on Native Societies Essay Example for Free

Effects of the Fur Trade on Native Societies Essay Between the fifteenth and the nineteenth century the fur trade and slave trade connected the global commerce, and played a significant role in world history. Each of them transformed the destiny of North American and African society. Politically, economically and culturally, North Americans were dying slowly in seemingly more peaceful fur trade, and Africans were immediately hit by the wreaked havoc of slave trade. North America’s ostensible peace with the outside world could not avoid civil wars, as African people’s self-protection could not avoid European gory violent human plunder. In Africa, people were still live in a village community system with introverted self-governments. When colonists came, big kingdoms fragmented because the increasing of trade and arms. In this way, there was not a large-scale revolt or uprising in native Africa. As a result, small societies suffered from frequent slave raiding. As long as their own village was safe, they passively watched as people in other villages were raided and sold. Benin was a developed state in West Africa. In the 16th century the oba banned slave trade and relatively avoided slave traders. They bought arms from Europeans to protect themselves, but never helped others. In consequence, the power of oba declined in the 18th century and they could not stop the slave trade any more (456-457). When armed aggressors burst in small villages, they could not even protect themselves like Benin, but just be pillaged in desperation. Native Americans maintained cooperative relationships with Europeans under the fur trade. It protected them from extinction and slavery like those in Africa. However native people noticed the benefit of the fur trade, and then the profit of trade intensified the competition among tribes. They began to demand guns to deal with other tribes – and Europeans had gun. Therefore a circulation of furs and guns was fo rmed, and the increasing of arms imports aggravated the political conflicts of native people. In other words, more trade, more warfare. Fur trade brought North America both modern civilization and prolonged damage, yet the African economy was directly attacked by slave trade. North Americans traded furs with Europeans and received foreign goods and benefits such as pots, guns and metals. Europeans finished products gave them modern technology and tools, and caused the self-sufficiency system to transform to agricultural villages. Hurons lived in North America â€Å"in the early seventeenth century†. They traded many beavers and â€Å"received copper pots, metal axes, knives, cloth, firearms, and alcohol† (447). It was a big step for North America, to become a modern and developed society. Nevertheless, it was also the start of a long-term decline. â€Å"By the 1760s, hunters in southern British colonies took about 500,000 deer every year† (446). Hunters largely killed industrious animals, the amount of them sharply decreased. The fur trade absorbed labor supply, and restricted other developments. In reality, North America had been lagged behind chronically under the simple and dependent economic system caused by fur trade. Unlike North America, Africa had been steadily developing for a while in sixteenth century. The slave trade, was unprecedented havoc for native people and society. Just demographically, Africa lost millions of population in the fifteenth through nineteenth century. The productivity was greatly broken. The economy stagnated, or even retrogressed without technology. Both native North American and African people lost part of their ethos and native culture. North America was changed more by profit motive; however Africa was forced by demographical transformation and authorities’ avarice. Before European’s arrival, North Americans led a primitive lifestyle as a part of nature. They had laggard tools and technology but mastered natural environment. Their moral quality could be confirmed by the origin of Thanksgiving holiday: Native Indian helped European settlers tide over the hard time. Although they were economically backward, their spiritual civilization was wealthy. But after they began to trade with Europeans, they killed animals in quantity, overly reclaimed land, and broke their belief of nature. The benefits of furs led people to trade for guns and fight other tribes. Many of them became alcoholics, spent a lot of money to buy rum and brandy. They used foreign products all the time, and forgot their traditional crafts. In Africa, Europeans raided and drove away people in different cultures, and exterminated many ancient civilizations. The Europeans trading living human without caring whether they lived or died, was a bloody humiliation in the history. The hard truth is that many native authorities joined slave trading for their own interest. Dahomey was a highly authoritarian state in eighteenth century. They fully participated in slave trade and helped Europeans capture a lot of native people (456-457). It was a miserable shame of African culture and entire human history, that the chiefs of states helped invaders do human trafficking. Both trades certainly destroyed a part of native civilization, and changed a part of people. The politics, culture and economy of the native North Americans were gradually negatively affected while trading with Europeans and Africans were rapidly devastated by large human raid. Once, struggling in the wheel of history, they grew and died.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Differences Between Chinese And German Employment Systems

Differences Between Chinese And German Employment Systems Employment systems are complex structures of productive and reproductive activities, various payment schemes, and different working time arrangements (Christiansen, Koistinen, Kovalainen, 1999, p 1). They can be shaped by societal structures, national cultures, social welfare systems, educational and vocational training systems (Christiansen, et al., 1999). This argument successfully explains why there are so many different employment systems globally. In addition to the structural and cultural differences, globalisation, technological innovation and workforce aging also have resulted in tremendous changes in the social and economic context (Christiansen, et al., 1999; Tuselmann, 2001; Ying Warner, 2005). This paper discussed how and why the employment systems in Germany and China are different and the influences of globalisation. The German employment system was chosen to be the counterpart not only because Germany is one of the worlds leading economies and a prototype of the Continental Model, but also in consideration of its close international trade relationship with China. The attention was focused on the differences between the aspects of Trade Union role and Vocational Education and Training System (VET). The changes in China was focused on the State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) because it is still the dominant employer in China and the data are relative easily be accessed. The term of human resource management (HRM) was used in broad sense in order to cover more aspects of the current HRM practices. This is because HRM, first derived from Northern America after the Second World War and spread to the world, is getting popular in China but there are great variations in interpretation, understanding and practices (Cook, 2004). Differences between German and Chinese employment systems When we talk about the social models in Europe we may consider that the Europe Model is unique and pervasive. However, the notion of Europe Model is too big to reflect the natural differences between each national system, thus it was re-categorized into several sub-groups, named Nordic Model, Anglo-Saxon Model, Mediterranean Model and Continental Model (Sapir, 2006). Germany, along with France, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, was categorised into the Continental Model characterized with collective bargaining between unions and employers associations, close tie between companies and banks, the comprehensive vocational education and training (VET) system, and extensive labour market regulations (Tuselmann, 2001). Employment system in Germany One outstanding characteristic of the German employment system is its dual representation and legalistic structure industrial relations system. Trade unions and work councils are well established with their counterparts of employers association and firms respectively. Legislations and laws provided a framework for different parties (Katz Darbishire, 2000; Schnabel, Zagelmeyer, Kohaut, 2006). In Germany, collective bargaining is mainly carried out at the region or sector level and the agreement is legally binding. The collective bargaining parties have been legally empowered a great sense of autonomy, so it is possible to apply the agreements without the direct intervention of the state. Wages is a good example. It is collectively negotiated and applied at the state or sector level. Therefore, individual company within a bargaining sector do not has considerable differences in terms of the wages despite the organizations size, structure, technology, capital intensity and global exposure (Katz Darbishire, 2000; Schnabel, et al., 2006; Tuselmann, 2001). This leads to a high functional flexibility while a relatively low numerical and financial flexibility (Tuselmann, 2001, p 546-547). Comprehensive VET system is another feature of German employment system which has successfully supplied a large pool of qualified labours. In Germany, VET is supported by the state and regulated by different labour laws. Qualifications are designed on consensus of the employers association, trade union and educationalist. Chambers of commerce is employed to monitor the training progress and ensure that the trainee is not exploited. The close tie between the firms and banks ensures that investment is in long term interests instead of short one so that firms have much more patience to invest into the VET system. At the same time, because the pay is collectively negotiated in the sector level, it reduce the possibility of key technicians be poached so that firms are more willing to invest into VET (Grugulis, 2007; Tuselmann, 2001). Employment system in contemporary China In order to catch up the rest of the world and improve the economic situation, China has adopted a series of political and economic reforms since 1979, which have resulted in great changes in the context of management practices (Zhu, Thomson, Cieri, 2008). The government has less directly intervened into the workforce management at the enterprise level. Instead, a series of laws and regulations have been adopted to handle the employment issues. SOEs have decentralized or privatized and more and more collectively owned enterprises, privately owned firms, self-employed business as well as foreign-related businesses, such as multinational corporations (MNCs), joint ventures (JVs), were setup. The changes of ownership structure and government involvement methodology undoubtedly impacted the employment system at the macro level. The trade union role, pay structure and VET system have gone through radical changes accordingly (Cooke, 2005). In china, the officially recognized trade union is the All China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU), which was set up in 1920s and supported the Communist Party to fight against Japanese and Kuomintang. Since 1979 its influence has improved largely but differences are apparent due to the difference of ownership structure, enterprises size and location (Cooke, 2005; Rowley, Benson, Warner, 2004; Ying Warner, 2005). All the union members, despite their occupations, sectors and regions, all belong to the same Union ACFTU. The Trade Union Law, adopted in 1995 and amended in 2001, and the Labour Law (1995) provide a legal framework and empowered union to represent, monitor and protect the members legal rights and interests and develop their activities according to the law (Cooke, 2005; Ying Warner, 2005). In terms of the pay distribution, performance-based incentive policies have been initiated but the basic wage is still largely based on the traditional seniority-based egalitarian wage structure (Cook, 2004, p 25) which can not fully reflect the competences and contributions of the workers. As a result some workers are low motivated and some of the key technicians have been poached by private or foreign-related companies by high wages or higher social identification (Cooke, 2005; Ying Warner, 2005). Another characteristic of Chinese employment system is the ineffective VET system and severe skilled shortage although China has the largest labour pool in the world. VET in China is mainly funded by the government and SOEs. But only in recent years VET received some attentions. There are considerable differences between different enterprises ownerships, sectors and regions. Most of the enterprises leaders think VET is not the core business so that very limited fund was allocated to it (Cooke, 2005). These problems make it difficult for VET to train skilled labours for the social development. In short, compare with Germany, the trade union in China has well organized and developed. It has actively and effectively involved into the collective bargaining and disputes settlement especially after the adoption of the Trade Union Law. The pay structure has abandoned the Maos equality norm and some incentive policies have been introduced but failed to reflect the individual competence. At the same time, compare with the German VET systems, the Chinese VET system is less effective and fail to supply enough skilled labours to meet the social needs. Why are they different Employment systems are complex structures which can shaped by several factors, such as societal structures, national cultures, social welfare systems, education and vocational training systems (Christiansen et al., 1999, p 1). This part explores the reasons of the differences between these two systems from the perspectives of political structures and culture differences. Political structures In Germany, the employment relations is famous for its high degree of juridification (Katz Darbishire, 2000; Lansbury, Bamber, Wailes, 2004). Trade unions activities are guided and governed by the series of legislations and laws, such as the Works Constitution Act, the Co-determination Acts, the Collective Bargaining Act and the Social Security Act (Lansbury, et al., 2004). Dual representation system and various unions make it more effective to represent and protect the members legal interests. In contrast, in China, there is only one officially recognized trade union All China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU). It is mainly guide and regulated by the Trade Union Law (2001) and the Labour Law (1995). National culture Cross-culture management studies and theories have acknowledged the pervasive influence of cultures on choosing HRM practices in the global business context (Aycan, 2005; Leat El-Kot, 2007). Employment systems theories re-emphasized the importance of the cultures in the shaping of a national system. The comparison between these two countries cultures will provide a new perspective to understand why the German and Chinese employment systems are so different. Hofstedes dimension of culture scales is a powerful indicator to recognize the differences between cultures. Chinese ranks higher on power distance, long term orientation and low on individualism. Germany, however, ranks very high on individualism and very low on long term orientation (Arrowsmith, 2009). The differences between individualism and collectivism will largely affect the workers attitude to job satisfaction, security duty and harmony (Warner, 2008). For example, the contribution norm and egalitarianism is very popular in Chinese pay structures. The attempts from the top to increase income differentials according to workers performance and competence have been largely mediated by the operational managers (Cooke, 2005). While the elitism, which regards manual skill as an inferior to formal education, resulted in low attention be paid to VET development. How has the globalisation changed the situation? Globalisation is growing faster than ever before (Briscoe Schuler, 2004). Organisations are more and more exposed to international exchanges and competitions. Managers interact more commonly with multi-cultural background customers, suppliers and employees (Warner, 2008). This creates great opportunities as well as threats to the organisations which are struggling to be successful in the global business. However, the involvement in the globalisation does not guarantee a success. How to integrate the market differences, realize the business scales and transfer the knowledge beyond the physical boundary, but more importantly, how to manage and motivate the multi-culture employees play a crucial role (Friedman, 2007). Hence, both the worldwide organisations, such as European Union (EU), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and countries, like China, Germany, UK, US, have adopted series of changes and reforms. This part aims to assess the globalisations influences on the national employment systems from the institutional perspective. Is it more convergent or divergent? Convergence and divergence debate has existed in the comparative studies for a long time. Convergence theorists believe that the development of the industrialisation, globalisation, decentralizing and transfer of knowledge will lead to a convergent business management practice. However, the divergence theorists insist that the national culture and values will resist to this change and the management practice cannot be duplicated across nation borders (Warner, 2008). The core of the debate is the management practice should be localized or not. In China, globalisation has showed its power to convergent the various practices. Studies found that Chinas active participation into the global business context especially after the joining of WTO has resulted in tremendous changing in its business law, taxation and business management. These changes make the Chinese management practices are closer to the international standards and western management philosophies (Warner, 2008; Ying Warner, 2005). For example, before the reform, the Chinese employment was high centralized lifelong iron bowl system. However, after two decades of massive efforts, the Chinese employment system has primarily established a market-driven, performance-based, decentralized employment system. Trade unions are empowered to monitor and protect the workers legal interests according to the newly amended Trade Union Law. China even tried to duplicate the German VET system in 1980s. Some of the trials failed but these movements made Chinese practices closer to G erman way. Meanwhile, some of the underlying Chinese traditional values are functioning as an resistance force to stop or slow the progress of convergence. For example, performance-based pay structure were introduced to differentiate the income differences according to individuals competences but it was mediated at the operational level due to the underlying egalitarianism (Cooke, 2005). This controversial finding consist with the process of globalisation it is a process rather than an end-state (Hughes ONeill, 2008). With the development of globalisation, the management practices and philosophies come from different countries will keep conflicting, but at the same time, more similarities will be found in the international business arena. Conclusion Different political structures and national cultures resulted in considerable differences between employment systems. Coming from two continents, China and Germany have very little in common before 1970s. However, globalisation put these two countries, as well as the other countries, on the same arena, global business context. This creates opportunities as well as threat to these countries which are struggling to be or keep being prosperous. Therefore, series changes and reforms have been conducted in different sectors and contexts in order to seize the opportunities. Decentralization in Germany has been conducted (Katz Darbishire, 2000). But compare with China the German employment system change is smaller. Since 1979, China has conducted radical changes in its ownership structures, HRM practices, legislation and laws. A market-driven, performance-based and decentralized employment system has been primarily setup. The differences between these two employment systems in terms of trade union role and VET system are still big but some similarities have been successfully identified. At the same time, the underlying long-lasting national cultures and values are functioning to resist some of the changes. The controversial findings between convergence and divergence reflect that the process of learning and conflicting will not finish overnight. It, likes the progress of globalisation, will not be stopped or reversed. Meanwhile, it should be taken into consideration that differences of employment systems may exist between regions, sectors and firms even in a same country (Arrowsmith, 2009). This increases the difficulties of comparative studies across the national boundaries. Much more efforts will be needed to make this issue clearer.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Slave Power Conspiracy :: essays research papers

Title IX: Reverse Discrimination Beginning some time shortly after the end of World War II, there has been tremendous growth in women’s athletics. For decades female athletes have been striving to become as equally respected as their male counterparts. After years of reaching for their goals, female athletes finally realized their dreams in the form of Title IX. As stated by Jim Minter, former editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, â€Å"Title IX is the federal government telling colleges and universities that if X number of athletic scholarships are given to males, then an equal number must be awarded to female students†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (AJC A14). Title IX, a United States federal law passed in 1972, was a milestone in the history of the women’s rights movement. Female athletes could at last have the same opportunities that male athletes had always had. But this is not the end of the story, nor does the story have a happy ending. There is a darker side of Title IX, a side that discriminates against male athletes. A good example of discrimination against male athletes involves the sport of wrestling. Not only is wrestling the oldest sport known to man, it is also an American tradition. If the average person in the South were asked to name his favorite wrestler, however, that person would probably blurt out the name of some phony professional wrestler. Why would this person be so ignorant about the oldest sport known to man? The reason is that Title IX has virtually wiped out collegiate wrestling in the South. Starting back in the late l970’s, SEC schools began dropping their wrestling programs to make room for more women’s sports. Today there are only five or six colleges in the South that still have wrestling programs. This lack of wrestling programs in the South has significantly decreased the opportunities for ex-high school wrestlers, like me, to continue their sport in college. Wrestling , however, is not the only men’s sport affected by Title IX; the overall diversity of men’s collegiate sports has also decreased. At the University of Georgia, there are ten women’s sports and only seven men’s sports (â€Å"Football’s A14). Although I am not a math major, this ratio seems anything but equal to me. Women are getting more opportunities to compete in the sports that they enjoy than men are. Consequently, there are more scholarships available for women. For example, a good female volleyball player has a virtual cornucopia of college scholarships available at her discretion, whereas a great wrestler must look to colleges in the North to have even the slightest chance of attempting to walk-on a team.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Death of the General in O’Connor’s A Late Encounter with the Enemy Essa

Death of the General in O’Connor’s A Late Encounter with the Enemy I did an analysis of the paragraph where the General passes away (page 143 in my edition of The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor) The most obvious thing about this paragraph is that is that the General’s death is portrayed as death during battle. The title â€Å"The Late Encounter with the Enemy† is very appropriate because the general views his death as such. The most obvious thing about this paragraph is that it is like a battle. Words are used as bullets in this paragraph. For example, â€Å"He couldn’t protect himself from the words and attend to the procession too and the words were coming at him fast.†(143) makes it really seem like a battle. Since he was a general, it would be appropriate that his death be viewed as a battle. The grim reaper like figure in the black robe immediately identifies the presence of death. It seems pretty clear that death is his enemy in this case. This example indicates that; â€Å"Then he saw the figure in the black robe sit down and there was a noise and the black pool in the front ...

Friday, October 11, 2019

A Materialistic Society Essay

A happy life is more important than anything someone can buy in a store. It’s not a physical thing nor is it materialistic. Society has come to orbit around the quality of things they can buy to impress the neighbors and to show off how much money they have invested. They want the shinier, the bigger house, and the greener lawn. It doesn’t matter how expensive your car is or how big of a house you have. Material possessions are great for only so long, but nothing lasts forever. Society shouldn’t be focusing so much on materialistic things that can always be replaced, when memories are out there to be made. Today, life is being lived too fast. No one slows down to enjoy their life. We should all get off the train once in a while and experience things at our own pace. In today’s society, life is about how successful a person can be, how much money they can earn, and how much nice stuff they have. Society’s prime focus is mainly about materialism instead of the more important things in life such as family. According to New York Times there are statistics stating that â€Å"materialism is bad for you† In Lexington Massachusetts, a psychologist and couples therapist named Aline Zoldbrod says† A husband and wife no longer connect, they are so exhausted from the pursuit of nicer things ( a big house, private school for the kids, fancy cars) that they are time starved and depleted. Life is luxurious yet unsatisfying and simply no fun†. Now, children are starting school around three and four years old. People are even staying in school longer. Now instead of going to get a job, when a student graduates high school, they immediately go to college. After college, they go to work. At this job they will have a 401K and a pension plan. They will work at this job for over twenty years. During these twenty years, they will raise a family and put them through school. The cycle has begun again for another generation. While working this job, people in society are expected to support their family financially. Parents are too busy working to notice their child’s life is passing them by. It is understandable after all, with the cost of living increasing, parents have to work more hours to make ends meet. Everything a family is doing in today’s society is either to save money or to earn more money. For example, every store has some kind of sale going on at any given time to try and get more business so they can make more money. When did society start worrying more about their financial situation rather than the quality of their life? A person can have all the money in the world but that doesn’t mean they lead a happy and fulfilled life. Life shouldn’t be about having the best things possible, but rather having the best times possible. Life has become too rigid and too structured that no one even has time to sit back and relax. It’s important to make time for yourself and for your family because you can’t take back time you can only pass it. Everyone is constantly running and looking for ways to make their life easier and ways to make things faster so they can fit more things into their schedules. A persons life is so busy because of the almighty quest for more money. A happy life is more important than anything someone can buy in a store or online. Its not a physical thing nor is it materialistic. Its life and you only live once so you need to make the best of it, and enjoy the little things. If you just make a little less room for the materialistic things that can be easily replaced, and a little more room for memories that are out there to be made.