The Illusion of Similarity between Darnay and Carton in A Tale of Two Research Paper

The Illusion of Similarity between Darnay and Carton in A Tale of Two Cities - Research Paper Example Their stark similarities and interesting differences play important roles in the story plot (Cotsell 193). This brings the discussion to one of the striking themes of the novel --- the concept of doubles. The Concept of Doubles The novel opens with these lines: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (Dickens 13) These opening lines immediately tells the readers the central plot of the story. It is about doubles, and all the similarities and differences of those doubles (Nardo 73). Even the title itself gives away the idea that the events in the story happens in two separate cities. While Dickens uses the theme of doubles to highlight several oppositions in the story, he also utilizes it to reveal similarities (Bloom 23), whether real or illusion. On a personal standpoint, one of the most interesting role of the technique of using doubles in the novel is the way the concept of how one thing could really be another is presented. One of the best examples here is the story surrounding Darnay and Carton. Darnay and Carton can easily be thought as one person due to their physical traits. Yet upon a closer look, one can see how Darnay is actually the embodiment of Carton's possibilities (Hutter 451). As the story progresses, it is easy to feel more positive towards Darnay, and just a bit sympathetic towards Carton. This style brings about what can be called a turning of tables in the end, which is the st ory's climax, when the good-for-nothing Carton surpasses the heroic image of Darnay (Nardo 74-5). This concept will be discussed further in the next paragraphs. Overview of the Two Characters During the trial in England, Carton brings up the idea that Darnay and he have very similar appearances. He says, â€Å"My lord being prayed to bid my learned friend lay aside his wig, and giving no very gracious consent, the likeness became much more remarkable† (Dickens 82). This strategy helps Carton in Darnay's acquittal from the treason charge, thus helping Darnay to wiggle out of a sticky situation. However, one striking fact here is how Dickens shows that no matter how similar they can seem to be, they can also physically look different at times. This is where the differences despite the similarities between the two protagonists start. Darnay is always well-groomed and neat, while Carton is almost always looking drunk and not very presentable (Page 121). This is just one similarit y and difference between the two men. Darnay and Carton also share similar beliefs. Both men try to make the most out of life by working for what they believe in and for what they want. Still, despite this another similarity, they have differences as well. While Darnay tries hard to be noble and to keep his dignity and honor clean, Carton sometimes uses misrepresentation and blackmail to get what he needs and wants (Page 124-5). While Darnay may

The Third ; Final Continent Themes Essay Example for Free

The Third ; Final Continent Themes Essay Everybody feels he must get to the top. Dont expect an English cup of tea. Car horns, shrill and prolonged, blared one after another. Flashing sirens heralded endless emergencies, and a fleet of buses rambled past their doors opening and closing with a powerful hiss, throughout the night. The noise was constantly distracting, at times suffocating. ) The Indian immigrants fear of losing his own culture. In 1969, when I was thirty- six years old, my own marriage was arranged. The fact that he had an arranged marriage proves he doesnt want to lose his culture and go the Western way. 3) The methods of steps of copying to a new culture and a new life in America. In a week I had adjusted, more or less. I ate cornflakes and milk morning and night, and bought some bananas for variety, slicing them into the bowl with the edge of my spoon. In addition I bought tea bags and a flask, which the salesman in Woolworths eferred to as a thermos (a flask, he informed me, was used to store whiskey, another thing I had never consumed). For the price of one cup of tea at a coffee shop, I filled the flask with boiling water on the way to work each morning, and brewed the four cups I drank in the course of the day. I bought a larger carton of milk, and learned to leave it on the shaded part of the windowsill, as I had seen other residents at the YMCA do. To pass the time in the evenings I read the Boston Globe downstairs, in a spacious room with stained-glass windows. I read every article and advertisement, so that I would grow familiar with things, and when my eyes grew tired I slept. Questions 1) Explain how the narrators last visit to Mrs. Croft is significant. Give two reasons. Support your answer with the phrases/words. The narrator and his wife, Mala, had visited Mrs. Croft one last time. During this visit, Mrs. Croft acted as an icebreaker. She broke the tension between Mala and the narrator. Ever since Mala arrived, the narrator saw her as a part of his life, a duty. At the visit, Mrs. Croft asked the narrator question, which led to him answering with, Splendid! This caused Mala to laugh and Mrs. Croft wondered who she was. After a slight introduction, Mrs. Croft replied with, She is a perfect lady! causing Mala and the narrator to look at each other and smile. The moment with Mrs. Croft, was described by the narrator as the moment when the distance between Mala and me began to lessen. 2) Explain the title of the short story. The title shows that the narrator could survive life on three continents, while adapting perfectly. This title means to show readers that feats can be accomplished f they are set out to be. If the narrator could survive on three continents, then people for the narrator to finally adapt in America. 3) Depict how the narrators relationship with Mala evolved. The writers relationship with Mala first started out as tense. He felt that his marriage was like a job, something he had to wake up to and live with for the rest of his day till he went to sleep, and the cycle continued for as long as they were married. There was no feeling or love, it was Just a step taken by Indians in order to feel secure in their lives. It was their sense of security in the world, and marriage was their way of dealing. When Mrs. Croft exclaimed that Mala was a perfect lady I think both the narrator and Mala realized that if Mrs. Croft could learn to accept something new so quickly, then they could learn to embrace a new relationship. And so, the eventually fell in love, gotten used to each other, and led a happy marriage with a son who lived up to his Bengali parents expectations which sticking to the Indian culture, even all the way at Harvard.

Lets all smoke some Pot :: essays research papers

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal street drug, used by many as a depressant. It is one of the cheapest illegal drugs, and can be found almost all over the world. This makes it very easy to find. In reality, almost anyone can get this drug even though it is presently still illegal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana is grown from the cannabis plant, which was cultivated for its tough stem fibers prior to the advent of synthetic fibers. Most often the leaves and the flowering tops of the plant are dried and rolled into marijuana cigarettes (joints), or cigars (blunts), but there are also various types of pipes used for smoking the drug. Over 2,000 chemicals are released into the body when marijuana is smoked. However, psychological effects on the mind are produced by one main chemical, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Short term effects include an increased heartbeat, slurred speech, and red, glossy eyes. A high usually lasts approximately three to five hours, and usually consists of a dreamy, relaxed state in which the user seems more aware of their senses and surroundings. Sometimes the user may experience hallucinations, fantasies or a feeling of dread, panic, or paranoia. Above all though, it eases the pain a person feels inside which makes them forget their problems in a current situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In most countries, marijuana is by law illegal because of its classification as an illicit drug, but controversial issues have been established that this illicit drug can and does have many medicinal benefits. People have been using marijuana as a medicine for thousands of years, beginning in China, India, and the Middle East. The plant’s therapeutic potential became known in western countries during the nineteenth century. Now more than one hundred articles have been published about cannabis in the European and American medicinal journals, recommending it as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, painkiller, sedative, and anti-convulsion agent. Much of the controversy surrounding legalization of the drug, in medicinal terms then falls in the hands of the government, which claims that marijuana is not a safe form of medicine. Versus the doctors who have studied and believe that the use of marijuana may benefit their patients. Not all doctors feel marijuana should be a legally prescribed medication, most feel that it should be in their hands to decide it so. Both the government’s and the doctors’ ethics have been questioned in debates about the topic of marijuana use, this has only fueled the controversy, it has been said that smoking marijuana is risky, but also recommended that critically ill patients should be allowed to use it under closely monitored settings.

Presentation on Bioplastics :: Environment polypropylene renewable resources

Presentation on Bioplastics Bioplastics, What are they? * Compostable Plastics -or- * Any plastics-made from organisms (or Organism by-products). * Currently, there is much confusion over the definition of bioplastics Mixture of Acids that could be made into bioplastics Making Bioplastics, Etc. Goal of Bioplastic Production * To Save Resources by either reducing the production of standard Polypropylene plastics by replacing it with a less resource-intensive plastic. * Or Save the Environment by making plastics biodegradable * Or, both! Bioplastic degradation speed What are Scientists Doing Now? Several Different Exciting Methods are being tried right now! * Using Soy-based bioplastics * Using Bacteria to make bioplastics * Starch-based Bioplastics * Polylactide Bioplastics * Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate Current Cost of Bioplastic Comparison Soy-based Bioplastics One of the hottest sections in bioplastics research today. Pure Soy Bioplastic has many undesirable traits. Mixtures of Soy with other substances are currently being attempted. The Soy shown Soy Protein Bacteria-based Bioplastics Steven Pratt of New Zealand (Major New Discovery) Mixture of bacteria can create acids when fermented. The ratio of different acids is based on pH. The bacteria are fed glucose solution and fermented. The acids can be used to make bioplastics Starch-Based * Make up about 50% of the current bioplastic market * Are used in pills that you take * Can be specificially tailored by adding different amounts of plasticizers * This is called â€Å"thermo-plastical starch† Polylactide Bioplastics * Lactic acid is turned into Polylactide by adding a catalyst and heat. * Polylactide bioplastics can be made on existing petroleum plastic equipment * Resembles plastic in properties Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate * A polyester * Easily biodegradable * Easily processed * Currently very expensive * Current interest is very high * Methylobacterium sp V49 is one bacteria that produces Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate Challenges Facing Bioplastics * Economically Unfeasible * Biodegradability is a useful and a not-so-useful property

Second Hand Smoking

Thesis Statement into our Outline First take your existing and completed Thesis Statement and rewrite it here: Second hand smoking can be prevented by quitting or doing it somewhere where it won't harm other people. Second, take your two or three supporting elements (usually in the second sentence in a Thesis Statement) and give them each their own number (or bullet). – Second hand smoking can be prevented by quitting or doing it somewhere where it wont harm other people.Topic in your Thesis statement only (the first part of the first entente) (one): Second hand smoking (two): Harming other people (three – optional): Quitting smoking (four – optional): Lastly, you must give at least two pieces of specific information to each supporting element. Second Hand smoking : Causes lung cancer and also is the cause why many children die with a smoker parent Harming other people: Also harming people outside, for example people at a bus stop Quitting smoking: To also help t he smokers health, help them quit We will put in a place holder for a conclusion that will be completed next week.EXAMPLE: Everything in bold below should be In the assignment you turn In by the due date Using my Gun violence Thesis Statement: Thesis Statement: Gun violence In urban America can be a devastating plague. With gun education, better laws, and a community watch, we can help stamp out gun violence. Outline: Topic: Gun violence In urban America Gun Education Create classes to teach gun safety and proper usage Have a tutoring and mentoring program to help teach even more folks Better laws More gun control litigation Additional local laws that can help control guns Community WatchGive classes on how to form community watches Help form a foundation that can help organize different neighborhoods Into groups that can work together Conclusion: (We will get Into this later) Second Hand Smoking By millionaire's Everything in bold below should be in the assignment you turn in by th e due date Gun violence in urban America can be a devastating plague. With gun education, Topic: Gun violence in urban America Help form a foundation that can help organize different neighborhoods into groups that can work together Conclusion: (We will get into this later)

Effects of Cime essays

Effects of Cime essays Crime affects people in several ways: although law enforcement authorities have made numerous efforts to reduce and prevent crime, it still follows an increasing trend in some communities. Some of the ways crime has affected people are the emotional turmoil that victims of crime go through, the stereotypical labeling of a group or race of people as criminals and how it affects where people choose to live. Crime victims suffer in several ways when crime occurs. Victims of crime suffer emotionally, financially and sometimes physically. In the United States, Americans are known to commit most crimes; but on September 11 2001, people from different countries planned and committed a serious and unforgettable crime against Americans. On that dreadful morning, everything looked and felt like any other day until suddenly a group of evil doers, as President Bush calls them, decided to fly planes fully filled with highly inflammable gas into the world trade center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. A perfect example of what crime victims go through is the impact that this attack had on Americans. About 5000 people died due to this senseless act of crime. People with or without immediate family members and friends amongst the dead and injured were emotionally devastated. A sizable amount of job positions were lost in the hospitality business, the airline business and businesses in the immediate vicinity of the crash sites. This criminal act has also resulted in an ongoing war in poverty stricken Afghanistan. Crime also affects peoples opinion and judgment of people from other racial backgrounds. Some people, especially victims of crime tend to label all people from that particular race who committed the crime as potential criminals. This usually occurs when for instance a black person commits a crime and for that reason, any other subsequent crimes are attributed to black people. Whe ...

Free Essays on Struggles Throughout History

In this paper you will read my important points that I have chosen. The points that I have chosen were, Amendment Thirteen, The Freedman’s Bureau, The Civil Rights Act of 1866, and The Ku Klux Klan. As you read on you find why I considered this point to be so significant. On January 31,1865, Congress passed Amendment Thirteen. This amendment was passed to abolish slavery everywhere in the United States (with the exceptions of the Border States) and give Congress the power to enforce this outcome by an appropriate legislation. After this law was passed, slave owners did not tell their slaves that they were set free. Due to the fact that the slaves were set free, this took away from the South’s economic way of living. The slaves help with the agriculture and they provided for their masters. Since they were free it was hard for their owners to adapt and take their place. Many slaves reacted very cautiously because they were testing their boundaries of this new law. While others left their masters and went searching for their families. Since these slaves did not have anything when coming out of slavery, they needed things to provide them for their way of living. This was when Congress created the Freedman’s Bureau on March 3,1865 but did not get passed as a law until July of 1866. This Bureau was an agency that provided slaves with food and medical services. They built a number of schools and colleges. In fact, Howard University in Washington, D.C. was established. They also consulted with the old slave masters to provide employment for the freed slaves. All of these things had developed in four years. In the year of 1866, The Civil Right s Act was passed. This law gave blacks their rights as citizens and legal equality with everyone in the country, with the exceptions of political rights. This law entitled blacks, with the same right in every state. If anyone discriminated against these blacks, they were sent ... Free Essays on Struggles Throughout History Free Essays on Struggles Throughout History In this paper you will read my important points that I have chosen. The points that I have chosen were, Amendment Thirteen, The Freedman’s Bureau, The Civil Rights Act of 1866, and The Ku Klux Klan. As you read on you find why I considered this point to be so significant. On January 31,1865, Congress passed Amendment Thirteen. This amendment was passed to abolish slavery everywhere in the United States (with the exceptions of the Border States) and give Congress the power to enforce this outcome by an appropriate legislation. After this law was passed, slave owners did not tell their slaves that they were set free. Due to the fact that the slaves were set free, this took away from the South’s economic way of living. The slaves help with the agriculture and they provided for their masters. Since they were free it was hard for their owners to adapt and take their place. Many slaves reacted very cautiously because they were testing their boundaries of this new law. While others left their masters and went searching for their families. Since these slaves did not have anything when coming out of slavery, they needed things to provide them for their way of living. This was when Congress created the Freedman’s Bureau on March 3,1865 but did not get passed as a law until July of 1866. This Bureau was an agency that provided slaves with food and medical services. They built a number of schools and colleges. In fact, Howard University in Washington, D.C. was established. They also consulted with the old slave masters to provide employment for the freed slaves. All of these things had developed in four years. In the year of 1866, The Civil Right s Act was passed. This law gave blacks their rights as citizens and legal equality with everyone in the country, with the exceptions of political rights. This law entitled blacks, with the same right in every state. If anyone discriminated against these blacks, they were sent ...

Aztecs and the Aztec Civilization

Aztecs and the Aztec Civilization Aztecs are the collective name given to seven Chichimec tribes of northern Mexico, who controlled the valley of Mexico and much of central America from its capital during the Late Postclassic period from the 12th century AD until the Spanish invasion of the 15th century. The main political alliance creating the Aztec empire was called the Triple Alliance, including the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, the Acolhua of Texcoco, and the Tepaneca of Tlacopan; together they dominated most of Mexico between 1430 and 1521 AD. For a complete discussion see the Aztec Study Guide. Aztecs and their Capital City The capital city of the Aztecs was at Tenochtitlan-Tlatlelco, what is today Mexico City, and the extent of their empire covered almost all of what is today Mexico. At the time of Spanish conquest, the capital was a cosmopolitan city, with people from all over Mexico. The state language was Nahuatl and written documentation was kept on bark cloth manuscripts (most of which were destroyed by the Spanish). Those that survive, called codexes or codices (singular codex), can be found in some small cities in Mexico but also in museums around the world. A high level of stratification in Tenochtitlan included rulers, and a noble and commoner class. There were frequent ritual human sacrifices (including cannibalism to some degree), part of the military and ritual activities of the Aztec people, although it is possible and perhaps likely that these were exaggerated by the Spanish clergy. Sources An  Aztec Civilization Study Guide has been developed with loads of details on lifestyles of the Aztecs, including an overview and detailed timeline and king list. The photograph used on this page was provided by the Field Museum for a part of their new exhibit Ancient Americas. Also Known As: Mexica, Triple Alliance Examples: Azcapotzalco, Malinalco, Guingola, Yautepec, Cuanahac, Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlan

Business communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business communication - Assignment Example A low value signifies that the less members of the society ‘accept’ that there will always be inequality and a high value show that there is resistance to inequality. This dimension measures the value that a society places on group achievement against individual achievement. A low value in the index signifies that the society places more value on collective achievement, and is thus more independent, while a high value shows that the society places more value in individual achievement. The uncertainty avoidance index, shows how the society’s attitude towards defining social structures. A high value in the index signifies that a society is uncomfortable operating in undefined social and political structures; it also signifies high levels of emotion (Schwartz, 1999) and the members prefer having a strong legal and regulatory governing framework. A low score signifies that the society does not require strong structures from which to operate within, they are not afraid of certainty and are more pragmatic in their approach, not emotional. This is a more straightforward dimension; it covers a society’s adherence to the hegemonic masculine social concept. A high value in the index signifies a society places high value on the more masculine attributes of competitiveness, power and ambition while a low value shows a society’s values are more feminine, with more value placed in the overall quality of life and strong relationships. The long-term orientation index shows whether a society places more value on short term or long-term gratification. Psychologically, it can also be seen as a measurement of pragmatism. Long term oriented societies are more pragmatic, with emphasis placed on the ‘bigger picture’ while short term oriented societies are less pragmatic in their approach (Appadurai, 1996), adhering to their traditions

The people's response to the typhoon tip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The people's response to the typhoon tip - Essay Example Supertyphoon caused a massive rainfall which resulted in enormous rainfall which caused over 700 mudslides and floods over the Japan Mountains (Emanuel 267). It broke rivers resulting in destruction of close to 30 bridges and demolition of over 100 dykes (Hurricanes 10). The floods reached over 20000 homesteads and displaced over 10000 people. Ships sunk to ground intensifying the number of deaths reported due to the cyclone (Allaby 15). The high pressure winds of the Tip knocked gasoline tank in a nearby US Marine Corps camp and caused fire which resulted in deaths and injuries (Emanuel 267). International organization brought humanitarian intervention to assisted Japan to restore its status after the tip. Economic impacts of a typhoon tip exemplified by that which hit Japan can be estimated as several million dollars agricultural damages and fishing industry losses. The high pressure winds from the Tip knocked down High-rise buildings in Tokyo (Emanuel 267). It also disrupts transportation either by mudflow which covers pathways, or destruction of bridges by broken rivers and general destruction of

Strategic Marketing Plan Bellway Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategic Marketing Plan Bellway Plc - Essay Example The construction division was even able to showcase an operating profit of 13.7m as well. This indicates that situation might not be as bad as it appears. In fact if we take a look at the developments of past couple of years, it appears amply clears that the levels of profit margin which used to be the trademark of this industry are no more available to the industry. Increasing levels of competition, more assertive consumers, increasing emphasis on quality, strict norms for deadline adherence, dynamic nature of business proposition etc are some of the factors which have led to the shrinking of profit margins in the industry. Pettinger (1998) also underlined the fact that the industry is now increasingly being dominated by client groups and peer pressure with too many contractors chasing too little work in the industry. The trend coupled with indications of imminent recession has become a cause of worry for the industry. Gilmore and Jordan (2008) also reported that the construction sector in UK has slumped to new lows with deteriorating conditions in the housing market. As the construction sector comprises of 6 percent of British econo my, and if this significant sector is not able to contribute its bit towards nation's economy, then the country's economy will also come under pressure. Therefore under the circumstances the construction companies are supposed to tread a cautions path with well planned strategic moves. This study is an effort to chalk out a course of action for Bellway Plc under the prevailing circumstances. Well, the times are indeed quite uncertain and nobody knows how things are going to shape up in the next 6-12 months, which in turn calls for planning with short term moves. Such a move might be suitable for a corner shop or for a small scale enterprise, but for a company with a successful track record of operation for last more than 50 years, planning exclusively for short term gains might not be a wise move from a long term perspective. While devising a marketing plan for Bellway Plc for the coming years, we need to think about two broad strategies; i. How Bellway will take on the competition ii. How the company will remain in business with prevailing recessionary trends iii. How the day to day operations will be executed to supplement the marketing plan. A marketing plan for Bellway Plc forms an integral part of its broader business plan implying in words and numbers how, where and to whom Bellway proposes to offer its services to its existing as well as prospective customer under the highly challenging circumstances. This paper is an effort to outline the company's approach not only in attracting potential customer, but also in convincing the existing customers to remain with the company for their future needs as well. In general the components of a marketing plan may include: 1. Terms of Reference: Bellway requires a feel of the market, particularly after the recessionary trends have started showing signs of serious nature with impact on the overall economy. Though the major area of operation of Bellway Plc is UK only and it doesn't have big stakes in the international arena. But the impact of international markets and economic conditions in other countries will certainly have an impact on the UK economy, which in turn will affect the profitability of the company. Therefore, while analysing the domestic market, analysing the global cues is equally important. 2. Executive Summary:

Female Gender Dynamics in Elementary and Secondary Education Essay

Female Gender Dynamics in Elementary and Secondary Education - Essay Example When addressing the gender bias it has frequently been asked if males and females are different as a result of social or biological reasons (Frawley, 2005). Unfortunately, the answer does nothing to change the fact that men and women are viewed in different ways and are expected to act in different manners. The differences that exist in the educational arena can be traced to society's views on acceptable behavior of men and women. Because males and females are expected to act in different ways, it is impossible to expect them to act in the same ways within the classroom setting. Instead, the differences in male and female behavior need to be correctly identified and taken into consideration when it comes to curricula in schools. The differences that exist in the education of men and women can be traced back to social views of the two genders. Traditionally, males have been more educated than females. In addition, males have been expected to achieve more intellectually as a result of the belief that men are smarter and more capable of intellectual accomplishment than women. In addition, women have been viewed in as inferior in academic settings and as a result, less encouraged to excel in academia. The effects of these views can still be seen in the behavioral differences that exist between males and females in classrooms (Banks, 2004). In colonial America, females received a very minimal education in the form of dame schools only at a very young age. The education of females at these schools consisted of learning how to correctly perform household duties that would be expected of them when they married. Classes consisted of cooking and sewing. Very few females knew how to read or write. In fact, "less than one-third of the women in colonial America could even sign their names" (Banks, p. 136). The reading females were taught was for the sole purpose of reading the bible to their children. In order to fully grasp the inferior education females have historically received, understand that "not until the 1970s and 1980s did they win the right to be admitted to previously all-male Ivy League colleges and universities" (Banks, p.136). Only thirty-six years have passed since then. When looking at education from a historical perspective, the education of women is still extremely recent and we have a long way to go before gender equality is reached in classrooms. The gender inequality has been so documented that in 1995, a Gender Equality Act was passed. As a result of this act, many teachers received special training on how to create a sense of gender equality within their classrooms (WikEd, 2005). Because much of the gender bias of teachers was subconscious, training in this area has been extremely beneficial in creating more equality for females in elementary and secondary schools. Use of Language, Time and Space Males and females are proven to have different linguistic styles. Males are louder, more assertive, and more aggressive in their speech than women. Females tend to speak in a softer tone with more hesitation. In addition, women are more likely to turn a statement into a question and follow it with a "tag" question ("don't you think"). Because of their linguistic

Moral Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moral Statements - Essay Example To support this argument on proper grounds, we must understand that realism basically rests on the premise that concreteness of objects as they appear is separate in function from the way these same objects enter perception. Anti-realism or idealism may hold true assuming that moral realists make no adequate plausibility of accounts during the process of formulating truths and that commonsense intuitions are generally proposed to agree with moral realism. By experience, commonsense intuitions are partly concrete and partly abstract since it can only be admitted as useful by an individual who has encountered tangibility of a case or matter on a regular basis, yet, because there emerges quite a number of uncertainties over time, making such case or matter seem to acquire properties that bear new or different impressions, the real portion is rather evaluated by the realms of the unreal. This is to demonstrate that the loss or decrease of logical grounds in establishing the truth is brou ght about by changes in the literal truth as well as the nature of its presence after the apparent sight and sense of reality. Naturally, it is the reality that gives shape to truth and our experience of reality under frequent terms enables us to decide about the truth in its degree of completeness. To this point, it turns out that commonsense intuitions are able to cover and justify both positions of moral realists and moral anti-realists who each have the capacity to form and distinguish between views according to how reality is confronted by their principles of living. Commonsense on measuring truth in matter is primarily earned by constant engagement with the physical object which realism may eventually treat as valid. On intuiting with commonsense, however, part of looking at the object as real may be deducted from the cognitive process of placing more subjective effort on understanding its existence in truth so that this becomes reasonable. This is in the context of idealists who prefer to determine truth by a higher form of resolution in addition to the use of sense perceptions especially in the absence of sufficient pragmatic evidence. For this situation to yield an interesting consequence, feelings and sensations ought to accumulate in a fashion, which upon combination with a more profound philosophical thought or movement would proceed to lay foundations of truth bound to remain constant despite constraints of time and evolution. In the light of realism, experience occurs to be a sphere in which sensations and feelings are spontaneously taught to be learned so as to realize truth. Feelings and sensations, nevertheless, are an outcome of interactions or responses to stimuli that are exchanged within human population based on significant events that involve objective concerns either seen or felt. Rationalizing around this stage, it then makes ample sense to argue that emotional or sensational impact can possibly bring truth to solid creation. If by any chance this arrives instead at a complicated discourse of having to present the substance of ethical realism and of moral anti-realism in scrutinizing detail, the endeavor should necessitate relevant theories by Descartes and Hume whose respective concepts regarding rationalism and empiricism can be utilized to settle conflicts on proving which set of beliefs is greatly responsible for the

Female Gender Dynamics in Elementary and Secondary Education Essay

Female Gender Dynamics in Elementary and Secondary Education - Essay Example When addressing the gender bias it has frequently been asked if males and females are different as a result of social or biological reasons (Frawley, 2005). Unfortunately, the answer does nothing to change the fact that men and women are viewed in different ways and are expected to act in different manners. The differences that exist in the educational arena can be traced to society's views on acceptable behavior of men and women. Because males and females are expected to act in different ways, it is impossible to expect them to act in the same ways within the classroom setting. Instead, the differences in male and female behavior need to be correctly identified and taken into consideration when it comes to curricula in schools. The differences that exist in the education of men and women can be traced back to social views of the two genders. Traditionally, males have been more educated than females. In addition, males have been expected to achieve more intellectually as a result of the belief that men are smarter and more capable of intellectual accomplishment than women. In addition, women have been viewed in as inferior in academic settings and as a result, less encouraged to excel in academia. The effects of these views can still be seen in the behavioral differences that exist between males and females in classrooms (Banks, 2004). In colonial America, females received a very minimal education in the form of dame schools only at a very young age. The education of females at these schools consisted of learning how to correctly perform household duties that would be expected of them when they married. Classes consisted of cooking and sewing. Very few females knew how to read or write. In fact, "less than one-third of the women in colonial America could even sign their names" (Banks, p. 136). The reading females were taught was for the sole purpose of reading the bible to their children. In order to fully grasp the inferior education females have historically received, understand that "not until the 1970s and 1980s did they win the right to be admitted to previously all-male Ivy League colleges and universities" (Banks, p.136). Only thirty-six years have passed since then. When looking at education from a historical perspective, the education of women is still extremely recent and we have a long way to go before gender equality is reached in classrooms. The gender inequality has been so documented that in 1995, a Gender Equality Act was passed. As a result of this act, many teachers received special training on how to create a sense of gender equality within their classrooms (WikEd, 2005). Because much of the gender bias of teachers was subconscious, training in this area has been extremely beneficial in creating more equality for females in elementary and secondary schools. Use of Language, Time and Space Males and females are proven to have different linguistic styles. Males are louder, more assertive, and more aggressive in their speech than women. Females tend to speak in a softer tone with more hesitation. In addition, women are more likely to turn a statement into a question and follow it with a "tag" question ("don't you think"). Because of their linguistic

Liability of Law Enforcement Officers WK7 Term Paper

Liability of Law Enforcement Officers WK7 - Term Paper Example Thus, the robber turns on his car trying to escape a police officer and the penalty which he had to follow. Police officer could not stop him, and he took a gun and fired. In that particular case, which is called ROCHELLE BROSSEAU v. KENNETH J. HAUGEN, robber sued the performer of Law. Verdict was in favor of the police officer. Also, the mother of three children reported to police that her estranged husband took children, and that he has a restraining order because of the application of force. Mother called a police for several times and they were saying to calm down and wait for him to come back. After several hours mother went to the police station, claiming that her kids are still missing.Few momments later her husband, the reported one, came into a station and opened a fire with his machine gun.Officers shot him down.In the back of his truck they found a dead children bodies.The mother filed a lawsuit against the city, its police and three officers that she was talking to on the phone; however the judgment was in their favor, and all of the lawsuits were objected. Police officers have a tough job, even without thinking about potential lawsuits, which does not mean that the law can be put into their own hands and to interpret it how they want. Police is indicated that the law in their hands and no one recalls that it isn`t the Law who is working for them, but they are working for the Law. Basic laws, such as in the first case, the Fourth Amendment violation, they neither respect nor were punished for it. Every man has right to say and do what he wants, if that is not against the Law. Every man has a right to be punished for his wrong dids and to take charge on anyone who is violating his right to live or express himself, in any way. Everyone have a right to have a fair trial, even if the prosecutor is tramp and the

Case Study - Xerox Essay Example for Free

Case Study Xerox Essay This case describes the visioning process at Xerox Canada. The chairman, CEO and president of Xerox Canada have been meeting with her leadership team since eight oclock in the morning to craft the organizations new vision statement. Three and a half hours into the meeting the team hits a road block. With 30 minutes left in the session, the CEO must decide whether and how to proceed. First let us list what McGarry has done correctly prior to the visioning process meeting: 1. Understanding of the old vision/culture: Here we can say that McGarry has a good insight of the old culture prevailing within the Xerox Canada through her coast to coast traveling in order to meet and learn the concerns of the Xerox Canada employees, during the restructuring period. Her knowledge of the old culture has eased her task of educating the employees about the upcoming new system or culture. (Refer to Mc Garry’s arrival in Canada section) 2. Encourage innovative employees: During the restructuring period McGarry continued to encourage innovative employees and encourage them to impart their ideas to the other members of the group in order to bring out new ideas that would bring changes for the betterment of the Xerox Canada. (Refer to Employees-Inspired-Initiatives section last paragraph). 3. Properly identify the need to call for a visioning process at Xerox? McGarry’s careful evaluation of the situation and her coming to the conclusion that it was necessary to synthesize a vision statement (that would coordinate all of the concepts, initiatives and activities of Xerox Canada) was, I my opinion, a good call. (Refer to The Visioning Process section). 4. Understanding the value of the visioning process and not to impose unilaterally a new vision: McGarry understood the importance of not imposing a new vision. And she went on to gain a common consensus of the group (pre-visioning process meeting activities) before making any changes to the vision of the organization. (Refer to The Visioning Process section). Now let us talk about what, to my point of view McGarry, could have done differently: The half day session McGarry called on June 14, 1994 to craft the organization’s new mission statement, should have been panned over a two day session. In my opinion McGarry definitely under estimated the tasks ahead. As we all know the purpose of identifying the preferred future vision is to gather the strategic planners within the organization (here Mc Garry’s leadership team) around a collective future vision, some of whom (leadership team) will be the core collaborative group and some of whom will be additional stakeholders. The main objective of visioning activity and its process steps is to gather the strategic planning participants (leadership team) around a preferred future vision to help energize them, get their creative juices flowing, get them talking and interacting, and set the tone strategic plan development – a new vision. This was well done during the first three hours. However half a day is insufficient to complete such an activity which is about building a successfully bridge between Xerox’s current state and their preferred future. I strongly believe that this visioning process activity could have been broken into the following sub activities and carried out over the entire day. This activity should have been broken down into the following sequence i) Have participants worked individually or in small group to discuss the Current State of the organization and envisage the Ideal State of the organization. ii) Keeping in mind the first exercise they have completed, have these same groups brainstormed on their preferred future vision. iii) Regroup all teams in order to share the ideas the teams have separately produced during the brainstorming session. The second day should have been broken in the following steps: iv) Discuss with the participants (teams) their insights from what have been shared collectively the previous day. Record any implications for the upcoming vision statement on flip chart and keep these records visible and accessible to the participants as they continue their debriefing session. v) Allow participants, if necessary, to regroup in order to modify/re-align their ideas which resulted from the brainstorming session (previous day). vi) Regroup in order to share any new ideas from the re-alignment session. vii) Select as a team the final vision statement. Here, to my point of view, the key ingredient was time. McGarry should have not expected the visioning process to be completed in such a short time. The old culture is a set of strong beliefs and norms which cannot be altered quickly; McGarry had to be patient in order for the mindset change to take effect within the visioning process.

Balance Score Card As A Performance

Balance Score Card As A Performance Leading organizations has been successfully using performance measurement to gain insight into the organization and the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs, processes, and people. However, they do not stop at collecting and analysis of data rather, these organizations use performance measurement to force improvements and successfully transform strategy into action. Therefore, they use performance measurement for managing their organizations. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is the most widely applied performance management system today. The BSC was originally developed as a performance measurement system in 1992 by Dr.Robert Kaplan and Dr. David Norton at the Harvard Business School. Unlike earlier performance measurement systems, the BSC measures performance across a number of different perspectives-a financial, a customer, an internal business process, and an innovation and learning perspective. BSC was introduced at a time when businesses were evaluating performance only through a financial scope and the different perspectives added a new dimension to the performance management concept. However over the years a number of alternatives have been introduced to replace BSC such as Applied Information Economics (AIE), Performance Prism, Results based management Model etc. This is mainly due to the changes in the environment which is beyond the four quadrants of BSC and basic implementation issues experienced in BSC. The Balanced Score Card has to go through a transformation in order to survive and revive itself as powerful performance management tool. Balance Score Card Introduction The field of performance management in todays day and age is vital to any organization. This importance can be defined through John E Jones quote What gets measured gets done, what gets measured and fed back gets done well, what gets rewarded gets repeated. John E. Jones. Performance Management can be of two main aspects. In one view, the performance of the company as a whole and further the effectiveness of the management of their capabilities of running the business successfully are looked at while in another view performance management system of evaluating employees to help them reach their respective goals and thereby ensure that the company meets the companys overall objectives. When the word â€Å"measurement† comes to our mind, it has always been through a financial scope. There by performance of an entity was always measured through measures such as Return on Investment (ROI), Earnings Per Share (EPS),Gearing Ratio, Net Profit After Tax (NPAT), and Sales Turnover etc. However when the environment became gradually more competitive and complex there were more stakeholders involved in a business. The customers were one of the main stakeholders interested in the activities in the organization. Their demand evolved and along with that how they perceive performance also too dramatic change. They were no more content with only financial evaluation of the organization; measures such as market share, customer satisfaction, productivity, and innovation etc were more appealing. It was during this transition, the balance score card was introduced by Dr. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton as a performance measurement framework that added strategic non-financial performance measures to traditional financial metrics to give a more balanced view of organizational performance. The balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool used for translating an organizations strategic objectives into a set of performance indicators distributed among four quadrants. Some of these indicators are maintained to measure an organizations advancement towards its vision and other indicators are maintained to measure the long term drivers of success. Through the balanced scorecard, an organization monitors both its current performance and its efforts to improve processes, motivate and educate employees. Balance Score Card History The balance score card has been known to be created by Kaplan and Norton however there is a historical twist to this as for my findings on www.wikipedia.com. The first balance scorecard was created by an independent consultant called Art Schneiderman in 1987.He participated in a research study in 1990 led by by Dr. Robert S. Kaplan and was able to describe his work on balanced score card. Subsequently, Kaplan and David P. Norton included anonymous details of this use of balanced scorecard in their 1992 article on Balanced Scorecard. Kaplan and Nortons article wasnt the only paper on the topic published in early 1992 but the 1992 Kaplan and Norton paper was a popular success, and was quickly followed by a second in 1993.The balances score card was widely spoken of only through their articles and journals. Kaplan and Norton researched on BSC through a project involving 12 companies. Thereby BSC became Kaplan Norton Balance Score Card and they were identified as the creators. Balanced Scorecard has been awarded a prize by the American Accounting Association as the â€Å"best theoretical contribution in 1997†. Balance Sore Card Perspectives As explained earlier BSC is a tool which monitors organizational strategies by using a combination of financial and non financial measures. It is designed to interpret strategy in to objectives and measure it across four balanced perspectives, namely Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process and Learning and Growth. The BSC directs to develop metrics, collect data and analyze as for these for quadrants in order to have an overall perspective. The pictorial view of the perspectives is as follows: The Financial Perspective This perspective reviews if the strategies of the company contribute towards the bottom line of the company. The virtue of Balance Score Card (BSC) is that it represents both leading and lagging performance measures. Traditional lagging indicators include financial measures, such as revenue growth and profitability. As it implies financial data is mostly historical data and organizations are measured based on its past performance. This perspective clearly describes how the organization looks to the shareholders. Few of the measures that can be used are : Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Return on Investment (ROI) Market Share Revenue Growth Profitability Economic Value Added ( EVA) The Customer Perspective This aspect reviews how customers perceive the organization. And today, the buzz word in the corporate world is customer service. The importance given to this concept is immense due to the competitiveness and the buyer bargaining power. Therefore customer focus, customer satisfaction, on time delivery etc are leading indicators. Poor Performance from this perspective is a leading indicator of downfall in future business even if the financial indicators are healthy. In developing metrics for satisfaction, customers should be analyzed in terms of kinds of customers and the kinds of processes for which we are providing a product or service to those customer groups. Metrics for the customer perspective could include: No.of Complaints On Time Deliveries Repeat Purchases Customer Acquisition Customer Retention The Internal Business Process Perspective This assesses the quality of people and processes. This perspective refers to internal business processes which the company should improve in order to achieve its objectives and give customers both satisfaction and productivity. Traditional methods only looked at improving existing systems however the balanced scorecard has the ability to identify entirely new processes that the business should succeed, in order to achieve customer satisfaction. The measures for this have to be developed very carefully as understanding the business process is crucial. The measures should focus on internal processes that will have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction and achieving business objectives. Potential measures for the internal perspective include: Amount of reworking Increase in productivity % of defects Increase in capacity utilization The Learning Growth Perspective This perspective concentrates on the areas an organization must improve, on continuous improvement, and creating value in the future. The focus is on the intangible assets of the organization. The future of any organization today lies on how innovative and evolving it is, thereby this perspective encourages this aspect. Further the perspective includes employee training and corporate cultural attitudes related to both individual and corporate self-improvement. The following metrics could be used to measure success in relation to the innovation and learning perspective: No of New Products introduced No of Trainings done per period Research Development as a % of Sales Employee suggestion which were implemented Critical Evaluation of the Balance Score Card An organization without a performance management system is like a ship in the deep blue sea without a compass, not knowing if the direction it sails is correct nor knowing how to improve its direction. Therefore the purpose of measuring performance is not only to know how the entity is performing but also to enable it to perform better. The Balanced Scorecard concept measures whether the companies are aligned with its larger-scale objectives in terms of vision and strategy. It focuses not only on financial outcomes but also on the human aspect as explained earlier under the introduction and the perspectives area. Thereby the BSC provides an overall view of the organization and the business. This is contrasting to the traditional method of being only financial oriented only. The measurements used in the separate perspectives are explained in the earlier section. The balanced scorecard is not only a measurement system but is a management system as well. It enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy to its employees and translate them in to operational goals or action plans. The evolution of BSC from its simple performance measurement framework to a strategic planning and management system is gradual. Further the BSC is also useful to communicate the expectations expected from the employees. This can be done through clearly defining the measures or KPIs to be achieved by individual or department. To elaborate this in order to achieve overall objectives of the organization of Sales growth by 10%, Employee A,B C of Production Department can contribute by keeping the lead time of goods 98% as expected or better than customer expectation. Employee D E of Sales team can target to ensure customer complaints are attended to within 24hours which is an industry norm. As explained in this, the Sales growth of 10% is expected to come through attending to customer order on time (lead time) and customer service (handling complaints). Cascading the organizational objectives to the lowest level employee will pave the way for success. As explained the balance scorecard has evolved over the years to be identified as a â€Å"strategic linkage model† or a strategy map. The strategy map enables organizations to clarify their strategy and assist organizations with creating their BSC framework and measures. A generic corporate strategy map is provided below to illustrate the â€Å"Strategy Map† concept. The balance score card has the ability to identify the key areas which can make a huge impact in an organization. The critical success factors of each perspective can be identified through the well defined measurement criteria. As for the results of the KPIs the management has the ability to identify the superior and weaker link of the organization and take action to correct the situation. A business might be performing well with increased sales, however the production team might have a ratio of increased defect rates. This might not reflect in the top line as the production team ensures the sales are not slowed down by covering up with increased production. If the internal process is not reviewed properly the production defect rates will not highlighted. This is where the BSC becomes a critical tool to identify critical success factors. The balanced scorecard approach can be used and applied at both the individual and the organizational level. It provides a balanced approach to evaluate the employees performance in a comprehensive manner. Traditionally, measuring the employee performance refers to only the comparing of their action plans and behaviors with the standards set. However the BSC actually measures the results of their actions like profits, increasing market share. It considers the progress towards achieving the goals and objectives of the organization and the effectiveness of the process. Thereby, the balanced scorecard gives the full view of the employees and the organizational performance and it helps to align the employee performance plans with the organizational goals. The Balanced Scorecard provides a stage for feedback and in turn a process for learning as well. Feedback about products, new learnings discoveries can be included in to the scorecard. Based on the measures employees can be given feedback and also training in order to improve the processes. This helps to refine the processes on a continuous basis with the use of the feedback. Thereby once a balanced scorecard system is in place, it allows for ongoing monitoring of goals and objectives. BSC benefits to maximize co-operation between teams. Employee helps one another to achieve their respective overall KPIs. This helps to build the team culture in the organization. The BSC drives a performance drive in to the business with its set objectives and continuos feedback. And if the objectives are linked to rewards, employees are very well motivated to achieve the set targets. The BSCs ability to give a wide view of the business operations makes it a formidable tool in the business world. The four perspectives of the scorecard permit a balance between short term and long term objectives, between desired outcomes and the performance drivers of the outcome, between soft measures and hard measures. However having gone through the positives of the Balanced Score Card, this tool has its negatives as well. The Balanced score card in was introduced in the early 90s and now the business environment has seen many changes. Has the Balanced Score Card got all requirements to still qualify as good performance management tool in current context? , will be discussed in detail in the following section. The organization through different elements in BSC analyzes the organizations performance and these measures are vital in creating a good balanced scorecard. Once the balance score card is implemented, you can not presume the business environment to be the same. In current context the volatility of the business environment is so rapid therefore the nature of your business can change in time, which means the BSC too has to be modified accordingly. It is a time consuming affair to maintain a scorecard but if it is not done properly the organizations ability to evaluate its employees will become an issue. The business should be able to give a considerable time to upkeep or maintain the scorecard, if not; it might not be a good solution for the business. The balance scorecard attempts to involve employees from all levels in the organization by cascading the vision and strategies. Despite inherent attempts to empower employees, the balanced scorecard is still seen to be based around a centralized, prescriptive model. Even though BSC focuses on dynamism and constant feedback it would still react slow to bottom level suggestions based on the organizational culture and background. In their book in 2007, Kaplan Norton (2007) mentioned that implementing a BSC would take a minimum time line of 26 months. Another weakness in BSC or a question which remains unanswered is how well the BSC will function in a dynamic environment. Organizations today are going through a paradigm shift. Internet and Information Technology as a whole has made the world a global market. Thereby the businesses also have to adapt to different environments, new changes in order to survive. Is BSC a model which is fast enough for this adaptation? , is a query in most peoples mind. Currently any measurement tools have to be modified taking in to account the dynamic changes in the environment in order to make it a pervasive tool. As discussed in the previous areas the BSC is designed to measure performance through four major perspectives. However questions are raised now whether these perspectives are sufficient to measure a business performance. As indicated in the BSC History this model was introduced in the early 90s, however the organizations and the environments they perform in have moved much further and there are many other concepts which are significant for an organizations long term sustainability. As an example the Green concept was only a thought in the early 90s but today its a way of life for organizations. Even customers are concerned in how respectful their brands are to the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility is another indicator that organizations have stepped out of the traditional financial performance criteria, and they are actually weighed for the contribution they make to the society. It is used as a way of marketing too. These areas have a special place in the annual report an d it is the pride of any organization to report their contribution to the society and the environment. Further ethical practices play a main role in reporting and in anything an organization does. After the Enron issue ethics have been discussed in the corporate tables and it does matter in blue chip companies to be ethical towards its stakeholders and shareholders. However these elements have not been touched upon on the balance score card. Another observation on BSC is on the weight given on the four perspectives, the standard weight given may not be applicable to all organizations. It might vary from industry to industry and even internal divisions might have varied measures, thereby based on the importance of the perspective has to be reviewed before weighs are assigned. Based on the research by Kaplan Norton (2003) it has been found that using about 20 -25 measures is the usual recommended practice. Figure 3 drawn from an article written by Dr David Norton illustrates the weights assigned for each perspective, with greater emphasis on internal business process, as it is the primary source through which the strategy of the organization is implemented. The balance score card weights should not be a pre defined and should be a management decision based on industry norms etc. At IFS which is an organization keen on research and development and learning, the emphasis on the internal process and learning and growth perspectives will be high. However if we take a bank, Financial stability, Customer service and the Internal Processes are all vital and require high weight. Thereby it is crucial on understanding the concept properly on assigning weights as it is a crucial part of BSC. The stakeholders form the main category of any organization, because they are the group of people who will be affected from the decisions made by the organization. The customers perspectives have been included in to the Balanced score card however the other main categories which I felt lacking in BSC are the suppliers and the competitors. The suppliers are key to a companys source of raw materials and supplier management can bring monetary benefits to the organization. Organization should always keep a tab of its competitors and scores should be kept to follow up on direct competitors. As adding more perspectives will complicate the BSC, I have suggested a recommended way of handling this under recommendation section. Though the balanced score card could be reward the employees it is criticized when performance evaluation and incentives are related to it. It has been found that when rewards are linked to the scorecard directly, productivity drops considerably. This is mainly due to the fear by the employee that he/she maybe made responsible for factors which is beyond their control. Thereby they may tend to keep a margin or levy when agreeing upon targets in order to achieve the targets and get the incentives in a relaxed way. However this is not critic on the BSC concept, it is an issue with the implementation. Another criticism is that the Balanced Scorecard does not provide a bottom line score. The scores are not assigned based on any proven economic or financial theory. The bottom line score does not give a unified view with clear recommendations. It acts only as a simple list of metrics and how they are interpreted will vary from organization and industry. Therefore the implementation and the management commitment and intelligence in interpreting the measures play a main role in the success of BSC. Further to elaborate on this for BSC it is not usually sufficient to use generic measures used by other organizations. Each business should strive to identify the firm specific measures that are appropriate to implement their strategies and achieve the vision of the company. This relies upon the competency of the management. Further many companies use only lagging measures which shows results of a past event. For the balance score card to be successful the business should include leading measures as well, which will indicate the future of the business. Many managers get carried away with BSC by only including non financial measures however to reap the full benefit of BSC managers have to include future indicators (leading measures) as well. A research conducted by Claude Levy, a professor at the Free University of Amsterdam reported that the failure rate of BSC implementation is 70% and this is mainly due to the many number of metrics and employees not having an understanding of the metrics. Due to its long duration in implementation many organizations use a balanced scorecard system. However this cost a lot of money in training time and additional money for any consultants that are needed during the process. Therefore the initial cost in implementing the balanced scorecard is huge. Balance Score Card Recommended Improvements Based on the evaluation above I suggest the following to improve the current balanced score card. The main stakeholders such as competitors and suppliers should also be entered in to the BSC. As including another area will complicate the score card, I suggest these stakeholders are identified under internal business process however even 2-3 measures/KPI each has to be assigned for each stakeholder under this area. Many alternative tools have been designed based on the BSC framework and the â€Å"Performance Prism† is one such customized BSC framework which takes in to account five perspectives, which includes stakeholders as well. The BSC design should be broader in order to accommodate the environmental aspect, Society and Ethics. However complicating the BSC with many perspectives will not serve the purpose either. Therefore the balanced score card should have an industry specific format with assigned measures. This standard could be used for the firm and customized if required. The measures used should be between 25-30 maximum with the newly included areas as well. Too many measures mean most of the time nothing gets measured at all. The weights assigned to the perspectives should be decided based on the firm and the importance of the processes relevant to the business. I feel that it is hard to pre-define the weights in todays context and it should be a management decision, however in order to ensure order prevail they could get audit support on assigning weightage. On implementation of the BSC it is of utmost importance that the objective of the concept is clearly communicated. Further if the measures/KPIs are discusses with line managers and staff before entering it to the scorecard the employees will feel ownership towards the KPIs. And thus can avoid any issues later arising when rewards are linked to KPIs. Linking incentives to the achievement of these KPIs is a motivator, and I feel should be an integral part of BSC. The BSC will not be successful if it does not include leading measures as well as the lagging measures. At the end of the day it is all about improving your future. Thereby there should be a specification on BSC that out of the total measures even 40% should be leading measures and that there should be even one for each quadrant. The balanced scorecard or any other performance management tool is driven by a well defined strategy of the organization. It is the understanding of the linkages between the objectives and metrics that is the foundation of the BSC. Thereby if the business is not equipped with a good strategy and competent management team, I feel the BSC is not the performance management tool for them. The balance score card with its metrics should be an automated system. In present scenario, unnecessary issues can be resolved if a balanced scorecard software is installed. The organization should also give adequate time for training the staff. Conclusion The Balanced Score Card is the pioneer tool in focusing on a range of perspectives which included financial and non-financial factors. The tool is built to focus on past and future of the business with its lagging and leading measures. However in an ever evolving business environment, the BSC has failed to evolve with time. And the balance scorecard depends heavily upon how it is used or interpreted. Therefore the management commitment towards BSC is vital for its success. The biggest critic for BSC is that its disability to be maintained in a dynamic environment. The industry specific BSC designs will be more applicable and more flexible. And these formats can include the perspectives relevant to that industry. For example for the power generation industry the environmental perspective should be mandatory. Further if the Balance Score card software is used the time factor for implementation can be reduced. The weights assigned to each perspective should also be firm specific and the KPIs should be reviewed on a constant basis in order to ensure that they are real time KPIs. The balance score card is still a popular tool among many mainly due to its simple to understand concept. All organizations are trying to gain an advantage over the other at all times, therefore if one organization takes the first step towards another performance management tool, the Balance scorecard will see a slow death.

Defining Year-Round Education Essay -- Schooling Education Teaching Es

Defining Year-Round Education For decades, the traditional system of schooling has been followed in schools all over the United States. The traditional system uses nine of the twelve months of the year to teach students, and leaves the remaining three to be used as summer vacation for students and teachers. In contrast to the traditional system, year-round education (abbreviated as YRE) is a system that focuses on readjusting the entire year in a way that will lessen the amount of information lost during the traditional three-month long summer vacation and increase the amount of uninterrupted learning by spreading out the summer vacation over the course of twelve months (NAYRE). Year-round education may also be referred to as extended-year education or year-long schooling (ERIC thesaurus). Just because the words "year-round" appear in the name of this alternative program, "year-round education does not mean holding school 365 days a year" (Bailey, 1992). While the goals of YRE are valid, there is still much controversy and debate concerning this method of schooling. Many believe students will benefit from YRE, but there are still others who do not acknowledge any difference in learning for students in YRE schools and traditional school students. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the system of year-round education and its advantages and disadvantages. History of Year-Round Education According to a timeline found on the National Associate for Year-Round Education website, the history of year-round education begins in the early twentieth century. The idea of year-round education surfaced in 1904 in Indiana. A school in the city of Bluffton became a leader in year-round schooling. During the decades from ... ...e Washington Post Op-Ed. Retrieved November 23, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis database. Delaney writes about how Fairfax county was debating about year-round education. He provides a list of various advantages of year-round education, some of them being cost savings and information retention, especially for students who are academically challenged. Ritzel, R. J. (2002, March 7). Year-round schools win few friends; Reidenbaugh parents split on further debates. Intelligencer Journal, A1. Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis database. This article from a Pennsylvania newspaper focuses on various opinions concerning year-round schools. Many students say they enjoy year-round education, but other parents feel their children are losing out from learning that takes place during the summer. Ritzel examines the views of both sides of year-round education.

Anarchy: Political Ideals To A Symbol Of Unconformity :: essays research papers fc

Anarchy: Political Ideals To A Symbol Of Uncoformity â€Å"Anarchism, then really stands for the liberation of human mind from the domination of religion, The liberation of the human body from the domination of property, Liberation from the shackles and restraints of government†#-Emma Golman. During the late 1800’s urbanization began to inflict the cities and the industrial revolution began resulting in governments gaining more and more power. â€Å"The state is authority; its force†#-Mikhail Bakunin. As the governments grew it was believed the state was more concerned with its growing power rather than the interests of the people. A group known as the anarchist believed that the government should be abolished and then the people would be free to live co-operatively with full social and political. Anarchy began as a political philosophy and soon turned in to an all out revolution resulting in assignations, bombings and kidnappings spanning over the better part of the past century. During the 1970’s and 1980à ¢â‚¬â„¢s, anarchy started to become more of a fashion trend if you will, rather than a political philosophy. â€Å"I Wanna Be Anarchy†-Sex Pistols. The Punk movement in music during the late 70’s was first to wide spread expose the public to anarchy and anarchist ideals. Followers of punk and punk music usually didn’t have the tendency to look of the proper meaning of anarchy, but since Johnny Rotten was saying it, it was cool. Today if you take a look at the public wither you are in a public school or a shopping mall, you can see teenagers with anarchy symbols on their shirts, pants, back packs and even drawn on their sneakers in an attempt to look what the public calls â€Å"hardcore†. â€Å"Anarchism is the sprit of the youth against out worn traditions†-Mikhail Bakunin, this would prove to be all too true in this new era of â€Å"anarchism†. This paper will further outline how anarchy started out as a political philosophy and turned in t o a symbol of unconformity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anarchism can be defined as a political philosophy and social movement designed to destroy the government in hopes of creating a society based on voluntary co-operation of free individuals. In 1840 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, a peaceful anarchist, published his controversial pamphlet titled â€Å"What Is Property†. Proudhon clamed that violence and crime was not caused by individuals but instead by the government. He believed that police and laws forced humans to live in an unnatural state of oppression and equality, according to Proudhon the ownership of property was the main root of all equality.

Metamorphosis” and “A Rose for Emily Essay

The tone, setting, and characters of Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The metamorphosis† can be seen as similar to those aspects in William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † In both of these stories, there are two different people who are living their lives very much alike, and they both die all alone. The tone of â€Å"Metamorphosis† is similar to the tone of â€Å"A Rose for Emily. †Gregor and Miss Emily are both isolated and alienated. The narrator says that Gregor has an â€Å"exhausting profession† as a traveling salesman. Gregor rides on a train all of the time for his work. He meets new people, but he has no affection for them. Gregor does not spend a lot of time with his family. The narrator is showing that Gregor is isolated and feels alienated from his family because he is working all the time to support his family. The narrator shows this by the other salesmen that Gregor sees at the â€Å"pension† having breakfast. Gregor states that he would â€Å"like to see what would happen if he were to try that out with his director sometime. † The narrator is implying that Gregor wants to be like the other salesman but he cannot because his boss would not allow it. Gregor always keeps his door locked whether he is traveling or at home. The narrator states, that Gregor uses â€Å"precaution† by â€Å"locking every door at night,† regardless if he is at â€Å"home or traveling. † The narrator says that Gregor’s father gave him a â€Å"truly liberating kick† back into his room and â€Å"Battered shut† the door with his cane. â€Å"Raindrops could be heard plunking against the tin window-ledges made Gregor quite melancholy. † The word â€Å"melancholy† denotes sadness or depression of sprits; gloom. Then when he wakes up as a cockroach, he is locked in his room. Gregor is isolated from his dad, mom, and sister Grete because they locked him in his bedroom at the end of the story. Miss Emily chooses to isolate herself from the townspeople by shutting her door and not let anyone in for long â€Å"periods of time. † She is alienated because her father was so strict about whom she could date, and this affected her as she got older. The narrator states, â€Å"We remember all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will. † The narrator says, â€Å"And that was the last we saw of Miss Emily for some time. The Negro man went in and out with the market basket, but the front door remained closed. Now and then we would see her at a window for a moment, as the men did that night when they sprinkled the lime, but for almost six months she did not appear on the streets. † The narrator states that the townspeople expected this of Miss Emily by saying, â€Å"Then we knew that this was to be expected too; as if that quality of her father which had thwarted her woman’s life so many times had been too virulent and too furious to die. † The townspeople isolate Miss Emily because she dates Homer Barron, a Yankee who is a day laborer. The narrator says, â€Å"Poor Emily, she carried her head high enough-even when we believed that she was fallen. It was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson; as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness. † The narrator is saying that Miss Emily, being of a prominent family, has behavior that is abnormal for southern people, and that she is â€Å"reaffirm her imperviousness. † The denotation of â€Å"imperviousness† is not capable of being affected or disturbed. The narrator is saying that Miss Emily is not affected by what the townspeople think of her. In reality, she is affected by this because she isolates herself from the townspeople. The setting of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is similar to the setting of â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † Kafka describes the setting in â€Å"The Metamorphosis† as most of the action takes place in Gregor’s bedroom. Gregor lives with his father, mother and sister in a large apartment in the city. From Gregor’s bedroom window he sees a busy street and a hospital across the street. But as the story goes on, his vision gets â€Å"fuzzier,† he might think that he lives in a â€Å"wasteland where the grey sky merges indistinguishably with the grey earth. † The narrator states that Gregor’s bedroom is dirty and dusty. No one goes in and cleans it anymore after the family locks Gregor in his room the last time. Then he dies there in his bedroom all alone. At the end of the story Gregor’s father, mother and sister take a carriage out to the country and the sun is shining brightly. In the story of â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† the narrator describes the setting taking place at Miss Emily’s â€Å"big, squarish framed house† that sets on a â€Å"select street† in Jefferson. The outside of the house is â€Å"decorated with cupolas, spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies. †There was opening to a cellar where the â€Å"Board of Aldermen;† there are four them, they sprinkle lime to take care of the â€Å"smell of the house† after Miss Emily’s father died. The house is old and run down; for this reason, the narrator calls it is an â€Å"eyesore, among eyesores. † Unlike Gregor, the townspeople gave Miss Emily a funeral, which takes place at her house. The narrator states that the â€Å"funeral on the second day, with the town coming to look at Miss Emily beneath a mass of bought flowers, with the crayon face of her father† a picture she had painted about the bier and â€Å"the ladies sibilant and macabre: and the very old men-some in their brushed Confederate uniforms-on the porch and the law, talking of Miss Emily as if she had been a contemporary of theirs, believing that they had danced with her and courted her perhaps confusing time with it mathematical progression, as the old do to who all the past is not a diminishing road, but instead a hug meadow which no winter ever quite touches, divide from them now by the narrow bottleneck of the most recent decade of years. † The narrator states that there is â€Å"one room upstairs which no one had seen in forty year,† and which would have to be forced open. They waited until Miss Emily was in the ground before opening the room upstairs. This room was like a â₠¬Å"tomb† just like Gregor’s bedroom that he died in. The narrator describes the room as it is filled with â€Å"pervading dust. A thin, acrid pall as of the tomb seemed to lie everywhere upon this room decked and furnished as for a bridal. † Then the narrator says that they found a â€Å"man himself lay in the bed† and â€Å"what was left of him, rotted beneath what, was left of the nightshirt. † Then they â€Å"notice on the second pillow was the indentation of a head† and â€Å"a long strand of iron-gray hair. † The character of Gregor in â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is similar to the character of Miss Emily in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† because they are both isolated, both don’t communicate, and both die alone. The narrator states at the beginning of the story, Gregor is busy working all the time as traveling salesman, to support the family. Because of his work he does not communicate with his family. He is also isolated because; he wakes up as cockroach, He doesn’t speak human language now so he can’t communicate with his family or work. The narrator explains if Gregor â€Å"had been able to speak to his sister and to thank her for everything she had to do for him, he would have found it a little easier to submit to her ministration; but, as it was, he suffered from them. † He is also, isolated because his family keeps driving him back into his room. The narrator illustrates this in the beginning of the story by â€Å"his father was moving forward implacably, emitting hissing sounds like a savage. Gregor had no practice in moving backwards, and he was moving, it had to be said, extremely slowly. If he had been able to turn round, he would have been back in his room in little or no time, but he was afraid lest the delay incurred in turning around would make his father impatient. And at any monument the stick in his father’s hand threatened to strike him a fatal blow to the back of the head. † Miss Emily is isolated likewise, she very seldom goes out of her house, and the townspeople rarely come to visit Miss Emily and she does talk to them at times. The narrator states, â€Å"From that time on her front door remained closed, save for a period of six or seven years, when she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china painting. Gregor and Miss Emily both die alone. Gregor at the end of the story; comes out of his room for the last time, scares all the people there. Now he feels bad for what he did, and he returns back to his bedroom. He has not eaten for days now and he lays there on the floor and dies all alone. The narrator points this out by saying, â€Å"He remained in this condition of empty and peaceful reflection until the church clock struck three a. m. The last thing he saw was the sky gradually lightening outside his window. Then his head involuntarily dropped, and his final breath passed feebly from his nostrils. † Miss Emily dies alone in alike manner as Gregor did. The narrator indicates this in the beginning of the story and he says, â€Å"The women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant-a combined gardener and cook-had seen in at least ten years. † Therefore, in the story of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† Kafka demonstrates a sad story of how a man became a cockroach for no known reason. He demonstrations how badly his family treated him after he became a cockroach. Now his family alienated and isolated him by locking him into his room and leaving him to die all alone. Then, they took a trip out to see the county because they did not have the burden of Gregor anymore. This is like they were celebrating his death. How strange is that? In the story of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Faulkner demonstrations a sad story of how a southern woman’s raising by a strict father causes her to be alienated for the rest of her life. He shows this by going back and forth in time with how the townspeople isolated and alienated Miss Emily at different stages of life. Then when she dies all alone, the townspeople are there because they want to look at the room, which had been locked up for about forty years. Faulkner leaves the townspeople with the thought that Miss Emily had been laying in the bed with a corpse and with her irony-gray hair left for them to see. How crazy is that to lay in the bed with a corpse?

Discharge Planning Checklist Essay

Discharging a patient from a hospital setting should be very easy, according to all of the patients that are in the hospital and don’t care about anything at the moment except getting home. While the patient is inpatient there are many things that could go wrong, however in house the patient is being controlled and managed. When a patient goes home there are no monitors or hourly blood draws to ensure their safety and survival. Discharge planning is not easy, and should never be perceived as such. Hospitals must have certain policies in place to ensure the patient and the family understand what to do when they go home, in regards to medications, therapy, etc. In order to meet conditions for discharge planning the hospital must be able to define how the obligation is to be met, determine readiness for discharge, identify who is responsible for the discharge. In order to determine a patient is ready to be discharged, the patient must be no longer in need of acute care services a nd the patient’s needs for post-acute care services have been identified and plans have been made. Hospitals have a legal obligation to assess the patient’s medical status at time of discharge, take steps to identify appropriate community services that can meet the patient’s needs, and make reasonable attempts to make services known and available to patients. When a patient goes into the hospital they are looking for their life to be saved because of some medical issue. A doctor looks at the patient and determines the medical plan for that patient to stabilize the patient. This could include tests, surgery, medications, etc. While the patient is in the hospital they get transported to and from, unknown medications are provided to stabilize the patient in house. While discharging the patient the hospital must make sure that the patient who was sick coming into the hospital and is now no longer needing acute care services is still able to follow the plan set forth by the physician that saw them once they get home. If a patient had Cardiac Bypass surgery for example, th ey might need home health. Or if a patient has an infection requiring home IV antibiotics, does the patient have or will receive all the materials necessary to complete treatment at home. Some  patients have to go into a rehab facility. Documentation and communication are also a vital part in discharge planning. The chart must be documented appropriately to state why if any post-acute care is needed. The chart must include documentation on the plan that the patient needs or the facility needs for further care. Communicate with the patient and the family about the plan. Make sure to assess the patient and family’s level of understanding. One must be sensitive to patients that do not know medical terminology. Medications are a huge liability and a huge misunderstanding with patients. The plan must have medications clearly written with times and how often the patient should take them. The discharge nurse should take the time to verbally go over the medications with the patients and their family’s to ensure compliance with medications. In defining obligation for discharging the patient, the hospital has to consider many factors. Who decides when the patien t is ready to go home? What services is the hospital obligated to provide? What should the patient be told and who should tell the patient? Special needs must be taken into consideration before a patient is discharged. Make sure enough teaching is being provided. Assess a patient that is living on their own and might struggle with recovery, thus, needing possible home health or a rehab facility. Patient with inadequate financial resources of inadequate living facilities, need to be assessed for possible infection post hospital, and for medication compliance. Will the patient be able to afford any meds given at discharge? Are their free medication programs that this patient can be enrolled in? As a patient being in the hospital is usually not a vacation. The patient is sick, uncomfortable, can’t sleep well with machines going and IV lines, etc. Going home to a patient is truly the only thing that they care about. When a physician mentions the possibility of discharge to a patient, their only thought is freedom! It is vital to the patient that is not thinking of their health, for the discharge planner to go through the entire checklist to ensure that patients survival when they get out of â€Å"jail†.

Suicide in the Military Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Suicide in the Military - Research Paper Example Historical army suicide rates Studies show that the rate of suicide in the military is similar to the proportion of suicide in the general population of the US. â€Å"Three percent of the total deaths in the country are caused by suicide† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). According to the study, more males commit suicide compared to females in the army. â€Å"Above 90 percent suicide cases are caused by men† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Before the year 2003, the rate of army suicide was lower, in comparison to 2012 and 2013. This is because of the effects of the Iraq war. In the year 2008, the study results showed that the rate of suicide was 20 in every 100000 army members in the US. In the year 2010, the rate increased to 31 for every 100000members. Causes of the army suicide Researchers have identified various causes of the high rate of suicide in the army. Some of the causes entail the intense military activities, combats, and deployment. The mentioned conditions usually lead to depression or psychological issues. Combat and deployment effects Based on the reports during the military screening, most members of the military undergo psychological torture. Several members become depressed and anxious during the process. As a result, they end up abusing substances in order to relieve the tension. Studies confirm that various psychological disorders such as â€Å"depression and abuse of substance are correlated with the intensity and the amount of combat time† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Depression and drug abuse are major factors that cause suicide not only in the military, but also in the general population of the country. Researchers have associated deployment with aggressive behaviors and drug misuse. â€Å"Aggression and impulsivity are among the risk factors of suicide† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Due to the recent high occurrence of war, there have been multiple deployments in the US army. This has resulted into ps ychiatric illnesses among the army members, which has in turn increased the suicide rate. Studies confirm that military members with one deployment experience less psychological effects compared to those with more than one deployment. Correlation between suicide and medical care use Studies confirm that the number of army members seeking clinical help due to psychiatric illnesses is positively correlated with the proportion of suicide. For instance, between the year 2003 and 2008, the army members with â€Å"psychiatry illnesses increased from 116 to 216 for every 100000 individuals in the US army† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). The same study also confirmed that the rate of suicide also increased during that time. The clinical report also showed that most of the â€Å"army members do not use medical services for fear of stigmatization† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Several people who test positive for mental disorder in clinics usually experience stigma that is a lso a major cause of suicide. Sleep disturbance Researchers have also identified sleep disturbance as a cause for suicide. Sleep disorders â€Å"cause other mental disorder such as depression and anxiety† which are suicide risk factors (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Medical experts discovered that â€Å"those diagnosed with insomnia usually attempted suicide after some time† (Lineberry & O’Connor 1). Suicide prevention approaches Various strategies can help in the prevention of suicide among army members. One of

Financial Management - The Spring Group Assignment Essay

Financial Management - The Spring Group Assignment - Essay Example The time value of money can also be referred to as time preference for money.this, then, constitutes the rationale of considering time value of money in financial decision-making. The main reason for time preference for money is to be found in the re-investment opportunities for funds, which are received early. The funds so invested will earn a rate of return which or more popularly as a discount rate. The expected rate of return as also the time value of money will vary from individual to individual depending on his perception, among other things1. The investment decision relates to the selection of assets in which can be acquired fall into two broad groups (i) long-term assets which will yield a return over a period of time in future, (ii) short-term or current assets defined as those assets which in the normal course of business are convertible into cash usually within a year.accordingly, the asset selection decision of a firm is of two types. The first of these involving the first category of assets is popularly known in the financial literature as capital bugeting.the aspect of financial decision-making with reference to current assets or short-term assets is popularly designed as working capital management 2. Working capital management is concerned with... One aspect of the working capital management is the trade-off between profitability and risk (liquidity). There is a conflict between profitability and liquidity. If a firm does not have adequate working capital, i.e. it does not invest sufficient funds in current assets, it may become illiquid and consequently may not have the ability to meet its current obligations and thus invite the risk of bankruptcy. If the current assets are too large, the profitability is adversely affected. The key strategies and considerations in ensuring a trade-off between profitability and liquidity is one major dimension of working capital management. In addition, the neither inadequate nor unnecessary funds are locked up. To summarise, the management of working has two basic ingredients, namely (i) an overview of working capital management as a whole, and (ii) efficient management of the individual current assets such as cash, receivables and inventory 3. The second major decision involved in financial management is the financing decision. The investment decision is broadly concerned with the asset-mix or the composition of the assets of a firm. The concern of the financing decision is with the financing-mix or capital structure or leverage. The term capital structure refers to the proportion of debt (fixed-interest sources of financing) and equity capital (variable-dividend securities/sources of funds). The financing decision of a firm relates to the choice of the proportion of these sources to finance the investment requirements. There are two aspects of the financing decision. First, the theory of capital structure which shows the theoretical relationship between the employment of debt and the return to the shareholders. The use of debt