Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Graduation Speech High School - 1800 Words

â€Å"Congratulations! You have been accepted to Bentley University for fall of 2015!† Words could not express how ecstatic this message made me. As soon as the acceptance email popped up on my phone, I screamed, dropped my backpack, and sprinted over to my track and field teammates to celebrate this triumphant occasion. After years of challenging AP courses, eleven seasons of tiring school sports, and countless extracurricular clubs, I finally felt like all of my hard work had paid off. At that moment, the only thought in my head was â€Å"I’m going to Bentley!† My dream — an aspiration I’ve had since my freshman year of high school — was becoming a reality. Soon enough, I was forced to put things into perspective. The annual cost to attend†¦show more content†¦Altogether, they possess a total of $1.2 trillion in federal student loans (Ratcliffe, 2015). According to the Congressional Budget Office, â€Å"If the United States Federa l Government was a private company, it would be the most profitable company in the world† with annual profits of at least $50 billion (McCarthy, 2014). As millions of students and graduates struggle to pay the their loans, the government quietly sits back and rakes in billions of dollars each year. As college tuitions across the nation increase at an average rate of 3.4% each year (College Board), fewer and fewer Americans can afford higher-education. High school graduates are encouraged to attend college to further their education and obtain a high-paying job to provide a comfortable lifestyle for themselves and their future families. But how can these students lead successful lives if they’re crippled financially and mentally in student debt? Student debt leads the way for extreme financial problems for college students and graduates. 70% of fresh college graduates leave college with student loans averaging $33,000 per student (Barr, 2015). That giant lump of debt lin gers around college graduates like a pesky mosquito and does not fade away very fast; considering the average college graduate earns a starting salary of $45,478 per year (Poppick, 2015). The act of having to allocate generous amounts of someone’s paycheck to student loans makes noticeable impacts inShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : High School934 Words   |  4 Pageslife would be graduation. For many people, graduating from high school is an objective. It takes a lot of time, effort, and determination to accomplish that goal. For others graduation is the end of high school, and the beginning of a new chapter in life. When graduated people feel as if adulthood has begun. In the long run, graduating opens a lot of opportunities for people to thrive. I can almost reminisce the day as if it was yesterday. I was sitting in bed like any other school day. It seemedRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School852 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to a report from Thomas Nelson Community College website, 15.7 percent is the graduation rate in 2010. 84 percent of students failed to receive their degree. That’s beyond sad. College can be difficulty especially with everyday life is getting harder to main family life work and financials. Because college is challenging, I know that I have issues that I must overcome. I told myself the more patient s I have the better success I will have. Although college will be difficult my goal isRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Essay2254 Words   |  10 Pages The day I graduated from high school The High school graduation day is a life full of journeys for everyone, high school life is a memorable time for most people, for me as well. High school can be filled with lots of good memories for some people and it could be filled with bad memories, for me it was both I had good times and I had bad times. The High school Graduation day should definitely be the best day of your life because that means no more high school, no more having to wake up at 6Read MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation854 Words   |  4 Pagesfail High School graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life. It is a time in their lives where they begin to experience the kind of freedom that comes along with growing up. This freedom allows students to choose the type of college or University they would like to attend. It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university to attend it may be tempting to want to go to a school thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation1507 Words   |  7 PagesForest English 1010 9/9/2014 Graduation During our lives, most of us have hated getting up early. Whether we as humans enjoy mornings or not, we’re always looking forward to that unforgettable day. That special is high school graduation for me. Graduation is a ceremony that recognizes students that have excelled through school. Graduation was one of the best days of my life, perhaps even better than the day that I started college. There is no other day like graduation where there comes this feelingRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation933 Words   |  4 PagesHigh School Graduation With regards to high school graduation, Balfanz, Herzog, and Iver (2007) followed 12,972 Philadelphia students enrolled in traditional middle schools from six grade (1996-1997) until 1 year beyond their expected graduation from high school (2003-2004) in order to understand what indicators would affect their projected graduation date. Unlike many of the early K-8 schools, the population Balfanz et al followed consisted of 64% African American, 19% White, 12% Hispanic,Read MoreGraduation Speech On High School Graduation851 Words   |  4 PagesThere Is No Success Without The Opportunity to Fail High School graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life. It is a time when they begin to experience the kind of freedom that comes along with growing up. This freedom allows students to choose the type of college or University they would like to attend. It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university they would like toRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School997 Words   |  4 Pagesup, I loved going to school and dreamed of one day attending college. Attending school every day and receiving good grades had become my top priority from K-12. I excelled from K-8th grade, but entering into high school was completely different than primary school. The atmosphere and environment was new to me, I was free to roam the halls or walk back out the door without any repercussions. This began my downward spiral in high school. My freshman year was by far the best school year for me becauseRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School897 Words   |  4 PagesHigh school was one of the most challenging moments in my life. Not only did I have to deal with the academic pressures and social issues from my peers I had external factors that were heavily impacting me as well. During my junior year my mom separated from her husband and me and my three little brothe rs ended up staying house to house with close relatives. Shortly after that time at the beginning of my senior year, my mom was sent to prison. In the midst of dealing with all of the demands thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWhen I was in high school I had one goal, I would graduate top of my class and go to the University of Florida for pre-medicine, then onto their medical school. I never considered that I would want anything else, so I went to a specialty high school that would allow me to specialize in Biomedical sciences(STEM) and never even thought about the possibility of a life other than the one I had so precisely planned out for myself. When my nephews were born my sophomore year all of my priorities changed

Monday, December 16, 2019

Locus of Control Essay - 739 Words

Locus of Control After completing and evaluating my responses to the Locus of Control Assessment, my result was that I have an internal locus of control. An internal locus of control is when a person believes that they are generally in control of the events that affect their life. In my opinion, the assessment is right, I believe I control most of the events that happen in my life. Now, on the other end an external locus of control is when a person believes that they generally do not have control of the events that affect their life (Myers, 2012, p. 51). The two reliable sources I found that provided information on Locus of Control were www.ncrel.org and www.psych.uncc.edu. After conducting some research I have determined†¦show more content†¦The reason why I believe this is because in most cases we have control over certain events that happen in our life. Having an external locus of control would give the person no sense of responsibility for their actions since they feel they do not have control over it. A person with an internal locus of control is more responsible, successful, easily motivated and always looking for improvement within them. A person with an external locus of control is less responsible, blames everyone else for their failures, is less motivated and success is something they feel will happen if others achieve it for them. Depending on the situation or the life event these two have to be balanced. If you’re a person with an internal locus of control like me and we experience a situation that is out of our hands we have to accept that and understand that not everything in life can be controlled. Some things are going to happen no matter what we do. In cases like this is when it’s good to have an external locus of control because for some people not being in control all the time and experiencing a situation that is out of their hands can be damaging for their self-esteem. When an event arises we should be able to logically look at t he situation and analyze if there was anything we could have done different to solve the problem or avoided it and evaluate the decisions we made that concluded with the end result. Once you analyzeShow MoreRelatedThe Locus of Control Contsruct Essay1987 Words   |  8 PagesLocus of Control, originally conceptualized by Julian Rotter (1966), has been found to be critical to numerous studies. Within psychology, it is considered to be a generalized expectancy regarding the forces that determine reinforcement. Individuals with internal orientation perceive rewards as contingent based on personal behavior, whereas those with external orientation attribute reinforcement received to external factors such as chance and powerful others (Levenson 1981). This essay examines theRead MoreLocus Of Control And Explanatory Style Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesLocus of Control and Explanatory Style The University of Pennsylvania website, Authentic Happiness, was developed by the Positive Psychology Center with the purpose of providing free resources where people can learn about Positive Psychology (Authentic Happiness). Positive Psychology, according to the Positive Psychology Center, is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful andRead MoreAn Evaluation Of External Locus Of Control929 Words   |  4 PagesAn Evaluation of External Locus of Control Everything happens for a reason. Some individuals believe that they are the reason behind everything that occurs to them. Other individuals believe in a higher power that predestines them to a certain fate. There are still yet some individuals who fall in between both aspects of personality studies. A non-complex description of this is how my religion can be evaluated through the locus of control. I know a tad surprising, but religion just like in many aspectsRead MoreSelf Efficacy And Locus Of Control879 Words   |  4 Pagesattitudes and understanding in society. These factors can all contribute how people see people in the world. Different factors contribute into how people view things such as; locus of control, self-efficacy, social and cultural difference and relationships. Self-efficacy and Locus of control Self-efficacy and locus of control is a constant evolve process that begins when we are born and continues even when we are at an old age. The higher confidence level that I have towards people, actions and anythingRead MoreInternal And Internal Locus Of Control In Students730 Words   |  3 PagesLocus of control is one person’s beliefs about what controls the outcomes of the things they do in life. With locus of control, there are two types; internal and external. Internal locus is the belief that what happens is their own fault and that they have control over it. For example, if a student with an internal locus control gets a perfect score, they will say it was because of their effort and studying. On the other hand, if a student with an external locus of control fails, he will blame externalRead MoreEssay about Locus of Control and Social Behaviour2570 Words   |  11 Pagesmuch influence they themselves have on their life events can be categorized into two different gro ups. Those with internal control believe that they have control over their own behaviour and the subsequent outcomes. Conversely, those with external control more often tend to believe that outcomes are beyond their control. The locus control concept of internal versus external control can be used to understand the expectations people develop about many life events in relation to the motivations for socialRead MoreThe Locus Of Control Questionnaire892 Words   |  4 PagesWhen Professor Lopez Littleton asked the class to delve inside of our minds, we took a variety of questionnaires about ourselves. One that stood out to me was the Locus of Control questionnaire. The very first two statements are leaders are born, not made and leaders are made, not born. I chose the second statement that leaders are made, not born. When I was younger, I was quite insecure with myself and I wasn’t much of a leader. Sure, everyone in the class always wanted to work with me because IRead MoreTh e Locus Of Control And Attribution Theories1245 Words   |  5 Pages Explain in detail the locus of control and attribution theories? †¢ Locus of control-The extent to which people believe they have power over events/outcome in their lives. Locus of control can be divided into 2 sub categories: a. Internal locus of control-an individual believes that he/she can influence events and their outcomes. For Ex. An athlete may blame their poor performance on their failure to get an adequate amount of sleep last night? b. External locus of control - individuals blame outsideRead MoreLocus of Control and Reaction Formation.2141 Words   |  9 PagesE)|latency| 11.|Most late adolescents perceive themselves as less vulnerable than their peers to the AIDS virus. This best illustrates:| A)|repression.| B)|the spotlight effect.| C)|reaction formation.| D)|unrealistic optimism.| E)|an external locus of control.| 12.|Which theorists have been criticized for underestimating the human predisposition to engage in destructive and evil behaviors?| A)|trait theorists| B)|humanistic theorists| C)|psychoanalytic theorists| D)|socialcognitive theorists| Read MoreManagers Locus of Control to Managerial Style2683 Words   |  11 PagesDoes a manager’s locus of control have a significant relationship with their managerial style? C. Gordon Research Paper/Proposal Florida Institute of Technology Objective The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between a person’s direction of their locus of control and their managerial style. More specifically, their managerial style as it pertains to the Managerial Grid ® created by Blake and Mouton, and the Six Styles of Management developed by the HayGroup

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Evaluating Marketing Tools Strategy and Recommendations

Question: Discuss about the Evaluating Marketing Tools Strategy and Recommendations. Answer: Introduction The sales strategy of a company and its consistent growth entirely relies on its marketing plan since this is the detailed layout of that company determining its plans for the following year. Hence, the evaluation of the marketing plan becomes necessary to make alterations on it and set the marketing plan in motion in order to cope up with rapidly changing industry. Assessing the marketing plan for an Australian company one of the premium airlines organization Qantas is chosen. Qantas is a premium and the largest airline service provider in the continent of Australia and New Zealand as well as pioneering carrier service in Europe and North America. With several subsidiaries incorporating Qantas Link and the low-fare Jetstar the worlds second oldest airlines group serves in 44 countries encompassing 182 destinations worldwide. It also has a partnership with Australia Post in two jointly controlled entities - Australian Air Express. It caters pioneered services from Australia to North America and Europe and disburses employment to 32,500 people approx. Domestically, it is a flag carrier company of Australia operating around 5600 flights a week in the region of 59 cities. The celebrated global airlines industry like Qantas airlines is thriving at a rapid pace though consistent and fortified rate of profit is an elusive concept. This report centers on the theoretical aspects and outline of eight marketing mix concepts and as well, as how it is being applied on the chosen organization Qantas Airline(Armstrong, 2014). Further, this report indulges in the growing level of competition with the widening global market and the broader contemporary issue that has been faced by the company. Eventually, some recommendations for amelioration of the carrier-craft company are provided that might aid it to reach to the pinnacle. SWOT Analysis: An ideal marketing audit encompasses an in-depth assessment of the organizations current scenario and the products that it is capable of launching and employing in the market to acquire its long-term objectives. Through measurement of the potential competencies and available resources of the organization, we can set an overview of the strength and weaknesses of the company in question. While evaluating the trends or the external forces in the extrinsic environment, which portrays the positive and negative prospects of the company in future indicates the opportunities and the probable threats faced by the organization during its operation in the market(Ivy, 2013). Using SWOT Analysis on Qantas Airlines enables to assess all aspects of the business both externally and internally and points out its inept decisions and key features where it actually is able to possess the competitive advantage and reinvent its arena. Application of SWOT Analysis in Qantas: Strength Weakness a) Centers on Australian values. b) Globally acclaimed brand name and logo. c) Outstanding safety record d) Excellent operational facilities leading it to win the Cumber batch Trophy for Excellence in engineering, twice. e) Operation of B2B and B2C business simultaneously. f) Australian Government acting as a continuous back bone. a) Incongruous location of Australia prevents its airport to operate as a busy hub. b) 93% of the employees are Australia based which is an extravagant aspect. c) Compared to its competitors it exhibits expensive operational expenses. d) Amateurish decision making regarding purchase of cost effective and fuel- efficient aircrafts versus following the competitors. e) Selecting target audience as the middle aged Australian nationals who might fade away at a given point of time instead of targeting the high tech savvy young generation with contemporary flag-carriers. f)The Qantas Group is entirely positioned as an International Business, obstructing it from acquiring foreign investors unlike Virgin, its renowned competitor, which enjoys full pockets of investment both from the international and domestic levels. Opportunities Threats a) The competent amalgamation with Emirates Airlines. b) 6 functional subsidiaries of Qantas provide it with the scope of tailoring various products at different segment of the market. c) Delivery of more than 4000 flights weekly by Jetstar group to more than sixty destinations in 17 countries worldwide with 115 aircrafts. d) Seeking advantage from the collapse of Ansett in hiring new employees, expanding routes and leasing numerous aircrafts. e) Evolving the e-commerce phase of its business. f) Australia goes hand in hand with New Zealand in establishing a grand space for domestic carrier craft business. a) Unceasing rise of fuel cost. b) Arrival of its succubus competitor Virgin Australia demonstrating lower costs of operation and surpassing productivity after enjoying a monopoly position of above 10 years. c) Eithads proposal of buying Virgins stake to bolster its existence indicates a further financial boost up for Virgin Australia from UAE. d) Emergence of Dubai Airport as an evident nerve center, which introduces passengers moving in and out of Australia to competitors of Qantas. e) Global economic crisis has led a profound impact on the aviation industry as a whole. f) Australias negative legal regulations such as Long Service Leaves imbibe a sluggish attitude in the employees and hamper their productive capacity. Market Segmentation: The following market segmentation can be applied by Qantas to embellish its market positioning in order to achieve the apex of success: Demographics Qantas can divide the market into various sectors based on certain demographic variable such as age, gender, income level and the like. This in a way segregates the business class customers from the economic class and distinguishes their tastes and preferences. Psychographics - After the demographic segmentation is conducted, they need to identify the demands of each demographical layer and fulfill them in the process of business priority consideration. Qantas should in a way maintain an equilibrium while placating the demands of both the business class and economy class customers. Buyer Graphics This calibrates on the evaluation of the attitude and perception of the customers towards the offered service. Where else they invest their money for Qantas to develop partnerships in future in-varied industries. Geographics This segmentation focuses on the apartheid of the market on the basis of the thorough knowledge about the geography of the current market and satisfying the demands of the intended group of customers originating from the diverse geographies. Like Qantas initiated a program with a tag line Our people, Our land in 2012 to concentrate its business tactics on domestic flights. Marketing Mix: Marketing mix is a bed- rock concept in the field of marketing. It can be defined as a cluster of marketing instruments that an organization adopts to pursue its goals in the target market scenario. However, the marketing mix broadly categorizes mainly 4 Ps of marketing decisions, in case of services marketing a much more elaborate and extensive version is applied comprising of 8 Ps which sequentially goes as follows: Product Price Promotion People Processes Physical evidence Partnership Distribution Product: It deals with the commodity or services that the firm is willing to offer for sale in the market, its substitute products as well as the competition prevailing in the market. Product considerations influences each and every other decisions related to a product marketing. The tangible and intangible advantages should be considered minutely so that any products of tangential importance can be co-marketed(Hamzah Sutanto, 2016). Qantas has focused on enhancing its output by implementing various strategies of positioning not only with the customers but also with the rival groups. Qantas has launched Jetstar, its low fare brand to captivate back its market share from the rival firms. Qantas positions itself as dual branded claiming it as a high quality premium carrier craft brand on one hand and a budget airline with low cost on the other. This exquisite feature has provided Qantas with a competitive advantage and thereby expanding its market share and broader coverage of market segmentation. It initiates various reward programs like Frequent Flyer Schemes and Qantas Club Services to secure both the individual and corporate business. In addition it also offers a bounty of features of superior quality to its loyal customers. Price: Price is not only the indicator of the profit margin of the service provided but it is also held responsible for a number of marketing decisions. It sets a standard value of the service, which has to be met by the companys employee, physical evidence and performance to reach the pinnacle. For a company like Qantas the pricing pattern of the product changes frequently. Recently the pricing strategy of Qantas incorporates: Price Penetration Implemented for Jetstar- cheapest possible price. Full Fares targeted for business customers since full fares are feasible for refund which is very much essential for business customers. They require the flexibility from the management in spite of being expected to pay a premium charge. Promotion: A company markets and advertises its products and services through the device. It strives to convey its intended message to the media with the best possible means. Promotion strategy involves brand development, slogans and logos which transmits the intangible benefits of the service in question. Qantas ratifies advertising agencies to create advertisements for both audio and visual media including brochures, posters and billboards(Astuti Silalahi, 2015). It is mainly dependent on the following techniques of promotion. They are either based on representatives who are directly responsible for sale to travel agents and government departments. Or the image of Qantas is highlighted through news releases, press conferences and interviews. It has used various opinion leaders such as John Travolta and sponsored variety of events such as rugby and NRL to popularize its reputation and sustain its brand image. People: One of the principal key features of any company assisting it to grow further is its people who are entrusted with supporting the companys customer service or product section. Maintaining high level of customer satisfaction relies on lesser time taken in response and operation hours. This is only possible when the aims and expectations of the company are clearly stated to the employees and they are trained properly(Armstrong, 2014). A competent group of people of any organization only multiplies the quality of service offered to its consumers. Qantas has identified the value of maintaining proficient employees in order to provide premium service to its customer. The trainee second officers of Qantas are trained by one of the worlds most renowned flight training institute famous for its thorough professional curriculum. They gain practical knowledge in proximity with the experienced pilots and are further trained to become dedicated staffs. Qantas also concentrates on retaining the jo b satisfaction level of its employees largely offering them with some attractive perks and benefit. Processes: Processing of the marketing plan is an extremely important strategy since excellence in a companys service resorts to the concrete policies and procedures made in the marketing plan. Now-a-days, customers do not just remain satisfied availing the service but they also show interest in the business structure and try to figure out whether it is appealing. Qantas ensures a smooth processing of reservation to its passengers and even concentrates on providing quality ground service to the flyers. They consistently attempt to perfect their on-flight meal service with proper packaging and their flight entertainment arrangement is of premium class. Physical Evidence: Talking about the physical evidence part, it is perhaps the most important among all the marketing mix as only this component comes to the exposure first. The physical evidence constituent includes the visual layout of service offerings, company policies, liabilities on the part of the organization and customer friendly insurance policies if in case the company is accountable for any harm or damage to its customers and their belongings. Physical evidence part also cites the proper dress code and decorum of the organizations employees. Qantas precisely maintains a high standard of policies and its customer liabilities are clearly stated in the website so that the customer can easily get access to any of his queries(Jin, Kim, Kim, 2015, June). Besides, Qantas seems very much promising in taking the right and prompt steps to solve the problems. In their website, it has been clearly stated that in case of any loss or damage of the flyers properties they need to lodge PIR (Property Regul atory Report) to Airport Baggage Services counter. Besides, Qantas annual report and business structure is handily available in their websites that involves the passengers to the core of the organization so that they can be ascertained about the service quality promised. Setting up of Marc Newson First Lounges in LA, Singapore and Hong Kong is sure to turn Qantas to one of the elite international flyers(Belobaba, Odoni, Barnhart, 2015). In addition to this, many of the biggest aircrafts are being remodeled in terms of both style and comfort providing completely flat sky-beds. Partnership: An investigation of present marketing landscape has identified partnership marketing as one of the key strategy to grow and expand business in the highly competitive market. Qantas, as no exception to this has collaborated with Malaysia Airlines and LAN in Latin America(Balmer, 2013). They are also hoping to expand their business teaming up with British Airways in order to reduce loss making. In Asia Qantas is focusing to grow with its low-cost airline Jetstar and looking forward to the major coalition with Emirates(Balmer, 2013). It has also confirmed to establish a low-cost carrier in Japan named as Jetstar Japan, collaborating with Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi. Distribution: The distribution mix ensures that right service is offered to its target consumer(Bellin, 2016). This consists of five principal components such as communication, unitization, warehousing, inventory and transport. Qantas assures that the right service is offered to the right consumers. It deftly handles all the distribution channels: Direct Distribution: Direct distribution mix allows the customers to reserve their tickets on their own and therefore, the company easily reaches out to its end customers. Third-Party Distribution: Schemes affiliating third party, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Interline sales associating other airlines helps to expand the company worldwide. Qantas has a flexible reservation system that connects it to these traditional systems using IATA standard interfaces. Impacts of contemporary issues: Marketing strategy of a company is the process or business model followed by the company to utilize limited resources in the best possible way to achieve a rise in sales and hence, a rise in the profit, growth and attain a sustainable competitive advantage. A good marketing strategy can drive a company way forward than its rivals. Every company follows their own marketing strategy. There are some contemporary issues which affect the marketing strategy for organizations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Social Media Interaction, technological advances, globalization, ethical concerns and so on are among the few to be discussed. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Corporate Social Responsibility, abbreviated as CSR, refers to the business activities of organizations, which are beneficial for the society. Its the initiatives taken by the companies to assess their impacts on the environmental and social welfare. It can be said that CSR often represent policies and activities that companies use to govern themselves with honesty, transparency and have a positive effect on social wellbeing. These initiatives can include a variety of actions like donations to charity, efforts to make a greener world and so on. Qantas Group has played an active role in the benefits of the communities since it was established in 1920 in Queensland, Australia. It has contributed during natural disasters, flying patients and medical supplies, donation to charities like UNICEF, Make-A-Wish, e-motion21, Mardi Gras. Its Change for Good program has raised over $30 million compared to $4 million of Jetstars StarKids initiative. It has supported Australian talent through part nerships with Australian Ballet, MONA and National Gallery of Australia. Qantas has CSR rating 63(Qantas, 2017). Environmental Impacts: Every organization has impacts on the environment and, those effects have become a global challenge now. Due to globalization of services and climate change, the actions have accelerated global warming with significant impacts on society, economy and environment. To do their part to improve environmental impacts, the Qantas Group has worked to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. It has invested in new aircrafts, innovated more efficient ways of operating by collaborating with partners, regulators, manufactures. Data shows, the airlines fuel efficiency has increased by 5% since 2009. According to the financial report of Qantas, 2014-15, it has reduced the carbon emission by 2.1% during 2014-15 as part of the Qantas Transformation program(qantas_annual_review, 2015). Qantas has launched programs for separating and recycling the waste on board of Boeing 737 and Airbus A330. Economic Efficiency: According to the financial report, in 2014-15, Qantas has replaced fluorescent tube lights with energy efficient LED lights in airports, warehouses, ramp areas, hangers and flight simulators. This would reduce energy consumption by over 13 million kilowatt hours and would save more than $2 million energy cost per year (qantas_annual_review, 2015) Technological advances: Technological improvements are always beneficial for companies. It affects efficiency of goods and services and hence, the profitability and sustainability of a company improves. Qantas has invested in bringing in new aircrafts which are fuel efficient; reduce carbon emissions thus reducing the expenditure on fuel. It has taken steps to improve their efficiency and services to the customers. Their employees have worked towards new and improved designs for the new aircrafts that reduces cost and improved services. They have cut down management layers, accelerated decision-making, encouraged innovation. Hence, productivity has increased significantly (Merkert Pearson, 2015). Globalization: To hold its position in the domestic and international aviation industry, Qantas has adopted globalization policies. It has planned to ensure its enhanced presence in Asia by investing in a brand new superior Asia based airline designed by Qantas experts but with a fresh name, advanced technology, alluring look and feel. A new cost-effective carrier Jetstar Japan was launched for domestic operations and within a year it will collaborate with Japanese brand icons like Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi. Recommendations: The entire airlines industry including the Australian giant Qantas must adopt certain measures to sustain in this market of cutthroat competition. Having an in depth knowledge of individual customers preferences and consumer related activities and analyzing it minutely is a must while delivering personalized service and targeted offerings. Qantas must induce themselves beyond their credence on existing loyalty programs, which instigates generation of suggestive consumer data and feed-back by evaluating the expenditure pattern through branded credit card of the respective airlines (Srisaeng, Baxter, Wild, 2015). Investment in advanced customer analytics is a vital issue but technology can never be the sole means to acquire that. Qantas must re-modify their structure and processes to insert customer service into their organizational ethos (Tribe, 2015). Major awareness of customer behavioral pattern develops intimacy thereby improving the targeted offerings. Such an approach enables them to gain a chance of generating ancillary revenue and greater percentage of sales through direct channels. Thus, they can sustain their premium position without alienating their customers. Eliminating the fat and not the muscle - While involving themselves in the process of expense reduction, they should not only determine how far to cut but from where to cut. This critical juncture to categorize the various sets of essential capabilities distinguishes them from their rival groups in the consumers perception. This area requires renewed investment so the management should reduce the other costs efficiently that are not concerned with safety, company image or customer value. Strategic partnership - Since the legal framework of re-construction and consolidation of bankruptcy is not targeted towards all markets and government regulation will consistently restrict consolidation, it is preferable for the aviation industry to opt for partnerships strategically (Perrott, 2015). These sensible conglomerations complement each other and shrink the unconcealed gaps. These partnerships are more focused and collegial than the conventional alliances, which curbs the potential of the airlines to diminish the rift with efficacy. Conclusion Qantas is the premium viable airline in Australia. Over the years, it has formulated capital expenditure focusing on growth opportunities to assure a powerful, viable business. Acquisition of more Airbus A320 aircraft to sustain the growth of group capacity, which constitutes aircraft for Jetstar Japan and Asia airlines, reconfiguring B747S and A380 for qualitative productivity, are the few immediate undertakings by Qantas group to withstand the continuous competitive encumbrance. Hence, we can conclude that Qantas, being an experienced player in the global volatile market, has acclimatized to all the complex factors revolving around from fluctuating industry expectations to oscillating government policies. It has strived for success and reputation frequently with margins proving its flexibility and responsiveness every time. Though it has traversed through a dark phase and was entitled as a corporate tragedy once, the current growth report blended with superior technology and consumer preference grants a real opportunity. By adopting the following strategies, Qantas can forge a stronger bonding with its customers and invigorate their financial performance sustainably either on their own or with potent partnership. Bibliography Armstrong, G. A. (2014). Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Astuti, R., Silalahi, R. L. Marketing Strategy Based on Marketing Mix Influence on Purchasing Decisions of Malang Apples Consumers at Giant Olympic Garden Mall (MOG), Malang City, East Java Province, Indonesia. (2015). Astuti, R., Silalahi, R. L. R., Wijaya, G. D. P. (2015). Marketing Strategy Based on Marketing Mix Influence on Purchasing Decisions of Malang Apples Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia, 67-71. Balmer, J. M. (2013). Scrutinizing and explicating corporate image, corporate identity, corporate communications, corporate reputation, corporate brands and corporate marketing. Contemplating Corporate Marketing, Identity and Communication. Bellin, H. (2016). Branding and Marketing Channel Strategies: Some Effects on Channel Partners. Journal of Marketing Channels, 23(4), 255-257. Belobaba, P., Odoni, A., Barnhart, C. (2015). The global airline industry. John Wiley Sons. Hamzah, S. B., Sutanto, J. E. (2016). The Role of Marketing Mix (7P) for Consumer Buying Decision . Pastry Cake in Malang City. Ivy, J. (2013). A new higher education marketing mix: the 7Ps for MBA marketing. International Journal of educational management, 22(4), 288-299. Jin, N., Kim, J., Kim, K. H. (2015, June). Jin, N., Kim, J., The Service Marketing Mix Effect On Customer Experience And Customer Equity In The Service Industry. Jin, N., Kim, J., Kim, K. H. (2015, June). The Service Marketing Mix Effect On Customer Experience And Customer EQ In 2015 Global Fashion Management Conference at Florence, Jin, N., Kim, J., Kim, K. H. (2015, June). The Service Marketing Mix Effect On Customer Experience And Customer EQU838-844. Merkert, R., Pearson, J. (2015). A non-parametric efficiency measure incorporating perceived airline service levels and profitability. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy (JTEP), 49(2), 261-275. Perrott, B. E. (2015). Building the sustainable organization: an integrated approach. Journal of Business Strategy, 36(1), 41-51. Qantas, I. t. (2017). Qantas.com. . qantas_annual_review. (2015). qantas_annual_review. Sarina, T., Wright, C. F. (2015). Mutual gains or mutual losses? Organisational fragmentation and employment relations outcomes at Qantas Group. Journal of Industrial Relations, 57(5),, 686-706. Srisaeng, P., Baxter, G. S., Wild, G. (2015). Forecasting demand for low cost carriers in Australia using an artificial neural network approach. Aviation, 19(2), 90-103. Tribe, J. (2015). The economics of recreation, leisure and tourism. Routledge.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Thomas Hardy Feels That Edgon Heath, The Setting Of The Novel The Retu

Thomas Hardy feels that Edgon Heath, the setting of the novel The Return of the Native is a powerful, scary, dark and dreary place. He uses various techniques to express this attitude. Some of the techniques he used to convey this thought are diction, imagery, syntax, and tone. The diction he choose was specific and concrete, presenting an actual place that was depressing. The words he used attempted to present a specific, concrete perception of things. Such as when he writes, "approaching the time of twilight and the vast tract of unenclosed ild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment". This presents a specific place, time and a specific insight which leaves with the thought of a darkening, scary place. Imagery played a very important role in Harding's portrayal of the heath as a powerful, scary, live place. The imagery develops a light and dark imagery. The heath, earth is the dark and gloomy image, while the surrounding nature is light and good. He refers to the heath's color as, "embrowned itself moment by moment," and says that the"hollow stretch of whitish cloud shutting over the sky." He refers to the heath as dark on many occasions, he says the "earth with the darkest vegetation... In such contrast the heath wore the appearance of an installment of night... darkness had to a great extent arrived hereon... the heath exhaling darkness." These references of the heath as dark, give us a gloomy, somber feel of the heath. Harding also uses metaphors to make us aware of the power and life that Edgon Heath has. As in when he says "the face of the heath by its mere complexion added half an hour to evening... the place became full of a watchful intentness now: for when other things sank brooding to a sleep the heath appeared slowly to awake and listen." These metaphors and personifications allow us to see that the heath is more than a hunk of dirt, it has a life and energy. Syntax is also used to enhance the power of the heath. Harding uses a combination of medium length and long and involved length sentences. These lengths enhance the feeling of power that Harding wants to express, because they are lengthy and have a body. They aren't short and quick, each sentence says what it has to say and delivers it. These sentence exemplifies the strength and ability that the heath has. The sentence length is effective because each sentence allows Harding to go into detail about a specific detail about the heath, such as the power and strength it has. Harding also used more than 6 compound sentences in the description of the heath. This is so he can elaborate on a specific characteristic of the heath, as in "The face of the heath by its mere complexion added half an hour to evening: it could in like manner retard the dawn, sadden noon, anticipate the frowning of storms scarcely generated, and intensify the opacity of a moonless night to a cause of shaking and dread...." Harding also used it to compare the heath as in, "Looking upwards, a furze- cutter would have been inclined to continue work; looking down, he would have decided to finish his faggot and go home. The tone of the description of the heath is morose, somber and gloomy. In the description, Harding only describes the heath as dark and scary. He chooses to illustrate these things and gives the story a morose feeling. His somber and gloomy tone is reflected in his attitude toward the heath. The tone makes the heath appear seem scarier and more powerful. Thomas Hardy delivers a powerful and firm attitude towards Edgon Heath. He feels that it is a dark, scary and living place. He uses and combines various literary techniques in order to achieve his goal of convey his feelings towards the heath to his readers.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Educational vs. Educative

Educational vs. Educative Educational vs. Educative Educational vs. Educative By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Is there any difference between the adjectives educational and educative? I’m beginning to see the latter in contexts where I’d expect the former. My first response to the question was that educative is simply a less familiar word for educational. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster indicate that this is so: OED educational adjective: 1. Of or relating to the provision of education; educational. 2. Serving or intended to educate or enlighten; educational. M-W educational adjective: 1. having to do with education; educational. 2. tending to educate; instructive. However, when I explored uses of educative on the Web, I began to sense that the word might have acquired a meaning other than educational. Here are some examples: A Values-Engaged, Educative Approach for Evaluating Education Programs An Educative Approach to Behavior Problems: A Practical Decision Model for Interventions With Severely Handicapped Learners   A humanistic-educative approach to evaluation in nursing education A textbook publisher explains its use of educative this way: Curriculum materials for Grades K–12 that are intended to promote teacher learning in addition to student learning have come to be called  educative curriculum materials. Although my Oxford Thesaurus gives instructive and educational as synonyms of informative, the writer of an academic paper with the title â€Å"Can and Should Educational Research be Educative?† offers to prove that â€Å"research cannot be educative, only informative.† In some contexts, educative is paired with holistic or pragmatic, as in this chapter title: Ethics and ethical theory in educative leadership: A pragmatic and holistic approach. The effect of pairing educative with pragmatic or holistic is to suggest that educative is â€Å"practical and wide-ranging†- as opposed to educational, which implies â€Å"theoretical, impractical, and narrow.† As far as I can make out, the use of educative is closely tied to what educators now refer to as â€Å"action research.† Back in my days as a classroom teacher, when large numbers of my students failed a test, I would analyze their papers and revise my lessons in an effort to get better results next time. That, apparently, was a form of â€Å"action research.† What I learned by examining my unsuccessful practice for the purpose of improving my methods was educative, as opposed to merely educational or informative. I conclude that the new meaning of educative is â€Å"of educational value to the person or persons doing a systematic study of their work methods with the intention of getting better results.† Both Google and Word view the word educative with suspicion, sometimes underlining it in red or green. When your intended meaning is instructive or â€Å"relating to education,† go with educational. Leave educative to speakers of Educationese. Here are some synonyms of educational as in â€Å"an educational experience†: instructive, informative illuminating enlightening edifying Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101Hang, Hung, Hanged20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity

Friday, November 22, 2019

Changan - Capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties

Changan - Capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties Changan is the name of one of the most important and immense ancient capital cities of ancient China. Known as the eastern terminal of the Silk Road, Changan is located in Shaanxi Province about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) northwest of the modern town of XiAn. Changan served as capital to the leaders of the Western Han (206 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618 CE), and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. ChangAn was established as a capital in 202 BC by the first Han Emperor Gaozu (ruled 206-195), and it was destroyed during the political upheaval at the end of the Tang dynasty in 904 AD. The Tang dynasty city occupied an area seven times larger than the current modern city, which itself dates to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1912) dynasties. Two Tang dynasty buildings still stand today―the Large and Small Wild Goose Pagodas (or palaces), built in the 8th century AD; the rest of the city is known from historical records and archaeological excavations conducted since 1956 by the Chinese Institute of Archaeology (CASS). Western Han Dynasty Capital At about AD 1, the population of ChangAn was nearly 250,000, and it was a city of international importance for its role as the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Han Dynasty city was laid out as an irregular polygon surrounded by a pounded-earth wall 12-16 meters (40-52 feet) wide at the base and more than 12 m (40 ft) high. The perimeter wall ran a total of 25.7 km (16 mi or 62 li in the measurement used by Han). The wall was pierced by 12 city gates, five of which have been excavated. Each of the gates had three gateways, each 6-8 m (20-26 ft) wide, accommodating the traffic of 3-4 adjacent carriages. A moat provided additional security, surrounding the city and measuring 8 m wide by 3 m deep (26x10 ft). There were eight main roads in Han dynasty ChangAn, each between 45-56 m (157-183 ft) wide; the longest leads from the Gate of Peace and was 5.4 km (3.4 mi) long. Each boulevard was divided into three lanes by two drainage ditches. The middle lane was 20 m (65 ft) wide and reserved exclusively for the use of the emperor. The lanes on either side averaged 12 m (40 ft) in width. Main Han Dynasty Buildings The Changle Palace compound, known as the Donggong or eastern Palace and located in the southeastern part of the city, was approximately 6 sq km (2.3 sq mi) in surface area. It served as the living quarters for the Western Han empresses. The Weiyang Palace compound or Xigong (western palace) occupied an area of 5 sq km (2 sq mi) and was located in the southwestern side of the city; it was where Han emperors held daily meetings with city officials. Its principal building was the Anterior Palace, a structure including three halls and measuring 400 m north/south and 200 m east/west (1300x650 ft). It must have towered over the city, as it was built on a foundation that was 15 m (50 ft) in height at the north end. At the north end of the Weiyang compound was the Posterior Palace and buildings that housed the imperial administration offices. The compound was surrounded by a pounded earth wall. The Gui palace compound is much larger than Weiyang but has not yet been fully excavated or at least not reported in the western literature. Administrative Buildings and Markets In a administrative facility located between the Changle and Weiyang palaces was discovered 57,000 small bones (from 5.8-7.2 cm), each of which were inscribed with the name of an article, its measurement, number, and date of manufacture; its workshop where it was created, and the names of both the artisan and the official who commissioned the object. An armory held seven storehouses, each with densely arranged weapon racks and many iron weapons. A large zone of pottery kilns that manufactured brick and tile for the palaces was located north of the armory. Two markets were identified within the northwestern corner of the Han city of ChangAn, the eastern market measuring 780x700 m (2600x2300 ft, and the western market measuring 550x420 m (1800x1400 ft). Throughout the city were foundries, mints, and pottery kilns and workshops. The pottery kilns produced funerary figures and animals, in addition to daily utensils and architectural brick and tile. In the southern suburbs of Changan were remains of ritual structures, such as the Piyong (imperial academy) and jiumiao (ancestral temples to the Nine Ancestors), both of which were established by Wang-Meng, who ruled ChangAn between 8-23 AD. The piyong was built according to Confucian architecture, a square on top of a circle; while the jiumiao was built on the contemporary but contrasting principles of Yin and Yang (female and male) and Wu Xing (5 Elements). Imperial Mausoleum Numerous tombs have been found dated to the Han Dynasty, including two imperial mausoleums, the Ba Mausoleum (Baling) of Emperor Wen (r. 179-157 BC), in an eastern suburb of the city; and the Du mausoleum (Duling) of Emperor Xuan (r. 73-49 BC) in southeastern suburbs. Duling is a typical elite Han Dynasty tomb. Within its gated, pounded earth walls are separate complexes for the burials of the emperor and empress. Each interment is centrally located within a gated rectangular surrounding wall and covered by a pyramidal pounded-earth mound. Both have a walled courtyard outside of the burial enclosure, including a retiring hall (qindian) and a side hall (biandian) where ritual activities associated with the buried person were conducted, and where the individuals royal costumes were displayed. Two burial pits contained hundreds of nude life-sized terracotta figures―they were clothed when placed there but the cloth has rotted away. The pits also included a number of pottery tiles and bricks, bronzes, gold pieces, lacquers, pottery vessels, and weapons. Also at Duling was a shared mausoleum temple with an altar, located 500 m (1600 ft) from the tombs. Satellite tombs found east of the mausoleums were built during the rulers dynasty, some of which are quite large, many of them with conical pounded earth mounds. Sui and Tang Dynasties Chang​an was called Daxing during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and it was founded in 582 AD. The city was renamed Changan by the Tang dynasty rulers and served as its capital until its destruction in 904 AD.   Daxing was designed by the Sui Emperor Wens (r. 581-604) famous architect Yuwen Kai (555-612 AD). Yuwen laid out the city with a highly formal symmetry that integrated natural scenery and lakes. The design served as a model for many other Sui and later cities. The layout was maintained through the Tang Dynasty: most of the Sui palaces were also used by Tang dynasty emperors. An enormous pounded-earth wall, 12 m (40 ft) thick at the base, enclosed an area of approximately 84 sq km (32.5 sq mi). At each of the twelve gates, a fired brick fa ¸ade led into the city. Most of the gates had three gateways, but the main Mingde Gate had five, each 5 m (16 ft) wide. The city was arranged as a set of nested districts: the guocheng (outer walls of the city describing its limits), the huangcheng or imperial district (an area of 5.2 sq km or 2 sq mi), and the gongcheng, the palace district, containing an area of 4.2 sq km (1.6 sq mi). Each district was surrounded by its own walls. Main Buildings of the Palace District The gongcheng included the Taiji Palace (or Daxing Palace during the Sui dynasty) as its central structure; an imperial garden was built to the north. Eleven great avenues or boulevards ran north to south and 14 east to west. These avenues divided the city into wards containing residences, offices, markets, and Buddhist and Daoist temples. The only two extant buildings from ancient Changan are two of those temples: the Great and Small Wild Goose Pagodas. The Temple of Heaven, located south of the city and excavated in 1999, was a circular pounded earth platform composed of four concentric stepped circular altars, stacked on top of one another to a height of between 6.75-8 m (22-26 ft) and 53 m (173 ft) in diameter. Its style was the model for the Ming and Qing Imperial Temples of Heaven in Beijing. In 1970, a hoard of 1,000 silver and gold objects, as well as jade and other precious stones called the Hejiacun Hoard was discovered at Changan. The hoard dated to 785 AD was found in an elite residence. Burials: a Sogdian in China One of the individuals involved in the Silk Road trade that was so central to the importance of ChangAn was Lord Shi, or Wirkak, a Sogdian or ethnic Iranian buried in ChangAn. Sogdiana was located in what is today Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, and they were responsible for the central Asian oasis towns of Samarkand and Bukhara. Wirkaks tomb was discovered in 2003, and it includes elements from both Tang and Sogdian cultures. The underground square chamber was created in the Chinese style, with access provided by a ramp, an arched passageway and two doors. Inside was a stone outer sarcophagus measuring 2.5 m long x 1.5 m wide x 1.6 cm high (8.1x5x5.2 ft), lavishly decorated with painted and gilded reliefs depicting scenes of banquets, hunting, travels, caravans, and deities. On the lintel above the door are two inscriptions, naming the man as Lord Shi, a man of the nation of Shi, originally from the Western countries, who moved to Changan and was appointed sabao of Liangzhou. His name is inscribed in Sogdian as Wirkak, and it says that he died at the age of 86 in the year 579, and was married to the Lady Kang who died one month after him and was buried by his side. On the southern and eastern sides of the coffin are inscribed scenes associated with the Zoroastrian faith and in Zoroastrian fashion, the selection of the south and eastern sides to decorate corresponds to the direction the priest faces when officiating (south) and the direction of Paradise (east). Among the inscriptions is the priest-bird, which may represent the Zoroastrian deity Dahman Afrin. The scenes described the Zorastrian journey of the soul after death. Tang Sancai Pottery Tang Sancai is the general name for vividly color-glazed pottery produced during the Tang dynasty, especially between 549-846 AD. Sancai means three colors, and those colors refer typically (but not exclusively) to yellow, green and white glazes. Tang Sancai was famous for its association with the Silk Roadits style and shape were borrowed by Islamic potters at the other end of the trade network. A pottery kiln site was found at ChangAn named Liquanfang and used during the early 8th century AD. Liquanfang is one of only five known tang sancai kilns, the other four are Huangye or Gongxian Kilns in Henan Province; Xing Kiln in Hebei Province, Huangbu or Huuangbao Kiln and Xian Kiln in Shaanxi. Sources: Cui J, Rehren T, Lei Y, Cheng X, Jiang J, and Wu X. 2010. Western technical traditions of pottery making in Tang Dynasty China: chemical evidence from the Liquanfang Kiln site, Xian city. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(7):1502-1509.Grenet F, Riboud P, and Yang J. 2004. Zoroastrian scenes on a newly discovered Sogdian tomb in Xian, northern China. Studia Iranica 33:273-284.Lei Y, Feng SL, Feng XQ, and Chai ZF. 2007. A provenance study of Tang Sancai from Chinese tombs and relics by INAA. Archaeometry 49(3):483-494.Liang M. 2013. Scenes of Music-Making and Dancing in Wall Paintings of the Tang Tombs in the Xian Area. Music in Art 38(1-2):243-258.Yang X. 2001. Entry 78: Changan Capital Site at Xian, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 233-236.Yang X. 2001. Entry 79: Imperial mausoleums of the Western Han dynasty at Xian and the Xianyang Plains, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 237-242. Yang X. 2001. Entry 117: Daxing-ChangAn Capitals and Daming Palace Sites at Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 389-393.Yang X. 2001. Entry 122: Hoard of Gold and SIlver Objects at Hejiacum, Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 3412-413.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organizational Communication Unit 6 Project Essay

Organizational Communication Unit 6 Project - Essay Example This includes the network of repeated interpersonal strategies for coping with interpersonal and organizational events that are stressful and perceived as threatening. Interpretation of individual and collective organizational meanings is the avenue to understanding organizational identity. With respect to transference and dynamics, psychoanalytic action researchers learn to use themselves (the self as the core of the personality and interpersonal experience) as instruments of organizational study. Empathy and introspection become necessary skills in helping subjects to share feelings and ideas that previously could not be discussed. One's perception of the organization and his or her role identity in it is directly linked to the nature of interpersonal relationships between and among organizational participants (Schien, 2000). Authority and peer relations may rekindle frustrated needs among adults in work organizations. Stressful organizational events such as change in leadership, retrenchment, cutbacks, policy or budgetary revisions, and shifts of political climate can foster psychologically regressive and defensive responses among members (Chil d, 2005). In my private life and at work, I use different strategies to enact and embody multiple and intersecting identities. The strategies are interpersonal communication, evaluation of gender differences, accounts of individual and collective identity, evaluation of cultural and social discourses. The desire to merge with the sameness of the other is the overarching theme of this organization's adaptive response to its environment. organizational identity implies that many repetitive and, frequently ritualistic, patterns of interaction within work groups and among participants are, for organizational members, purposeful, but not necessarily conscious, psychological defenses against threatening events and relationships. These defensive patterns, ultimately, result in the construction of rational administrative processes of organizations that regulate threats to personal security and self-esteem by structuring and defining organizational life. On the cultural level, this means leaders and p eers who have common interests, values, and goals; on the psychological level, it means organizations dominated by patterns transference in which organizational participants look to each other as mentors and egos, or kindred spirits. In private life and at work, I frame my identity in accordance with life situations and people I have to communicate with. Gaining insights into the emotional dimensions of their relations can enable them with the help of a consultant to clarify and resolve differences, improve coordination, and thereby consider alternative ways of interacting at work. Psychoanalytic organization theory views feelings as the unconscious foundation from which everything else emerges in the context of organizational culture. Let's conclude with an elaboration of this point. People use their organizations for unconscious reasons such as defending themselves against certain anxieties, renewing a sense of lost omnipotence, enhancing their self-esteem, and resolving incomplete developmental issues; as targets of aggression; and as a

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Research Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis - Research Paper Example Jones also participates in television commercials where he speaks basic Mandarin-language phrases. It’s noted that in large part this constitutes Li Ning’s attempts to keep pace with Nike, as Nike plans to unveil a shoe that is exclusive to China and is endorsed by basketball star Lebron James. In addition, Adidas AG’s Reebok has a long-term endorsement deal with basketball star Yao Ming. The main strategic understanding is that Li Ning isn’t attempting to take over the American market, but to take back the Chinese market from Western competition. The Chinese market is regarded as very interested in basketball and in gaining a competitive foothold in athletic products it’s necessary to do so through basketball marketing. The reason Jones was chosen was because more prominent National Basketball Association stars already had shoe deals, so the Chinese research ultimately led them to Jones. The slogan for the company is ‘anything is possible’. This slogan is said to be in line with Damon Jones history as he claims to have had an uphill climb in his career. The deal agrees to pay Jones approximately $300,000 a year and includes bonuses tied to team performance. One of the prominent considerations in these regards is China’s growing basketball market. Research demonstrates that there are nearly 400 million people aged 20 and younger, many of whom have a growing interest in basketball because of the increasing showing of NBA games in the country. Research also contests that this market will potentially grow 20% to 40% a year for the upcoming decade. While it’s argued that the quality of the shoes are generally the same, it’s necessary for advertising and marketing to be successful to gain increasing market shares. Further Nielson research attests that Li Ning increased advertising spending twenty-fold between 2001 and 2005. In terms of researching specific advertising spokesmen, the company is noted to have traveled to Denver,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Social Equality in Childrens Literature Essay Example for Free

Social Equality in Childrens Literature Essay Student Name Professor Name Subject 20 June 2012 Social Equality in Childrens Literature To begin with, we should say what social equality is in general. Social equality is a state of social affairs where all the people within the same group or any other formation have the same rights and, what is more important, the same status in certain respects. Some basic differences may divide people in social hierarchy. The main ones are gender, race, or wealth. But why is it so significant especially in children literature? To my mind, the second question is whether there is any social equality in children literature. I think there are a lot of books which show this problem. To traverse this problem we’ll discuss some children books. And in the books under analysis people suffer from race division. Unfortunately, race is an outdated concept for distinguishing people. Racism has always been the greatest problem for the USA, especially considering African Americans. Equal rights and social value is a matter that needs to be taken extremely seriously. Martin Luther King Jnr, Gandhi, Jesus, Malcolm X, Pope John II, The Dalai Lama, St Francis of Assisi and even John Lennon all believed that social rights and being equal, no matter who you are, is one of the most important things in the world to conquer. Maybe, children books are the first sources of anti-racism and helpers to fight with social inequality. Let’s think broader to understand this. The first book to discuss is The Watsons Go to Birmingham by C. P. Curtis. It is a historical fiction book. And there is 16th Street Baptist Church bombing  in Birmingham. This moment was a critical catalyst of the American civil rights movement. Could we judge a historical book as children one? Let’s dwell on the details. Because Kenny, the main character, tells the story of his family’s trip to the Deep South, the reader gets to experience what is was like to grow up during the height of the civil rights struggle. In the first part Kenny introduces his family, so called â€Å"Weird Watsons†. They live in Flint, Michigan, while Grandma Sands lives in Alabama. Both places are under rather intriguing seasons. The family have to run away to save themselves. That is not the only reason. Kelly is bullied at school. This is both because of his being an excellent student and some civil inequality. But to my mind, children become to bully, as for a civil aspect, only after their parents’ words or actions. They are too young to judge a person properly. Anyway, the book remains just a story about a family, but some moments, such as the church bombings or the murder of Emmet Till, makes it very powerful. What is more, Birmingham, as the centre of action, also is the centre of civil fights and maybe it could be a symbol of that time. As for national equality, not the whole book, but significant moments in it are the greatest examples of the problem. But to understand everything it is better to read and fell it. The second book under analysis is Monster by W. D. Myers. It is a drama novel. To continue our discussing according to the theme let’s say about the characters and the problems described in the novel. Steve Harmon is an African American who is on trial for felony murder in New York City. Peer pressure is the main theme which then affected how Steve ended up. As for humanity, Steve is called â€Å"Monster†. He starts thinking over it. This book could be named autobiographical, because Myers was often laughed at at school. And this story is scribbled on the pages of the novel, as the author took his school teacher’s advice and wrote at night after work just as then Steve did. Although the novel is focused on moral and then social issues, it definitely touches some social problems. Some comment about being black that already may make a person guilty brings up a long-standing social issue about discrimination against African Americans in law enforcement. The question of social equality appears in bullying, and it becomes much greater during the trial. I think Steve is accused as guilty only because of his skin color. Myers was highly prized for his book as the contribution to children’s literature. The next book to pay attention to is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by M. D. Taylor. It was even adopted as TV series what can say the author is a master. Action takes place in Depression time. That time was harder than ever for the whole America. There are two points of view in this book: fortunate Logans and a lot of people both black and white – are living as sharecroppers. This makes racially motivated crimes common. The novel shows the necessity in owing the lands. But the main theme, to my mind, is the effect of racism. The first sign of racism appears even at school in the state of books. For white students they are new and for black ones the books are in poor condition. The Logans prove that even being black doesn’t prevent anybody to become rich. The Wallace family is the most racist and all the sharecroppers’ families fear them. But as for Cassie, the narrator, and the families, her one owns, the Wallaces don’t play rather great role. The main life lesson Cassie takes is that material independence may be the key to ethical independence. This type of narration enables Taylor to juxtapose childhood innocence and show wonder of bigotry and racism. And the author, through the child’s eyes, without any polemics or even bitterness, shows the greatest problems of that time with surprise and growing disappointment. Taylor doesn’t make any effort to soften the affect of racism problems and shows the influence events of the 1930s had on the civil rights formation and famous Black Power movements of the 1950s and 1960s. And this enables the reader to understand those feelings the girl had. The novel is highly prized by most critics. Now we go to Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography by Andrew Helfer ; Randy DuBurke. This book is like a philosophical reflection. It shows the thoughts about black pride, Black Nationalism and pan-Africanism. Some critics name this book as the most read and influential book among young people of any racial background. What is more interesting, some chapters were silenced by FBI. Characters in the book mostly associate with other people to meet them and treat them like objects rather than human beings. And this aspect is pointed out in the autobiography to show how hierarchy of social status affects self-esteem. Neither his friends nor his family recognizes Malcolm as a person. The use his skin color as demonstration of their tolerance and broadmindedness. The only wish is to gain the status for them. But Malcolm uses his girlfriend as the same symbol or status and then this action turns to him: Malcolm becomes a symbol of the Nation of Islam’s vitality. This all makes any person to degrade. Only after passing through so many phases and seeing the race problem from so many different points of view Malcolm is able to settle on a philosophy in which he truly believes. Malcolm is represented in the book in a lot of guises, beginning from Malcolm Little and then Malcolm El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz appears. And through all this changing eyes we see racism problems and Malcolm’s attitude on them. All problems about equality are surrounded about racism. In this case it is not white people against African Americans but believes in so called â€Å"Black Pride† or black power. Malcolm, using people as marionettes, becomes a marionette partially in fate’s hands and then in the hands of nationalistic organization. Only faith in himself may save Malcolm from losing his soul in the fight for status in â€Å"equal† hierarchy. And at last our attention goes to I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. The book is autobiographical. I was written in 1969. The name speaks for itself. Caged in racism and trauma, a person can overcome it with the help of strength and love. Angelou describes such problems as identity, rape, racism and literacy. All this affects her life less or more. It happens so, that Stamps, Arkansas, is so segregated, that the girl can’t even believe that white people exist. But getting older Maya is confronted by rougher incidents of racism. Children books describe all the events which are no for children at all. BT described from the child’s point of view, they make the reader fell everything by himself with the same curiosity and then growing disappointment. Just skin color makes even her name a great problem. There are also some social events described in the book. Their importance for African Americans is unbelievable. But social realities remain unjust. And all this confine and demean Maya and her relatives. She comes to thoughts that living in racist society and so being under pressure shapes the character, both hers and the members of her family, but she finds some power to surmount them. The book was used for teacher education. As for censors, the prohibited book’s usage at school, because of some scenes, e. g. eight-year-old girl’s raping. To my mind, such books should present in school curriculums to prevent racism development or to teach children how to cooperate with such problems if it happens so. We discussed five different but, at the same time, so equal books.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Edgar Allan Poe and His Works Essay -- Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

Thesis: Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential, yet misunderstood writers in American Literature. I. His Early Life A. His Adoption B. His Education II. His Later Life A. Books Published B. Military Life III. The Conclusion of His Life A. His Marriage B. His Death IV. His Works V. What Others Thought Of Him Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, known as a poet and critic but most famous as the first master of the short story form, especially tales of the mysterious and macabre. Since his early death, the literary qualities of Poe's writings have been disputed, but his works have remained popular and he influenced many major American and European writers. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Poe was orphaned in his early childhood and was raised by John Allan, a successful businessman of Richmond, Virginia. Taken by the Allan family to England at the age of six, Poe was enrolled in a private school. Upon returning to the United States in 1820, he continued to study in private schools. He attended the University of Virginia for a year, but in 1827 his foster father, displeased by the young man's drinking and gambling, refused to pay his debts and forced Poe to work as a bookkeeper. (Anderson, 9-22). Poe quit this job, which infuriated John Allan. Poe then left and moved to Boston. There he published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. After this, Poe enlisted in the U.S. Army and served a two-year term. Poe published his second book of poems, Al Araaf in 1829. Poe then reunited with Allan, who obtained him an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. After only a few months at the academy, Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty, and John Allan disowned him permanently (Anderson, 23-34). P... ...nius." (Regan, 1) While some loved him, others despised him; almost all recognized the value of his works. WORKS CITED Anderson, Madelyn Klein. Edgar Allan Poe: A Mystery. New York: Justin Books, Ltd., 1993 Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1961 The Collected Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: The Modern Library, 1992. Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1966. Fisher, Benjamin F. The Cambridge Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print. Kesterson, David B., ed. Critics on Poe. Coral Gables: University of Miami Press, 1973. Regan, Robert, ed. Poe. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1967. Stoudt, Ashley, ed. "An Edgar Allan Poe Reader". State Street Press, 2000.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Analytical and Empirical Method

How to conduct heuristic evaluation? 5 Advantages5 Disadvantages6 Empirical Method (Usability Testing)7 What is Usability Testing? 7 How to conduct a usability testing? 7 Advantages of Usability Testing8 Disadvantages of Usability Testing9 Conclusion10 Task 211 Introduction11 Description of the problem11 Description of the difficulties11 Conclusion:14 References:15 Task 1 Introduction There are 4 ways mostly to evaluate user interface.Heuristic Evaluation (heuristically) by just looking at the interface and passing judgement according to one’s own view. Cognitive Walkthrough (analytical method) by some analysis procedure, Pluralistic Walkthroughs (empirically) by experiments with trial users, Feature, Consistency & Standards Inspection (automatically),by a programmed procedure. For this assignment I have choose the usability testing for empirical method where else for analytical method I have choose heuristic method. [1] Analytical Method (Heuristic usability) What is heur istic? Heuristic evaluation is a discount usability engineering method for quick, cheap, and easy evaluation of a user interface design. † [3] In heuristic evaluation the usability issues covered are effectiveness and efficiency but do not considered the satisfaction. Quantitative Data is not collected. this method also can be conducted remotely also can be used on any system. Several evaluators independently evaluate the interface & come up with potential usability problems. It is important that there be several of these evaluators and that the evaluations be done independently.Nielsen's experience indicates that around 5 evaluators usually results in about 75% of the overall usability problems being discovered. Heuristic Usability Principals Here I am going to explain more and have a closer look at what condition are needed to evaluate interfaces. Basically the evaluation is easier than design. The principles are the basic points that drive design and drive evaluation as well. The principals are: 1. Visibility of system status The application should always keep user on track and well known on which section of the application they are.This can avoid confusion and user can get the information easily without consuming more time. 2. Match between system and the real world. The relationship between two things, in most cases the mapping from digital world to real world. Metaphors and analogies 3. User control and freedom User should be informed what the system is doing and is the user on the right track, does it work the way it is suppose to work. This can prevent the user to do their activity correctly on path without having to redo all again. The application also should support undo and redo.The system should confirm with the user before take any action on the application, so user can exit immediately from new actions that risk them. 4. Consistency and standards An application should have a standard platform convention like the symmetry of the interfac e. Is it symmetrical? (Left-Right, Top-Bottom, Center). This includes also the wording to access the application example for navigation bar. The â€Å"Home† button should be same for all pages. It should not been changed to other type of looks (symbol or font) at other page when user access to it. 5.Error prevention The text message for error prevention should convey a message to user while they are currently on the application and risky to faulty. User can understand what the error message is about and prevent the faulty happen before they proceed to the next step. 6. Recognition rather than recall Using symbols that make user feel ease to recognize, remember and think what is the use of the button. The colour contrast also effect attention and focus where the user has been explored on the application. It also is to make user more focus and remember what they did.User also might convey the color for pink †¦ it’s a girl and blue †¦ it’s a boy. This wou ld not affect user memory load. 7. Flexibility and efficiency of use This refers to the perceived and actual properties of the â€Å"thing† that determine just how the â€Å"thing† could be used for new user that never been using that application. The appearance of the â€Å"thing† tells them how to use it. If the system is understandable, neither expert nor inexperienced can easily use the application. 8. Aesthetic and minimalist design The application should display the important and description for the point it is focusing on.The application should not display unnecessary information which will only cause the information traffic on the application. A special consideration for standards graphics and design are enough to make user comfortable when using the application. 9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors The error text must not be too long or too short. It should be simple and precisely organized to make sure the user understand the faul ty they have done and they can correct the error based on the solution given in the error message. 10. Help and documentationThere might be possibilities that user don’t need any help and documentation while or after using an application, but there is the chances for user to document the information and get the help if there are lost. This should be considered to ensure user get fully access and satisfied after exit the application. The application must make the user easy to find the information they are looking for focusing on their task and help should provide the step they should pursue. How to conduct heuristic evaluation? Heuristic evaluation by Nielson is a method used by researchers to find usability problems in interfaces designed for use by public.The heuristic evaluation process starts from questions a small number of users, called evaluators, to complete a set of pre-programmed tasks usually related with using the interface. As summary basically the evaluation will be : * Obtain the service of 4, 5 or 6 usability experts, questions a set of pre-programmed tasks usually related with using the interface. * Each expert will perform an independent evaluation, answer question related to interface * Give experts a heuristics inspection guide, is followed from Nielsen’s ten usability principles (Nielsen, Jakob 1994). Collect the individual evaluations, which are answered in subsequent iterative sketch of the interface for better simplicity of use and significant knowledge.* Bring the experts together and do a group heuristic evaluation. (Optional) Advantages Quick and relatively inexpensive feedback to designers can be provided by this method. Response can be obtained early in the design process. Conveying the correct heuristic can help suggest the best corrective measures to designers. * Cheaper comparative to other assessment method. * Spontaneous and simple to encourage potential evaluators to use the method * No advance planning required Formal usability training is not required for evaluators. Professional computer programmers and computer science students are used in Nielsen and Molich * Can be used early in the growth process * Quicker revolve time than laboratory testing Disadvantages Applying heuristics effectively need a good knowledge and skill. Usability experts sometime hard to find and can be pricey. Multiple evaluators are recommended and results must be aggregated. Minor issues and fewer major issues can be detected through these evaluations. * Evaluators maybe just have the understanding of usability design principles, but not for usability experts.Usability experts would recognize more issues than non-experts, experts are the people who have the skill with the type of interface being evaluated, they can identified the most issues was according to Nielson. * The results from multiple evaluators must be aggregated. This is because the evaluator only can detect few issues, but if the issues combined the m ore precise result outcome they can gain. * Heuristic evaluations only identify lesser usability issues compare to and other discount methods may not identify as many usability issues as other usability engineering methods, for example, usability testing. Complex interfaces may not scale well for heuristic reviews. Evaluators may not find the major or serious problem the interface had if the interfaces are complex. * All the issues identified may not willingly suggest solutions for the usability issues * The evaluators are just pretend to be the user but they are not the real user. * The entire problem identified may not be the actual problem in real interface. Empirical Method (Usability Testing) What is Usability Testing? We need to use usability testing method to produce tasks professionally, efficiently and pleasingly for the user benefit.It is better to produce a pre-programme application to ensure so that any important issues can identify. Usability testing can be done at any stages of the design process. Usability testing is not an alternative for a human centred design process and appropriate techniques such as walkthroughs also can be use. Test host or the user who is going to represent for usability testing session should attend. The attendance should be at least one observer one developer and one business representative. Observers should strictly be in a separate observation room.Density of the system, the number of intended users, and budgetary constraints should be considered when doing the session. Even one test session is better than none, but if its more it will tend to discover the majority of important issues. There are two major factor should be considered when conducting a usability testing. The first is to ensure that the best possible method for testing is used. The second major consideration is to ensure that an iterative approach is used. How to conduct a usability testing? To prepare for a usability test we must identify delegate tasks .Ideally, these should derive from scenarios or use cases developed earlier in the design process. Have a clear definition of when a task is complete. We also must prepare a test schedule, book the required room, and identify representative users and invite them to attend. We will need the following materials: †¢ A formal script so that all participants are treated in the same way. †¢ A pre-evaluation questionnaire to check that your participants match the required profile. †¢ A list of tasks, together with criteria for measuring whether they have been successfully completed. Logging sheets to record timing, events, participant actions, concerns and comments. The guidelines should be followed: †¢ Run a pilot test. †¢ Ensure that participants have the option to abandon any tasks which they are unable to complete. †¢ Do not prompt participants unless it is clearly necessary to do so. †¢ Record events in as much detail as possible to the level of keys trokes and mouse clicks if necessary. †¢ If there are observers, ensure that they do not interrupt in any way. Observers formally prior to test. †¢ Be sensitive to the fact that developers may be upset by what they observe or what you report.Advantages of Usability Testing The advantages of usability testing are [5]: * Reply direct from the board audience to spot the project group * Private conversation can be done by testing the issue to see how users response to the different options being discussed * Problem and possible difficulties are stated clearly before the product is launched. The business advantages of usability testing can be seen at the end of the project: * Probability of usage and frequent usage increase * Risk of the product fault is reduce * Users are able to get what they expect, which makes business meeting its targets achievable.Benefits of using usability testing are [6]: * Reduce maintenance costs, increase user fulfilment, and save on development eff ort cost. * Relevance feedback helps to increase the quality experience. * Measures activities, not preference. Users like to insist what they want, but by observing and measuring behaviour, we can understand what the best for their needs and support is. * Get a competitive benefit. User with no experience can give negative impact to a website. A systematic website is expected by users, especially when the competitors of websites developer are a lot now. Focus to the major needs and the aim of the application. Disadvantages of Usability Testing Usability testing provides many benefits, but there are the disadvantages in using this methodology, which should be noted. Firstly, testing is not 100% representative of the real life scenario. Also, usability testing is mainly qualitative, so does not provide the large samples of response that a questionnaire may, but the response can be far more precise and understandable. It requires a certain level of knowledge and experience to apply th e heuristics effectively. Trained usability experts are sometimes hard to find and can be expensive.Multiple evaluators are recommended and results must be aggregated. The evaluation may identify more minor issues and fewer major issues. [9] Conclusion Two common usability evaluation methods, heuristic evaluation and usability testing were analayse. Results found that heuristic evaluation performed by HCI experts revealed more general problems, while usability testing is a way to see how easy to use something is by testing it with real users. To provide the most effective and thorough usability evaluation results, a combination of usability evaluation techniques from both expert and system user perspectives is recommended. Task 2Introduction For task 2, I am going to evaluate a website from a bank which is OCBC bank. Description of the problem 1. The first problem i notice when I start to evaluate the website was the layout. the layout is merely merge to left side of the webpage. 2. The navigation bar size. It is too small. 3. The application do not provide â€Å"search† function for user to search information. 4. I didnt notice the login function,no idea where to login. The homepage there is no official login space. 5. No language selection option. 6. No register new user and login specific space at main page. 7. No sitemap to track location in application page. . The process option button and link appearance are not interesting and recognizable. 9. Once the user click any options from main page to proceed the next step,the application open new window. Description of the difficulties 1. User need to focus on the left side of the webpage whereelse it should be in the center for user to feel more comfortable when viewing webpage. The view is not standard as normal webpage. 2. The navigation bar font is too small and situated at the upper right corner of the webpage. It is not standard. These two diffrent navigation bar makes user confuse to choose which function to move in the application.Furthermore,when user click to login page,another window open and it does not have a standard navigation bar as the previous page. User will feel confuse,with diffrent thing appears. 3. The login function is not standard. There are several option to login to application. It suppose to have a official login space then allows user to choose the service they want to involve. the login space looks like advertistment and not noticable. 4. Language. User supposed can select the language they are prefereable for. But this application dont allow user to choose the language they understand.If the user dont understand,how they want to use the application. There is just the selection list of country only but not for language. 5. The application does not provide sitemap to track location of user that use the application at current time. Sitemap used to make user easy to navigate along the pages gone through. user can eesayly get back to the pages prevoiously without wasting time to find pages that they want. 6. The hyperlink should be as buttons or symbol button to make user easy to recognize and remember the direction to use the application for the next visit. . Once the user click any options from main page to proceed the next step,the application open new window.User cannot go back to the previous page because noâ€Å"back†function at the web page neither at the browser. If user want go back,user must exit the new window and restore the main page again. If user did some errors user need to repeat all the steps again. Heuristic and explanation 1. The small and not standard navigation bar is link to consistency and standards. * It suppose to gathered and user should select from a line of navigation bar. when user click to login page,another window open and it does not have a standard navigation bar as the previous page. * User feels a diffrent environment,diffrent situation word. 2. The no option for language is match between sy stem and real world. * The system should speaks user language,word or phrase which familliar with the user. This will make user more comfortable and understand what they are doing. 3. Layout of the web which go to left side is a aesthetic and minimalist design. * User should not wonder the blank space of the webpage. It should be used to put any related information. 4.No sitemap for user location is equal with flexibility and efficiency of use. * Sitemap can help the inexperience user to go back to previous page they were to make sure they are on the correct path to do their job. 5. Error prevention which dont have â€Å"back† button,is link with user control and freedom. * This sytem dont allow users to go back. It do no support undo and redo. * User need to navigate away from the page directly and go back to main page and access again the application. 6. Uninteresting link and button to continue using the application is a recognition rather than recall heuristic. The links navigation dont give the user idea when they first see the webpage. User need to read the links and then click to continue. * The link should suppose to be icons so that whenever the user come for next visit,they will recognize the buttons and save their memory load and time. Summary A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection helps to identify usability problems in the user interface (UI) design, As I find in the OCBC Bank website, it specifically involves me examine the interface and judge its compliance with recognized usability principles (the â€Å"heuristics†).I independently examine a user interface and judge its compliance with a set of usability principles. The result of this analysis is a list of potential usability issues or problems. The usability principles, also referred to as usability heuristics, are taken from published lists. Ideally, each potential usability problem is assigned to one or more heuristics to help facilitate fixing the problem. As more ev aluators are involved, more true problems are found.But as from my view, I can list out only these usability problems and I also have stated the reasons and why it is a problem to me and also what is lacking at the webpage.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ethical Philosophies of Machiavelli and Subramanian Essay

One of the greatest comparisons of all time is to contrast Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† with V. K. Subramanian’s â€Å"The Chanakya: Kautilya. † Critically, a look can be taken into several different elements of each author’s work to best compare and contrast them. To that end, a look will be taken at the political, social, and ethical philosophies of Machiavelli and Subramanian to determine how they differ and in which ways the philosophies are similar. Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince† in the early 1500’s as a way of adding his insight from what he had seen of politics and hereditary principality—even though â€Å"it was plagiarized during Machiavelli’s lifetime†¦[and] was never published by him†¦[making] the text [itself as] still disputable† (Machiavelli 11). While current versions of â€Å"The Prince† are attributed to him, this fact of plagiarism and publishing fraud make the work even more intriguing, given the subject matter itself. Of the work itself, Machiavelli said that â€Å"I pour myself out as fully as I can in meditation on the subject, discussing what a principality is, what kinds there are, how they can be acquired, how they can be kept, why they are lost; and if any of the fancies ever pleased you, this ought not to displease you; and to a prince, especially to a new one, it should be welcome† (Machiavelli 11). Machiavelli dedicated the work itself to Lorenzo de’ Medici, even after he was put to torture by the family for treachery. Machiavelli’s methods are one of unique significance as he is writing, having been there, in the thick of things. Essentially, â€Å"The Prince† is meant as a guidebook on how to rule in all princely matters for Lorenzo de’ Medici. Machiavelli wrote about how hereditary principalities worked, how to keep that inheritance, and even how a prince could gain a new principality, and how a prince should rule his people and act, as a prince, and politically. While Machiavelli essentially confined his writings to obtaining fortune, keeping and obtaining power, and virtue as a leader, a look can be taken into his writings to discover the philosophies beneath his ideas. In comparison, V. K. Subramanian’s â€Å"The Chanakya: Kautilya† was published in 1980 about and are translated from are translated from three works known as the â€Å"Chankyasutras,† the â€Å"Chankyanitidarpan† and the â€Å"Arthshastra† and are based upon the time in history around 300 BC. The intro of Subramanian’s work notes that â€Å"Chanakya, also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta was the famous Indian Machiavelli who was responsible for the overthrow of the last ruler of the Nada Dynasty and the enthronement of Chandragupta Maurya†¦there is an interesting story about Chanakya’s first encounter with Chandragupta, which ultimately ended in their collaboration and capture of power† (Subramanian 1). Subramanian’s work, then, is a direct reflection of Machiavelli’s own. What makes them similar, however, despite the men within the tales, is the philosophies shared between the two. Machiavelli’s political philosophy is perhaps the easiest to pinpoint as the very purpose of his work revolved around the necessity of a prince to reign successfully. Machiavelli, actually, mainly focused on the political aspects of maintaining and gaining principalities. He notes that â€Å"let any one now consider with what little difficulty the king could have maintained his position in Italy had he observed the rules above laid down, and kept all his friends secure and protected; for although they were numerous they were both weak and timid, some afraid of the Church†¦and thus they would always have been forced to stand in with him, and by their means he could easily have made himself secure against those who remained powerful† (30). Machiavelli is urging his prince to take note of the past and understand that had the king protected his weaker neighbors, he would have not only gained them as allies—but also could have gained them as part of his reign. And, at all costs, he should protect his allies as he would protect his own lands. Politically, being a stronger power, he would have been made into the â€Å"leader,† who they would be indebted to and would follow with more loyalty than any money could purchase. And, to Machiavelli, the art of gaining allies and principalities, even de facto ones, was the art to be achieved. Even more so, Subramanian’s fourth maxim entitled â€Å"Advisors, Aides, Counselors, Ministers,† notes that â€Å"after equipping oneself fully, one should seek an ally (aide), one without an advisor has no certainty of counsel, one wheel does not move (the vehicle), the true aide serves alike in prosperity and adversity, a self respecting ruler should appoint as counselor, one who is inferior to him, and respects him†¦deflection to the enemy takes place due to negligence† (22-25). In this, Subramanian agrees wholeheartedly with Machiavelli’s statements. To be a successful ruler, allies must be taken and protected, first and foremost, before true rule can begin. The reason being, that with allies, a force become much stronger, incrementally, with each ally added. Furthermore, each ally must be protected and cared for to ensure their cooperation—but with that cooperation comes an extended kingdom. Indeed, Machiavelli’s social philosophy can be found within his writings on obtaining fortune. Machiavelli writes that â€Å"principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new†¦. such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability† (21). Machiavelli is commenting, simply, that the way in which a prince gains land is two-fold: either he inherits it or he fights for it. The manner in which the prince gains and obtains his land, however, is what makes the prince either beloved by his people or hated. For Machiavelli, gaining the most principalities possible by virtuous means was the ideal result. And, as he instructed his prince, it was best to be good, socially, if any hopes of maintaining that principality are held. In fact, Machiavelli comments that, for example, â€Å"Louis the Twelfth, King of France, quickly occupied Milan, and as quickly lost it; and to turn him out the first time it only needed Lodovico’s own forces; because those who had opened the gates to him, finding themselves deceived in their hopes of future benefit, would not endure the ill-treatment of the new prince† (23). Moreover, â€Å"it is very true that, after acquiring rebellious provinces a second time, they are not so lightly lost afterwards, because the prince, with little reluctance, takes the opportunity of the rebellion to punish the delinquents, to clear out the suspects, and to strengthen himself in the weakest places† (24). Thus, not only is it important for a prince to be clear in his occupation in a land, to become most beloved, he must first get rid of the troublemakers—thus leaving the peaceable, and willing to be occupied. If a prince does not take this step, he is left in hostile territory with people willing to stage an overthrow. On contrast, Subramanian writes out a few of the maxims of Chanakya, citing that â€Å"economic prosperity creates prosperity for the people, if the people are prosperous, even a leaderless state can be governed, people’s fury is the greatest of furies†¦[and] to be without a master is better than having an arrogant master† (22). In this, the two authors cannot be more different from the other. Machiavelli believes that the first step of any prince should be to take a firm grasp upon his principalities, to conquer new ones, and to rout the dissenters by force before they can rally for an overthrow. Machiavelli believes that by getting rid of the rebellious people before they can act, a leader can sustain and mark his position within his land, taking charge before the people even really know that it has happened. Then, once all the rebellion has been stamped out, a leader can begin to make his land prosperous. However, Subramanian cites a very different kind of social philosophy, making note that a leader might as well not exist if he intends to be a tyrant to the people, that a people have more respect for a man intent on prosperity, first, and rebellion last. Because, in an attempt to rout the dissenters, a leader would make a dent on the value the people hold for him—and thus their fury would remain. To really be a true leader and be beloved by his land, a leader must intend on affluence and prosperity as his bottom line. Finally, Machiavelli’s ethical and moral philosophy requires the most interpretation to highlight significantly. As Machiavelli writes about virtue in a leader, instructing a prince on how to act and behave, an ethical philosophy is formed. On contrast, Subramanian’s ethical philosophy stems from his ethical roots maxim that states â€Å"righteousness is the root of happiness, wealth is the root of righteousness, the state of the root is wealth, victory over senses is the root of the state, humility is the root of sense control, worship of elders is the root of humility, wisdom results from the worship of elders, with wisdom one can prosper, the prosperous one becomes the victorious one†¦[and] the victorious one obtains all the riches† (21-22). Despite it’s cryptic fortune-cookie nature, Subramanian’s writings do indeed have a fine message on ethical philosophy, here. In explicating the words, Subramanian is saying that to be a good leader, on must first be righteous, but to be righteous, one must first have wealth, to have wealth, one must first have victory, to have victory, one must first have humility, to have humility, one must listen to their elders to obtain wisdom, and with that wisdom a leader can prosper and be victorious in all they seek to achieve. The value here, is that Subramanian notes the significance of wisdom in all things. Without wisdom and following and heeding the elders who have come before, a leader stands no chance of being successful. Morally, a leader is obligated to his people to be triumphant so that the land can prosper, but without wisdom, a leader is nothing to his people but a tyrant. Subramanian says what Machiavelli does not. To Machiavelli, leading a people, by first disposing of the bad ones, is the best way for a prince to prosper in his lands. While he encourages his prince to be sound and wise, he first sends out the encouragement that the prince must always guard his assets, for fear of being overthrown or taken down by a greater force. To Machiavelli, obtaining land and prospering was, essentially, about war. To win that war, a prince had to be wise, and indeed, listen to his elders as well, but not in the ethical sense. Machiavelli meant for the prince to watch out for himself, first and foremost, and then, once the land became prosperous, Machiavelli encouraged the prince to be good to his people so that they would love him and understand that they were prosperous because of him. To Machiavelli, the ethical philosophy came last, after conquering and protecting one’s principalities. Overall, one of the greatest comparisons of all time is to contrast Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† with V. K. Subramanian’s â€Å"The Chanakya: Kautilya. † Taking a look at several different elements of each author’s work critically revealed a great level of significance as to their philosophies on politics, socially, and even ethically. Politically, Machiavelli and Subramanian follow the same philosophy, which intends a leader to find and protect allies first and foremost. As to social philosophy, however, the two authors cannot be more different. Machiavelli intends his prince to take charge and stamp out rebellion, while Subramanian cites that prosperity and kindness should be shown towards the new land. And finally, ethically, the two authors also differ. Machiavelli is intent on a prince who focuses on war and conquering new lands, and in this way a leader can gain wisdom and insight—however, to Subramanian, wisdom only comes by following one’s elders. Morally, a leader is obligated to his people to be triumphant so that the land can prosper, but without wisdom, a leader is nothing to his people but a tyrant. Works Cited. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trns. W. K. Marriott. New York: Plain Label Books, 1910. Subramanian, V. K. Maxims of Chanakya: Kautilya. India: Abhinav Publications, 1980.