Assignment Classical Conditioning Paper

My Tutorials are ONLY for your aid —Â   to help you! All tutorials have been turned in once by me and is my original work. I have excellent grades! You must do your own work with paraphrasing and summarizing. Thank you! Classical Conditioning Student’s Name PSY 390 Date __, 20__ Kay Rubin Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning is an intrinsic style of learning, which occurs by generating a response made by unconditioned stimuli’s, and was produced in 1903 by Ivan Pavlov (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009).The theory behind classical conditioning is often known as one the most acceptable and oldest forms to model when learning about various human behaviors. This paper will focus on theoretical conditions and apply classical conditioning through a various examples as a means to give a better understanding. First off, it is important to understand that a scientist by the name of Pavlov discovered classical conditioning and was by sheer happenstance when examining the digestive system of canines (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009).Another man, by the name of Watson, expanded the understanding of classical conditioning, which is in direct association to the way we learn. Nonetheless, both Watson and Pavlov pioneered classical conditioning as being the main source for remedial affects with creating sound behaviors and phobias. Teachers, parents, businesses, etc. will often use classical conditioning to influence behavior in daily circumstances. For instance, a wife can influence her husband by putting the toilet seat down more consistently by knowing how to utilize classical conditioning with her spouse.One of the first principles’s discovered was a stimulus, which causes instinctive responses (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) For instances, the smell of a cooking food, can cause one to be hungry. One of the stimuli’s, which can cause an instinctive reaction, is referred to as the unconditioned stimulus (US): the food. The unconscious response to the US is referred to as the unconditioned response (UR): the hunger. The neutral stimulus is the second principle, which is not the cause of the UR, rather it is a noise related to it: such as a dinner bell (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. The dinner bell is presented just before the US is stimulated, which is referred to as the conditioned stimulus (CS). The third theory takes place after the US and CS are coupled many times with that of the CS and is usually moments sooner than the US (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) In short, the CS (dinner bell) unaccompanied will originate the hunger. The hunger response, which is similar to the response of the US (food) will cause the proper response need for the CS (dinner bell). In retrospect, the conditioned reaction (CR) has now been assimilated.The US is the reinforcer because the whole conditioning process pivots on whatever reinforcements are being utilized (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) Although in classical conditioning, the animal or person wil l not always have control over reinforcements, since it happens when the person who is using classical conditioning wishes for it to transpire (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) Conversely, reinforcements are not dependent on any palpable responses: therefore, the behaviors are discovered in their unique ways.Rather classical conditioning that takes place in an animal or person will learn quickly which ecological influences are supportive to its existence (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) When viewing the success of classical conditioning, it typically obtains several pairings, which encompass a US and a CS, and are measured as an association to learning. One of the key elements to associative learning is in classical conditioning, and requires a natural instinct to strengthen (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. Conditioned Fears John B. Watson, in 1921, was an extremist in environmental determinist, who furthered Pavlov’s philosophies within the human race. Watson strongly felt that every perso n born had a small amount of essential emotions and reflexes (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) Additionally, his belief was that feeling and emotions were from experiences and genetics. He established that classical conditioning could originate phobias or fears when particular reflexes become coupled with several stimuli’s.Watson disputed with three fundamental emotions (rage, fear, and love) were hereditary, and that these three crucial emotions convert into distinct belongings amongst each person (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) To demonstrate this, Watson experiment on a youngster named Albert. Albert was conditioned using a steel bar, a hammer, and a white rat (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) At the beginning of the experimentation, Albert was familiarized with a white rat.He had shown no indication of anxiousness or fear when touching it or interacting with it. Following the initial interaction, Albert would reach for the white rat and then right following, a person would pound the h ammer alongside a steel bar triggering Albert to violently jump back; scaring him. Over a period, Albert became accustomed to a phobia of white rats. By no means did Watson ever fully accept Pavlov’s theories of classical conditioning since he did not feel that it solely relied on reinforcement in its entirety.Rather, he thought classical conditioning emerges due to the fact that the US and CS are harmonizing repetitively and in close proximity of each other (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009. ) The frequency of being coupled together would become more durable with its association. Therefore, classical conditioning can also be utilized when removing fears. Classical Scenario Given that classical conditioning has been influenced and utilized by parents, teachers, businesses, etc. , many ordinary individuals will use classical conditioning to manipulate others into doing what they want for them.For instance, a recently married couple is sharing the only bathroom they have together. The wife is sick and tired of putting down the toilet seat every time she wants to use the bathroom. At this point, she chooses to utilize classical conditioning to influence her spouse to lowering the lid. The wife strikes up a deal: if she cooks his favorite food, he will agree by keeping the lid down. In return, the husband is obligated to make super if he leaves the lid up. The husband begins to realize this is not a fair deal and is becoming quite weary of making the dinners.On into the second week, the husband then becomes habitual about putting the lid down and thus avoids the nagging wife: leaving the wife making his favorite meal for a period of time. The US is the harassing, the UR is experiencing annoyance and making dinner for himself, and the CS is the lid to the toilet. The husband is the CR needing to put down the the lid to the toilet instinctively. When CS and US are coupled together several times, in addition to the UR of annoyance of making his own dinners, the CR is instituted when the husband becomes habitual with her initial requests. Classical Conditioning Time Chart | |CR+UR+CR |US+CS | | | |Leaving Lid Up |Putting Lid Down | | | |( |( | | | |Husband is badgered and is |Wife agrees to cook one of his | | | |obligated to cook meals. |favorite dinners and withdraws | | | | |badgering. |Week One |Monday |( | | | |Tuesday | |( | | |Wednesday |( | | | |Thursday | |( | | |Friday |( | | | |Saturday | |( | | |Sunday |( | | |Week Two |Monday |( | | | |Tuesday |( | | | |Wednesday |( | | | |Thursday | |( | | Friday | |( | | |Saturday | |( | | |Sunday | |( | This chart displays the affects when the wife found the lid up and if she badgered her husband, she would make him fix his own meals. On the other hand, if the wife had stopped reinforcing her husband’s actions by making him fix his own meals or withdraw the badgering, the husband would fail to remember this associated pattern about putting the toilet lid down. Conclusion In summary, classic al conditioning was founded by Ivan Pavlov and expounded upon by Jon B.Watson. Coincidently, Pavlov stumbled upon classical conditioning by chance, whereas Watson utilized classical conditioning to shape associative learning. Both Watson and Pavlov pioneered classical conditioning as an accomplished aid for creating different behaviors and curing phobias. Parents, teachers, businesses, etc. will often utilize classical conditioning when manipulating certain behaviors. As displayed in the chart, a wife can influence and manipulate her spouse into classical conditioning.References Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2009). An introduction to theories of learning (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Anglo-Saxon Religious Poetry

Anglo-Saxon Religious Poetry The influence of Christianity came to England from Ireland with the arrival of St. Augustine’mission. The ancient vernacular poetry unredeemed in its worldliness and paganism was sanctified by the Christianization of England. In consequence there was a marked change in the content and emotion of English poetry while leaving it form and general technique unaltered. Instead of seeking themes common to old-Germanic the Christianized Anglo-Saxons adopted a new world of Latin Christianity along with themes and attitudes common to entire Christian world.This enabled the Anglo-Saxon poets to work on Biblical stories, associating them with Hebrew imagination. The special class of poetry which is called Christian poetry and this religious poetry flourished in about the 8th century in North England. Alliterative verse came to the aid of clerkly Latin to give expression of the faith of the Laity and make it popular. The subject of the poet’s song is no w the story of Christ and the deeds of saintly heroes. Caedmon The English poet who took the first attempt to write poems on Christian themes was Caedmon.What scholars know of Caedmon's life comes from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People. He is known best during the time fl. 658-680 AD. , and Bede tells us that he was an illiterate herdsman to a monastery of Whitby who one night in a dream learned how to sing beautiful Christian verses praising God's name. Following his dream, Caedmon became the foremost Christian poets. Earlier he had so little gift of song that he used to leave the feast when he found the harp approaching him he used to leave the feast.One night as he lay asleep in the stable a mysterious being appeared to him in his dreams and commanded him to sing. At his bidding Caedmon at once sang in praise of the Lord, the Creator, verses which he had never heard before. When he awoke he remembered these verses and made others like them. Thus the unlettered C aedmon was miraculously transformed into the first religious poet of England. Caedmon is remembered today for his poetic paraphrases of The Bible.He paraphrased in verse the book of Geneis, Exodus, Daniel and Judith. He is supposed to have sung about  creation of the world, the origin of man, his reign, of exodus, the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection of Christ, the ascension of Christ into heaven, the advent of the Holy Ghost and the teaching of the apostles. He also sang of future judgement, the horrors of hell and the joys of heaven. Research and scholarship however, no longer admit all the poems attributed to Caedmon by Bede to be directly his work excepting the nine-lined poem quoted by Bede in his account of Caedmon’s first inspiration. Genesis A and B The most interesting of the poems in the Junius Manuscript is Genesis.Genesis A of 3000 lines is an account of Satan’s rebellion against God and his fall with the angels into Hell, narrating the subs tance of the first 22 chapters of the Biblical book of Genesis. The poem contains an interpolated passage of 600 lines strikingly different in language and style from the main body of the poem. This has been named Genesis B, a rudimentary Paradise Lost, describing the temptation of Adam and Eve, their Fall and Satan’s rebellion Exodus It relates to the escape of the Israelites and the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea.It is boldly and vigorously written and has an older Epic note. It is written more in the convention of heroic poetry rather than scriptural lore. Exodus brings a traditional â€Å"heroic style† to its biblical subject-matter. Moses is treated as a general, and military imagery pervades the battle scenes. The destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea is narrated in much the same way as a formulaic battle scene from other Old English poems Daniel Daniel, as it is preserved, is 764 lines long. There have been numerous arguments that there was or iginally more to this poem than survives today.It is a paraphrase of the first five chapters of the Biblical book of Daniel. The poet uses his materials for homiletic purposes and tries to inculcate such Christian virtue. The primary focus of the Old English author was that of The Three Youths, Daniel and their encounters with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. Prosaic in tone, it also bears an interpolatory passage relating to the poem of Azariah. Judith The finest of the poem attributed to Caedmon is Judith of which a fragment of 350 lines, survive. It is a perfect poem full of action and passion.The Old English poem â€Å"Judith† describes the beheading of Assyrian general Holofernes by Israelite Judith of Bethulia. It is found in the same manuscript as the heroic poem Beowulf, the Nowell Codex, dated ca. 975-1025. The Old English poem is one of many retellings of the Holofernes-Judith tale as it was found in the Book of Judith, still present in the Catholic and Orthod ox Christian Bibles. What is certain about the origin of the poem is that it stems from the Book of Judith. After the Reformation, the Book of Judith was removed from the Protestant Bible.However, it is still present in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles. Similar to Beowulf, Judith conveys a moral tale of heroic triumph over monstrous beings. Both moral and political, the poem tells of a brave woman’s efforts to save and protect her people. Judith is depicted as an exemplar woman, grounded by ideal morale, probity, courage, and religious conviction. Judith's character is rendered blameless and virtuous, and her beauty is praised persistently throughout the poem.Cynaewulf Beside Caedmon, the other most important Old-English religious poet is Cynaewulf. Cynewulf lived roughly c.770-840 AD, yet very little is known about his life. The only information scholars have on Cynewulf's life is what they can discover from his poetry. Two of Cynewulf's signed poems were disco vered in the Vercelli Book, which includes Cynewulf's holy cross poem â€Å"Elene† as well as Dream of the Rood. Where many scholars will argue that all of the poems in the Vercelli are in fact Cynewulf's, the noted German scholar Franz Dietrich demonstrates that the similarities between Cynewulf's â€Å"Elene† and The Dream of the Rood reveals that the two must have been authored by the same individual.The four poems attributed to him trough his runic signatures are Christ. Juliana, Elene and The Fate of the Apostles. Unsigned poems attributed to him or his school are Andreas, St. Guthlac, The Phoenix, The Dream of the Rood. The four poems, like a substantial portion of Anglo-Saxon poetry, are sculpted in alliterative verse. All four poems draw upon Latin sources such as homilies and hagiographies (the lives of saints) for their content, and this is to be particularly contrasted to other Old English poems, e. g.Genesis, Exodus, and Daniel, which are drawn directly fro m the Bible as opposed to secondary accounts. Christ Of all his works the most important and popular poem is Christ, a fragmentary didactic poem in three parts – the first celebrating the Nativity, the second Ascension and the third Doomsday, narrating the torments of the wicked and the joys of the redeemed. Andreas and Guthlac These are poems related to lives of Saints. The first narrates the story of the adventures and sufferings and success of St. Andreas in his travels related to missionary work. Juliana and EleneThese are legendary stories of St. Juliana and the discovery of the True Cross by the mother of Emperor Constantine, St. Helena. They are poems with little artistic merit except for their adventurous element and the rareness in Anglo-Saxon poetry of being dedicated to women. In terms of length, Elene is by far the longest poem of Cynewulf’s corpus at 1,321 lines. It is followed by Juliana, at 731 lines, Christ II, at 427 lines, and The Fates of the Apostle s, at a brisk 122 lines. Three of the poems are â€Å"martyrolical,† in that the central character(s) in each die/suffer for their religious values.In Elene, Saint Helena endures her quest to find the Holy Cross and spread Christianity; in Juliana, the title character dies after she refuses to marry a pagan man, thus retaining her Christian integrity; in Fates of the Apostles, the speaker creates a song that meditates on the deaths of the apostles which they â€Å"joyously faced. † Elene and Juliana fit in the category of poems that depict the lives of saints. These two poems along with Andreas and Guthlac (parts A and B) constitute the only versified saints' legends in the Old English vernacular.The Ascension (Christ II) is outside the umbrella of the other three works, and is a vehement description of a devotional subject. The exact chronology of the poems is not known. One argument asserts that Elene is likely the last of the poems because the â€Å"autobiographica l† epilogue implies that Cynewulf is old at the time of composition, but this view has been doubted. Nevertheless, it seems that Christ II and Elene represent the cusp of Cynewulf’s career, while Juliana and Fates of the Apostles seem to be created by a less inspired, and perhaps less mature, poet.The Fates of the Apostles It deals with the various Christian Gospels in an Elegiac manner. It is the shortest of Cynewulf’s known canon at 122 lines long. It is a brief martyrology of the Twelve Apostles written in the standard alliterative verse. The Fates recites the key events that subsequently befell each apostle after the Ascension. It is possible that The Fates was composed as a learning aid to the monasteries. Cynewulf speaks in the first-person throughout the poem, and besides explaining the fate of each disciple, he provides â€Å"advice† and â€Å"consolation† to the reader.Cynewulf’s runic signature is scrambled in this poem so that the meaning of the runes become a riddle with no unequivocal meaning. Runic signature All four of Cynewulf's poems contain passages where the letters of the poet’s name are woven into the text using runic symbols that also double as meaningful ideas pertinent to the text. In Juliana and Elene, the interwoven name is spelled in the more recognizable form as Cynewulf, while in Fates and Christ II it is observed without the medial e so the runic acrostic says Cynwulf.The practice of claiming authorship over one’s poems was a break from the tradition of the anonymous poet, where no composition was viewed as being owned by its creator. Cynewulf devised a tradition where authorship would connote ownership of the piece and an originality that would be respected by future generations. Furthermore, by integrating his name, Cynewulf was attempting to retain the structure and form of his poetry that would â€Å"undergo mutations† otherwise. From a different perspective, Cynewu lf’s intent may not have been to claim authorship, but to â€Å"seek the prayers of others for the safety of his soul.†It is contended that Cynewulf wished to be remembered in the prayers of his audience in return for the pleasure they would derive from his poems. In a sense his expectation of a spiritual reward can be contrasted with the material reward that other poets of his time would have expected for their craft. The Phoenix The poem is about a mythical bird which burnt itself to be reborn from its own ashes, symbolic of Christian soul. The Dream of the Rood The poem is set up with the narrator having a dream. In this dream or vision he is speaking to the Cross on which Jesus was crucified.The poem itself is divided up into three separate sections. In section one, the narrator has a vision of the Cross. Initially when the dreamer sees the Cross, he notes how it is covered with gems. He is aware of how wretched he is compared to how glorious the tree is. However, he comes to see that amidst the beautiful stones it is stained with blood In section two, the Cross shares its account of Jesus’ death. The Crucifixion story is told from the perspective of the Cross. It begins with the enemy coming to cut the tree down and carrying it away.The tree learns that it is to be the bearer of a criminal, but instead the Christ comes to be crucified. The Lord and the Cross become one, and they stand together as victors, refusing to fall, taking on insurmountable pain for the sake of mankind. It is not just Christ, but the Cross as well that is pierced with nails. The Rood and Christ are one in the portrayal of the Passion—they are both pierced with nails, mocked and tortured. Then, just like with Christ, the Cross is resurrected, and adorned with gold and silver. It is honored above all trees just as Jesus is honored above all men.The Cross then charges the visionary to share all that he has seen with others. In section three, the author give s his reflections about this vision. The vision ends, and the man is left with his thoughts. He gives praise to God for what he has seen and is filled with hope for eternal life and his desire to once again be near the glorious Cross. It is the finest of religious poems in OE, the finest narrative of the Passion in medieval verse (late 7th century, later modified; preserved in the Vercelli Book). The tree of which the Cross was made relates the story the first English dream-poem Anglo-Saxon Religious Poetry The influence of Christianity came to England from Ireland with the arrival of St. Augustine’mission. The ancient vernacular poetry unredeemed in its worldliness and paganism was sanctified by the Christianization of England. In consequence there was a marked change in the content and emotion of English poetry while leaving it form and general technique unaltered.Instead of seeking themes common to old-Germanic the Christianized Anglo-Saxons adopted a new world of Latin Christianity along with themes and attitudes common to entire Christian world. This enabled the Anglo-Saxon poets to work on Biblical stories, associating them with Hebrew imagination. The special class of poetry which is called Christian poetry and this religious poetry flourished in about the 8th century in North England. Alliterative verse came to the aid of clerkly Latin to give expression of the faith of the Laity and make it popular. The subject of the poet’s song is now the story of Christ and the deeds of saintly heroes.CaedmonThe English poet who took the first attempt to write poems on Christian themes was Caedmon. What scholars know of Caedmon's life comes from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People. He is known best during the time fl. 658-680 AD., and Bede tells us that he was an illiterate herdsman to a monastery of Whitby who one night in a dream learned how to sing beautiful Christian verses praising God's name. Following his dream, Caedmon became the foremost Christian poets. Earlier he had so little gift of song that he used to leave the feast when he found the harp approaching him he used to leave the feast. One night as he lay asleep in the stable a mysterious being appeared to him in his dreams and commanded him to sing.At his bidding Caedmon at once sang in praise of the Lord, the Creator, verses which he had never heard before. When he awoke he remembered these verses and made others like them. Thus the unlettered Caedmon was miraculously transfo rmed into the first religious poet of England. Caedmon is remembered today for his poetic paraphrases of The Bible. He paraphrased in verse the book of Geneis, Exodus, Daniel and Judith. He is supposed to have sung about  creation of the world, the origin of man, his reign, of exodus, the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection of Christ, the ascension of Christ into heaven, the advent of the Holy Ghost and the teaching of the apostles.He also sang of future judgement, the horrors of hell and the joys of heaven. Research and scholarship however, no longer admit all the poems attributed to Caedmon by Bede to be directly his work excepting the nine-lined poem quoted by Bede in his account of Caedmon’s first inspiration.Genesis A and BThe most interesting of the poems in the Junius Manuscript is Genesis. Genesis A of 3000 lines is an account of Satan’s rebellion against God and his fall with the angels into Hell, narrating the substance of the first 22 chapters o f the Biblical book of Genesis. The poem contains an interpolated passage of 600 lines strikingly different in language and style from the main body of the poem. This has been named Genesis B, a rudimentary Paradise Lost, describing the temptation of Adam and Eve, their Fall and Satan’s rebellionExodusIt relates to the escape of the Israelites and the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. It is boldly and vigorously written and has an older Epic note. It is written more in the convention of heroic poetry rather than scriptural lore. Exodus brings a traditional â€Å"heroic style† to its biblical subject-matter. Moses is treated as a general, and military imagery pervades the battle scenes. The destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea is narrated in much the same way as a formulaic battle scene from other Old English poemsDanielDaniel, as it is preserved, is 764 lines long. There have been numerous arguments that there was originally more to this poem than sur vives today.It is a paraphrase of the first five chapters of the Biblical book of Daniel. The poet uses his materials for homiletic purposes and tries to inculcate such Christian virtue. The primary focus of the Old English author was that of The Three Youths, Daniel and their encounters with the Babylonian king  Nebuchadnezzar II. Prosaic in tone, it also bears an interpolatory passage relating to the poem of Azariah.JudithThe finest of the poem attributed to Caedmon is Judith of which a fragment of 350 lines, survive. It is a perfect poem full of action and passion. The Old English poem â€Å"Judith† describes the beheading of Assyrian general Holofernes by Israelite Judith of Bethulia. It is found in the same manuscript as the heroic poem Beowulf, the Nowell Codex, dated ca. 975-1025. The Old English poem is one of many retellings of the Holofernes-Judith tale as it was found in the Book of Judith, still present in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Bibles.What is certa in about the origin of the poem is that it stems from the Book of Judith. After the Reformation, the Book of Judith was removed from the Protestant Bible. However, it is still present in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.Similar to Beowulf, Judith conveys a moral tale of heroic triumph over monstrous beings. Both moral and political, the poem tells of a brave woman’s efforts to save and protect her people. Judith is depicted as an exemplar woman, grounded by ideal morale, probity, courage, and religious conviction. Judith's character is rendered blameless and virtuous, and her beauty is praised persistently throughout the poem.CynaewulfBeside Caedmon, the other most important Old-English religious poet is Cynaewulf. Cynewulf lived roughly c. 770-840 AD, yet very little is known about his life.The only information scholars have on Cynewulf's life is what they can discover from his poetry. Two of Cynewulf's signed poems were discovered in the Vercelli Book, which i ncludes Cynewulf's holy cross poem â€Å"Elene† as well as Dream of the Rood.Where many scholars will argue that all of the poems in the Vercelli are in fact Cynewulf's, the noted German scholar Franz Dietrich demonstrates that the similarities between Cynewulf's â€Å"Elene† and The Dream of the Rood reveals that the two must have been authored by the same individual. The four poems attributed to him trough his runic signatures are Christ. Juliana, Elene and The Fate of the Apostles.Unsigned poems attributed to him or his school are Andreas, St. Guthlac, The Phoenix, The Dream of the Rood. The four poems, like a substantial portion of Anglo-Saxon poetry, are sculpted in alliterative verse. All four poems draw upon Latin sources such as homilies and hagiographies (the lives of saints) for their content, and this is to be particularly contrasted to other Old English poems, e.g. Genesis, Exodus, and Daniel, which are drawn directly from the Bible as opposed to secondary accounts.ChristOf all his works the most important and popular poem is Christ, a fragmentary didactic poem in three parts – the first celebrating the Nativity, the second Ascension and the third Doomsday, narrating the torments of the wicked and the joys of the redeemed.Andreas and GuthlacThese are poems related to lives of Saints. The first narrates the story of the adventures and sufferings and success of St. Andreas in his travels related to missionary work.Juliana and EleneThese are legendary stories of St. Juliana and the discovery of the True Cross by the mother of Emperor Constantine, St. Helena. They are poems with little artistic merit except for their adventurous element and the rareness in Anglo-Saxon poetry of being dedicated to women. In terms of length, Elene is by far the longest poem of Cynewulf’s corpus at 1,321 lines. It is followed by Juliana, at 731 lines, Christ II, at 427 lines, and The Fates of the Apostles, at a brisk 122 lines. Three of the poe ms are â€Å"martyrolical,† in that the central character(s) in each die/suffer for their religious values.In Elene, Saint Helena endures her quest to find the Holy Cross and spread Christianity; in Juliana, the title character dies after she refuses to marry a pagan man, thus retaining her Christian integrity; in Fates of the Apostles, the speaker creates a song that meditates on the deaths of the apostles which they â€Å"joyously faced.† Elene and Juliana fit in the category of poems that depict the lives of saints. These two poems along with Andreas  and Guthlac (parts A and B) constitute the only versified saints' legends in the Old English vernacular.The Ascension (Christ II) is outside the umbrella of the other three works, and is a vehement description of a devotional subject. The exact chronology of the poems is not known. One argument asserts that Elene is likely the last of the poems because the â€Å"autobiographical† epilogue implies that Cynewulf is old at the time of composition, but this view has been doubted. Nevertheless, it seems that Christ II and Elene represent the cusp of Cynewulf’s career, while Juliana and Fates of the Apostles seem to be created by a less inspired, and perhaps less mature, poet. The Fates of the ApostlesIt deals with the various Christian Gospels in an Elegiac manner. It is the shortest of Cynewulf’s known canon at 122 lines long. It is a brief martyrology of the Twelve Apostles written in the standard alliterative verse. The Fates recites the key events that subsequently befell each apostle after the Ascension. It is possible that The Fates was composed as a learning aid to the monasteries. Cynewulf speaks in the first-person throughout the poem, and besides explaining the fate of each disciple, he provides â€Å"advice† and â€Å"consolation† to the reader. Cynewulf’s runic signature is scrambled in this poem so that the meaning of the runes become a riddle w ith no unequivocal meaning.Runic signatureAll four of Cynewulf's poems contain passages where the letters of the poet’s name are woven into the text using runic symbols that also double as meaningful ideas pertinent to the text. In Juliana and Elene, the interwoven name is spelled in the more recognizable form as Cynewulf, while in Fates and Christ II it is observed without the medial e so the runic acrostic says Cynwulf. The practice of claiming authorship over one’s poems was a break from the tradition of the anonymous poet, where no composition was viewed as being owned by its creator. Cynewulf devised a tradition where authorship would connote ownership of the piece and an originality that would be respected by future generations.Furthermore, by integrating his name, Cynewulf was attempting to retain the structure and form of his poetry that would â€Å"undergo mutations† otherwise. From a different perspective, Cynewulf’s intent may not have been to claim authorship, but to â€Å"seek the  prayers of others for the safety of his soul.† It is contended that Cynewulf wished to be remembered in the prayers of his audience in return for the pleasure they would derive from his poems. In a sense his expectation of a spiritual reward can be contrasted with the material reward that other poets of his time would have expected for their craft.The PhoenixThe poem is about a mythical bird which burnt itself to be reborn from its own ashes, symbolic of Christian soul.The Dream of the RoodThe poem is set up with the narrator having a dream. In this dream or vision he is speaking to the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The poem itself is divided up into three separate sections. In section one, the narrator has a vision of the Cross. Initially when the dreamer sees the Cross, he notes how it is covered with gems. He is aware of how wretched he is compared to how glorious the tree is. However, he comes to see that amidst the beautif ul stones it is stained with blood In section two, the Cross shares its account of Jesus’ death.The Crucifixion story is told from the perspective of the Cross. It begins with the enemy coming to cut the tree down and carrying it away. The tree learns that it is to be the bearer of a criminal, but instead the Christ comes to be crucified. The Lord and the Cross become one, and they stand together as victors, refusing to fall, taking on insurmountable pain for the sake of mankind. It is not just Christ, but the Cross as well that is pierced with nails. The Rood and Christ are one in the portrayal of the Passion—they are both pierced with nails, mocked and tortured. Then, just like with Christ, the Cross is resurrected, and adorned with gold and silver. It is honored above all trees just as Jesus is honored above all men.The Cross then charges the visionary to share all that he has seen with others. In section three, the author gives his reflections about this vision. Th e vision ends, and the man is left with his thoughts. He gives praise to God for what he has seen and is filled with hope for eternal life and his desire to once again be near the glorious Cross. It is the finest of religious poems in OE, the finest narrative of the Passion in medieval verse (late 7th century, later modified; preserved in the Vercelli Book). The tree of which the Cross was made relates the story the first English dream-poem  Christ is portrayed as a young Germanic hero:Long years ago (well yet I remember)   They hewed me down on the edge of the holt, Severed my trunk; strong foemen took me, For a spectacle wrought me, a gallows for rogues. High on their shoulders they bore me to hilltop, Fastened me firmly, an army of foes!   ‘Then I saw the King of all mankind In brave mood hastening to mount upon me. Refuse I dared not, nor bow nor break, Though I felt earth's confines shudder in fear; All foes I might fell, yet still I stood fast.   ‘T hen the young Warrior, God, the All-Wielder, Put off his raiment, steadfast and strong; With lordly mood in the sight of many He mounted the Cross to redeem mankind. When the hero clasped me I trembled in terror,   But I dared not bow me nor bend to earth; I must need stand fast. Upraised as the Rood I held the High King, the Lord of Heaven. I dared not bow! with black nails driven Those sinners pierced me; the prints are clear,   The open wounds. I dared injure none. They mocked us both. I was wet with blood From the Hero's side when He sent forth His spirit. ‘Many a bale I bore on that hill-side Seeing the Lord in agony outstretched.   Black darkness covered with clouds God's body, That radiant splendor. Shadow went forth Wan under heaven; all creation wept Bewailing the King's death. Christ was on the Cross.It appears from a survey of Old English Christian poetry that the poets chiefly aimed at popularizing the holy writ and only occasionally added pious commentaries to the original.

A Study On Child Labour Today English Language Essay

A Study On Child Labour Today English Language Essay The purpose of this research paper is to study situations of children working in conditions which are detrimental to their physical and mental health. It has been observed that they are employed to do the job of a peasant, miner, collier and in places which abound in chemicals, pesticides and dangerous machinery. Others are hired to do exhausting domestic work as domestic servants or the work done behind the walls of auto work shops where they remain invisible from the eyes of observers. To affirm the views and ideas about child labor I have used primary and secondary recourses long with some counter arguments. So the surveys are the primary sources where as the secondary sources are the websites and books. Besides, did research findings like making charts to determine the results after doing the surveys. Where in the conclusion I wrote some ways to decrease child labor and wrote recommendation. Section 1- Introduction: Child labor is arise in the 18th century of industrial revoluti on where young children were working in companies for long hours with less fee (Shahrokhi, 1996, no page). For instant, in England and Scotland there were about 60% children working in factories for making textiles (Pakhare, 2007, no page). Child labor has become a pervasive issue which is being discussed extensively in different international forums since the awakening of human right organizations around the world. With the help of some concrete steps taken by the developed nations, the issue has been countered to a considerable extent in the developed countries but it is still extremely intimidating in the under-developed countries. The term Child Labor does not have one concrete definition. Different people and organizations define it differently. â€Å"UNICEF defines child labor as work that exceeds a minimum number of hours, depending on the age of child and on the type of work. Such work is considered harmful to child and should therefore be eliminated. Ages 5-11 : At least one hour of economic work or 28 hours of domestic work per week. Ages 12-14 : At least 14 hours of economic work or 28 hours of domestic work per week. Ages 15-17 : At least 43 hours of economic or domestic work per week† (UNICEF Child Labour, 2008, no page). As per the UNICEF estimate over 158 million children around the age 5-14 are some way or the other occupied in child labor. Among them, millions are working in conditions which are detrimental to their health. They are employed to do the job of a miner, collier and in places which abound in chemicals, pesticides and dangerous machinery. Others are hired to do exhausting domestic work as domestic servants or the work done behind the walls of auto work shops where they remain invisible from the eyes of observers (UNICEF Child Labour, 2008, no page). Child Labor is a serious nuisance and has extremely negative effects on children. Children engaged in child labor suffer from physical deformation as well as psychologica l abnormalities; besides, it promotes crime rate and anti-love sentiments in our society and it also becomes a reason of an ever increasing number of illiterate people. Therefore, it is very important to fight child labor with tooth and nail to ensure the physical, psychological and mental health of our society. The audiences are the universal public so the aim of this paper is to influence them about child labor. Consequently, the research paper consist of five sections and each section has a valuable information and a results that will help the readers to realize what does child labor do to children. Section one will be about what is child labor and history of child labor. In section two there will be counter arguments that discuss about the negative and positive opinion of different people with my opinion about child labor. Then the third section is research method where I had used a primary source which is the survey to help me to get supported evidence. Besides the forth sectio n is linked with section 3 where it shows the result findings o the surveys. The last section is the conclusion and the recommendation that will give a summary of the research and suggestions for child labor.

The Link Between Employee Engagement and Organization Performance Literature review

The Link Between Employee Engagement and Organization Performance - Literature review Example From the research it can be comprehended that Employees Engagement is all about obtaining workers to ‘give it their all’. Employee engagement is a vast build that touches almost every areas of HRM. If all part of HR is not addressed in proper way, employees fail to completely engage themselves in their work in the reply to such kind of mismanagement. It is also stronger forecaster of positive organizational performance obviously demonstrating the two-way relationship among employer and worker compared to the three previous constructs: workers dedication, job satisfaction and organizational residency behavior. HRM is increasingly measured a contemporary expansion that carries on to reshape employment relations. An endeavor is made to believe it an instrument that may have successfully replaced other type’s management customs like Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. Another driver is to examine a bundle of most excellent practices for example high dedicat ion management and their impact on employment relations. What ever the route HRM remains a current but evolving science coping with complex beings, and in complex companies and surroundings. â€Å"Within the HRM tradition, HRM is strategy-focused and central to the corporate plan in the planning perspective. In the people management perspective, HRM views people as social capital, capable of being developed and committed at work†.... (Elizabeth 2008). â€Å"HRM us where by the management of people is read-off the broader objective of the organization† (Marchington & Wilkinson 2005. p. 5). Many contestants signified that they practice health-related struggle resulting from the stress they experience at job. The reasons behind the job stress of the employees in the organizations are conflict among work and family responsibilities, technical advance and regular interactions among the consumer and service industry. The symptoms of job stress are, physical illness, depression, family conflict, lack of mental concentration, anxiety, extreme anger, absenteeism, frustration, and stress. (Elizabeth 2008). Worker Burnout: It is emotional overtiredness and detachment from job. Pprofessionals as well as workers are affected by this phenomenon. Various causes that may lead to the worker burnout in the current HRM in organizations are, lack of family support and community support, lack of balance in work and life, lack of time for hobbies, and finally the workers are pushed to time limits by the company. (What Is Employee Burnout? 2009). â€Å"Burnout can be symptomatic of larger issues affecting staff morale, but there are simple ways to alleviate these realities that are cost-effective and sustainable. Keep in mind that there is no magic wand here and that material solutions are not always the best approach to addressing employee burnout† (Poland 2011). Safety: Safety deals with the condition of being safe in the organizations. It also consists of protection of people or possessions. Safety aspects of the individuals in the organizations are one of the major issues faced by the companies in the current HRM. Various ways to improve the safety in the organizations are, making

Proceses in Organinzations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Proceses in Organinzations - Essay Example Also I would like to present and defend my position that Project Managers, in any field, are not required to be experts in the specific subject matter. As all of you already know and according to the Wikipedia, "Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives". (Wikipedia, 2007 para. 1). In order for the discipline to have a successful end result it is necessary to count with a very diverse professional, or a professional with experience in most of the stages or processes involved, since this individual very often participates directly in the activities. Also the project manager behaves as the responsible party in front of the client by, amongst other things, determining his needs. The project manager is also required to work and adapt with different internal procedures and to interact with the diverse departments in charge of reaching the specific goal. He/she is also required to identify and diminish risks that may arise at any point or any time. At all times the Project Manager is in charge of assuring an end re sult within the levels of expectance. Another important role for the Project Manager, is his/her ability on leveling resources. ... (Haughey D., 2000-2008, Project Manager, para.1-3). Again, a Project Manager's main responsibilities are: Planning, organizing and controlling. (Davies, page 84). Amongst the tools available for the today's Project Managers, we find the PERT and Gantt charts, which identifies the critical paths or periods within the project's execution. These charts are used to identify every single activity to be performed within the project, and this so called critical path is one of the most important activities that a Project Manager has to monitor, since the inability to accomplish these tasks could cause a project failure. Some other important tools are: the financial tools, running charts, a list of project management software, and so forth. (Wikipedia, 2007, Project Management Tools para. 1). Nowadays, technology has developed rapidly that newer and newer software are available for the managers in general. It is important to remember and to let the other people know, that a Project Manager has to accomplish his/her job within three major constraints, time, cost and scope. The time constraint refers to the amount of time established to finish the project. The cost constraint is referred to the amount of money budgeted to achieve the end result. And the scope constraint refers to what is the final objective of the project, or what it is supposed to achieve. (Wikipedia, 2007 The Traditional Triple Constraints, para. 1). These three constraints are strongly related and could easily be affected by any major or minor event. For example, if the cost of materials or human resources increases in two or three percent, the cost constraint is affected directly, the time

Comic Book Critical Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comic Book Critical Analysis - Assignment Example On hearing about it, we may take them to be conveying only comic stories, but they also present seriousness- this can vary from sexuality and alienation, to terrorism as well as stories relating to family, love etc. while analyzing the comic books, it is important that we should know from what point of time the graphic novels began to take shape as a distinct medium ,entertaining people, and who brought in innovative steps in this regard (Eisner, Will (1978). In ‘Truth about Graphic Novels: A Format, Not a Genre, The ALAN Review, Winter 2005 by Fletcher-Spear, Kristin, Jenson-Benjamin, Merideth, Copeland, Teresa’, we find this comment, and could be aptly used while mentioning about the graphic novels. â€Å"The shortest definition of graphic novels describes them as "book-length comic books." A definition used by librarians refers to them as book-length narratives told using a combination of words and sequential art, often presented in comic book style. The constant in both definitions is "comic book." (Fletcher-Spear , 2009)Comic books are meant to entertain people. They seem very effective in conveying ideas of an author. Scot Mccoud has been an inspiring figure in this field. Scott Mccloud has been a prominent figure in writing and drawing comics since 1984.his book ‘understanding comics has been a great success. He is one of the American comic artists to assimilate magna influences in to his work. Scott McCloud is considered one of the pre-eminent comics’ theorists on the basis of his Understanding Comics, a seminal work in comics’ theory. Though McCloud has been criticized for his lack of â€Å"theoretical sophistication† by not engaging with more theoretical vocabulary or reference to theory like semiotics, post-structuralism, or narratology, his work is still fundamental to comics theory, especially due to his own practical use of comics language (Groensteen vii). (Chris Hagenah 2000) Scout

A Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Short Story - Essay Example Living in such a secluded location made it hard for the doctor and his family to freely mingle with the other sections of this society. In this forest, was Mwaibale, his wife Lucy and their children, Johanna, Markus and Naomi. One thing that remains clear from this kind of life is the fact that Mwaibale, right from his childhood, lived not to understand and to a worse extent, appreciate the role of education. To this family, live revolved around food, livestock and hunting. This made it for their children not be lucky to acquire formal education. In fact, Mwaibale’s children did not even get an opportunity to see the doors of a classroom. The only thing in this compound was a heap of herbs that were being used by this professional to handle any type of ailment, be it superstition or anything that anyone would imagine. As a result of claims to be knowledgeable in all the diseases, people had to flock in to this compound to seek for treatment for any thing they believed could be treatable. Even if he did not obtain any form of formal education, most of his customers were educated people from the city. Whenever they visited him, they could be attended to by Mwaibale with assistance from his eldest son, Markus to whom he was to descend the mantle he got from his late mother who died when he was nine in the last century. All the visitors would be directed to his small mud wall thatched house in the middle of his compound. Here, they would be diagnosed and prepared for what was now awaiting them- examination and further treatment. Since there was no formal injection of drugs, the doctor would use a razor blade to pierce their bodies to put this injection. So, each and every one of them was to bring a quarter a dollar to use for the purchase of this important gadget. A typical doctor’s day would begin right before sunset when preparing to receive his patients. At this time, he would assemble all his paraphernalia believing that

Paraphrase a reports and solve past exams papers Coursework

Paraphrase a reports and solve past exams papers - Coursework Example The funnel was shaken gently until no effervescence was observed. The top organic layer was washed with water followed by brine in the funnel. Both brine and water ought to be 40 ml. The top organic layer was then transferred into a conical flask before adding anhydrous magnesium sulphate. The mixture was swirled and filtrated in a round bottomed flask. The final product was then distilled in a pre-weighed flask that is ice-cold. The weight and melting point was then measured and recorded. In addition the sample of the IR spectra was carried out. Results: Boiling point: 50Â °C-52Â °C Volume: Number of moles: 0.5 mol R.M.M: 74 g/Mol Density: 0.775 g/Mol Mass: 74 0. 5=37 g Volume: Mass/density = 47. 74 ml HCl: Concentration 12 M Number of moles: 1.5 mol Volume=Number of mole / concentration . = = 0.125 L =125Ml. The weight of flask=74. 64 g The weight of flask + sample=92. 36 g Sample’s weight=92. 36-74.64= 17.72 g Theoretical yield = 0.5 x 92.567 =46. 28 g Percentage yield: 1 7.72 x100/46.28 =38. 3 % Discussion: At room temperature 2-Chloro-2-methylpropane was a colorless liquid organic compound. 2-Chloro-2-methylpropane was slightly soluble and spontaneously solvolysed when dissolved in water. 2-Chloro-2-methylpropane was volatile and highly flammable. ... For stability. The bondage existing between oxygen and carbon broke hydrolytically. The breakage formed carbocation and was used as electrophille: species’ lacking electrons. Absence of electrons made chloride ions to attack carbocation hence molecule stability. Carbocation assumed role of Lewis acid that welcomed electron from Cl- forming t-butyl chloride. It was then synthesized through SN1. http://1chemistry.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/synthesis-of-tert-butyl-chloride.html The excess HCL was neutralized by sodium bicarbonate which gave misleading results. The IR spectra are illustrated below: 2: Hydrobromination of trans-stilbene practical. Aim: When the electrophilic species are added to an alkene, the procedure were allowed prepare various functional group. The below reaction, N-bromosuccinimide acted as an electrophilic species which facilitated the addition of HOBr to the double bond. Method: A mixture of 60 ml of dimethylsulfoxide, 1 cm3, and 56 mmol of water, and 3.6 g, 20 mmol of trans-stilbene was transferred to a flask that is round bottomed (100ml). The solution then stirred hard at room temperature. For over ten minutes, 7.1 g with 40 mmol of N-bromosuccinimide was added portion by portion. The solution was left for twenty minutes to mix accordingly. The reaction was transferred to a separating funnel. The separating funnel (200ml) had iced water. Using 4 x 40 ml of diethyl ether after the ice is completely melted, the solution was extracted. Subsequently, the extract fron ethereal was drained with 50 ml of water and brine. The extract was thereafter dried by using MgSO4. On the bath the rotary evaporator concentrated the solutions. On the surface of the solution, white crystals were formed. Further

Case study 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Case study 2 - Coursework Example Taking into account the inferences drawn from the SWOT analysis, a comparative analysis of Zara and H&M have been conducted so as to provide Caifu with rational suggestions and recommendations to select either Zara or H&M, when opting for collaboration in the targeted European market. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Company Profile 5 Zara 5 H&M 6 SWOT Analysis of Zara and H&M 7 Zara 7 H&M 9 Comparative Analysis of Zara and H&M 11 Conclusions and Recommendations 12 References 13 Introduction Since the past three years, globalisation has evidently ignited a more advanced and internationalised fashion sense and has diverted the customers towards the fashion industry by a substantial extent. Consequently, cultural values, consumer changing purchasing behaviours, consumer preferences, and willingness of purchase towards fashion merchandises has been the most critical issues faced by the contemporary managers today, in the retail sector of the industry. Based on the fa ct, the contemporary organisations have been largely observed to implement customer-centric market strategies to improve and attract the purchase behaviours of the consumers on the way to the fashion products (Bianchi & Birtwistle, 2010). In addition to these contributing factors, fashion shows in television, fashion advertisements, promotion of fashion apparels by celebrity models and superstars, in-store displays of fashionable clothes and organising fashion events in urban shopping malls have developed the consumer fashionable behaviours among consumers and thus can be regarded as another driving force in the industry since the past three years. Such kind of interactive and attractive marketing strategies of fashion apparels have shown junction of traditional and contemporary values (Rajagopal, 2012). Another the prime driver of the consumer behaviour towards the fashion apparels is the dominance of the social interactions. The relationship between the apparels and identity has c ome out as the result of various social interactions. In other words, apparels have become an opportunity and medium to represent individuals as a new identity of the person within the past few years (Pentecosta & Andrewsb, 2010). Additionally, the strategy of the younger generation of fashion fanship and impulse buying to stand apart from their predecessors and other fellow consumers also act as a driver towards the divergence of the fashion industry (Holmberg & Ohnfeldt, 2010). Also the buying patterns of the consumers have shifted from low-pricing brands to high brand fashion markets that have been established in to family environment, which also act as a few noteworthy driving forces in the industry to change consumer behaviour (Pentecosta & Andrewsb, 2010). It is worth mentioning in this context that the way an organisation manages these driving forces, determine their strengths and weaknesses in the current fashion retailing industry context. Accordingly, in this paper, a comp arative evaluation of Zara and H&M will be conducted with the intention to suggest Caifu regarding its further initiative of collaboration with either of these retail brands to penetrate the European market. Company Profile Zara Zara was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega Rosalia Mera as a Spanish company situated in Arteixco, Galicia. It is one of the largest international fashion retailers, which operates under

Crisis Interpretation of Organizational Processes with the Symbolic Essay

Crisis Interpretation of Organizational Processes with the Symbolic Frame Reality - Essay Example The Sales Manager does not follow the organizational processes such as communication, meetings, motivation, and evaluation and this is the main reason behind the crisis that is taking place between him and the Sales Representatives at the Branch. The response by the Sales manager, ‘These are privileged positions for people who live privileged lives clearly shows how he does not negotiate meanings, does not provide room for bonding, does not maintain an image of accountability and responsiveness, does not negotiate with his subordinates and does not share values (Bolman and Deal, 2013). The crisis in the organization is simply because the Sales Manager is completely out of reality, does not obey the organizational culture/rituals and this is the reason as to why he plays his roles in a bad manner and this has led to an organizational structure that does not fit the organizational situation hence the

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris Essay Example for Free

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris Essay Introduction Writing this paper, I faced a challenging task of exploring, discussing and analyzing a well-written book about one of the most prominent and controversial figures in American politics and history. In the first part of my report I would like to discover basic themes and concepts of the book as well as compare and contrast â€Å"Theodore Rex† and other books about the twenty-sixth US President. Also I would like to concentrate my attention on the major accomplishments of the author and on possible bias found in the book. The book is a thorough and profound biographical account of Roosevelt’s presidency and discusses and evaluates his major deeds and successes. The book concentrates on the two presidential terms he served, while â€Å"The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt†, another celebrated biographical work by Morris, sheds light on Roosevelt’s career before presidency. â€Å"Theodore Rex† ends with Mr. Roosevelt quitting the office. Edmund Morris writes about Theodore Roosevelt with great respect combined with admiration. The author doesn’t always clearly state it, but we can read it between the lines. When exploring Roosevelt external policy in the global context, the author quotes London Morning Post that stated Roosevelt’s presidency marked, â€Å"the emergence of a new world peacemaker: Mr. Roosevelts success has amazed everybody, not because he succeeded, but because of the manner by which he achieved success.† (Morris, 2002: p.391) Roosevelt is positioned as a great an innovative man of state for the ample reason that he was the first US president to leave the country or to fly in an airplane. I strongly deem that any book addressing questions connected with politics or history can’t be absolutely free from bias. For instance, Morris argues that American world hegemony and superpower is largely, if not only, Roosevelt’s accomplishment. But we know that economic and political conditions at the beginning of the century were very favourable, and the president seized the moment and American gilded age so he enhanced country’s position on the international arena. The book is different from others in many ways. First of all, it concentrates not only on the strengths of the twenty-sixth president, but also on his faults. The book provides the reader with full and comprehensive account of Roosevelt as a man of state and some insightful information about Roosevelt as a personality. Another difference is the focus of this biography solely on the presidential years of Theodore Roosevelt. Main Body Now let me proceed with evaluating the organization and the persuasive power of the book. The choice of the sources is satisfactory; the bibliography of the book is diverse and trustworthy. Morris consults sources dating from the early 20th centuries up to nowadays. The major material for Morris’ research consists of Roosevelt’s presidential whitepapers and worksheets, his private documentation, the archives of John Hay, William Howard Taft and Owen Wister. The author manages to be stylistically good and historically balanced. The book gives very specific account of political events that happened during the presidency of Roosevelt and goes through every political crisis, external or internal. The book doesn’t give much information about personal life of the twenty-sixth president, but it makes the reader feel as if sharing all the daily routine with Mr. Roosevelt. Let me enlist the issues, on which the author concentrates most. Morris reminds us about the success of Roosevelt’s external policy and stresses the fact of US acquisition of Panama Canal and the Philippines, signing a treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War and strengthening American naval forces. The book states that, â€Å"French foreign-policy experts believed him to be the strongest international personality since Bismarck.† (Morris, 2002: 193) He gives a positive account of Roosevelt’s policy in the spheres of culture, science, and ecology and urges to keep in mind presidential initiatives to create national parks and monuments and to start national conservation policy. He praises the president’s ability of dealing with labor issues by discussing the settlement of the significant coal strike in the early 1990s. Still, the author admits the existence of complicated points during the Roosevelt’s career, for instance, the Brownsville Incident. I believe that Morris concentrates too much on the description of major and minor state affairs. The book is purely a narrative. Instead of going so deep into daily matters of the president, Morris might have included more analysis of Roosevelt’s policies and practices. I would like to read more about Roosevelt in the wider historical context; the reader wants not only a success story, but the discussion of president’s actions to ensure success. Still, enough attention is paid to important people in Roosevelt’s life, namely Edith and Alice. Morris shows us the twenty-sixth president as a loving husband and caring father. Roosevelt’s family supported him in the turmoil of state affairs, and the president valued his dearest and nearest very much. When his wife arrived, â€Å"Careless of watching eyes, he threw his arms around Edith, then escorted her inside for supper.† (Morris, 2002: 47) Morris clearly states what traits of character are necessary for an outstanding leader. The author describes sometimes controversial behavior and complicated character of the president. Some small personal details give us better understanding of Theodore’s nature, for example, president’s habit to carry pistols with him. The detailed descriptions in a combination with easy way of presenting the information made the book seem convincing and trustworthy. Conclusion In the concluding part I would speak about the relevance and historical value of â€Å"Theodore Rex The book is readable and enjoyable, giving insight into big and small issues of governing. Sometimes the book may seem to be too detailed for a non-professional reader. I dare call this book to be a research of Roosevelt’s biography, since it keeps track of everything taking place in the president administration. Morris’ book may be useful for historians as well as for the general public. The book is very short still it has everything the one needs to know about Roosevelt and the US at the dawn of the 20th century. The organization of the book is good, but the tone of the story isn’t always adequate since Morris describes very official events using lyrical language. Let’s analyze the episode concerned with Panama-US treaty: â€Å"Pens scratched across parchment. Wax melted on silk. Two oceans brimmed closer, ready to spill.† (Morris, 2002: p.298) The prologue is marked by unnecessary romanticism, too. But it can’t be called a disadvantage since it saves the book from being boring. Paragraph and sentence structure is adequate and quite clear. And I didn’t notice any serious contradictions worth mentioning here. The organizational drawback is that personal and political episodes aren’t described in separate chapters. Still, the strictly chronological way of presenting the events with clear separation of the first and the second administration is definitely a plus. I believe that some practical solutions of social and economical problems, e.g. unemployment or discrimination, can be used by contemporary politicians as well. I would like to end my report with giving an overall assessment of â€Å"Theodore Rex† by Edmund Morris. This account of Roosevelt’s presidency and charismatic personality is in-depth but transparent, analytical but charming, complex but inspiring. I believe that such a charismatic leader as Theodore Roosevelt definitely deserves such a brilliant biographer as Edmund Morris.    References:    Morris, E. 2002. Theodore Rex. New York: Modern Library

Inferences for One Population Standard Deviation Essay Example for Free

Inferences for One Population Standard Deviation Essay The Standard deviation is a measure of the variation (or spread) of a data set. For a variable x, the standard deviation of all possible observations for the entire population is called the population standard deviation or standard deviation of the variable x. It is denoted ÏÆ'x or, when no confusion will arise, simply ÏÆ'. Suppose that we want to obtain information about a population standard deviation. If the population is small, we can often determine ÏÆ' exactly by first taking a census and then computing ÏÆ' from the population data. However, if the population is large, which is usually the case, a census is generally not feasible, and we must use inferential methods to obtain the required information about ÏÆ'. In this section, we describe how to perform hypothesis tests and construct confidence intervals for the standard deviation of a normally distributed variable. Such inferences are based on a distribution called the chi-square distribution. Chi is a Greek letter whose lowercase form is χ. A variable has a chi-square distribution if its distribution has the shape of a special type of right-skewed curve, called a chi-square (χ2) curve. Actually, there are infinitely many chi-square distributions, and we identify the chi-square distribution (and χ2-curve) in question by its number of degrees of freedom. Basic Properties of χ2-Curves are: Property 1: The total area under a χ2-curve equals 1. Property 2: A χ2-curve starts at 0 on the horizontal axis and extends indefinitely to the right, approaching, but never touching, the horizontal axis as it does so. Property 3: A χ2-curve is right skewed. Property 4: As the number of degrees of freedom becomes larger, χ2- curves look increasingly like normal curves. Percentages (and probabilities) for a variable having a chi-square distribution are equal to areas under its associated χ2-curve. The one-standard-deviation χ2-test is also known as the χ2-test for one population standard deviation. This test is often formulated in terms of variance instead of standard deviation. Unlike the z-tests and t-tests for one and two population means, the one-standard deviation χ2-test is not robust to moderate violations of the normality assumption. In fact, it is so non robust that many statisticians advice against its use unless there is considerable evidence that the variable under consideration is normally distributed or very nearly so. The non-parametric procedures, which do not require normality, have been developed to perform inferences for a population standard deviation. If you have doubts about the normality of the variable under consideration, you can often use one of those procedures to perform a hypothesis test or find a confidence interval for a population standard deviation. The one-standard-deviation χ2-interval procedure is also known as the χ2-interval procedure for one population standard deviation. This confidence-interval procedure is often formulated in terms of variance instead of standard deviation. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/statistics-homework-help View as multi-pages

ZARA Clothing Performance Analysis

ZARA Clothing Performance Analysis Zara is the largest division and flagship brand of the Spanish retail group Inditex. It sells up-to-the-minute fashionability at low prices, in stores that are clearly focused on one particular market (Slack, 2006). The first store opened by accident in 1975 due to a large pyjamas order cancellation. This typically can be said to be an emergent strategy as the Zara store today was not an intended strategy. Vertically integrated, Zara controls most of the processes in the supply chain whereby 50% of the products are manufactured in Spain, 26% in the rest of Europe and 24% in Asian countries. Zara outsources products of high labour intensive processes but maintains in-house capital intensive processes, protecting knowledge and know-how. It takes less than two weeks for a skirt to get from Zaras design team in Spain to a Zara stores in any part of the globe, as much as 12 times faster than the competition. And with shorter lead times, Zara can ship fewer pieces, in a greater variety of styles, more often and they can more easily cancel lines that dont sell as well, avoiding inventory backlogs. (Thinking Made Easy, 2009) This quick response capacity of Zara is made possible by the 3 main stages that define the competitive edge of the company: design, manufacturing and distribution. This strategy is embraced to focus on the operations which can enhance cost efficiency and hence Zaras internalization. Other production activities are completed via a network of about 500 subcontractors in close proximity to Zaras operations at La Coruna. Mr. Ortega the CEO of the Inditex, the parent company of Zara, once said that the secret to retail success is to have five fingers touching the factory and five touching the customer. (Nigel Slack, 2008) This paper uses the models and frameworks of the Operations Strategy module to describe analyze how Zaras operations strategy led to a sustainable competitive advantage in the global apparel industry. What is Operations Strategy? Just as there is no overall agreement about what strategy means, there is no universal agreement on how operations strategy should be described. Four distinct perspectives have emerged on the description as illustrated in Fig. 1 below (Nigel Slack, 2008): Top down vs. Bottom up: Zara boosted its innovation in a fast changing market by adapting the bottom up perspective of strategy in its operations. This is a key driver of competitive advantage through constant innovation to develop new-products that provide customers with new perceived benefits. Zara benefits from an organizational culture that allows information exchange, risk taking, experimentation and learning from failures. Market Requirements vs. Operations Resource: Whatever the operations strategy of an organization, it must in some way reflect the requirements of the organizations market. The fashion market is a fast changing one characterized by quick shifts in consumer demands. As described by Inditex CEO, Jose Maria Castellano, the fashion world is in constant flux and is driven not by supply but by customer demand. We need to give consumers what they want, and if I go to South America or Asia to make clothes, I simply cant move fast enough. How do Zaras operations resources help it to compete in its market? Zara has remained focused on its core philosophy that creativity and quality design together with a rapid response to market demands will yield profitable results. Its business model incorporates the following operational goals: To develop a system the requires short lead times To decrease production quantities and inventory To increase variety of styles/choice. We can deduce that operations strategy is concerned with the reconciliation of market requirements and operations resources. Key drivers of this reconciliation are the importance of setting appropriate performance objectives and understanding the decision areas that determine resource deployment. Factors affecting Zaras Strategic Decisions: Capacity Zara employs a chase demand capacity management in its operations. Spare manufacturing capacity is mirrored in the companys storage function, where up to 400 extra staff can be drafted in during busty periods. As new stock delivery schedules are regimented, customers know when new stock is due and traffic in stores is heavier at such times. As a result, the company is able to adjust its resources to match the demands as appropriate. Procurement and production planners make preliminary, but crucial, estimates of manufacturing costs and available capacity. The cross-functional teams can examine prototypes in the hall, choose a design, and commit resources for its production and introduction in a few hours, if necessary. (Ferdows Kasra, 2005) A small change in retail orders, for example, can result in wide fluctuations in factory orders after its transmitted through wholesalers and distributors. In an industry that traditionally allows retailers to change a maximum of 20 percent of their orders once the season has started, Zara lets them adjust 40 percent to 50 percent. In this way, Zara avoids costly overproduction and the subsequent sales and discounting prevalent in the industry. Supply Networks The vertical Integration advantage can be seen in Zaras centralized logistics and distribution. Zara designs around 10,000 new models every year and replenishes ranges within every one of its 650 retail stores twice per week, but in strictly limited quantities of stock. This ensures Zaras brand promise to customers of exclusivity, and also of design freshness. But it also avoids build-up of large quantities of unpopular stock. Zaras system has to deal with something in the realm of 300,000 new stock-keeping units (SKUs), on average, every year. (Ferdows Kasra, 2005). It outsources less manufacturing (only labour intensive tasks mainly the sewing) than its competitors hence can react quickly to seasonality and unforeseen demand. Zara avoids building inventories in any part of its supply chain from raw materials to end user. Process Technology Zaras communication and coordination through high technology information systems is one of Zaras success factors relative to its competitors. Its customized handheld computers support the connection between the retail stores and headquarters. These PDAs transmit all kinds of information (hard data as orders and sales trends and such soft data as customer reactions and the buzz around a new style). The constant flow of updated data mitigates the so-called bullwhip effect-the tendency of supply chains (and all open-loop information systems) to amplify small disturbances. Development and Organization This fast fashion system depends on a constant exchange of information throughout every part of Zaras supply chain-from customers to store managers, from store managers to market specialists and designers, from designers to production staff, from buyers to subcontractors, from warehouse managers to distributors, and so on Zaras organization, operational procedures, performance measures, and even its office layouts are all designed to make information transfer easy. By having operations in close- proximity to its headquarters allowed for better and faster communication between functional areas for faster decision making. Key success objectives for Zaras Performance: Speed: Speed and responsiveness to Market, Zara has changed the way clothing industry works where deigning, production and delivery to the retailers requires period of six months. The design and distribution cycle of the company takes just 10-15days in the whole process. Zaras speed to market in product development exceeds the capabilities of its competitors. This in itself provides additional value to stakeholders, customers, and stores in producing quality clothing at affordable prices. The proximity of their manufacturing and operational processes allows Zara to maintain the flexibility necessary to design and produce over 12000 new items annually. This capability allows Zara to achieve their strategy of expedited response to consumer demand. The process of obtaining market information and relaying it to design and production teams expedites product development by shortening the throughput time of their products from design to store. Dependability: Due to Zaras ownership and control of production, they ensure timely delivery and service. Although most of their stores run out of stock, signifying that they have low dependability in terms of product availability, another perspective of dependability in terms of keeping to date with fashion is achieved. Quality: Zara brand is synonymous with the cutting edge of fashion at affordable prices. Another Quality advantage is the added sense of quality to the product as the tags would be labelled with made in Europe rather than made in China due to Zaras trade-off between Low labour costs in Asia and operational efficiency. Flexibility: Designers (of average age 26) draw the design sketches then discuss it with market specials and planning procurement staff illustrating a flexibility of ideas generation and on the other hand the huge number of designs reflects the ability to meet almost all the fashion requirements by customers of all ages (up to 55). This adaptive model rather than traditional merchandising is very different from its competitors. Many competitors rely on a small elite design team that plans both design and production needs well in advance. Stores have little autonomy in deciding which products to display or put on sale because Headquarters plans accordingly and ships quantities as forecasted. Zara owned many of the fabric dying, processing and cutting equipment that provided Zara added control and flexibility to adopt new trends on demand. The added flexibility helped Zara on two fronts: shorter lead times and fewer inventories. (OPPapers.com, 2010) Cost: Zara produces most of its products in Europe. Compared to their competitors, they outsource very little to Asia. Though the cost of production in Spain is 17-20% more expensive than Asia, Zara does have a competitive advantage over its competitors in regards to operations. Though there is a cost advantage in their approach in regards to labour, the lack of flexibility in changing orders based on current trends hinders their operational efficiencies. Inventory costs are higher for competitors because orders are placed for a whole season well in advance and then held in distribution facilities until periodic shipment to stores. Lower inventory cost is a key sustainable advantage as it enables Zara to manufacture and sell its products at cheaper prices. Conclusion The smooth integration between Zara business strategy and it is operation strategy as illustrated in the strategic matrix below brought about a promotion of innovativeness through a blending of its performance objectives and decision areas. This aligned Zara operations with its business strategy, ensuring comprehensiveness, correspondence and coherence to achieve its mark in the garment industry as a world leader today. Zara has demonstrated that market flexibility and lean inventories may be even more important than cheap labour, an insight that just might reverse the and its success is based on controlling all the steps of manufacturing clothes: from design to fabric to manufacturing, distribution and sales in order to cut costs and make huge gains in speed and flexibility. In the fashion industry, where trends change daily, Getting a good strategic mix in operations is key to a retailers survival.

Evolution of British Policy in the Colonies: 1750 to 1776 Essay

Evolution of British Policy in the Colonies: 1750 to 1776 The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a â€Å"greater equality and representative government†(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American colonies and lead to the American Revolution. In 1745, the French, Spanish and British Empires began competing over international trade networks and natural resources. Subsequently, each empire began maneuvers to maintain and expand possession of their territory in North America. In 1750, England and France each concluded that â€Å"Ohio country† the land west of the Appalachians was vital to their interests. (Davidson p.102) This battle of over Ohio country led the British and the French into the Seven Years’ War. In the early years of the Seven Year’s war, the British struggled, suffering a significant defeat at Fort Duquesne and surrendering at Fort Necessity. (Davidson p.102-3) Their defeats were largely due to incompetent leadership and the British’s policy decisions. For example, General Braddock alienated the Native Indians, which then aligned with and fought with the French. The North American colonial troops despised commanding officer General Campbell, the Earl of Loudon. Many men we... ...ed Independence thus entering the America revolution. The British polices and leaders continually undermined the citizens of the colonies. It was the British elitist views that continually caused poor policy and leadership decisions. Instead of using a diplomatic approach Britain continued to try to assert dominance over the colonies. These same issues and arrogant attitudes would eventually cost them the war. In the end the battle was not over British policy, it was a battle between a monarchy and a democracy. It was not possible for the two sides to reconciled differing political ideologies. The British were naà ¯ve in thinking they could rule America like a monarch. After all most British Americans left â€Å"mother England† in search of a better life, many in search of liberties not granted at home. Maybe it was always America’s destiny to be independent.

History of Euthanasia in America :: Free Euthanasia Essay

History of Euthanasia in America 1973- The American Medical Association issues the Patient Bill of Rights. The groundbreaking document allows patients to refuse medical treatment. 1976- The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that the parents of Karen Ann Quinlan, who has been in a tranquilizer-and-alcohol-induced coma for a year, can remove her respirator. She dies nine years later. 1979- Jo Roman, a New York artist dying of cancer, makes a videotape, telling her friends and family she intends to end her life. She later commits suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills. 1985- Betty Rollin publishes "Last Wish," the story of her mother's battle with ovarian cancer. The book reveals that Ida Rollin killed herself with a sedative overdose. 1990- Dr. Jack Kevorkian performs his first assisted suicide, using a homemade machine, to end the life of Alzheimer's patient Janet Adkins. Meanwhile, after protracted legal wrangling, the parents of Nancy Cruzan, who has been in a coma for seven years, are allowed to remove her feeding tube. Friends and co-workers testify in court that she would not have wanted to live. 1991- Hemlock Society founder Derek Humphry first publishes "Final Exit." The controversial suicide "how-to" book later becomes a national best seller. 1994- Voters in Oregon pass a referendum making it the only state in the country that allows doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs for terminally ill patients. The hotly contested law was not put into effect until last year. 1995- George Delury publishes "But What If She Wants to Die?" a diary chronicling his wife's long battle with multiple sclerosis. The book describes the couple's agonizing decision to end her life with a drug overdose. Delury served four months in prison for attempted manslaughter for his role in her death. 1997- In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court rules that the Constitution does not guarantee the right to commit suicide with the help of a physician. The decision upholds laws in New York and Washington state making it illegal for doctors to give lethal drugs to dying patients. 1998- In November, Michigan voters defeat a measure that would have made physician-assisted suicide legal. Michigan Poll On Dr. Kevorkian and Euthanasia22 1. After watching that segment which showed Jack Kevorkian administering a lethal injection of drugs, do you think it was appropriate or not appropriate for "60 Minutes" to show that scene on television? 56%Appropriate 35% Not appropriate 10% Undecided/Don't know/Refused 2. Did the experience of watching Dr. History of Euthanasia in America :: Free Euthanasia Essay History of Euthanasia in America 1973- The American Medical Association issues the Patient Bill of Rights. The groundbreaking document allows patients to refuse medical treatment. 1976- The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that the parents of Karen Ann Quinlan, who has been in a tranquilizer-and-alcohol-induced coma for a year, can remove her respirator. She dies nine years later. 1979- Jo Roman, a New York artist dying of cancer, makes a videotape, telling her friends and family she intends to end her life. She later commits suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills. 1985- Betty Rollin publishes "Last Wish," the story of her mother's battle with ovarian cancer. The book reveals that Ida Rollin killed herself with a sedative overdose. 1990- Dr. Jack Kevorkian performs his first assisted suicide, using a homemade machine, to end the life of Alzheimer's patient Janet Adkins. Meanwhile, after protracted legal wrangling, the parents of Nancy Cruzan, who has been in a coma for seven years, are allowed to remove her feeding tube. Friends and co-workers testify in court that she would not have wanted to live. 1991- Hemlock Society founder Derek Humphry first publishes "Final Exit." The controversial suicide "how-to" book later becomes a national best seller. 1994- Voters in Oregon pass a referendum making it the only state in the country that allows doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs for terminally ill patients. The hotly contested law was not put into effect until last year. 1995- George Delury publishes "But What If She Wants to Die?" a diary chronicling his wife's long battle with multiple sclerosis. The book describes the couple's agonizing decision to end her life with a drug overdose. Delury served four months in prison for attempted manslaughter for his role in her death. 1997- In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court rules that the Constitution does not guarantee the right to commit suicide with the help of a physician. The decision upholds laws in New York and Washington state making it illegal for doctors to give lethal drugs to dying patients. 1998- In November, Michigan voters defeat a measure that would have made physician-assisted suicide legal. Michigan Poll On Dr. Kevorkian and Euthanasia22 1. After watching that segment which showed Jack Kevorkian administering a lethal injection of drugs, do you think it was appropriate or not appropriate for "60 Minutes" to show that scene on television? 56%Appropriate 35% Not appropriate 10% Undecided/Don't know/Refused 2. Did the experience of watching Dr.

Erich Fromms Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem Essay e

Erich Fromm's Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem In "Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem," Erich Fromm (1963) argues that society will self-destruct without achieving freedom through disobedience. Fromm begins with analogies of Hebrew and Greek mythology showing how disobedience to a god freed humans. Using this correlation, Fromm shows freedom as a condition for disobedience, and vice- versa. Therefore, Fromm proclaims that without disobedience the human race could destroy itself within a generation. Fromm’s article, first published in 1963, stems from fear of a third world war. Despite the â€Å"outdated† comment by Behrens and Rosen in the introduction, the article still applies to suggestion human nature during the War on Terrorism. Fromm (1963) Fromm predominately uses logos, with underlying pathos (appeals to emotions) when discussing religion. Fromm adds a section near the end about Hitler’s right hand man, Adolf Eichmann, which seems out of place. However, in 1963 the reference to individual players of the Holocaust such as Eichmann probably equates to the 21st century usage of Cindy Sheehan. The flow of Fromm’s article lacks logical arguments while ignoring religious values of his biblical examples, especially Adam and Even. Believers of both Judaism and Christianity believe God created everything including man and woman. First, God created man (Adam) to live in the Garden of Eden, and then woman (Eve) from Adam's rib for companionship. God gave all of his glorious creations to them provided fruit from The Tree of Knowledge stayed uneaten. As the myth goes, Eve ate the fruit from the tree resulting in banishment for both. Fromm (1963) claims this act resulted in Adam and Eve’s freedom... ...l itself off until the majority becomes authority. Fromm (1963) believes the need for disobedience grows as this authority increases. However, he neglects to suggest when disobedience should stop. When the majority continually stops any outbreak of disobedience, I believe over time we will accept the initial concept they wanted to fight. When we win the War on Terrorism, the people of Iraq will be free with their own constitution and government. At that time, any attempt to disobey the government might shake their foundation, but it will not â€Å"free† the insurgency as Fromm suggests. Sources Cited Childbirth.org. (2001). Pregnancy & Childbirth Information. Retried October 10, 2005, from http://childbirth.org/ Fromm, E. (1963). Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem (Ed.), Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum (pp. 357-361). New York: Pearson.

Conflict and Negotiation Essay

Decision making is about coming to agreement on the perceptibly best (optimal) course of action, given several competing odds and scenarios. In many cases, there is more than one person involved in the decision making process. Given the realities faced by the various parties involved in deliberations that must lead to decisions, and the shades of information and viewpoints available to these parties, steps that lead to decisions must be clear on desired outcomes and accommodate different perspectives. Conflicts and the need to negotiate must arise sometimes become people are need-driven and see things from their own points of view – for good reason. For instance, in my experience, I have encountered several instances where HR, business units and IT seemed to be working at cross-purposes even though they insist they are all focused on doing the best for the same organization: †¢The HR manager was looking at employee time-tracking software from the standpoint of compliance and what needed to be in or out to protect the company from reputational risks such as litigations and regulatory penalties. The frontline business unit manager’s focus was on quick delivery so as to book the next sale and achieve his target profitability. †¢The IT manager serving both the HR and business manager was looking at both group’s needs from the standpoint of overall company priority since IT resources were limited. It thus becomes important for participants to be clear on the overall goal, even though they come from different points of view. There is always the need to do some give-and-take with regards to points of view, so the final decision has the coverage, goodwill and support it needs to serve the needs of all concerned and the organization as a whole. Conflict can be either functional (constructive) or of dysfunctional (destructive), depending on whether or not the negotiation process is focused clearly on solving problems or distracted by a selfish investment in rigid viewpoints. When conflicts are functional, they lead to creative tensions that challenge orthodoxy, lead to creative ideas and enhance organizational performance. When conflicts are dysfunctional, they result in narcissistic negotiations. Kofman, F (n. d) In this case, the potential advantage in group decision making of â€Å"drawing from the experiences and perspectives of a larger number of individuals† is lost. Instead, individual/groups mistakenly view themselves as ‘the organization,† thus fueling frustration and wasting the larger rganization’s time and resources. Has anyone encountered individuals who are very self-centered in negotiations? Did you feel frustration and why? How did you get past the frustration point and get to some resolution? 1. Kofman, F (n. d) axialent. com Productivity Killers: Narcissistic Negotiation Retrieved May 15, 2013 from http://www. axialent. com/resource/article_details/79 2. Bauer, T. , & Erdogan, B. (2009). Organizational behavior . (Vol. 1. 1, p. 270). Irvington, NY: FlatWorldKnowledge, Inc

Allentown Materials Corporation

The analysis of the Allentown Materials Corporation case study reveals a number of issues mostly related to the untimely death of a respected leader, the subsequent change in leadership, and also the management style of the newly appointed upper-level managers. This paradigm shift in operational management strategy is one of the root causes of the conflict between departments, absence of teamwork, and low morale. Additionally, radical changes are required to bring Allentown Materials Corporation into a new era of manufacturing and ensure their continued success in the marketplace.The willingness to change is critical in a manufacturing organization where the means of maintaining a competitive advantage change frequently. (ReVelle) The former General Manager of the Allentown Materials Corporation Joe Bennett was very authoritarian in nature, preferring to make all nearly all important decisions by himself, and no decisions at all were made without Mr. Bennett’s approval. Many o f the managers reporting to Bennett were considered political and manipulative by their employees, and as a result few were willing to challenge his operational management style.When Don Rogers took over Joe Bennett’s position as general manager the aggravating factors of a major down turn in business were already present, but the effects were not necessarily being felt throughout the organization. A revolutionary change should have been implemented under Bennett when the business shifted from primarily military applications to private sector uses, however manager’s perspective may cause them to overlook important organizational changes or respond to these changes inappropriately. Both general managers are at fault for the current situation at Allentown; Mr.Bennett for overlooking when change was required and Mr. Rogers for responding to the need for change inappropriately. The military market revolved around highly reliable and consistent components for crucial milita ry equipment; and the military was willing to pay a premium to acquire such components. In contrast the consumer and private sector market also demands high-quality products, but at the lowest cost possible. (ReVelle) The secondary consequence of this shift from military to consumer markets is an increased presence in the extremely competitive Japanese market.Japanese manufacturing firms had long since developed and implemented their own manufacturing methodologies such as Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing and Total Quality Management. Allentown Materials Corporation is essentially attempting to compete in a market that has already seen revolutionary change at the hands of new methodologies and techniques. Changes do need to be made to ensure a manufacturing organization has the competitive advantage, and selecting the appropriate change methodology is equally crucial.The Six Sigma quality management program was originally developed by Motorola in 1986 and as a business strategy focu ses on improving the quality of outputs by removing the causes of defects, unacceptable variability in the manufacturing process, and discontinuing practices that do not add value to the final output. (CIT) One method in which Six Sigma accomplishes this is though improving processes already in place or creating new processes when the existing ones fail to meet business objectives. CIT) Motorola reported over 17 billion in savings in 2006 since the start of their Six Sigma initiative, and many other manufacturing companies have also achieved success with their own implementations of Six Sigma. (CIT) These tangible effects are the results of training in quality improvement methods, rearrangement of business processes to make them more efficient, initiation of projects that improve production or save money, and improved communication between management and employees.For a company to achieve Six Sigma any single process must not produce more than 3. 4 defects per million opportunities. (CIT) This in turn means increased profit for the company and potential bonuses or incentives for employees. We can also make comparisons between Six Sigma and the different Japanese methodologies and draw a number of conclusions†¦ Six Sigma addresses half of the revolutionary change required for Allentown Materials Corporation to remain competitive in the ever-changing manufacturing marketplace.The second component of the change required involves giving the entire organization a shared vision for the future which plays strongly on the core competencies of the Allentown Materials Corporation. The strength of Allentown Materials Corporation lies with its research and development, and manufacturing divisions. Part of this change will come about as Six Sigma is adapted and implemented at the Allentown Materials Corporation.Employees at all levels of the organization will recognize the potential benefits and rewards including increased job security, new opportunities with the comp any, and better performance evaluations and pay increases. Additionally, employees will be aware that if the company is deriving benefits from Six Sigma these benefits will eventually trickle down to them. (CIT) All of the new rewards and incentives will lend themselves to a shared vision within the company. One aspect of particular importance of the Six Sigma methodology will be the effect of training and teamwork on the various divisions.When a sense of teamwork is lacking the employees have a tendency to focus on the productivity of their particular department or division and fail to realize the impact of their actions on the entire operation. (CIT) For these changes to take hold at Allentown Materials Corporation a vital member of upper management must assume the role as the change champion. Don Roger’s seems like the clear choice to take on this position due to his position with the company and the fact that he has an established history of involving people in issues wit h the company and consulting them on decisions.The change champion at Allentown will have a number of new responsibilities related to ensuring the success of Six Sigma and simultaneously being the driving force behind the entire business revolution. In order to show demonstrable commitment to the program and the new shared vision the champion will need to be heavily involved in the change process, ensuring that it moves swiftly and that the change is real and positive. Encouragement, motivation, involvement with projects, removing the barriers to project success, celebrating successes when they occur, and recognizing achievements are all ways the champion can demonstrate commitment.In the course of implementing change the change champion should consider naming a steering committee consisting of him or herself, key managers from all the functional areas including the newly separated sales and marketing functions, and a new position; training manager. The steering committee would serv e to enact the changes, but would also provide crucial feedback from lower managers and employees about the practical implications of their changes.Among the responsibilities of the steering committee would be developing a new team handbook that clearly states the policies and goals of the company and a training program emphasizing teamwork, team interaction skills, and The issues effecting Allentown Materials Corporation may very well lead to its ultimate demise. It is therefore essential for Allentown Materials Corporation to institute a fast and positive change to ensure its long term viability and retain its competitive advantages in the marketplace. Six Sigma when implemented properly by a committed change champion can usher in a new era for Allentown Materials Corporation.