Distinction of Sex and Gender

1. The sex/gender distinction. The terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ mean different things to different feminist theorists and neither are easy or straightforward to characterize. Sketching out some feminist history of the terms provides a helpful starting point. 1. 1 Biological determinism Most people ordinarily seem to think that sex and gender are coextensive: women are human females, men are human males. Many feminists have historically disagreed and have endorsed the sex/ gender distinction.Provisionally: ‘sex’ denotes human females and males depending on biological features (chromosomes, sex organs, hormones and other physical features);‘gender’ denotes women and men depending on social factors (social role, position, behaviour or identity). The main feminist motivation for making this distinction was to counter biological determinism or the view that biology is destiny. A typical example of a biological determinist view is that of Ged des and Thompson who, in 1889, argued that social, psychological and behavioural traits were caused by metabolic state.Women supposedly conserve energy (being ‘anabolic’) and this makes them passive, conservative, sluggish, stable and uninterested in politics. Men expend their surplus energy (being ‘katabolic’) and this makes them eager, energetic, passionate, variable and, thereby, interested in political and social matters. These biological ‘facts’ about metabolic states were used not only to explain behavioural differences between women and men but also to justify what our social and political arrangements have to be.It would be inappropriate to grant women political rights, as they are simply not suited to have those rights; it would also be futile since women (due to their biology) would simply not be interested in exercising their political rights. To counter this kind of biological determinism, feminists have argued that behavioural and psychological differences have social, rather than biological, causes. For instance, Simone de Beauvoir famously claimed that one is not born, but rather becomes a woman, and that â€Å"social discrimination produces in women moral and intellectual effects so profound that they appear to be caused by nature†.Commonly observed behavioural traits associated with women and men, then, are not caused by anatomy or chromosomes. Rather, they are culturally learned or acquired. Although biological determinism of the kind endorsed by Geddes and Thompson is nowadays uncommon, the idea that behavioural and psychological differences between women and men have biological causes has not disappeared. In the 1970s, sex differences were used to argue that women should not become airline pilots since they will be hormonally unstable once a month and, therefore, unable to perform their duties as well as men (Rogers 1999, 11).More recently, differences in male and female brains have been said to explain behavioural differences; in particular, the anatomy of corpus callosum, a bundle of nerves that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres, is thought to be responsible for various psychological and behavioural differences. 1. 2 Gender terminology In order to distinguish biological differences from social/psychological ones and to talk about the latter, feminists appropriated the term ‘gender’.Psychologists writing on trans sexuality were the first to employ gender terminology in this sense. However, in order to explain why some people felt that they were ‘trapped in the wrong bodies’, the psychologist Robert Stoller (1968) began using the terms ‘sex’ to pick out biological traits and ‘gender’ to pick out the amount of femininity and masculinity a person showed. Along with psychologists like Stoller, feminists found it useful to distinguish sex and gender.This enabled them to argue that many differences between women and men were socially produced and, therefore, changeable. For instance Gayle Rubin's thought was that although biological differences are fixed, gender differences are the oppressive results of social interventions that dictate how women and men should behave. Women are oppressed as women and â€Å"by having to be women† (Rubin 1975, 204). However, since gender is social, it is thought to be changeable and adjustable by political and social reform that would ultimately bring an end to women's subordination.Feminism should aim to create a â€Å"genderless (though not sexless) society, in which one's sexual anatomy is irrelevant to who one is, what one does, and with whom one makes love† (Rubin 1975, 204). In some earlier interpretations, like Rubin's, sex and gender were thought to complement one another. The slogan ‘Gender is the social interpretation of sex’ captures this view. Nicholson calls this ‘the coat-rack view’ of gender: our sexed bodies are like coat racks and â€Å"provide the site upon which gender [is] constructed† (1994, 81).Gender conceived of as masculinity and femininity is superimposed upon the ‘coat-rack’ of sex as each society imposes on sexed bodies their cultural conceptions of how males and females should behave. This socially constructs gender differences – or the amount of femininity/masculinity of a person– upon our sexed bodies. That is, according to this interpretation, all humans are either male or female; their sex is fixed. But cultures interpret sexed bodies differently and project different norms on those bodies thereby creating feminine and masculine persons.So, this group of feminist arguments against biological determinism suggested that gender differences result from cultural practices and social expectations. Nowadays it is more common to denote this by saying that gender is socially constructed. This means that genders (women and men) and gendere d traits (like being nurturing or ambitious) are the â€Å"intended or unintended product[s] of a social practice† (Haslanger 1995, 97). But which social practices construct gender, what social construction is and what being of a certain gender amounts to are major feminist controversies.There is no consensus on these issues. (See the entry on Intersections between Analytic and Continental Feminism for more on different ways to understand gender. ) 5. Conclusion This entry first looked at feminist arguments against biological determinism and the claim that gender is socially constructed. Next, it examined feminist critiques of prevalent understandings of gender and sex, and the distinction itself. In response to these concerns, the final section looked at how a unified women's category could be articulated for feminist political purposes and illustrated (at least) two things.First, that gender — or what it is to be a woman or a man — is still very much a live is sue. Second, that feminists have not entirely given up the view that gender is about social factors and that it is (in some sense) distinct from biological sex. The jury is still out on what the best, the most useful or (even) the correct definition of gender is. And some contemporary feminists still find there to be value in the original 1960s sex/gender distinction.

Punctuation error in your writing. Essay

Making mistakes in subject-verb agreement has always been my weakness when it comes to the grammar of my writing. I keep on doing the same grammatical lapses again and again. There are several rules regarding subject-verb agreement, of course, and being ignorant of one or two of them is forgivable, but what is unforgivable if you know the rule and yet continue to make the same mistake. The simple rule which I keep slipping n is the agreement of subject and verb in terms of number, especially in a present tense sentence. The rule states that when the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. Inversely, when the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. The difference between a singular and a plural verb is one letter â€Å"s† and oftentimes I would omit, usually unknowingly or by carelessness, putting that one letter. I have tried to correct the bad habit by being more conscious about my writing, during and after writing. While writing and every time I am to write an action word, I would constantly remind myself to look back to the subject of the verb. During revision of what I wrote, I would run through the entire piece with the one purpose of looking for subject-verb agreement mistakes. I would check for errors in punctuation, spelling, and style during the first revision, but focus on subject-verb agreement on the second run-through.

Black Manhood Essay Research Paper ROBERT CLINEThe

Black Manhood Essay, Research Paper ROBERT CLINE The Explosion of Wall Street, September 16th 1920 from 3 different positions. Reporting from Wall Street Live: John Jackson, Lady s A ; Gentlemen an detonation exterior the frontage of the Barclays Bank edifice merely earlier 5 ante meridiem quivered downtown Wall Street directing dust of glass lavishing down on the intersection of Water Street. I spoke with New York City Police Chief of Detectives William Allee and he said, # 8220 ; An explosive device broke Windowss at Barclays Bank and windows across the street # 8230 ; One individual was injured from the blast, but was treated at Downtown Beekman Hospital and released. # 8221 ; Afterward, the constabulary tagged the device # 8220 ; an jury-rigged explosive device, # 8221 ; but wouldn Ts say if it was a family mechanism. Allee said the New York City Police Department, the FBI and New York State Police have focused their efforts to happen a 5-foot 10-inch, 220-pound adult male dressed in a tan building coat that was seen outside 75 Wall St. about the clip of the detonation. Barclays Bank is non noting on the incident other than to province that Barclays owns the edifice but doesn T sustain offices at that place. I spoke with a spokeswoman and informed me those two renters in the edifice including Dresdner Bank and J.P. Morgan. There is no hint that the blast has any connexion with Dresdner said a bank female interpreter from Frankfurt, Germany. Bank processs in the edifice include Dresdner # 8217 ; s trading floor and other installations as good. The spokeswoman stated that she couldn t give any other information at the clip. One of J.P. Morgan s functionaries replied that Mr. Morgan has some employees that have been rerouted to another 1 of Mr. Morgan s offices and stated the bank is working # 8220 ; concern as usual. # 8221 ; Bomb-smelling cur and representatives from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms bureau have closed seeking the country and found nil. The constabularies say the country is now safe. Employees are now being permitted into the entryway on 75th Wall St. , but are being accompanied by constabulary bulls through a secondary entryway. Streets are blocked off in the parametric quantities between Pearl, Front, Wall and Greenwich streets. I spoke with a gentleman functionary at a corner base and he stated he was stacking doughnuts when the detonation occurred. # 8220 ; I figured it was a elephantine banger, # 8221 ; stated gentleman who decline vitamin D to give his given name. He ended the conversation with, â€Å"I didn’t travel out because I was scared.† I besides spoke with Dennis Theodore and he said he heard the blast during his regular work on his 5th floor office at 110th Wall St. He stated, â€Å"My Windowss shook. The whole edifice shook, and I knew it was a bomb right away.† I found out that this would be Theodore’s 2nd onslaught in five old ages. This 43 twelvemonth old from Middle Village Queens, adult male was on a metro auto near Fulton St. about five old ages ago when a bomb exploded in one of the train autos. The blast is the first in history in the lower Manhattan country that was so destructive of all time. I m seeing following door the mammoth Fe bars across the Assay Office s Windowss twisted. The Stock Exchange s large Windowss shattered onto the trading floor. The consequence of the blast caused the Trinity Church to tremble and thirty people died immediately because of rocks falling and some mere vermilion discolorations on the paving. A adult female s caput still have oning a chapeau is wedged to 23 Wall s fa fruit drink. A courier ballad decapitated with a bundle of securities firing in his manus. Besides a clerk ballad eyeless with his pess gone really exhausted. I figure about two 100s are hurt with the exclusion of the 10 who were merely found dead. To the left of me a hoof of on of the Equus caballuss that are soaking in a pool blood. Another on site informant remembered how the pool had glistened in the sunbeams. There are crowds of unharmed people environing the shambles even though stepping on the dead to see good. Other information on the detonation of Wall St. the Stock Exchange s president stated he walked at a good pace to the bathroom because running is forbidden on the trading floor. While he rang the tam-tam to stop the twenty-four hours s trading. The Curb Exchange agents transacted commercialism on the Broad St. walkway about 200 pess south of Wall St. Less officially suspended when the agents ran off. The constabulary and firemen are here cleaning up things seeking to acquire order. Half a twelve bulls with their guns drawn took station before the Assay Office and Sub exchequer. Forty proceedingss after the blast federal soldiers from the Governor s Island barracks arrived with they re rifles filled and lances fixed were double-timing into Wall St. Beginnings: www.yahoo.com ; 1920 detonation. www.msn.com ; Wall St. Bombing of 1920. Microfilm-September 16th 1920. Bombing of the Wall St. Market.

Financial performance comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial performance comparison - Essay Example The ROA of Brown-foreman was better than Anheuser Bush. Return on equity (ROE) when compared to return on assets, measures the extent to which financial leverage is working for or against common stockholders (Garrison & Noreen). Brown-foreman’s ROE of 32.43% was superior to the 20.83% return on equity of Anheuser Bush. The earnings per share (EPS) metric is the portion of a company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock (Investopedia). The EPS of Anheuser Bush in 2014 was $5.54, while Brown-foreman had a lower EPS in the same period of $3.08. The current ratio shows the ability of a company to pay off its short term debt. A current ratio is considered good if is above the 1.0 threshold. Anheuser Bush had a current ratio of 0.62, while Brown-foreman had a current ratio of 1.02 in 2014. The working capital shows whether a company can pay off its current liabilities solely using its current assets. The working capital of Anheuser Bush was -$8,867 million, while Brown-forman had a working capital of $106 million. Based on these two ratios the liquidity of Brown-forman is superior of Anheuser Bush. The debt ratio shows how much leverage a company uses. In 2014 Anheuser Bush had a debt ratio of 0.62, a figure that is 0.12 higher than Brown-foreman. The desirable outcome is to have a lower debt ratio, thus Brown-foreman outperform Anheuser Bush in this financial metric. The inventory turnover shows how many times a company sold its inventory during a year. Anheuser Bush sold its inventory 6.31 times during 2014. Brown foreman only sold its inventory 1.04 times during the year. Average sale period measures the number of days taken to sell the inventory one time. It takes Anheuser Bush 57.88 days to sell its inventory, while it took Brown-foreman 352.61 days. The financial performance of both companies was good since both firms generated positive income during 2014. When comparing the

An American Prisoner of War, World War II, Held by the Japanese Research Paper

An American Prisoner of War, World War II, Held by the Japanese - Research Paper Example Even I had been getting letters quite frequently from my family in Wisconsin, but circumstances, kept me from going back even after United States had declared war on the Japanese. The canons were now faced in the direction of the seas and the British Navy were ready for the Japanese onslaught – or at least, they thought they were, until the day of reckoning for a thousand Singaporeans came on 8th February, 2942. The British troops were outsmarted by the Japanese as their troops made their way into Singapore on bicycles and after making their way through the heavy marshes and swamps of the Malay Peninsula, the Japanese took the British army by surprise. There were many stories going on about the barbarity of the Japanese army and word got around that the Japanese were not interested in taking prisoners any more. i A pamphlet was distributed amongst the Japanese that I also got to see for myself, which apparently was an ominous command that specifically told them to see their victims as the murderers of their fathers and not hold themselves back from killing them, which will lighten their hearts. ii I only understood the real meaning of the text after I was forced to learn Japanese in the camps, but these were just the tip of the ice berg of the blatant savagery that they had inflicted on the people there. This spelled a disaster for everyone in the peninsula and being on the outskirts of Bukit Timah, I had become accustomed to the sounds of gun shots and explosion in the distance. The violence was rapidly expanding. The Singaporeans put up a final stand against Japan in the battle of Bukit Chandu headed by General Adnan, where the Japanese disguised themselves as Punjabi troops and were compromised. Despite the fact that the Punjabi troops launched an excellent defensive attack, they outmaneuvered by the Japanese and then their

Statistical data in a business context that requires a decision. Use Research Paper

Statistical data in a business context that requires a decision. Use probability concepts to formulate a decision - Research Paper Example The consultancy guarantees that it will give the restaurant the perfect forecast or perfect information about its daily sales. With the perfect information the restaurant will know in advance how many hamburgers will be sold each day. In taking this decision, the expected value concept has been applied. This has resulted in minimization of uncertainty of decision making for the restaurant. The restaurant should stock 200 burgers everyday. This will maximize its profit from the sale of hamburgers. Statistical decision theory or Bayesian decision theory finds much application in business decision making. Managers of small and large businesses find it very useful. It is named after Reverend Thomas Bayes. Reverend Bayes was trying to prove the existence of God through the application of probability when he came upon his decision theory (Richard I. Levin, David S. Rubin

Project E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project E - Essay Example perceive sound that comes from sound or a speaker while listening is the ability to comprehend or decode the meaning of the information from the speaker or sound. Students can be tested for their audio literacy skills by giving them tests to see if they both heard and listened to the lessons that were taught in class. Another method is to give the students audio books of tutorials that teach how to operate certain software and ask them to demonstrate their understanding of the software. There are a number of ways that can help you improve your listening skills. Hearing is one thing and listening to the information is another. It always advisable to be attentive when listening so that the information being conveyed is understood. I will explain four ways to help you improve your listening skills. I would like to conclude by saying that hearing and listening go together. Meaning that one must hear first before listening. If you fail to hear you will not listen. There are four ways of improving your listening skills and they include: maintenance of eye contact, avoiding obstruction, concentration on the message’s content and reading the body

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview - Essay Example Harris’ office. The moment I walked into the room, I could sense that the atmosphere was very relaxing. The room was spacious and let in plenty of light, and there was a fountain running in the corner. The room had been painted with nice, soothing colors. Ms. Harris said that the standard Army counseling sessions are 90 minutes long. She said that the most difficult thing about her job is trying to help someone whose families are constantly moving every two or three years. Ms. Harris expressed frustration with her job, saying that most of the time she feels like she is just putting a bandage on the situation and is not making any long-term impact. The one positive aspect of the program is that it is carried out in conjunction with the military; if the abuser doesn’t stick with therapy or show any improvement, they will be discharged from the military. So, if they do not bother to participate in the program, they won’t have a job. This gives military personal more incentives to work harder. She also stated that the hardest issue is to know if they really want to change or not. As military members, they are supposed to show military barring. Ms. Harris commented that it can be hard to break down these walls because of how the military trains them to think. The U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program is dedicated to the prevention, education, prompt reporting, investigation, intervention, and treatment of spouse and child abuse. The program provides a variety of services to all active duty soldiers, retirees, and DOD employees and their family members to enhance relationship skills and improve each individual’s quality of life. This mission is accomplished through a variety of groups, seminars, workshops, and counseling and intervention services. The programs that are offered through the Family Advocacy Program include the Exceptional Family Member Program, New Parent Support Program, Transitional Compensation Program, and Victim Advocacy Pro gram. The Exceptional Family Member Program caters for soldiers who have a family member with special needs. The program provides community support, housing, education, medical, and personnel services to affected family members of soldiers. On the other hand, the New Parent Support Program helps soldiers and family members who are either expecting a child or have a child or up to three years of age. The program provides home visits, play groups, and parenting classes for military families with young children. The Transitional Compensation Program supports spouses of soldiers who have either been court-martialed or have been found guilty of domestic violence or child abuse. The afflicted family member is eligible for medical and dental care for a period of up to 36 months. Payments are made monthly and vary upon the victim’s status to the soldier. Lastly, the Victim Advocacy Program provides support to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. This program is available 24/ 7 and allows victims to talk with trained professionals about their experiences. The treatment soldiers and their families receive include intervention and therapeutic services designed to prevent repetition of abuse and to restore the health of victims and innocent family members who have suffered physical or psychological damage from abuse. Treatment also may include crisis intervention, education programs, short-term counseling, marital

Customer Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example The product development cycle starts with the assessment of the customer's needs and ends when the design is finally released. In this highly competitive environment world class organizations are supposed to implement the TQM strategy in order to continually seek better performance. In the world we live today, it must be amply clear that; In fact these guiding principles are inextricably linked to each other and development of this thought along with the development of other business processes can lead to some form of a competitive advantage in the market. The modern view of quality is that products should totally satisfy the customer's needs and expectations in every respect on a continuous basis. This new concept calls for a well designed product with functional perfection, providing satisfaction beyond customer's expectation, excellence in service and absolute empathy with customer. TQM therefore encompasses a set of critical factors (Powell, 1995; Li et al., 2003; Arawati, 2005). In general, some of these critical factors can be identified as; Top management commitment: The top management of a company must be convinced enough to adopting quality control programmes. This will help in conditioning the attitude of other departmental heads to regularly monitor the quality aspect. StrategicStrategic planning: Strategic planning is a process which, through an examination of external and internal factors for an organisation, results in a set of mission, purpose, objectives, policies, plans and programmes for implementation. Customer focus: A progressive organisation is supposed to have a strategy for quality which is based on customer perceptions of quality. Customer service after the sale of a product is considered as important as the quality of the product itself. Benchmarking: It is the process of following the best in the industry. Human resource management: Human resources form the crucial part of any organisation. They are the key players in producing and delivering quality. Supplier relationship: Suppliers too have a role in quality assurances as their role encompasses the identification, acquisition, access, positioning, and management of the resources required for the product and the company. Continuous improvement: Improvement is a never ending cyclic process. Product Quality requires to be continually improved to remain in the competition. Quality information system: How the quality principles are being implemented in the company and if required the management can decide to take a corrective course of action midway, is determined by the Quality Information System (QIS). It was in early 90s that the concept of Total Quality Management started being promoted as a way for business to wring out inefficiencies and boost productivity. TQM was considered the only way to effectively compete with the Japanese dominance in the manufacturing sector. It is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services satisfying their needs. KLEEMANN's activities1 concern both the manufacturing and

Future Law Enforcement Weapons Essay Example for Free

Future Law Enforcement Weapons Essay Everyday technology is taking advances in all fields of work forces, Especially Law Enforcement. Todays as well as future technology will make the jobs of those in the military and law enforcement easier as well as safer. As technology is breaking through, amendments 4 and 8 in the constitution need to be taken in consideration. The technologies may not be used to punish, and if it is searching equipment, a warrant is needed unless it will be used for sudden reasons of safety. In the future, instead of a normal squad car, someone might see a bulletproof truck. What is cool about it is that, they are strictly for the safety of police officers; they do not need to worry about a warrant, or hurting someone. This tool in the future would save officers lives. The bulletproof trucks are crash resistant/ damage resistant, during a high speed chase, and can possible handle a small missile fire. The portable radar system is a lightweight tool that sees through walls. This tool also promotes officer safety, it allows a building to be searched from the outside, detecting anything potentially dangerous on the inside. The officer would not have a problem with the 8th Amendment, this tool is not a weapon, it cannot be used to punish, restrain, or temporarily injure a suspect in anyway. Although the 4th Amendment would be needed to in consideration, because it is a tool that may be used to search private property. In order for Law enforcement to search another person’s property, a warrant is needed; it does not matter if the officers are searching from the inside or the outside, in this case the outside. Only when the safety of a person is threatened, may Law Enforcement use this tool without a warrant. The grill mount Launcher, is a tool that attaches to the vehicle, and it allows the police officer to shoot a GPS system onto another vehicle to track. This tool would be useful during a high speed chase; the suspect could get away, but completely unaware that their vehicle had a GPS that was tracking them. The Grill mount Launcher is strictly a tracking system; it does not violate the 4th or 8th Amendments. This tool does not having searching abilities, or the potential to hurt anybody. The officer should be free to use this tool any time a situation calls for it. The strobe lamp is a handheld tool with extremely bright lights, which causes temporary blindness. This tool promotes citizen safety, this tool is not a deadly weapon, it does not have a potential danger for a by-stander; In addition this tool most likely not kill the suspect, the strobe lamp provides alternate options for a police officer to take someone into custody, other than a gun, or handcuffs. This tool could not possibly violate the 4th amendment. A weapon is any device used for attack or defense against an opponent. Since the strobe lamp does cause pain, and the suspect to temporarily lose their vision, it is considered a weapon, which means an officer has to follow the 8thamendment. A Law Enforcement officer cannot use this weapon on a suspect because they deserve it, only may this tool be used, if the suspect is posing an immediate threat on the officer or another person. The Automatic License Plate Recognition Device allows police officer to check thousands of license plates, to determine if vehicles are stolen, if registered owners are wanted, if driver’s licenses are expired or revoked. The system also takes a picture of the car license plate and registers the code into a database. This tool allows the officer possibly find the name and history of the suspect easily. This tool is similar to the grill Mount Launcher GPS as far as tracking the suspect. This tool has no relation to the 4th and the 8th amendments, it does not harm, and it is only for Law Enforcement benefit only. Most of today’s Law enforcement technology does have to be used carefully, in order to avoid problems with Amendments of the Constitution, but ultimately they provide non-lethal weapon options to use on suspects, citizen safety, in addition to Police Officer safety,

The Basis Of Management Function

The Basis Of Management Function INTRODUCTION This project provides an introduction to the basis of management function which is Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling (POLC). In this very project, we have the opportunity to interview any company to understand more about the company. For instance, how the company works, how it implements the four management function and how they manage the whole company so that everything will go smoothly. In conjunction with this project, we took up the opportunity and interviewed The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf Company which is a worldwide recognized company. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf was established in 1963 by Herbert B. Hyman in Southern California. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States. The first cafe of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf was located in Brentwood, California. There are roughly about 30 varieties of coffee and 20 varieties of tea introduced up to date. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaves company vision is to be Simply the Best roaster and global retailer of specialty coffee and tea. Their mission is to create a spirit within the company that inspires their team members to provide customers with a Total Quality Experience: Quality of Product, Service and Environment. This company has developed throughout the years and it has grown so rapidly that from one branch, it has developed to more than 800 stores in over 20 countries currently. In short, for nearly 50 years of serving, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf Company has demonstrated a great passion for product innovation epitomized by The Original Ice Blended beverage. The patience and efforts made by the organization is very much worth to be learned and practiced by our us in order to be success. PLANNING Planning is the fundamental for attaining success. Everything else starts from planning. Planning can be defined as identifying goals for future organizational performance and deciding on the task and use of resources needed to attain them. The mission of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is to develop a spirit within our company that inspires our Team Members to provide our customers with a Total Quality Experience, Quality of Product, Services and Environment. The goal of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is to be Simply The Best roaster and global retailer of specialty coffee and tea. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf put people first to achieve their stated goal. From their coffee and tea origin suppliers to their retail store team Members and loyal customers, they consider everyone as their extended family. They will offer specialized training to each Team members so that they are able to build bond of trust with the customers. They have Core Value which is known as FROTH or Friendly, Request, Ownership, Teamwork and Honesty. Find Your Flavor is their slogan that is very important in continuing their good relationship with their customers. From our interview, we know that The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf have outstanding quality of input and output by maintaining the quality of their coffee bean and beverages in order to achieve their goal. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf only produces and serves only the finest coffees and teas from around the world. Each year The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf searches out the best harvest from Sumatera to Coata Rica to bring to their tasting room for inspection and sampling and accept only the highest grades of green coffee and full leaf tea. All the beans they import are grown at altitudes of up to 6000 feet as the cooler temperatures at the higher altitudes cause the bean to be more concerned flavor. Once the green coffee reaches the stores, it goes through several quality checks to maintain the quality of coffee bean. After passing the quality check, the green coffee bean are roasted fresh daily. Once the optimal flavor is reaches, the coffee is then packaged using state-of-the-art equipment. The companys marketing strategy is managing their foreign franchisees when expanding into Asia includes master franchising and company owned-stores. The marketing approach is vital to gain a competitive advantage for The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf in the foreign market. The construct included market entry, site location and master positioning. The reason for the company to choose master franchising as its form of franchising is because of that the master franchising was the most popular mode of entry into distant and cultural dissimilar market such as Asia. The master franchisees prefer to own and run the entire unit instead of sub-franchising the units. It entered Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan by master franchising while preferring to use company-owned stored in Hong Kong, Australia and United States. Whereas for complex markets such as Japan, Philippines and the Middle East, franchise are more favored. For the companys business strategy, branding and images are consistent in host markets with that of home market. Standardization is enforced by The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf on branding to ensure that the brand image and value is consistent. Adaptation is also applied to their product. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has a limited range of food and beverage item in their outlets. However, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf had included a wider range of hot food items in Asia. In facing competitors such as Starbucks, Dome and Old Town Cafà ©, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has develop several plans. They will create new recipes for the coffee, teas, cakes and cookies in order to attract new customers. They will have promotion or happy hours during weekdays. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf also releases a special coffee bean card for their customers. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf must be aware of competition on all levels and maintains its operational performance if it is to retain its status as the worlds leading specialty coffee retailer. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf maintains a strong commitment with numerous programs contributing to local and charitable causes. Their Caring Cup initiatives support charities, foundations and schools around the world. Domestic Programs such as The Help Group, Support from Home and Orange Country Adopt-A-School Program. Global Programs include Kidane Mehret Students, Aid Lanka Kids Foundation, CCC Foundation, Shree Dwarika Tea Estate, The Mukengeria Tea Estate and others. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has earned its good reputation by sustaining a strong commitment to the community with numerous programs contributing to local and charitable causes. ORGANIZING Organizing is the function of management which follows planning. It is a function in which the synchronization and combination of human, physical and financial resources takes place. All the three resources are important to get results. Therefore, organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. According to Chester Barnard, Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs related and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Hence, a manager always has to organize in order to get results. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is s an American coffee chain, owned and operated by International Coffee Tea, LLC, which has its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is managed by the highest level of organizational management which is Senior Management who has the day-to-day responsibilities of managing The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, they hold specific executive powers conferred onto them with and by authority of the board of directors and/or the shareholders. The following are the structural of Senior Management: Executive Chairman of the Management Board. Focus on the development of the companys strategic business plan. Chief Executive Officer President. Responsible for setting strategy and directing the day-to-day operations of the Companys global brand and business. Chief Financial Officer Responsible for all Accounting, Finance, Treasury, IT and Loss Prevention functions. Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President. Responsible for the Companys legal, human resource, real estate and global supply chain initiatives and maintains an active role in the Companys overall leadership. Vice President of Operations. Focused on the profitable growth of the Companys Domestic Operations Division through the development of our people at all levels, while creating a spirit that inspires our Team Members to deliver a Total Quality Experience for every customer in every store. Vice President of Business Development. Responsible for domestic and international franchises, in both traditional and non-traditional locations. Vice President of Supply Chain. Responsible for all supply chain and manufacturing operations worldwide and the Companys product development and quality assurance functions. Vice President of Marketing. Responsible for brand stewardship, overall marketing strategy as well as specific programs, promotions and category plans that support segment sales (retail operations, business development, specialty sales and ecommerce). Director of Product Innovation. Oversaw the development of all new coffees and teas, beverages, and other related products, including food and equipment Senior Director of Coffee, Roasting and Manufacturing. Responsible for selecting the best green coffee beans available from the worlds finest growing regions, as well as for all coffee and tea manufacturing, for warehousing and distribution worldwide. Director of Tea. Responsible for sourcing, development and internal education on tea. Other than that, to boost the abilities of the employees, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has designed exceptional recruitment, training and recognition programs that greatly contribute to their valuable investment, Team Member satisfaction. Starting with recruitment, they hold in-store job fairs during normal business hours so applicants have the experience. They have a Team Member Referral Program to reward our Team Members for serving as ambassadors as they actively recruit prospective employees to our brand. We provide a detailed Manager in Training (MIT) program for all new Field Operation Managers. As our Team Members advance, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf contributes to the professional development of its Team Members through the performance management process with Stretch Assignments and Individual Development Programs (IDPs) for high potentials, where they have the opportunity to be mentored and become a mentor. Not only are the Stretch Assignments and IDP Program a benefit to Team Me mbers, it allows Team Members to interact across various departments between the Home Office, Roasting Distribution Facility (RAD), Bakery and Field Operations. To properly recognize the hard work of its Team Members, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf annually rewards selected Team Members with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the coffee farms of Costa Rica, where the company gets a portion of its coffee beans. The trip is the most coveted of the Team Member incentive programs. Team members participate in a harvest, visit the processing mill and host an appreciation dinner for the farmers and growers. A good organizing structural can be very effective in building up awareness of your business and lending it credibility, but it does involve a lot of effort on the part of the organizer. Besides, it may also boost the satisfaction of the customers. Organizational structure help determine how well its employees make decisions, but it also reflects how well they respond to problems. These responses, over time, can make or break an organization. In addition, the organizational structure influences employees attitudes toward their work. A suitable organizational structure can minimize a businesss costs, as well as maximize its efficiency. This shows that organizing is important in increases its ability to compete in a global economy. LEADING Leading is the management function that use of influence to motivate employees to achieve organization goals. Leading means that creating a shared culture and value, communicating goals to employees throughout the organization. Managers are always motivating the employees with the desire to reach the best performance for organization. Managers are the inspiration and as a leader to all employees, employees will follow all the instruction that given by the manager. Employees follow the managers because they believe in what the manager is doing and they are trying to help the company achieve its goals. To successfully perform the leading process, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has find finding ways to inspire the employees, means coaching them and motivating them to succeed as integral parts of the company. Managers always create a climate in order to encourage and motivate their employees to come out with new ideas and inputs. The managers also create a good environment for the employees and let all the employees to voice out their opinion towards their work. The more the employees feel that they have a say in the company, the more they will be willing to share ideas and attempt to find better ways to improve processes. From the interview with The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, we know that there are the target sales for weekdays and weekends, which is 40 cups of drinks on weekdays and 200 cups of drink at weekends. The managers have set the target sales for all shop and this also purposely to motivate the employees to work their best to sell their drinks and beverages to hit the sales target. In addition, managers will reward employees by giving monetary or incentives when they can increase the sales and hit the target. According to the store manager, she stated that this kind of rewards is useful and efficient to motivate the employees for their work. Sales are increasing since the rewards are given out to the employees which had had hit the sales target. The manager of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf also stated that, the leading is the key to effective communication. The managers and employees are always communicate well to avoid any conflict happen to affect the organization. For a manager to be an effective leader, he or she must also be an effective communicator. The manager had always shares the information and the latest news for all the employees in the company. This has shown that the manager is deemed trustworthy by the employees. The good and well communication has built up a loyalty between the managers and employees. As a opposite side, the employees will feel that a little loyalty or trust towards a manager who does not readily give out information. Besides that, from the interview we know that sometimes there are the conflicts between the employees and this will affect the workforce. According the manager of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, she says that the manager will handle this kind of problems by consult the employees and listen to their think and opinion. The managers also share the experience to the employees in order to consult them and solve the conflict and crisis between the employees. Managers have always lead the employees to positive think and maintain a happy and harmony workplace because this is significantly will affect the performance of the employees during their works. The employees of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf are emphasizing the cooperation between each other. So, the relationship between the employees is good and close. We have learned that, an effective leader inspires employees, which allows those employees to feel like they are making a meaningful contribution to the company. So the role of managers is very important in leading process. The manager of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has perform well as a leader in the leading process, this is the reason that the employees have satisfied and generally work harder and take more ownership in their job positions. This will also motivate the employees perform high level of job and the customers will receive the high level of customer service. As a conclusion, leading process is very important and significant stage for organisation. We can say that great leaders in an organization affect the employees they supervise, but they also inspire those in other parts of the company. Effective leadership is infectious and should be spread to as many areas of the organization as possible; doing this will result in a highly-coordinated effort to please both customers and employees. CONTROLLING Controlling is the fourth function in the management process. Controlling means monitoring employees activities, determining whether the organization is on target towards its goal, and making correction as necessary. In year 2006, when the president of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf found the company was facing its worst fiscal performance. He quickly identified one major, underlying issue that The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf various managers needed to boost their commitment and involvement with their stores and be accountable for performance. After attending the MAP workshop, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf decided to bring in the expert consultant to introduce MAP to the entire management team. MAP coached The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf in setting up its Vital Factor Dashboard, which gave the managers a way to establish, monitor and measure individual and group goals. This created the foundation for a collaborative approach that instilled fresh ownership and accountability among the managers and crucial team-building skills. As a group, the managers celebrated achievements and identified opportunities to reach healthier levels of success. This newfound energy motivated and inspired the managers, who started taking greater ownership in store and company performance. Instead of taking a top-down management approach, they addressed responsibilities from the bottom-up which including customer interactions and communications, employee insights and feedback, and a hands-on. With the MAP system in place, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf experienced a complete turnaround in its productivity and profitability. In terms of the workplace culture, the managers renewed ownership in their stores, plus their dedication to the welfare of their employees, customers and the company at large. Employees caught the spirit, which has since translated into better service and product. In three years time, sales have increased 30 percent, the cost of goods has dropped 3 percent, labor costs have shrunk 5 percent, and personnel turnover has decreased from 236 to 52 percent annually. As to bottom-line profits, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has experienced a 200 percent turnaround from 2006, positioning the company in a positive cash-flow situation, despite a weakened national economy. The improvements from MAPs structured system, as well as the coachs ability to create for the managers that important buy-in to the program, which impacted their ability to set and achieve key goals. From the interview with The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, we found that they monitor their employees activities by their performance. The manager will try to solve their problem whenever she found that their performances have dropped. She will try to help them in order to raise their performance up. The manager also prepared duty schedule for the employees so that all employees have equality working hour. Manager stated that for the new employees, she will assigned them with the cleaning job first before they can proceed to become barista. Their working duty will change every week and depends on the situation and how fast the employees could master the task. For the cashier task, it is reserve for the staff that worked long period and has more experience. The companies differentiate the new staff and old staffs in order to prevent the problem happen. It is very easy for the new staff to make some mistake. This differentiation could be easier for the manager to monitor them. The main product of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is tea leaves. The company needs to make sure that those products are on target toward its goal. When the company found that those products do not on target, they need to make corrections in this area. The manager said, this could happen probably that they did not take out the dry bean that in the process when the time is ready for the dry bean to take out. When there is short of employees this could happen but they are tried to avoid this from happen. Quality of the bean is very important to them and they would take this seriously because this would affect their company sales target. The other problem could be the clean environment of the place. The manager will make sure that the surrounding area must be clean because clean environment could easily attract customer to dine in. A clean environment is also an effect that cause a company sales targets to drop. The manager make correction of this problem by assign that cleaning job must be done twice time in a day that is once in morning and once in night when the shop close. The day that we went for interview, we found that the shop air condition is not in well-being. The manager told us somehow this air conditioning would also affect the customer to dine in. The manager had called for the technician to fix the air conditioning as well. For the conclusion, there are many problems that could affect the target of the company and monitoring employees activities is not an easy job for the manager too. CONCLUSION As the summary of what we discussed, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf can be conclude as a worldwide cafà © all over the world. Not only is it paramount that they can provide with the highest quality products, but its equally important that the ingredients for these products come from growers who pay fair wages and treat workers respectfully. The mission of The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is to create a spirit within company that inspires team members to provide the customers with the total Quality Experience which are Quality of Product, Service and Environment. Moreover, The Coffee Bean Tea Leafs vision is to serve its community and provide the destination and lifestyle quality experience. Every corporation needs the management functions which are Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling to manage their business. Same goes to The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, they need those function in order to continue their business. Planning means defining the goals of an organization for future organizational performance and deciding on the task and the use of resources to attain them. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf usually gives priority to their customers. The marketing approach is essential to gain a competitive advantage for The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf in the foreign market. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf maintains the quality of their coffee bean and beverages in order to achieve their goal. The second management function is organizing. Organizing involves assigning task, group task to departments, delegating authority and allocating the resources across the organization. This organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. As what we have been discuss in Organizing part, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is managed by the highest level of organizational management which is Senior Management who has the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the corporation. A company can be very effective in building up awareness and lending it credibility if there is a good organizing structural. It also can maximize a companys profit and minimize the cost. Leading is the third management function right after organization. Leading can be derive as the use of influence to motivate the employees to attain the organizational goals. According to The Coffee Bean Tea Leafs manager, they will reward employees by giving monetary or incentives to motivate employees where they can increase the sales and hit the target that they had set. As we know that, The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has the target sales for weekdays and weekends, which is 40 cups of drinks on weekdays and 200 cups of drink at weekends. Besides, employees are given opportunity to voice out their problem as well as opinion in order to have a harmony environment. The one who is working in harmony environment will be more There are always a good communication occur between employers and employees to avoid any conflict among them. Lastly, controlling is the final process of management function. Controlling means monitoring the employees performance and always made sure the organization is on track towards goal and making correction as necessary. The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has decided to bring in the expert consultant to introduce MAP to the entire management team so that the manager can monitor and measure individual and group goals. This MAP Management System TM is a cornerstone of the program. It can increase effectiveness of the management team. In terms of the workplace culture, the managers renewed ownership in their stores, plus their dedication to the welfare of their employees, customers and the company at large. In conclusion, in order to be a successful organization, it must have good management functions which are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Since The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf has all this management function, it can be say that is a success organization.

Hurricane Katrina Essay -- Natural Disasters Papers

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina has been one the most devastating natural disasters to hit USA ever costing a total of 125 billion dollars, and leaving almost 1000 dead. We need to look at ways of preventing such a disaster. As this is the only problem, we can predict and perceive how dangerous a hurricane can be but preventing one is a different matter entirely. The U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) reported on August 23 that Tropical Depression Twelve had formed over the south-eastern Bahamas this was soon to be named hurricane Katrina, it was upgraded to a hurricane on the 25th of august, it hit land the same day lousing its strength while travailing over Florida. Although on the 26th of August it grew it to a category 2 hurricane. It became clear the storm was headed for Mississippi and Louisiana. The next day the hurricane grew to category 3 and again the day after, the storm grew in intensity and on August the 28th it became category 5 with winds up 214mph. Katrina made...

Teams - Making Them Work For You Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Cour

Teams Making Them Work For You The organisational organ known as the team is becoming more and more apparent in today's dynamic business world. Increasingly managers are searching for a means to improve production and keep their organisation competitive in the global market. A lot of these managers have turned to the team as a means for achieving this improvement. Quality circles were looked at to fulfil this role. However, this form of team is being phased out and may have posed as incubator for the current trend; self - managed work teams (Klein, 1995). These teams are increasingly being looked at today to solve many an organisation's production problems and inefficiencies, and in the process are both badly failing and greatly succeeding. Therefore, the discussion of teams is a very important contemporary management issue to address. Managers should be aware of such a concept and learn about it so as a means to further their organisation and for when the time comes to implement a team they are armed with enough knowledge to implement the team properly. As with many management trends or processes, they are often labeled, producing a huge list of "buzzwords", like total quality management, just in time management, management by objectives, downsizing, rightsizing, etc. The organisational team also pulls a long chain of "buzzwords"; workgroup, work team, project team, project group, task force, committees and so on and so on. What these terms basically refer to is a "collection of two or more individuals who interact with each other, share common beliefs, and perceive themselves as being in a group." (Vecchio, Hearn, Southey, 1996:846). This is a very basic interpretation of a team and which can be expanded upon. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company defines a team more specifically as "a group of people with specific roles and responsibilities, organised to work together toward common goals or objectives, in which each member depends on others to carry out responsibilities to reach those goals and objectives." (1986, cited in Denton, 1992:87). The implementation and operation of a team can either be a great success or a costly failure, both money wise and time wise. Many companies have benefited from teams, as Dumaine (1994) points out, "when teams work, there's nothing like them for turbocharging productivity." There are many examples of success... ...close to the problem, they also may be more capable of identifying the most viable solutions. And as authors of the solutions, they have a vested interest in their success. Even without a role in developing solutions, staffs are critical to implementation," (Magee, 1997:26). Bibliography: Denton, D.K. (1992). Building a team. Quality Progress, October, 87 - 91. Dewar, D. (1999). 13 keys to successful teamwork. Workforce, 78 (2), W3. Dumaine, B. (1994). The trouble with teams. Fortune, 130 (5), 86 - 90. Kezsbom, D.S. (1995). Making a team work: techniques for building successful cross - functional teams. Industrial Engineering, January, 39 - 41. Klein, S. (1995). Teams under stress: the effects of work pressures and management action. IIE Solutions, May, 34 - 38. Magee, Y.S. (1997). Teams: avoiding the pitfalls. Public Management, 79 (7), 26 - 28. McGarvey, R. (1996). Joining forces: 12 steps to creating winning teams. Entrepreneur, 24 (9), 80 - 82. Taraschi R. (1998). Cutting the ties that bind. Training and Development, 52 (11), 12 - 14. Vecchio, R.P., Hearn, G., & Southey G. (1996). Organisational behaviour. 2nd edition. Marrickville: Harcourt Brace.

B.f. Skinner Essay examples -- essays research papers

B.F. Skinner Psychologist, born in Susquhanna, Pa. He studied at Harvard, teaching there (1931-6, 1947-74). A leading behaviorist, he is a proponent of operant conditioning, and the inventor of the Skinner box for facilitating experimental observations. B. F. Skinner’s entire system is based on operant conditioning. The organism is in the process of â€Å"operating† on the environment, which in ordinary terms means it is bouncing around the world, doing what it does. During this â€Å"operating,† the organism encounters a special kind of stimulus, called a reinforcing stimulus, or simply a reinforcer. This special stimulus has the effect of increasing the operant - which is the behavior occurring just before the reinforcer. This is operant conditioning: â€Å"the behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organisms tendency to repeat the behavior in the future.† Say you have a dog and he’s just playing around with his toys and such and then when you throw a toy at him and he catches it then you give him a treat. Then all of the sudden the dog is starting to catch toys and such as you throw it in the air or at his mouth. The operant is the behavior just prior to the reinforcer, which is the treat. Then what if you decide to stop giving the dog treats, well he’ll stop his little trick which your, the owner were enjoying. This is called extinction of the operant behavior. Now, if you were to start showing the dog treats, then most likely he/she’ll want to start doing the tricks again and a little more quickly than the dog learned at first. This is because the return of the reinforcer takes place in the context of a reinforcement history that goes all the way back to the very first time the dog was reinforced for performing the tricks. Continuous reinforcement is the original scenario: Every time that the dog does the behavior (such as performing a trick), he gets a treat. The fixed ratio schedule was the first one Skinner discovered: If the dog did the trick three times, say, he gets a goodie. Or five times. Or twenty times. Or â€Å"x† times. There is a fixed ratio between behaviors and reinforcers: 3 to 1, 5 to 1, 20 to 1, etc. This is a little like â€Å"piece rate† in the clothing manufacturing industry: You get paid so much for so many shirts. Skinner also looked at variable schedules. Variable ratio means you change the â€Å"x† each ... ...e aversive stimulus of hunger? Skinner (contrary to some stereotypes that have arisen about behaviorists) doesn’t â€Å"approve† of the use of aversive stimuli -- not because of ethics, but because they don’t work well! Notice that I said earlier that Johnny will maybe stop throwing his toys, and that I perhaps will take out the garbage? That’s because whatever was reinforcing the bad behaviors hasn’t been removed, as it would’ve been in the case of extinction. This hidden reinforcer has just been â€Å"covered up† with a conflicting aversive stimulus. So, sure, sometimes the child (or me) will behave -- but it still feels good to throw those toys. All Johnny needs to do is wait till you’re out of the room, or find a way to blame it on his brother, or in some way escape the consequences, and he’s back to his old ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. F. Skinner made numerous contributions to the science of behavior. He strongly influenced the area of learning that he named operant conditioning. His Skinner box is now a standard apparatus for the experimental study of animal behavior. Much of his work involved the study of how reinforcement schedules influence learning and behavior.

Acquainted With the Night, An AP Analysis Essay

Robert Frost, the author of, â€Å"Acquainted With the Night† uses many literary devises to tell the speaker’s attitude toward the city and the speaker’s current life. Frost uses language such as diction and imagery, details, and metaphors to reveal the speaker’s attitude of loneliness and depression. Diction plays a major role in helping the audience, or reader understand the attitude of the speaker. Words such as, â€Å"saddest†, â€Å"unwilling†, and â€Å"cry† are all words used to describe emotions of loneliness or despair. The speaker obviously has something lingering on his mind that he can not put behind him. He is weary and upset. The word â€Å"night† alone connotes to many other low words, such as, dark, cold, quiet, or alone. The word â€Å"rain† symbolizes coldness, and the uncomfortableness that comes along with being wet. Images also play a major role in understanding the attitude of the speaker. The image of the rain falling down when the speaker goes out, and that it is still there when he comes back shows that the speaker can never get away from his problem. The fact that when the speaker stopped walking he also â€Å"stopped the sound of feet†, meaning that he was the only person around, again leading back to the idea th at he is mourning in his state of loneliness. These words and images help to show the speaker’s attitude. There are many details that Frost added to give a person a better understanding of the speaker and his feelings. The idea of the speaker, â€Å"outwalk[ing] the furthest city light† shows that he is out of bed in the middle of the night walking aimlessly trying to get his problem lifted. It shows how disturbed and troubled the speaker is with this mysterious problem floating around. The line â€Å"I have looked down the saddest lane† shows how the speaker has sort of a woe-is-me attitude where he feels that because it is happening to him it must be the worst. When the speaker says that the cry he heard was not to â€Å"call [him] back or say good-bye† is shows that he feels as if no one cares about him. He feels hopeless and that there is no way out of the mess he is in. These details all help in identifying the speaker’s attitude. There are many metaphors that help one understand the attitude of the speaker. The night itself is a metaphor for the speaker’s loneliness. The rain is his problems. He goes out walking to get away from his problems but they will never leave him. The luminary clock is a metaphor for the moon that shines in the sky. The moon is the only lit thing in the darkness of the light, giving off a little bit of hope to those lost in its dreariness. The attitude of loneliness, and hopelessness were clearly shown when one looked at the diction and imagery, details, and metaphors in this poem. One could learn many lessons form this poem about how when troubles come along, just trying to walk away from them will never help.

Good Technology Vs. Bad Technology Essay

In a world dominated by technology, it can be difficult for a person to distinguish between the meaning of ‘good technology’ and ‘bad technology’. The question which makes this categorization so hard is, what is it that makes technology good or bad? Is it the technology itself that makes it good or bad or is it us, the users? Technology is a most wonderful and marvellous thing. It can be found in just about every aspect of our everyday lives. Everything from an alarm waking us up, to using an electric toothbrush or razor, or driving a vehicle utilizes technology in some way. Technology is all around us and will be for the rest of time. Technology, like most everything in this world, has its upside and its downside. The upside can be seen as the technological good. Advances in the technology field allow us to accomplish things much more easily than ever before. The recent release of the new IPhone is an excellent example of just how much we are capable of accomplishing with technology. With this gadget that fits in your hand, one is capable of not just making phone calls around the world but also sending text messages, e-mails, browsing the internet, listening to music, and taking pictures among many other functions of the IPhone. And with the applications that are available to be downloaded to the handheld device, a homeowner can now do such things as controlling the temperature in their home, or even locking/unlocking the doors when they are out of the house. The many functions of this gadget are simply amazing. In a way, when using a smartphone device such as the IPhone, one can complete just about everything the y would do in their day to day life and it’s all at their fingertips. But beneath the glamour of these devices, there lies the horrible downside. One downside which has been in the media for years now is the problem of people not getting enough physical activity. With just about everything at our fingertips in one of these devices, means that we can be lazy. We don’t have to get up and go to the bank anymore to pay bills or transfer money; we can do it on the phone. Instead of kids getting up and going outside to play, they can now sit and play games at their fingertips and connect to such social media site as Facebook and Twitter to play against their friends. They can also watch movies, or read books along with playing any game that is available. These things can all be done by sitting in the comfort of your own home without having to get up and be physical.  This is a prime example of how ‘good’ technology can be dangerous. Without physical activity the human body is not able to burn as many calories as it should and can lead to a person gaining body fat. This body fat can affect many different aspects of the human body, everything from the heart, respiratory system, joints, and even a person’s mood. These effe cts can possibly lead to a premature death of a person if they are not healthy. It is not the IPhone which can make a person become lazy, but it is the user. One must know their limit of how much time to spend using the gadget. In today’s world, a large amount of technology can now be found in vehicles. Temperature settings, door locks, windows, cameras, are among the many things that are run by technology in many of today’s vehicles. Such advances make riding in a vehicle more enjoyable, comfortable, and safer. For example entertainment systems are now being installed in vehicles for those long drives to help keep people entertained and to make it seem as if the time is passing quickly. The passengers are able to watch a movie through a DVD player on their own personal screen. Some vehicles even contain hookups which allow game consoles to be played. New temperature controls mean that that there can be a separate temperature on each side of the vehicle for the driver and passenger. This means that there is no more fighting over the controls if one person is too warm and the other is too cold. Everyone can be comfortable with their own climate controlled settings. A new and emerging safety feature is something called park assist. This feature helps when people prepare to parallel park the vehicle and works with sensors that are mounted around the exterior which allows the vehicle to do the parking for you. The driver doesn’t even have to touch the wheel. One can also buy vehicles that have a camera mounted on the rear end, when reversing, the screen which is found in the centre console switches to show a live feed of what is behind the vehicle. This helps the driver to make sure that there is nothing behind the vehicle, especially in the places that cannot be seen in the mirrors. Along with these safety features, automatic locks have now taken over manual locking doors. The way that automatic locks function varies from car to car. In some cases, once you put the vehicle in to gear the doors lock, in others it happens when you reach a certain speed and in some the driver or front passenger has to push a button to lock all of the  doors . All of these features allow us to feel more comfortable and safer. But is it truly best to have so much technology within a vehicle? There have been instances when in emergency situations, such as after having been in an accident, the doors will not unlock due to the technology. This can be very dangerous when it happens in a life or death situation. If the doors are unable to be unlocked, it can take rescuers a longer amount of time to get into the vehicle and help the victims. And in such a situation every second is critical. Airbags are another very important safety feature but due to advancements in technology, do not always function correctly. Upon impact, the airbags in a vehicle are meant to deploy so as to allow the driver and passenger to hit a cushion when thrust forward instead of hitting the steering wheel and dashboard. However, with the advances in technology there are sometimes problems with the sensors which do not allow the airbags to deploy upon impact. This can cause serious injuries and is an excellent example of how what we believe to be ‘good’ technology, actually being dangerous to us. In these two examples it is not the user which makes the technology ‘bad’, but it is the technology itself as it is unreliable since it may not function properly when it is most needed. The categorization between ‘good technology’ and ‘bad technology’ ultimately depends on what the technology is being used for and how it is being used. In some cases, such as the IPhone, when using it too much can potentially make a person lazy, leading to decreased amounts of physical activity, is the user themselves. The IPhone could be categorized as being good because of what it allows the user to do, but also bad since the user can become engulfed by it. However in the case of the technology in vehicles not functioning properly all of the time, this is not caused by the user. It is the technology itself which makes it good or bad and in a world becoming dominated by technology, it will forever be a battle between whether it is the technology or the user which can make something that seems good, be dangerous.

Ethical Issues in Business Essay

The issue of ethical behavior is one of the top challenges facing organizations today. A good definition of ethics includes the thought of doing what is morally acceptable or what is â€Å"good† and â€Å"right† as opposed to doing what is â€Å"bad† or â€Å"wrong† (Sims, 1992). But why are these issues a concern for organizations? What can they do to promote ethical behavior from their employees? Organizations should be concerned with ethical behavior for many reasons. Even though ethical decisions are not always black and white, ethical behavior is important to the organization because ethical behavior enhances the corporate reputation, helps attract talented employees, and enhances the corporate image. First, there is evidence that profitability is enhanced by a reputation for honesty and corporate citizenship (Kinicki, Kreitner, 2009). After all, the number one reason for business is to make a profit, thus returning value to its share holders. Consumers are more likely to buy goods or services from a reputable company then one with a reputation for unethical behavior. The Ford Company in the 1970’s was a good example of lost sales due to an unethical decision. When the Ford Pinto was hit in the rear, the gas tank would often explode. Ford was slow to acknowledge the problem. By the time Ford admitted that they had a flawed design, many consumers had stopped buying Fords. Another reason organizations should be concerned with ethical behavior is its ability to attract talented employees. In a recent survey eighty three percent of those polled rated a company’s record as â€Å"very important† when deciding to accept a job offer (Kinicki, Kreitner, 2009). Hiring and keeping innovative, creative and talented employees is essential for businesses as they attempt to compete in this global economy. Without talented people, organizations will be at a disadvantage when it comes to competing for future business. Being good corporate citizens is another reason that organizations should be concerned with ethical behavior. Businesses have many stakeholders that rely on them. These include shareholders, current and former employees, customers, suppliers and communities where facilities are located (Kinicki, Kreitner, 2009). Businesses are more than just profit centers today. When making decisions, businesses must consider the social, political, and environmental effects as well as the profitability aspect. The challenge to be a good corporate citizen has put the emphasis on being an ethical company, with every decision made. Ethics is an important organizational issue, but ethics starts with the individual. We make decisions based on a combination of our personality characteristics, values and moral principles (Kinicki, Kreitner, 2009). Each of us â€Å"learns† what is right or wrong as we grow up. Our moral compass is set by what we learn from parents, teachers, grandparents, siblings and society. We take our observations and experiences and use them to form our opinion as to what right and wrong means. We then use our moral compass to make decisions as we become employees and managers of business. Organizations should do everything necessary to address ethical issues up front. If they are unsuccessful in eliminating issues before they happen, organizations should be forthright in communicating any possible wrongdoing. Consider an example shared recently in the Wall Street Journal. Defense contractor DynCorp International Inc. recently admitted that it may have violated Foreign Corrupt Practices when it tried to speed up the issuances of visas and licensing related to work for the U. S. government overseas† (Cole, 2009, p. B. 4). This possible violation, if legitimate, was committed by sub-contractors working for DynCorp. By proactively disclosing possible wrongful behavior, DynCorp is sending a message that it will not tolerate unethical behavior by its employees or sub-contractors. But organizations can do more than address possible issues after they occur. They can impact ethical behavior in a positive manner through various means. By utilizing different measures organizational culture can be affected in a positive way. Ethical behavior starts at the top (Sims, 1992). The ethical tone of an organization is set with its top managers. How top management acts when faced with an ethical dilemma, strongly effects how the rest of the organization will react when they face questionable issues. By walking the walk and talking the talk, organizational leaders can show their subordinates what they expect in the area of ethics. Actions and words by top executives will set the tone for the entire organization. Another way an organization can positively affect ethical behavior is through a corporate code of ethics. This code of ethics should be shared with all employees throughout the organization. The company that I work for emails the code of ethics to all employees annually. A high ranking executive will send the code out for all to read. Each employee then is required to electronically sign indicating that he or she understands the code. This annual process sends the message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated. Organizations have much to do to be a productive, profitable entity in today’s global economy. Building an organizational culture that supports ethical decision making through active leadership, positive community actions, and employee involvement will go a long way toward meeting business goals. With a strong culture in place, organizations will be seen in a positive light by their customers, future and current employees, and by the communities where they do business. Being a good corporate citizenship will lead to a well liked, responsible, financially supported organization that can be competitive in the twenty first century.

Japanese Dining Etiquette Essay

Remembering your correct manners is very important in Japan, especially concerning the area of dining etiquettes. This applies especially to foreigners, who should try to remember at least the most basic rules†¦ In Japanese meals, it is customary to say ‘itadakimasu’ (‘I gratefully receive’) before your meal, and ‘gochisama deshita’ (‘thank you for the meal’) after you have finished. These traditional phrases are to show your appreciation for the meal, especially when someone cooks for you. The best way to start your meal is with a sip of soup. Then you should eat a little bit of each dish, in a ‘rotation’, until you finish all the dishes at about the same time. Do NOT complete one dish of food before moving onto the next. Remember that if you are eating from communal dishes, it is considered an important etiquette to pick up the food using the opposite end of your chopsticks, or serving chopsticks if any are provided. Do not start drinking until everyone at the table is served, and do not pour any drinks for yourself. This should only be done by others, and naturally, it is also your responsibility to periodically check your friends’ cups and fill them up if they are empty, too. NEVER stick chopsticks into rice standing up, as this is how rice is offered to the dead. If you haven’t already heard, it is perfectly acceptable to slurp your noodles in Japan, as people say it tastes better, and it also shows you are enjoying your meal. Remember that it is considered very rude to burp, blow your nose at the table, and talk about unappetizing topics. Lastly, remember to finish every little grain of rice in your bowl or plate, as rice is considered very precious. Also this shows the chef you appreciate his/her food very much. It is also considered polite to return all plates and dishes back to their original positions, and to place chopsticks back in their paper slips or holders. Bibliography http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2005.html http://www.suite101.com/content/eating-japanese-dos-and-donts-a31496 http://www.japanesefood101.com/index.php/category/dining-etiquette/.

Martin Luther King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Martin Luther King - Essay Example After developing this persuasive statement, King then proceeds into his rational argument concerning the significant steps of any peaceful campaign.   King’s examination of the reasons and essential disputes that are propelling the turbulence amid blacks and whites in Birmingham uses logos. â€Å"Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United State.† He uses such boundaries to reinforce his point of view. By utilizing logical argument that is well thought-out and chronological, King pleas to a cultured audience imagination and logic. Another occasion when Martin Luther King Jr. uses the technique of honestly dealing with his audience to present his refutation is manifest in the part of his letter's beginning. "You may well ask: Why direct action?"/isn't negotiation a better path?". For this case, Martin Luther King uses to appeal to logic as the key spine of his argument but infrequently intertwines pathos and intelligent word choice along th e logos. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a grand piece of writing. Emotional strength of the letter is one of the aspects behind the success of this writing. In spite of the utilization of pigeonhole sentences, his message is clear and sensational. However, I feel that this letter was slightly verbose and florid as the same time. Also, I felt that the use of stereotyped letters somehow blithely weighed down a little on the overall message in the letter. In all, King has been capable of making it one of the most broadly read article.

Research Paper Rough Draft Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rough Draft - Research Paper Example This work gives a brief description about various types network hacking techniques, various types of biometrics that can be integrated into the network security features and the recent trends in network security involving biometrics forbattling the attacks of the network hackers. Wireless networks have become an essential part of our daily life. In recent times the uses of wireless networks had undergone a phenomenal growth and so are the attempts of hacking and network intrusions. People transmit large amounts of sensitive/private data over the networks to their desired destinations. However, with the new advancements in the field of information technology, maximizing information security has also become more and more difficult as the result of more organized intrusion attempts by hackers. A hacker is a person who makes use of advanced programming skills and techniques to break illegally into any specific computer system in order to expose the security flaws (Ciampa, 2009). Although many significant measures have been taken to make information security and wireless security reliable, none has proved able to provide complete protection to the wireless and computer networks. In such conditions, it is essential to design a reliable security system that can min imize the risk of unauthorized use of information.  This paper will describe in detail why protecting the network system from the attack of hackers is still a challenging task under research, despite various technological developments? (Ciampa, 2009), what are the various techniques used to hack a network? (Ciampa, 2009), what is biometric authentication? (Mudholkar, Shende, and Sarode, 2012),and how incorporating biometric authenticationcan be helpful in strengthening a network’s security system? (Li, et.al, 2011). The use of wireless networks and internet has become inseparable

Womens participation levels in sport and physical activity and how it Literature review

Womens participation levels in sport and physical activity and how it is affected - Literature review Example This paper intends to discuss the participation of women in sports and physical activities. Reasons for why it is affected will also be provided (Alexander 2006, p 24). Recent studies and statistics have proven that the number of women participating in sports and physical activities is low as compared to that of men. Participation is the process of being involved physically in an activity, or being a person who takes part in an activity physically. In a study done, in Australia, on women and men to see the level of their participation in sports and physical activities, the results showed that out of the total population, only 38.7% of the women participated in sports, while 65% of the men participated in sports. However, studies show that today, as compared to the previous years more women are participating in sports (Festle 2007, p 32). There are various reasons why women did not participate in sports in the previous years, for example, lack of time. Women were expected to remain home and take care of their children and home (Festle 2007, 16). For example, a woman would wake up in the morning, prepare her husband for work and start taking care of house chores and the children. These activities denied the women time to spare to do things they enjoy, like sports. Another reason why women did not participate in sports or physical activities was because of the expectations the society had put on them. Women did not take part in sports since it was seen as an activity that only men should participate in, but not women. A woman seen taking part in these activities was seen as a disgrace to the family and society at large, since it was considered masculine (Sportsscotland 2008, p 29). Lack of income was another excuse given for women not participating in sports. Women were not allowed to go out and work; men were expected to work and provide for their families; thus, it was rare for a woman to have money to spend (Joli,

Creative Writing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creative Writing - Personal Statement Example They pay fees for us to produce results, and it would make no sense if we they do not full results from us. I do believe that I deserve the A grade. First, I have been an active participant in class activities. The professor always received my assignment on time. He always left a positive remark on every assignment that I submitted to him. From this, I do am partially convinced that an â€Å"A† grade is indeed the most appropriate grade for me. Our professor normally set for us exams from what we had learned in class and given as assignment. Remember the proverb, â€Å"where there is smoke, there is always fire† and â€Å"the presence of clouds is a symbol of rain.† How should one know whether a student is speaking the truth or not? (Nosich 28)Whereas others may argue or ask for the evidence concerning my performance, all I can say is that a performing student always stands out from other students. Professors and tutors rarely need evidence to know how a performing or bright student actually look like or behave. Performance always goes hand in hand with character of a person. However, I do not dispute or refuse any suggestions to hand over my assignment books for evaluation or verification of the truth. Some people say, â€Å"valid evidence is the only convincing way or method to truth claims.† I am ready to bring any evidence in support of my claim. In addition to that, I have always been an active participant of our class activities such as writing of successful projects related to CRTW. I believe activeness in any activity outside the class equips an individual with the necessary skills for the practical application of what he or she learnt at class. Using the above method or principle to evaluation, other students and I will undoubtedly provide a leeway for knowing each student personally. I believe it will be the best and most appropriate method for evaluating us. Interpretation of my performance in the past assignments and their analyses will lead

Leadership and management 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership and management 2 - Essay Example Purpose and Requirements of Commissioning for GP Consortia in the NHS The purpose and requirements of commissioning of GP Consortia in NHS is as follows: 1. The main objective of GP Consortia Commissioning is to ensure that the design and structure of the health system is unique and innovative and different (Doctors.net.uk, 2011). 2. The Commissioning calls for the designing a healthcare system, which would revolve around the needs and requirements of the patients (Doctors.net.uk, 2011). 3. It also ensures that the NHS resources are properly utilized. Principles and Practice of Commissioning in the NHS Commissioning in the NHS is considered a method and approach, which concentrates on delivering healthcare facilities and services to the general population. Furthermore, the approach is based on the needs and requirements of the patient. The process of commissioning is considered to be â€Å"complex process with responsibilities ranging from assessing population needs, prioritizing he alth outcomes, procuring products and services, and managing service providers† (Department of Health Website, 2011).  Ã‚  In simple terms, commission in the NHS is considered to be the procedure and a methodology, which concentrates on delivery of healthcare resources to the general public. The principles of Commissioning in the NHS are as follows: 1. ... 5. â€Å"Using commissioning not just to retain existing services or commission new ones but, where necessary, to decommission services which are inefficient, ineffective, inequitable or unsustainable† (GP Commissioning Consortia, 2010). 6. Striving for constant and ongoing improvement and enhancement in the healthcare system. 7. Ensuring that performance of the healthcare system is enhanced and improved. Commissioning Process in the NHS The first step is to understand the process of commissioning in the NHS. The Commissioning process in the NHS calls for identification and recognition of the intended healthcare outcomes. Furthermore, it calls for meeting the needs and demands of the general public along with proper utilization of resources and priorities (Department of Health Website, 2011). For this purpose, it is essential to identify the needs and requirements of the public. Healthcare providers are considered to be the main providers of information and knowledge in the st age of understanding. Based on their perspective, services and facilities are designed in accordance to the need and requirements of the public. After the identification of needs and requirements, it is essential to make an assessment. The process of assessment concentrates on delivering services in an effective manner, opting for the best and sustainable option (GP Commissioning Consortia, 2010). The next step calls for the implementation of the commissioning strategies and ensuring that the resources are utilized in a proper way. After the implementation of commissioning strategies, it is essential to review and report the intended outcomes. How a Medical Practice can become Part of a Practice

Is Interstellar Space Travel Feasible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Is Interstellar Space Travel Feasible - Essay Example ose Interstellar space travel has been developed with the help of which the scientists are able to explore the world beyond the realm of the planet Earth. However several questions are now being raised regarding the feasibility of interstellar space travel. In my view interstellar space travel is not a feasible option but on the other hand it is the only option through which the scientists can explore the world. Thus with further development of interstellar space travel the scientists will be able to achieve a feasible way to explore this world. This paper would explain all the aspects of the interstellar space travel and it would come to a conclusion as to if interstellar space is feasible or not. Interstellar space travel can be said to be the use of resources and transports to travel between stars. It can be seen that with the help of several way of transports involved in interstellar space travel one can be able to travel outside the earth and explore the universe. One important way of travelling to the space is by the use of rockets which has proved to be successful in the modern world. It is seen that scientists have been able to discover a lot about the planets and that is not with the help of interstellar space travel but interplanetary travel. In my view interstellar space travel is feasible only with a few changes otherwise it might put risk to several individuals involved in the process of interstellar space travel. It can be seen that travelling through stars is a much more complicated task than to travel from planet to planet. The main problem of travelling between planet to planet and planet to star is the comparative amount of distance between these two. The dis tances of the space are measured in a way through which the speed of a light is first measured. The speed of the light is measured as per the criteria of time so that one can know how much a beam of light can travel for a given set of time. Vacuum can be said to be a space which is devoid of

Fire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fire - Essay Example These aspects will include appropriation, crowding, privacy, territoriality, and personal space. A hospital setting needs to be spacious to allow patients to feel well accommodated and enhance visiting process by their friends and relatives. People in hospitals need personal space to feel at home. According to Sommer, personal space means an emotionally tinged zone around the human body that people feel they own it. The zone varies according to internal states, culture, and context (Sommer, 2002). There is need to design a cubical for each patient to give them enough personal space. In case of a fire originating form one of the cubicles, it is easier to contain it, control it, and put it off before it spreads to other cubicles. This is unlike a situation where many patients share same room. A territory is another aspect of human interaction with the environment. According to Griffon, territoriality is a pattern of behaviour or attitudes held by a person attempting to control a physical space by marking, personalisation, defence, or physical occupation (Brown, 2005). In a hospital setting, persons will tend to defend their territories for a period of time they will be in the hospital. It will vary by characters of person’s gender, and age. Therefore, designing places that people of differing characters can call their own when in the hospital will allow nurses to give them care in a convenient setup. However, it is necessary to take care not to put lockable doors on the cubicles. In case of fire, it is easy to remove curtains on the doors and evacuate patients through it other than breaking in if there was a door. Every human being needs privacy, which include access to self and one’s group. In a hospital setting, patients, nurses, and visitors need privacy as they attend to each other. Nurses need a quiet workplace with social places where they can connect to each other outside work. Additionally,

Basic Ideas and Theories of Mass Communication Essay Example for Free

Basic Ideas and Theories of Mass Communication Essay In the first place, there were many well renowned scholars who contributed immensely towards the development of communication processes, society and their communication relationships, which are still relevant and heart touching. Thus, David K. Berlo developed the source-message-channel receiver (SMCR) theory in the 1960s. His theories emphasized the many factors that could affect how senders and receivers created, interpreted and reacted to a message. While Max Weber Explore his contribution to our understanding of social stratification, classes and status groups from category Sociology in relation to communication. According to him, â€Å"We cannot deny the existence of social structures or system by which people are categorized or ranked in a hierarchy. This people categorization is otherwise known as social stratification. It is a universal characteristic of society that persists over generations. It is a social structure by which social issues and organizational problems arise. In a society, groups of people share a similar social status, and this is known as social class†. ABSTRACT In this work (assignment), I bother most on the contributions, the basic ideas and established notions propounded by both theorists_ D K Berlo and that of Max Weber. And their biography. Q. 1 (a) THE CONTRIBUTION OF DAVID K. BERLO AND HIS BASIC IDEAS ESTABLISHED IN THE THEORIES OF MASS COMMUNICATION Foremost, for a proper focus on communications theory, the Oxford English Dictionary defines communication as the imparting, conveying, or exchange of ideas, knowledge, information, etc. We can look up the origin of the word. Communication comes from the Latin communis, common. When we communicate, we are trying to establish a commonness with someone. That is, we are trying to share information, an idea or an attitude. Looking further, you can find this type of definition: Communications is the mechanism through which human relations exist and develop. This broad definition, found in a book written by a sociologist, takes in about everything â€Å"Communications theory then becomes the study and statement of the principles and methods by which information is conveyed. Among key communications theorists were Wilbur Schramm, David Berlo, and Marshall McLuhan. Basically, for a close examination, the major contribution in communication model that I will consider is the SMCR model, developed by David K. Berlo, a communications theorist and consultant. In his book The Process of Communication,6 Berlo points out the importance of the psychological view in his communications model. The four parts of Berlos SMCR model are — no surprises here — source, message, channel, receiver. The first part of this communication model is the source. All communication must come from some source. The source might be one person, a group of people, or a company, organization, or institution such as MU. Several things determine how a source will operate in the communication process. They include the sources communication skills — abilities to think, write, draw, speak. They also include attitudes toward audience, the subject matter, yourself, or toward any other factor pertinent to the situation. Knowledge of the subject, the audience, the situation and other background also influences the way the source operates. So will social background, education, friends, salary, culture — all sometimes called the sociocultural context in which the source lives. Message has to do with the package to be sent by the source. The code or language must be chosen. In general, we think of code in terms of the natural languages — English, Spanish, German, Chinese and others. Sometimes we use other languages — music, art, gestures. In all cases, look at the code in terms of ease or difficulty for audience understanding. Within the message, select content and organize it to meet acceptable treatment for the given audience or specific channel. If the source makes a poor choice, the message will likely fail. Channel can be thought of as a sense — smelling, tasting, feeling, hearing, seeing. Sometimes it is preferable to think of the channel as the method over which the message will be transmitted: telegraph, newspaper, radio, letter, poster or other media. Kind and number of channels to use may depend largely on purpose. In general, the more you can use and the more you tailor your message to the people receiving each channel, the more effective your message. Receiver becomes the final link in the communication process. The receiver is the person or persons who make up the audience of your message. All of the factors that determine how a source will operate apply to the receiver. Think of communication skills in terms of how well a receiver can hear, read, or use his or her other senses. Attitudes relate to how a receiver thinks of the source, of himself or herself, of the message, and so on. The receiver may have more or less knowledge than the source. Sociocultural context could be different in many ways from that of the source, but social background, education, friends, salary, culture would still be involved. Each will affect the receivers understanding of the message. Messages sometimes fail to accomplish their purpose for many reasons. Frequently the source is unaware of receivers and how they view things. Certain channels may not be as effective under certain circumstances. Treatment of a message may not fit a certain channel. Or some receivers simply may not be aware of, interested in, or capable of using certain available messages. In short, Berlo: Several important ideas, notions and factors established must be considered relating to source, message, channel, and receiver. Q. 1. (b) TRACE THE BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID K. BERLO D. K. Berlo in history. This caption attempts to give an insight in to the biography of the eminent scholar whose communication ideologies, philosophy and notions cannot be overlooked in the field of mass communication_ journalism. Biographical information: In 1955, David K. Berlo, at the age of 29, received his doctorate degree in the study of communication from the University of Illinois. Berlo was a student of Wilbur Schramm, who sat on the doctoral committee. Schramm, whose theories of communication are well known, was responsible for the creation of the first communication program at the graduate level which was an entity separate from speech and mass communications. Dean Gordon Sabine, also sat on the committee, and the following day offered Berlo an assistant professorship position and the chair of the newly created Department of General Communication Arts, at his Michigan State University (MSU) (Rogers, 2001). In our trivial pursuit, it was discovered that, Berlo, being many years younger than his colleagues and some of his students, perceived himself to be in need of communicating an air of permanence and maturity, so that his position, and that of the newly formed department, would be taken seriously. To this end, he deliberately gained weight†¦up to 270 pounds of body mass, dressed in dark, fancy suits, and began to act the part of the chairperson of a more well-established department (Rogers, 2001). It must have worked, because he was able to successfully establish, at Michigan State, one of our country’s first undergraduate majors in communication. He functioned in the role of educator, author, and communication department chair at MSU for 14 years, from the department’s inception in 1957 through 1971. In 1960 he wrote the textbook which was implemented in his undergraduate classes, The Process of Communication. He taught an excellent doctoral level core course in research methods and statistics. He was a strong leader, excellent educator, and advocate for the field of communication study. He continued to research and develops his SMCR theory of communication and information. In it he stressed the importance of the perception of the source in the â€Å"eye† of the receiver and also the channel(s) by which the message is delivered. During his final 3 years at Michigan State, it is said, that he seemed to lose interest in his job. He became county chairperson of the Republican Party and was passed over for the position of Dean of the College of Communication Arts (Rogers, 2001). In 1971 he became President of Illinois State University, but resigned in 1973 when an investigation took place to uncover whether or not he had spent unauthorized funds for the completion of the presidential house (Plummer, 2005). He completed his career working as a corporate consultant in St. Petersburg, Florida. Q. 2. (a) GIVE SOME ESTABLISHED NOTIONS OF MAN AND SOCIETY PROPOUNDED BY MAX WEBER. Max Weber was one of the founding figures of sociology. His work is important to students of communication for several reasons, including his methodological and theoretical innovations as well as a diversity of useful concepts and examples for the analysis of social behaviour, economic organization and administration, authority, leadership, culture, society, and politics. Some of his greatest achievements, notions, ideologies, philosophy, and the experiences that guided his convictions he established, which also characterized his stand and position; thus, can be seen as highlighted in the following contributions outlined: * Max Webers work provides an example of historical and comparative social science that successfully negotiated between attention to theoretical concepts and empirical details. Rather than concluding an investigation with a generalization or theoretical claim—that all economic behaviour is rational, for example—Weber would use the concept of rational b ehaviour as a comparison point in conducting his research. * Webers work provides the origin of action theory as such. Weber defines action as meaningfully oriented behaviour, and takes it to be the fundamental unit of sociological investigation. This is crucially important for communication studies, for it defines a model of social science distinct from behaviourism. * How could Weber claim a scientific approach to motives and meanings, which cannot be directly observed? His resolution of this problem has been widely admired and imitated. On the one hand, he combined logic, empathy, and interpretation to construct ideal types for the analysis of historical cases. He constructed, for example, idealtype models of how the perfectly rational or perfectly traditional actor would make choices in ideal circumstances. These expectations would then be compared with what real people did in actual circumstances. When historical actors deviated from the ideal types, Weber did not take that as evidence of their cognitive shortcomings (their irrationalit y, for example) but as clues to additional concepts he needed to develop for further analysis. * Working from the other direction, he interpreted historical records empathetically, striving to identify how the actors in a particular situation could have seen their action as a rational response to their circumstances. In this way, he was able to construct models of a range of types of rational action, opening up his theory to a greater range of human situations than either the behaviorists or the economists. Prayer, for example, as Weber pointed out, is rational behavior from the point of view of the faithful. * Webers work also provides many useful concepts and examples for communication studies, in addition to the wide-ranging importance of his action theory and his methodological innovations. * His analysis of economic organization and administration is the standard model of rational organization in the study of organizational communication. His studies of authority and leadership are important to students of mass communication, and of both organizational and political communication. * His studies in the sociology of religion explore the range of possibilities in the relation between ideas and social structures, a problem that continues to be at the heart of cultural studies. * His contrasts of rational and traditional and his analysis of modern bureaucracy are starting points for analysis of modern industrial-commercial culture and communication and the effect of the media on culture and politics. * Weber distinguished three ideal types of political leadership (alternatively referred to as three types of domination, legitimisation or authority): 1. Charismatic domination (familial and religious), 2. Traditional domination (patriarchs, patrimonialism, feudalism) and 3. Legal domination (modern law and state, bureaucracy). In his view, every historical relation between rulers and ruled contained such elements and they can be analysed on the basis of this tripartite distinction. He notes that the instability of charismatic authority forces it to routinise into a more structured form of authority. In a pure type of traditional rule, sufficient resistance to a ruler can lead to a traditional revolution. The move towards a rational-legal structure of authority, utilising a bureaucratic structure, is inevitable in the end. Thus this theory can be sometimes viewed as part of the social evolutionism theory. This ties to his broader concept of rationalisation by suggesting the inevitability of a move in this direction. * Bureaucratic administration means fundamentally domination through knowledge. * Weber described many ideal types of public administration and government in his masterpiece Economy and Society (1922). His critical study of the bureaucratisation of society became one of the most enduring parts of his work. It was Weber who began the studies of bureaucracy and whose works led to the popularisation of this term. Many aspects of modern public administration. Social stratification * Weber also formulated a three-component theory of stratification, with Social class, Social status and Political party as conceptually distinct elements. * Social class is based on economically determined relationship to the market (owner, renter, employee etc.). * Status class is based on non-economical qualities like honour, prestige and religion. * Party class refers to affiliations in the political domain. * All three dimensions have consequences for what Weber called life chances (opportunities to improve ones life). This context consisted of the political problems engendered by the bourgeois status-group of the city, without which neither Judaism, nor Christianity, nor the developments of Hellenistic thinking are conceivable. According to Weber, * He argued that Judaism, early Christianity, theology, and later the political party and modern science, were only possible in the urban context that reached a full development the West alone. =He also saw in the history of medieval European cities the rise of a unique form of non-legitimate domination that successfully challenged the existing forms of legitimate domination (traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal) that had prevailed until then in the Medieval world. This new domination according to him, was based on the great economic and military power wielded by the organised community of city-dwellers (citizens). Weber’s ideas â€Å"form the heart of what is commonly known as structuralism† (Littlejohn). Weber defines organization as follows: â€Å"An ‘organization’ is a system of continuous, purposive activity of a specified kind. A ‘corporate organization’ is an associative social relationship characterized by an administrative staff devoted to such continuous purposive activity† (Weber, Social and Economic Organizations, p. 151.). Weber’s notion of bureaucracy involves power, authority, and Legitimacy. Power â€Å"is the ability of a person in any social relation to Influence others and to overcome resistance. Power in this sense is fundamental to most social relationships† (Littlejohn). Q. 2. (b) GIVE THE BIOGRAPHY OF MAX WEBER MAX WEBER’S EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY BACKGROUND Weber was born in 1864, in Erfurt, Thuringia.[3] He was the eldest of the seven children of Max Weber Sr., a wealthy and prominent civil servant and member of the National Liberal Party, and his wife he was buckin Helene (Fallenstein), who partly descended from French Huguenot immigrants and held strong moral absolutist ideas.[3][9] Weber Sr.s involvement in public life immersed his home in both politics and academia, as his salon welcomed many prominent scholars and public figures.[3] The young Weber and his brother Alfred, who also became a sociologist and economist, thrived in this intellectual atmosphere. Webers 1876 Christmas presents to his parents, when he was thirteen years old, were two historical essays entitled About the course of German history, with special reference to the positions of the Emperor and the Pope, and About the Roman Imperial period from Constantine to the migration of nations.[10] In class, bored and unimpressed with the teachers – who in turn resented what they perceived as a disrespectful attitude – he secretly read all forty volumes of Goethe.[11][12] Before entering the university, he would read many other classical works.[12] Over time, Weber would also be significantly affected by the marital tension between his father, a man who enjoyed earthly pleasures, and his mother, a devout Calvinist who sought to lead an ascetic life.† Max Weber and his brothers, Alfred and Karl, in 1879 MAX WEBER’S EDUCATION At this juncture, Weber was in 1882, enrolled in the University of Heidelberg as a law student. After a year of military service he transferred to University of Berlin. After his first few years as a student, during which he spent much time drinking beer and fencing, Weber would increasingly take his mothers side in family arguments and grew estranged from his father. Simultaneously with his studies, he worked as a junior barrister. In 1886 Weber passed the examination for Referenda, comparable to the bar association examination in the British and American legal systems. Throughout the late 1880s, Weber continued his study of law and history. He earned his law doctorate in 1889 by writing a dissertation on legal history entitled Development of the Principle of Joint Liability and the Separate Fund in the Public Trading Company out of Household and Trade Communities in Italian Cities. This work was used as part of a longer work On the History of Trading Companies in the Middle Ages, based on South-European Sources, published in the same year. Two years later, Weber completed his Habilitationsschrift, Roman Agrarian History and its Significance for Public and Private Law, working with August Meitzen. Having thus become a Privatdozent, Weber joined the University of Berlins faculty, lecturing and consulting for the government. References Reinhard Bendix and Guenther Roth Scholarship and Partisanship: Essays on Max Weber, University of California Press, 1971, p. 244. Max Weber. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. 20 April 2009. Britannica.com Max Weber. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 17 February 2010. Max Weber; Hans Heinrich Gerth; Bryan S. Turner (7 March 1991). From Max Weber: essays in sociology. Psychology Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-415-06056-1. Retrieved 22 March 2011. D K Berlo. The Process of Communication.