Occupy Wall Street Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Occupy Wall Street - Essay Example The movement instigated on September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park of New York City's Wall Street financial district. The chief architect of the protest was Canadian activist group Adbusters, and has escorted to connect protests and actions across the planet (Intellectual Roots of Wall St. Protest Lie in Academe: Movement's principles arise from scholarship on anarchy). Occupy Wall Street emphasizes direct action and they have their slogan "We are the 99%". Indicating that the authorities are supporting 1% of the population, proportion attributed to the privileged and prosperous population. Highlighting the fact that income is unequally distributed between the affluent class which is 1% and the enduring 99% of the population (Intellectual Roots of Wall St. Protest Lie in Academe: Movement's principles arise from scholarship on anarchy). History Tracing the history of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS), it could be established that the roots lie in the 2010, British student protests together w ith the anti-austerity protest of Greece and Spain as well as Arab Spring protest (Reuters). In June 2011, an electronic conversation took place between Lasen and White. Lasen was the founder of Canadian-based Adbusters Media Foundation while, White was the senior editor of Adbuster (Pre-occupied). Later a website called OccupyWallStreet.org was registered by Lasen in June 2011. The subscribers of Adbusters were sent an electronic message with the note "America needs it own Tahrir". The message busted like a wild fire and people showed spontaneity. Adbusters suggested September, 17 as the date for the initiation of the protest as it corresponds with the America's Constitution Day (Fleming, 2011). The idea spread like a conflagration and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogs played the pivotal role in generating the awareness and inciting individuals to understand their rights as "leaderless resistance movement" (Fleming, 2011). The movement was joined and pulle d by various independent activists who possess their systematized websites, to convey messages for meetings. The protest gathered a huge crowd and therefore was intervened by the police which provided Occupy Wall Street new wings to spread the message. Video clips and footage played a crucial role in generating public awareness. A NYPD officers video highlighting the arrest of protesters spread like a pandemic on Internet especially the one displaying officers shooting pepper spray on the faces of people especially women. The movement emerged as a people's democracy movement. Every effort to clear out the non-violent protest has further popularized the movement and people are participating to a greater extent with more zeal and enthusiasm. With every huge gatherings things tend to change and further strengthen the movement, highlighting the fact that the 99% of the population is really suffering a lot due to the prevailing corruption and greed for money in every sector of human exis tence (Fleming, 2011). People are now aware of the fact that Occupy Wall Street is people's voice and one must promote it, strengthen it and have to contribute for the betterment of the their rights and to eliminate disparity and

The Soldiers War Essay Example for Free

The Soldiers War Essay Alexander Hamilton once said, â€Å"When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation.† The American Civil War came into being due to these â€Å"passions of men†, and the average men, who went into the war with such gusto, got slapped into the harsh reality of war. The Civil War ushered in a new era of fighting, with new tactics, new weapons, and new strategies. However, as the first of major changes, the transition took time, and that time cost the lives of thousands of men through no fault of their own. This war was one of change, and the soldiers that fought it changed the most. Civilians strode into the war in garish â€Å"uniforms,† soldiers clashed with their former countrymen, killers dealt with the aftermath, and war veterans went home to lives that would never be the same; all due to the unbounded â€Å"passions of men.† The brave men who fought in the American Civil War were untrained and undisciplined, and the number of volunteers that flooded recruiting stations was too vast for either government to accept them all. Enthused with patriotic sentiments, civilians who chose fighting for the preservation of the Union, or perhaps to punish the rebellious South, craved the â€Å"glory† of battle. Even as the numerous state militias proudly wore gaudy, impractical uniforms and excitedly waited for the fighting, the few seasoned generals they had, attempted to whip them into a functioning army. This was not an easy task, seeing as the would-be soldiers consistently undermined any and every authority figure by ignoring orders, asking for reasons to obey, and breaking rank whenever the felt the urge. Not to mention that the number of commanders who knew how to turn civilians into warriors was dreadfully low. None of these men had a clue what was in store for them, in what would be a much longer and bloodier war than they expected. Through the excited eyes of young volunteers, the war looked to them like a â€Å"great adventure,† and those who were not be accepted went home with hanging heads.1 Men saw the Civil War as a chance to defend â€Å"The land of my childhood my love and my tears; the land of my birth and my early sunny years.†2 The sword had been drawn, and the men of the Union army gave off an aura of â€Å"passion† for the war. Going into the war, absolutely none of the excited soldiers anticipated the mass slaughter; nonetheless, it would soon seem commonplace. It was the killing that changed the soldiers the most. One Union soldier wrote, â€Å"I am aposed to one man killing another,† but â€Å"when we are attacked and our lives are in danger by a gang of men aposed to the best government on earth I shall fight.† Most of the army shared this aversion to killing, except when the â€Å"passions† of the patriotic man called for it. Soldiers rationalized the bloodbath by looking at it as duty and self-defense rather than killing. Another factor that helped to keep soldiers’ consciences clean was the anonymity of working as a single unit. Even as this helped men make sense of the killing that took place in structured battle, the modern war tactics made it harder because of the new level of intimacy. This war was unique in that the new weapons and strategies allowed commanders to give soldiers more freedom within the structure of the army. Fighting in wooded areas and trench warfare constantly â€Å"undermined† the traditional patterns of war, and gave soldiers the freedom to shoot when they chose and who they chose. The drills and automatic movements caused the individual soldier to react without thinking about the unspeakable act of killing another human while in an orderly formation. The individual worried about making sure that he and his comrades survived the battle by whatever means necessary. However, when working in smaller groups, in more intimate settings, the decision to pull the trigger was more difficult. Regardless of how difficult it was in the beginning of a soldier’s Civil War experience, by the end of the war, there were those who enjoyed the killing, the revenge. Men worked as a single unit in the fray of battle, but it was in the aftermath that they had the time to process the carnage their unit had wrought. Men spoke of a â€Å"hardening,† of becoming desensitized to seeing  mounds of lifeless human bodies. A Union Colonel said that during the battle â€Å"You are engrossed with the struggle,† therefore â€Å"Your losses and dangers don’t oppress you ‘til afterwards when you sit down quietly to look over the result or go out with details to bury the dead.† The shock of seeing that many men dead disturbed the â€Å"green† Union troops. Soldiers wrote home speaking of the â€Å"rank† smell and grotesque remains that littered the ground the day after a battle. One Union soldier could not bring himself to describe the monstrous site of a day old battle field; he merely told his parents â€Å"Tell Mrs. Diggins not to let her boy enlist.† The soldiers found this the hardest to face, so naturally they pushed it aside. A southern newspaper plainly said, â€Å"The feelings of a soldier walking over his first battle-field and over his second are widely different.† Eventually seasoned soldiers were able to eat, sleep, walk, and talk among the piles of dead bodies without a second thought. In the same fashion, this forced disregard for human life, risking â€Å"dehumanizing† those left alive. Soldiers treated the bodies left over with no more compassion than a slaughtered pig. When the â€Å"passions of men† are worn, the men are left with what they wrought. After the soldiers had done their part and effectively won the war, they made the transition from trained killer to civilian. The first step was gathering all of the troops from their scattered locations across the country and getting them to their respective homes.5 When they finally arrived home, the changes the war had caused became painfully obvious to the veterans loved ones. One soldier’s mother, Henrietta Maria Benson said, â€Å"He came home so changed that his best friends did not know him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Men returning  home cast aside their weapons and returned to the â€Å"real world,† but the transition varied from man to man.6 For a lucky few it was as simple as â€Å"picking up the pieces† and â€Å"moving on.† The rest of the men battled mental problems, most likely what is now known to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In regards to a Civil War veteran, an unknown person said, â€Å"His rambling letters show someone who was confused and a little paranoid. But they also show flashes of clarity and awareness and give crucial clues about his background to help fill in some of the large blank spots in his history.† The tremendous stress and trauma of the bloodiest war in American history changed the men who fought it almost beyond recognition. The â€Å"passions† were long gone, and the lasting effect was extremely prominent in the men who marched home. Along with coping with returning from war, soldiers as well as civilians had to come to terms with all of the lives lost. The most lasting effect of the Civil War was the loss. Mary Todd Lincoln lived the remainder of her life in mourning clothes; A soldier’s mother spent years after the Surrender at Appomattox hoping her missing son would return home; a man named Henry Struble honored a grave that mistakenly bore his name by laying flowers yearly. Men who had once been fathers, brothers, cousins, uncles, and husbands laid unadorned and unknown in unidentified graves. The death that surrounded the Civil War was often shrouded in mystery, which made it all the more difficult for loved ones back home. The lack of information regarding a majority of the deaths in the war made it more difficult for civilians to accept those deaths. Change was the primary theme of the Civil War, and that change presented itself the most in the brave men who fought in the war. A soldier’s mentality and ability to cope with what he had wrought evolved dramatically throughout the war. The men who walked into the war were not the same as those who walked out when it was over. Soldiers had to face tragic losses and deal with the deaths that they personally caused. Upon returning to civilian life, most men were unrecognizable to the people who had been closest to them. After all, â€Å"When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation,† and those passions wreaked a permanent havoc on the country.

Evolution of the Moral Code Essays -- Philosophy essays

Evolution of the Moral Code "Morality is the herding instinct of the individual."  Ã‚  Ã‚   -Nietzsche Within the depths of your imagination, two tribes exist. Peaceful hunter-gatherers, they are exactly equal in every respect. All of the variables in their environment are the same or cancel each other out. Their birth and death rates coincide exactly, their resources and location are so similar that they could be the same tribe. They remain in this state of equality, completely unaware of each others' existence, until one day a fight erupts in both tribes at the same time which heats to the point where one member of the tribe kills another in anger. Amidst this, something unusual happens: for the first time, a split occurs in the behavior of the tribes. The first tribe frowns upon the behavior, convenes a meeting of tribal elders, and decides to punish the individual. The punishment is severe and public, the individual justly reprimanded for his heinous crime. In the second tribe, the action is seen as natural. The argument exploded into anger, a perfectly natural emotion, and escalated to the point where it was a life-or-death situation. No punishment is handed down, and the tribe continues to live. As time passes, the tribe which punished the murder sees few further murders, instead keeping its strict standard and severely punishing any such transgression. The looser tribe sees more murders, as it is perfectly accepted, a part of their moral code. Or rather, an accepted standard not mentioned in their moral code. Time passes. The difference does not cause the end or severe decline of either tribe. At some point, the tribes become aware of each other, and find it necessary for the purposes of this illustra... ...essary if we replace it with the realization that morals are in place that we may live together. In this theoretical case, the hypocrisy of religion is subtracted with the outdated morals no longer needed to keep the outdated system intact. The important morals will remain, and religious crimes will end, such as much of the seemingly endless religion-fueled fighting in the Middle East. Religion must, in the end, go, to be replaced by simple ethics and respect. Unfeasible? Wholly. But on the individual level, at least acceptance can be learned and perhaps passed on, and eventually, the outdated, humanized view of God will be replaced by love. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself; for in case we live, we live to the Lord, and in case we die, we die to the Lord; so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. -Romans 14:7-8

Skilled Labor Scarcity Essay -- Human Resource Management

Article Summary Skill shortage is a genuine lack of adequately skilled individuals available in the accessible labor market with the type of skill being sought and which leads to a difficulty in recruitment. A recent article by Ben Casselman in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the difficulties recruiters and employers (specifically manufacturers) facing are moderate to severe shortage of skilled labors to fill their well-paying positions that requires specialized skills. The shortages (due to weak labor market) are being felt in what have been heavy-duty blue-collar jobs in manufacturing and other industries that somewhat do not require a college degree. The demand for skilled workers has a significant negative impact on the manufacturing firms and the skills gap can thus lead to a ripple effect. Skills gap is used to describe the qualitative mismatch between the supply or availability of human resources and the requirements of the labor market. Skills gap exists where employers feel that their existing workforce have inadequate skill type or skill level to meet their business objectives; or where new entrants to the labor market are apparently trained and qualified for occupations but still lack a variety of the specific skills required. The shortage also affects the less-skilled workers who lose out on spin-off jobs to support the increased production. Because of skills shortages, employers are lowering their expectations when recruiting people and cutting back on capacity and quality level. The skilled worker gap is developing at large due to the significant decline in the manufacturing sector (aspects of globalization and off-shoring) that appear less stable and attractive now as large number of workers approach retireme... ...rker employed). And, businesses may decide to increase production by making greater use of capital inputs such as extra units of machinery. A growing economy creates jobs for people entering the labor market for the first time; and it provides employment opportunities for people unemployed and looking for work.† Article Source: â€Å"Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging,† by Ben Casselman, The Wall Street Journal, Column A1, November 26, 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577010080035955166.html Frederic S. Mishkin. Macroeconomics Policy and Practice. Pearson Education, Inc., Addison-Wesley 2012. Ronald G. Ehrenberg and Robert S. Smith. Modern Labor Economics Theory and Public Policy. Eleventh Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., Prentice Hall 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_unemployment

Direct Mail Homework

1. Who will your target audience(s) be for this coming year? When using direct mail as a medium for fund raising, firms measure their performance by comparing the dollars earned with the dollars spent (Bhagat and Donovan). Hence, for the coming year we should concentrate on those who can give us the maximum amount of money while we keep our costs at the lowest possible. Also, most of our donors are in the retired age bracket. For these reasons we should concentrate on targeting middle age people; those who have are concerned about others and also have the means to help them.2. What proportion of your budget will you allocate for new requests versus ongoing communication? At least half of the budget should be allocated for new requests as the company is in dire need of altering its current donor list age bracket. 3. What other communication tactics might you use to try and reach potential donors? The firm can use many other tactics such as online mailing, setting up a website, making online forums where people can come and discuss new ideas and giving an advertisement in the newspaper.However, newspaper advertisement will cost a lot and thus, the chosen newspaper must be the one which is widely read by the target audience. 4. How might you distinguish yourself from other charities making requests for funds? A lot of fundraisers show their donors the monetary benefits of raising funds through them. We do not think this is a healthy practice as those giving away something should not be interested in getting more back.Hence, we will distinguish ourselves from others by highlighting the benefits that society will get out of our the donors’ gesture to help others. 5. Is there any certain determinant you can think of that might help you identify good potential donors? While identifying potential donors, we will need to know if they have been giving donations in the past and how they feel about that. That can be identified through inviting people to online discu ssions and then contacting those whom we think have the potential via direct mail to give donations.

The Murder of College Student Katherine Foster

The Murder of College Student Katherine Foster A 47-year-old woman living in a homeless shelter in Jackson, Mississippi has been arrested for a murder that took place in Alabama 28 years ago. Jamie Kellam Letson is being held on $500,000 bond in Mobile for the February 1980 shooting death of her longtime friend Katherine Foster, a student at the University of South Alabama when she was killed. Letson, who was 19 at the time, and the 18-year-old Katherine Foster were friends who grew up together in Pascagoula, Mississippi. On Feb. 23, 1980, Foster was a freshman at South Alabama in Mobile. When Foster went missing, a group of 50 volunteer students searched two days for her near the university and she was found in a wooded area near the campus. No Signs of Assault When she was found, there were few signs of foul play, except for the two bullet holes in her head and the blood underneath her hair. Investigators said her makeup was on, her hair brushed and her clothes neat and clean. There were no bruises on her body or any indication of sexual assault. Five days after the murder, police found a .22 caliber pistol at a nearby pond, but the gun turned out not to be the murder weapon, which has never been found. Few Clues Over the Years Three years after Fosters death, police thought they had another suspect when a university security guard committed suicide. In his home, they found an extensive collection of material related to the Foster case, including the autopsy report, news articles, and poems that the guard wrote about Foster. They also found in his garage a secure room with a mattress in which someone could have been hidden. But investigators determined that Michael Maris, the dead guard, had an alibi for the time of Fosters disappearance and he was ruled out as a suspect. Letson, who has served time for theft and bank fraud, was previously questioned by police in connection with the case  because she was a longtime friend of Foster, but the case had been cold for more than 25 years until recently. Assistant District Attorney Jo Beth Murphree would not tell reporters what evidence led to the arrest of Letson after 28 years.

Free Essays on Chomsky

Chomsky’s Thesis Chomsky’s controlling idea doesn’t change much for the first half of the reading; he believes that the U.S. attempts to control third world countries for it’s own benefit. He discusses the ability of our government to seemingly change direction without really changing anything at all. We went from suppressing the third world to stop the USSR to suppressing the third world to stop drug trafficking. All the while, the United States is not helping anyone but us. Because of the government’s ability to dupe the public, they are able to build an outstanding world for us. When the U.S. government plunders other countries for their natural resources, the U.S. citizens reap the benefits. One man’s loss is another man’s gain, or country’s, for this matter. You would think that these atrocities would not be accepted by the public, that the government must want us to not find out about these horrible deeds. Absolutely not, there are millions of resources out there to find the truth, but most people just don’t give a shit. Everyone has his or her own problems to worry about. Chomsky’s View of Society To understand Chomsky’s view of society you must break society into two parts, the rich and the poor. The role of the rich is to suppress the poor, to use the poor people Hughes 2 as a means to an end, exploit them in whatever means necessary to get what you want, while the role of the poor is to feed the rich. They must break their backs in a factory while earning minimum wage, just so the owners of the factory can buy a fancier car, or a bigger house, or a new boat. Chomsky doesn’t believe this is the way it should be, but that this is the way it is. Chomsky also believes the U.S. government tries to keep it this way. According to Chomsky’s belief that only twenty percent of the population actually read the newspaper, it is hard to imagine them having to justify themselves. If only th... Free Essays on Chomsky Free Essays on Chomsky Chomsky’s Thesis Chomsky’s controlling idea doesn’t change much for the first half of the reading; he believes that the U.S. attempts to control third world countries for it’s own benefit. He discusses the ability of our government to seemingly change direction without really changing anything at all. We went from suppressing the third world to stop the USSR to suppressing the third world to stop drug trafficking. All the while, the United States is not helping anyone but us. Because of the government’s ability to dupe the public, they are able to build an outstanding world for us. When the U.S. government plunders other countries for their natural resources, the U.S. citizens reap the benefits. One man’s loss is another man’s gain, or country’s, for this matter. You would think that these atrocities would not be accepted by the public, that the government must want us to not find out about these horrible deeds. Absolutely not, there are millions of resources out there to find the truth, but most people just don’t give a shit. Everyone has his or her own problems to worry about. Chomsky’s View of Society To understand Chomsky’s view of society you must break society into two parts, the rich and the poor. The role of the rich is to suppress the poor, to use the poor people Hughes 2 as a means to an end, exploit them in whatever means necessary to get what you want, while the role of the poor is to feed the rich. They must break their backs in a factory while earning minimum wage, just so the owners of the factory can buy a fancier car, or a bigger house, or a new boat. Chomsky doesn’t believe this is the way it should be, but that this is the way it is. Chomsky also believes the U.S. government tries to keep it this way. According to Chomsky’s belief that only twenty percent of the population actually read the newspaper, it is hard to imagine them having to justify themselves. If only th...

U.S. Teen Pregnancy and Abortion Rates

U.S. Teen Pregnancy and Abortion Rates Preventing teen pregnancy is one of those perennial hot-button issues in the news, and countless sources cite the statistic that 3/4 of a million teens become pregnant each year. But what are the real facts and figures on teenage pregnancy in the U.S.? How current is the data and is teen pregnancy overblown by the media? What are the statistics for teen abortions and teen births? The February 2012 study U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2008: National Trends by Age, Race and Ethnicity, authored by Kathryn Kost and Stanley Henshaw and released by the Guttmacher Institute draws upon the most current estimates available and provides data on teen pregnancy rates in the United States in 2008 on a national level. Teen pregnancy rates differ from teen birth rates in that pregnancy rates include births, abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths. Current statistics including pregnancy, birth and abortion rates are outlined below. Number of Teenage Pregnancies In 2008, there were approximately 746,500 teen pregnancies involving young women and girls under age 20. The bulk of those pregnancies 733,000 were among teens age 15-19, while girls 14 and younger accounted for 13,500 pregnancies. Teenage Pregnancy Rate Among teens age 15-17, the pregnancy rate was 67.8 pregnancies per 1,000 women or 7% of the population. This rate was the lowest in over 30 years, down 42% from the peak pregnancy rate of 116.9 per thousand in 1990. Among girls 14 and younger, the pregnancy rate declined 62% from a high of 17.5 pregnancies per thousand in 1990 to 6.6 per thousand in 2008. Pregnancy Rate of Sexually Active Teens The pregnancy rate of sexually experienced teens (those who have ever had intercourse) was 158.5 pregnancies per thousand young women age 15-19, which indicates that the overall teenage pregnancy rate includes a significant proportion of teens who have never had sex. That rate reached its peak in 1990 when it was 223.1 per thousand a decline of 29%. Teenage Birth Rate In 2008 the teen birth rate was 40.2 births per 1,000 women, a drop of 35% from the peak rate of 61.8 per thousand in 1991. Teenage Abortion Rate In 2008 the teen abortion rate was 17.8 abortions per 1,000 women, the lowest rate since abortion was legalized. Abortion rates for teens peaked in 1988 at 43.5 per thousand; compared with the 2008 rate, that represents a decline of 59%. Although teen birth and abortion rates have been on a steady decline for more than two decades, in 2006 there was a short-lived increase in both the teenage birth and abortion rate. Both rates resumed their decline according to 2008 figures. Teenage Abortion Ratio The proportion of teen pregnancies that end in abortion (known as the abortion ratio) declined by a third from 1986-2008, from 46% to 31%. Teen Pregnancy Rates Across Racial and Ethnic Groups Although declines were seen among all three groups (white, black, Hispanic), the teen pregnancy rate remains higher among black teens and Hispanic teens as compared to non-Hispanic white teens. For non-Hispanic white teens, the pregnancy rate declined 50% since 1990 (from 86.6 pregnancies per 1,000 to 43.3). Among black women aged 15–19, the pregnancy rate dropped 48% between 1990 and 2008 (from 223.8 pregnancies per 1,000 to 117.0). Hispanic teenagers (of any race), the pregnancy rate fell 37% from its highest level between 1992 and 2008 (from 169.7 per 1,000 to 106.6.) Teen Pregnancy Rates and Racial Disparity When compared to each other, the disparity in teen pregnancy rates across racial and ethnic groups is apparent. Rates among black and Hispanic teens were 2–3 higher than that of non-Hispanic white teens. Among the different groups, in 2008 the pregnancy rate per thousand for young women age 15-19 was: 43.3 for non-Hispanic white teens106.6 for Hispanic teens (of any race)117.0 for black teens Teen Abortion Rates and Racial Disparity A similar disparity exists in teen abortion rates across racial and ethnic groups. Abortion rates among black teens were 4 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white teens; among Hispanic teens, the rate was twice as high. Among the different groups, in 2008 the abortion rate per thousand for young women age 15-19 was: 10.4 for non-Hispanic white teens20.1 for Hispanic teens (of any race)40.8 for black teens Teen Birth Rates and Racial Disparity Likewise, the disparity continues in teen birth rates across racial and ethnic groups. Birth rates among black and Hispanic teens in 2008 were twice the rate of non-Hispanic white teens. Among the different groups, in 2008 the birth rate per thousand for young women age 15-19 was: 26.6 for non-Hispanic white teens70.3 for Hispanic teens (of any race)60.1 for black teens Number of Pregnancies, Births, Abortions and Estimated Miscarriages In 2008 the following numbers for women younger than age 20 were recorded and/or estimated: Total number of pregnancies - 746,530Total number of births - 440,522Total number of abortions - 198,100Total number of estimated miscarriages (including stillbirths) - 107,910 Out of a total population of young women age 15-19 in the U.S. of 10,805,000, roughly 7% of teen girls were pregnant in 2008. Source:Kost, Kathryn and Stanley Henshaw. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2008: National Trends by Age, Race and Ethnicity. Guttmacher Institute, Guttmacher.org. 8 February 2012.

Mark Twain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Mark Twain - Essay Example There are only a few students especially foreign ones who would stand up for their right. It should be of their pride that they have the knowledge to be brought to a foreign land and be given the opportunity to cultivate not just education but also the culture of the place where they are residing or studying. It would be of great pride for them to also share their culture to fellow students. Moral courage is needed for foreign students to be able to succeed in a place where they are considered different. These students should always stand up and be proud of their roots. Whenever they have a chance to share anything related to their culture, they should grab the said chance and especially when it will be helpful to the lectures or to the improvement of the awareness of other students. Students, whether local or foreign, should always rise up to the occasion whenever needed. It is not trying to be someone who know-it-all instead it is a way of challenging peers to step up and be more competitive. In the process the education sector including the learners and the educators would

Art History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art History - Research Paper Example Modern paintings keep with this tradition as they continue to focus on the urge of mankind to promote peace and tranquility in a fragmented world. The cultural and social upheavals of the renaissance period gave birth to this concept of modern art. The Factory by the Sea was painted by Stuart Davis in 1932. Davis was born in New York in 1892, and he died in 1964. While growing up, Davis was surrounded by accomplished artists. After travelling to Paris in 1929, Davis returned to the United States with a new distinctive style in his paintings. The Factory by the Sea painting has abstract patterns of dark outlines and contrasting colors that portray aspects of the American life. Davis looked at his subject matter in the Factory by the Sea painting in an avant-garde manner. The Factory by the Sea painting has distinctive style that has supported the development of later artists such as de Kooning and Gorky. In the Factory by the Sea painting, Davis has illustrated how gripping abstract paintings can be when compared to traditional portraits when simple symbiotic patterns are used effectively. The Factory by the Sea painting is dependent on form, composition and color. The relationship between the natural world and man-made structu res are explored in the Factory by the Sea painting. Recognizable structures and shapes that are within irrational emotions and thoughts are evident in the Factory by the Sea painting. The color theory in the Factory by the Sea painting is unorthodox and very instinctive. This color is the aspect that most viewers of the painting first notice. To enhance the vivid colors in the painting, more oxide and neutral colors have been used. The Factory by the Sea painting is my favorite of all three paintings in this paper. This is because it keeps the viewer interested because it is difficult to fathom hence intriguing (Tytler 213-228). The viewer sees something that reminds them of a

The Future of the Coastguard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Future of the Coastguard - Essay Example Apart from that, its function as a search and rescue service and as an environmental monitoring and protection one, cannot be underestimated or undervalued. The coast guard is essential in the life of any coastal or island country and its importance is expected to increase. While there are hardly any who are not aware of the presence, aims and objectives of all of the army, the navy and the air force, only a handful of people have a similar awareness of the coastguard. Although some countries, such as the United States, Canada and Japan, define the coast guard as a division of the national military, its importance is generally underestimated (LaGuardia-Kotite and Ridge, 2006). Popular understanding of the coast guard is that it acts as a vessel and life rescue service and, in some instances, to monitor fishing across the national coastlines and waters. This understanding barely touches upon the duties, responsibilities, aims and objectives of both civilian and military coast guard services, nor does it even hint at the fact that the coast guard, in the first and last, is primarily responsible for coastal and port security. In other words, the responsibilities and functions of the coast guard directly tie in with national security (LaGuardia-Kotite and Ridge, 2006). This research paper, which shall highlight the multiple functions of the coast guard s... n, shall, hopefully, illustrate that insofar as coastal countries are concerned, the coast guard plays an invaluable and vital role; a role which directly contributes to increased national security. Historical Background The Coast Guard first emerged in the early nineteenth century and in direct response to an ever growing need to protect coastal areas from smugglers, not to mention rescue services for vessels and fleets in distress (LaGuardia-Kotite and Ridge, 2006). While there is, currently, hardly a coastal country which does not have a coast guard service, tracing its history in the United Kingdom is particularly informative, not just because the first coast guard service emerged in that country but because both civilian and military division of the UK coast guard functioned, and to a degree continues to function, as the model for the same in coastal nations across the world (Thoreaux, 2006). Prior to expanding upon the genesis of the coastguard and over viewing its historical evolution in Britain, it is interesting to point out that the United States Coastguard strenuously maintains that the historical roots of this service lie in the United States (Beard, 2004). According to this argument, the outbreak of conflict between the United States and Britain regarding the colonisation of North America, is directly responsible for the evolution of the coastguard. In 1740, with the outbreak of the aforementioned war, military commanders realised the imperatives of stationing men along strategic coastal areas for "look-out" duties (Beard, 2004, p. 78). These men were supposed to keep watch over the impending arrival of enemy vessels and to warn the army (Beard, 2004). Insofar as the function of these men was the protection of coastal areas against the possible

The Phases of Negotiation and the Strategies Used in the Dairy Co Essay

The Phases of Negotiation and the Strategies Used in the Dairy Co - Essay Example The first issue that we had to deal with was reaching a basis for increase in wages during the life of the agreement. The objective of this issue before the negotiation was â€Å"Productivity benefit to be shared 60%-40% between the company and the workers†. The outcome after the negotiation was â€Å"Productivity benefit to be shared 70%-30% between company and workers†. The second issue was to reach common grounds over workplace agreements such as the process by which employees will be identified for and be nominated for training. The objective of the team before the negotiation was â€Å"Get the management to agree to pay training fees for employees. Vacancies should be first given to employees who are trained.† As for the outcome, the negotiation objective was achieved. The third issue that was raised was an agreement over hours’ roster, including implications for shifts and for over time. For this issue the objective before negation was : â€Å"emplo yee will be paid across 1 week. Average weekly working hour would be 38 hours. There will be 6 working day per week (Mon-Sat). Working hour for over 2 hours in one working day, the payment will be 1.5 times.† However the objective was not achieved during negotiations and the outcome was: â€Å"Employee will be paid across two weeks. Average weekly working hour would be 38 hrs. There will be 6 working days per week (Mon-Sat). ... The fifth and the final issue was regarding the establishment of a joint work place committee-most of the practical arrangements (size, facilities etc) have been agreed and only two issues remain - whether the committee should be a negotiating body or a consultative one; and whether any company information can be kept confidential from the committee.Objective before negotiation was : â€Å"Employee can know have little access to financial information to make sure company have ability to pay their money. Employees can delegate small number of employees to join company's meeting. However, employees have to sign the contract with Dairy Co. to keep the information confidential.† The objective was achieved as both sides reached an agreement over it. There are various strategies that people can employ to negotiate. It is very important to make sure that the right strategy is chosen so that the results that follow are effective. The deal is to ensure that both manger and the employee s can benefit from the strategy. (Jordon & Roloff ; 1997) Managers at Dairy Co want to sustain long term relationship with employees. This helped a lot during our preparation and our way through most of the phases of this negotiation. The management tried to be co-operative and hence an integrative strategy was opted for. Integrative bargaining is based on the premise that the table is open for both parties to co-operate and interact with each other to find a viable solution which upholds the interest of both parties. (Fells, 1998) The goal is essentially to maximize benefits for both sides or as they call it a, lead the negotiations to a â€Å"win-win† situation. The first phase that we identified was the â€Å"begin phase†. In this phase a lot of meetings were

The struggle between fear and freedom of Eveline in Eveline by James Research Paper - 1

The struggle between fear and freedom of Eveline in Eveline by James Joyce - Research Paper Example The family, as a social group, seems to be one of the key themes that Joyce presents, in this story. This is evident when Eveline decides to stay back at home and assume a mother’s roles as a promise she made to her dying mother (Joyce 1). Additionally, death is also presented as a significant theme, in this story. Joyce illustrates that a number of Eveline’s family members and friends have died, and this is evident from symbolisms such as painting of Mary Margaret Alocoque, a French nun, and dust collecting around the house, giving the readers a sense of loneliness and death surrounding Eveline (Joyce 1). The author also presents several issues that made Eveline break the promises she made to her mother, and elope with Frank. One of the key reasons, why Eveline decided to run away from their home, is because they were poor, and money was a precious thing in her life. In the story, Eveline expresses her love for money when she holds her purse next to her body as if she was protecting her own life while walking to the market (Joyce 1). The author also illustrates her family’s poverty status when Eveline is perplexed by the leather seats Frank books at the theater. This is because she was used to seating on the back seats due to lack of money to afford better seats (McCarthy 58). Apparently, Eveline perceives Frank as a new and exciting lifestyle she had never had the opportunity to experience since she took a mother’s role after her mother’s death. Her new lifestyle appeared comfortable because of its stability, and Frank was something spontaneous and new, in her l ife. It is also apparent that Eveline is only a materialistic lady, and she is not so much in love with Frank. She is only interested in the new lifestyle that she is anticipating, and one that contradicts all that she had earlier known and experienced (Joyce 1). Eveline falters at the station when it was time for her and Frank to leave. She becomes frozen and unable to make the final

The Phases of Negotiation and the Strategies Used in the Dairy Co Essay

The Phases of Negotiation and the Strategies Used in the Dairy Co - Essay Example The first issue that we had to deal with was reaching a basis for increase in wages during the life of the agreement. The objective of this issue before the negotiation was â€Å"Productivity benefit to be shared 60%-40% between the company and the workers†. The outcome after the negotiation was â€Å"Productivity benefit to be shared 70%-30% between company and workers†. The second issue was to reach common grounds over workplace agreements such as the process by which employees will be identified for and be nominated for training. The objective of the team before the negotiation was â€Å"Get the management to agree to pay training fees for employees. Vacancies should be first given to employees who are trained.† As for the outcome, the negotiation objective was achieved. The third issue that was raised was an agreement over hours’ roster, including implications for shifts and for over time. For this issue the objective before negation was : â€Å"emplo yee will be paid across 1 week. Average weekly working hour would be 38 hours. There will be 6 working day per week (Mon-Sat). Working hour for over 2 hours in one working day, the payment will be 1.5 times.† However the objective was not achieved during negotiations and the outcome was: â€Å"Employee will be paid across two weeks. Average weekly working hour would be 38 hrs. There will be 6 working days per week (Mon-Sat). ... The fifth and the final issue was regarding the establishment of a joint work place committee-most of the practical arrangements (size, facilities etc) have been agreed and only two issues remain - whether the committee should be a negotiating body or a consultative one; and whether any company information can be kept confidential from the committee.Objective before negotiation was : â€Å"Employee can know have little access to financial information to make sure company have ability to pay their money. Employees can delegate small number of employees to join company's meeting. However, employees have to sign the contract with Dairy Co. to keep the information confidential.† The objective was achieved as both sides reached an agreement over it. There are various strategies that people can employ to negotiate. It is very important to make sure that the right strategy is chosen so that the results that follow are effective. The deal is to ensure that both manger and the employee s can benefit from the strategy. (Jordon & Roloff ; 1997) Managers at Dairy Co want to sustain long term relationship with employees. This helped a lot during our preparation and our way through most of the phases of this negotiation. The management tried to be co-operative and hence an integrative strategy was opted for. Integrative bargaining is based on the premise that the table is open for both parties to co-operate and interact with each other to find a viable solution which upholds the interest of both parties. (Fells, 1998) The goal is essentially to maximize benefits for both sides or as they call it a, lead the negotiations to a â€Å"win-win† situation. The first phase that we identified was the â€Å"begin phase†. In this phase a lot of meetings were

Conclusion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conclusion - Assignment Example Since the company is fragmented into independently owned restaurants the company does not utilize a universal human resource framework. One of the HR tools the firm utilizes is strategic integration. The utilization of strategic integration creates consistency in the application of HR practices through the organization. The organization applies a combination of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ human resources approaches. McDonalds is a flexible organization that adapts to the specific market and business condition of the environment. The application of ‘hard’ human resources practices ensures that the each franchise is able to meet its business objectives including achieving a good profit. The ‘soft’ human resource approach within McDonalds is utilized in order to motivate employees and empower them to achieve high levels of performance. McDonalds utilized a combination of both hard and soft HR practices. The adaptability of the company enables to firm to achieve a competitive advantage. As a global organization McDonalds realizes that it is important to attend the needs of all its stakeholders which include the community, environment, and its employees among other groups. The ability of satisfying the stakeholder’s demands has enabled the company gain acceptance from stakeholders groups across most countries in the world. McDonalds is a publicly traded enterprise and one of its primary objectives is to maximize shareholder’s wealth. As we move forward into the second deca de of the 21st century McDonalds will continue to succeed as long as the firm maintains emphasis in the importance of its human

Macbeths diary Essay Example for Free

Macbeths diary Essay I am fighting for my king, Duncan, against the enemies Sweno the king of Norway, Macdthwald lord of the western isles of Scotland and the thane of Cawdor who all are traitors. The battles were very bloody there were lots of dead people most very young soldiers. I have not seen so much blood scenic I became a general in Duncans army. The best thing was that we were victorious and Banquo and I are going home to celebrate our victory. On our way home across the heath the weather was awful there was strange thunder and lightning, Banquo and I meet 3 weird women who said that I am the thane of Glamass, going to be the thane of Cordor and future king to be. They also told Banquo that he will be lesser than me and greater, not so happy yet much happier and he shall father kings but he will not be king. Then they disappeared it was vary extraordinary. Than Ross and Angus arrived and told me that I am now the thane of Cordor. I dont believe it how did they know perhaps king would come true. I must tell my wife about these weird women and what they have told me. I could not believe the welcome I got at the palace at fours from king Duncan, when he made Malcolm the prince of Cumberland and heir to the throne I was vary surprised, because I wanted to be king now it would be more difficult Duncan said that he will be coming to my castle, so set off. My wife was very anxious to tell me her plan for killing Duncan. I did not think I could do it, she was very determined that I should. Duncan had arrived I let my wife greet him because I very upset about killing Duncan. At the state dinner I had to leave I did not think that I could do it. My wife came and found me and I told her I could not do it she then convened me I should and told me how to kill him and she even told me how we should react when we hear the bad news about Duncans death. I was very nerves about killing Duncan because I was committing treason and a sin, on the way to Duncans chamber I saw Banquo and Flenance going to bed as I crossed the tort yard. Banquo gave me some gifts from Duncan for my wife and me, then Banquo about a dream he had about the weird women and some of predictions came true so I told him I not think about the weird women said. After they left I had worst hallucination that I saw a dagger with blood and I tort that I was going mad because it looked so real but I could not hold it. I heard the bell and went to Duncans camber, thing I remember is being back in my room covered with blood and holding a daggers, I know that I had killed Duncan in his sleep I cant come to terms with what I have done my wife tried to calmed me down because I couldnt go and put the daggers back so she had to, we heard banging so my wife took me to change my clothes and helped me wash the blood off me. Some how I had remember how to act when I heard the news of Duncans death that Macduff told me about. So I immediacy went to see what had happened and pretending to be angry I killed the guards so they could not be questioned about the murder. Lady Macbeth fainted saved me from being questioned further about the killing the guars.

The Product Differentiation Strategy Marketing Essay

The Product Differentiation Strategy Marketing Essay Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd has the options of using different strategies in their business; using appropriate examples, describe your understanding of these different strategies and suggest what strategy you might recommend the Company to use. In present day the economic is flexibility and the company that be able to survive in this field should know how to manage their own resource in the maximum efficiency and need to follow the market change and movement, the way to do this depends on the different technique and operating diversely on strategic management of the company. Especially, in the consumer markets which there is a high level of competitive. It is the essential that every single company should open up its market in new area, expanding further with modest ambitions or operating in additional differentiation products in markets annually. These factors are main causes to bring successfully to business which I believe that it depends on how the company maintain competitive advantage in business strategies? , What types of strategies are available in the business environment? Another important aspect is that the company can use flexibility standard strategies or develop its own strategy or not? In term of Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd, with the size of medium business, I feel that the company can use different of business strategies, according to its situation. For example, at the beginning, when the company was established, it may face different challenges than at the present. Moreover, the business strategies that it is implemented may be different from its competitor. In my point of view, I believe that there are four types of business strategies by following these: 1. Growth Strategy A growth strategy conduces introducing new products or adding new features to existing products. Sometimes, the company may be forced to modify or increase its product line to keep up with competitors. By using the new technology of a competitive company is a core concept to play on growth strategy. For example, the company is likely constantly adding new features or discovering new technology for shoes healthy design in order to save customerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s feet while they are wearing. As a result, shoes companies that do not keep up with consumer preference would not stay in business long period. Moreover, the firm may also adopt a growth strategy by finding a new target customer group for its products. Sometimes, it can find new one for its products by chance. For example, as a result of the company is a specialises in the manufacturing and supply of high fashion leather shoes and the manufacturer may discover through marketing research that young teenagers in school like its products. Hence, in addition to selling fashion leather for students in order to distribute to retail stores or shoes shop in school, the company could design the shoes product in format of school styles. 2. Product Differentiation Strategy Most of companies will often use a product differentiation strategy when they have a competitive advantage, such as superior quality or service. For example, the shoes manufacturers may set themselves apart from competitors with their superior engineering design or manufacturing technology. Obviously, companies use a product differentiation strategy to set themselves apart from key competitors. However, I believe that a product differentiation strategy can also help a company build brand loyalty. It can see that today, the company is known in the local industry and it is amongst the top companies who can produce a high quality pair of sports shoes and ladies fashion leather shoes. 3. Price à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Skimming Strategy A price-skimming strategy involves charging high prices for a product, particularly during the introductory phase. The company will use a price-skimming strategy to quickly recover its production and advertising costs. However, there must be something special about the product for consumers to pay the excessive price. An example would be the introduction of a new technology. By doing this, it may be the first to introduce a new type of new sport shoes aerodynamic design or leather formal shoes modern styles. Because the company is the only one selling the product, customers that really want in trend by wearing new one and willing to pay the higher price. 4. Acquisition Strategy According to the size of company with extra capital may use an acquisition strategy to gain a competitive advantage. An acquisition strategy conduces purchasing another company. For example, the company may purchase a polyester factory or a leather factory in order to expand its operations and to control cost of shoes raw material. 5. Cost Leadership The benefit of formulation this business strategy is that the company will consciously choose to position its company as a provider of products or services at the low end of the pricing point compared to its competitors. Moreover, it could make up in volume what they may forfeit in terms of a high price point. On the other hand, Cost leadership is a business strategy that allows a company to become the lowest cost production company in an industry. Traditionally, businesses have two key options for improving profits by increasing sales or decreasing costs. By doing this, the company need focus more on acquiring raw materials that are the highest quality at the lowest price. Another important aspect is that the company must also use the best labour to transform raw materials into valuable consumer goods. Low-cost leadership usually translates into high-quality goods at low consumer prices. The capability to undercut a competitorsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ price often leads to increases in market share. In term of suggestion, what types of strategies should be formulated for Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd; I claim that the company could bring the result from the step of strategy analysis and to consider in these questions, what the external and internal environments that are confronting are? How the company can organizes and combines its resources in order to build its strengths, to eliminate its weaknesses and to sustain core competencies? How the company can achieve to find good opportunities for growing the business and to keep changing of posing a threat. From the consideration in those questions, I feel that I could recommend the company to use cost leadership strategy. As of the issue that Mr. Pattakorn is worried about the return of the investment in terms of profit is not as good as it was during his fatherà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s time. Conversely, the firm seems to have grown bigger with the manufacturing of many more pair of shoes. It is likely that the firm would have the problem from too high production cost. I believe that if the company can review and to control production cost, it will bring back the outstanding profitability. To sum up, sometimes, businesses would look for a combination strategy to please customers looking for multiple factors such as quality, style, convenience and price.

The History of Corn Essay -- Vegetables History Historical Essays

Prior to the European encounter with the â€Å"New World,† corn played a central role in both the lives and diets of Native Americans. Numerous religious rituals and beliefs revolved around corn. Still today, corn continues to be a constant presence in the lives and diets of all Americans. Corn touches us in ways we might not even realize. Most of us eat corn everyday whether we consume corn in its natural form or in meats, soft drinks, or sweets. From thousands of years ago to the present day, corn has sustained and continues to sustain human life. Maize and corn can be used interchangeably. Maize was the term used by the Tainos who greeted Columbus in the Caribbean. Its literal meaning is â€Å"that which sustains life.† Maize soon became part of the Spanish vocabulary and then spread to other European languages. The word corn is actually a generic term for grain as used in Old English. American-style English has adapted the word to refer exclusively to maize. This usage continues today. There are hundreds of varieties of corn, however, there are just five basic families: flint, dent, popcorn, soft corn, and sweet corn. Flint corn was the type preferred in the northern states and was used in cornmeal that made dense breads and johnnycakes. It is a low yielding corn and because of demand, dent corn is replacing its production. Dent corn gets its name from its dimpled kernels. It is now the most commonly grown commercial corn and produces the traditional southern starchy sweet cornmeal. Popcorn is one we are all familiar with. When heated in hot oil, its starchy inner core bursts through it shrinking outer skin. Soft corn is not grown on a commercial scale, but is grown by specialists. It is the corn that was m... ... of microwave popcorn during commercial breaks of our favorite shows. The power is right at our fingertips. Though corn has always been part of the American diet, it has infiltrated areas of food and other goods that seem unlikely for it to belong. It can be altered to be present in both foods and products not for human consumption. Corn really can be labeled as the crop that built America. It definitely has many uses. Some could argue that it has too many uses. Works Cited: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Maize in Human Nutrition. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011. Fussell, Betty. The Story of Corn. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, INC., December 15, 2004. Wallace, Henry A. and William L. Brown. Corn and Its Early Fathers Revised Edition. Ames, Iowa: Iowa University Press, 2012.

Perfect Companions - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and The Nymph’

Perfect Companions - â€Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love† by Christopher Marlowe, and â€Å"The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd† by Sir Walter Raleigh There are many poems that are considered to be companion poems. Companion poems are two separate poems that are similar. Usually they are about the same experience or experiences, and are also usually written in the same form. Two of the most famous companion poems are â€Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love† by Christopher Marlowe, and â€Å"The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd† by Sir Walter Raleigh. These two poems are perfect companions. Both â€Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love† and â€Å"The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd† are written in iambic quatrameter. Both of the poems also consist of 24 lines. Another similarity in the style is that both poems a...

Change Management – A review

The determinants and Impediments of change In each branch of change management have been considered and addressed. Some elements fall outside the scope of the literature review and research. The literature review is structured in such a way that echoes this integration as illustrated in the following diagram (Figure M). Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organizational responsiveness to change. Figure XX: Areas within and outside the research boundaries leading to organizational responsiveness to change. People Management Leadership Organizational Context.Culture. Organizational Learning. Knowledge Management. Change Management. Change Management Change Management is neither an art nor a science; it is an individual process relying solely on the organization, individuals within the organization (employees), leadership style and management of the organization (middle and top managers), organizational culture, and a variety of external Influences Inc luding environmental, technological and social. The scope for change management within an organization to fail is huge; however the scope for effectiveness is as wide if approached logistically.It is important to keep in mind that change management is not an art or a science but each area and issue of change management is completely individualistic. Many authors have written and researched within the academic area of change application, and how it can be applied strategically to assist the organization. The work that these authors within the field of change management bring to the academic discussion have been studied, analyses, criticized and presented here in an attempt to both inform the reader and support the research and subsequent analysis.Organizational Dynamics Systems Theory The concept of the ‘organization' is not abstract from the idea of systems theory. The organization exists within an environment, has Inputs (l), Processes (P) and Outputs (O) taking into account both formal and informal subsystems and processes. Combined together this presents a system that is both effective and theoretically sound. â€Å"A system is an organized collection of parts interacting in certain ways to achieve certain goals. Any change in any part of the system will produce different effects† (Hellhole, 2006).As Hellhole (2006) identifies change can occur at an individual (l, P or O) level and see effective results, however the argument can also be constructed to assume that when change management is handled holistically, changing all the individual parts of the working cog model, a better result is often seen. Theory in this area is rather limited, however Senior and Swales (2010) present the following illustration (Figure 10) which builds upon the work of Child (1973) focused on the intangible elements of organizational operations. â€Å"Systems thinking† is relevant to highlight here.Whilst it is possible for change to be approached from n indivi dual (l, P or O) level, as well as a holistic stance, systems thinking looks at the concept of ‘does it need changing to enhance the overall level of organizational effectiveness'. An example that may be given here to help explain and contextual this point is that of a maintenance company repaving a road. One element of the system may be to fill the hole with a temporary road surface which is followed up by the removal of this and re-surfacing to correct standards a week later.It could be argued that both elements of the process could be enhanced but the systems hinging viewpoint would maintain that removing stage one would enhance effectiveness, reduce cost and wastage, as well as the crucial element of satisfying customer demand. The author finds this theory and viewpoint interesting and will return to this concept at a later point. Figure 10: The Organization as a System – adapted from the work of Senior and Swales (2010) A key area that the author feels is missing f rom Senior and Swales (2010) model is feedback.Organizations are subject to change and influence from the external environment; this therefore requires a agree of planning and control, which is most effective if informed with feedback. Removing the feedback loop from the ‘organization' almost takes the model back to the classical theorists that considered organizations as rational but closed systems (Hellhole, 2006). Through the addition of the feedback loop the system becomes open as well as debatable more ‘open' to change.Hayes (2002) expands on this concept of open systems commenting that, â€Å"Open-systems theory provides such a framework and views organizations as a system of interrelated components that transact with a larger environment. From the perspective of open systems, some of the main characteristics of organizations are that they are: embedded within a larger system, able to avoid entropy, regulated by feedback, subject to equability, cyclical McKinney a nd the AS model can be used here to look at the infrastructure of the organization, in addition to the informal and formal processes that is presented above.An analysis of the internal environment from this perspective adds to the depth of analysis that can be undertaken. The AS model encompasses the areas of Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills, Strategy and Shared Values providing a useful LOL to merge both tangible and intangible organizational elements. At the analysis stages of this research it will be interesting to return to the idea of change at both an individual (l, P and O) and organizational level and contrast this to what is observed within the case studies, and the influence that this holds over organizational readiness and responsiveness to change.The concept of organizational systems theory is Just one very small part of the evolution of organization theory. This links with the changes in development of change management theory addressed revisions due to culture and influencing factors throughout the eras. The question can always be asked that is everything that the business doing contributing to fulfilling the customer's demands? The author would suggest that this is not necessarily always a requirement, however this could be debated further.Contingency Theory – Mechanistic and Organic Organizations Before the theories and application of change management are examined and analyses, the author believes it to be of importance to examine organizational dynamics as briefly highlighted above within Section 3. 4. 1 . There are three main viewpoints; open yester theory, contingency theory, and congruence model for organizational assessment. Open systems theory as previously discussed looks as the organization as having Inputs, Processes and Outputs and is made ‘open' through the inclusion of a feedback loop.This basic approach was enhanced through the work of Burns and Stalker (1961) and Lawrence and Lora's (1967) who identify that o rganizations do not exist and operate within a vacuum, and investigated the relationship between the internal structure and the environments in which they operate (external environment). Their results, characterized due to the degree of internal formality, internal structure and external stability results in what they term ‘mechanistic' and ‘organic' organizations. They described firms that operated in stable environments as ‘mechanistic' because they were characterized by many rules and procedures and were dominated by a hierarchy of authority. The firms that operated in less stable environments were described as ‘organic' because they tended to have a free-flowing, De-centralized and adaptive internal organization† (Hayes, 2002). Mechanistic Organizational Characteristics Organic Organizational Characteristics 1 . Specialized tasks, narrow in scope 1 . Common tasks and interdependencies 2. Tasks rigidly defined 2. Tasks adjusted and redefined as requi red 3.Strict hierarchy of authority 3. Less adherence to formal authority and rules 4. Centralized knowledge and control 4. Decentralized knowledge and control 5. Hierarchical communication 5. Network communication, diffused channels Table 18: Characteristics of Burns and Stalker's (1961) Contingency Theory – Mechanistic and Organic Organizations There are a range of critics around congruence theory; some agree and identify with the ‘alignment' that this model (2000) for example, disagree arguing that the explanation for organizational operation is not clear enough.The author does not have a specific view on this matter. It has not been unknown for alignment to be criticized within the field due to the fact that it is very difficult to apply in practice. It is clear within both the work of Burns and Stalker (1961) and Child (1973) that changes to one or more of either the internal or external elements will have an impact upon other elements that therefore may also requi re change subsequently.This was highlighted and expanded upon by the work of Cotter (1980) who in essence merges open systems theory and interagency theory creating an integrative model of organizational dynamics. He uses his model comprised of six structural elements and key organizational processes to address impacts upon the organization in both the short, medium and long term time Figure 1 1: Cotter's integrative model of organizational dynamics. Source: Cotter (1980) Table 19: Cotter's integrative model of organizational dynamics.Source: Cotter (1980) Cotter's (1980) work can be used to look at readiness and responsiveness from an organizational dynamics perspective. In the short term Cotter comments that organizational effectiveness is enhanced and determined by he speed with which the organization can control and respond to any of the six structural elements before they start to have an impact on one of the other areas. However using the integrative model for a long term appr oach the idea of readiness is very much at the core.Adaptability to the six structural elements will be the determinant of effectiveness; this requires organizations to put into place tools and techniques that will help evaluate elements that determine which structural element will 'emerge as the driving force that shapes the development of the company (Hayes, 2002). Adaptability is important because it determines whether or not the organization will be able to maintain the required degree of alignment over the long term.Over the longer term, therefore, the focus of change management needs to ensure that the structural elements of the organization are as adaptable as possible† (Hayes, 2002). The organizational dynamics need to support the organizations ability to be both ready and responsive to change; readiness helps support the long term strategy whilst responsiveness will assist in the rectification of the cause-effect relationships that interlink the organizational system together.Congruence Model – the focus towards strategy As the thinking behind organizational management developed the importance of strategy increased amongst firms; a few years after the development of the above organizational dynamic models Needle and Dustman (1982) entered into the academic arena with their take on systems theory, the difference being a strategic focus adopted. Some of the elements of the congruence model are derived from work by Alleviate (1965) and Katz and Kahn (1966) (both cited in Hayes, 2002).The congruence model is in effect a different take on open systems theory. Its main preference is its focus towards strategy and strategic management through assessing the congruency of the organizational components on organizational effectiveness. A distinct difference between the work of Needle and Dustman (1982) and open systems theory is that the integrative model focuses in some depth around the relationship between all of the components within the transfor mational process.This and allows the authors to propose a model that's key concept, of congruence or alignment between the organization, the environment and the internal components of the organization, aids organizational diagnoses and the development of change management strategies. Needle and Dustman play specific emphasis towards the four components that they believe create the transformation process (informal organization, formal organization, task, individual); they look specifically at the relationship between each of these components (six fits' as discussed in Table 20) and that influence on the organization as a whole.This is illustrated by the directional arrows in Figure 12 below. Relationship between†¦ Example areas for consideration Individual Formal Organization What extent are individual needs met by the formal organizational arrangement? For example – Personal Learning Styles (Briggs Myers and Briggs Myers, 1980; Honey and Uniform, 2000), Team Roles (Beeli ne, AAA), and specific HER elements such as Individual appraisal processes (CHIP, AAA; Armstrong, 2009; Armstrong and Baron, 2004). Individual Task To what extent do individuals have the skills necessary to meet task demands and to what extend do the tasks satisfy individual needs?Individual Informal Organization To what extent does the informal organization satisfy the needs of the individuals or make best use of their talents? For example is the individual's Learning Style or personality type understood and utilized within the team, and organizational context (Briggs Myers and Briggs Myers, 1980; Butterflies, 2008). Task Formal Organization To what extent are the formal organizational arrangements adequate to meet the demands of the task? Task Informal Organization To what extent does the informal organization facilitate task performance?For example the work of John Adair looking at Task, Team, and Individual (1996). Formal Organization Informal Organization To what extent are the goals, rewards and structures of the informal organization consistent with those of the formal organization. Table 20 : Areas for consideration between the ‘six fits' of the transformation process in the Congruence Model. Adapted from: Hayes (2002) One element that strikes as being predominant, and harmonies with the opinion of the author, is that of the individual.This model takes into consideration an area that most other models merely merge with other organizational elements. Here the individual is given specific credit and attention, and is focused on in terms of interaction with the formal organization, the informal organization, and the organizational tasks. The individual is seen as a personalized resource to the cuisines that brings individual skills and knowledge that help to equip and shape the organization. The author has a specific interest in the role of the individual (Butterflies, 2008; Section 3. 3. ), but it is also an important element for authors such as He llhole (2006), and is therefore a significant ingredient within the congruence model to draw the reader's attention towards. Hellhole (2006) comments, â€Å"Increasingly, there is recognition that organizational success depends largely on the skills and commitment of a knowledge-based workforce and that organizational ultras conducive to high performance are central to sustaining success beyond the short term†. Figure 12: Needle and Dustman's (1980) Congruence Model. Source: Needle and strategy before the transformation process.This inevitability requires that management have looked at and decided on the appropriate strategy in advance; it almost contradicts the process as one would assume that the strategic direction would follow the process and possibly the output. With the inclusion of the feedback loop it could be considered that this is the case and its position here is deliberate fitting with the experiential learning cycle of Kola (1984). At the application stages of t his research when the case studies are looked at it will be interesting to see where this features in the reality of the organizations.All of the models looked at and discussed above can only ever be a simplification of reality. In terms of change management it is the ability to take these models and look at their use in turning ability to become an appropriate conceptual framework for taking an existing situation and managing the desired change within the applicable circumstances. Out of all of the models looked at the author feels that the congruence model is the cost applicable within the research to be carried out.This is mainly due to its strategic focus, and consideration of the individual. As previously mentioned the models only become applicable and useful if application as a conceptual framework can be adopted. This will be applied and analyses within the findings chapter (Section 5). Drivers for change There are many drivers for change and these are dependent upon on the a rea of change that you address. This is such a huge topic and an in-depth analysis far exceeds the scope that the topic can occupy within this thesis.It is hoped that the main drivers for change for each organization will become apparent within the case study analysis as these are very personal and dependent on both the organization and the industry that the organization is operating within. The following drivers for change are included to provide context and provide some food for thought; these have been taken from the text ‘Understanding Change', by Hellhole (2006). Competition Globalization Demands for greater transparency and accountability Global Sustainability Technology The e-economy The consumer revolution The social context Knowledge Management Future organizational trendsChanging industrial relations climate and employment legislation Stereotypical social attitudes The rise of the stakeholder Degree at which innovation progresses Demographics and Social fragmentation they believe to be the 10 top drivers for organizational change in 2010; whilst these make interesting reading for the author, the author is of particular support with the tenth; â€Å"a new war for talent commences†. This picks up on what the author has been trying to convey throughout the sections on Personnel Management (Section 3. ) and Knowledge Management (Section 3. 3). Not only are there external drivers for change UT internal ones too. As people recover from the economic crisis they will begin to drive forward organizational change in a bid to better themselves and get credit and assurance of their work to the organization. Organizations need to bear this is mind and respond appropriately. The ten top drivers for organizational change as identified by Bloomberg Businesslike (2010) are: † 1 . Consumer preferences will remain â€Å"reset† based on values, not pricier.Energy costs will continue to increase in the medium termed. U. S. Tax policy could erode the competitive positioning of U. S. Companies. Innovation happens for emerging market consumers, not in emerging markets 05. A new return to vertical integration gains traction 06. Industry shifts create competitive shifts 07. Increases in information requires more Judgment from decision makers 08. Markets reward long-term strategic focuses. Economic recovery wont mean recovery for everyone 010. A new war for talent commences† Bloomberg Businesslike (2010).Kurt Lenin; group focused change theory Kurt Lenin can be quoted as saying â€Å"Group life is never without change† (1947). Predominantly Kurt Lenin presents us with a change management theory revolving round the concept of unfreezing – change – and refreezing which presents a high- level approach to change. This has specific relationships back to the school of personnel management due to its importance for change in group settings as highlighted by Lenin in his work ‘Frontiers in Group dynamics ' addressing the art of social science of social equilibrium and social change (1947).Linen's work is not only applicable in a group setting it also holds great importance for the individual context too as well as large communities of practice and teams (Lenin, 1947). Through use of he model there is scope for management to make a radical change, minimize disruption of operations and ensure that the change becomes a permanent and rooted element of the organization through the re-freezing stage.The model, very focused around getting people to change as opposed to changing an organization, consists of three stages: Unfreezing – This is based upon the assumption that there is a need to change as present practices may have become outdated, slow, ineffective, expensive etc†¦. The need to instigate the unfreezing stage is typically based upon an assumption that the status quo is no longer desirable or positive; exulting from this there is often a motivation for change, the tea m unites, recognizes the need for change and begins the process of change management.It is essential there is some degree of confidence amongst the team that the change will be implemented and fulfilled successfully in order to achieve group ‘buy-in' and a positive Psychological Contract. The Change – Normal change management theories and principles generally come into play here. Whilst the team may all be on common stress will develop, individuals will have different ideas of the perceived outcomes, expectations will not be managed, the Psychological Contract diminish etc†¦ This is a time of exploration of opportunities where goals and objectives are set and implementation for change is developed.Lenin stresses the fact that it is essential as with any other change management theory that goals, objectives and plans for implementation are continually assessed and reassessed in order to generate the best possible outcomes. It is important to note here that whilst th e objectives are important for Lenin this does not necessarily form the most essential stage. His focus upon change within groups provides a perspective that is more in line with the needs of individuals and maintain positive relationships and focus, in order to bring about a successful re- freezing stage as described below.Re-freezing – At the completion of the change discussions when implementation has been rolled out across all involved, Lenin identifies the need for re-freezing. â€Å"Change will only reach its full effect if it's made permanent† (Lenin, 1947). As in the re-freezing of a liquid it is important to cement or solidify the change making it an official procedure of the organization; in drawing specific attention to the completion of the project and the new processes re-freezing would therefore inhibit individuals returning to the old ways as existed pre-change process.Refreezing is the heart of this model. Lenin (1947) comments, â€Å"A change towards a higher level of group performance is frequently short-lived, after a â€Å"shot in the arm†, group life soon returns to the previous level. This indicates that it does not suffice to define the objective of planned change in group performance as the reaching of a different level. Permanency of the new level, or permanency for a desired period, should be included in the objective. † Figure 13: Kurt Linen's model of unfreezing and re-freezing.Source: Adapted from Lenin (1947) Right Sizing There are various authors who have looked into the correlation between the size of the firm in terms of personnel and effectiveness in organizational performance. There is however still a heightened awareness that there are additional variables that impose upon organizational effectiveness namely technology; it is said that this could possibly account for up to fifty per cent of the variability in result findings which lead to an inconclusive theory being proposed (Senior and Swales, 2 010).Culture, leadership style, and politics all have an influence on the correlation teens size and organizational performance. Child (1988) who investigated into the correlation between size and performance concluded that the leadership style operated within the organization was relevant to the size of the organization (number of employees employed). It was the leadership style and subsequent influence into the structure that Child's (1988) sees as having an impact upon organizational effectiveness including role specialization and formalization.Senior and Swales (2010) summaries the work of Child (1988); large organizations with a higher degree of bureaucracy structure were in general better performed. Bureaucracy did not work for the smaller organization who had a better degree of performance with a more informal leadership style. â€Å"In organizations with below 2,000 people performance was assumed to be better in those that have little formal structure more bureaucracy and s uperior performance was greater† (Senior and Swales, 2010). Several external driving forces for change (Section 3. 4. ) such as the current economic climate and recent recession which have occurred at both local, regional, national and even international levels have created a heightened degree of urgency or organizations to increase efficiency; many are doing this through operations management and seeing the organizations as a clearly defined set of inputs, processes and outputs. The author is of the belief that for successful change management to occur the process of managing change must occur holistically, which can also occur when viewed through the strategic lens.Both the immediate survival and long term sustenance of any organization heavily depends on organizational responsiveness to its external environment and its ability to face the external challenge. A huge problem facing strategic re-focusing of operations creates opposition due to an emotional connection to common practice challenged by the need to change for survival (Balloon and Hope-Halley, 2008, Sense, 1993). With the distinct lack of literature on right sizing the author has conceptualized a model that illustrates where the concept of right-sizing fits into the organization.Taking the multi-lens perspective approach (Regional and Sprinter, 1996) and essential elements of organizational management the author proposes that the concept of right sizing is situated predominately within the cognitive lens. Figure 14: Position of right sizing within the organization Right sizing would normally e linked to the structural view of the organization. The Rational Lens considers the structure of the organization as an ought-to-be scenario.The Cognitive Lens considers right sizing as what is practicably possible scenario. The Rational Lens considers culture and corporate politics as an impediment to change which is what many change managers attempt to override or ignore. With the cognitive lens appro ach culture and corporate politics are seen as an intrinsic component of change. Therefore culture and corporate politics should be understood and made to become â€Å"enablers† within the change management process.This is currently the issue that several organizations are facing. By positioning right sizing as a resulting factor of a combination of Organizational Culture, Politics and Organizational Type the author feels that it will help in the analysis stages where the variety of case studies will be analyses. As mentioned within Section 2 the case study profiles were deliberately selected by the author for their variations in size.The author feels that it is important to note here that there is not necessarily a formula for what is the ‘right size' of an organization or a specific team dealing with change management, UT that this may be discussed throughout the finding and analysis chapter (Section 5) where the case studies may lead towards generating an inclination as to what works best. The Readiness of Change Several articles regarding both individual and institutional readiness to change (readiness') within an organizational context have been written over the centuries.Many well respected, and up-and-coming academics have posed models and theories in relation to how readiness can be increased, encouraged and developed within both individual and institutional spheres of influence; a large gap that is still existent in the knowledge base centers around the definition of ‘readiness to change'. Several pieces of relevant academic literature and building together a picture towards a ‘comprehensive definition' of readiness for change.Holt et all's work which has been consulted extensively opens with an important issue that the author must recognize; the lack of measurement of readiness for change does not arise from a lack of instruments designed for this purpose. There are several in existence but without a common and universal unde rstanding of what constitutes readiness a liable and robust framework, to operate quantitatively cannot (and has not currently) been developed.Evidently, with readiness being an area of research that is being encouraged (Holt et al, 2007) this is therefore an area that requires the knowledge gap being fulfilled in order for research in this area to pursue. It is the aim of the forthcoming section to be devoted to this cause, reviewing the use of the literature, working towards a definition of readiness, and identifying means of its analysis within a strategic institutionally based context. There is also the need for the adopted method to be suitable to institutions of different natures, sizes and specialties; as always generalization is imperative.Readiness and Resistance; are they related concepts? The concept of readiness is a result of the concept and result of resistance – a sweeping statement or Just a different approach? It is perhaps no surprise, that change management due to its inclusion with the human resource management approach is highly subjective to the reactions of people (employees). This would explain the development of the need to research readiness, resulting from manager's efforts to reduce resistance to change.Again the body of literature exists in this area, yet Ramekins et al (1993, cited in Holt et al, 2007) put forward their argument that any of these, â€Å"strategies designed to help managers avoid resistance, are effective only to the extent which they facilitate employee readiness†. The circular nature of this issue is again illustrated here. The transition of the Traditional HARM philosophy into the personnel management phase transfers its focus from objectives and output into placing value, focus and ultimately having an investment and involvement with he people.To some extent it can be argued that traditionally to date the people management processes within educational setting operate under this philosophy; a large degree of responsibility and autonomous working is put upon the employee's and in response it is hoped that the organization values staffs contributions. General motivational principles (Amazon, etc†¦ ) encourage the involvement of employees in a drive to encourage general commitment to organizational objectives and partnering of aims, especially plans for development, drive forward and ultimately change.Readiness has been looked at with a specific workforce focus; whilst this is important, organizational culture, as explored above, external pressures and the lack of a strategic dimension can also reduce organizational readiness. What impact does this have on the organization's desire to change and move into a market leader position, driving forward its position within the market and gaining an advantage in what is a highly competitive market arena. Oakland and Tanner's Organizational Change Framework Research supporting the model Oakland and Tanner have been instrumental in t he field of research into change

Is America Shallow When it Comes to Advertising? Essay

Introduction. When a subject reads and add in a magazine, what is it that drives that person to go out and purchase the product the add depicts? What even makes a subject willing to spend more time looking at the add? It is at this point where the art of persuasion does it’s best work. Definitions. The Elaboration Likelihood Model claims that there are two paths to persuasion: the central path and the peripheral path. (lecture 2/20/03) The central path is most widely used when the receiver is motivated to think about the. If the person cares about the issue and has access to the message with minimum distractions, then that person will elaborate on the message. (lecture, 2/20/03). If the message is ambiguous but attitudinally neutral (with respect to the receiver) or if the receiver is unable or not motivated to listen to the message then the receiver will look for an easier way to interpret it. This leads to the peripheral route. Peripheral cues include such strategies as trying to associate the advocated position with things the receiver already thinks positively towards (e.g., beauty, money, sex).(lecture, 2/20/03) If the peripheral cue association is accepted here, then there may be a temporary attitude change and possibly future elaboration. Peripheral Route. The first advertisement that was chosen, from Gentleman’s Quarterly magazine, depicts a very attractive man standing in front of a bottle of cologne. The advertisement is for Polo, a brand notoriously associated with affluence, and prestige. This add illustrates the advertisers wish to catch the eye of the consumer as they are flipping the pages of the magazine using a method other then their product.. The argument in this case is weak. Polo is trying to depict that if a subject uses their new cologne, it is possible for them have a lifestyle like the model pictured. Most cologne adds, have a tab that you can open up on the same page and smell the cologne, that would cause one to elaborate on the add. This one does not, therefore, Polo was trying to get the consumer attention to a fragrance, using a beautiful person. This is clearly an example of persuasion using peripheral cues. The average age of a subject that would likely be persuaded by this add, would b e middle to late twenties, the age in which people are attempting to attain affluence. Central Route. The second advertisement that was chosen, from Sports Illustrated, is an add put out by Mercedes Benz to promote their new line of SUV’s, the M-Class.. It is very clear that Mercedes in this case was trying to promote the security aspect of their SUV’s. When a consumer sees this add, it is apparent that the central route will be used, because there is no greater motivation for thinking, then the safety of family. The ad would definatly cause the consumer to elaborate, and think about how safe the car that one is currently driving in, is. Thus, the add has done it’s job in attracting a consumer. One specific characteristic of the add that makes it persuasive, are the g-d’s in the clouds attempting to disrupt the path of the truck, as it seems to effortlessly keep on going. This clever use of history depicts that nothing can hurt those once inside this vehicle, not even g-d’s. The type of person that would most likely be persuaded by th is add would be a young father (28yrs.-40yrs.)who is in the market for a new car. This add is affective cause it gets a subject thinking, thus using the central route Conclusion. The way that consumers read and respond to advertisements as shown in this paper, is crucial to promoting a product. Whether a company uses the central or peripheral routes, to attract consumer interest, can make a huge different in sales of that product. The advertising industry is a multi-billion dollars business,(GQ, December 2002) in which creative minds develop new ideas in the art of persuasion for the next generations.

Reform Movement paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reform Movement paper - Essay Example Contemporary math and science teaching is now focused on children's psychological development that allows for the alignment of their learning capacities. In enabling an easier understanding of math concepts, the teacher must elicit, build upon, connect student knowledge, and be able to build learning paths and networks of knowledge in the classroom (Treaqust, 1996). A constructivist idea in learning math and science is what is being introduced by reform movements in both subject matters. The reform movements gave way to efforts pertaining to investigating students' conceptions, improving teaching and curricula, and enhancing teacher education in science and mathematics contexts (Treaqust, 1996). Unlike the traditional manner of teaching math and science, attention to math and science curricula was not emphasized, as well as concretizing students' learning. A post-modern conception of teaching math and science through concrete objects that facilitate formation of abstract concepts was developed.

German Immigration to America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

German Immigration to America - Essay Example 370). This fact indicates that as neighbors, there is a high probability that they knew each other prior to undertaking the voyage. Estimating the average cost needs the cost of the fare multiplied by the quantity (number of people who undertook the voyage). Since the exact number of people were not available, it would be safe to approximate the quantity using the mean family size, which also represents â€Å"the mathematical average of all the terms† (Giles-Peter, 2005, par. 2) and therefore would appropriately estimate the average number of family members who undertook the voyage. It is important to study statistical information from the past because it provides crucial information that explains historical data, such as the number of Germans who migrated to the United States and the cost of undertaking such journey. It provides vast amounts of information relative to demographic factors, average family size, income level, and way of life, among others. Their willingness to journey to an unknown and unfamiliar place indicated that their way of life in Germany was difficult and they were looking forward to be the promise of a better life in