Unas Search for Religion in Naslunds Novel, Ahabs Wife...

Unas Search for Religion in Naslunds Novel, Ahabs Wife Herman Melvilles Moby Dick is a novel filled with references to the Bible and God. In writing Ahabs Wife, Sena Naslund could not ignore Melvilles biblical allusions. Naslunds novel is a reaction to Moby Dick, and therefore Una does not accept Melvilles omnipresent religion. She cannot bring herself to belief in the basic tenants of Christianity, and is constantly searching for a new community, or philosophy that will embrace her ideals. Una is on a journey and her quest is to find a religion that suits her life and her experiences. Brought up in Kentucky by a fanatical father who is determined to force her to believe in his religion, Una has is repulsed by his beliefs.†¦show more content†¦And here was a road that went off at right angles, that could bend and double back, that was open to whatever sheep might wander into it (338). She appreciates the unconventional because she is not a typical person, or leading a normal life. Margaret Fuller later introduces Una to Transcendentalism, which is more like a philosophy than a religion, but that Una finds even better than Unitarianism. As the novel continues, and Una endures more tragedy and experiences more, her search changes. At first she views the lighthouse as God in the microcosm of her island. She and Frannie idolize the lighthouse and worship it, I allowed Frannie to kiss the lichen-crusted stone with her lips, as though he were an holy icon, the mighty thighbone of God, and I stood beside her and sang a hymn, such as they sang in my fathers church, God of Wisdom, God of Power, changing the words to suit me: Sign of Safety, Sign of Silence, Sing we to Thy Speaking of the Light, and thanked him many times for his palpable being (44). Here Una can relate the lighthouse to God because it is tangible, and earthly. She does not have to picture some abstract being, or create dogmas to accompany it, the lighthouse is merely a great object that represents a higher power. Una then begins to see God elsewhere. When she goes to Boston with her family, she sees religious icons in a shop, I imaged and prayed to them

The Controversy Over Creationism And Evolution - 1415 Words

Introduction The controversy over Creationism and Evolution is a widely debated topic, especially when it comes to what is being taught in the biology classrooms in public schools today. It may be hard to imagine, but just over 100 years ago the curriculum and beliefs would have looked dramatically different. One central court case that created a spark of bringing evolution to public schools was the infamous Scopes trial of 1925 in which science teacher John Scopes challenged Tennessee state law and taught evolution in his high school science class. Tennessee state legislature had passed a bill, known as the Butler Act just months before, banning the teaching of evolution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented Scopes after his arrest in a case that riveted public attention. Although at trial Scopes was ultimately found guilty, the Butler Act was no longer enforced and laws prohibiting evolution being taught in the classroom continually were defeated over the course of the next two years. In 1968, the ACLU went to the Supreme Court on behalf of Susan Epperson to fight against the ban on teaching evolution in Arkansas. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the ban as unconstitutional as the First Amendment under the Establishment clause does not allow teachings to tailor to certain religions (â€Å"State of Tennessee V. Scopes,† n.d.). For this project, we ll take a deeper look at this controversy. With evolution being the commonly accepted theory amongShow MoreRelated Do Creationism and Intelligent Design Have a Place in the Classroom?1280 Words   |  6 PagesSurveys show that fifty percent of adults in Turkey, forty percent in the USA and fifteen percent in the UK reject the theory of evolution and believe that life on Earth came into existence as described in the religious texts (Jones and Reiss, 2007; Miller; Scott and Okamoto, 2006; Lawes, 2009). President G. W. Bush commented as follow: Both sides ought to be taught properly...so people can understand what the debate is about....Part of education is to expose people to different schools of thoughtsRead MoreShould Intelligent Design and/or Creationism Be Taught Alongside Evolution in Public Schools?641 Words   |  3 PagesThere are many controversies in courtrooms about whether or not should intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution in public schools, which has been going on for a great amount of years. Intelligent design is the idea of natures changes cannot be a random process, but a type of guidance must have lead to why nature is the way it is in today’s era. In most cases, that specific guidance is God. God has created the world for a purpose. Creationism is the same idea as intelligent designRead MoreCreationism vs. Evolutionism in Public Schools1538 Words   |  7 PagesDebate: Creationism vs. Evolution in Schools: 1st Affirmative Constructive Speech Creationism and Evolutionism by definition are very different topics. Currently, evolutionary naturalism is the most widely taught view of origins in America. In schools in the modern day, only evolutionism is taught and condoned. But before the 1920s, only creationism was taught, and evolution was forbidden. Then, on February 20, 2008, the Florida State Board of Education voted to revise the public school guidelinesRead MoreThe Problems of Teaching Creationism in Schools1465 Words   |  6 PagesNot Very Creative: On Not Teaching Creationism in Schools Everybody should have a right to believe in whatever religious or spiritual system they want. Living in America, people are legally guaranteed that freedom, as well as protection from being persecuted for their beliefs. Recently there’s been a lot of talk in the media about religious freedom, as a result of the gay marriage controversies. Many people have cited gay marriage as an attack on their religious freedom. However, an excellent HuffingtonRead MoreEvolution Through the Influence of God1605 Words   |  7 PagesControversy of the origin of life has increased. People feel evidence is necessary to determine a faith and many fear going against the word of God or nature of science. These people have established their own â€Å"religion† or belief called the intelligent design theory. Through a combination of scientific evidence and Biblical moralities, the intelligent design theory was established to accommodate believers in the divine Christ and the theory of evolu tion. This group believes that evolution is occurringRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution Of Creationism977 Words   |  4 PagesThe theory of evolution is at odds with the views of many religions, and many people want to allow a religious view of creationism to be taught in the public school system. The foundation of evolution is based upon the belief that the origin of all ordered complex systems, including living creatures, can be explained by natural laws without the initiation or intervention of God. A person who believes in the biblical model of creation is viewed by some non- believers as a naive, narrow-minded religiousRead MoreThe Creationism Debate Essay examples698 Words   |  3 PagesCreationism being taught in public schools is not right because there are many beliefs about how the earth was created. Many science teachers have different beliefs on this particular subject. Some believe it should not be taught in public schools but on one’s own time at home, church, or another place. Other science teachers think students should be taught all the believable theories about evolution and creationism. Some science teachers have gotten in trouble with the law by not obeying otherRead More Creationism vs. Evolution Essays1663 Words   |  7 PagesCreationism vs. Evolution This paper will focus on the huge controversy between Creationism and Evolution. I will provide two opposing viewpoints on this subject. First, the discussion will focus on the question of why many people believe that God created the universe and all living things. On the other end of the spectrum, scientific information will be presented that substantiates the evidence against the existence of God. This creationism counter-argument known as evolution has itsRead MoreThe Theory of Evolution Essay1255 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of evolution by natural selection does not interfere with the Judeo-Christian view of god as the creator, based on multiple sources including statements from the Pope himself. Although throughout history there are many instances of conflict between people, science, and the Catholic Church, there has recently been a widespread acceptance for science and many even say it does not interfere with the Judeo-Christian view of god as the creator. This essay will discuss the different typesRead MoreA Number Of Years About Evolution And Creationism1592 Words   |  7 PagesGallup organization has asked three questions for a number of years about evolution and creationism. Question one: Do you think God created humans pretty much in our present form at one time within the last 10,000 years? Question two: Do you think we developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process, including our creation? The third question: Do you think we have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, and God had no part in

Report on Education and Computers Free Essays

An important question many Christian schools are trying to answer is â€Å"How can we fit computers into the educational process? † To answer this question we must know that computers can have at least three roles in education: Tool, Teacher or Tutor. Teachers use computers in many different ways. They use computers as tools for production purposes. We will write a custom essay sample on Report on Education and Computers or any similar topic only for you Order Now Word processors, presentation software, spreadsheets, scanners, quality printers, and more combine to allow the production of the documents that help our society function. They produce web pages that make our ideas and business available to the world. They also produce school brochures, leaflets, tracks and yearbooks that rival professionally designed products. Teachers also use computers for storage and to retrieve information. Financial software, databases, spreadsheets, administrative software, grading programs, and schedulers all produce a measure of organization and efficiency that has greatly improved our educational capabilities. As a communication tool, the computer has revolutionized the world. Teachers also use computers as tools to access the seemingly infinite information resources on the Internet. As a tool, the computer†s capabilities are bound only by ou! Christian schools can also use the computer as a teacher. In the field of education, the computer has not come entirely into its own. For most Christian schools, the funds are not available to set up programs of instruction that are computercentric. For us to fully use the computer†s capabilities, we would need entire classrooms wired and networked with enough stations to teach every student correctly and efficiently. Visual aids, videos, textbooks, remarks and instructions could be made available to each student by the cilck of a button. Teachers, computers, and students could then work together for truly interactive and individualized instructions. Tests and quizzes could be given and scored right on the screen and the grades automatically registered in the teacher†s master station. Most Christian schools cannot afford more than a computer lab in which they the basics of word processing. Instead of using computers as teachers, most schools are using them as tutors. The distinction is small but important. The word â€Å"teacher† connotes classroom instruction, while â€Å"tutor† connotes individual instruction. Using this method, individual students are tutored by means of educational games or fun instructional programs. This is a grea tidea, and these are a multitude of excellent programs for just this purpose. However, these are some logistical problems. How to cite Report on Education and Computers, Papers

Project report on automobile industry free essay sample

PESTLE Analysis is a simple, useful and widely-used tool that helps you understand the big picture of your Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural and Technological, Legal and Environmental aspects. As such, it is used by business leaders worldwide to build their vision of the future. PESTLE analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. Identifying PESTLE influences is a useful way of summarizing the external environment in which a business operates. However, it must be followed up by consideration of how a business should respond to these influences. It is important for these reasons: First, by making effective use of PESTLE Analysis, you ensure that what you are doing is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting our world. By taking advantage of change, you are much more likely to be successful than if your activities oppose it; Second, good use of PESTLE Analysis helps you avoid taking action that is doomed to failure from the outset, for reasons beyond your control; and Third, PESTLE is useful when you start operating in a new country or region. Use of PESTLE helps you break free of unconscious assumptions, and helps you quickly adapt to the realities of the new environment. PESTLE Analysis of Automobile Sector Political: In 2002, the Indian government formulated an auto policy that aimed at promoting integrated, phased, enduring and self-sustained growth of the Indian automotive industry Allows automatic approval for foreign equity investment up to 100% in the automotive sector and does not lay down any minimum investment criteria. Formulation of an appropriate auto fuel policy to ensure availability of adequate amount of appropriate fuel to meet emission norms Confirms the government’s intention on harmonizing the regulatory standards with the rest of the world Indian government auto  policy aimed at promoting an integrated, phased and conductive growth of the Indian automobile industry. Allowing automatic approval for foreign equity investment up to 100% with no minimum investment criteria. Establish an international hub for manufacturing small, affordable passenger cars as well as tractor and two wheelers. Ensure a balanced transition to open trade at minimal risk to the Indian economy and local industry. Assist development of vehicle propelled by alternate energy source. Lying emphasis on RD activities carried out by companies in India by giving a weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in house research and RD activities. Plan to have a terminal life policy for CVs along with incentives for replacement for such vehicles. Promoting multi-model transportation and the implementation of mass rapid transport system. Economic: The level of inflation Employment level per capita is right. Economic pressures on the industry are causing automobile companies to reorganize the traditional sales process. Weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in-house research and R D activities. Govt. has granted concessions, such as reduced interest rates for export financing. The Indian economy has grown at 8.5% per annum. The manufacturing sector has grown at 8-10 % per annum in the last few years. More than 90% of the CV purchase is on credit. Finance availability to CV buyers has grown in scope during the last few years. The increased enforcement of overloading restrictions has also contributed to an increase in the no. of CVs plying on Indian roads. Several Indian firms have partnered with global players. While some have formed joint ventures with equity participation, other also has entered into technology tie-ups. Establishment of India as a manufacturing hub, for mini, compact cars, OEMs and for auto components. Social: Since changed lifestyle of people, leads to increased purchase of automobiles, so automobile sector have a large customer base to serve. The average family size is 4, which makes it favorable to buy a four wheeler. Growth in urbanization, 4th largest economy by ppp index. Upward migration of household income levels. 85% of cars are financed in India. Car priced below USD 12000 accounts for nearly 80% of the market. Vehicles priced between USD 7000-12000 form the largest segment in the passenger car market. Indian customers are highly discerning, educated and well informed. They are price sensitive and put a lot of emphasis on value for money. Preference for small and compact cars. They are socially acceptable even amongst the well off. Preference for fuel efficient cars with low running costs. Technological: More and more emphasis is being laid on R D activities carried out by companies in India. Weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in-house research and R D activities. The Government of India is promoting National Automotive Testing and RD Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) to support the growth of the auto industry in India Technological solutions helps in integrating the supply chain, hence reduce losses and increase profitability. Customized solutions (designer cars, etc) can be provided with the proliferation of technology Internet makes it easy to collect and analyse customer feedback With the entry of global companies into the Indian market, advanced technologies, both in product and production process have developed. With the development or evolution of alternate fuels, hybrid cars have made entry into the market. Few global companies have setup R D centers in India. Major global players like audi, BMW, Hyundai etc have setup their manufacturing units in India. Environmental: Physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges affect the use of automobiles. If there is good availability of roads or the roads are smooth then it will affect the use of automobiles. Physical conditions like environmental situation affect the use of automobiles. If the environment is pleasant then it will lead to more use of vehicles. Technological solutions helps in integrating the supply chain, hence reduce losses and increase profitability. With the entry of global companies into the Indian market, advanced technologies, both in product and production process have developed.

I Need a Wife by Judy Brady

humanities final paper

humanities final paper humanities final paper Jacob Stephens Prof. Rhodarmer Intro. to Humanities 17 March 2014 The Road to Red Rocks For this final paper, I have chosen to utilize the outstanding musical talents of the amazing band â€Å"Mumford & Sons† and I will be specifically talking about their live performance of the song, â€Å"Little Lion Man† at Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside of Denver, CO. For me, this live performance is the closest thing that I have ever came to being considered a, â€Å"religious experience.† In this performance you have the amazing vocals; the stunning views of the open air of the amphitheatre; the large, tilted disc shaped rock formation behind the stage; the huge vertical rock formation angled upward towards the sky from stage right; the harmony of the banjos, guitars, pianos, cellos all coming together to form an amazing acoustic sound that my hears had never heard until being blessed with this particular piece. To even further more accentuate this experience, the lighting moves on pace with the music- blinking fast as the music picks up, blinking slower as the music slows down, becoming brighter as the vocals rise, and dimmer as the vocals fade. All of the instruments used in this piece are exactly what you would expect to find in a bluegrass, folk musical number. All of them doing there job, none draining out another, always complimenting the other. The strumming of the banjo is the one element that I find myself being drawn to, some of that is bias. Bias that I have had my entire life. Always being drawn to the sound it makes, reminding me of a time before technology and auto tuning when things were much simpler, when things took work, and time, and effort. The cinematography in this piece to me is as good as I have seen for a live musical performance. The cameras seem to pan to the crowd at the highest, most exciting points of the song, and show the singers during important key parts of the song. Parts like, â€Å"I really fucked it up this time†¦ didn’t I, my dear?† showing an immense amount of emphasis that key lyrics being the heart of the song- the man admitting his mistakes and where he went wrong. In an excerpt from the essay, â€Å"On the Question of Value† by Carolyn Martin, she says, â€Å"The humanities, at their best, are a celebration of transport, transformation, and wonder. The work of critique, no less than of the creative arts, enables thought, discovery, and insight by ridding us of the rigidities and exhausted forms that kill curiosity and limit us to our fears. We place enormous hope as a nation in technological innovation and the sciences that drive it, as we should. Let us put as much hope in the inventiveness of language, art, and culture, in their ability to hold open the space of the other and to make us reflect not only on our hopes, but also on their limits.† This piece really puts all of that into perspective for me. It allows me to take a step back, to slow down, and to allow myself to more objectively view myself, and my life. It makes me wonder, â€Å"will I be the one saying, ‘I really fucked it up this time†¦ didn’t I, my dear?† My entire life I have had a very strong â€Å"Type A† personality. I was a point guard in basketball, a pitcher in baseball, a quarterback in football, and then a United States Marine. All of those positions expect and demand leadership, but, unfortunately there have been the occasions where those past experiences and positions put me in a place mentally where I became so sure of myself that I lost a great deal of objectivity in my life. When I hear the lyrics, â€Å"tremble little lion man, you’ll never settle your scores†¦ your grace is wasted in your face, your boldness stands along among the wreck†¦ now learn from your mother or else spend your day biting your own neck.† This to me sings to some of the very struggles that I went through and still continue to go through. This song reminds me that humility is ok, admitting you are wrong is ok, and to not acknowledge those things will end in you hurting yourself

Profile in crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profile in crime - Essay Example "My mother was cancer. She slowly destroyed everything around her. She produced two killers; me and my brother Joe." – (Richard Kuklinski in an interview on HBO) In fact, in 1940, his father Stanley Kuklinski had beat his elder brother Florian to death and hid this fact stating that he fell to his death down a flight of steps. Richard Kuklinski had witnessed the harsh realities of life ever since his childhood and by the age of ten he was filled with remorse, hate and rage. He followed the footsteps of his father by inflicting torture on animals as well as his friends if he felt offended by them. He committed his first murder by the young age of fourteen (thirteen?) and from then on he began feeling a sense of power when he discovered that he could be in control of the situation. ‘The Ice Man’ was another name given to Richard Kuklinski because he froze some of his victims in an ice-box. "We called him 'the Ice Man' because he froze some of his victims, kept them in an icebox he had for a while, then put them out so we could not tell when the murder actually took place, you see." (Paul Smith, new Jersey Organized Crime and Racketeering Bureau investigator.) Though he appears to be a quiet person, yet his looks are quite deceiving when considering the brutal way in which he murdered his victims and had kept the secret away from this family for so many years. In an interview program on HBO, Kuklinski confessed to having worked as a contract killer for many Italian- American families involved in crime and says how he had to travel to places such as Africa, Brazil and Europe on his ‘business trips.’ He also states that he doesn’t particularly enjoy killing his victim, but he gets more pleasure from planning, stalking and hunting down his victim. Facts of the Case I have chosen to write about Richard Kuklinski’s first murder that he committed when he was only thirteen years old. The murder took place in the year 1948 an d was of Charley Lane, a small time leader of a gang of teenagers who call themselves as â€Å"The Project Boys.† Charley and his gang had bullied Richard for some time and following a bad beating, Richard wanted to take his revenge on all of them. Richard attacked Charlie with a solid wooden dowel from his closet, when he was walking home alone, and beat him to death. He then took his body and disambiguated some of its parts by removing his teeth and chopping off the tips of his fingers with a hatchet, in order to prevent identification of the body. (Carlo Phillip, 2006) The above actions he had made use of were taken from a Magazine that he had read. Kuklinski then took his body and dumped it off a bridge in South Jersey. Richard Kuklinski admitted that he had no intentions of killing Charley Lane, but harboring revenge against him proves his intentions to be false. This point is again proved when we find that Kuklinski went further to beat and wipe out the other six boys b elonging to Charley Lane’s gang by making use of a metal pole taken from a thrash can. The first weapon used for the first murder of Charley Lane was a wooden dowel, but as years passed by Kuklinski is found to have used a variety of weapons such as guns, hand-grenades, ice-picks, knives, bats, strangulation and even fire for murdering his victims. This he did in order to remain elusive from the Police and to divert their attention towards other criminals. He never regretted committing any of his murders. As Douglas Martin, New York Times

Difficult in finding good jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Difficult in finding good jobs - Essay Example (Lenard, 2011) Depending on which state one resides in, the difficulty in finding employment can be described as .82 workers for every position, (in Washington, D.C.) or as many as 8.24 workers for every position (in Michigan). (Lenard, 2011) Production jobs are down nearly 50% as a result of outsourcing. (Lenard, 2011) With unemployment benefits on the decrease, due to fewer workers in the system supporting the tax base revenues from which those benefits derive, what does the future look like for these people? (Lenard, 2011) The impact of not being able to find work has caused some serious consequences for our economy. (Bruce, 2011) This type of structural unemployment is closely aligned with system failure. (Bruce, 2011) The current economic downturn has been long lasting. (Bruce, 2011) Most business cycles take approximately 20 years to return to their previous position. (Bruce, 2011) That means we have approximately 10 – 12 more years before we will be able to see more availability of employment. (Bruce, 2011) In addition to decreased productivity in the marketplace, unemployed workers are no longer supporting the tax revenue base that pays for unemployment benefits as well as numerous social programs that provide health care, training, and child care assistance to help people stay healthy and find employment. (Bruce, 2011) This creates a situation where the government must either increase taxes or borrow the money to cover this debt. Increased taxes lead to less consumption, which creates new unemployment. (Bruce, 2011) It takes money out of the financial markets, which also increases the interest rates; this, in turn, increases costs for companies and lowers profit margins; again, creating more layoffs. (Bruce, 2011) It’s a downward spiral. As companies outsource, they eliminate American workers and the managers that keep the production cycle in motion. (Bruce, 2011) For the ethnic worker, illegal immigrants take on blue collar jobs that many

HOMEWORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

HOMEWORK - Essay Example Q1 (II): considering that the ratio of trade is 1:1 and that north is more efficient in producing both left and right shoes as compared to the south, the north will consume 70 pairs of shoes. That is, the north would rather not trade. On the other hand, with no increase in the number of workers in the south, they can only consume one pair of shoes if they give up one-left shoes for one right shoe (Miles & Scott 15-72). Q1 (III): assuming that there still are 10 workers in the North, the new exchange rate will be (300:3000), (100:1000) = 1:10. Therefore, the North could decide to exchange 30 left shoes for 300 right shoes. In this case, the number of pairs of shoes consumed will be 300 (Miles & Scott 15-72). Q2: the Federal reserve governor meant that in the year 2005, the payment made by the U.S for importing services and other visible and invisible goods were more than those received; leading to a current account deficit. In the process, the value of US currency decreased making U.S products cheaper in the international market. A decreased U.S currency means an increase in the value of foreign currencies leading to low foreign prices, thus low interest rate in the long-run (Arize 35-67). Q3: when the Government’s purchases increase during a war, consumption is concentrated on ammunitions. The country will heavily import the war machines than exports. This will lead to a deficit in trade account (a negative balance). To pay for the imported machines, more local currency will be supplied in the foreign exchange market than is demanded. Due to more supply than demand, the local currency will lose its value. The decreased value will be reflected in the exchange rate. Therefore, the real exchange rate will be lower. That is, the real price of the local currency against foreign currencies will be lower. The aforementioned effects would take place, whether a local or a

Differences Between Leadership And Management Management Essay

Differences Between Leadership And Management Management Essay 2.1 Introduction The aim of this chapter is to provide the brief overview of management, leadership and the differences between leadership and management. How these concepts work in any organisation and to elaborate the notion transformational leadership? This objective of this chapter is to focus on business leadership rather than a political leadership, military leadership and religious leadership and illustrate exhaustive treatment of this topic. 2.2 The Differences between Leadership and Management 2.2.1 Management In 1980, the organisational leadership has no difference between the leading and managing any organisation. Any person who has leading post in an organisation is a leader. A person who holds power and authority is a leader. It was different and novel idea that leadership and management have different approaches and different role, behaviour and responsibilities (Hernez-Broome and Hughes, 2007). There are many literatures those differentiate between leadership and management but they dont give you any clear understanding e.g. Bartol and Martin (1994), Bennis and Nanus (1985), Kotter (1982), Locke (1991), and Schein (1985) were those unable to draw a clear understand between leadership and management. They even did not provide any clear distinction between these concepts. There is no particular line of differentiate (Centre for Labour Market studies) (CLMS), 2009. Management is consisting of planning, organising, staffing, budgeting, co-ordinating and reporting and directing and known as an acronym POSDCORB (CLMS) 2009. All these heads come under management. However, management classifies as scientific concept. It is also argued that management is an art to thing get done through people. These are the priorities of the management to do all things in time efficiently. If we see in the above mentioned perspective management is about guiding, instructing, influencing, persuading and other skills related to the behavioural skill through different processes. Pedler et al. (1994), and Quinn et al. (1996), suggest that the nature of work is complex in the modern global environment and it is hard to have rare qualities of self awareness, self motivation and self knowledge, but it is important to have all these qualities for better and reliable management. These qualities nourish the management. These are the qualities which persuade the employees to the better work environment and can make organisation profitable. In addition, Quinn (1996) link modern management role with: develop the skills and abilities in subordinates of vision, creative thinking and positive change in the organisation. These also make subordinates innovative and knowledge sharing individuals, not just this many other positive changes as well. 2.2.2 Leadership Leadership is also difficult to define; it is not easy to give assumption or qualities which can anyone leader. Because leadership qualities vary according to the situation there is not fixed or planned situation for any person where he can show his leadership qualities that is why definition varies and depending upon the purpose of the author, as Stogdill(cites in Yukl, pp 251-289) observed there are almost many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. There many concepts but three concept to be consider the fundamental concepts of leaderships are vision, inspiration and followers. But these concepts are the outside the boundary of the management. Management does not match these concepts (Burmeister, 2003). On the basis of these concepts we might be able to differentiate between leadership and management. Yukl (2008) attempts to justify and clarify the leaders role in an organisation and explaining the persuasive vision is tough at his best and leader does not lend itself to the management process. He makes and implements policies for the management to achieve the quantitative objective. Management does have the mission for the organization but does not have the dynamic vision which leader has. Leaders think beyond the boundary and their visions are impressive and more grip able. May be is not compelling argument that managers are unab;le to communicate or they think in a specified frame of mind. Maccoby (2000) described an interesting and useful factor which is helpful to differentiate between leaders and managers this point highlighted the difference between strategic leaders and operational leaders. He argued that the strategic leaders dream of the company in future and make the optimal use of all resources to get maximum output, while the role of the operational leaders to implement the vision. This might be the good categorisation to understand the difference between leadership and management. Regarding inspiration, Yukl (1998) stated that such this approach appeal to stimulus and linking to a persons proposal to understand the needs, values, hopes and ides of individual. According to Burmeister (2003) this type of approach is very different from the standard approaches like orders, logical arguments and other approaches which most of the mangers use. On the other hand, we can say that managers are unable to use their interpersonal skills; they can influence people to do any actions. So we can say most of the managers follow directive approach rather than the participative approach. Durcan and Kirbbride (1994) in the direct contrast suggestions that participative approach is mostly and widely practised, especially in US and other Anglo nations2, there are challenges to this notion that manager can be stereotype as directive and order givers. Even in Yukls (1998) managers are unable to influence on emotional level inspirational motivation (Bass 1995) is main objective of a leader. All these ideas tell us that leaders do not employ rational logic as a primary stimulus tool. This is the most crucial distinction which can be made between followers and subordinates. Subordinates are bound to follow the instructions but the followers are the influenced and inspired individuals. The term subordinates is used to determine the activities of a individual, who is directed by a supervisor (Bermiester 2003) 2 Anglo cultures include the U.K, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (Hofstede, 1980) Yukl (1981) emphasize that leadership is a process whereby intentional influence (power) put on the followers by leaders; so the source to influence others will be discussed in chapter after. The Use of Power and Influence Subordinates and Followers The power and influence which leader use on their followers and manager use on their subordinates? French and Ravens (Gerloff, 1985) to list the following five point which can draw the power and influence on others. Coercive Power: This power comes from the reaction. If you are expecting something else and you get unrespectable or you can say your power to punish someone. Legitimate Power: Legitimate power comes from your rank or designation which you have. As big your position in any organisation same bigger would be your legitimate power. As power increase your responsibilities increase as well. Referent Power: This power you have if you are the boss or your personality is charismatic. This based on persons attractiveness and friendship with others. Reward Power: This power based on access to reward. People love that person how has this power because they want reward and power holder can offer this. Expert Power: This power comes from your knowledge, expertise, competence and information in particular field. Other people know that you have this power and they believe the power holders knowledge. Abstractly, the authority give an individual a power in any organisation called legitimate power; this power uses to control all the matter which needs to be solved from subordinates on a workplace. Legitimate power which establishes the relationship between the supervisor to subordinate and these ideas can easily clarify the difference between leader and manager. Furthermore, the legitimate power holder has also the reward and coercive power which is given by the organisation. (Bermiester, 2003). On the other hand, expert and referent powers are the ability of an individuals expertise, knowledge and their relations which he has with other individuals. He built all these quality by his own effort rather than he had any position in any organisation (David, Schoorman, and Donaldson 1997). Burmeister (2003) argues that the expert and referent power can create the relationship of follower to leader this relation would be based on acceptance and commitment, rather than a relation in legitimate power of a supervisor and subordinate where problems and resistance occur. It is also suggested that leadership conferred on person or a group or possibly a person of group. Therefore, leadership can be exercised on group of people which may not have the quality of a leader. This effort may be able to generate the leaders as a particular field of business. Furthermore, the vision, inspiration, follower, and some authors included goals are those qualities which leader should have. As Shackletons described in his definition; .leadership is a process in which an individual influences other group members towards the attainment of group or organisational goals. In this definition, three main component pointed out which Shacklton believes are the main and fundamental to leadership; existence of group, influence, goals, and set of goals which should be achieved under through proper channel. Other writer like Bartol and Martin (1994) define that how the leader influences the work of people to get the organisational goals. it is also noted that leader of any organisation influence the worker of organisation positively towards the achievement of goals banefully. There is possibility that leader can influence the people negatively which can be inappropriate toward the goal achievements. Sometimes they influence negatively to get achieve their personal goals which is totally unethical. In these words it is been tried to discuss the positive factors of leadership, controversial issues, and also tried to discuss the ethical problems also which can be faced. These are some issues which can be faced by any organisation from their leadership and there is a need to address all these issues. 2.2.4 Summary of Debate Even though many writers used the term leader and manger exchange ably (CLMS 1999), Shackleton (1995) argued there is no automatic link between these terms leader and manager because the managerial core function are planning, organising, scheduling, etc but these will not necessarily be the part of leadership qualities (CLMS, 1999). Other writers like Lcoke (1991), and Yukl (1998), suggests that leaders leader are those who make the vision for any organisation and the managers are those who implement that vision. However, this implies that leaders is not common it only exists only at the executive level and assumes a limited range process or role derives for mangers none of these theories, methods and concepts is helpful by the preceding decisions and analysis, Bennis and Nanus (cited in Shackleton, 1995:4) provide the neat distinction and leadership is path finding and doing the right things while management is path following and doing things right, but Maccoby (200) described a more useful difference between management and leadership which clarify the difference; he stated: Management is a function that must be exercised in any business, whereas leadership is a relationship between leader and led that can energise an organisation. 2.3 Transactional and Transformational Leadership Schein (1985) argued that a function of leadership which is major factor to contrast from management, it is creation of management and innovation and many dynamic organisational changes and dynamic organisational culture which accept every change. The main role of a leader is a change agent which is responsible for creation and the management of vision, and motivates the employees towards the organisational goals achievement. If we say this could be most important quality which a leader should have that is vision? This is most important theory of Leadership and which are overall known as New Leadership (Gronn 1995). Charismatic Leadership (Conger, 1989, Conger and Kanungo, 1988), Visionary Leadership (Sashkin, 1998) Servant Leadership (Greenleaf, 1977, 1996; Spears, 1998), and Transformational Leadership (Bass, 1985, Tichy and Devanna 1986) Transactional leadership is the major and vital factor which develops has scholarly quality in the leadership (Bryman 1992). To understand this concept more properly we would discuss transactional and transformational leadership in depth in following section. 2.3.1 Overview The historian James MacGregor Burns (1978) mentioned first time in his book Leadership the concepts and theories of transactional and transformational leadership (Humphreys and Einstein 2003), initially, his interest was preliminary political leadership, this term got popularity in political authorities and organisational management circles. Bernard Bass (1985) Burns explained the broader range of transactional and transformational leadership and furthers their behaviour towards organisation and the effectiveness of behaviour. In addition, Bass (1985) was not satisfied with Burns model and he challenged the model, he made assumption that transactional and transformational leader were mutually exclusive. While, Burn (1978) said that a leader could be once either transactional or transformational. But Bass (1985) argued that transformational leadership is a complement to the transactional leadership rather than a substitute. How does leader use these qualities and take out the organisation beyond the boundaries. 2.3.2 Transactional Leadership Transactional leader works under a specified environment and there is proper and clear structure of work and it also clear what is does he expect from their subordinates. What would be exchange between them and what reward they will be awarded? The initial stage of transactional leader is to discuss all the related matter with subordinates which need to be discusses before to start any work. Transactional leader allocates the work to the relevant person after that they are responsible to get the things done in time. Transactional leaders main responsibilities are the things get done in time, fulfilment of every requirement, any advancement if required and the reward to encourage people. You can ideally, these is decision between leader and follower that are u want reward or punishment (Bass, 1985; Daft, 1999). Even though, the transactional leadership is an effective approach. There is no emotional relationship between the leader and followers and also no commitment, no personal development not any other social relation (Podsakoff at el 2003). There is a transactional relation between the leader and follower. The person who holds the power gives orders to their employees or followers to get things done. So we can say simply the main focus of transactional leadership is get thing done. In addition, Bass (1990) also warned that the transformational leadership can be a prescription for mediocrity. He also defends that leadership emphasise on massive output and to reduce the shortfalls and they mostly relies on passive management. The performance and the efficiency of the transactional leadership governed that how they are controlling the rewards and penalties, because these are main objectives of a leader. We can also notice that the followers want rewards or they have any kind of penalty fear. Yukl (1989) also argue that when any leader manipulates their followers through reward and punishment, he is not a leader in real sense. In the above mentioned scenario, when a leader uses legitimate, reward and coercive power to handle their followers, it is look more common to the management rather than the leadership. Apparently, there is not a major difference between leadership and management. 2.3.3 Transformational Leadership On the other hand, Burns (1978) argued that the transformational leaders have different types of relation, duties and objective according to diverse environment but the political leaders, they engage with their followers through their involvement, emotions, trust, commitments and their identifications. Bass (1985) elaborate that, in the organisation the transformational leadership occurs when the leaders mission, vision and the development ideas matches with the followers for the boom of any organisation and also provide resources for the personal development as well (Bass 1985, Avolio 1994). Transformational leadership is a method or process where the both followers and leaders move their self towards the process of development with the standard level of trust and motivation. In Transformation leadership the relation is based on fairness, justice innovation, motivation, equality and integrity and Burns (1978) called them end values. End values are those which cannot be negotiate and exchange between leader and followers on transactional basis. This shows that transformational leaders most commonly work for social and ethical manners. The transformational leaders do not manipulate results through deception and conditional reinforcement (Bass 1997). The followers response totally in free given environment and do not want any return in transactional leadership (Mullin, 1992). After expressing all these standards, the transactional leader unites their followers and the most important they can potentially change the goals, objectives and beliefs of their followers (Humphreys and Einstein, 2003). Bass (1995) asserts that transformational leadership, followers work beyond exception because of the leaders influence. According to Bass (1985), transactional leaders achieve all this by using the combination of behaviour, which are known as the four Is of the transformational leadership (Avolio et al, 1991) Idealised Influence (Charisma) Inspirational Leadership Intellectual Simulation; and Individualised Consideration Charisma seems to be a necessary element but it is not enough for the transformational leadership. Attaining the Charisma in the eyes of followers is considered as central to succeeding as a transformational leader (Bass 1990). The behaviours which are linked with the charismatic leadership need to be explained more detail now. Especially, House and Shamir (1993) argued in charismatic leadership there is degree of confidence and articulation. In this way leaders work through high admirable, ideological, classical moral values and communication and high performance. They keep followers in a systematic and highly manageable relation. They linked in a very persuasive and less stress able environment. They also guide to followers towards denigrate their opponents (e.g. competitors). The leader has very clear set of goals for their followers to become a role model (Gardner and Avolio, 1998). Emphasising value and collective identification, taking extraordinary risks, and making substantia l personal sacrifices in the interest of the charismatic mission are also behaviours associated with charismatic leadership (House and Shamir, 1993). For the growth of any business we need inspired and motivated work force. Inspiration is associated with charismatic leaders; these leaders are able to excite their followers and can carry out great feats with extra efforts (Bass, 1990). There are some qualities which a inspirational leader should have to inspire any workforce, these qualities can be strong planner, lateral thinker, grip on vision and communication, principled and disciplined. Although inspirational leadership was initially subsumed by charisma (Bass, 1985). It is been separated there should be higher level of motivation among followers which occurs in the start from charismatic leadership, before being combined again from the charismatic-inspirational dimension (Avolio, 1994, Bass, 1998). Therefore, it is observed that charisma is necessary and major quality of inspirational leadership. But on other hand, Bass (1990) also discussed that some leaders may have charisma but they do not have inspirational quality to affect their followers. Charisma is necessary but not sufficient for the transformational leadership. Collins (2001) in his book Good to Great discussed about the successful executive (level 5) leaders, they were those who were modest and humble, without inspiring personalities. However, Collin recognises that these leaders had inspired standards. These standards with goals, objectives, trust that influence the followers through high performance, took risk which considered being extraordinary and this sacrifice made organisation exceptional. There is a possibility that the |Collins leader may not have the quality of persuasive communication, nevertheless they can possess the charismatic qualities. According to Tichy and Ullrich (1984) the transformational leader are who can convert a bankrupt company to profitable company. Transformational leaders are those who can bring any positive change in the organisation. As many other things are linked with transformational leader same as intellectual simulation, Bass (1985) considered this as the third factor of which is associated with transformational leadership by the promotion of intelligence, rationality, logical thinking and careful problem solving. A leader which is equipped with the quality of intellectual simulation has capability to show their follower the new way for the problems solution and would involve followers in problem solving (Avolio et al, 1988). Bass (1990) also believe that such type of leaders are tolerant and for the followers mistake and open new ideas for them. Bass (1985) the fourth dimension or factor of a transactional leader is individualised consideration. This identifies the role of a leader the role which a transformational leader plays for the developing followers, pay full attention to their needs towards their achievement and benefits. A transformational leaders struggle hard to create new opportunities for their developing followers and act as a coach and mentor for the development of an individual (Bass 1990). Under this dimension, Boehnke et al. (2003) emphasise the importance of entrust challenging and interesting tasks to followers to promote them and their development as well. Kuhnert (1994) further added that delegating authority is a necessary component when delegating tasks, it is a way to enable individuals to get educated from the decision making process. Collins (2001) also suggested that the real effective leaders who pay particular attention to the development of their followers as a necessary requirement for supporting continued organisational success after they leave. Regarding these last two aspects of transformational leadership, Bass concurs that intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration are not entirely charismatic in nature (Smith et al. 2004). In recent times, there has been interest in the concept of emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995), and how it links to transformational leadership. This topic is explored in the following section. 2.3.4 Transformational Leadership and Emotional Leadership Goleman (1998) has strongly argued that is a requirement for the successful leadership and goes so far as to describe emotional intelligence as the sine qua non of leadership. Golemans (1998) components of emotional intelligence at work at work are described in table 2.1 on the following page. Table 2.1: The five Components of Emotional Intelligence at Work Component Definition Hallmarks Self Awareness The ability to recognise and understand owns moods, emotions, and drivers, as well as their effect on others. Self-confidence. Realistic self assessment. Self-deprecating sense of humour Self Regulation The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods. The propensity to suspend judgement to think before acting. Trustworthiness and integrity. Comfort with ambiguity. Openness to change. Motivation A passion to work for reason that goes beyond money or status. A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence. Strong drives to achieve. Optimism even in the face of failure. Organisational commitment. Empathy The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. Expertise in building and retaining talent. Cross-cultural sensitivity. Service to client and customers. Social Skill Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks. An ability to find common ground and build rapport. Effectiveness in leading change. Persuasiveness. Expertise in building and leading teams. (Source: Goleman, 1998) Barling et al. (2002) declare that there are many reasons why individuals high in emotional intelligence and they are more likely to use transformational leadership behaviour. The main and first step a leader who has ability to manage their own emotions and who shows self control and hold-up enjoyment which could serve as a role model for the followers. In that way, enhancing followers belief and respect their leader; this would be dependable with the spirit of idealised influence (Barling et al., 2000). Secondly, it focuses on the understanding ok others emotions, leaders with high emotions intelligence would preferably placed to realise the extent to which followers expectations raised, that is major feature of inspirational motivation (Barling et al., 2000). Third and major element of individualises consideration is the quality to understand followers needs and cooperate accordingly. To put more focus on empathy and ability to manage relationships positively, leaders are apparent towards emotional intelligence and they would likely to apparent individualised consideration (Barling et al., 2000). Barling et al. (2000) were able to provide experimental good reason for this position. And this was further imposed by Palmers (2001) research which have found similar correlation, 2.3.5 Transformational Leadership: Controversial Issues It is proven that charisma is regarded as a necessary quality for transformational leadership to occur, this implies that Basss third and fourth dimensions are not transformational in and of themselves, by his own definition. Some other questions which comes in existence when charismatic dimension analysed closely. For instance, because charisma is not an only the characteristic of transformational leaders but this is an additional factor which distinguish leaders from managers (Zaleznik, 1977), then there is possibility exists that the transformational and transactional typology communicate to nothing more than the distinction between work leaders and managers (Gronn, 1995). Furthermore, to the core build of the transformational leadership model, Gronn (1995) and other observer, like as Keeley (1995), and Lakomski (1995), have putted in to question its legitimacy, ethical applicability and experimental toughness. In terms of legitimacy of transformational leadership concept, Gronn (1995) emphasize that the transformational leader model described by Bass and his believers revive that leader is a type of hero or a great leader. He assert that these is no more than a tenuous casual connection between the exercise of a transformational leadership and desired organisational outcomes, such as performance effectiveness, and claims that what little empirical evidence exists derives from an extraordinary narrow methodological base (Gronn, 1995) 2.4 Development of Leadership in the Global Business Priority In the contribution of the 1996 collection of paper on leadership; the Leader of the Future, Bolt remarks; at the same time leadership is very vital for any organisation and there is no one to lead the organization because of the shortage of leadership. Drucker States: the lessons are unambiguous. The first is that there may be born leader, but there are surely too few to depend on them. To support this argument, approximately 75 percent (500) firms Gregersen et al. (1998) surveyed and did not think that they have an enough number of effective leaders (see also Brake, 1997). If we consult from DDI Leadership Forecast 2008/2009 than we can understand how much improvement is needed to develop the leadership in any organisation? The research shows that from 76 countries of the world 1,493 HR professional and 12,208 leaders participated in this survey. This summary shows us the short fall of leaders all over the world. The DDI Leadership forecast also shows that only 41 percent leaders are agree that the organisations are helping them to enhance leadership capabilities. Most of the organisation have been failed to provide chance to improve. Harvey et al, (1999) argued that there would be great competition for competent leadership in organisations in future, and this position is reinforced by the DDI leadership forecast 2008/2009. The leadership forecast indicated that the qualified leadership is becoming more and more difficult day by day. Iles (2001) sees improvement in the three major fields which need the Leadership improvement in the organisation. The increasing importance of HRM The increasing importance of knowledge and knowledge management. Changes in careers and career development. 2.4.1 The Increasing Importance of HRM The HRM is mostly view on the basis of competitive advantage basis Storey (1989) specifically focused on the gaining of employees commitment. He stated that the main factors of HRM (the deployment of human resources, evaluation of performance and reward etc.) as we discussed the earlier the legitimate, reward, coercive power to obtain compliance were mentioned are management techniques and these are the characteristics of transactional leadership. On the other hand, it was also argued that the expert and referent power could leader and follower relationship. Firms are using commitment oriented practice to gain competitive advantages, which further described how the attention of people is led (Iles, 2001). This shows that modern leadership competencies based on the more likely on the interaction (to gain commitment) rather than commanding and controlling (to gain compliance) (McGregor et al, 2004), and to implement transformational leadership rather than transactional leadership in the organisation. Stoerys (1989) described the types of HRM as hard and soft. These approaches linked with transactional and transformational styles of leadership. HRM which comes under the hard types of HRM mostly focus on the specific defined policies and procedure. These policies are cost effectiveness, lean production and use of labour. Legge (1995) called this a utilitarian instrumentalism in the relationship with employees. Transactional leadership considered as a utilitarian in nature and hard HRM practises associated with the transactional leadership (Bass, 1990). Conversely, the soft HRM is considered as development humanism (Legge, 1995) in this approach individuals integrated into work processes under such values trust, commitments and to communicate with each other. Therefore, the transactional le

Scientific Knowledge - Whos Responsible for its Use? Essay -- Argumen

Scientific Knowledge - Who's Responsible for its Use? Society has become very dependent upon the technological advances of science. As a result, our expectations of scientists to continue to make our world better are extensive. Unfortunately, not all scientific discoveries and technological advances have resulted in improvements. In fact, environmental problems, such as air pollution and toxic waste, have resulted from the technological advances we use daily. Blaming the scientists who create the methods, concepts, and procedures that lead to negative circumstances is easy to do and done quite often. But should the scientists be the owners of this blame? How is this fair when their initial intentions for research were to improve, yet the findings and application result in harm? The problems of the general public, supposedly invoked by the scientists, lie in the hands of society. The miscommunications of the media, ignorance, and neglect for the environment, contribute to the misapplication of scientific information. Lewis Thomas, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, defends the motive of scientists to pursue their research. Very often, scientists are charged with hubris, the "overreaching pride that leads humans to start 'doing things reserved for the gods' " (Thomas, 236). Techniques, such as recombinant DNA and in vitro fertilization, are means by which society believes scientists have defied the intentions of Mother Nature. But should the scientist be responsible for the act of hubris when it is the lay people who exploit the scientific methods. The drive for research may be to truly make a positive difference and make a lifesaving contribution to the world. Lewis Thomas contends that the drive for knowledge is due to... ...ources of information. Science will continue to evolve, as we humans have. Our responsibility, we who rent this earth for the duration of our lives, to practice good judgement in the use of scientific information, so that we can keep this earth habitable for generations to come. Works Cited Bishop, Michael J. "Enemies of Promise." In The Presence of Others: Voices that Call for Response, edited by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1997. Kelly, Kevin. "Interview with the Luddite." In The Presence of Others: Voices that Call For Response, edited by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1997. Thomas, Lewis. "The Hazards of Science." In The Presence of Others: Voices that Call For Response, edited by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1997.

Chains and Sustainable Development Essay

Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers.

Correcting Needless Sentence Fragments in Paragraphs

Correcting Needless Sentence Fragments in Paragraphs This exercise offers practice in identifying and correcting needless sentence fragments during the editing stage of the writing process. Instructions The following descriptive paragraph contains three needless sentence fragments. First, identify the three fragments, and then correct each oneeither by attaching it to an adjacent sentence or by turning the fragment itself into a complete sentence. When youre done, compare your corrected sentences with those in the edited version of the paragraph below Anthony (unedited draft) My five-year-old son Anthony is built like a little wind-up toy. His black curly hair, bushy eyebrows, a cute button nose, and chubby cheeks, which people cant resist pinching. These make him look like a life-size teddy bear. Anthony loves to wear his favorite black leather jacket with the image of Mumble the penguin on the back. And jeans with patches on the knees as a result of the holes he puts in them while crawling on the floor, pushing his toy cars around. Indeed, he is a very energetic little boy. In one afternoon, he will ride his bicycle, play video games, complete a 200-piece jigsaw puzzle, and, of course, play with his toy cars. In fact, his energy scares me sometimes. For example, that time on the roof. He shinnied up a tree and jumped onto the roof. However, he wasnt energetic (or bold) enough to climb back down, and so I had to rescue my wonderful little wind-up toy. Here is the edited version of Anthony, the descriptive paragraph that served as the model for the sentence-fragment editing exercise. Keep in mind that there are multiple ways of correcting the three fragments in the exercise. Anthony (edited version) My five-year-old son Anthony is built like a little wind-up toy.  He has black curly hair, bushy eyebrows, a cute button nose, and chubby cheeks, which people cant resist pinching.  These make him look like a life-size teddy bear. Anthony loves to wear his favorite black leather jacket with the image of Mumble the penguin on the back  and his favorite jeans, the ones with patches on the knees. The patches cover the holes that came about from crawling on the floor, pushing his toy cars around.  Indeed, he is a very energetic little boy. In one afternoon, he will ride his bicycle, play video games, complete a 200-piece jigsaw puzzle, and, of course, play with his toy cars. In fact, his energy scares me sometimes.  For example, I will never forget that time he shinnied up a tree and jumped onto the roof.  However, he wasnt energetic (or bold) enough to climb back down, and so I had to rescue my wonderful little wind-up toy.

How Romeos feeling of love for Rosaline differs to his love for Juliet Essay Example

How Romeos feeling of love for Rosaline differs to his love for Juliet Essay Example How Romeos feeling of love for Rosaline differs to his love for Juliet Paper How Romeos feeling of love for Rosaline differs to his love for Juliet Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story written but William Shakespeare. The book was first published in 1597 and is well known by people all around the world. It is a play set in Italy, Verona in the 17th century. It is about ‘two star crossed lovers’ who fall in love at first sight. But they come from families, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, who hate each other and know that they are not allowed to marry one another. Romeo and Juliet are so in love and truthful to each other, ‘as true as the stars above’, that they decide to have a secret marriage. However due to their families fighting, they both take their own lives for each other and to put a stop to the feud between their families. In this essay I will be comparing how Romeo’s feeling of love for Rosaline (Act 1 Scene 1) differs to his feelings for Juliet (Act 2 Scene 2). I will also be focusing on how Shakespeare uses language to convey Romeo’s feelings. â€Å"Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still† -1, 1, 171 Act 1 Scene 1 is about how Romeo drools over his unrequited love for Rosaline. Shakespeare starts off with a soliloquy with Romeo expressing his love for Rosaline by using Iambic Pentameter. Romeo is alone on stage expressing his thoughts using ‘earthy imagery’. Romeo spends most his time sighing over his depressing and virtually nonexistent love life. He looks very confused about his feelings for Rosaline. During the play, he seems very desperate (his love does not seem to make him as happy as it would for Juliet) and his love for her is very quick/ impulsive. The word muffled suggests that he is trying to cover his love for her. This is because the women he loves, has sworn to chastity and to be a nun. Although, during the play Romeo says ‘Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will’. This tells us that even though Rosaline has dedicated her life to her religion, he will find a way to get to her. This shows us that even though Romeo knows the truth about Rosaline, he still embraces his love for her. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter as it affects how the rhythm of play flows. It also creates effect because it is a great way to put an emphasis on certain words such as love and muffled. This gives an indication to the audience of what is happening in the play. â€Å"Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!†- 1, 1, 176 Shakespeare has used oxymorons to convey Romeos emotions. He uses an oxymoron to show how confused he is about his love for Rosaline as Shakespeare emphasis things by combining two normally contradictory terms. Oxymoron’s can also be very effective because they are a figure of speech, intentionally used for rhetorical effect. This tells us that Shakespeare’s intention to show love, was that he wanted to make everything that Romeo says very dramatic and and make him seem desperate. The exclamation marks show his anger towards the situation he is in. As the word ‘brawling’ means to fight or quarrel in a rough or noisy way. I think that Romeo is implying that he is annoyed and wants to get away from all the ‘drama’ (as Romeo would want to describe it) happening in his life. As well as the use of oxymorons, he has also used Caesura which is a break or pause in the middle of a line. When it is read aloud it sounds as if someone is asking you a question. In this case caesura has being used when Romeo says ‘Why, Then,’ in the same way, if Shakespeare had used question marks it would have sounded very similar. ‘Why? Then?’. This creates an effect or Romeo questioning his love, although he does not realise it. Despite Romeos great declarations of love for Rosaline, Romeo learns to move on in Act 2 Scene 2 after falling in love with Juliet. Romeo’s love for Juliet compared to Rosaline is very real and his love for her has been given back especially because Rosaline is a long- lost memory at this point. With this, Rosaline is forgotten and Juliet becomes Romeos focal point. There is a major difference between the love of Romeo and Rosaline compared to Romeo and Juliet. â€Å"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon†-2, 2, 4 Romeo expresses his love for Juliet using personification as well as metaphors. He describes Juliet as a ‘fair sun’ this tells us that she lights up his life like the sun and compares her to the ‘envious moon’ which is very pale. The line before this says ‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun’. Shakespeare has deliberately structured it like this which shows us how much he cannot stress that he would not know what he would do without Juliet. This shows how much more meaning she has to him rather than Rosaline (his love for her could have been the ‘envious moon’). The use of metaphors in this particular line is effective because it gives Romeo a voice as he is so passionate because he finds it hard to describe Juliet. The use of personification creates an imaginative and philosophical effect. It also makes it very relatable. Another very important language technique used is long vowel sounds such as the word ‘arise’. It gives the effect that the Romeo wants to show everyone their love, but it is dragging as he cannot do that. â€Å"O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art†- 2, 2, 26 Romeo is trying to convey his love for her by calling her an ‘angel’. This suggests that she takes him away from all the bad memories. This could also mean that even when they die they will both be together in heaven. The word bright tells us that she stands out to him over anything else and he would do anything for her. As far as getting killed. The line after this says As glorious to this night, being oer my head. This tells us what Romeo thinks of Juliet, as glorious and as wonderful as her hear. Overall I think that Romeo and Juliet had a better connection because there was no spark between Romeo and Rosaline. Romeo portrays his love for Juliet as very easy. He seems to be much more comfortable with her compared to Rosaline as he can be himself around her and tell her anything even though they are from two completely different families who hate each other. He would even risk meeting her on her balcony even when he was risking his own life.

Nursing Sensitive Indicators and Health Care Evaluation Coursework - 1

Nursing Sensitive Indicators and Health Care Evaluation - Coursework Example Nursing-sensitive indicators do define the end results of the nursing interventions and indicate problem progress or resolution towards symptom or problem resolution. Nursing outcome can be defined as a status or measure of nursing diagnosis at a point in time after the nursing intervention, while the nursing-sensitive outcomes can be defined as health status changes upon which care of nursing has influenced directly. Variables that affect patient outcomes include socio economic factors, diagnosis, family support, gender and age. The other one is the care quality provided by support workers as well as other professionals. It is vital for health care facilities and nurses to collect data, which helps in monitoring the ongoing quality as well as cost of patient care (Corrigan, 2002). The use of sensitive outcome indicators is critical to demonstrate effectively that hospitals and nurses make crucial cost effective differences in the provision of safe and high quality patient care. Another thing is that the significance of articulating nursing-sensitive indicators is not easy to overstate. Such articulation as well as correlation of nursing activities with outcomes of health does provide do provide strong support to the appropriate allocation of resources of health care. For instance, studies that compare patient outcomes and staff levels do show that in a case where there are many nurses who are registered, patients do experience shorter stay lengths, fewer implications, overall lower costs as well as decreased mortality rates (Corrigan, 2002). In similar, a consisted and strong relationship has been established between staffing of nurses as well as five outcomes of patients in medical patients: pneumonia, urinary tract infection, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, shock, and length of stay. This does mean that higher nursing staffing levels are associated with lesser adverse effects.All in all, nursing-sensitive indicators are projected to draw the correlations between resulting health status and nursing interventions that patients have received. They are meant to be an attempt for measuring the effectiveness of care of nursing through measuring patient outcomes. It becomes easier to see linkages after diagnosis, intervention as well as outcomes are identified. Since nurses happen to be an essential part of the system of health care delivery, nursing sensitive indicators do capture what nurses do, the outcomes that they achieve as well as the costs involved.  

Organization Development and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Organization Development and Change - Essay Example lly taking into consideration are the content of the agreement (contract) as well as the inter-personal relationships that may occur in the process of organizational development. It is usually imperative that certain issues, specifically the content of the contract are mentioned and comprehended at initial stage of the contract. One of the issues that is usually addressed by many organizations making efforts to engage into contract is clarification of the specific terms of the agreement: This is usually undertaken in order to ensure that the two parties do not engage in future conflicts by improving the level at, which they understand the terms of the contract. Another main focus in regard to content-oriented issues that are usually exhibited during contracts in organizational development process is the essence of addressing complex issues that may arise among professionals and stakeholders engaged in making the contract. That is, it is imperative to set terms that basically indicate the role of each stakeholder for instance: Who is responsible for solving any form of conflict that may arise in future; indicating issues to be addressed by the contract; ways by, which the overall goals of the contract will be achieved and the specific phases/stages of the organizational development process. The process of organizational development also involves the engagement into contract that basically leads into development of relationships. The process of organizational development usually begins with a scenario where one of the stakeholders in the organization contacts other organizational development practitioners in order to engage into a contract. The stakeholder may be the Chief Executive Officer or even a project manager that is facing challenges in regard to certain issues of organizational development. The process of determining whether the two parties should engage into any form of relationship is usually guided by a clear statement of the specific functions of the

Managing in an Inclusive Environment Diversity Essay

Managing in an Inclusive Environment Diversity - Essay Example Meisinger 2007 State of Workplace Diversity Management Report conveys that a survey with 1400 HR Professionals reveal that 52 percent of the respondents believe that diversity practices accomplish specific business objectives to a large extent. Still, these respondents had stated that diversity management remains a challenge because, diversity management field is not well-defined or understood, focuses too much on compliance, and places too much emphasis on ethnicity and also on gender. Creating an Inclusive work environment pays. By bringing about diversity programs an organization can create such environment. There are at least 19 business houses, which have taken seriously and brought in enviable diversity programs. These efforts include such interventions like giving women of color access to variety of support networks, extending leadership development programs to minority groups and diversity workshops to managers Chubb Group of Insurance Companies have offered a comprehensive diversity initiative called 'Reach Up, Reach Out, Reach Down', in which high-potential employees of color receive management training and development opportunities. Almost a quarter of female employees who took advantage of management training last year were women of color. Compliance is no doubt an important factor. ... Competitive Advantage Experts are of opinion that there are valuable competitive advantage in employing diverse work groups and they offer seven good reasons why an organisation should have diverse workforce : 1. It is the right thing to do, both ethically and morally. 2. A diversity helps complying with the laws regarding issues of discrimination. 3. Having diversity in a company opens up marketing opportunities, because prejudice aspects of customers are substantially balanced 4. A diverse group of people provides better and varied ideas. 5. Companies want to hold themselves out as the employer of choice. 6. Diversity helps retain your people. 7. Diversity initiatives impact the bottom line. [MANUEL ESPINOZA, (2007), 6-2-2009()] Compliance with law Compliance is no doubt an important factor. US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has observed that, particularly after the Sep 11 attacks , focus was on preventing workplace discrimination, harassment and backlash against innocent employees and applicants for employment who were, or were perceived to be, Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian or Sikh. Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA, H.R. 3685) prohibits discrimination. Further, it would add 'Sexual orientation' to the list of protected groups, classified by race, religion, ethnicity, sex, age, disability and pregnancy. This would grant protection to gay men, lesbians and bisexuals against discrimination at the workplace. In the Constitution, free exercise of religion is an absolute right. The Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2007 (WRFA, H.R. 1431) involves accommodation of religious freedom in the workplace. Currently, under Title VII of the Civil

Working Capital Management Essay Example for Free

Working Capital Management Essay Finagle A Bagel was purchased in 1998 by Alan Litchman and his wife Laura Trust. At the time Finagle had been in operation for 4 years and operated out of 4 locations. Having come from a corporate background with no bagel baking experience, Alan and Laura faced with many financial and operations decisions with their purchase. Situations such as renting a facility or owning it, incurring debt or partnering with a venture capitalist, building banking relationships, opening lines of credit, and establishing trade credit. Each of these decisions effected if Finagle was in the red or black. Many small companies are faced with similar decisions, determining if the cost is justified and the potential return. When Alan and Laura purchase Finagle, they determined that they wanted to own their facilities, arguing that in the long term it is better to own then rent. This was very advantageous for Finagle as it put them in a position to negotiate with banks when the economy declined. Finagle built partnerships with banks as they were seen as a good investment to the banks, this in turn meant lower interest rates to finance their debt. Early on Finagle had the opportunity to take on partners as a means to raise capital, but they decided instead to take on debt which allowed them to continue to operate their business without oversight. Venture capital partners could have enabled Finagle to grow faster without debt but it could have cost them control over the long term direction they saw for Finagle. As with any business, a good accounting department is necessary. Determining if spending justifies the cost, for Finagle they recognized that they need to spend $10,000 to earn $1,000; as a majority of the profit went to overhead such as electricity and personnel. Understanding the cost of spending enabled the company to be competitive in the marketplace and position themselves for the long-term. Small retail operations see cash daily through individual purchases. Cash  in hand adds surplus to the bottom line as Finagle is seeing immediate payment but has 20 days before they have to pay their vendors. When Finagle started to grow and place their products in grocery stores, they were no longer receiving payment for their goods immediately. The grocery store would provide payment within a stated period of time however Finagle could not delay paying their vendors until they received payment from the grocery store. To combat the time delay between accounts receivable and accounts payable, Finagle opened a line of credit and negotiated the use of trade credit with their vendors. Having multiple means to service their debt has helped Finagle a Bagel to grow into a successful organization. Through strong leadership and working capital management, Finagle has grown to have 5 retail locations, partnerships with 26 grocery stores that stock fresh and frozen bagels, and 12 distributors (Finagle A Bagel, 2014). References Finagle A Bagel. (2014). Where to Buy. Retrieved from http://www.finagleabagel.com/where-to-buy.aspx#!cafe-locations Parrino, R., Kidwell, D., Bates, T. (2012). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Realism Naturalism English

Realism Naturalism English Realism and Naturalism are two similar literary movements of the 19th and 20th century that deal with the real, cruel world. Realism was developed in the early 1800s as a branch off of Romanticism which also dealt with ordinary, â€Å"natural† life. Realism most straightforwardly is â€Å"the truthful treatment of material.† Writers in this movement focused mainly on everyday, natural incidents involving ordinary people, nothing too extreme or out of the ordinary. This movement put most emphasis on detached, precise observations of human life. Some such writers were Mark Twain and Dean Howells. Naturalism was just a more extreme, darker version of Realism. However Naturalism is based on very different philosophy in which people are prisoners of their inheritance and social environment, a result of Darwinian influence of scientific reasoning. In Naturalism, life is viewed more as machine like than humanistic; man is simply just another animal on planet earth driven by hi s chemistry and environment. Spirituality has no part in this literary movement; it is all scientifically based. A few writers in this movement were Theodore Dreiser and Ambrose Beirce. Although Realism and Naturalism are quite similar movements, they are still two very distinct philosophical views on life as illustrated in two pieces of such literature: â€Å"Hedda Gabler† by Henrik Isben and â€Å"Chickamauga† written by Ambrose Beirce. â€Å"Hedda Gabler† is a play written in 1890 by Henrik Ibsen, a Realistic writer, in which Realism is displayed and its principles qualified. Since Realism is a movement dedicated to revealing the vulgarity and cruelty of society to the people this story is likewise an account of a perverse, earthy society. It is based and names after the main character, Hedda Gabler. Gabler is her maiden name, but using it as the title sets the Realistic tone that all she ever did was care for herself and her formerly comfortable, aristocratic lifestyle. She is a prime example of how perverse society and its morality really is. Hedda was married to George Tesman and apparently pregnant with his child which morally is supposed to mean that she has some sort of binding love with him, however, she confessed to Mrs. Elvsted that even after all that, she really had no true feelings for Tesman. Not only does she not love her husband but she has no problem with cheating on him with his scholarly ar chrival, Eilert Loevborg. This is a prime illustration of the Realistic view of a perverse society. Although this story is pointing out the perverse nature of mankind, it is not taking and humane traits out of the characters like Naturalism; it is a much less extreme example of an ultimately corrupt humanity. â€Å"Chickamauga† is a short story written by American Ambrose Beirce, a sardonic author obsessed with death, a Naturalism characteristic, which can blatantly be seen in this story. Naturalism comes from a desire to shock the middle class with thorough and vivid depictions of sadistic, animalistic characters. First of all, Beirces attitude towards the six year old boy in the story, referring to the boy as â€Å"it†, qualifies the Naturalistic principle that man is merely just another animal, no more than a lab case study. Naturalists do not believe than humans possess any kind of otherworldly soul that separates them from all other life forms. This is portrayed especially by the boy and also somewhat by the soldiers and other characters in the story. Already has Beirce started dehumanizing the boy by calling him â€Å"it†, but also they way he writes about him in such an annoyed, insufferable manor it is plain to see that to the Naturalists, the boy is worthless . It is even more appalling considering the inconsiderate tone Beirce took with the boy to find out at the end that he was a deaf mute. Naturalists have no more care for poor children with handicaps than they do with anything else. This detached tone is also taken with the maimed, dying soldiers dragging themselves to the creek. They are plainly observed by the young boy who was amused and intrigued, not aghast, by the awkward way their maimed bodies approached the creek and by how the men whod let their heads down to get a drink had been too weak to lift their heads back out and had drowned in the water. Realists do not take the human factor out of mankind like Naturalists do; they simply observe without any kind of emotion or attachment to the characters and setting. Not only are these soldiers being described and treated inhumanly, the childs reaction to these images were solely influenced and determined by his past experiences, his environment. These men were suffering incredibly and the young boy just laughed as he saw them approaching and thought nothing of their disfigured features until one of them aggressively pushed him off of his back onto the ground. At first he thought of them as amusing because the red blood that covered their faces and bodies reminded him of a clown he had once been entertained by, and the way some of them were crawling reminded him of the way some of his familys slaves had pretended to be horses for him to ride. Because of his past experiences with seemingly similar circumstances, the boy was not afraid and even jumped on the back of one of the crawling soldiers he thought was also pretending to be a horse. However, after the man shoved the little boy off onto the ground and the boy saw his disfigured face he finall y became afraid. The mans jawless, bloody face reminded the little boy of a carnivorous bird after its kill. Both of these reactions were not based on any kind of feeling; they were simply reactions to the boys environment, another principle of Naturalism. Realism does not try to give any reasons for a characters actions whether they are results of their environment or moral responsibilities. Naturalism is a scientific philosophy rationalizing how and why man works the way he does; Realism simply tries to put an accurate emphasis on humane understanding, leaving the characters motive to himself. Although Realism and Naturalism do branch off from each other, they are very different in that Realism leaves the humanistic qualities and just focusing on true observations of a corrupt society whereas Naturalism is a scientific philosophy that mankind is nothing more than another life form on earth acting upon only his chemistry and environmental circumstances. â€Å"Hedda Gabler† and â€Å"Chickamauga† were two very suitable examples of each literary movement. They both clearly exhibited the principles of each movement to the reader.

Going Round Our Selves :: Personal Narrative Woolf Essays

Going Round Our Selves To tell the truth about oneself, to discover oneself near at hand, is not easy. -Virginia Woolf, "Montaigne" It was the end of August. I was eight years old and my mom, dad, brother, uncle, and I had gathered on the front porch of our lakeside cottage in Indiana. All day a thunderstorm raged outside. The rain swept across the lake in sheets from the north, flooding the boathouse and drenching the sheets and towels my mother and I had hung on the clothesline the night before. My brother and I had gone through every board game in the house and worn out the deck of cards, so he told me we were going to play catch, snatched up a tennis ball, and headed from the porch into the main part of the house. I, four years his junior, followed. It is here, first, that I feel I must pause; for just now, in this event as I have begun to recount it, there seem to be numerous forces at work. The way in which I remember the beginnings of this incident, the method by which I have started to put it into words, speaks to the rain that drove my family and me into the house and onto the porch, to my brother who effortlessly coaxed me into one game of monopoly after another, to the ease with which I complied with his silent instructions to follow him into the house for a game of catch. My actions seem so driven by things and people external to me that recalling my eight-year-old self has surprised and startled, unsettled me. In allowing this sensation of shock to play through my mind, I am instantly drawn to Virginia Woolf's "A Sketch of the Past," her version of a memoir in which she brings the places she grew up in, the people she knew, and a handful of the experiences that shaped her over the course of her life back into existence for us to read, perhaps eventually to come to know and be shaped by ourselves. Woolf is interested in this shaping and molding, the malleability, the instabilities of human existence that drive our daily lives; and so she sets out to explore and examine the power and influence of the forces in the early, formative years of one's life. She writes that somehow into the space and time of one's childhood must be brought, too, the sense of movement and change.

A Rose by Any Other Name: the Pros and Cons for Each Alternative Essay

What is the best marketing strategy for Rose Partyware? In both options – becoming a manufacturer for Party! private label line of party goods or launching of a branded line of party ware – Rose company will face some issues and will embraced some opportunities. In my opinion, there are pros and cons for each alternative: 1. Becoming a manufacturer for Party! Pros: †¢The possibility to become the manufacturer for one of the biggest retail chain in the field with 300 stores †¢Access granted to a huge market having in mind that retail chains are more and more developing in to the first choice of customers in terms of shopping †¢The sales of Rose Company made through Party! represent 20% of total sales. †¢ Rose products will have a very good exposure on the shelves of Party!, along with merchandising support and sharply reducing the number of competitors. †¢Eliminating the advertising costs Cons: †¢Risk of product’s cannibalization   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Losing brand personality – Having no decision capacity regarding the design of the products. †¢35% of total sale are coming from independent shops. Moreover, Tom consider that this type of partners were always a great source of good ideas and encouragement and he felt that he owns them a part of his company success. By accepting Party’s! proposal Rose company assumes the risk of losing the partnership with independent shops. †¢Rose brand is a strong one in this field. Their products are the best in terms of quality and customers appreciation. If they accept Party! proposal it occur the risk of losing brand awareness among the customers †¢Lack of trust in retail chains policy regarding the amount of payment for the manufactured products. †¢Losing the opportunity to take advantage of a next-generation technology. †¢Lack of pride among the employees 2. Implement the new technology Pros: †¢Increase brand power which allow Rose to stay ahead of its rivals. †¢This next generation technology will give the opportunities of reducing the total costs by eliminating the expensive filmmaking process. †¢A market research conducted by the company it reveal that, both customers and distributors have positive remarks about the new concept. †¢Some studies results show that the customers are willing to pay even more for Rose’s new brand than it was suggested to them. So the company has the possibility to increase the price by 6-7% at their new products in order to cover the expenses with advertising. †¢Keeping the innovative spirit of the company Cons: †¢Risk involved by price increasing †¢Customers inconstancy regarding what they say in a market research program vs. what they do in a real life situation As we can see, both alternatives imply as well opportunities and risks. If I were the decision maker in this case I would surely choose the alternative to implement the new technology that will allow the company to create innovative products. I would take this decision based on short and medium/long terms factors. On short term, in terms of sales the actual partnership with Party! represent 20% of total sales while the one with independent shops is 35% of total sales. The diminishing of eventual loses, it can be crucial for the business. In addition, as Tom stated, the independent shops represented a success factor in growth of Rose Company over the years. On a medium/long terms the company has the opportunity to be the pioneer in developing a innovative product with a positive impact among clients and distributors. Is a great opportunity to increase the power of the brand and to put its mark over the entire partyware industry.