An Analysis of Brooks First Fight.Then Fiddle Essay

An Analysis of Brooks First Fight.Then Fiddle Gwendolyn Brooks First fight. Then Fiddle. initially seems to argue for the necessity of brutal war in order to create a space for the pursuit of beautiful art. The poem is more complex, however, because it also implies both that war cannot protect art and that art should not justify war. Yet if Brooks seems, paradoxically, to argue against art within a work of art, she does so in order create an artwork that by its very recognition of arts costs would justify itself. Brooks initially seems to argue for the necessity of war in order to create a safe space for artistic creation. She suggests this idea quite forcefully in the paired short sentences that open the poem: First†¦show more content†¦Then fiddle. While this initial command seems to promise that one will only have to fight once in order to create a safe space for art, the phrase a while implies rather that this space is not really safe, because it will only last for a short time. War will begin again after a while because wars create enemies and fail to solve underlying conflicts. The beauty of violin playing remains illusory if it makes us forget that the problem of war has not really gone away. Brooks suggests moreover not only that war cannot really protect art but also that art is not really a just excuse for war. Indeed, she implies that art might be responsible for wars unjust brutality toward others. This idea is most evident in the poems final sentence: Rise bloody, maybe not too late / For having first to civilize a space / Wherein to play your violin with grace. Though on first read it seems like this sentence repeats the warning to fight before it is too late, its language has a number of negative connotations that undercut this exhortation. Civilize might at first seem a laudable goal, but it is also hard not to hear in this word all the atrocities that have been committed because one group believed another group needed civilizing or lacked civility. Moreover, if war inherently makes even civilized people uncivil because of its brutality, wars final achievement in the poem--a space / Wherein to play your violin with grace--seems heavily ironic. Grace

Essay on A Good Man is Hard to Find The Cross of Two...

The Cross of Two Spiritual Paths: The Characterization of the Grandmother and the Misfit and How Their Rendezvous Connects Them Both to a Religious Awakening of Faith, Grace, and Salvation. Obeying Pontius Pilates orders, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus onto a cross but not before ridiculing and physically beating him. At nine o clock in the morning, the men proceeded to crucify him along with two robbers. One of the robbers joined the soldiers in lampooning Jesus while the other one asked for forgiveness in hopes of reserving his place in Heaven; within hours, all three men had died. The concepts of faith, death, and salvation exemplified in the aforementioned anecdote continually permeate the text of Flannery OConnors short†¦show more content†¦The aforementioned book also comments that the Grandmother persists that the Misfits inability to shoot the family lies in the fact that he comes from a good family (1984). Moreover, the Grandmother honestly believes that she possesses the goodness of a Christian and the fact that this characteristic could somehow alter her fate (Ochshorn 298). Stanley Renner insists that the problem, however, is that although the Gran dmother appears to others as a religiously devout person, her shallow view of goodness is saturated with nothing more than the culture-refined thoughts of the small-minded mores (26). Similarly, Stephen Bandy implies that the Grandmothers faith is embedded into her only skin-deep as to feign the semblance of a devout Christian when, in reality, she understands nothing of the religion; the Grandmothers external religion is completely of the lip-serving variety (3). Renner comments that the mindless reiteration of Jesus name could be viewed as blasphemy- using the lords name in vain (20). She does not fully comprehend the Bible although she will quickly invoke the name of Jesus: Maybe he didnt raise the dead, she responds to the Misfits protest, for it hardly matters to her, one way or the other, because the divinity of Jesus retains little importance for the Grandmother (Bandy 37). Instead ofShow MoreRelatedFlannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pages Psychoanalysis of Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Murder of women, children, and even a baby is a harsh image used by Flannery O’Connor in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† The imagery is an effective literary device used to convey ironic tragedy, the struggle of female characters, and the family unit. The story follows a family on a trip to Florida when their journey, interrupted by an ill-fated detour resulting in a car wreck, ends in murder after they cross paths with an escaped convict. FamilyRead MoreFlannery OConnor1591 Words   |  7 Pagesthree bullet shots as a final offering of atonement, O’Connor depicts a road to salvation through the unlikeliest of representations. This trend becomes apparent as one can identify the path to penance made by the protagonist in such stories as â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†, â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own†, and â€Å"Good Country People†. The imagery is generally comedic and grotesque, which expresses the notion that God works in mysterious ways. Although redemption may be proffered, the protagonists areRead MoreJesus Presentation of His Teachings Through Parables Essay1470 Words   |  6 Pages comparison or analogy. A parable has also been described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Some of Jesus parables are comparisons as they compare what is known and familiar on earth with the Kingdom of God, which is spiritual and less familiar. For example, in a parable in Luke 13:20 Jesus says The Kingdom of God is likeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a woman who takes some yeast. In this way, from the Bible, one can deduce parables are stories that convey teaching and is usually based Read More Finding Morality and Unity with God in Dantes Inferno Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pagesthe trials of the everyman’s soul to achieve morality and find unity with God, while setting forth the beauty, humor, and horror of human life. Dante immediately links his own personal experience to that of all of humanity, as he proclaims, â€Å"Midway along the journey of our life / I woke to find myself in a dark wood, / for I had wandered off from the straight path† (I.1-3). The dark wood is the sinful life on earth, and the straight path is that of the virtuous life that leads to God. Dante’s everymanRead MoreSlavery1483 Words   |  6 PagesSIGNATURE- Jocelia Alexander DATE- 7th June, 2013 â€Å"Im a slave from a land so far I was caught and I was brought here from Africa Well it was licks like fire From de white slave master Every day I dong on knees Weeks and weeks before we cross de seas to reach in de West Indies† ----- Slinger Francisco aka The Mighty Sparrow I must begin by saying how heartbroken I was on reading the suffering and mistreatment my people ordained back in the days of Slavery. Coming from a family that isRead MoreThe Pursuit of God by Awe Tozer2459 Words   |  10 PagesGod, Tozer offers many different areas of our life that we need to focus on in order to stay on God’s path. I went through the book and tried to piece together a short summary of each chapter below. The first chapter, Following Hard after God, talks about how though we try to stay on the right course and follow God, there are many distractions in today’s world that can make us veer from the path. The only reason that makes us want to pursue God is that He gave us the urge to do so. God is a PersonRead MoreEssay about Sonnys Heroic Journey in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues2971 Words   |  12 Pagestheir heroic journey a person may regain their strengths and develop new ones. Each phase of this journey will have an effect on them and others around them. According to his brother, who narrates Sonnys Blues, Sonny was a bright-eyed young man full of gentleness and privacy. When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and hed had wonderfully direct brown eyes, a great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he lookedRead MoreThe Spaniards And The Indians1238 Words   |  5 Pagesexploration. They had ships, men, influence of Christ, and the pursuit for gold. These were some of the key features that the Spanish were going to use to justify enslavement and mistreatment of the Indians. Portugal became a global empire; Spain wanted to find a faster way to get to Asia (Lecture). The Spanish exploration started with Columbus in the year 1492. One year later, 1493 â€Å"Columbus returned with seventeen ships and more than one-thousand men to explore the area and establish a Spanish outpost.†Read More Flannery OConnors Use of Religious Allegory Essay2383 Words   |  10 PagesCatholic as she was, Flannery O’Connor astonishes and puzzles the readers of her most frequently compiled work, A Good Man Is Hard to Find. It is the violence, carnage, injustice and dark nooks of Christian beliefs of the characters that they consider so interesting yet shocking at the same time. The story abounds in Christian motifs, both easy and complicated to decipher. We do not find it conclusive that the world is governed by inevitable predestination or evil incorporated, though. A deeper meaningRead MoreDante s Journey Through The Inferno2415 Words   |  10 Pagesdetails Dante’s trip through the afterlife. His journey is prompted by a spiritual crisis in midlife when he finds himself lost in the woods. The woods that Dante finds himself lost in represents a personal sense of confusion and darkness. This is the kind of symbolism that is seen throughout Dante’s long journey. The two major themes portrayed in this Epic Poem are justice, sin a nd punishment as well as love; both spiritual and human. Some may argue that the theme of justice is too harshly portrayed

Body Modification and Self-Worth Essay - 1261 Words

The research compiled within these five articles, pertaining to body modification and self worth, concluded that the correlation is both valid and apparent in teens, young adults and adults. Currently, societal norms are switching what is deemed to be appropriate. Sociologist have taken an particular interest in this new phenomenon, because we are currently stuck in a split society; while many agree with the new wave of body modification, and have accepted its inevitability, the more conservative values can still be found. This has begun to leave many adults, whom acquire body modification, in a type of limbo, wondering: is this acceptable in society or am I now an â€Å"outsider†? On the other hand, the new generation sees body modification as†¦show more content†¦Deviant behaviour can also be signs of an extremely unhappy and uncomfortable human being. In regards to the five sociological articles being compared, one piece of research is consistent throughout each of the findings: illegal and deviant behaviour leads to a greater quantity of body modifications. Because of the lack of support and self worth, many young adults are finding themselves becoming tangled in a life that includes illegal and morally unjust actions, leading to a need to visually carry a stereotype (Irwin, 2001). The deviant behaviour shown by the participants in each observation range from weapons possession to substance use, and delinquency (Dukes Stein, 2011). Many of these young adults feel the need to prove they are â€Å"tough† and â€Å"cool†, and a result of that is undergoing body modification (Irwin, 2001). While these body modifications can seem shallow at face value, once analyzing the reasons one chooses to acquire a tattoo and/or a piercing, in correlation to acting with deviant behaviour, the results are quite similar: these individuals posses very low levels of self worth (Silver, VanEseltine Silver, 2009). On a social scale ideas surroundin g body modification many participants took a stereotypical view of tattoos and piercings. While this can push rebellious action from those who resist to conform to societies idea of â€Å"normal†, at the same timeShow MoreRelated Body Modification in America Essay710 Words   |  3 Pages Body modification in American Culture In recent years tattooing and body piercing have become increasingly prevalent in popular culture. These forms of body modification are no longer tools used by criminals and gang member, showing their role in society. These practices are used by many of teenagers and young adults in our society today. In fact many of these practices have been a positive trend in American culture, giving adolescents a way of expressing themselves Studies have revealed a positiveRead MoreEffects of Media on Body Image855 Words   |  3 PagesEffects of Media on Body Image Discussion This study was conducted to analyze the impact of media, mainly fashion magazines, on how women perceived the idealized body weight and shape as well as the impact of media on the decision to diet or initiate an exercise program. Twenty working class women were given questionnaires at different times. The exposure to fashion magazines was assessed by determining whether the participant was a high level frequency viewer of fashion magazines, viewing themRead MoreThe Effects Of Plastic Surgery On South Korea1487 Words   |  6 Pagesbeautiful. Common beauty expectations for both males and females are high noses, big eyes, and narrow chins. Due to the nature of an Asian bone structure, it is highly unlikely that the previously mentioned beauty standards will occur naturally within a body. Many turn to the growing trend of plastic surgery to achieve an aesthetically pleasing face. South Korea is the world’s capital in plastic surgery, and people from all over the world, especiall y from other Asian countries, visit to receive cosmeticRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Miller s Extreme Makeover 949 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Mayan people and their commitment to revolutionizing beauty. In Extreme Makeover, Mary Miller determines the considerable lengths the ancient Mayan civilization endured to reconstruct their bodies. They devoted endless measures of worth and persevered through unimaginable agony to create a beautiful self-image. Comparable to our society, the Mayan people satisfied the illusion of appearance by adopting the artistic imagery that conformed their society. â€Å"What did ancient Maya men and women hopeRead MoreEducating Healthy Lifestyles : Change4life Encourages The Public For Implement Eight Healthy Lifestyle873 Words   |  4 Pagesoverweight person had a 55% increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, eating and sleeping disorder, hormonal and functional impairment, over time. A MH patient has a 58% increased risk of becoming obese (NOO, 2011). Depression and anxiety are two illnesses are the most common MH issues connected with obesity as negative feelings fuel depression. People often use food to self-medicate their anger, frustration, heartbreak, emotions, and different type ofRead MorePersonal Application : Personality And Behavior977 Words   |  4 Pagesof the individual and their upbringing are crucial parts of their person. In my own life I have seen how the negative views of myself and my worth have been a combination of many things, but a crucial one being what is supposed to be my primary source of comfort, my mother. Her continuous focus on weight and image made me believe that a person s worth was connected with how much they weighed and how good they looked to other people. I was constantly immersed in this environment my entire lifeRead MoreAfrican American Women s Assimilation Into White Culture770 Words   |  4 PagesThis quote by Malcolm X was trying to spark deep internal thought to African-Americans, especially African-American women, audience about why African-American hated themselves and wanted to be white. This self-hatred and desire to be white stems from the pressure to absorb and assimilate to white culture, which calls for African-American women to deny their race completely. This is perpetuated by which is proliferated practices and rhetoric that suggest that being African-Ameri can is equated to beingRead MoreSocial Implications Of Psychoanalytic Theory Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesRelations, Self-Psychology, and Relational and Feminist Theory, avoiding integrating perspectives of the psychoanalytic theories, due to the multiple fundamental assumptions, while using various theorists from Freud to Benjamin. Beginning with Freud, they only mention three aspects of Freud’s theorizing; the unconscious, repression and the nature of the drives. When using Freudian theory, most of our experiences are unconscious, is a fundamental basis. This idea suggests a split within the self, betweenRead MoreThe Bioethics Of Human Genetic Engineering And Modification1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe Bioethics of Human Genetic Engineering and Modification Humans are marvelous creatures no other animals compare in intelligence or general abilities. As humans, we never have enough, we always are in search of self-improvement and personal gain. Our lives are based on the pursuit of personal gain and to help better the human race as a whole. Sometimes we must sacrifice everything and other times it comes as little to no price to achieve something greater for ourselves and others. Genetic engineeringRead MoreThe Pressure s On Society1300 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pressure’s On As we grow older, the media and the world around us subliminally influence our daily lives, personalities, and feelings of self worth. What we do, what we eat, who we associate ourselves with, how we look; these are all influenced and criticized by society. Women in our society seem to face more of these influences and criticisms. The media attacks how women act, live, and see themselves. Aaron H. Devor explains the differences between masculinity and femininity as well as describes

Video Games And Youth Violence - 883 Words

Video Games and Youth Violence: Is There a Real Connection? One of my fondest memories as a child was Christmas Day, 1986. I woke up early, as is typical for a child on Christmas morning. I ran to my parent’s room and rustled them out of bed so I could tear into the presents. I immediately ran to a large rectangular present and grabbed it from under the tree. I was hoping with all my might it would be what I had asked Santa to bring me, a Nintendo Entertainment System. As I ripped the paper from the box, I started screaming with excitement. Hidden under the wrapping paper was the NES that I had been gleaming at in the sales catalogs for months. I continued opening presents, getting several games to play on the new system. I received Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, Contra, and Adventure Island. This was the beginning of my love of video games. Gaming has been a part of my life for the last 30 years. Although I have spent many decades playing these games, I have never had violent outbursts or thoughts of random killing sprees. The link b etween violent acts and violent games is coincidental at most. Gaming systems have become more powerful with each new iteration. Graphics and sound capabilities have advanced to a point where today’s systems are capable of displaying pictures that rival live television broadcasts. What used to be cartoon like characters made up of large square pixels on the screen, is now realistic characters that look like human beings. Violence has always beenShow MoreRelatedVideo Games And Youth Violence1181 Words   |  5 Pagespast few centuries,video games have become a great leisure and hobby among kids of all ages and cultures. With the advancement of technology, video games have advanced highly in its realism and genres. This high type of advancement brought the video game industry to a multi-billion dollar industry. However, with realism, comes negative effects as well. Ever since the creation of violent or â€Å"mature† video games, there has been a constant debate on whether it will increase violence in the player. AlthoughRead MoreThe Relationship between Video Games and Youth Violence811 Words   |  3 Pagesthat violence in video games have contributed to violent outbreaks of behavior in real life. Violent video games have been a political issue since the early 1980s; however, people forget to look at how people of all ages spend their free time playing these games for entertainment. 97% of 12-17 year olds in the US played video games in 2008, thus fueling an $11.7 billion domestic video game industry. In 2008, 10 of the top 20 best-selling video games in the US contained violence. Video games are aRead MoreVideo Game Violence And It s Affects On Youth1683 Words   |  7 PagesVideo Game Violence and It’s Affects on Youth Video games are becoming ever more popular every day among adolescents, youth and adults. Video game play can be fun, recreational and now with video game consoles such as the Wii, it can even be healthy. However, some video games are brutally and exceedingly violent, which should be fine because after all it’s just a video game. However, we need to understand and know if the effects of these violent video games are positive or negative amongst the youthRead MoreViolent Video Games Cause Youth Violence2030 Words   |  9 PagesVideo games have become increasingly popular among people of various ages. The more technology advances the more appealing video games seem to get with high definition graphics and better storylines. The first video game ever made was back in 1958, it was played on a Brookhaven National Laboratory oscilloscope, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the video games of today (Bellis par. 2). Video games have gone from big-chunky complicated systems to li ttle-compact systems of entertainment. After the firstRead MoreVideo Games Do Not Contribute to Youth Violence Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesVideo games are not the cause of youth violence. There are many factors that have to be lined up to cause a child to be violent. For instance Many kids that become violent have had a rough life. They may have been poor, bullied, have alcoholic parents, neglected, or dont have parents at all (kids health). Over the years games have helped kids adapt to things in the world to better help their futures (washington post). Studies prove that video games can help children learn new mechanics (washingtonRead MoreDo Violent Video Games Influence Youth Violence?772 Words   |  3 Pagesmassive violence, graphic sexual content, and animated blood are examples of statements that the Entertainment Software Rating Board uses to depict the content in over fifty- five percent of the video games rated yearly. The debate of whether the aggressive nature of th ese video games influences youth violence in our country has been heatedly battled for decades. Since the mid 1980’s, it has been suggested that high profile cases of violence are due to an aggressor’s excessive video game use. HoweverRead MoreVideo Games: A Scapegoat for Youth Violence Essay examples1265 Words   |  6 Pagesmost recent medium are video games. Aided by crime-saturated news reports, a lot of people are convinced that video game violence transfers to real-life youth crimes like the school massacres. They think that violent video games make people violent, but that is not the case. Violent people play violent video games. Not everyone who plays video games are violent, but those who already are violent will play them as an outlet for their frustration and rage. If anything, video games keep violent peopleRead MoreVideo Games and Youth Violence: Is There a Connection? Essay example1002 Words   |  5 Pagesmany and the reasons are still under debate. Th e main contributing factor for all of this violence was originally thought to be violent video games, and the vivid scenarios played out in them.( Grossman, DeGaetano 1999) After further investigation, that factor in itself has been proven to be untrue. Contrary to the popularly accepted belief, violent video games do not increase the tendencies for violence in healthy, normal adolescents and children. There have been many rumors circulating as toRead MoreEssay about The Effect of Video Game Violence on Youths1849 Words   |  8 PagesDoes exposure to violence in video games, on TV, and in social media have an effect on those exposed to it? Are those who are underage more susceptible to any detrimental side effects from viewing these things? This has long been a topic of discussion among lawmakers, psychologists, and the scientific field as a whole. It concerns parents and community members, especially in the wake of a seeming rise in violence at school from bullying, fighting, or in the extreme cases of school shootings. Read MoreDoes Violence in Video Games Contribute to Misconduct in Youth1995 Words   |  8 PagesDoes Violence in Video Games Contribute to Misconduct in Youth? In recent years, many technological advancements have led to a new form of entertainment for society. One of the soaring forms of this entertainment is video games. While the sale of games continue to rise at a drastic rate, game designers and the media focus the publics attention on violent video games, since it seems to currently be to the more attractive type of game, not only among the public, but the gaming industries as well

Account Management and Electronic Wallet †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Account Management and Electronic Wallet. Answer: Introduction Technology is continuously evolving and getting advanced, and there is not any sector that is left untouchable with technology. Information system was introduced in very early stage and has become the crucial factor for every enterprise to be at the top in this competitive environment. Information system can be defined as the organized system for the storage, organization, collection, and communication of the information related to the customer, consumer, and suppliers (Hubbard and Valverde 2014). Technically, it can be described as a network used by the organization and the people in manner to proceeds, filter, collect, distribute, and create data. Banking sector needs large volume of consumers and business in banking referred as the battle of consumers and bank with large number of consumers will be leading in the market. Unpredictable competitive advantage can be gained in the field of banking through implementing useful, reliable, and robust systems for the consideration of custo mer value or profitability, both potential and current, in connection with the pricing and budgeting methodologies. This report focuses on the implementation of Information System and Database management within the Barclays Bank United Kingdom. This report presents theory related to the Information System Management and evaluates it with the real world example considering this case study as introduced in the next paragraph. This is one of the oldest financial services company and British multinational bank in London. It is widely spread across all over the world and offers services and products across investment, corporate, and personal banking including the wealth management and credit cards management. This enterprise is running its operation among 40 countries along with the 120,000 employees and staffs connected with the Barclays. Barclays states that Barclays UK is a personal and business banking franchise with true scale, built around our customers needs with innovation at its core (McMillen et al. 2017). The business across the UK is comprised of UK retail banking operations, UK-based wealth offering, credit cards for the UK consumers and corporate banking offers for the smaller businesses. In UK itself, it has more than 24 million consumers, and about one million business clients (Bauer et al. 2017). According to the research made, it can be stated that this all success was made due to the succe ssful implementation of information management, Information System, and Information Management System. Deployment of Information System and Database Every finance sector is spending lots of money in the Information System, as this is the only factor that can keep the organization in the track of the competitive market and help them achieving the competitive advantage among their competitors. Information system management could be helpful in improving the ranking in the share markets, creating new products and services, customer experience, and reducing the investment (Chaamwe and Lulembo 2016). Billions of money are being invested in manner to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the customer services and Barclays also invested a lot of money in manner to support the Information system of the organization. According to the annual report 2016 presented by Barclays PLC, various departments within the Barclays are being operated on the Information System that includes: Customer Service: Information System is used to collect and save data related to the consumers that will be helpful in improving the customer relations and customer experiences. This is divided into two sectors, one includes the information about the personal accounts of the customers and other includes the information about the products and services delivered by the Barclays to its customers (Jjoroge, Mbuguah and Muketha 2014). Accounting Department: Accounting department of the Barclays Bank is completely relied on the Information System of the enterprise and facilitates the option for editing account information, monitors the transactions, manages the debts between the consumers and the bank. Collection Department: Information system provides flexibility and easy operations on the activities related to the collection and notifying the information about the outstanding debts and help in resolving the issues related to the transactions made by them to the bank. Fraud Sector: This is one of the most important departments for the Information security. Collecting personal information is not a criminal offense but it not protecting it from vulnerabilities and attacks might bring lots of problem for the Barclays (Guo and Liang 2016). This helps in monitoring and detecting if any fraud is being made within the enterprise and protect it from cyberattacks. Deployment of Databases within Barclays Barclays has developed multimedia information system for both external and internal use. Internal systems are focusing on the career builder that can be described as the (POI) point of information system. The database of this system comprised of information relevant to the career opportunities and job descriptions in manner to allow users to match their skills (Laudon and Laudon 2016). External system targets to the services, products, and the mass market in manner to be in the race of leading financial services in the world. Impact of Information System on Decision Making Information system are being used for the decision making purpose in the offering of marketing schemes related to the loan and other funds offering. There are various levels at which the ban will be needing information and can be listed as basic and advance level. The basic level of information system is needed for the administrative or official purpose including the account holding for the customers and the book keeping and many more. Internet banking is one of the examples considering as a revolutionary moment and made it much attractive for the customers than it was earlier (Peppard and Ward 2016). As the technology gets advanced, IVRs makes phone banking to be practices and it is one of the major achievements in the field of banking and financial sectors. At the advance level, the information is used at the managerial level and considered as a crucial factor for the growth in the production or output of the enterprise. Such type of information are used by the managers in manner to listing the stocks, meetings and other memorable factors in the database in manner to keep them secured (Bultun 2014). The information saved into the database should be given highest priority and security should be the primary objective and should be shared either with the consent of the higher authorities or by the authorities only. This level of information is not for the use of the customers. This level of information could also be helpful in detecting the frauds and safety measures for the data or information. Benefits of Information System Development in the technology enables the system to be more advanced and innovative, information system are thus become the most trending technology because of its efficiency and reliability. Cloud computing is one of the beneficial aspects of the information system and are being applicable at the extreme level in finance and banking industries (Quereshi et al. 2014). This enables the banking mangers and other employees to be connected with the data and information 24*7 and enables to share all the data at any time. Information is the need of every enterprise as it is the only key element for the organizations to be ahead of the competitors and manage their sustainability in the market. There are several risks related to the Barclays operational activity and the data and information related to the consumers. The most crucial factor related to the storage of data and information on the internet or cloud is the cyberattacks and this information is vulnerable to such intrusion (Armstron et al. 2015). Data loss is another factor related to the storage of data or information into the database or in the cloud. Decision-making might be manipulated through altering the data or information related to the consumers behaviour or market behaviour. Internal threat is a topic that should be given emphasis while stating about the security of the data or information and internal users with higher access should not be allowed to access the network after resigning (Blohm et al. 2017). Role of Information System Management (ISM) Information management system could play a significant role in managing the data and information related to the operational activity of the enterprise and that of the customers or the consumers. It put emphasis on the various tasks related to the information system within the existing system of the organization, coordinating or directing through research in manner to monitor the network security related to the internet operations (Moro, Cortez and Rita 2015). Following flow chart can be helpful in explaining the roles of Information System Management: Key elements of the Information System Management can be referred to the gathering of data those are necessary similar to the raw data or crude input and processing those collected data into a meaningful information. There are many advantages of the implementation of IMS within the existing system of the organization ISM can be responsible for many aspects and assist manager and various objectives related to the operational activities of the organization however, key responsibilities can be represented as: It can complete its duties even if there is no manager Technical and administrative functions can be accomplished in efficient and effective manner Maintain the workstations and servers (kim Mithas and Kimbrough 2017) Diagnose the problems and resolve them related to the fax, copiers, printers, and networks. Maintain the updates of intranet and websites. Conclusions Based on the above report it can be concluded that information system and information system management are the most crucial aspects for a financial enterprise in manner to maintain its sustainability and enhance the performance. There are no doubt enhancing the performance of the organization and helping them to deliver services according to the need of the consumer but has certain security issues. Looking at the positive outputs it can be stated that despite of risks and issues there are a lot information system is providing to this digital world and in future, it is going to be spread in each corner of the world. Recommendations Security and privacy of the consumers should be given much priority than data collection. Using encryption technology can be a better approach for enhancing the security. Role of the mobile application should be enhanced. References Armstrong, C., Guay, W.R., Mehran, H. and Weber, J., 2015. The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance: A review of the evidence and the implications for banking firms and the financial services industry. Bauer, J., McMillen, G.C., Crozier, E., Schuetz, C.A. and Lloyd, G., Barclays Bank Plc, 2017.Secure account provisioning. 9,558,481. Blohm, I., Haas, P., Peters, C., Jakob, T. and Leimeister, J.M., 2016. Managing Disruptive Innovation through Service SystemsThe Case of Crowdlending in the Banking Industry. Bultum, A.G., 2014. Factors affecting adoption of electronic banking system in Ethiopian banking industry.Journal of Management Information System and E-commerce,1(1), pp.1-17. Chaamwe, N. and Lulembo, K., 2016. Evaluating the Impact of ICTs on HR Service Delivery: A Case of Barclays Bank Zambia.Journal of Advanced Management Science Vol,4(6). Guo, Y. and Liang, C., 2016. Blockchain application and outlook in the banking industry.Financial Innovation,2(1), p.24. Hubbard, D. and Valverde, R., 2014. Reducing Systems Implementation Failure: A conceptual Framework for the Improvement of Financial Systems Implementations within the Financial Services Industries. InModern Trends and Techniques in Computer Science(pp. 189-202). Springer, Cham. Kim, K., Mithas, S. and Kimbrough, M., 2017. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS AND FIRM RISK ACROSS INDUSTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM THE BOND MARKET.MIS Quarterly,41(4). Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016.Management information system. Pearson Education India. McMillen, G.C., Crake, D.A., Akana, T.P., Barton, L., Schuetz, C.A., Lloyd, G. and Crozier, E., Barclays Bank Plc, 2017.Method and system for account management and electronic wallet access on a mobile device. 9,607,293. Moro, S., Cortez, P. and Rita, P., 2015. Business intelligence in banking: A literature analysis from 2002 to 2013 using text mining and latent Dirichlet allocation.Expert Systems with Applications,42(3), pp.1314-1324. Njoroge, S.W., Mbuguah, S.M. and Muketha, G.M., 2014. Determination of Information Systems service Quality Attributes in Banking Industry.International Journal of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering, 1 (2): 40-51. ISSN 2349,1582. Peppard, J. and Ward, J., 2016.The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Qureshi, I.A., Reuben, S.J., Whitty, M. and Raza, H., 2014. Impact of Information Technology on Management Efficiency: A Case Study of the Banking Sector of Pakistan.The International Journal of Business Management,2(9), p.49.

My Sunshine Essay Example For Students

My Sunshine Essay There are many instances in this journey we call life that darkness befalls the heart and soul of the journey man or woman. In those times, a light is needed so that you are able to see the path ahead. When that light comes in the form of a human being, you have a tendency to miss the light. Often after that person has left you , you feel a warmth that never existed before. The person who has affected my life in a significant way, is someone I consider closer than a sister. Her name, Tamara. Every time I needed her she would appear like an angel out of nowhere. In a time where values and attitudes have changed, and self esteem is something that either is there or not, in a fast paced world, this friend found time to care and to share. She taught me how to love myself for the silliest reasons. She told me countless times to look at life as being apart of me and not myself as being a part of life. She allowed me to be myself in a world crowded with artificiality. There is no one harder to please than yourself, that was what she told me, and I took it to heart. She was the one who taught me to seek the smaller things in life, and appreciate them, not over look them as if they had no value. That is what this wonderful person taught me. In a time where the weak are often to left to be crushed, and the strong look on, this giant took the other path, and she d ared to look on a dwarf, and call her sister. I have long since moved from the stage where I was not sure of how to take life at face value, however, she still teaches me, about myself and about life. Whenever I think about what life was, and what life is now, I somehow feel a warmth that Ive never felt before. My whole life has been transformed. I wake each morning and am thankful I have one more day to create a beautiful memory, and take on a new challenge. I never appreciated life as much as I could until Tamara entered my world, almost a broken one. She let me know exactly what she thought of me, the elegant , beautiful person I was, and that no one could ever take that away from me. To talk about failure was never, an option, it was non-existent. She pushed me to go further. So every time I feel discouraged, or not confident about the challenges that face me. I remember what Tamara taught me, Failure is not an option, its an excuse not to do well. Thank you Tamara for opening my eyes to see the impossible and call it possible.

Conflict Management Plan free essay sample

Each of the five management strategies has strengths and weaknesses that the management needs in order to settle a conflict. The accommodating strategy is low in assertiveness and high in cooperation. This strategy puts the others needs or interest before his or her own just to maintain a harmonious relationship. In certain conflicts this could be fine because it allows the other party to feel like they have won the conflict. The problem with the accommodating strategy is the outcome, is of low importance. The compromising strategy is moderate assertiveness and moderate cooperation. Using the compromising strategy there is no clear winner or loser. The compromising strategy is defined as â€Å"giving up more than you want†. This strategy is used as a temporary solution to the conflict not a permanent one, which could create a bigger problem later. The compromising strategy is good for when there are time constraints and the conflict needs to be resolved fast. We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict Management Plan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The collaborative strategy is high assertiveness and high cooperation. The collaborative strategy finds an integrative solution to the ideas presented to come up with a plan to achieve everyone’s goals. The strengths are simple; it is a â€Å"win-win† for all the parties involved. This allows everyone to merge his or her perspectives to come up with a permanent solution to the conflict. Ideally this is the best strategy to use because it gets everyone involved in the conflict solution and the conflict is resolved with a greater amount of satisfaction. The only weakness I can think of is when there are time constraints involved. It will take some time to gather everyone’s thoughts and implement a plan, so if there is urgency to solve the conflict before a short deadline you might run into some problems. Avoiding strategy is low assertiveness and low cooperation. This strategy is basically avoiding all conflicts. The only strength I can possibly think of is that if you are certain, you cannot win the conflict and you avoid it to live another day. The avoiding strategy is probably the least favorable because conflicts never get resolved. The competing strategy is high assertiveness and low cooperation. The competing strategy is when a person looks to satisfy his or her interests above all without any care of the other parties involved. This strategy is best used when quick action needs to take place or when an unpopular decision needs to be made to solve a conflict. The problem with this strategy is there are no inputs from other parties, which could leave them feeling upset, hurt, or resentful. To solve the conflict between David and James, I would use the collaborative strategy because it allows everyone involved sharing their perspective. So far no one has spoken to each other personally and everything is based off of here say, which resulted in the current conflict. To resolve this conflict I would set up a time mediate with James, David, and their supervisors in a face-to-face meeting to come up with possible solutions as a group. Everyone would be able to state his or her own perspective on what the actual problem is, so the group can collectively come up with a solution that will make everyone happy. This strategy will be used to create a harmonious work environment between the two. If collaborative strategy does not work, then my alternative to use would be the competing strategy. Which is used when quick action needs to be taken and when that unpopular decision needs to be made. If David and James were unable to come up with a possible solution collectively, I as a manager would need to make that decision for them. I would write down what each person has to say and make the final decision myself to quickly resolve the conflict. There could be some possible challenges like gender, how people feel about themselves, expectations, situation, position, and communication to name a few.

To what extent Tennyson is a romantic poet Essay Example For Students

To what extent Tennyson is a romantic poet? Essay Lord Alfred Tennyson, a consummate poetic artist, consolidated and refined the tradition bequeathed to him by his predecessors in the Romantic Movement (especially Wordsmith, Byron, Keats, Shelley). Beginning in the after math of Romantic Movement, Tennyson development as a poet is a romantic progression from introverted and inert states of mind towards emancipated consciousness. The growth of consciousness, and the relationship between the self and the world beyond, are fundamental concerns of romantic poetry and poetic theory. The aesthetic implications of this self-realization are seen in the characteristically hemolytic modes of Romantic poetry: In the sensuous Imagery, which embodies states of feeling rather than being purely descriptive, in the subjective use of mythological fable, and in the adoption of dramatic persona. Tennyson employs each of these self- expression. Most of the poems in 1830 volume are mood-paintings, and word pictures of highly sensitizes, delicately attuned, febrile sensibility. We will write a custom essay on To what extent Tennyson is a romantic poet? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The subject of Marina , the girl deserted by her lover to pine alone in ;the mooted grange, is taken from Shakespearean Measure for Measure, but Tennyson is not concerned with the love Tory It Is a poem In which the feeling therein developed given Importance to the action and situation, and not the action and situation to the feelings. The characteristically romantic fusion of feeling with perception makes the silent- decaying house and Its desolate landscape an embodiment of Marinas consciousness. The Romantic poet. Contrary to classic art, In which life Is glorified and made beautiful and holy and something that in itself possesses a supreme value over and above all other things regards life as false nature; he is chained down to life by a eave weight of hours; he Is tired with life and cries for restful death or is half in love with useful death. The mariners of The Loots Eaters contemplate over life as being crushed under heavy and weary toil: Death is the end of life;ah, why Should life all labor be? And thus bring weary with life full of toil and war with evil they urge: Give us long rest or death, dark death or dreadful ease, In this line we get a touch of Keats echo. Passion and fascination for the past is an integral part of Romanticism and a longing most distressingly characterizes the present is its emptiness. To me, Tennyson once wrote to Emily Seldom, the far-off world seems nearer than the present, for in the present is always something unreal and indistinct, but the other seems a good solid planet, rolling round its green hills and paradises to the harmony of more steadfast laws. Whereas the present seemed to Tennyson empty and unreal, the past that good solid planet was a world of plenitude of stability. Loosely Hall embodies the feelings concerning the past. As the scene of the personas reverie and focal point of his memories, Lockstep Hall becomes a veritable humbly of the past itself. The hall and its surroundings recall to the protagonist his youthful sublime: When the centuries behind me like a fruitful land reposed; When I clung to all the present for the promise that is closed; When I dept into the future far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world all the wonder that would be. Thus the youthful bliss, which the scene evokes is especially characterized by the seeming continuity of past, present and future; the condition of happiness implies the perfect integration of the three temporal realms into a single bright vision. In Memoriam stands as Tennyson most elaborate descant on the subject of loss and weaves together virtually all of the thoughts and feelings regarding the past and the passing of time, that pervade his work, especially that of pre-laureate period. .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .postImageUrl , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:hover , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:visited , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:active { border:0!important; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:active , .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6 .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufd762d102647f0750e058055c57b79f6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Peggy Carr's Flight of the Firstborn: Analysis EssayIn the elegy the loss of his friend becomes the one pure image of regret (C) embodying those various longings and deprivations, which constitute Tennyson passion for past. In Ulysses and Tinnitus Tennyson dramatists the contrast between what is now and what once was; between present and past. For Ulysses the past is glorious and he present hour of decaying; and for Tinnitus the past id youthful enjoyment and the present ageing predicament. A sense of dissatisfaction with the real world, often leading to a desire to escape from that world, constitutes the very essence of Romanticism. Again, Romanticism is to be found in the continuous search for avenues of escape from the world of facts. The poem The Loots Eaters is not only about Loots Island, it is a product of the Loots Land of Tennyson mythological imagination. The most notable feature of this land of the loots-eaters is its timelessness. It is a land/Len which it seemed always afternoon, A land where all things always seemed the same. Time stands still and change and transience are unknown; the Loots Land bears much testimony with the Nightingale. This static existence is carefully set in sharp contrast to the ceaseless motion of the sea the wandering fields of barren foam on which Odysseus and his men have been wearisomely Journeying. The sea then represents a temporal existence and also the harsh facts of the world that assail and overthrow the equilibriums of life, from which the loots fruits offer escape into dreadful ease. As a realm beyond the reach of time, the land of the loots eaters depicts an imaginative ideal. In his treatment of Nature, Tennyson is subjective only when he makes her the mirror of human moods and emotions. Both subjectivity and treatment of Nature are essence of Romantic movement. Detailed accuracy almost invariably characterizes Tennyson treatment of nature. As we find in Lockstep Hall- In the spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robins breast, In the spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest. The poets eyes have indeed been upon his object; he has looked steadily at things or himself; he records carefully what he has seen. The use of natural images to achieve a dream landscape is again characteristic. The details are often well observed- A land of streams! Some, like a downward smoke, Slow-dropping veils of thinnest lawn, did go; Three silent pinnacles of aged snow Stood sunset flushed.. -? Tennyson attitude to nature sometimes scientific The hills are shadows, and they flow From form to form, and nothing stands; Like clouds they shape themselves and go. Here the poet is not thinking about the ordinary appearance of nature. He is thinking about what science has told him of the evolution of the world. His interpretation of nature is thus illuminated and transformed by science. The hills here become mere fleeting shadows those everlasting hills, which from time immemorial have been for men, who Judge by appearances alone, the pillars of the universe and the very symbols of eternity. The landscapes in In Memoriam aim at mirroring the moment of his inner life. Nature red in tooth and claw could never be all in all to Tennyson. It gave him a world of phenomena, a series of pleasant pictures, but that was not enough. For spiritual satisfaction he had to saturate the landscape with human associations and human feelings. And this he did with wonderful effect. He linked together, as it were, the land and the people who lived on it. Though Tennyson does not share some traits of the Romantics in his poetry like the negative capability of Keats or seeing Nature as a living being influencing human soul or teaching man moral lessons, there are many qualities of the Romantic movement that we come across in Tennyson poetry. Had Tennyson been born a century earlier, he would have been a great Romantic.

Unforgettable Memory free essay sample

Talking about future, the modernization is always a hot issue for people all over the world. As a result, a lot of people have a comfortable life, no cares, no worrying, just be successful while others are conversely in an awful life. So what makes that differences is the past, the past could make people’s future better or vice versal. Then I would like to tell you a story that changed my life, which is unforgettable. When I was in grade fourth, being a class master in my school and passing the examination for students to take part in a special extra class made me very proud. My family was happy, too and they even offered me everything I wanted. My life seemed to be the best, nothing was important, no pressure and no worrying. But then, it’s worse and even worse than I had expected, that I got an eight mark for the first semester Math exam. We will write a custom essay sample on Unforgettable Memory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I realized that I couldn’t catch up with the special class anymore because I didn’t have the basic knowledge in Math subjects, due to the time which I had spent on playing and priding myself on some rubbish things. I was worried, even scared of going to school and facing my teacher, who had a lot of expectation in her class master. I didn’t even know how to fix my problem, math became the least subject I liked. When my mother discovered that fact, she was totally disappointed, but she didn’t fancy quarreling me, which made my soul hurt even more that she was sad. â€Å"If only she could punish me† – I thought. Then one day, I controlled myself and forced myself to be, again, a hard-working student. Despite my spirit at that time, I didn’t know how to study effectively that my marks weren’t acceptable for an excellent student. And I knew that, I just didn’t want to find anyone to help because of my arrogance. â€Å"No, I can do it† – I stupidly calmed myself. And of course I failed, I couldn’t force myself to study anymore. I gave up. And you guess what? That year I was still an excellent student resulted from a full mark Math examination, which was what I managed to get after having received my teacher’s help.

Movie analysis to amistad essays

Movie analysis to amistad essays Were these characters alive. Were these tortured souls real. Yes, the characters in this movie are alive. These people were so real that it hurt to watch. Their suffering, their pain, and the fight to be free. These characters were alive in 1839 and are still alive today. We still hear of their tortured souls and lives. We hear of their struggle to be free and to be able to run through the wild once again. The president was real, the lawyer was real and all of those who were with and against them were real. Many sources confirm their existence so, we cant deny their existence in history. Cinque was the main character in this movie. And yes he was portrayed accurately. They showed his story ,his strength, and his weakness. They showed his will to succeed in his struggle to be free. His will to be free allowed him to learn freedom and what racism was. Cinque fought for his freedom and the freedom of his people in every way possible. Cinque was a man that was very strong. strong like a lion, like it is said in the movie. We can tell that cinque was portrayed accurately by history sources. The wars and conflicts in this movie were accurate. Many conflicts occurred in this movie . And these conflicts were occurred accurately. For example, the fight to free the slaves that were on La Amistad. Also another conflict is presidents John Quincy Adams struggle to do what is right toward the slaves. Another conflict that was accurate was the conflict between Spain and the united states. The conflict was about the slaves of La Amistad and how they should have been given to Spain, because they were on a Spanish ship. We know that these events are true because our history books tell us. Amistad was a strong film because of its dramatic plot and heroic characters. The characters were fighting for their freedom which they believed strongly in. Cinque did not subside to his betraying people and stood by his beliefs against all odds. Another ...

Dantes Divine Comedy and Chaucers Canterbury Tales

Dantes Divine Comedy and Chaucers Canterbury Tales English literature is one of the most fascinating and interesting types of literature in the whole world. Lots of foreign masterpieces are translated into English in order to provide people with opportunities to enjoy these works in the international language. This is why world literature, including African, Asian, European, and American works, is usually presented in English. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Authors from different times and cultures add something new and unforgettable to the literature world and deserve to be analyzed during the literature classes. Dante Alighieri is considered to be one of the most famous Florentine poets. His Divine Comedy, created in 1308, impresses plenty of readers even now. Numerous writers used his style of writing after his death, and one of such followers was Geoffrey Chauce r, an English poet, famous by The Canterbury Tales. Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales have lots in common: the authors preferred to write about their journeys and describe people they met there, liked to put themselves into their works as integral parts of the plot’s development, and chose one and the same vernacular writing style for most of their works. Dante Alighieri and Geoffrey Chaucer are probably the two most famous and greatest writers of the European Middle Ages. â€Å"Both Dante and Chaucer were active in affairs of their times.† (Hetherington 179) Because of their occupations and abilities to travel and meet new people, they had wonderful opportunities to use their life experiences in their works. For example, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales tell about a group of people, which try to find something to do during their travelling. â€Å"I had so talked with each of that presently/ I was a member of their company/ And promi sed to rise early the next day/ To start, as I shall show, upon our way.† (Lawall 1702) Dante’s Divine Comedy is about another kind of travelling, the travel to Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The major idea of both these stories is that people may change their preferences and styles of life during their travelling. New people, new places, and new emotions – this is what so important for humans in order to change their lives. It does not matter whether these lives are improved or completely destroyed. Here, the major point is the factor of change, and this is the only thing that matters something. Someone may say that writing styles of Dante and Chaucer are quite different. Well, of course, every author presents his/her own vision of details. Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, no one will argue that vernacular style is the thing that is inherent to both of them. With the help of such language, Dante and Chaucer made their works more comprehensible to the public and reflected their ideas in everyday traditional speech. They both were connected to the economic sphere of life of their countries. This is why money and language may be considered as the major analogues in their works. â€Å"The crowds, the countless, different mutilations/ had stunned my eyes and left them so confused/ they wanted to keep looking and to weep.† (Dante and Musa 335) Another point in these both stories is authors’ involvement into the development of the events in the story. Dante did not afraid to present himself as one of the characters in The Divine Comedy. The character of Dante speaks to several characters, who present him their own stories. He analyzes, evaluates, and makes necessary conclusions. He is not stupid and has a lot in mind that will help to change this world. â€Å"I saw it, I’m sure, and I seem to s ee it still/ a body with no head that moved along/ moving no differently from all the rest.† (Dante and Musa 329) Chaucer, in his turn, is a kind of guide to the world of his stories. He introduces each character and describes him/her from his own perspective: â€Å"I told him his opinion made me glad/ Why should he study always and go mad/ mewed in his cell with only a book for neighbor?† (Chaucer and Morrison 58) However, the reader still feels the participation of the authors in both these stories. Such author’s involvement make an writer a bit closer to the reader, so that the reader can comprehend what actually Dante or Chaucer wanted to say. There are â€Å"no one doubts that Chaucer read Dante’s Commedia.† (Taylor 1) It does not mean that Chaucer had no ideas to create something his own. The major idea is his vision of the story, his desire to be a bit closer to his teacher, Dante. Not every writer is able to create something like The Divine Comedy, and Chaucer made a magnificent attempt and created a wonderful story, in Dante’s style with variety of personal ideas and standpoints. Writing about personal travels, using the vernacular writing style and personal participation in the events of the story – this is what unites Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and makes both of them really great masterpieces in the literature of the Middle Ages.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Chaucer, Geoffrey and Morrison, Theodore. The Portable Chaucer: Revised Edition. New York: Penguin, 1977. Dante, Alighieri and Musa, Mark. The Divine Comedy: Inferno. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. Hetherington, Norriss, S. Cosmology: Historical, Literary, Philosophical, Religious, and Scientific Perspectives. Taylor Francis, 1993. Law all, Sarah. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. New York: Norton, 2006. Taylor, Karla. Chaucer Reads â€Å"The Divine Comedy.† Stanford University Press, 1989.

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V Chemistry abbreviations and acronyms are common in all fields of science. This collection offers common abbreviations and acronyms beginning with the letters U and V used in chemistry and chemical engineering. Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With U U - Internal EnergyU - UndetectableU - UraniumUAFM - Uranyl Acetate Fluorescence MethodUCK - Universal Chemical KeyUHF - Ultra High FrequencyUG - Undisturbed Gas UHC - Unburned HydroCarbonsUHMW - Ultra High Molecular WeightUHP - Ultra High PressureUHP - Ultra High PurityUHT - Ultra High TemperatureUHV - Ultra High VacuumULG - Universal Liquid GasULO - Ultra Low OxygenULOQ - Upper Limit Of QuantitationULS - Ultra Low SulfurULT - Ultra Low TemperatureUNK - UNKnownUPW - Ultra Pure WaterUQY - Ultimate Quality and YieldUUD - UnUnDuium (Element 112, now Cn)UUH - UnUnHexium (Element 116)UUP - UnUnPentium (Element 115)UUQ - UnUnQuadium (Element 114)UUS - UnUnSeptium (Element 117)UUO - UnUnOctium (Element 118)UUU - UnUnUnium (Element 111, now Rg)UV - UltraVioletUVA - UltraViolet band AUV-A - UltravViolet band AUVB - UltraViolet band BUV-B - UltraViolet band BUVF - UtraViolet FilterUVL - UltraViolet LampUVR - UltraViolet ReactiveUXS - Glucuronic Acid DeCarboxylaseUYQ - Uranium Yield Quantity Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With V V - VacuumV - VanadiumV - VoltVA - Volume AnalyzerVA - Nitrogen groupVAC - VacuumVAC - Vacuum Assisted ClosureVB - Vacuum BreakVB - Valence BandVBJ - Vacuum Bell JarVBT - Valence Bond TheoryVC - Viscous CoupledVC - Vapor CloudVCE - Vapor Cloud ExplosionVC - Vinyl ChlorideVCM - Vinyl Chloride MonomerVd - Volume distributionVDB - VanDyke Brown testVDF - Van der Waals forceVDW - Van der Waals radiusVEQ - EQuilibrium VolumeVEQ - EQuivalence point VolumeVFn - Vertical Face number (n is a number)VH - Vapor HazardVHH - Volatile Halogenated HydrocarbonVHI - Vapor Hazard IndexVHN - Vickers Hardness NumberVHP - Vaporized Hydrogen PeroxideVHP - Very High PressureVHT - Very High TemperatureVHY - Very High YieldVI - Viscosity IndexVLD - Vacuum Leak DetectorVLE - Vapor Liquid EquilibriumVMD - Visual Molecular DynamicsVO - Vacuum OvenVOA - Volatile Organic AnalysisVOC - Volatile Organic CompoundVOL - VolumeVP - Vapor PointVP - Vapor PressureVPE - Virtual Potential EnergyVR - Very RapidVS - Very Sat uratedVS - Volatile SolidVSC - Volatile Sulfur CompoundVSS - Volatile Suspended SolidVTC - Variable Temperature CutoffVTP - Volume, Temperature, PressureVU - Volume UnitsVV - Vacuum VesselVV - Valence-ValenceVW - Varies Widely

Relative or friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relative or friend - Essay Example I have one brother and two sisters in my family. Both of my parents belong to working class. My father is a lawyer and my mother is a doctor. I am the eldest among my siblings. In my very early years of life, when I was the only child of my parents, I was given a lot of attention. My parents focused their complete attention on me which made me feel special. I remember my cousin would tell me whenever we met that his brother fought with him over petty matters, and did not share his toys with him. That made me feel sorry for him, yet I was happy that I had no one to share my toys with. I agree that I sound quite selfish but that was a matter of the past when I was only four years of age. I think quite differently about my siblings now, as I am grown up! When I was four years old, one fine morning my mom and dad brought a baby with them and told me that he was my brother. I was surprised at this shocking yet exciting discovery. It was a moment of both pleasure and displeasure for me. I had mixed feelings towards my younger brother, Jonny. I envied him as my mother took him into her lap and my father sang him nursery rhymes. I watched him grow up. As more time passed, I realized Jonny had made a big impact upon my personal relationship with mom and dad. With Jonny to take care of, mom and dad would not give me half as much time as they used to give me when I was their only child. I should not say they intentionally did it. May be it is just as difficult for all parents to balance their attention between all of their children. May be parents just do as they feel is required. Perhaps mom and dad thought I was sufficiently grown up to take care of things and understand matters while Jonny required more attention. Anyway, I was disturbed by this change. It felt quite unpleasant. I was in the kindergarten and had started to go to school while Jonny would stay at home. Mom and dad did explain to me that he was younger, so he had to be at home and that I was old enough to go to school, but their explanation hardly ever convinced me. However, soon after I started to go to school, I found studies quite interesting. May be that was a means of escape from the tensions arising from my lost status at home or perhaps, studies were really quite interesting, but I loved my education anyway. Time passed away and I approached grade 4. It was also Jonny’s second year in school. He was not quite good in studies and mom and dad had had a tough time making him study. I remember in grade 4, I read a chapter in my course book that explained to me my responsibilities towards Jonny as an elder brother. It was a very thought provoking and eye opening chapter for me and I learnt some great lessons from that. Having read the chapter, I realized that I was not fulfilling even half of my duties as an elder brother. I had never helped Jonny in his studies. Somehow, in my subconscious, I knew that if I took slight interest in teaching Jonny, he would come on the right track. That day, I decided I would change my attitude towards Jonny. I decided to fulfill my duties as an elder brother. I can not exactly tell whether it was a way to get back mom and dad’s attention that I was so longing for, but I became a loving and responsible elder brother. I helped Jonny learn nursery rhymes. I taught him how to write alphabets, how to pronounce them, how to link alphabets so

Talent from Business Point of View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Talent from Business Point of View - Essay Example Talent from Business Point of View Global business environment has become highly competitive. Several leading organizations believe that talented and skilled employees are the major business growth drivers. Leading organizations are trying to employ talented employees in order to attain expected business outcome. Moreover the organizations are trying to retain effective and skilled employees to secure market share. Several manufacturing firms try to hire talented and skilled production manager to enhance their production facility. In terms of technology industry or FMCG industry, the organizations try to make effective relationship with talented supply chain leaders to enhance their logistics and supply chain activities. It is quite true that skilled and talented supply chain leaders can help an organization to meet the market demand. On the other hand, talented employees can take their job responsibilities quite significantly comparing to the normal skilled and talented employees. Effective talented workforce can bri ng significant pace in the business operation of an organization. In addition, recruitment and selection of talented employees can ease the training and development process. This aspect can reduce the business operation cost and time. It can be stated that talented and skilled workforce can help an organization to maximize revenue and profit. A talented individual has the special ability or power in several specific fields. A good and effective public speaker has the talent to motivate other individuals through his or her speech or speaking power. ... My talent is that I can judge an individual through my sheer judgment ability or observing power. I can judge several strangers or unknown individuals through their attitudes, personalities, way of talking and behavior. My talent makes me stronger to evaluate a person. It can help me in my personal and professional career. Talent is a significant ability or skill that can differentiate a person from other associated individuals. I have the desire and aim to enter in human resource development field. My talent will help me to support my job role and responsibility. My talent and skill will help to judge a person during the recruitment process. This process will help the organization to judge the effectiveness of the applicant. Moreover, it is quite true that my observing power can help my future organization to retain effective and skilled workforce. Talent Pipeline Talent pipeline is a significant and innovative recruitment solution in this modern competitive business environment. It helps to provide direct access to an enduring pipeline of well managed, quality assessed and pre screened talent in order to secure an organization’s talent bank. Once an organization decides its future hiring demand and needs, the organization has to develop future valuable pipeline model or channel to develop viable candidate pool. Important Element in Talent Pipeline There are five elements in a talent pipeline model. These are strategic about talent, developing channel, focusing on diversity, making connections and developing organization-wide effort. Being strategic about talent helps the leaders or the managers to undertake a strategic approach to hire effective employees. Developing channel will help to

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example er, as developed economies started to move towards perfect markets with stricter regulations like corporate governance and SOX, Investors started to pull out their capital towards countries which provide highest returns. The capital flight towards emerging markets and less developed countries is the part of the same phenomenon as capital is flowing towards those countries because with the passage of time, they not only have been able to develop their physical infrastructure and put in favorable environment in order to attract the foreign capital in the country. Less developed and emerging markets provide tax incentives, favorable terms to the foreign investors, and higher returns in terms of capital and money market instruments especially higher stock market returns. Probably the most important reason why capital is flowing from developed countries to less developed and emerging markets is the ease with which the investors can pull back their investments. Strict anti-money laundering laws have made it more inflexible for the genuine investors to move their capital at will within developed world therefore investors are now shifting their investments to less develop and emerging markets. Finally, the capital flight towards the less developed and emerging markets is taking place because governments of those countries are executing liberal monetary as well as fiscal policies raising the prospects of their country to be more lucrative and attractive to the foreign investors to bring in their capital and in due course improve upon their economies on more solid footings. â€Å"Emerging markets are countries that are restructuring their economies along market-oriented lines and offer a wealth of opportunities in trade, technology transfers, and foreign direct investment.† (Li, 2008) Whereas less developed economies are those economies which show lowest indictors on the various scales developed by many international bodies specially United Nations. Though they may be

RESPOND Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RESPOND - Article Example Online students should not be underprivileged in terms of social learning since they are not able to attend campus. Their access must not just be access to content; instead it should imply access to a rich learning environment that offers a chance for connectedness and interaction (Daniel Palacios-Marquà ©s, 2012). Additionally, numerous office workers are more familiar with different virtual communication tools accessible from instant messaging to e-mail to social networks. However, as training courses also move online, they incline to the loose majority of the cooperative constituents that has resulted in these new technologies to be operational in other fields. The biggest task as seen by the instructors is keeping members engaged. To make operational online participation, instructors should apply four approaches that address the proper use of technology to carry out online instructor-directed learning, participant engagement, enabling of fruitful brainstorming gatherings and team collaboration, and session design so as to achieve good results (Young, 2009). Furthermore, Asynchronous learning is a learner-centered teaching technique that applies online learning means to enable information distribution outside the constrictions of place and time amongst a network of individuals. It highlights the significance of peer-to-peer interactions. Resources of online learning that back up asynchronous learning comprise of blogs, wikis, email, online discussion boards, among others. Additionally, course management systems have been formed to back up interaction online, allowing students to organize discussions, reply to and post messages, among others (Jane E. Brindley,

Classroom Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classroom Comparison - Essay Example Also, there are many ways in which both classrooms are different. In American classrooms, individuality is encouraged and the students participate freely in the classroom. This is very different from the classroom from my childhood, where conformity was expected. Another difference is that there is not very much homework in American classrooms. The classroom from my childhood had lots of homework and every student was expected to complete it. I feel that I learn best in American classrooms because I can freely ask questions of the teacher. In the classroom from my childhood, if I did not understand something then there was no way of finding out about it. I would also say that the well-being of the student is first and foremost in American classrooms. I feel that school should be focused on the students because they need it for a future career. The classroom from my childhood included a lot of respect for the teacher and students were expected to be

Different Ways of Talking Essay Example for Free

Different Ways of Talking Essay What causes air pollution? What effects does air pollution have on the human body? Air pollution in the 21st century is becoming more and more serious in the world. This is especially an important problem to us of what effects does air pollution have on our healthy. This essay will explain what causes air pollution and outline the effects of air pollution on the human body. There are several factors that cause air pollution. The first factor is Ozone. As a report, Ozone forms as a product of solar energy and photochemical reactions of pollutants. It is easy that the highest concentrations of ozone in the atmosphere occur when sunlight is the highest temperature (Kleinman, 2000). In our daily life, vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapours are some of the most important sources of ozone (Air pollution, 2010). The second factor is Airborne Particles. It is from combustion sources, such as power plants and automobile (Kleinman, 2000). The mainly of airborne particle is from motor vehicles, wood burning heaters and industry (Air pollution, 2010). The third factor is Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is from fuel combustion in industrial processes, Vehicle exhaust contributes most carbon monoxide emissions in our city (Air pollution, 2010). It also has some natural sources, such as bush fires, carbon monoxide levels typically are highest during cold weather, because cold temperatures make the less fires and make that pollutants close to the ground(Air pollution, 2010).In brief, the reason of air pollution is from our daily life, it is Ozone, Airborne Particles, Carbon Monoxide and other natural sources. On the other side, there are two effects of air pollution on the human body. One effect is the respiratory system. Air pollution can make the lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis. According to a report: People who living in community with high particle may have suppressed lung growth, moved into a city more clear, lung growth returned to normal rate(Air pollution, 2010). People who breathe in much carbon monoxide can cause the carbon monoxide poisoning (Kleinman, 2000). Another one effect is the cardiovascular system. For example, heart  disease, such as chest pain for discomfort, partially blocked arteries (Air pollution,2010). As a report, Carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream through the lung and binds to haemoglobin, the substance in blood that carries oxygen to cells. So carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen reach the bodys organs and tissues (Air pollution, 2010). Air pollution also have other effects such as wheezing, coughing, chest pain, dry throat, headache and increased fatigue. To sum up, air pollution have effects on our respiratory system and cardiovascular system. To conclusion, there have three conditions cause air pollution, for example, Ozone, Airborne Particles and Carbon Monoxide. Air pollution can cause the respiratory system problems and cardiovascular system problems on human body, such as lung disease, carbon monoxide poisoning and heart disease. However, people should change their diet, keep the city more green. Everyone can be able to be affected by air pollution when pollutants have the higher concentrations. A serious problem is finding the way how to deal with Ozone, Airborne Particles and Carbon Monoxide. And control the hurt from air pollution. Reference Lists Air pollution, n.d., NSW Health, NSW Department of Health, Viewed 27th August 2010 http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/PublicHealth/environment/air/air pollution.asp Kleinman, T 2000, The health effects of air pollution on children, South Coast Air Quality Management District, viewed 27th August 2000 http://www.aqmd.gov/forstudents/health effects on children.htm#WhatCanBeDone Word count: 637

Changing Issues in Human Resource Management (HRM)

Changing Issues in Human Resource Management (HRM) Human Resource Management (HRM) is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goals of each are met. It is that part of the management process which is concerned with the management of human resources in an organization. It tries to secure the best from people by winning their wholehearted cooperation. In short, it may be defined as the art of procuring, developing and maintaining competent workforce to achieve the goals of an organization in an effective and efficient manner. Todays organizations are facing challenges upon following levels: Environmental Challenges Organizational Challenges Individual Challenges Environmental Challenges Most organizations face external contexts that are complex, dynamic and increasingly global. This makes the context increasingly difficult to interpret. To cope with often incomplete and ambiguous contextual data, and to increase their understanding of the general external context, organizations engage in a process called external environmental analysis. All managers, including HR managers, need to be aware of the importance of scanning the external context in a systematic way. A number of models exist that can help managers in analysing the external environment. Such models provide a framework to identify external opportunities and threats. Opportunities arise when an organization can take advantage of conditions in its external environment to formulate and implement strategies that enable it to improve performance. Threats arise when conditions in the external environment endanger the integrity of the organizations activities. As shown in Exhibit 1 an organizations external environment has two major parts: Macroenvironment Industry The macro environment is composed of social, economic, political and technological elements in the broader society that can influence an industry and the organizations within it. The industry environment is the set of factors that directly influences an organization and its actions and responses. Managers have to analyse competitive forces in an industrys environment in order to identify the opportunities and threats confronting an organization. Environmental challenges refer to forces external to the firm that are largely beyond managements control but influence organizational performance. The important environmental challenges today are: Globalization, Economy Work force diversity, Technology Evolving work and family roles, Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector Each of these are discussed in the subsequent section Globalization Globalization is not a recent phenomenon. Some analysts have argued that the world economy was just a globalized 100 years ago as it is today. Yet the term is used since the 1980s, reflecting technological advances that have made it easier and quicker to complete international transactions, both trade and financial flows. The most striking aspect of this has been the integration of financial markets made possible by modern electronic communication. integration of business activities across geographical and organizational boundaries. The capacity to treat the world as one market whileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦dealing with many culturally diverse merchants. the process by which markets expands to include competitors for customers and productive inputs without regard to national boundaries. doing business with a worldwide focusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ rather than doing business in an international market with the focus from a home-country viewpoint. Many companies are already being compelled to think globally, something that doesnt come easily to firms long accustomed to doing business in a large and expanding domestic market with minimal foreign competition. Weak response to international competition may be resulting in upwards layoffs in every year. Human resources can play a critical role in a businesss ability to compete head-to-head with foreign producers. The implications of a global economy on human resource management are many. Globalization has increased the importance of HRM in organization. It has led to the development of many new areas of HR activity such as; the transfer of work to different geographical locations, either to outsourced providers or on a global in-sourcing basis; the e-enablement of many HR process; greater sophistication in the HR information technology, new structures for international HR functions; greater competition for talented staff at all levels of organization. In particular, there has been a very strong marketing, corporate communication and IT influence on the HR function. The HR function is realigning itself in response to this process of cross-function globalization (building new alliances with these functions) creating new activity streams and new roles and skills required of the HR function (Sparrow, Brewster and Harris, 2004). Economy Several changes in the economy have important implications for human resource management, these include the changing structure of the economy, the development of e-business, and more growth in professional and service occupations. Growth in these occupations means that skill demands for jobs have changed, with knowledge becoming more valuable. Not only have skill demands changed, but remaining competitive in a global economy requires demanding work hours and changes in traditional employment patterns. The creation of new jobs, aging employees leaving the workforce, slow population growth, and a lack of employees who have the skills needed to perform the jobs in greatest demand means that demand for employees will exceed supply. This has created a war for talent that has increased the attention companies pay to attracting and retaining human resources. Technology The world has never before seen such rapid technological changes as are presently occurring in the computer and telecommunications industries. One estimate is that technological change is occurring so rapidly that individuals may have to change their entire skills three or four times in their career. The advances being made, affect every area of a business including human resource management. Workforce Diversity According to Thomas (1992), dimensions of workforce diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience. Many companies are now realizing the advantages of a diverse workplace. As more and more companies are going global in their market expansions either physically or virtually (for example, E-commerce-related companies), there is a necessity to employ diverse talents to understand the various niches of the market. For example, when China was opening up its markets and exporting their products globally in the late 1980s, the Chinese companies (such as Chinas electronic giants such as Haier) were seeking the marketing expertise of Singaporeans. This is because Singapores marketing talents were able to understand the local China markets relatively well (almost 75% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent) and as well as being attuned to the markets in the West due to Singapores open economic policies and English language abilities. (Toh, R, 1993) With this trend in place, a HR Manager must be able to organize the pool of diverse talents strategically for the organization. He/She must consider how a diverse workforce can enable the company to attain new markets and other organizational goals in order to harness the full potential of workplace diversity. Evolving Work and Family Roles The proportion of dual-career families, in which both wife and husband (or both members of a couple) work, is increasing every year. Unfortunately, women face the double burden of working at home and on the job, devoting 42 hours per week on average to the office and an additional 30 hours at home to children. This compares to 43 hours spent working in the office and only 12 hours at home for men. More and more companies are introducing family-friendly programs that give them a competitive advantage in the labor market. These programs are HR policies that companies use to hire and retain the best-qualified employees, male or female, and they are very likely to payoff. For instance, among the well known organizations / firms, half of all recruits are women, but only 5% of senior management are women. Major talent is being wasted as many women drop out after lengthy training because they have decided that the demanding 10- to 12-year management track requires a total sacrifice of famil y life. These firms have started to change their policies and are already seeing gains as a result. Different companies have recently begun offering child-care services as well to facilitate women workers as well as are introducing alternative scheduling to allow employees some flexibility in their work hours. Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector Expansion of service-sector employment is linked to a number of factors, including changes in consumer tastes and preferences, legal and regulatory changes, advances in science and technology that have eliminated many manufacturing jobs, and changes in the way businesses are organized and managed. Service, technical, and managerial positions that require college degrees will make up half of all manufacturing and service jobs. Unfortunately, most available workers will be too unskilled to fill those jobs. Even now, many companies complain that the supply of skilled labor is dwindling and that they must provide their employees with basic training to make up for the shortcomings of the public education system. To rectify these shortcomings, companies currently spend large amount year on a wide variety of training programs. ii. Organizational Challenges Organizational challenges refer to concerns that are internal to the firm. However, they are often a byproduct of environmental forces because no firm operates in a vacuum. Still, managers can usually exert much more control over organizational challenges than over environmental challenges. Effective managers spot organizational issues and deal with them before they become major problems. Only managers who are well informed about important HR issues and organizational challenges can do this. These challenges include the need for a competitive position and flexibility, the problems of downsizing and organizational restructuring, the use of self-managed work teams, the need to create a strong organizational culture, the role of technology, and the rise of outsourcing. An organization will outperform its competitors if it effectively utilizes its work forces unique combination of skills and abilities to exploit environmental opportunities and neutralize threats. HR policies can influence an organizations competitive position by a) Controlling costs, b) Improving quality, c) Creating distinctive capabilities and d) Restructuring a) Controlling costs One way for a firm to gain a competitive advantage is to maintain low costs and a strong cash flow. A compensation system that uses innovative reward strategies to control labor costs can help the organization grow. A well-designed compensation system rewards employees for behaviors that benefit the company. Other factors besides compensation policies can enhance a firms competitiveness by keeping labor costs under control. These include: better employee selection so that workers are more likely to stay with the company and to perform better while they are there, training employees to make them more efficient and productive; attaining harmonious labor relations; effectively managing health and safety issues in the workplace and structuring work to reduce the time and resources needed to design, produce, and deliver products or services b) Improving quality. The second way to gain a competitive advantage is to engage in continuous quality improvement. Many companies are implementing total quality management (TQM) initiatives, which are programs designed to improve the quality of all the processes that lead to a final product or service. In a TQM program, every aspect of the organization is oriented toward providing a quality product or service. c) Creating Distinctive Capabilities The third way to gain a competitive advantage is to utilize people with distinctive capabilities to create unsurpassed competence in a particular area (for example, 3Ms competence in adhesives, and Xeroxs dominance of the photocopier market). d) Restructuring A number of firms are changing the way the functions are performed. The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic transformation in how firms are structured. Tall organizations that had many management levels are becoming flatter as companies reduce the number of people between the chief executive officer (CEO) and the lowest-ranking production employee in an effort to become more competitive. This transformation has had enormous implications for the effective utilization of human resources. Since the late 1980s, many companies have instituted massive layoffs of middle managers, whose traditional role of planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling has come to be equated with the kind of cumbersome bureaucracy that prevents businesses from responding to market forces. It is estimated that two thirds of the jobs eliminated in the 1990s were supervisory/middle management jobs. New relationships among firms are also fostering hybrid organizational structures and the blending of firms with diverse histories and labor forces. Mergers and acquisitions, in which formerly independent organizations come together as a single entity, represent two important sources of restructuring. A newer and rapidly growing form of inter organizational bonding comes in the form of joint ventures, alliances, and collaborations among firms that remain independent, yet work together on specific products to spread costs and risks. To be successful, organizational restructuring requires effective management of human resources. For instance, flattening the organization requires careful examination of staffing demands, workflows, communication channels, training needs, and so on. Likewise, mergers and other forms of inter organizational relations require the successful blending of dissimilar organizational structures, management practices, technical expertise, and so forth iii. Individual Challenges Human resource issues at the individual level address the decisions most pertinent to specific employees. These individual challenges almost always reflect what is happening in the larger organization. For instance, technology affects individual productivity; it also has ethical ramifications in terms of how information is used to make HR decisions (for example, use of credit or medical history data to decide whom to hire). How the company treats its individual employees is also likely to affect the organizational challenges we discussed earlier. For example, if many key employees leave the firm to join competitors, the organizations competitive position is likely to be affected. In other words, there is a two-way relationship between organizational and individual challenges. This is unlike the relationship between environmental and organizational challenges, in which the relationship goes only one way few organizations can have much impact on the environment. The most important indi vidual challenges today involve, productivity, empowerment, brain drain, job security and matching people and organizations. Productivity Productivity is a measure of how much value individual employees add to the goods or services that the organization produces. The greater the output per individual, the higher the organizations productivity. Two important factors that affect individual productivity are ability and motivation. Employee ability, competence in performing a job, can be improved through a hiring and placement process that selects the best individuals for the job. It can also be improved through training and career development programs designed to sharpen employees skills and prepare them for additional responsibilities. Motivation refers to a persons desire to do the best possible job or to exert the maximum effort to perform assigned tasks. Motivation energizes, directs, and sustains human behavior. A growing number of companies recognize that employees are more likely to choose a firm and stay there if they believe that it offers a high quality of work life (QWL). Empowerment In recent years many firms have reduced employee dependence on superiors and placed more emphasis on individual control over (and responsibility for) the work that needs to be done. This process has been labeled empowerment because it transfers direction from an external source (normally the immediate supervisor) to an internal source (the individuals own desire to do well). In essence, the process of empowerment entails providing workers with the skills and authority to make decisions that would traditionally be made by managers. The goal of empowerment is an organization consisting of enthusiastic, committed people who perform their work ably because they believe in it and enjoys doing it (internal control). This situation is in stark contrast to an organization that gets people to work as an act of compliance to avoid punishment (for example, being fired) or to qualify for a paycheck (external control). Work Time Flextime the practice of permitting employees to choose, with certain limitations, their own working hours. Compressed Workweek-any arrangement of work hours that permits employees to fulfill their work obligation in fewer days than the typical five-day workweek. This approach adds many highly qualified individuals to the labor market by permitting both employment and family needs to be addressed. Workplace flexibility is expected to be on the rise as the future workplace, the virtual office is characterized by creative and flexible work arrangements. As more employees work off-site-up to two thirds of an organization in the 21st century there will be an increase in emphasis on performance and results as opposed to the number of hours worked. In addition, off-site employees can expect to attend fewer meetings. Specified work will become much more collaborative and management will spend nearly all its time managing cross-functional work teams who enjoy a lot of autonomy Quality of Work Life (QWL) High quality of work life is related to job satisfaction, which in turn is a strong predictor of absenteeism and turnover. A firms investments in improving the quality of work life also payoff in the form of better customer service. High employment rate, low inflation and Steady economic growth provide opportunity and rising living standards. Technological advance has enabled the worlds population to grow with improved living standards for most. Brain Drain With organizational success more and more dependent on knowledge held by specific employees, companies are becoming more susceptible to brain drain-the loss of intellectual property that results when competitors lure away key employees. High-Tec firms are particularly vulnerable to this problem. Such important industries as semiconductors and electronics suffer from high employee turnover as key employees, inspired by the potential for huge profits, leave established firms to start their own businesses. This brain drain can negatively affect innovation and cause major delays in the introduction of new products. To make matters worse, departing employees, particularly those in upper management, can wreak considerable havoc by taking other talent with them when they leave. To combat the problem of defection to competitors, some firms are crafting elaborate ant defection devices. For example, Compaq computer has introduced a policy that revokes bonuses and other benefits to key executiv es if they take other employees with them when they quit. Micron Technology staggers key employees bonuses; they lose un-awarded portions when they leave. Matching People and Organizations HR strategies contribute to firm performance most when the firm uses these strategies to attract and retain the type of employee who best fits the firms culture and overall business objectives. For example, one study showed that the competencies and personality characteristics of top executives could hamper or improve firm performance, depending on what the firms business strategies are. Fast-growth firms perform better with managers who have a strong marketing and sales background, who are willing to take risks, and who have a high tolerance for ambiguity. However, these managerial traits actually reduce the performance of mature firms that have an established product and are more interested in maintaining (rather than expanding) their market share. Other research has shown that small high-tech firms benefit by hiring employees who are willing to work in an atmosphere of high uncertainty, low pay, and rapid change in exchange for greater intrinsic satisfaction and the financial oppo rtunities associated with a risky but potentially very lucrative product launch CHALLENGES FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS Issues facing HR are expected to change dramatically in the next decades. HR programs and the HR function have increased pressure to relate to the business strategy and show a return on investment. Customer focus needs to be included in all HRM practices. New technology combined with economic uncertainty will mean that administrative and transactional HR activities will be delivered via technology creating less need for HR professionals to provide these activities. Thus, HR professionals must play special roles in dealing with these changes and must develop specific competencies to support these roles. Employee Engagement Products and process alone cant help organizations to sustain loyal customers. They also need highly-motivated, dedicated and involved employees who are very passionate about their work and their organization; in short, they need engaged employees. But, nurturing engaged employees requires a lot of effort and skill on the part of HR managers and calls for a different HR philosophy in the organization. We need employee engagement to serve as a core competency of an organization that would provide sustainable competitive advantage. We know employee engagement towards their work, throw few test symptoms, i.e., feeling of creating value, having a direction to follow, an air of trust, creating engaged employees through top management endorsement, a work environment to cherish, innovative leadership and clear growth trajectories, one step up from commitment. Employee engagement is the new buzzword. A successful business is directly linked to the commitment of its employees. Employee engagement ensures the successful execution of any business strategy. Talent Management One of HRs most challenging jobs now involves managing talent. Much has changed in recent years to make this an increasingly critical area for HR. Among the issues that have made the talent management job more difficult are: frequent restructuring, a growing reliance on outside hiring, flatter organizations with fewer growth options, a tighter job market (at least in the long term), the aging workforce and the decline of clear career paths, as we mentioned above that it create a big challenge before the HR. In order to retain its most valuable stakeholders, an organization must find innovative ways to continually recruit its own employees. Retaining top quality talent is an enormous challenge facing corporations today and it is duty of HR to cope with it. In order to build effective retention and deployment strategies, companies must maintain visibility into and communication with their employees. An organizations capacity to hire, develop and retain talent is the most crucial business process as there is a definite correlation between intangible assets and market capitalization, according to the protagonists of talent management. It is due to these intrinsic intangible values that some companies are perceived as more valuable than others. Managing Virtual Human Resources Change in technology results in a change in the structure, design and environment of an organization Organizations today operate in a workspace, which is much more broadly defined, than it was earlier. Connectivity within and outside the organizations, creates a world of virtual organizations. A virtual company is usually a highly networked organization that extensively contracts out activities that were once performed in-house, allowing both speed and flexibility. The key to success in a virtual corporation is connectivity, i.e., the ability to network with a large number of independent companies. In essence, there will be a movement, a trend towards a decentralized model of HR. HR managers will have to accommodate employees in their virtual work locations and find ways to manage corporate culture, socialization and employee orientation. In order to obtain and maintain a competent workforce, they must act as organizational performance experts and shape employees behavior without face to face meetings. HR Issues and Cross Cultural Management Another expected change in HR is the Global Business concept world trade knew a major growth during the last years and there is forecasted as well the growth of international businesses, especially among small firms. Organization rely more and more organization HR specialists as the facilitators of work across borders and among different cultures. Therefore, they must be knowledgeable of other cultures, languages and business practices. They will be required to develop and manage an international workforce, maintain written and unwritten corporate polices for transportability to other cultures, keep top management informed of the costs of not paying attention to the transnational issues and provide their services to a variety of locations world wide. Organization must take into account cultural differences that shape managerial attitudes, when developing multinational management programs. For e.g., British managers value individual achievement and autonomy, whereas French managers appreciate competent supervision, fringe benefits, security and comfortable conditions, while Indian managers gives more importance of their culture and tradition. HR managers must therefore be familiar with and understand other cultural norms to promote organization diversity. An organization that recognizes and promotes cultural diversity will benefit because it will be employing the market that it serves. With increasing globalization and competition within the market, a diverse workforce is conducive to attracting and retaining a strong client base. While competing in an international market, employees from diverse national backgrounds provide language skills and understanding of other cultures. HR professionals will also be responsible for providing cultural sensitivity training for the organizations employees and for managers throughout the entire organization. (Czebter, Anamaria, 2002) Managing Issues of Work Life Balance in Organisations The challenge of work/life balance is rising to the top of many employers and employees consciousness. In a society filled with conflicting responsibilities and commitments, work/life balance has become a predominant issue in the workplace. Research by Parasuraman and Greenhaus (2002) documented that segments of the workforce may be subject to unique work/family pressures, yet often have few sources of support. The under-representation of these groups of individuals with potentially difficult types of work/family pressures represents a major gap in work/family research and employers understanding of their needs. Typically, studies have focused on employed men and women who are married or living with a partner or those with children. Omitted from research are single-earner mothers and fathers, single and childless employees with extensive responsibility for eldercare, blended families with children from both partners prior marriages, families with shared custody of children, and grand parents raising their grandchildren. In their highly acclaimed book, Work and FamilyAllies or Enemies, Friedman and Greenhaus (2000), two leaders in work/life balance, help us understand choices we make as employers and individuals regarding work and family. To handle work/life balance, Friedman and Greenhaus emphasize that working adults learn to build networks of support at home, at work, and in the community. Conflict between work and family has real consequences and significantly affects quality of family life and career attainment of both men and women. With the growing diversity of family structures represented in the workforce in the new millennium, it is important that human resource professionals better understand the interface of work and family relationships and the resulting impact in the workplace. Human Resource professionals seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage in the marketplace may find that work/life balance challenges offer a win-win solution.