Saturday, August 31, 2019

Acceptance Is Freedom Essay

Freedom is a word that we use so often, but what does it truly mean? Everyone has a different definition of what freedom is. Some believe that freedom is saying whatever you want without consequences or doing what you want without consequences, while others believe that freedom is about equality. However, author Ambrose Flack presents a new and refreshing viewpoint. In his short story, The Strangers That Came to Town, Ambrose Flack is showing that true freedom is about being accepted. Through various situations within the short story, Flack shows how the Duvitch family, a new immigrant family who move to the town, have limits on their freedom because they are not accepted by their new community. When you are not accepted, life can be pretty miserable. You are feeling lonely, judged, and slightly offended, wondering what you did wrong. In the Strangers That Came to Town, this is the case of Mr. Duvitch. Mr. Duvitch is revealed to be a kind, humble, and generous man, but the town does not accept him for a variety of reasons. Syringa Street, the area in which the story is set, is described as a prosperous town, where most hold good jobs. However, in order to make money for his family, Mr. Duvitch works a less than desirable job, and is looked down upon by his peers for his occupation. He is â€Å"classified as an untouchable† (Flack) socially, because he is viewed as lesser and not worthy of the town’s attentions. This isolates him from the town. Additionally, he faces ridicule on the way to work, as â€Å"the Syringa Street young, meeting him on the street, sometimes stopped their noses as they passed him by† (Flack). In all these instances, Mr. Duvitch is deprived of acceptance, and because he is not accepted, he is not free. He cannot be free to have social interactions because he is socially untouchable, and he is not free to live without judgement. The effect of acceptance and freedom can be shown again in this passage of the story: â€Å"Overjoyed to have neighbors in his house, he was so full of himself that I was conscious of an invisible stature in him which made him seem quite as tall as Father.† Because Mr. Duvitch felt accepted in that situation, he was free to be himself and live without judgement. His real personality shines through, and he is truly free in the moment. Mr. Duvitch is impacted  strongly by acceptance and freedom throughout Flack’s short story, and his children and wife are impacted by this theme as well. Within The Strangers That Came to Town, the remainder of the Duvitch family experience situations in which they are not accepted or free. Because Mrs. Duvitch rarely leaves the house, the other women of the neighbourhood immediately judge her, going as far to start rumours that she has a skin disease. Mrs. Duvitch is judged before anyone has so much as said a word to her, and is not accepted. She is impacted by this lack of acceptance because she is not free to feel comfortable living in her town without people spreading false rumours about her personal life. Her children are also judged by other children in school, making them feel unaccepted and isolated. The story says that â€Å"some of their classmates scoffed at the leaf, lard and black bread sandwiches they ate for lunch, huddled in one corner of the recreation room, dressed in their boiled-out ragpickers’ clothes. After school they headed straight for home, never lingering on the playground† (Flack). It is important for children to be able to socialize and express themselves, and the Duvitch children are not free to do so without being ridiculed by the very same children who ridicule their father. They do not feel comfortable enough to play with the others, as any other child is free to feel. Because they are not accepted, they are not free to be themselves and make friends with other children, as other youth do. However, when the Duvitch children are accepted by Tom and Andy’s family, they express themselves openly. They feel free to showcase their talents, which are received greatly by their new guests. When they are accepted, they are free, and thanks to Andy’s father, the whole town now embraces this theme of acceptance and freedom. Andy’s father is a vital character to the theme of acceptance and freedom, because his character is instrumental to all the turning points in the freedom of the Duvitches. In the beginning of the story, he and his family are cordial with the Duvitches, but they do not greet the family or seek their company. At this point in the story, the Duvitches are being judged and ridiculed, and while Andy’s father does not participate in the offending activities, he does not help the Duvitches through this time, leaving them  unaccepted. At the pond, he greets Mr. Duvitch, who is happy to just be acknowledged. He shows acceptance for the Duvitches when he engages in conversation, moving the theme along. He furthers this acceptance when he harshly punishes his own children for wronging the immigrant family. In the end of the short story, Andy’s father helps the rest of the town accept the Duvitch family, and the theme of freedom and acceptance is shown when the Duvitches share their quirks and talents with the town. Because Andy’s father is a respected man, the town accepts the Duvitches because he does. By accepting the Duvitches, he has helped them become free, as shown when the story says that â€Å"People began to turn to the Duvitches in all kinds of trouble† (Flack). The Duvitches become truly free, and their journey to freedom is shown by the steps of Andy’s father’s acceptance. In conclusion, the theme of freedom and acceptance is shown through the characters of Mr. Duvitch, Mrs. Duvitch and the children and Andy’s father. They demonstrate that true freedom is about being accepted, through the scenarios that Ambrose Flack has written for them to endure. In The Strangers That Came to Town, the Duvitches become truly free at the finale of the story. In our own lives, we must ask: what can we do to help others become truly free? SOURCES: Flack, Ambrose. The Strangers That Came to Town. Web.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Louis Pojman Short Summary Essay

Louis Pojman argues for objectivism instead of relativism in morality even though we are attracted to the idea of relativism. Ethical relativism is made up of a diversity thesis and a dependency thesis. The diversity thesis is also known as cultural relativism and basically states that morality is different between different societies. The dependency thesis is similar to the diversity thesis, but states that morality depends on the context of the society. There are two views on the dependency thesis. In one view it is the application of the moral principles that depends on the situation, but in the other the principles (not how they are applied) actually depend on the situation. And even with the application of moral principles it is important to remember that they can change. Ethical relativism has two categories: subjectivism and conventionalism. Subjectivism is all about the individual, like it is everyone for themselves. This idea makes people like Hitler, Bundy, and members of t he KKK (just to name a few) justified in their actions. With conventionalism it is all about the society or culture, but then it becomes a question of how many individuals it takes to make a society. If there are enough Hitler-like people then they can form their own culture with its own morals and anything goes again. Both of these views of ethical relativism seem to be going in circles allowing all behavior as acceptable. Another issue with ethical relativism – whether it is subjective or conventional – is that a person has to determine what is their primary culture. Culture is made up of so many aspects like location, race, gender, religion, sexual status, etc. that a person could be making a moral decision that goes against one part of their culture but is acceptable with another part. Pojman outlines ethical relativism and then discusses moral objectivism as the correct idea. He argues that it only takes one moral principle for all people to show that relativism is false and objectivism is true. He states a variety of general ethical principles (ten, specifically, which may have a connection to the Ten Commandments or may just be a coincidence) that seem to be necessary to rid suffering, resolve conflict, and promote human flourishing. While reading Pojman’s statements on ethical relativism I asked myself where do we draw the line on deciding what is right and wrong. As a Christian it was difficult to read that some people believe in relativism and think that whatever they personally decide to be acceptable IS acceptable – or even that entire societies can do something  that goes against human nature. It was a relief to get to the end of the article where Pojman argues against relativism and makes a case for objectivism based on the fact that we do have a core morality.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Theories in phsychology of business Essay

Television advert and website are the devices of promoting that have an extensive variety of achieve and they have been overlooked to a greater degree. Individuals have an idea that TV adverts are for those rich individuals and website advert are for who have a machine or the individuals who oftentimes have sufficient energy to visit a digital or can get to machine. In no time, advancing and progressions on the World Wide Web are essentially conventional. Associations are making Web pages now and again just to show exceptional. Using the Web for publicizing requires certain supplies and authority, including getting a machine, getting an Internet organization supplier, acquiring (for the most part renting) a Website name, arranging and presenting the Website delineations and diverse limits as needed (for example, an online store for e-exchange), propelling the Website (through distinctive web hunt apparatuses, inventories, et cetera.) and keeping up the Website. Various people don’t much consider TV advancements because of the inclination that the commercials are greatly extravagant. They are more extravagant than an extensive share of noteworthy sorts of publicizing. In any case, with the extending number of telecom organizations and stations, associations may find incredible game plans for setting attachments or diverse sorts of plugs. Television notices regularly are assessed with near considerations to radio advancements, that is, the amount of advancements, the length of advancements and when they are placed reporting progressively. Television types of publicizing can be utilized to reach numerous gathering of people at once and regardless of where demographic the crowd fall, there is a system airing fitting projects together with advertisements. Website ad have an extensive variety of achieve and they are not confined to topographical obstructions and regardless of where the group of onlookers is in any piece of the world and have admittance to web joined machine they can get the advert. Maslow`s theory                  Maslow’s pecking order of requirements is a hypothesis in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It is referred as hypothesis of human inspiration. Maslow broadened his thought in including his perception of human’s inherent interest Maslow’s chain of importance of necessities is regularly depicted fit as a fiddle of a pyramid with the biggest, most key levels of requirements at the base and the requirement for self- completion at the top. Maslow’s hypothesis recommends that the most fundamental level of requirements must be met before the individual will firmly want the auxiliary or more elevated amount needs. Maslow’s hypothesis is utilized in both TV advert and site in that when advert is continuously made the most imperative things are highlighted initially emulated by the needs that need self-completion. In site the needs that the business needs to promote are sorted from the most essential to the paramount ones and they are posted on the organizations site or any partner showcasing. Hertzberg’s theory                  Two- factor theory essentials otherwise called HERTZBERGS theory has mentality and their association with modern mental wellbeing are identified with Abraham Maslow’s hypothesis of inspiration. As per Herzberg, people are not content with the fulfillment of lower-request needs at work; for instance, those needs connected with least pay levels or sheltered and average working conditions. Rather, people search for the delight of more elevated amount mental needs needing to do with accomplishment, distinguishment, obligation, progression, and the way of the work itself. Herzberg added another measurement to this hypothesis by proposing a two-component model of inspiration, in view of the thought that the vicinity of one set of employment qualities or motivators prompts specialist fulfillment at work, while an alternate and separate set of occupation attributes prompts disappointment at work. Subsequently, fulfillment and disappointment are not on a co ntinuum with one expanding as alternate lessens, yet are free phenomena. This hypothesis recommends that to enhance work disposition and benefit, heads must perceive and go to both sets of attributes and not accept that an increment in fulfillment prompts diminish in unpleasable disappointment. Two –factor hypothesis basics is not utilized in either the TV advert and website since this hypothesis is essentially planned for workers and not clients. Vroom expectancy theory                  It accepts that conduct results from cognizant decisions among plan B whose reason it is to expand delight and minimize torment. Together with Edward Lawler and Lyman Porter, Victor Vroom proposed that the relationship between individuals’ conduct at work and their objectives was not as basic as was initially envisioned by different researchers. Vroom understood that a worker’s execution is focused around people components, for example, identity, aptitudes, information, experience and capacities. Vroom anticipation hypothesis is based to look the certainty of the workers, feelings and view of the organization. This hypothesis is not utilized in TV commercial and the web ad. Freudian theory                  As per Freud psychoanalytic hypothesis, all psychic vitality is created by the drive. Freud additionally accepted that much of human conduct was roused by two driving senses: the life impulses and the passing impulses. The life impulses are those that identify with a fundamental requirement for survival, propagation and joy. They incorporate such things as the requirement for nourishment, haven, love and sex. He additionally proposed that all people have an oblivious wish for death, which he alluded to as the demise impulses. Self-dangerous conduct, he accepted, was one interpretation of the demise drive. In any case, he accepted that these demise senses were to a great extent tempered by the life impulses. This hypothesis is nearly utilized in the television and site advert since the adverts made are regulated to individuals with fixation at specific stages and with obsession at specific purposes of advancement. The organizations needs to comprehend thei r customers’ charisma they are planning to draws in consideration. Behavioral Theory                  Behavior argues that concepts like conflict, anxiety and fixation do not explain behavioral of an individual. Behavior of individual is guided by punishment one receive or rewards given that reinforce the behavior and increase the chances of behavior occurring. Behavioral belief that observable stimuli in the environment causes organisms to act in a particular way. This theory is related to Freudian theory and is basically employed in both form of advertisement in this paper. The anxiety of people is capitalized by most of the TV broadcasting station and when audience are longing to continue with their favorite programme there is a break for adverts to be made. For website it happens when a client visits a certain website and before it opens there are some adverts that pops there. In both cases advertisers capitalizes the behavioral theory in concepts of anxiety. Cognitive theory                  This theories emphasizes mental processes in development such as logic and memory. Piagel proposed that each of us begin life with a small repertoire of sensory and motor scheme such as looking , tasting, touching and hearing we use each scheme becomes better adapted to the world. We possess mental scheme as well and most developed in childhood and adolescence. Mental schemes allows us to use symbols and thinking logically. Cognitive theory is much employed in advertising and much in TV and website advert. Advertisers have to use the logic while advertising in abide to capture the attention of the clients or audience. In cognitive theory, the audience are not passive learners and the audience development has to be taken in to consideration before advert is made as shown by Freudian theory. Comparison                  Both covers extensive variety of group of onlookers over any demographic dissimilar to other type of showcasing like magazines They both covers all race of gathering of people particularly channels like BBC and CNN although their group of onlookers needs to comprehend the dialect utilized as a part of show. Contrast For television adverts there are those one planned for adult individuals and they are brought when certain system is broadcast. For Website anybody can get to the advert despite the fact that they were not expected for that age. My recommendation is that there the installment made to each advert in TV and site ought to be publicized possibly in a week or a month to make individuals have boldness to promote with them. The correspondence commission of each nation ought to meet up and draft the principle to be followed in making adverts that will reach anybody on the globe. References Farmer, W. (2001). 5. In Latent trait theory analysis of changes in item response anchors: Final report (2nd ed., Vol. 2, p. 95). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine ;. Gardener, L. (1972). Theories in phsychology of business. In Attitude and motivational in languages learning (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 211). Rowley: Newbury house. Kandoyan, N. (2002). Theories in phsychology of business. In A study of performance efficiency in public and private sector organizations (1st ed., Vol. 2, p. 47). Baltimore: John Hopkin University press. Laban, J. (2003). Phychology of thoughts. In Phsychology of customer in business (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 37). Newyork: Jameson publisher. Martin, S. (1990). Business and people. In Learned optimism (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 101). Newyork. Maslow, A., & Hoffman, E. (1996). Future visions: The unpublished papers of Abraham Maslow. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Maslow, A. (1999). Maslows theory. In Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed., Vol. 2, p. 120). New York: J. Wiley & Sons. Orlando, F., & Orlando, F. (1978). Freudian theory. In Toward a Freudian theory of literature: With an analysis of Racine’s PheÌ€dre (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 143). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Source document

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Resource management (consultancy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Resource management (consultancy) - Essay Example Current paper is deal with the nature and the content of the above ‘business activity’ in terms of firm’s everyday operations but also its strategic management for the future. The area which is mainly examined here is the healthcare industry/ nursing profession). Most commonly ‘resource management’ is connected with a firm’s strategic planning, but we can distinguish as well points of interaction with the rest parts of the business, like the use of the raw materials, the relationships between the employees and the evaluation and the use of time schedules with regard to specific business projects (or just its daily operation). When speaking for ‘resource management’ we usually refer to a series of elements which are ‘represented’ as a total by this complex of words. More specifically when using the above term we can refer to: a) the management of the people working in the business either in the lower levels - standard employees – or to the higher positions, like the executives. From the connection of these two ‘human resources categories’, human resource management can be linked with the leadership management (which refers specifically to decisions involved the highest levels of corporate governance), b) the evaluation and the use of ‘time’ in the daily business activities. Time can have a strong influence to the business performance and this statement can be explained by the role of time to the sequence and the succession of the corporate activities. The existence and the completion of the above activities are (in a direct way) depended by the ti me which is offered for every particular project. In this context, the understanding of ‘time’ as a major element of the corporate entity as well as its use from the person to whom such a responsibility has been delegated should be characterized as ‘priority’ – mainly when designing the corporate strategy, c) the management of the materials given as well as of the services

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Analysis Haier Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysis Haier Company - Essay Example The first angle of analysis is the trend exploration of the company over the period of five years. Additionally, the common size analysis for the company will be done to figure out the item percentage change over the last five years. Secondly the report will address the cross-sectional investigation between Haier Company and Tesco plc Company. The main aim of the cross-sectional analysis is to compare the performance of the company with others so as to identify the key points to the failure or success of the firm. The third performance analysis will be for industrial average comparison to weigh how the company is performing compared to other firms globally. Finally, the recommendations pursuant to the analysis will be at last. It is also known as the horizontal analysis. It is a financial psychoanalysis technique that demonstrates the variation in the amounts of matching items financial statements over a certain span of time (Logan,  2014). Two or more periods grants a trend analysis. The first important item is the revenue. It can be evidently being seen that there is an increase in the total returns each year from 2010 to 2014. The returns amplified from 48,500 in the initial year 2010 to 50,089.9 in the following year. The increase percentage will be (which translates (1589.9/48500)*100 = 3.28%. In the year 2012, the revenue increased to 55615.0 hence an augmented revenue of (55615-48500) =7115. Calculated as an increase in percentage by (7115/48500)*100 = 14.67%. By the year 2013, the proceeds earned was 62,263.2 scaling up by 13763.2 leading to increase percentage of (13763.2/48500)*100 = 28.38%. 2014 had revenue of 67,134 and when calculated as a percentage increase the result is (18634/48500)*100 = 38.42%.It is evident that the income improved by 3.28% from 2010, 14.67% from 2011, 28.38% from 2012 and 38.42% from 2013. This demonstrates that the

U.S. Airline Industry Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S. Airline Industry Analysis - Essay Example The US airlines industry again returned to profitability track by 1995 and continued this growth until the close of the 20th century. However, the 2001 terror attack together with a depressed world economy further worsened the growth status of the US airlines industry. This paper will critically analyse the US airlines industry using international business theories and other strategic frameworks. A critical analysis During the beginning stages of the US airline industry, three airlines namely United Airlines, American Airlines, and TWA were in charge of transcontinental routes. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was established with intent to manage the structure of the industry (Dempsey, 1979-80). The CAB set flight fares on the ground of cost plus a fixed margin and hence aircraft operators could pass cost increases to customers. In 1970, rampant increase in fuel costs and political shifts towards economic liberalization created the impetus for a total reform of the airlines industry. The development of contestable market theory also contributed to this strategic shift. According to this theory, â€Å"industries did not need to be competitive structured in order to result in competitive outcomes† (Grant, 2002). ... Hence, this strategic shift might assist them to operate more number of aircrafts using the same amount of resources. As regulators argued, the deregulation resulted in new entries and price competition. In the words of Grant (2003, p. 31), although the deregulation strategy was potential enough to improve the declining industry growth, some unexpected contingencies like oil shock of 1979 and the air traffic controllers’ strike of 1981 caused severe difficulties to the US aviation industry. In order to overcome these troubles, aircraft operators across the US widely adopted mergers and acquisitions approach as they believed that combined operations would trim down operating costs. As Heimlich (2011) argues, M&A approach significantly assisted the US airline industry to overcome several cultural barriers. The ‘hub and spoke’ system introduced in 1980 greatly benefited the US airlines industry to increase its operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, establi sh dominance in specific regional markets, and to place barriers to new entrants. The development of this new system can be linked to the strategic management theory, which argues that a â€Å"change creates novel combinations of circumstances requiring unstructured non-repetitive responses† (Kahn, 2010). Introduction of low cost carriers became a potential threat to the industry by the beginning of 1990s and hence the country’s major airlines extremely struggled to confront with such budget airlines. As discussed earlier, the deregulation Act directly led to the evolution of a competition era and the major aircraft operators offered almost similar facilities to their customers. As a result, travellers could not easily distinguish between the offerings of

Monday, August 26, 2019

Should Alcohol Sales Be Allowed at College Sporting Events Essay

Should Alcohol Sales Be Allowed at College Sporting Events - Essay Example I acknowledge that beer and chips are a traditional part of any spectator sport activity, which is why our university has been quite lenient over the years regarding the entry of alcohol into the stadiums and sports arenas. As a student body, we know the risks involved in binge drinking and we acknowledge that the university authorities constantly remind us that we must know how to place the alcohol â€Å"in the belly and not in the brain†. But there will always be students who overstep the bounds and get drunk either before, during, or after the game. It is important that you understand that the recent violent actions of some students have nothing to do with the sale of alcohol at the college sporting events. The sale of alcohol is a necessary evil when it comes to keeping a college or university sports program alive. While the budget during the year for the sport is set aside by the board of trustees of the school, that does not mean that the amount set aside will be suffici ent enough to cover all of the necessary expenses that the team will incur during the year. The coaches already admitted that the revenue from alcohol sales helps to keep the team in active play. The alcohol sales help to augment the shortage in the budget. While it is true that there is a tendency among the students to abuse alcohol at the sporting venues, that is not to say that all of those who drink excessively will be prone to acts of violence. The same goes for tailgating parties that occur prior to the events. Alcohol is one of the main drinks served at such parties which occur prior to the game. In this situation, the alcohol serves as a bonding instrument for the students, who come together pre-game in order to celebrate and prime themselves for the game ahead. Although alcohol is abundant at tailgating parties, there has never been any conclusive evidence to prove that the alcohol consumed by the spectators pre-game has anything to do with their mindset and actions once th ey enter the stadium. Spectator violence is something that usually happens in Europe but only began to emerge in the United States. Not all of the spectator violence is alcohol related. There are other ways and means that opposing teams can get on each other's nerves or egg each other on. Acts as simple as taunting, teasing, gesturing, destruction of public property, and physical challenges can all lead to spectator violence. But that does not necessarily mean that alcohol is to blame for the actions of the students. There are other reasons, such as being high on illegal drugs, that contribute to the problem of spectator violence. To automatically assume that excessive alcohol intake by the students is the primary cause of violence means that you are barking up the wrong tree. Remember that there is a high police profile at these stadiums during these events due to security concerns. These law enforcers are the first line of defense when it comes to silencing a drunk spectator. Gran ted that the police cannot guard every student that enters the venue. But the guards at the gate can definitely tell who is entering intoxicated. In which case, a Breathalyzer test can automatically be administered in order to prevent the outbreak of misunderstanding and violence at the venue. The drinking starts long before the students enter the venue. Therefore, the students who try to enter the venue drunk can and should be denied entry until the sober up. Keep in mind that restricting alcoholic intake at the sports venue just means that the students will get their alcohol fix before, during, and after the game in another manner. A manner that will most likely cause spectator violen

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Family systems therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family systems therapy - Essay Example A mental health crisis, mental disorders, relationship problems, or parent-child relationship problems all bring the family into the involvement with the individuals treatment. The family may be counseled on how best to cope with a family member in crisis, or they may be a part of the treatment. No matter what the emotional disturbance is, the family is an integral part of the interaction and must be a part of the therapy. Systemic family therapies have been developed to treat the family as a cohesive unit. Behaviors and relationships are all interdependent within a family and as such need treated within the family environment. It will do no good to treat a single family member for substance abuse if the source of the users anxiety is the family relationship. Likewise, family members need to be aware of the impact that each relationship has on all the other family members. To study and manage the impact that the family has on mental illness, Alfred Adler pioneered the Adlerian technique of family therapy. More recent models such as brief therapy, and cognitive behavior techniques have all drawn from the research and writings of Adler. Because Adlers methods are at the roots of many other therapies, it is important to understand the Adlerian Family Therapy. It shapes and defines the family, its relationships, the influence of the individual members, and the actions necessary to correct family problems. Alfred Adler was born in Vienna in 1870 and after receiving a medical degree turned to psychiatry in the early 1900s. He was an associate of Freud and worked with him on several projects and occasions. During this period, he developed theories which would later evolve into the more recent ideas on self-actualization (Boeree, 2006). Followers of Adler include Rogers, Horney, Fromm, and Sullivan (Boeree, 2006). Adler stressed the importance of the individual within the family and postulated several theories on why family members

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Western Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Culture - Essay Example Centuries ago, the culture of a country was modified by wars and invasions. But now cultures are influenced by the corporate scenario in the country. Whenever a corporate giant enters a country’s local markets, it inevitably introduces a few subtle variations in the existing cultural practices. At the same time, the company has to respect local sensibilities and make certain changes in their strategies. A company’s success in the local markets depends immensely on how skillfully they negotiate the culture of that country, and in turn use it to their advantage. Once the company strikes the right balance, there is an intermingling of cultures, which introduces western cultural influences to the already existing local norms. A failure on the part of the company to adapt to local practices can prove to be a business disaster. For instance, the retail giant Wal-Mart was forced to completely shut down its operations in Germany and South Korea, when the local public did not approve of their characteristic working styles. (Schaefer, 2009) It would be beneficial to study an example to facilitate a better understanding of the influences of western culture brought about by corporate giants. McDonald’s, the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants has more than 30,000 restaurants in nearly a 100 countries and serves approximately 52 million people daily (Bhushan, 2002). McDonald’s was one of the first corporations to pioneer the field of quick service restaurants. It’s franchise in India is owned and managed locally, employing local staff and product suppliers. Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited owns and manages McDonalds restaurants in the western region of India, while the northern territory restaurants are owned and managed by Vikram Bakshi’s Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited. The first Mc Donald’s outlet was opened in India’s capital, New Delhi in October, 1996 and currently there are a total of 132 restaurants in the whole of

Friday, August 23, 2019

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY ON THE GENDER OF GOD Term Paper

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY ON THE GENDER OF GOD - Term Paper Example However, most ethnologists have argued that God has no gender especially the female theologians quoting the texts in genesis that states that at the beginning God created Man in his own image. In this context, the image of God encompasses the features of both female and male and hence the conclusion that God has no gender. There are also other instances in which God is referred to as strong winds, tides, Waters Mountains and many other names thereby confirming that God is not a human being but a living spirit. The theology on the gender of God is therefore difficult to understand though there are several efforts from different religions to explain the understanding of God’s image with regard to respect to God’s gender.1 Among all these arguments, non has been able to prove that God is female or masculine since several texts referred to in the text are not only referring to specific situations, but are made to aid in the understanding of the words scriptures. For example when God is referred to as God the father, it was meant for the Christians to believe that God is the provider of protection and security. When God is referred top as tides, mountains, waters and many other terms, it refers to power and a kind of supernatural being. This has therefore misled those who read the bible since it has been interpreted the wrong way. This paper has therefore explored the different views from philosophers and theologizes with respect to God’s gender. All through the Christian bible, God is referred to as masculine. 2 This originated from the Greek word theos referring to God and most of the analogies have been used to refer to God and almighty as Masculine. It is important to note that within the Christian doctrines, God had never been referred to as male or female. In fact within the Christian doctrines, God is referred to as the almighty. In this context, God has no gender and represents the image of all of the human being creatures since he state s in the book of genesis that he created human beings in his own image. However, the controversies come when Jesus is referred to as masculine. In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as god and God is Jesus meaning they are one and the same thing. However Jesus in the New Testament is referred to as at the time of his birth as â€Å"baby boy†. Does this therefore mean that Jesus is a boy or a man following the several instances in which he is referred to with masculine notation. It is therefore important to note that there are differences between the new and the Old Testament with regard to the way Jesus’ gender is referred in many occasions. The question here is to determine whether Jesus and God are different or Jesus is God. However in the Old Testament, it has been stated that Jesus was to be born and that he was to be a boy. 3The relationship between Jesus and God is therefore not clear and hence there is lack of consistence between the Old Testament and the N ew Testament. While many Christian doctrines hold that god has no gender, many other religious leaders and Christians have argued that if this is the case then man was not created in the image of God or if man is created in the image of God then â€Å"man† in this context does not include women. In the view of the above, the ancient Greek fathers made a lot of efforts to protect

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Societal Impacts on Natural Disasters Essay Example for Free

Societal Impacts on Natural Disasters Essay Natural disasters are a devastating, but undeniably inevitable part of life and society. Because of this fact, many of us tend to believe that they happen as an act of nature, purely out of the human control. We need to start realizing that this is far from the truth and it this attitude that is stopping us from learning from our mistakes. The contemporary world inaccurately labels various disasters as ‘natural’ when in fact, when looked at more closely; there is an enormous correlation between ‘nature’ and ‘society’. There are many flaws in the human preparation for natural disasters that have equated in death and injury where it could have been minimized. Although the occurrence of a disaster can happen at any time, it is vital that we start recognizing that there is much that we can do reduce the effects that they have on us as well as taking ownership to the fact that there have been many changes that we have made to the environment in the past and present to aggravate ‘natural’ disasters and allow them to impact on us with much more severity then they would of otherwise. A natural disaster can be defined as a phenomenon that results in material and/or environmental loss where the affected community would not be able to restore themselves without external support (The Australian Government Department of Transport and Regional Services, 2002). The 2011 TÃ… hoku earthquake and tsunami that affected Japan and the Indian Ocean earthquake affecting Southern Asia are both primary examples of natural disasters. Although these two events were completely unrelated to each-other, the economic and environmental impact that they had on their effected regions were very much similar. These included widespread death and injuries, building and infrastructure losses, major economic downfall and socio-economic loss. The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck the coast of Japan at 14:46 local time on 11th of March, 2011. It was a magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale (Shibahara, 2011), making it one of the most powerful earthquakes the world has ever seen. It lasted a total of 8 minutes and the violent earthquake later triggered a tsunami, which travelled up to 10 kilometres inland into the Sendai area (Norio, 2011). The short-term effects of the earthquake and tsunami included: death and injuries, destruction of property and  infrastructure including roads and all forms of transport systems, financial and economic downfall due to rebuilding, clean-up projects, and the falling of stocks. The event occurred where the pacific plates dip underneath the plate beneath northern Honshu. This is known as convergent boundaries; where one tectonic plate moves under the other, sinking into the Earth’s mantle as the plates meet. Where more traditional earthquakes are caused by friction of two plates moving in opposite directions, in this instant The Pacific Plate moved underneath Honshu’s plate, releasing large amounts of energy (N.A, 2005). The break caused the sea floor to rise by several metres. This underwater megathrust earthquake is the most rare and destructive type, hence producing the massive Richter scale reading. The tsunami that followed the earthquake was triggered by the destructive waves up of to 77 feet and engulfed the coast of Japan minutes after the quake. Some of the more powerful waves travelled up to 6 miles inland, causing damage that almost match that of the earthquake, even though limited to the coastal region. In addition to these events, the disasters also caused major disruption to the nearby nuclear power plants that put Japan in a the midst of a humanitarian crisis unseen in the history of modern Japan (Duan, 2012). Japan often experience’s natural disasters due to their geological placement and hence have developed earthquake and disaster procedures that are one of the most advanced in the world (Sheth Sanyai Jaiswai Gandhi, 2008). However, the series of disasters were simply too high in magnitude for Japan to be prepared for. The earthquake was above what they had predicted and the tsunami had not been factored in. Despite the unprecedented scale of the earthquake alone, many buildings infrastructures remained standing, proving Japan’s construction law’s, resilience and earthquake technology. This shows that if the earthquake was the only disaster that Japan had to deal with, they would have been able to cope with it far more successfully and the tsunami was the reason for the country’s failure (Zare Afrouz, 2012). They were left in a situation where they were facing several difficulties: The application of a response, the management of a large number of residents  that had been displaced by the disaster, and lack of experience in the management of medical resources for displaced populations. In addition to this, the people of Tohoku were only notified of the event one minute before the occurrance, leaving residents in a state of shock and unpreparedness (Norio, 2011). However, despite the devastating elements that the Japanese people were exposed to, they still managed to remain somewhat calm and dealt with the situation at hand with discipline. The public had confidence in officials that were part of relief teams and lined up in a civilized manner for food and drink, as opposed to demonstrating chaotic behavior, which would be very common in similar situations, especially in rural or developing countries. This would be a prime example of successfully educating the public on crisis behavior, especially in regions that are prone to disaster. The 2004 Tsunami, or otherwise known as the 2004 Indiana Ocean tsunami and earthquake is considered as the 6th deadliest earthquake/tsunami and the 2nd most destructive earthquake in the world (Wang Liu, 2008). During the quakes strongest point, it lasted a total of 8-10 minutes and caused a lasting rise in the global sea level of 0.1mm. Its destructive power also resulted in the inactive volcano situated in Indonesia to become active once again. The disaster affected a total of 15 countries, including: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Malaysia, South Africa, Madagascar and Kenya; with Indonesia suffering the most damage. The disaster measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, the same reading as the Tohoku event, this reading was measured in Sumatra, Indonesia and buildings were shaking in Bangkok as well as Singapore which were both more than 600 miles away. Similar to the Tokohu earthquake, the cause of the Indiana Ocean earthquake/ tsunami was also due to the sliding of tectonic plates, in this case the India plate underneath the Burma plate. Even though the process has been on-going for many years, it was the 26th of December 2004 when the process resulted in a rupture more then 1000 kilometers long and shifting the ground above the rupture by approximately 10 meters horizontally and a number of meters vertically. This event caused the entire planet to shake and witness  the largest magnitude earthquake in 40 years. Primary effects of the tsunami include major loss of life: 227000 people confirmed dead and 1.8 million people missing. More than 80000 houses were damaged or had been destroyed as well as overall severe damage to all infrastructure, roads, bridges and all utilities Secondary effects included the spread of disease due to contaminated water and the tropical climate (Wang Liu,2008). Another was major economic downfall due to the loss of coastal fishing industries as well as loss of tourism opportunity due to damage to areas such as Thailand. Emotional and psychological effects on those affected was also a significant factor, as well as the huge number of orphans that were left due to surviving the incident and their parents not being so lucky. The affected countries were entirely unprepared for the disaster (Athukorala, 2012). However, The Pacific Tsunami Monitoring Centre (PTMC) in Honolulu, Hawaii sent a message stating there was a possibility of a tsunami affecting countries in the Indian Ocean 65 minutes prior to the event. Unfortunately, this message was not passed onto the countries in the affected region, as the PTMC officials did not have required contacts in their address book. Furthermore, are a very rare incidence in the Indian Ocean and historically tsunami-related calamities had been of minor importance compared to other natural disasters (Abbott, 2011, Ch. 3; Albala-Bertrand 1993, Ch. 2, From Athukorala, 2012 ). It was also reported that â€Å" in many coastal towns and tourists resorts in Sri Lanka, Aceh, India and Thailand, many people watched the prior receding of the coastline with curiosity or took the opportunity to collect stranded fish and thus easily succumbed to the waves (Athukorala, 2012). † There is now research that shows a close correlation between the magnitude of the damage caused by the tsunami and the regions unpreparedness and lack of coastal resource management. Evidence shows that the shocking death toll could have been significantly bought down if the region had had more effective natural defenses such as coral forests and mangrove swamps, all of which had been destroyed for urban construction such as ocean facing hotels  and villas. By doing so, involved parties have not only broken coastal conservation legislation, but now live with the most serious consequence, loss of life. There is evidence that the amount of human lives lost was partly a result of modern progress, ruthless destruction of natural defenses such as coral forests and mangrove swamps, and building oceanfront hotels and villas in violation of coastal conservation legislation. For instance, in the areas surrounding Aceh, where the coastal ecosystem remained in good condition the tsunami’s effects were far less severe. Also, the island of Simeuleu in Indonesia experienced a relatively death toll, partially due to the healthy condition of the surrounding mangrove forests. Furthermore, in Sri Lanka the damage was much more brutal as there had been violation of regulation prohibiting mining coral reefs and damaging coastal mangrove forests, which act as a shield against the destruction of the sea (Athukorala, 2012). Both these events should act as a alarm for leaders all over the world, to revise their methods and procedure for disaster detection and response procedures. It could be an alarm for us to be more thorough and cautious about the earthquake hazard as the prepared and industrialized Japan with the most modernized technology confronted many extensive troubles, which were out of their predictions. We need to analyse the two events and see the connection between ‘nature’ and ‘society’ and understand that the two are interlinked. Although the occurrence of a natural disaster is out of our control, we are able to make a difference in the brutality of its effects by the choices we make to our surrounding environment, as proven by the regions that were fortunate to shield themselves from the wrath of the tsunami with their mangrove swamps and natural defense systems. Although the economic state of any region is a important factor in a range of decisions, officials need to also consider the environment as a major factor in their decision making when it comes to urban development; as without it, we have nothing.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Received controllable shocks Essay Example for Free

Received controllable shocks Essay They both said that the extent of a persons social network and their perceived sense of support are positively linked. The role of control in the perception of stress also plays a part. A sense of control reduces the extent to which a situation may be experienced stressful. It has been suggested that control affects the immune system. Laudenslager et al. (1983) showed direct effects on the immune system. He used rats that were placed in three groups, one received controllable shocks, the second group were a yoked control (received the same shocks as the first rat, but they had no direct control over the shocks), a third group received no shocks. All the rats were injected with cancer cells. Laudenslager found that 65% of the controlled shock group rejected the cancer cells, compared with only 27% of the yoked controlled and 55% of the no-shock group. His study suggests that control is important to the functioning of the immune system. Psychological approaches have also been applied in anger management courses since anger has been found to increase vulnerability to heart disease. B) Asses the strengths and weaknesses of two biological approaches (6) One biological approach is biofeedback. It is a technique to learn how to control involuntary muscles, or voluntary muscles that are not normally controlled, such as blood pressure and heart rate. The aim of it is to reduce ANS activity and therefore the bodily sensations associated with stress. In turn this will reduce the consequent effects of stress in terms of illness. An individual is attached to a monitor that produces feedback about some physiological activity. (E. g. The machine would produce an auditory or visual signal to indicate weather an individuals heart rate is too high or about right. ) These machines provide all different feedback to the patient, who is then taught techniques to reduce the levels. (Such as relaxation training. ) This means that physiological activity is brought under control. The key thing is that physiological activities are ones we wouldnt usually be able to control. Biofeedback has been shown to produce short and long-term reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and brain-wave rhythms. Biofeedback training does fit into three main stages; developing an awareness of the particular physiological response (e. g. heart rate), learning ways of controlling that physiological response in quiet conditions. This can include providing rewards for successful control in addition to feedback. Then transferring that control into the conditions of everyday life. Dworkin and Dworkin (1988) did a study with teenagers who were suffering from curvature of the spine (scoliosis). The teenagers successfully used biofeedback techniques to learn how to control the muscles of their spine and thus alter the posture and overcome the disorder. Another biological approach is Anti-anxiety drugs. The body produces chemicals (hormones) that create anxiety. This can be countered using other chemicals (i. e. drugs) that reduce anxiety. There are several different types of drugs that all work differently. Barbiturates are depressants of the central nervous system, and long-acting barbiturates are effective in reducing anxiety. However, they do have various side effects. They can create problems of concentration, lack of coordination, and slurred speech. They also tend to be addictive. Anxious patients who stop taking barbiturates report numerous symptoms such as delirium, irritability, and increased sweating. The problems with them led them to be replaced by benzodiazepines in the 1960s. These are the most used anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium and Librium. They promote GABA, the bodys natural relief of anxiety relief which reduces serotonin levels, which will in turn reduce arousal. Although, they are very effective and used by millions of people, they also have some of unwanted side effects. They often have sedative effects, and can make people feel drowsy. They can also cause cognitive and memory impairments, they sometimes lead to feelings of depression. Also, many people become dependent on benzodiazepines, and find it very hard to stop taking them. Sudden removal of benzodiazepines can lead to a return of the initial symptoms of intense stress and anxiety. Ants-anxiety drugs can be very effective at reducing feelings of stress. However, they do not address the problems that are causing stress. They help cope with stress but not to manage it.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Implementation Of Austerity Measures Economics Essay

The Implementation Of Austerity Measures Economics Essay The implementation of Austerity measures in Europe resulted into a recession in 2010/2011. However, Germanys economy continued with growth over the years 2011 and 2012 and although the Germany government has been known as a great advocate of Austerity measures, it has at times increased its expenditure but its growing revenue has worked to moderate the deficit unlike in many other European countries. In addition, Germany was able to maintain growing revenue to moderate expenditure increase as it never sought to stimulate its economy through tax cuts becoming a model of fiscal prudence which moderates deficits by keeping revenues high. (Euro stat, 2013) Germany is one of the largest economies in the Euro zone with a growing economy and low unemployment. The country was able to pull itself out of the global financial crisis and has maintained a booming economy and advocates Austerity measures for the peripheral economies in Europe. However, the country is currently experiencing high inflation due to its bid to aid the peripheral economies and having its economy currently stalling with stagnated industry sales and reduced foreign demand for its products. Five year trends Year GDP Billion Euros Unemployment % Inflation % National debt As % of GDP National deficit As % of GDP HICP % 2012 2,643.90 81.70 2011 2,592.60 6.00 2.30 80.50 -0.80 2010 2,496.20 7.40 1.10 82.50 -4.10 2009 2,374.50 7.50 0.30 74.50 -3.10 2008 2,473.80 7.80 2.70 66.80 -0.10 Source: Euro stat 149/2012. Debt vs. deficit and Austerity Debt refers to the amount that a government borrows to sustain its expenditure in the case where its spending are in excess of its revenue while deficit is the excess of budget spending above the available revenue. In relation to Austerity, deficit is more critical as the measures are sought to directly control the government spending hence the deficit by cutting on the expenditure. How Germany got into the situation For Germany, being in the current financial and fiscal crisis is both by bad luck and poor choices. When a common European currency was created in 1992, the control of Banking, Finance and Fiscal policy was left in hands of national governments; a system that succeeded in generating massive economic growth in Germany and Euro zone. However, the massive buying of the sub-prime loans system in US by the European Banking including Germany was one cause of the problem as the Germanys banks kept on buying on the US system even when the sub-prime market was collapsing in 2007. On the other hand, the inability of the other European peripheral countries to deal with the financial crisis resulted to the problems spill over to the Germans economy. This has negatively affected the country as it seeks to aid the economies out of the situation sometimes paying higher prices in terms of inflation. Who holds most of the debt With its total current debt as a percentage of GDP at 278%, Germanys non financial corporations and financials are the greatest holders of the debt with 87% each while the governments debt is 83%. On the other hand, households debt stands at 49%. This means that the largest holders of the Germanys debt are Financials and non financial Corporations followed by the government while households are the least debt ridden. Recommended steps: Finding a solution to the fiscal challenge facing Germany and other European countries has resulted to various remedies being fronted by different stakeholders ranging from the governments to the lenders and other European leaders. For Germany, the following has been recommended. Germany government The Germanys government in the leadership of Angela Markelel under the conservative Christians Democrat has since 2005 been adamantly insistent of Austerity programs. For instance, there was a proposed budget cut in 2009 in a bid to reduce the budget deficit by 80 billion Euros to a 3% of the GDP by 2014. The proposal involved reduction on welfare spending over a period of four years as well as raising taxes on nuclear plants operators and air travel. There was also a proposed cut on public sector payroll to a tune of 15,000 by the year 2014 as well as a reduction on military spending by cutting the armed services by up to 40,000 troops. In addition, the Germany government advocates the fiscal compact in which all the European countries are meant to maintain balanced budgets in order to stabilize the regions economy. (Pietras, 2009) Opposition Germans opposition has been against Austerity measures and in alternative recommending increased efforts to create jobs and spur economic growth in Germany and Europe as a whole by increasing government spending but retaining high government revenue. (Boston, 2012) Euro leaders European leaders are opposed to the Austerity measures and recommends implementation of fiscal policies that provide growth incentives that should accompany the budget slashing rather than the Austerity measures advocated by the Germany government. (Boston, 2012) European Central Banks/IMF/International banking houses /lenders Germans reaction to proposed Austerity package The Austerity measures have been faced with great resistance both from within Germany and outside. The Social democrats who are Germany governments opposition are opposed to the proposed Austerity measures as well as the ratification of the Austerity fiscal package for the European countries. The possible results of the measures including reduced welfare benefits and cut on jobs are facts that Germans take into consideration in their opposition to the programs which would deny welfare benefits to those who need them most at time when it is most needed. The wage earners are also likely to be the most affected hence their great opposition for the measures. Resistance for Austerity measures has also been widely felt from other countries like Greece where there were widespread street demonstrations as people voiced their opposition to the measures. In addition, elections in Italy were highly bent on voting out the proponents of the Austerity measures and voting in those who spoke out aga inst the measures. Outcome prediction and fairer effective alternatives recommendations Some of the limitations of the Austerity measures are the likely results including reduced GDP growth hence resulting to even great debt GDP ratio which undermines the countrys ability to service its debts hence the liquidity problems being likely to escalate to more solvency crisis. Austerity measures would also result into high unemployment as the programs advocates cutting several jobs in the civil service while the cuts on jobless benefits would negatively impacts on the welfare of the jobless. In addition, it would result to some stimulus such as business subsidies being done away with negatively impacting on Germanys competitiveness in the international market. Austerity measures would also result into low income in short-term while wage earners suffer most and long-term unemployment. Alternative fairer measures would be stimulus programs which would increase government spending hence debt but with continued retention of high revenue. By keeping the GDP growing, the debt GDP ratio would remain constant without hurting the economy and its people. Another alternative to the Austerity measures would be focus on investments in public infrastructure like health and education and jobs creation which should be funded through fair and reasonable taxation.

A Comparison of the Ideals of Bronte in Jane Eyre and Voltaire in Candi

The Ideals of Bronte in Jane Eyre and Voltaire in Candide      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subjective novelists tend to use personal attitudes to shape their characters. Whether it be an interjection of opinion here, or an allusion to personal experience there, the beauty of a story lies in the clever disclosure of the author's personality. Charlotte Bronte and Voltaire are no exceptions. Their most notable leading characters, Jane Eyre and Candide, represent direct expressions of the respective author's emotions and impressions. In their stories, Bronte and Voltaire create fictional settings and imaginary scenes. However, through the psyche of their leading protagonists, Bronte and Voltaire genuinely portray their own inner world   they are their own subjects. While the novels Jane Eyre and Candide are in no manner outright autobiographies, they are extremely similar in that the experiences and beliefs of Bronte and Voltaire serve to characterize Jane and Candide. A careful examination of both works reveals that Jane and Candide evince the contrasting i deals of Bronte and Voltaire in various spheres.    As individuals, Voltaire and Charlotte Bronte could not have been any more different. They lived in opposing eras, had unlike backgrounds, and espoused divergent philosophies. While Candide, which some consider the epitome of the eighteenth century Enlightenment, uses satire to achieve its goals, Jane Eyre uses extensive descriptions to take the reader on a psychological roller coaster through the mind of its leading character. Analysis shows that the two authors will seldom agree on many issues. However, by the end of both novels, Jane and Candide have become very much alike. Answering the question of how this transformation occurs necessitat... ...the attainment of happiness with a simultaneous discovery of a personal identity. Jane Eyre and Candide are not only fictionalized versions of their creators, but also the very epitome of modern mankind. They look to their hostile surroundings and inside themselves to find answers to life's questions. In their struggles, we share their agony. In victory, we share their triumphs.    Works Cited Berg, Maggie. Jane Eyre: A Student's Companion to the Novel. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987. Blom, Margaret. Charlotte Bronte. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977. Bottiglia, William. "Candide's Garden". Voltaire: A Collection Of Critical Essays. Ed. William Bottiglia. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 87-111. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Voltaire. Candide. Trans. Lowell Bair. New York: Bantam Books, 1959.   

Monday, August 19, 2019

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning Essay -- essays r

Symbolism in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning If we compare William Faulkner's two short stories, 'A Rose for Emily' and 'Barn Burning', he structures the plots of these two stories differently. However, both of the stories note the effect of a father ¡Ã‚ ¦s teaching, and in both the protagonists Miss Emily and Sarty make their own decisions about their lives. The stories present major idea through symbolism that includes strong metaphorical meaning. Both stories affect my thinking of life. Both  ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily ¡Ã‚ ¨ and  ¡Ã‚ §Barn Burning ¡Ã‚ ¨ address the influence of a father, and the protagonists of both stories make their own decisions. Miss Emily lives with her father who prevents her from dating with any young man until she is thirty. Her father ¡Ã‚ ¦s deed enhances her thirst for love and security. After her father died, she finally has the freedom of love. When she meets Homer Barron and thinks that she has found her true love. But opposite of what she wants, Homer is a homosexual:  ¡Ã‚ §Ã‚ ¡Khe liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks ¡Ã‚ ¦ Club --- that he was not a marrying man ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily ¡Ã‚ ¨, 126). To keep him with her forever, Miss Emily chooses to murder Homer.  ¡Ã‚ §Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and learning forward, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily ¡Ã‚ ¨, 130), Faulkner implies that Miss Emily actually sleeps with the corpse. She must love Homer deeply, to endure the rotten smell and appearance of the dead body. She even enjoys being with it.  ¡Ã‚ §The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily ¡Ã‚ ¨, 130). Although she picks the most ridiculous way to express love, her courage to choose her own way of life compels admiration. In  ¡Ã‚ §Barn Burning ¡Ã‚ ¨, Sarty ¡Ã‚ ¦s father enjoys setting fires to burn down others ¡Ã‚ ¦ properties. Sarty faces the problem between loyalty and honesty. On one hand, he wants to be loyal to his father; on the other hand, he does not endorse his father ¡Ã‚ ¦s behavior. His father teaches him:  ¡Ã‚ §You ¡Ã‚ ¦re getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain ¡Ã‚ ¦t going to have any blood to stick to you ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( ¡Ã‚ §Barn Burning ¡Ã‚ ¨, 8). His father wa... ... sets fire to burn down the barn that belongs to the house, he thoroughly despairs of his father. He not only destroys the barn, but also shatters Sarty ¡Ã‚ ¦s hope. Sarty decides to leave his family and find his own way of life. The metaphorical meanings of  ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily ¡Ã‚ ¨ and  ¡Ã‚ §Barn Burning ¡Ã‚ ¨ teaches me to view life in a different way. I do not agree with Miss Emily ¡Ã‚ ¦s deed, but admire her inflexible love. She reminds me to be careful when choose a beloved. It is important to find someone who suits me. The other protagonist, Sarty shows strong self-awareness. He is young, but he is able to determine right and wrong. He knows that if he continuing stay with his father, he will not be able to live his own life, or do right things. It is pretty courageous that he decide to leave his family. When I make a decision, I should have the same courage. Both stories ¡Ã‚ ¦ plots themselves are odd, but the meanings stimulate deep thought. Works Cited Faulkner, William.  ¡Ã‚ §Barn Burning. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Collected Stories of William Faulkner. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Random House, 1939. 3-25. Faulkner, William.  ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Collected Stories of William Faulkner. New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  York: Random House, 1939. 119-30.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Myth of the American Dream :: ESL Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Striving for success nobody thinks that he follows somebody’s well planned way. A single person or a small group does not create the notion of success, but it is created by our whole society. The myth of instant wealth is one of the most popular myths society uses. In fact society uses the hope of instant wealth to make people work harder. The fact that they do not have a real chance of obtaining that wealth by competing in the economic system stays invisible to the most of people.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we imagine a successful person, we see a person, who is working on some company and is busy working all the time. This person has a nice car and beautiful apartment or house, where he does not spend much time because he is so busy. We get this impression since we were born. Movies, magazines, and news – everything supports this notion of a successful person.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interesting thing is that notion of success did not change very much since the beginning of last century. There happened some variations but the idea stayed the same: working hard will bring you to the top of the society circle. This idea became very popular in the end of eighteen hundreds thanks to the stories, written by Horatio Alger. In spite of similarity of all his books, his works had an edition of hundred thousand copies. Simple idea of getting into upper class circles starting from the very down, was accepted by society as a model of success achievement. People have believed that if they will work hard than they can achieve success.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Richard Hunter, main character of the book â€Å"Ragged Dick† has been a typical example of American notion of success. According to this book everybody can became well recognized and financially prosperous if they would work hard and show their merit. Dick, â€Å"a young gentleman on the way to fame and fortune,† as his friend Fosdick from the story â€Å"Ragged Dick† describes him in the end of the story, climbs on the social ladder, starting from the very bottom. Being absolutely illiterate and having no money in the beginning, Dick gets into business circle of people, by working hard and showing his merit. Why did this story become so popular in the end of eighteenth century? People always need hope and this story gave hope to everyone. If person from the lowest class of society could get into the high class then everyone else was able to do the same.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

David Ortan Plc Case Study Essay

1.1.David Orton Plc: A brief overview of merger of Orton group and Costwise David Orton Plc was a result of merger when Orton group, distinguish British Food Retailer Company, acquired Costwise Company in 2005. British CC (competition commission) had reservations at this mighty onset of merger as companies were independently huge retailers already and their reservation was somewhat genuine. The outcome of merger could obviously be a huge monopolize and was evidently aimed at controlling the large market share. The fear laid in commission’s stance that the result of merger will ultimately monopolize certain areas of the region. Nevertheless, it took substantial time to achieve this target as costwise had recognised since very beginning that two companies differ in structure and size therefore it will take quite a while to feel the impact physically. The impression of this merger let staff members of both companies to feel uncertain and uncomfortable, especially of costwise organisation and they feared that each company will be swallowed by the other. Motivational problems related with finance were of major importance to employees of both companies and here too, employees of costwise tended to complain more. The senior management and executive members of costwise company sought to gather and discuss at large weaknesses and strengths of the organisation on realizing that employees’ attitude and perception toward merger could have substantial impact on company’s performance. This meeting cleared company and its employees’ view of the desired merger and future of company was discussed by management personnel (Huczynski, A. & Buchanan, D., 2007). 1.2.Motivational state of employees The staff at costwise was more inadequately motivated towards the merger for the most part as capacity is intricately linked with the question of motivation. Some of the employees’ concerns were included salaries issues, intangible rewards, apprehensions, secondary benefits and recognition etc which were being abandoned by the higher management. Employees were also of the view that costwise company didn’t give them a chance to flourish and  grow. They weren’t given deserving opportunities including measures and promotion which otherwise would help them to grow tithing the framework of the organisation. Conversely, management thought that employee’s reduced performance has affected the overall performance of the organisation as a whole. The organisation gave much quality of supervision, interpersonal relations, and efficient administration of regulation and policies of the company. Recognition for outstanding performances, advancement to upper level of tasks and some other general interests of employees were kept low on the other hand. Employees were bound to grow at slow pace as limited or no training programs were carried out by company’s management thus affecting the overall performance of the employees (Mullins, L., 2007). There were, nevertheless some factors which were being appreciated by the employees and which had a direct, progressive affect on employees motivation level. Those factors include sense of interaction, loyalty and trust and chemistry between employees and management which led each party to realise organisational problems occurring within the organisation. The sense of interaction and utmost respect of work were responsible to increase employees’ moral and a practice of trust and loyalty among them could be seen through observation (Kelley, H.H., 1999) 1.3.Attitudes and Perception of the employees In any such situation, there are probable situations where attitudes and perceptions of the associated employees change drastically. One of the obvious attitudes that could be expected from employees is their felling of low self worth. This feeling is probable and any person associated with a company which is going to merge up with another company of twice its size can have it. This circumstance, however, could result in employees’ reduced level of efforts and sometimes deliberately withholding efforts. Poor performance and uncertainty can be suspected in this case which organisations are required to reduce or get ready for the aftermath. Employees’ withdrawal of their commitment to work can seriously damage the stability and competitive advantage it earned during the time therefore managers have to take the responsibility and devise action plan to waive off such situations (Myers, D., 2005) The employees are supposed to have alarming beliefs and questionable attitudes toward the merger and if those attitudes do not get properly managed, it will badly affect the company’s performance. The most questionable attitude in this case could be employee’s perception toward management decisions as it could a sense of uncertainty within them. They become more sensitive to their future as any uncertain thought about company’s decisions and actions could let them thin that their job is at stake. Thus staff turnover is quite probable as no employee could thrive in uncertain work environments. Differences in opinions, either professional or technical could also result in employees’ frustration and developing angry attitude resulted by genuine work complaints (Nelson, D. & Quick, J., 2006) 1.4.Resultant effects Resultant effects which such attitudes can have may include employees’ self-centeredness, their insensitivity to other people, their constant attention and affirmation seeking behaviour which could confront to abrupt in some cases. Lack of cooperation, failure to follow regulations and rules at work and absenteeism could be some results and forms of attitudes which costwise company can expect from its employees. It will be of utmost responsibility of new management to reassure the employees of costwise that they are fundamental assets of the organisation and they have to adequately motivate the employees in best possible manner. It is quite obvious that employees will act in circumstances which dictate their perception of situations. In this scenario, motivation will dictate their perception of jobs. It is also probable that employees of any company compare themselves and their positions with their counterparts and feel a sense of inferiority. Supervisory perception could also be expected for example costwise managers will feel uncomfortable to work under supervision of Orton’s management if any such scenario happens. This will only increase the problem for the costwise organisation and it will also account for bad perception of merger in vicinity of strong factors arousing uncertainty among costwise employees (Buchanan, D. & Huczynski, A., 2004) Self-perceived insufficiencies in comparison to former Ortan organisation are resultant from reasons of differences in development and capacity and the suspicion that ultimately  results in lack of equity. Competition of resources is another perception that has strong effect on employees’ attitudes of both companies as it will cause discrimination since Ortan employees are in better positions than costwise’ thus they are more likely to obtain benefits and resources such as salary increments and training programs . In this case, employees of costwise will obviously feel inadequately compensated and benefited even before the merger. This threat, either real or illusionary, is suppose to cause deep-rooted problems as all such scenarios are directly related with human psychology (Daus, 1997). 1.5.Main issues faced by senior managers Complex work environments and due to some other demographic and technological changes and innovations, senior managers have now augmented responsibility of supervising staff and employees of any organisation. Obviously the most important task is to increase the employees’ performance thus increasing overall performance of the organisation. In a case where employee’s attitudes toward work have been exacerbated by above mentioned factors and attributes, senior managers have to work hard in order to obtain their objective. They need to get employees back to work with full enthusiasm which will help them in scoring tasks and meeting deadlines. There are those employees who want to be supervised, some of them feel certain insecurities, and some feel company’s decisions as threatening their future. Managers are therefore needed to address such issues within the organisation and propose sustainable solutions (Kanigel, R., 1997) Employees’ unethical behaviour is another serious issue which requires mangers to taken care of. Some employees, who are satisfied by the policies and decisions of the organisation, tend to ignore rules and regulations set by the management. They compromise on the delivery and quality of work thus affecting organisation and its outer world relationships. The challenge of such employees’ commitment and motivation is one difficult task which managers at both organisations have to carry out. This can, however, be solved by taking simple steps which first include assessment of the behaviours and attitudes of such employees and of those factors which are responsible for such behaviours and attitudes. For example, a clear observation of the case study  suggests that employees at both organisations weren’t happy for their salary compensations. They in fact found it unsatisfactory that some employees of some departments are getting higher wages whereas some other deserving staff members have not been compensated by the organisation adequately. They had another concern that organisations failed to address their social, emotional, psychological and esteem concerns. Obviously mangers do have the responsibility to take care of such issues if organisations want to increase the motivation of employees (Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R., 2006) Culture, gender, sexual orientation and religion etc. are dominated by the diverse workforce by whom both organisations operate. This diverse workforce thus engenders complexities and challenges for the management as minds of employees are naturally discriminated. These employees do have strong impact on other staff members thus senior managers are more likely to deal with challenging circumstances. Rewards, appreciation, recognition and especially balancing and equal treatment are such tools which can be highly useful in fighting similar challenges. Employees’ interaction has to be monitored by the management and with advancement of telecommunication; the challenge has become strong and important. They have to devise solutions that effectively control this challenging situation since employee privacy has already been restricted in several sectors (Gentile, M. C., 1996). 2.Critical analysis of the study Effective management of organisational behaviour is somewhat critical and requires the management to effectively examine the sources of motivation, group influence and job design among other things. It needs to define behaviour modification procedures which will help the learner to realise and appreciate the direct connection between organisational behaviour and possible consequences of it. Positive reinforcement is an effective tool which includes administrating sentencing on bad or negative behaviour and rewarding good or positive behaviour. The X and Y theories of Douglas McGregor play vital role in effective management of behaviours. Theory X involves the style of rather authoritarian management which recommends that coercion with help of application of threats upon individual is effective as an average individual detests work. The theory also argues about achievement  of organisational objectives through letting individuals concerned about it as an average individual doesnâ₠¬â„¢t like to have responsibility and rather prefer to be secure at all cost. Participative management theory or Theory Y stipulates that individuals are mainly self-directed thus they will have to take the responsibility. According to Douglas McGregor, The capacity to employ creative thinking and imagination is widely spread throughout individuals thus capacity and intelligence is partly utilised by the industry. Ability to possess responsibility and self-direction drives individuals to obtain organisational objectives (Robinson, G., and K. Dechant, 1997) The above discussed theory can be utilised in developing reward schemes and policies for staff members by rewarding those employees with benefits who perform well and grueling those who show bad behaviour and retain poor performances. By implementing this model, employees at David Orton Plc will be more obliged to work hard and return considerable benefits for the organisation in their quest to rewards, promotions, incentives and other forms of recognitions. Another effective methodology in this regard could be the Content theory which deals mainly n the area of individuals’ requirements and demands. These requirements can be broken down further into their primary requirements such as food, clothing, shelter etc. and their secondary requirements such as desire of power, achievement among colleagues, approval and love etc. It is however critical to locate the influence over behaviour by these requirements. The influence by primary needs is easy to understand and identify but influence by secondary requirements on behaviour varies by certain factors and is difficult o understand. The hierarchy of needs theory by Abraham Maslow tends to explain the requirements which could possibly affect the attitudes and behaviours of individuals working under the organisational framework (Larbi, G., 2006) Self-actualisation is needed to get managed against above mentioned background by investing in an effective, creative and challenging work place environment. Promotions, independence, flexibility and providence of bigger responsibilities are among some factors which can be employed to boost esteem if managed well. Lower level requirements including social, psychological and security requirements can be efficaciously managed by procuring safe working conditions, friendly work atmosphere and reasonable  and suitable work hours. Therefore the theory of Maslow or theory of hierarchy of needs can be applied to the case of merger, David Orton Plc which observes dissatisfaction among its employees over inadequate pay structure, lack of recognition and other social, emotional and psychological wants. This theory can be effectively applied by management by sufficiently increasing employees allowances, rewards, salaries and give them an overall well being in their areas of complaints (Larbi, G., 2006) 3.Conclusion Concluding, organisational behaviour seems to resolve around people’s perception, their power to act feel under organised settings. The organisational complexities occurring within the framework of an organisation need associated management and senior executives to evaluate key behavioral factors which dominate the system. They have to examine the reasons behind such factors and once they succeeded in identification, they got to develop sustainable strategies and plans to tackle organisational behaviour problems. Any solution aiming at increased performance by the employee will result in increased performance of the organisation. For this, management needs to realize employees that their talents are being recognized and to compensate them with adequate resources, pays and secondary benefits so that they could overcome the sense of terrifying uncertainty and work hard for the goodness of their own and the organisation. Ensuring sufficient motivation among employees is one thing but managing this motivation all along is another yet a difficult challenge for the organisation. Strategies aimed at actively fostering the development and growth of the employees will only make sure that their capacity and motivation is developed. An organisation flourishes when management succeeds in developing and establishing a strategy which ensures employees that their received salary is linked with their performance and that their expectations towards their compensation against work done will be adequately rewarded. If employees lost interest in work and what they do at the organisation, nothing could prevent organisation from failure and economic devastation therefore enriching jobs will help greatly in developing employees’ interest in their jobs they will feel enchanted to have something more than a job  which rewards them with a paycheck and it surly is a great thing. To instill such strategies into organisational framework, organisations are needed to assess behaviours and issues related with employees and propose better solutions for them. References Buchanan, D. & Huczynski, A. (2004) Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory Text, 5th ed., Harlow: FT/Prentice Hall Daus (1997). Challenges of leading a diverse workforce. Academy of Management Executive, 11, 32–47. Gentile, M. C. (1996). Managerial excellence through diversity, Chicago, IL: Irwin; and Joplin, J. R. W., and C. S. Huczynski, A. & Buchanan, D. (2007) Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory Text, 6th ed., Harlow: FT/Prentice Hall Kanigel, R. (1997). The one best way: Frederick Winslow Taylor and the enigma of efficiency. New York: Viking. Kelley, H.H. (1999) â€Å"Attribution in Social Interaction.† In Attribution: Perceiving the Causes of Behavior. E.E. Jones, et al. Morristown, MJ: General Learning Press. Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2006) Organizational Behavior: key concepts, skills, & best practices. 2nd ed. McGraw Hill Larbi, G. (2006). â€Å"Applying the new public management in developing countries,† in Y. Bangura and G. Larbi. Public sector reform in developing countries: capacity challenges to improve services. Basingstroke, Palgrave. Mullins, L. (2007) Management and Organizational Behaviour. 8th ed. FT/Prentice Hall Myers, D. (2005) Social Psychology. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill Nelson, D. & Quick, J. (2006) Organizational Behavior: Foundations, Realities & Challenges. 5th ed. Thomson South-Western Robinson, G., and K. Dechant (1997). Building a business case for diversity. Academy of Management Executive, 11, 21–31.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Minimum Wage Debate

Minimum wage is defined as the lowest amount that employers can legally pay their workers per hour of labor. Most states have laws in place to enforce the minimum wage; those that do not are subject to the federal minimum wage of $7. 25. There are both benefits and drawbacks of this type of policy. Many supporters of a minimum wage believe it increases the standard of living and reduced poverty. Those that oppose a minimum wage believe it will increase unemployment and harms unskilled laborers. Introduction The Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938, mandated a federal minimum wage that now applies to most work and most workers, in the United States. Originally the wage was set at 25 cents, the minimum wage has risen occasionally since 1938 to its current hourly level of $7. 25, where it has remained since 2009. When the minimum wage was roughly half the average wage, in the late 1960’s, full-time, year round minimum wage earnings for one worker lifted a family of three from poverty. Today, a minimum wage worker lives on $3,000 less than the poverty line – and the minimum wage is worth only 37 percent of the average wage (Owens, 2013). Minimum wage laws were established with certain goals in mind. Minimum wage was initially established to reduce poverty. Establishing a minimum wage in the United States removed sweat shops and insured individuals were paid properly for their work. Minimum wage additionally protects younger workers and minorities from being paid less than others. Support for an Increase in the Minimum Wage The positive effects of minimum wage are plentiful; it is believed that the minimum wage increases the standard of living for the poorest and most vulnerable classes in society and raises the average. It also stimulates consumption, by putting more money in the hands of low-income people who spend their entire paychecks. Minimum wage increases the work ethic of those who earn very little, as employers demand more return from the higher cost of hiring these employees. It decreases the cost of government social welfare programs, increasing incomes for the lowest-paid and encourages people to join the workforce rather than pursuing money through illegal means. The minimum wage also encourages efficiency and automation of industry and removes low paying jobs, forcing workers to train for, and move to, higher paying jobs (Fox, 2006). Many believe that minimum wage increases cause adverse employment effects. Three possible reasons minimum wages do not affect employment were suggested by Alan Blinder: higher wages may reduce turnover, and hence training costs; raising the minimum wage may â€Å"render moot† the potential problem of recruiting workers at a higher wage than current workers; and minimum wage workers might represent such a small proportion of a business's cost that the increase is too small to matter. He admits that he does not know if these are correct, but argues that â€Å"the list demonstrates that one can accept the new empirical findings and still be a card-carrying economist. † (Blinder, 1996). In discussing the minimum wage, Robert M. Solow, a Nobel laureate in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the New York Times, â€Å"The main thing about (minimum wage) research is that the evidence of job loss is weak. And the fact that the evidence is weak suggests that the impact on jobs is small. † (Norlund, 1997) The American public supports increasing the minimum wage by a solid margin. Nearly every survey finds overwhelming support for raising the minimum wage. For example, a poll recently conducted by the website Politico, conducted in March of 2013 found that 71% of Americans backed an increase in the minimum wage. Opposition of an Increase in the Minimum Wage Opponents of the minimum wage claim it hurts small business more than large business. By increasing wages, business owners must use their profits to increase wages or increase their prices. Cheaper labor helps small businesses employ younger and more inexperienced workers to perform less skill intensive work. It’s also argued that it may cause price inflation due to businesses increasing the price of goods sold. Small businesses with limited payroll budges cannot offer their most valuable employees fair and attractive wages above unskilled workers paid the artificially high minimum, and see a rising hurdle-cost of adding workers (Jr. , 2005). Some opponents claim that the goals minimum wage was created to accomplish have not been met. In some instances employment has decreased more than the increase in wages and thereby overall earnings are still reduced. Businesses are forced to hire fewer employees because paid wages have increased to meet the minimum. Some studies have shown that few low-wage workers actually come from families in poverty. Thus, minimum wage is more often imposed on the teenage worker with their first job than on people who would otherwise be unemployed. Additional arguments against the minimum wage include how it is ineffective compared to other methods such as basic income (or negative income tax), which is a system of social security that periodically provides each citizen with a sum of money that is sufficient to live on. This does not include a means test, the richest and the poorest would receive it as something similar to a dividend from the government. A guaranteed minimum income is another proposed system of social welfare. It’s similar to basic income, but it is normally conditional and subject to a means test. A refundable tax credit, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit is another alternative for minimum wage, which some claim was an effective stimulus for the economy. Opinion I feel very torn between the pros and cons of the minimum wage debate. I feel that a living wage for employees is necessary to ensure that poverty levels are avoided. In addition to avoiding poverty, fair wages for all is essential to reducing wage discrimination. However, I find that the increased wage paid to employees by small businesses can be crippling to their profits, particularly in our current economy and with how frequently small businesses fail. Conclusion Both sides present valid arguments, so what is the solution? One solution would be to raise the minimum wage to an acceptable higher level for â€Å"adult† workers, while retaining exceptions to allow the businesses to hire teenagers, students and temporary or seasonal workers at a lower minimum wage. This would protect those most impacted by a low minimum wage, families attempting to survive on a single minimum wage salary, while protecting the jobs of traditional â€Å"minimum wage† workers by allowing businesses to hire them at the previous rates. Though this solution has its flaws, however, employers might use a wage disparity as an incentive to hire more young workers at lower rates, leaving older workers jobless. This solution and others are highly debated by politicians and citizens and truly, no solution has been found. In time, the federal minimum wage will rise, as is dictated by laws both purposed and in effect currently. Perhaps a better solution for small businesses impacted would be a tax subsidy to balance the loss in profits from an increased minimum wage. It would increase hiring rates, and would keep small businesses at their previous profit levels. Employment would increase in a sector, small business, which our economy greatly relies on and provide those companies with incentive to increase their labor force.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

PR theory Essay

The article Power Over, Power With, and Power to Relations: Critical Reflections on Public Relations, the Dominant Coalition, and Activism by Bruce K. Berger (2005) talks about the â€Å"Dominant Coalition† in the Public Relations (PR) world. It focuses on a theory that the dominant coalition is a major influence in making organisational decisions, but not much is known about the things that go on inside the dominant coalition’s tight and limited â€Å"inner circle† (Berger 2005: 6). With a total of 21 interviews from PR men and women, Berger (2005) got an insider’s point of view of the dominant coalition in the PR world, showing the intertwined relationships and problems encountered in it. Some of the problems prevent PR practitioners from doing the â€Å"right† thing despite knowing the right thing to do (Berger 2005: 6). The author argues that in order for PR to have a significant use for the population at large, those involved in the business have to accept that activism could be the best means to achieve this (Berger 2005). The main point of this article is the dominant coalition and its role in public relations. A public relations practitioner’s decision making is thought to be geared towards the right thing once he or she has become a member of the dominant. However, the author argues that the complex happenings inside the dominant coalition make it difficult for practitioners to really do the right thing even if they want to (Berger 2005: 6). Berger (2005) provides six propositions based on interviews with 21 public relations executives. To recapitulate his first section, the author provides a summary at the end. This is an important feature of every article. In the summary, Berger reiterates the role of the dominant coalition in PR theory and the reason why PR managers should be part of the dominant coalition. As managers, they should have an influence over what goes on in their organisation, and when or if they do get inside, it has always been thought that they always do the right thing for everyone concerned with the organisation. The rest of the paper is therefore an attempt to confirm whether this assumption is true or not, and more importantly, the article aims to draw a picture of the complex world of the dominant coalition (Berger 2005). In trying to open up the dominant coalition, Berger (2005) has come up with 6 Propositions based on interviews . Proposition 1 breaks the myth about the existence of one coalition per organisation. Berger’s (2005) interviews reveal that there is almost certainly more than one dominant coalition per company. Proposition 2 reveals that venues constantly change from formal to informal. Proposition 3 shows that the absence of the leader poses a lot of trouble. Proposition 4 answers whether decisions by the dominant coalition are always final—they are not. Proposition 5 suggests that the coalition may value the opinion of public relations but almost always demand some kind of press release. Lastly, Berger’s (2005) sixth proposition states that PR professionals are also subject to the pressures of organisational compliance. All of these propositions are of course relative to Berger’s interpretation of the interviews he has gathered. The author has merely expressed his answers and opinions regarding the dominant coalition in Public Relations. However, being an expert in the field of PR, he has every right to publish his work because the people he has interviewed are or were from the world of Public Relations. The article serves its intended purpose—to open the dominant coalition in PR theory to the readers. The author has provided six propositions that give a glimpse of what really goes on inside the closed doors of the dominant coalition. Sources are numerous and credible, which may be interpreted as overkill by some critics but nevertheless effective. List of Reference Berger, B. K. (2005) ‘Power Over, Power With, and Power to Relations: Critical Reflections on Public Relations, the Dominant Coalition, and Activism. ’ Journal of Public Relations Research [online] 17, (1) 5–28. Informaworld. [4 May 2009]