Wednesday, December 25, 2019

A Hero’s Breakdown Essay - 1117 Words

Ideas abound of what true heroism is in this day and age. To some, a true hero may be the person that led their favorite sports team to a championship. To others, true heroes are the doctors that helped a loved one get better from a serious illness. Some even see the person that gives them inspiration on a day to day basis as a true hero. To many, however, a true hero is so much more than that. To many, a true hero is the one that goes the extra mile t follow a strict moral code, both at home and in the public eye. A true hero is the one who will stand up for what he or she believes and what is right, no matter what the consequences may be. A true hero gives hope for humanity to the masses. Atticus Finch, from Harper Lee’s To Kill A†¦show more content†¦The values that his children learn from him help them to become good and upstanding citizens of Maycomb, while giving them a better understanding of the world and why things happen the way that they do. If no one elseà ¢â‚¬â„¢s, he is definitely Scout and Jem’s hero (Santos 210). Atticus has a strong understanding of the nature of humans, and that sets him apart from all the rest of Maycomb. He knows that what he is doing for Tom Robinson is not going to be well received by his community, and he knows why they are so against him (Powell). The people of Maycomb are scared of a coming change, and he understands where they are coming from. His refusal to give up and keep pushing, even though it somewhat hurts his reputation, is a hard feat to overcome. Even though he loses his case, his standing up for what is right despite the amount of hate he received is a very important thing (Atticus). For the African-American population, times were especially hard. They knew that there was no hope for Tom, but Atticus gave hope to them for a whole new reason. They were given hope for a past due change in the behavior of their society. When the Caucasian population learned that a white man was going to be defending a black man in court to his fullest abilities they thought was a terrible thing. It just was not thought of, and when it finally was thought of it planted a seed in their minds. The seed that was put into the people of Maycomb’sShow MoreRelatedHercules : The Archetypes Of A Heros Journey1388 Words   |  6 Pagesjourney, be it spiritual, mental, or physical. The breakdown of this journey was first introduced and analyzed by Joseph Campbell. The concept of the hero’s journey is used to describe the adventures of someone who accomplishes great tasks within the plot of the story (Hero’s Journey). Raja Vikram is the hero within the traditional Indian fo lktale Raja Vikram and the Princess of China, and his story could be considered a hero’s journey. A majority of hero’s journeys follow a specific archetype, but someRead MoreThe Character of Don John in William Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing827 Words   |  4 Pagesreally be there or feels like an outcast. The next time we meet Don John in the play in is Act I scene III. We learn that he has two associates, Conrade and Borachio. Borachio is the servant of Don John and the lover of Margaret who is Heros serving women. In this part, we discover that Don John is very independent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans Jests, eat when I have stomach, and wait for no mans Read MoreHonor and Sprezzatura in Much Ado about Nothing1310 Words   |  5 Pagesprevents him from doing as such. Violent emotions of anger, resentment, and jealousy are frequently agitated in Claudio due to his limited foresight and devastating impatience. The same emotions often lead him to passionate and abrupt emotional breakdowns far distant from the effortless and flawless emotional transitions of the true courtier. The reader first comes to observe this when Claudio is starkly disappointed at the sight of Don Pedro wooing Hero. Even though the Prince has told Claudio heRead MoreThe True Tragic Hero: The Crucible’s John Proctor Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesThe true tragic hero: The Crucible’s John Proctor A tragic hero is a noble man who commits a fatal flaw. The hero’s downfall is a result of their choices which leads to a punishment that exceeds the crime. â€Å"The difference between Proctor and Willy Loman is enormous; the former is the rather typical tragic hero who is defiant to the end, the latter is trapped in submission and is living a lie† (McGill 4). John Proctor is one of the main characters in The Crucible. he is married to Elizabeth ProctorRead MoreEssay about The Problems of Gangsta Rap620 Words   |  3 Pagesthis fact does not comfort someone when listening to Snoop Doggy Dog or Ice Cube talk of sex, violence, beatings, and suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood, the countrys Mecca for TV and movies, is another contaminated disaster area. This area has given us heros such as Clint Eastwood, Humphrey Bogart, and Bruce Willis. Once filmmakers would evoke sexual interests through eye contact or a touch of the leg. Today cinematographers resort to graphic sexual acts and horrific beatings. A poll by Newsweek stated Read MoreThe Hamartia of Blindness in Death of a Salesman and Oedipus Rex1048 Words   |  4 Pagestheir experiences with other characters. The inability to confront reality is an ongoing theme throughout both plays, this is revealed through the actions of Oedipus and Willy by way of their tragic flaw and it is what leads to their eventual breakdown. At Willy’s funeral it is shown that Willy was not as ‘well liked’ as he said he was when Linda says: â€Å"Why didn’t anybody come?... But where were all the people he knew? Maybe they blame him.† Willy was never true to himself, he believed that heRead MoreThe Snows Of Kilimanjaro Analysis1234 Words   |  5 Pageswriting and he in comfort only frustrates his inner zeal and causes him to die in his incompetence, dullness as well as the death of the spirit. Therefore, from this context, we can see that the story is basically concerned with the establishment of the hero’s identity. Williams’ decomposition of the story helps to bring out the theme of love in a much clearer way hence enhancing the understanding of the book. According to Williams (pp.89), â€Å"The short story, â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro,† exposes the faà §adeRead More Comparing Irony of War in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on the Western Front1165 Words   |  5 Pagestreat the theme from a British point of view, Remarque allows us to look at it from the enemys. The poem Dulce et Decorum Est, an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen who was an English footsoldier, states that it is not sweet and fitting to die a heros death for a country. Right off in the first line, Owen describes the troops as being like old beggars under sacks (1). This metaphor indicates that the men are battle weary and suggests reluctance. They also have been on their feet for days andRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay1347 Words   |  6 Pagesfunctioning until something happened, it is straightforward but evokes curiosity. Also, Achebe’s hero, Okonkwo, profiles well for the tragic hero in most Greek tragedies. The mystery behind the title of the book is the hero’s character â€Å"flaw† hubris that leads to his downfall, and a breakdown in central leadership (Bloom 9). Okonkwo’s inability to adapt to a new culture resonates with his personal rigidity which was there before the British colonialists arrived. Thus the reader realizes th at this flawRead MoreOrdinary Objects Become Meaningful: Lacoste Challenge Perfume Advertisement1520 Words   |  7 Pagesmovie he acted in called â€Å"Jumper,† where he portrayed this average guy, who was born with the powers of teleportation. His celebrity status makes him appealing to women, because the characters that he plays in movies are usually the handsome, strong hero’s of the movie. Using him to advertise this perfume would send the message to men that when you use Lacoste perfume you can also be considered handsomely heroic and appeal to their real life heroines. The image appeals to women because of the attraction

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Frederick Douglass A Learning Nation - 1631 Words

Frederick Douglass: A Learning Nation By definition the word abolition means,† The act of abolishing... the state of being abolished... the legal prohibition and ending of slavery, especially of slavery of blacks in the U.S.(Definition).† When Frederick Douglass wrote his personal narrative it had a profound effect on the abolitionist cause. People were astounded at how it opened their eyes to the horror of what slavery genuinely was. The book allowed people to recognize how slaves felt, and reminded them that they were intellectual beings who had thoughts and feelings. Many repeating themes throughout the novel changed the lives and beliefs of many northerners, especially regarding education, equality, and freedom for slaves and†¦show more content†¦Due to her disagreement she moved to Philadelphia to live with her sister(The Abolitionists). As a woman who was willing to speak her own mind, she was very revolutional. Not only did people listen to her though, they followed her, eventually she eve n formed her own women’s rally, and was married to her husband by a black priest. Northern support for abolition was one of the only opportunities that the slaves had for hope of emancipation. William Lloyd Garrison supported the abolitionist cause for thirty years before the Civil War broke out, when freedom was more of a possibility than a thought. Garrison, an avid supporter of abolition, embraced a mixed race view of American culture, and demanded immediate abolition of slavery(The Abolitionists). These views helped him gain many enemies that were more powerful than him. He was thrown in jail, after which he started his own newspaper that supported abolition. By 1830, he was back in Boston and rallying supporters. On January 1, 1831 Garrison published his first paper, within the first eight months his name became associated with a band of black slave rebels who killed a series of white families (The Abolitionists). Garrison met Douglass at a convention and Garrison encouraged him to tell his personal account of his experiences with slavery. Douglass’ ac count had a more profound effect on

Monday, December 9, 2019

Service Marketing & Relationship Marketing-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Service Marketing and Relationship Marketing. Answer: Starbucks Front Stage Service Process Systems Significance of the Front Stage Service Encounter The primary role of the front stage service encounter is to be able to provide the consumer with a satisfying experience when they approach the company. Most organizations will opt for using front-stage employees who are stationed on site to deal with the consumer needs or sometimes, the organization may rely solely on technological appliances to serve the consumer (Teboul, 2006). As portrayed, Starbucks depends on both technology and employees at the front stage to be able to serve the consumer. In fact, most of the activity is done by the front stage employees who form most of the consumer relations at the front stage level. Accordingly, Starbucks outlets usually have employees who wear uniforms that represent the company and are responsible for setting up the premises in a manner that confirms to the consumer that they are receiving services from Starbucks Company (Carrie, 2012). The main significance of the front stage employees is that they are primarily responsible for the cons umer experience of the service and have a role in determining the reputation of the company outlets. For Starbucks, the outlets are meant to serve coffee products giving the consumer the full barista experience. Therefore, the main idea behind Starbucks front stage service is to ensure that the employees are able to relive the vision of their directors in providing the barista service while also ensuring that they work according to the consumer preferences. The implications are not as complex but the front stage employees also have to work with the demands of the consumer to ensure that they maintain a positive consumer relationship which may not auger with their employer requirements (Glushko R.J., and Tabas L., 2008).Nevertheless, the front stage processes are rather focused on the consumer experience such that the director requirements are mostly in line with what the experience the consumer expects to get. As in a normal barista, the Starbucks Front Stage experience is based on the manual services as opposed to more optimized services supported by technology. The approach is rather traditional of the barista outlets by other companies. (Zomerdijk, L.G. and Voss, C.A., 2010) explains that there are benefits to the use of technology in the sense that it results in convenience on both the consumer and the company. However, consumer still tend to prefer front stage services that rely more on front stage employees other than technological appliances, probably due to the fear of technical failures. The idea may form the basis of having a cashier and a barista to serve the coffee. Furthermore, (Stern, 2017) reports that Starbucks did not have a successful start in Australia due to the saturated market and the increased preference for barista coffee over instant coffee. The company therefore opts to provide the Australian consumer with a barista experience to ensure that they are able to retai n their new consumers. The use of front stage employees is therefore a flexible manner in which the company is able to change its consumer experience to differentiate itself from other barista outlets. Furthermore, the front stage system process allows the consumer to make real life connections to the company through a favorite barista or a friendly and satisfactory service which is more lasting than a simple money-service transaction. Starbucks Backstage Service System Process Significance of Back Stage Service Process The back store service processes have to complement the desired front stage service encounter. Starbucks barista coffee is aimed at providing the consumer with the quality product but at minimal financial loss which makes the back stage process an important aspect of the service delivery. The main significance of the back stage process is that it is the main driving machine of the service design. The activities in the back stage are what make possible the service that the consumer experiences at the front stage. Therefore there is always a need for a level of coordination and sometimes integration between the back stage and the front stage to deliver the best service experience to the consumer (Glushko, R.J. and Tabas, L. , 2009). Service design is important for Starbucks primarily because the barista coffee industry is rather competitive in Australia and most of the outlets provide their coffees at price ranges that are uniform across the companies. The service design is also, there fore, dependent largely on the back stage processes such that it forms part of the tangible and intangible brand experiences that keep the users loyal to the company. For Starbucks, the backstage processes involve keeping the premises welcoming for the consumer and ensuring that all the required resources are available to deliver service to the consumer on request. Some of the back stage processes include equipment maintenance, arrangement of working spaces, organizing for coordination of the payment and service process as well as face aspect of the outlets involving use of branded uniforms and menus. The perception of service encounters as information exchange may lead to the assumption that intense encounters may lead to a better service. However, the back stage process at Starbucks is focused on efficiency. The consumers are allowed to make their payments first as a means of alleviating the employee and space costs for waiters. The service is therefore delivered by a minimum number of employees who receive payments and prepare orders. (Zomerdijk, L.G. and Voss, C.A., 2010) suggests that intense interaction with the consumer is not only tedious but bears the risk of failing to satisfy consumer desires, contrary to expectations of most company owners. In this back stage process, Starbucks is focused on putting products and ingredients as well as equipment in place and working towards efficiently getting the consumers services as quickly as possible. After the consumer has made a decision on their order, the barista (but mostly, the cashier) quickly invoices their payment and make s receipts which the consumer uses to receive their orders. (Carrie, 2012) suggests that barista outlet owners should have an idea the most demanded types of coffee beforehand to be able to deliver quicker service. The back stage process therefore influences the front stage orderliness and timeliness in provision of services. As the consumer receives payment and waits to be called for the order the barista works on making the coffee such that the consumer gets the barista experience in terms of suggesting their own ingredient and art preferences. Bibliography Glushko, R.J. and Tabas, L. . (2009). Information Systems and E-Business Management, 407-427. Carrie, D. (2012). What a Starbucks Barista Can Teach You About Good Customer Service Skills. Carrie Dils, n.d. Glushko R.J., and Tabas L. (2008). Bridging the "front stage" and "back stage" in service system design. Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Proceedings of the 41st Annual, 106. Glushko, R.J and Tabas, L. . (n.d.). Bridging the "front stage. Stern, M. (2017). Is Starbucks pasing the buck to barista on consumer service. Retail Wire, n.d. Teboul, J. (2006). Service is front stage: positioning serices for value advantage. n.d, n.d. Zomerdijk, L.G. and Voss, C.A. (2010). Service design for experience-centric services. Journal of Service Research, 67-82

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Clean Air Act

Table of Contents Introduction The Statutes of the CAA CAA Historical Perspective Implementation Strategies CAA Regulations and Future Prospects Conclusion References Introduction The Clean Air Act (CAA) is a legislation that pertain elimination or minimizing air pollution in the United States. The atmosphere determines almost every aspect of human beings and other organisms. Pollution with substances such as carbon monoxide, CFCs and Nitrogen Oxides has had detrimental effects on the air that maintains the life of people and therefore should be a matter of concern for not only to the government but also the individual efforts.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Clean Air Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is through the Clean Air Act that the issue of air pollution has been politically addressed at a national and international level. The enforcement has positive outcomes especially concerning matters of people’s health. Several models are employed to determine the effect of the increased quality of air to the environment and the population at large. The federal law states the responsibilities that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) bears in relation to enhancing the lives of the public through improving the environment. The Act maintains regulatory requirements which have to be kept vigilant for its compliance. It accomplishes this through consultants and legal, personnel who are aware of the provisions and the enforcement regulations. This paper is aimed at discussing the Clean Air Act, its essence, historical background, implementation strategies, its regulations and the future prospects (Belden, 2001). The Statutes of the CAA The CAA which is coded as 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq and aims at safeguarding the public health and environmental protection by controlling pollutants of the atmospheric air. Through the EPA, the CAA states the standards and enforces complia nce through the states. The regions that are not up to the standards or the â€Å"nonattainment areas† have to establish control strategies that are stipulated by the CAA. It is the role of CAA to determine the origin of toxic pollutants as well as the ones responsible for the acid rain. By providing a permit for the origin of air pollutants it helps curb air pollution thus ensuring the atmosphere is protected and also in maintaining the state of clean air for areas with no pollution. The federal law attains the objective through data collection, comprehensive research, as well as collaborating with the local authorities. The 1970 amendment of the CAA emphasized the role of EPA in maintaining air purity through scientific as well as technological applications. It stated the decrement of automobile pollutants by 90% up to nineteen seventy five. In addition an EPA program was created that ensured technological control of origin of the emerging main hazardous substances. Also a regulation program was created to deal with air pollutants and its implementation through the Federal Enforcement Authority.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More EPA was funded greatly by the federal government and that maintained its continuity In nineteen seventy seven, the amendment of the CAA reset the standards, prolonged deadlines to comply with the standards and established a program named the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) . The CAA amendment of nineteen ninety set various programs to ensure clean air via FY1998 and established detailed provisions (Lipton, 2006). CAA Historical Perspective Initially, CAA was enacted in July nineteen fifty five led by President Eisenhower but since then it has undergone several changes. Its provisions aimed at funding the United States surgeon General aiding in research for the regulations to be implemented. When several ind ividuals died in nineteen sixties in London New York due to ‘Killer Smog’ it triggered national and international debates on air contamination. As a result, another CAA was passed in nineteen sixty three with key emphasis on grants as well as research to enhance air quality through the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). This was followed by approving Air Quality Act of 1967 by President Johnson. This Act established origin of air pollutants regulation whose main objective entailed safeguarding the state resources and improving citizen’s welfare and their health. Moreover, it aimed at creating research at the state and regional level. This was to be done through HEW which would engage in eliminating and controlling air contamination. Although it formed the basis of federal-state coexistence essential for the continuity of the CAA, the demerit of the Air Quality Act included inadequate compliance with the provisions (Lipton, 2006). Later the CAA wa s passed by the congress in nineteen seventy with the main objective of enhancing public safety. It empowered EPA to create National Ambient air Quality standards (NAAQS) to set the appropriate levels of quality air worth for human consumption. It also allowed the basis by which the states would put into practice the State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for NAAQS to operate smoothly. EPA disapproval of SIP meant its mandate to enforce a plan with the right standards. The statute initiated regulation of poisonous pollutants and a standard aimed at regulating the emissions from automobiles. In addition, the legislation was also amended in nineteen seventy seven where nonattainment areas were on the rise with slow progress to achieving the aim and noncompliance with the regulations. Therefore, the amendments aimed at attaining the objectives set in nineteen seventy. This resulted to deadlines extension together with new control laws for areas not complying with NAAQS. It established a pro gram called Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) meant to maintain clean air in attainment areas.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Clean Air Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The final amendment occurred in nineteen ninety headed by President Bush and has seen the enforcement of laws by the congress concerning the pollution of air. It incorporated other programs such as Stratospheric Ozone program while reinforcing the previous amendments. It categorized the nonattainment areas, reinforce mobile emission regulations, stated the need for alternative fuel for region with high air contamination, set standards based on the technology and a way to deal with emergency hazardous emissions. Moreover, it created a control program addressing the issue of acid rain, came up with permit program managed by the state to deal with main origins of pollutants, applied the Montreal Protocol meant at elimin ating substances that deplete the ozone and to update implementation requirements’ (Lipton, 2006). The EPA is awarded with the task of ensuring that the standard of air is safe for human, stating the deadlines to achieve the standards and regulating air pollutants from electric appliances, power plants automobiles and industries through cleanup strategies such as application of the Montreal Protocol. It controls the origin of major one hundred and eight hazardous substances like benzene. The accomplishments of the federal laws stipulated in the act are tremendous with human safety safeguarded. For instance, lead is hazardous to the public and its source had to be put to check which in turn has seen a great decrease in its emission (Belden, 2001). Implementation Strategies The EPA is awarded with the task of creating NAAQS but it is entirely the role of the states to enforce ways to comply with the standards. State Implementation Plans stated in CAA section 110 are used by the states and are taken to EPA for approval. SIPs rely heavily on computer models as well as emission inventories to evaluate instances of air contamination. In case of a standards extension more controls are placed on the sources to curb standard ‘exceedances’. EPA awards permits for the upcoming sources and those already determined where the parties have to clearly determine whether the emissions will go beyond what is set. The nonattainment regions have to be monitored to reduce emissions from the sources that are already in place. The CAA nineteen ninety amendments assign EPA with the power of awarding sanctions in those regions that do not forward the SIP, or one that is inadequate or failure in SIP implementation. According to Lipton, â€Å" Unless the state b corrects such failures, a 2-to-1 emissions offset for the construction of new polluting sources is imposed 18 months after notification to the state, and a ban on most federal highway grants is imposed six mo nths later.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An additional ban on air quality grants is discretionary. Ultimately, a federal Implementation Plan may be imposed if the state fails to submit or implement an adequate SIP† (2006). In regions that are nonattainment, there are absolutely no funding and federal permits awarded because of inconformity with SIP. The restriction of financial aid on projects may be temporary but conformity with SIPs must occur in these areas once in two years. CAA Regulations and Future Prospects The detailed provisions stated in the nineteen ninety legislation could be a green light for dealing with the future problems facing the national air quality. However, it does not deal with every aspect that may arise in the future. It has subjected to all activities to EPA in establishing policies, making rules, awarding regulation documents and engaging in various interpretations. This is overworking a single agency that is delegated with all the procedures. Other permitting agencies categorically deal w ith particular industries at state and local setups. This significantly affects the finances and operations of these industries through their engagements. Furthermore, EPA offers complex documents with guidelines containing CAA requirements. This in turn affects their performance since they end up boycotting some deadlines even though it has continued to suffocate specific entities with rules. On the other hand, EPA has effective procedures of awarding policy guidance and in dealing with the affected parties. This has gained them a high input in the recent past since the last amendment was made. Its staff regards inputs from the stakeholders with the local and state agencies armed with professional knowhow and contribute to the EPA policymaking and CAA enforcement. However, increased scrutiny from the congress has evaluated CAA programs needing accountability in efficiency, and reasons for failure to achieve quality air. These demands have resulted to EPA underfunding and in turn la ming its efficiency in making and handling CAA requirements and uncertainty in achieving the objectives. As a result, it has had overreliance on other sources of funding such as local agencies and institutions like the universities for its operations which creates loopholes for its professionals to compromise CAA values to impress the clients (Novello Martineau, 2004). With the advancing technology, industries are not sure whether the levels of the emission standards required are possible. It is the role of the EPA to determine whether some substances will remain or banned from operating thus burdening the industries to hire professionals who could accurately advice them. The professionals should be well aware of current records (Clean Air Docket) of CAA requirements and rules available in state agencies, electronically, in regional offices’ libraries, seminars, EPA or in Washington DC. The conferences held by EPA are mostly sponsored by organizations such as The American Ba r Association as well as Waste Management Association which publish required information regarding EPA. EPA has established Technology Transfer Network (TTN) that is free and offers electronic information on air pollution globally through communication software. The internet has aided EPA where complex CAA requirements are available and individuals using the internet could air their views, contribute in policy making and in permit application. Moreover, The EPA has established forums to reach individuals from all walks of life where they collect data, participate in discussions and determine the creation of policies. It is mainly geared at achieving the provisions set in the nineteen ninety CAA amendments. The nineteen ninety nine report released appreciated the federal support and more specifically in decreasing emissions from automobiles and for essential programs (Novello Martineau, 2004). With all the resources, EPA will hopefully manage the problem of air pollution in the fut ure. Conclusion The CAA complexity in its environmental statutes in maintaining air quality is evident as it has established many detailed regulations as stipulated by the Code of Federal Regulations. Irrespective of the fact that the last amendment dates back in 1990, there are no limits for setting new regulations to rhyme with the initial objective of maintaining public health and safeguarding the environment. The federal EPA is empowered by CAA for its implementation. The states significantly contribute to ensuring that the state air is in accordance with the standards set by the CAA through SIP. The hazardous substances add up to a hundred and eighty eight that risk human health and that of the surroundings which have to be regulated through Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) (‘NRC’ 2003). Much of the requirements set in the nineteen ninety amendments have been accomplished although there is still a long way to go for the entire United States to be freed from risks emanating from air pollution. It is notable that around a hundred million people in the US live in nonattainment areas where ozone pollution and contamination from fine substances act as a health hazard. Therefore, a great challenge still lies ahead which have to be countered with more efficient NAAQS implementation through collaboration of the state and the federal agency, EPA (Wood, 2000). Environmental laws have been dependent strongly on the political arena. For instance, the Americans attribute the issues of the environment to the government whose efficiency depend on government’s attention. Environmental issues triggers press attention which makes it hard for the government to ignore them. The future of EPA continues to be affected by international decision such as the Montreal Protocol which contains provisions for dealing with ozone depleting agents e.g. CFCs (Davies Mazurek, 1999). Safeguarding people’s health is not only beneficial in increasing t he life expectancy but also in managing the nation’s economic expenditures that can be otherwise avoided. References Belden, R. (2001). Clean Air Act: Section of Environmental Energy, and Resources. Chicago, Illinois: American Bar Association. Davies, C. Mazurek J. (1999). Pollution Control in the United States. Washington D.C: Resources for the Future. Lipton, J. (2006). Clean Air Act: Integration and Analysis. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. National Research Council (NRC). (2003). Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations: Current Knowledge, Future Needs. Washington D.C: National Academies of Sciences. Novello, D. Martineau, R. (2004). The Clean Air Act handbook.2 Ed. Chicago, Illinois: American Bar Association. Wood, D. (2000). Air Pollution: Status of Implementation of the Clean air Act Amendments of 1990.Washington D.C: United States Government Accountability office. This research paper on The Clean Air Act was written and submitted by user Antonio Gonzales to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

An Unexpected Question About You

An Unexpected Question About You An Unexpected Question About You An Unexpected Question About You By Maeve Maddox A reader has been having a discussion with a friend about which of the following is the right grammar You was..or You were†¦ The fact that this question can be the subject of discussion in an age of free public education suggests either that basic standard grammar is not being taught effectively in the schools, or that pronouns are going to continue to go their own way as they have always done. Add the bombardment of ungrammatical popular culture to the current of normal linguistic change, and grammatical certainties as apparently fundamental as you were are called into question. Take, for example, these lyrics from a song sung by Dean Martin and Peggy Lee: (PL) If you were to ask me who the sweetest one I knew was Id say you was (DM) If you were to ask me who my favorite point of view was Id say you was Any construction, heard often enough, is going to begin to sound right to the speakers who hear it. In the case of you, the situation is muddied by the fact that the pronoun you is used with either a singular or a plural antecedent. You began as a plural pronoun. Its singular counterpart was thou. For social and historical reasons the form thou dropped out of English with the result that plural you now does the work of singular thou. Its not illogical to want to put a singular verb with a subject that stands for one person. In the case of you, however, its ungrammatical in standard English. To answer the readers question: You were is the correct standard form. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Antonio Luna, Hero of the Philippine-American War

Antonio Luna, Hero of the Philippine-American War Antonio Luna (October 29, 1866–June 5, 1899) was a soldier, chemist, musician, war strategist, journalist, pharmacist, and hot-headed general, a complex man who was, unfortunately, perceived as a threat by  the Philippines  ruthless first president  Emilio Aguinaldo. As a result, Luna died not on the battlefields of the Philippine-American War, but he was assassinated on the streets of Cabanatuan. Fast Facts: Antonio Luna Known For: Filipino Journalist, musician, pharmacist, chemist, and general in the fight for Philippine independence from the U.S.Born: October 29, 1866 in the Binondo district of Manila, PhilippinesParents: Laureana Novicio-Ancheta and Joaquin Luna de San PedroDied: June 5, 1899 in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, PhilippinesEducation: Bachelor of Arts from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1881; studied chemistry, music, and literature at the University of Santo Tomas;  licentiate in pharmacy at the Universidad de Barcelona; a doctorate from the Universidad Central de Madrid, studied bacteriology and histology at the Pasteur Institute in ParisPublished Works: Impresiones (as Taga-Ilog), On Malarial Pathology (El Hematozorio del Paludismo)Spouse(s): NoneChildren: None Early Life Antonio Luna de San Pedro y Novicio-Ancheta was born on October 29, 1866, in the Binondo district of Manila, the youngest child of seven of Laureana Novicio-Ancheta, a Spanish mestiza, and Joaquin Luna de San Pedro, a traveling salesman. Antonio was a gifted student who studied with a teacher called Maestro Intong from the age of 6 and received a Bachelor of Arts from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1881 before continuing his studies in chemistry, music, and literature at the University of Santo Tomas. In 1890, Antonio traveled to Spain to join his brother Juan, who was studying painting in Madrid. There, Antonio earned a licentiate in pharmacy at the Universidad de Barcelona, followed by a doctorate from the Universidad Central de Madrid. In Madrid, he fell obsessively in love with local beauty Nelly Boustead, who was also admired by his friend Jose Rizal. But it came to nothing, and Luna never married. He went on to study bacteriology and histology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and continued on to Belgium to further those pursuits. While in Spain, Luna had published a well-received paper on malaria, so in 1894 the Spanish government appointed him to a post as a specialist in communicable and tropical diseases. Swept Into the Revolution Later that same year, Antonio Luna returned to the Philippines where he became the chief chemist of the Municipal Laboratory in Manila. He and his brother Juan established a fencing society called the Sala de Armas in the capital. While there, the brothers were approached about joining the Katipunan, a revolutionary organization founded by Andres Bonifacio in response to the 1892 banishment of Jose Rizal, but both Luna brothers refused to participate- at that stage, they believed in a gradual reform of the system rather than a violent revolution against Spanish colonial rule. Although they were not members of the Katipunan, Antonio, Juan, and their brother Jose were all arrested and imprisoned in August 1896 when the Spanish learned that the organization existed. His brothers were interrogated and released, but Antonio was sentenced to exile in Spain  and imprisoned in the Carcel Modelo de Madrid. Juan, by this time a famed painter, used his connections with the Spanish royal family to secure Antonios release in 1897. After his exile and imprisonment, understandably, Antonio Lunas attitude toward Spanish colonial rule had shifted. Due to the arbitrary treatment of himself and his brothers and the execution of his friend Jose Rizal the previous December, Luna was ready to take up arms against Spain. In his typically academic fashion, Luna decided to study guerrilla warfare tactics, military organization, and field fortification under the famous Belgian military educator Gerard Leman before he sailed to Hong Kong. There, he met with the revolutionary leader-in-exile, Emilio Aguinaldo, and in July 1898 he returned to the Philippines to take up the fight once more. General Antonio Luna As the Spanish/American War came to a close and the defeated Spanish prepared to withdraw from the Philippines, Filipino revolutionary troops surrounded the capital city of Manila. The newly-arrived officer Antonio Luna urged the other commanders to send troops into the city to ensure a joint occupation when the Americans arrived, but Emilio Aguinaldo refused, believing U.S. naval officers stationed in Manila Bay would hand over power to the Filipinos in due course. Luna complained bitterly about this strategic blunder, as well as the disorderly conduct of American troops once they landed in Manila in mid-August 1898. To placate Luna, Aguinaldo promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General on September 26, 1898, and named him chief of war operations. General Luna continued to campaign for better military discipline, organization, and approach to Americans, who were now setting themselves up as the new colonial rulers. Along with Apolinario Mabini, Antonio Luna warned Aguinaldo that the Americans did not seem inclined to free the Philippines. General Luna felt the need for a military academy to properly train the Filipino troops, who were eager and in many cases experienced in guerrilla warfare but had little formal military training. In October 1898, Luna founded what is now the Philippine Military Academy, which operated for less than half a year before the Philippine-American War broke out in February of 1899 and classes were suspended so that staff and students could join the war effort. The Philippine-American War General Luna led three companies of soldiers to attack the Americans at La Loma, where he was met with a ground force and naval artillery fire from the fleet in Manila Bay. The Filipinos suffered heavy casualties. A Filipino counterattack on February 23 gained some ground but collapsed when troops from Cavite refused to take orders from General Luna, stating that they would obey only Aguinaldo himself. Furious, Luna disarmed the recalcitrant soldiers but was forced to fall back. After several additional bad experiences with the undisciplined and clannish Filipino forces, and after Aguinaldo had rearmed the disobedient Cavite troops as his personal Presidential Guard, a thoroughly frustrated General Luna submitted his resignation to Aguinaldo, which Aguinaldo reluctantly accepted.  With the war going very badly for the Philippines over the next three weeks, however, Aguinaldo persuaded Luna to return and made him commander-in-chief. Luna developed and implemented a plan to contain the Americans long enough to construct a guerrilla base in the mountains. The plan consisted of a network of bamboo trenches, complete with spiked man-traps and pits full of poisonous snakes, which spanned the jungle from village to village. Filipino troops could fire on the Americans from this Luna Defense Line, and then melt away into the jungle without exposing themselves to American fire. Conspiracy Among the Ranks However, late in May Antonio Lunas brother Joaquin- a colonel in the revolutionary army- warned him that a number of the other officers were conspiring to kill him. General Luna ordered that many of these officers be disciplined, arrested, or disarmed and they bitterly resented his rigid, authoritarian style, but Antonio made light of his brothers warning and reassured him that President Aguinaldo would not allow anyone to assassinate the armys commander-in-chief. To the contrary, General Luna received two telegrams on June 2, 1899. The first asked him to join a counterattack against the Americans at San Fernando, Pampanga and the second was from Aguinaldo, ordering Luna to the new capital, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, about 120 kilometers due north of Manila, where the Philippines revolutionary government was forming a new cabinet. Ever ambitious, and hopeful of being named Prime Minister, Luna decided to go to Nueva Ecija with a cavalry escort of 25 men. However, due to transportation difficulties, Luna arrived in Nueva Ecija accompanied only by two other officers, Colonel Roman and Captain Rusca, with the troops having been left behind. Death On June 5, 1899, Luna went alone to the government headquarters to speak with President Aguinaldo but was met by one of his old enemies there instead- a man he had once disarmed for cowardice, who informed him that the meeting was canceled and Aguinaldo was out of town. Furious, Luna had started to walk back down the stairs when a rifle shot went off outside. Luna ran down the stairs, where he met one of the Cavite officers he had dismissed for insubordination.  The officer struck Luna on the head with his bolo and soon Cavite troops swarmed the injured general, stabbing him. Luna drew his revolver and fired, but he missed his attackers. Still, he fought his way out to the plaza, where Roman and Rusca ran to help him, but Roman was shot to death and Rusca was severely injured. Abandoned and alone, Luna sank bleeding to the cobblestones of the plaza where he uttered his last words: Cowards!  Assassins!  He died at 32 years old. Legacy As Aguinaldos guards assassinated his most able general, the president himself was laying siege to the headquarters of General Venacio Concepcion, an ally of the murdered general. Aguinaldo then dismissed Lunas officers and men from the Filipino Army. For the Americans, this internecine fighting was a gift. General James F. Bell noted that Luna was the only general the Filipino army had and Aguinaldos forces suffered disastrous defeat after disastrous defeat in the wake of Antonio Lunas murder. Aguinaldo spent most of the next 18 months in retreat, before being captured by the Americans on March 23, 1901. Sources Jose, Vivencio R. The Rise and Fall of Antonio Luna. Solar Publishing Corporation, 1991.Reyes, Raquel A. G. Antonio Lunas Impressions. Love, Passion and Patriotism: Sexuality and the Philippine Propaganda Movement, 1882–1892. Singapore and Seattle : NUS Press and University of Washington Press, 2008. 84–114.Santiago, Luciano P.R. â€Å"The First Filipino Doctors of Pharmacy (1890–93).† Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society 22.2, 1994. 90–102.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Financial analysis of the Creative Chips case Study

Financial analysis of the Creative Chips - Case Study Example rom this, as can be observed in the balance sheet of the company for the year 2002, there are wages which are yet to be paid by the company, which amount to $ 7,350. In addition to this information, it is also worth noting that the total expenditure incurred by the company in relation to payroll amounted to $ 89,850. Among the expenditure incurred in relation to payroll, $ 42,000 ($ 3,500 x 12) refers to salary of Lesay, therefore it is found that the amount which is related to the payment of wages is $ 89,850 - $ 42,000 - $ 12,000, i.e. $ 35,850. However, keeping in mind that there is an amount of wages payable therefore after accounting for the total payment made towards the salaries and wages expenses, there is still an amount of $ 7,500 left to be paid, and it is, therefore, recorded as wages payable in the balance sheet (Drury, 2007; Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones, 2009). The company Creative Chips is involved in the business of manufacturing and selling chips. The overall financial information presented indicates that the company is performing satisfactorily in financial terms. The fact that company is utilizing its rented space in a way that it does not require additional space for manufacturing and storing its inventory stocks, is indicative of the efficient operations of the company. Apart from this, the gross profit amount as depicted in the income statement of the company is significant and can be regarded as highly favorable for the company. However, the operating expenses of the company are significantly high, which, as a result, have undermined the significance of the gross profit. The liquidity position of the company indicates that there are too much liquid assets held up by the company, which could have been invested for generating income from other sources (Webster, 2003; Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones, 2009). The company’s operational efficiency can be questioned on the basis of the fact that there is only one employee who runs the manufacturing

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

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

Globalization - Research Paper Example Globalization has been present for a great deal of time now with the activities of â€Å"trade, immigration, and the exchange of information and ideas.† (Arnett, 2002). Moreover, with the advent of technology, especially in the fields of communication, a great amount of mutuality now exists in terms of financial dependency and economic trade. (Arnett, 2002). There is a lot of speculation regaridng globalization recently. The growth rate of international trade which was rapid, has diminished in the past few years, especially with global economies going into recessions. (Schuman, 2013). However, globalization is still in the running and growing strong. In the past investments and technology innovations were moving from the Developed countries to the Developing or Less Developed countries. (Schuman, 2013). However, that is a thing of the past now. Emerging markets are taking over the role in innovation and investments worldwide. For instance, â€Å"Apple’s chief rival is not a European or even Japanese company, but South Korea’s Samsung†. (Schuman, 2013) Textiles and Apparel industry can refer to the manufacturing and design of textiles. It includes the production process and the technology or machinery used to produce textiles. There may be various uses of textiles such as industrial and non industrial. Industrial usage means the use of textiles in aiding production, whereas non industrial usage means the use of textiles in daily wear , as apparels or fashion. The three biggest exporters in the textiles industry are all developing countries such as: Globalization of the textile industry is not something new. It has been going on since several years. In the early ninetheenth century, America was actively trading Indian Cotton in England. Later, it began exporting cotton to China. (Abernathy et al, 2004) However, as the textiles

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Create a Bussiness Essay Example for Free

Create a Bussiness Essay My name is Eric Thomas Mendoza, and I am the newly appointed manager of the products division for my company. The job of my team is to conduct research for my company and ensure that we are getting the best possible deal in the best interest of my companies business. My associates and I have recently discovered that we may be paying a higher price with your company versus your many direct competitors, one example that stands out is Portmouth Paper Supplies. My records indicate that your company and my firm have been in business together since the inception of my company, in 1988. Although I am required to get our products at the lowest cost, I would prefer to keep your company as our main paper supplier due to our long-standing relationship with your company. I am asking you to consider that you consider 10% price reduction for all of our orders over $400, which would make the prices more competitive and allows us to maintain the ongoing relationship between our companies. If you  do not wish to give us a more completive rate , by either beating or exceeding your direct competition, then we may have to discontinue our business relationship, because of basic economics and the present state of the economy. Your contract with us reaches its conclusion in 30 days. We here at Halcyon would like to offer to continue our business relationship, but that depends on you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Niagara Falls Case Study :: Environment, Hydroelectric-power, energy

Niagara Falls Case Study Niagara falls lays to the south of Toronto on the border with America. The average depth of the water below Niagara Falls is 170 ft and is as deep as its walls are high. The massive volume of water that flows over the falls causes the water to appear green in colour. The water that flows over Niagara Falls comes from Lake Erie which is one of the four great lakes of America. In excess of 5 billion gallons or over 2 trillion litres of water per Hour rushes over the edge of the Falls. This water going over the falls flows down the Niagara River into Lake Ontario and then into the Saint Lawrence River which is 300 miles away. Continuing further North-East , the water finally flows into the Atlantic Ocean over 1000 miles away The governments of America and Canada control the surrounding area most of which is now parkland and conservational areas so as to keep the area attractive to tourists. 44% of tourists to Canada visit Niagara Falls which is roughly 13.4 million people annually .The falls were formed 12,000 years ago as the retreating glaciers exposed the Niagara escarpment, thus permitting the waters of Lake Erie to flow north, to Lake Ontario. This was at the end of the last ice age The escarpment has been gradually eroded back toward Lake Erie, a process that has formed the Niagara Gorge 7 miles long . The Horseshoe Falls is eroding upstream at a faster rate than the American Falls because of the greater volume of water passing over it. Ice accumulates during the winter in the Maid of the Mist pool. The river may become bridged by this ice mass of up to 70 ft above water level. The force of the ice weighs down and erodes the banks and islands as well as bridges such as the honeymoon bridge which collapsed in 1938. .A great rock slide occurred in 1954 at the American Falls and formed a huge talus slope at its base.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Causes of the Civil War Essay

There were several reasons the Civil War began. The north and the south had completely different views on some very important subjects.The north believed that slavery was not needed, but the south had needed slavery in order to harvest the crops. Also, new territories were being settled. Lastly, Abraham Lincoln was elected president. The areas of the United States had different economies. In the North, the economy was based on factories and wages. Everyday people worked in the factories. The South had large plantations, which grew cotton. The plantation owners needed the slaves to pick the cotton. They didn’t receive wages, but they were provided food and shelter. In the Midwest, wheat was the number one cash crop. It was harvested by a machine, so they didn’t need as many workers or slaves. These different economies caused divisions in the United States. Also, new territories were being settled. The South wanted the new territories to be admitted to the Union as slave states. This was to prevent the slaves from escaping into free territories. The North wanted the new territories to be free. Some people thought the new territories should have the right to vote whether they wanted to be free or slave. This is called State’s Rights. An agreement was reached called the Compromise of 1850, which lasted for three years. In this compromise, fugitive slaves were ordered to return to their owners. The abolitionists thought that they shouldn’t have to follow that law. Next, Abraham Lincoln said that slavery should be abolished. He was elected president and South Carolina immediately seceded from the Union. Then, six more states joined South Carolina and formed the Confederate States of America (CSA). The South felt that Lincoln would abolish slavery and take away their economy or their way of life. They also felt that each state had the right to vote on any law. More people died in the Civil War than any other war. The reasons for the Civil War were different economies, state’s rights to vote on laws, and the election of Abraham Lincoln as president.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Essay on Global Companies Essay

International companies are characterized by many factors among them geographical dispersion, demand for rationalization and differentiation and cultural diversity. These factors pose numerous challenges to international HR managers on how to ensure successful performance of their functions. The paper highlights various challenges the mentioned factors presents to IHRM in their work. It assembles evidence and previous research findings done by other writers. The paper also demonstrates why managing international HR is more difficult than managing HR in a large domestic firm. Challenges presented by geographical dispersion to international HR directors As employees in an international company come from different backgrounds and possess diverse experience, it’s hard to standardize pay and conditions of work (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Doing so is likely to bring conflicts among staff doing similar jobs in different locations. Standardizing working conditions is also tricky because of diverse cultures, rules and laws of different nations. Home working conditions and policies cannot be transferred to another country due to existence of different legislations in host country. In such a case each host country could have a slightly different working condition (Paik and Vance, 2006). Due also to natural differences in each country, it is hard to standardize business processes and pay in a multinational company. One of challenges faced by international HR managers is dealing with multiple time zones. This time differences bring about difficulties for managers to consult with key decision makers (Herod and Yearn, 2002). These difficulties may result into ramifications on productivity. Closely associated with this problem is the continued heavy reliance on face to face communications since improvement in technologies has not completely bridged this gap (Punnett, 1989). Rolling out a non conflicting international compensation system is a challenge to international HRM. This is due to the fact that conditions of employment differ among various categories of employees (Mendenhall et al, 1987). In addition, there exist variations among countries on ways of compensating workers. Salary levels for the same job also differ amongst countries. As a matter of fact compensation packages can be a source of conflict . This is mostly occurs when local employees start comparing their salary to those of expatriates and may conclude that there is no fairness. Expatriates in most of cases have better compensation packages than local employees doing the same job. As a result local employees may feel unappreciated and treated unfairly. Consequently, it may result to resentment and eventually lower employees’ morale and productivity (Roberts et al, 1998). The process of hiring and placement of different national categories of workers is very complex in global context. International HRM involves movement of people across international boundaries (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). In such a case staffing becomes very hard as managers face hard choices to make from three pools of employees categories: employees from host country where the company operates (HCN), nationals from home country where the firm has headquarter (PNC) and citizens of other countries that may be sources of labor (TNC). The three types of employee groups have different backgrounds. This therefore requires the managers to have international mindset and adopt policies that facilitate establishment of internationally oriented staff (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Distinct countries have different government policies and ethical requirements which can pose problems to international HR managers. For instance an international company situated in South Africa would have expatriates willing to work there required to undergo a compulsory HIV/AIDS test. This could result to loss of talented employees who may not be willing to comply with the requirement. It would be therefore a challenge to managers to convince such expatriates to accept the requirement (Roberts et al, 1998). International HR managers also face difficulties determining compensation package among various categories of workers. This is so because of varied nationalities of workers and different levels of economic development in home countries. It therefore becomes hard to determine some form of compensation for instance hardship allowance (Hofstede, 1992). International scene is also more complex due to language differences. This becomes a challenge in ease of accessing company’s documents such as vision and mission statements, company’s records and procedure manuals. Language barriers could also impede communication and sharing of information among the workers. This can only be solved by language standardization (Laurent, 1986). The nature of employee involvement also varies depending on country and institutional factors. Employee involvement is crucial in any organization and results into enhanced communication, coordination of tasks, enhanced information sharing and reduced turnover. Employee involvement is however is influenced by organization and national factors such as industrial relations, financial system, social forces and market forces (Petti and Fadel, 1997). Consequently in a global context, the nature of employment will vary due to diverse national forces. Challenges occasioned by need for rationalization and differentiation to international HR directors. Process of rationalization normally involves lowering of organizations operational costs and more improved control (Punnett, 1989). This requires timely provision of information. On a global context, it is a challenge to HR managers to obtain information quickly and to become proactive in achieving business objectives. Due to the complex nature of international organization, it becomes challenging to ensure faster access to high quality information at a significantly business processing cost . However due to rationalization demands in order for the company to remain competitive, managers have to carry out proper compensation, recruitment and placement (Punnett, 1989). Differentiation is the process of distinguishing firms’ products or services from those offered by competitors (Petti and Fadel, 1997). This is done by making them unique and more attractive to a particular target market. Differentiation is normally implemented by ensuring differences in functional features, quality, availability and reputation. Formulation of differentiation strategy is vital for making firms’ products more competitive in a competitive market. In global context it poses challenges for managers to adopt proper strategies in recruitment and selection to ensure the products remain unique and reputable (Petti and Fadel, 1997). Challenges presented by cultural diversity to international HR directors International companies operate in different countries with diverse regulations, standard of living and labor unions (Hofstede, 1992). In some countries, labor unions determine wage policies. In Australia for instance unions negotiate rates of payment on behalf of workers. In other countries like Hong Kong unions have little influence and pay rates are determined by free market. This makes the process of determining pay package very hard to HR managers in global scene (Hofstede, 1992). International HRM must be aware of cultural differences and develop culturally sensitive attitudes for business to thrive (Laurent, 1986). Majority of HRM functions such as compensation; training, recruitment and selection are done according to cultural practices of host nation. Sometimes adapting to local expectation and customs brings more problems. In Indonesia for instance local employees are obliged to employ members of their family. However, acting in such nepotism way may be detrimental to the company since the best fitted persons will not be hired (Punnett, 1989). Diverse norms on methods of motivating employees amongst countries are a key challenge. The use of incentives and gifts for instance may have varied results. In cultures such as America money may be a good motivator. In other cultures such as Japan, non financial incentives for instance job security, social acceptance and promotions may motivate employees better (Mendenhall et al, 1987). The international HR managers are hence challenged to match the motivators with cultural values. International businesses also operate in countries with different cultural differences amongst groups of people in the same country. This ultimately translates into different HRM policies procedures and system. The work of IHRM is therefore determined by cultural aspects of the host country (Petti and Fadel, 1997). This places a challenge to IHRM managers to reconsider each strategy in terms of the country’s cultural condition. Some strategies may work in some country but fail in others. A Hong Kong company dealing with dental services for instance decided to offer a ‘use it or lose it’ policy worth $1000 a year. Initially the company had a high staff turnover of 24%. After a short time, the company’s turnover dropped significantly to 4%. The strategy could not just work in that context (Petti and Fadel, 1997). As the case illustrates, research is required to be conducted amongst employees to establish the kind of strategies which are workable. People also have varied takes and attitudes with regard to contracts. People from western countries think of it just like a contract and will follow it after it’s signed. The Chinese however take it different and prefer continued relationship with their manager. So they will sign it, have a handshake and get to know their manager (Laurent, 1986). Therefore the IHRM has to consider acceptability and adaptability. Diversity management is also a challenge especially managing varying expectations in workplace. Some countries emphasize on gender equity and affirmative action while others do no (Hofstede, 1992)t. In such a case organizations with such policies face difficulties implementing them in some countries. In some parts of the world woman expatriates may experience difficulties in gaining acceptance (Hofstede, 1992). Culture is also a significant constraint in employee performance appraisals and feedback process. Western counties have been found to have different styles of performance appraisals which are difficult to transfer to non western countries (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). The purpose of appraisal, acceptance of its result and the mode of conduct of the feedback process are also different amongst countries. In some cultures for instance Japan performance appraisal are not acceptable and are normally interpreted as sign of distrust. In other cultures such as Chinese performance appraisals are used to determine pay (Briscoe & Schuler, 2009). Why managing International HR is inherently more difficult than managing HR in a large domestic firm. Unlike domestic firm, international HR involves moving staff across many countries with diverse cultural and economic aspects. As such international HRM is more complex as it deals with different categories of workers from different countries. There are also many aspects and a broad range of issues o take into consideration (Paik and Vance, 2006). To begin with, there are more HR activities to deal with in an international environment. Foreign employees are normally subjected to both domestic and international tax liabilities. This necessitates need to design tax equalization policies to bridge this gap. There are also a lot of international relocation and orientation activities. This may take the shape of arranging pre departure training and providing information such travel details, shopping and schooling. Foreign employees must also be provided with housing, medical care and recreation services. The expatriates also require to be provided by administrative services within which the host country operates. In addition the international HR must provide language translation services (Mendenhall et al, 1987). The international HR manager is also required to take a broad view of issues. This is particularly due to the fact that the managers deal with more than one national group of employees all working together. One such broader perspective would be to ensure that employees working in foreign locations receive foreign premium regardless of their nationality. Such a policy should be implemented without showing preferential treatment to only employees working on overseas assignment but even to foreigners assigned to firm’s home country (Chan, 1994). The IHRM thus has to deal with equity issues with regard to compensation. International HR managers are also required to get more involved in employees personal lives (Herod and Yearn, 2002). The HRM needs to ensure that expatriate employees comprehends compensation package such as cost of living allowances, premium taxes among others. He also needs to ensure they understand housing arrangements and health care. This creates need for establishment of a section that provides services such as handling of employees’ investments, banking and coordinating home visits. If for instance there is to be a relocation or transfer, the HR department will need to know the employees personal life in order to provide the level of support required. This is particularly due to some governments requirements like marriage certificate in order to stay in some locations. In addition the HR managers may want to assist the family left behind at home country (Herod and Yearn, 2002). In the international context, there is always need to change emphasis in HR operations as workforce varies. This mostly occurs when more trained locals become available and hence the need of foreign employees decline. Resources which had previously allocated to allocated to expatriate issues have thus to be transferred to local stuff training and development. This broadens HR activities such as training, planning and compensation (Chan, 1994). International assignments increase exposure to risks that HRM has to deal with. There are more severe consequences resulting from expatriate failure and underperformance. Such a failure may be too costly to the company in terms of salary, relocation expenses and travel costs. There could also be loss of foreign share, market share and breakdown of foreign relations. The HR department must also consider possible acts of terrorism. On top of that the HR must put in place emergency evacuation procedures for assignments in locations susceptible to epidemic crises (Roberts et al, 1998). International HRM also has to deal with more and complex external factors. The company must comply with government’s requirements about staffing in foreign locations. Moreover, local codes of conduct and religious groups’ regulations must be obeyed (Roberts et al, 1998). Conclusion The research and evidence presented in the paper demonstrates that managing HR in global context is more challenging and complex than in domestic scene. There are many issues which constrain international HR managers and which are unique to each country. The managers are therefore required to be flexible and adopt a local responsive strategy in order to have successful and sustainable businesses.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Homber

â€Å"How To Tell A True War Story† had quite an impact on me. My father served in Vietnam, and I realized while reading this that he never told my family about the time he served there. That’s when I realized that the most powerful war stories are probably never told. I remember when I was young, around eight or nine years old, I was helping my father and his carpenter friend put a new roof on our house. My brother and I spent most of the day picking up scrap pieces of our old roof, sorting out what could be burned safely, and throwing the rest of the trash in a dumpster. It was getting late in the day and my father and his friend decided to call it quits. I was in our back yard burning up the scrap lumber we had accumulated throughout the day. My father walked over and started breaking up the larger pieces of wood. We eventually got to talking, and somehow we got on the subject of when he served in the Army. I asked him what it was like to be a soldier. He didn’t have much to say about it, he just said that after he finished college he had a hard time finding a job, and so he joined up because it seemed like a good opportunity. I remember clearly that the sun was starting to set, and the pink and purple hues were filling the evening sky. The fire was dying down, so I started to rebuild it. I probably should have stopped with the questions at that point, but I was young and curiosity got the best of me. So, I asked him what it was like to go to war. Children have misconceptions of war being an act of heroism; a grand event where good conquers evil and everyone lives happily there after. They are ignorant of the futility of war, and the ways in which it scars the people who participate. Again, he didn’t have much to say. He told me that he watched a lot of good people die, and he hoped that I never had to experience anything like it in my lifetime. He told me that many of his friends turned to heroin to deal ... Free Essays on Homber Free Essays on Homber â€Å"How To Tell A True War Story† had quite an impact on me. My father served in Vietnam, and I realized while reading this that he never told my family about the time he served there. That’s when I realized that the most powerful war stories are probably never told. I remember when I was young, around eight or nine years old, I was helping my father and his carpenter friend put a new roof on our house. My brother and I spent most of the day picking up scrap pieces of our old roof, sorting out what could be burned safely, and throwing the rest of the trash in a dumpster. It was getting late in the day and my father and his friend decided to call it quits. I was in our back yard burning up the scrap lumber we had accumulated throughout the day. My father walked over and started breaking up the larger pieces of wood. We eventually got to talking, and somehow we got on the subject of when he served in the Army. I asked him what it was like to be a soldier. He didn’t have much to say about it, he just said that after he finished college he had a hard time finding a job, and so he joined up because it seemed like a good opportunity. I remember clearly that the sun was starting to set, and the pink and purple hues were filling the evening sky. The fire was dying down, so I started to rebuild it. I probably should have stopped with the questions at that point, but I was young and curiosity got the best of me. So, I asked him what it was like to go to war. Children have misconceptions of war being an act of heroism; a grand event where good conquers evil and everyone lives happily there after. They are ignorant of the futility of war, and the ways in which it scars the people who participate. Again, he didn’t have much to say. He told me that he watched a lot of good people die, and he hoped that I never had to experience anything like it in my lifetime. He told me that many of his friends turned to heroin to deal ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Private School

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Private School Applying to private school is an exciting but demanding process. There is a wide range of schools to apply to, and its hard for the first-time applicant to know how to manage the process. To ensure a smoother process, try to start early, leave time to visit the schools, and look for the school that fits your child best. Here are common pitfalls to avoid when applying to private school: Mistake #1: Only applying to one school Parents often become enamored of the vision of their children at a very prestigious boarding or day school, and there is no doubt that the top boarding schools  have amazing resources and faculties. However, its important to make sure youre being realistic. Many of the top private schools have competitive admission cycles, and accept only a small percentage of applicants. Its always a good idea to have a top choice and at least one or two back up schools, just in case.  Ã‚   In addition, when looking at schools, consider more than just how the school is ranked, or where many of its graduates attend college. Instead, look at the entire experience for your child. If she loves sports or other extracurricular activities, will she be able to participate in them at that school? Consider how well she is likely to fit into the school, and what her quality of life (and yours) are likely to be at school. Remember, you are not just looking for prestige; you are ideally looking for the right fit between the school and your child. Mistake #2: Over-coaching (or under-coaching) Your Child for the Interview While there is no doubt that the private school interview can be very stressful, there is a line ​that  parents must walk between preparing their children  and over-preparing them. Its beneficial for a child to practice speaking about herself in a poised way, and it helps if the child has researched the school she is applying to and knows something about it and why she might want to attend that school. Letting your child wing it without any preparation is not a great idea, and can jeopardize her chances for admission. Showing up to an interview asking basic questions that can easily be found online or saying that she doesnt know why shes applying, isnt a good first impression. However, your child shouldnt be scripted and asked to memorize pat responses just to impress the interviewer (who can usually see right through that stunt). That includes coaching the child to say things that arent really true about her interests or motivations. This type of over-coaching can be detected in the interview, and it will hurt her chances. In addition, too much preparation will make the child often feel overly anxious instead of relaxed and at her best during the interview. Schools want to get to know the real child, not the perfectly poised version of your child that appears for the interview. Finding the right fit is important, and if youre not being genuine, its going to be hard for the school, and for your child, to know if this is where she needs to be.   Mistake #3:  Waiting for the Last Minute Ideally, the school selection process starts in the summer or fall the year before your child will actually attend the school. By the end of the summer, you shouldve identified the schools you are interested in applying to, and you can start to arrange tours. Some families opt to hire  an  educational consultant, but this isnt necessary if youre willing to do your homework. There are plenty of resources available right here on this site, as well as several others, to help you understand the admission process and make the right choices for your family. Use this calendar to organize your school search process  and check out this awesome spreadsheet that will help you organize your private school search.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Dont wait until the winter to get started with the process, as many schools have deadlines. If you miss these, you might jeopardize your chances of getting in at all, as the top private schools have limited spaces available for incoming students. While some schools offer rolling admission, not all do, and some will close their application to new families by February. These early application deadlines are especially important for families who need to apply for financial aid, as funding is usually limited and often given to families on a first come, first served basis.   Mistake #4: Having Someone Else Write the Parents Statement Most schools require both older students and parents to write statements. Though it may be tempting to farm out your parents statement to someone else, such as an assistant at work or an educational consultant, only you should write this statement. The schools want to know more about your child and you know your child best. Leave time to think and write about your child in a candid, vivid way. Your honesty enhances your chances of finding the right school for your child. Mistake #5: Not Comparing Financial Aid Packages If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to compare the financial aid packages at the different schools your child to which your child is admitted. Often, you can convince a school to match another schools financial aid package or at least get an offer increased slightly. By comparing financial aid packages, you can often manage to attend the school you like best for the best price.    Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Ethical argument-Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical argument-Abortion - Essay Example Ethical claims and principles suggest that women should have a right to abort a fetus because pregnancy and child birth is a personal matter and only a woman has a right to decide her destiny. The issue of moral choice centers on the factor of meaningful human life or personality. From the biological perspective, the fertilized egg is not a human being yet. The concept of individualization is not identified until the first stages of cell division are completed. So, fetus is not an individual and a woman does not violate human rights and does not 'kill'' a baby (Colker, 3). From the religious point of view, beginning with the premise that God infuses the soul at the moment of conception, church maintains that every unborn child must be regarded as a human person. The main controversy of his argument is that at what point it is morally wise to charge fetal life as human life. Too much stress on the fetus can lead to an abstracting from the important role the woman's body plays in the d evelopment of a child. In speaking of the view of convinced critics that the status of the child is the most important issue to resolve in the abortion controversy, Marquis gives examples of pain on animals (Stetson 101). The second controversy is that Marques states: "Presumably abortion could be justified in some circumstances, only of the loss consequent on failing to abort would be at least as great" (Marquis). He does not take into account that women should have a right to abort a fetus as a preventive measure not to born cripples (physical or mental). In reality, nobody will benefited from this new life: a mother will suffer all her life raising up a disabled creature, a parasitic twin will not become a society member able to work and lead an independent life. In this case, a fetus does not possess psychological characteristics and is not entitled to have full moral status, and should be aborted (Kramlich 7830. Therefore, pro-choice advocates like Warren and Thomson believe that banning abortions without any exceptions is a cruel and unjustifiable practice. Probably, Marcuqy would respond that abortion is also very bad for the morality of society as a whole. Abortion is an easy way out, so it encourages promiscuity and unprotected sex. The very notion of abortion is immoral because it ruins the whole concept of responsible parenthood. The society has the duty to protect the life of its citizens. The right to life has been the foundation of the civilized society. It seems that the most persuasive argument of the pro-choice lobby is that sometimes pregnancy occurs due to rape or incest. The most appropriate answer to this problem is the state taking a firm ground with a view to decrease the rate of rape and incest. And, in fact, not all rape and abortion victims want abortion. On the one hand, the opponents state that if humans are killed before birth, they are the same person as the other hu man beings (Stetson 32). The concept of killing contradicts with all existed religious and moral practices. Some people are content to continue with the moral traditions in which they were raised, while others are drawn toward systems of belief that they find match their needs and perceptions of this spiritual dimensions. "Fetuses seem to be like arbotraroly chosen human cells on some respects and like

Friday, November 1, 2019

Efficiency and Competitiveness by Information System of Marston Tools Assignment

Efficiency and Competitiveness by Information System of Marston Tools - Assignment Example The industry faces a high level of competitive rivalry. The threat of new entrants is high given the increased competition from manufacturers overseas. There is also competition from lower cost substitute products. Changes in the manufacturing technology have been copied by manufacturers in countries where the same manufacturers have the added benefits of lower materials and labour costs. As a result the industry has been flooded with lower cost substitute products. Because of the availability of these substitute products, the customers have more bargaining power. This means that Marston Tools must be able to maintain a high level of manufacturing quality in order to remain competitive. By integrating information systems strategy with business strategy, the company will be able to achieve this objective. When it comes to acquiring and developing the right business information systems, Porter’s five forces should be assessed in terms of how they impact upon the company’s profitability. As the previous analysis indicates, the industry is characterized by changes in the products and manufacturing technology. This increases the competition. ... The company’s information strategy should be formulated accordingly. As mentioned before, the industry experiences changes in the products and manufacturing technology. Porter’s five forces analysis reveals that these changes can easily be copied by manufacturers overseas who also have the added benefits of lower materials and labour costs. Therefore Marston should not define operational effectiveness in terms of continuously improving the manufacturing technology leading to proprietary content or distinctive processes (Kotler and Armstrong, 2005). Rather it should be defined in terms of delivering unique value to the customers in the form of higher quality. Therefore when it comes to the design and acquisition of information systems, the management should focus upon creating a system that is aligned to the strategic objective of delivering high quality to the customers. In this manner the company raises switching costs thus lowering the bargaining power of buyers. The company operates in an industry which has a high threat of new entrants, a high threat of substitute products and high bargaining power from the buyers. Value chain Currently the company is operating a computer-based system of production scheduling and control. This enables the company to facilitate coordination of different departments by creating a production schedule based upon orders received and sales forecasted. However the company is still facing problems in guaranteeing customer delivery dates and this is affecting sales. Therefore the new business information system should address this problem. However the implementation of the information system will affect both primary

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in Business Case Study

Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in Business - Case Study Example In this type of set-up, employees may quit their job anytime and for any, or no or uneven reason and the employers can likewise fire or layoff employees at any time and for any, no or unfair reasons. But employers are limited by exceptions such as if employment termination is in breach of a contract or illegal. This renders the Employment at Will Doctrine inapplicable. The doctrine will not be applicable if the court determines that an employer was guilty of discharging an employee for a discriminatory reason (employeeissues.com, At Will Employment). There are a number of federal laws that protect the employees against discrimination such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (www.eeoc.gov, Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination Questions And Answers). The federal and state laws of the United States forbids employers or companies from discriminating against employees on the basis of their age, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability and physical handicap. The act of discrimination can take place as early as recruiting to discharging of employees (public.findlaw.com, Employee Discrimination). In the case of Elaine, there is a clear case of discrimination because she was just laid off her job without given a reason of termination.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Media And Communication Studies Problems In Encoding Media Essay

Media And Communication Studies Problems In Encoding Media Essay Introduction Communication is the basic instinct of human being. The interaction and communication process is complex. It directs the researchers to understand the way the cognition works. Latest researches have become more advanced in the context of encoding. CDA (critical discourse analysis) and DA (discourse analysis) have been prerequisite to understand the encoding process. Objectivity, especially in the field of journalism is of great concern. The factors influencing the cognition and the process of encoding have been of the great concern for the communication scholars. Encoding is an integral part of the communication process. With out encoding and decoding it is not possible to communicate and being communicated. If we exclude the encoding the concept of communication is not possible. Mass media in Pakistan like any other media across the globe is working under the lines of responsibility but it is essential to understand the problems in encoding. Process of encoding and decoding is part of everyday communication. Anchormen, news reporters and producers play an important role beyond many others in communication field. Agenda setting, opinions building for a particular purpose have been the major area of interest for the communication experts and the journalists. It is obvious in our daily news media that some hot issues summarily go beyond the surface and the new one take their place to mold the attention of the public from one point to an other. This may go successful in one way when the message is encoded perfectly and then the receiver of the message decodes it in the way the sender wants it. For the successful and objective communication certain studies have been conducted by the communication and language experts focusing especially to the problems in the encoding process. PART II Encoding Definition: Encoding is the translation of purpose, intention, or meaning into symbols or codes. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) By Werner J. Severin James W. Tankard, Jr Mostly these symbols are in the form of numbers, letters or words. These symbols work like bricks in forming the structure of any language. Other shapes of the encoding can be a photograph, motion picture, musical note or in the form of any sound. Encoding is such a process which demands deep attention to understand. It is the part of our routine life. Communication is the vital part of our life. We can not remain in isolation and feel relief when we express our intentions and feeling to any other person. The process of communication involves the most important factor that is encoding. Encoding basically occurs in mind. In other words it is the process of mind in which our intentions and what so ever we want to communicate is converted or shaped into the form of words which may be in the written or spoken form or can be any kind of gesture. We do the encoding on the basis of our knowledge and our past experiences. It is prerequisite for the journalists and communication experts to understand the encoding and its impact on the objectivity of the news or the message being conveyed. Encoding and the Society: Communication works like blood in the body. The process of interaction and transmission of the intentions and ideas from one to other person requires the cognition to come in work. With out the encoding it is impossible to deliver ones intentions to the other. The process of the encoding and decoding follow each other. A person encodes the message in reaction to what he/she decodes. Encoding process is available at every stage. In the field of communication from interpersonal to mass communication; each level has encoding in the process of dissemination of the information. At the mass communication level media disseminate the information to diverse societies. In the societies electronic journalism has a great role in providing the information about daily happening. The general public is regularly exposed to news channels and construct the opinion on the basis of what they watch and listen. Opinion of a society plays important role in the power play at social and national level and even impacts the international power structure. Keeping in mind the importance of the social opinion, it has been the concern of the communication scholars to ensure the objectivity at every stage of news and information dissemination. The process of delivering the information at this level passes through various stages. From the ordinary witness at the crime scene to the reporter, from reporter to the news desk, from news desk to the anchor person and from anchor person to the audiences, the process of encoding is involved at each stage. To ensure the transparency in the information distribution, making it objective and to provide the reality till the audience, certain studies have been conducted by the communication scholars. In the latest studies the scholars have conducted the Critical Discourse Analysis to study the way social power abuse; dominance and inequality are enacted, reproduced and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context. It thus want to understand, expose and ultimately to resist the social inequality. Additionally the scholars have conducted the Discourse Analysis- a general term for a number of approaches to analyze written, spoken, signed language use. Encoding and the Language: In the process of encoding, language plays an important role. A group of students of the language which is called General Semanticists have worked over the encoding. They also have identified some characteristics of the language. These characteristics are essential to understand in understanding the encoding and the problems in its process. To understand the process of encoding in our society, individuals of the society and the media experts including communication experts and journalists it is essential to be known about these characteristics of the language. Media experts and journalists themselves go through the process of the encoding to shape their selections and intentions and the reality of the world around, and this afterwards again shaped by the minds of individuals in the society. At this point to save the objectivity and the purity of news and the affairs about the world around is the major concern. The misuse of the language takes the communicator or the person being communicated to certain amalgamations of the problems. Following are characteristics of the language identified by the General Semanticists: Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic Language is Limited; Reality is Virtually Unlimited Language is Abstract Assumptions Built into Languages Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic: Words themselves do not change over the period of time, yet the world around us is full of change. In the process of the evolution it is the natural phenomenon that certain species are not permanent in their shape and structure but they keep on developing time to time. In this case it is fact that we use the same fixed limitations and the words to describe any event or the world around. We use some specified words and attributes for certain things and events but with the passage of time their importance and area of influence keep on changing. Mass media communication experts especially the journalists use a specified vocabulary and terms to convey daily happenings. In the developing countries like Pakistan, the journalists in mass media field are not literal to the level essential for their work and the media here is in the developing stage; which has the potential risk to objectivity and the true tackling of the matter of the encoding in the sense of obtaining the information and imparting it to the masses but with the gradual rise in the education towards the importance and the responsibility in the news dissemination process is bringing a positive change. Language is Limited; Reality is virtually Unlimited: According to Wendell Johnson (1972) there are 500,000 to 600,000 words in the English language and they are to represent millions of individual facts, experiences and relationships. The people generally use limited vocabulary for their conversation in daily life. Miller (1963) says that vocabulary for telephone conversation is 5000 words and for novel are 10,000 words. Journalists and communication experts generally have the limited vocabulary. They come across various events in their daily life which they finally encode and give the shape of words and voice and broadcast for the audience and viewers. According to this characteristic of the language they can not show the exact reality of the event. This aspect in other words compromises the objectivity required in the news dissemination process. Due to having the limited vocabulary it becomes hard to convey the true picture of the reality. Language is Abstract: According to General Semanticists in the abstraction process we select some details about anything and leave rest of the details. Every language contains some abstractions. It is one of the most important features of the language. It allows us to think in categories. Much of the human knowledge is bound up in the process of categorizing and classifying. As the words become more abstract their correspondence to the reality becomes less and less direct. In the process of encoding especially according to the journalism perspective, objectivity is the foremost thing to consider. It has adverse effects if the audiences are not conversant to the encoding and abstraction processes. Assumptions Built into the Language: As General Semanticists say; the structure and vocabulary of the language contains many assumptions about the nature of the reality. Wendell Johnson observed that the language we use not only puts words in our mouths, but it also puts notions in our heads. Many folk languages contain certain assumption which are influenced by the culture and norms in which the speakers of that language live. Our mind is like a room which is colored by our experiences and cultures and when we speak in native or foreign language, that language builds assumptions in our mind besides putting words in our mouth. Misuses of the Language: General Semanticists have identified some misuses of the language due its static limited and abstract nature. They have identified four common misuses. Dead-Level Abstracting Undue Identification Two Valued Evaluation Unconscious Projection Dead-Level Abstracting: This concept, described by Wendell Johnson (1946) refers to getting stuck at one level of abstraction. The level could be high or low. High level abstractions are words like justice, democracy, freedom, mankind, and communism, peace with honor, and law and order. The low level abstraction can be like, some one recounting every detail of his or her day. An effective message contains generalizations at a high level of abstraction, but there are also specific details at a low level of abstraction. One effective technique for doing this is to give a lot of examples. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) By Werner J. Severin James W. Tankard, Jr Undue Identification: General Semanticists have described the undue identification as, the failure to see distinctions between members of a category or class. This term points out that they are seen as identical or identified. Another term for this is categorical thinking. In everyday discourse, it is sometimes referred to as overgeneralization. One common kind of undue identification is stereotyping. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) Two Valued Evaluation: This is also known as thinking with the excluded middle. According to this, there are only two possibilities of any thing and there is no third possibility of being something at the middle. For example: Right or Wrong Day or Night The General Semanticists have advised the way to eliminate such kind of misuse of the language by having the multivalued evaluation. In other words, to think that there are a range of possibilities of anything. Unconscious Projection: According to the General Semanticists the unconscious projection is a lack of awareness that ones statements are to a degree statements about oneself. Wendell Johnson (1972) went so for as to claim that basically we always talk about ourselves. William Shakespeare said, Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. It is the I behind the eye that does the seeing. The seeing goes on inside our heads and inside our nervous system. What we see is our response to what we look at. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) PART III Literature Review Stuart Hall: Stuart Hall has worked over encoding. His paper encoding/decoding was published in 1973. Many of the terms set by Hall remained influential in the field of cultural studies. Hall explored this work during his stay at Birmingham. Hall worked on that how media messages are produced, circulated and consumed. His essay challenged three major things in the communication process. He argued that; Meaning is not simply fixed or determined by the sender. The message is never transparent. The audience is not passive recipient of the meaning. According to him, distortion is built into the system. It is not the failure of the producer or the viewer. He argued that there is lack of fit between two sides of communication exchange. That lack of fit is between the moment of the production of the message and the moment of its reception. In other words, there is lack of fit between encoding and the decoding process. Cultural theorist Stuart Hall developed the reception theory. This theory analyses that how readers (audience) receive the literary text. This is basically a textual analysis approach that focuses on the range of negotiation and opposition concerning to the audience. According to this theory the text in any form is not accepted passively but the audience or the readers interpret the meanings in their cultural backgrounds and the past experiences. As per this theory, the process of encoding going on in any persons cognition is always influenced by his cultural background and the past experiences of the life. General Semanticists: In the world of communication, encoding has been the matter of the great concern. A group of students of language which was named as General Semanticists, have worked on the problems of encoding. This group was at first led by the Alfred Korzybski, a Polish who later migrated to United States of America. Encoding as being the basic element in the communication process which deals with the work of cognition is unavoidable in the process of analyzing the communication and the interaction of human beings with each other and its effects. In the process of accounting the importance of the encoding we can not put aside the role of the language. The language as being the central tool in the process of the communication affects the whole process of sharing the ideas and interaction with each other. Focusing on the vitality and the role of the language in encoding, they have identified some characteristics of the language that make the encoding difficult-especially in the language. These scholars have been in concern with the role of language in our daily life and its effects over our mental health. They have suggested to use the language in the way as the scientists use, to avoid the problems generated by the misuse of the language. Describing the characteristics of the language which make the encoding difficult, they identified the language as; Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic Language is Limited; Reality is Virtually Unlimited Language is Abstract Assumptions Built into Languages Misuse of the language causes the wrong encoding of any purpose or intention which takes the person being communicated, away from the reality. The person who gratifies his needs for information and news is on the stake of the key performers in the information dissemination process such as media producers, anchor-persons and the news reporters. General Semanticists have also identified some misuses of the language. Wendell Johnson has the prominent work in this regard. The misuses of the language are; Dead-Level Abstracting Undue Identification Two Valued Evaluation Unconscious Projection According to Wendell Johnson, getting stuck to a level of abstraction, and basically we always talk about ourselves, are the matters of the great concern. The field of journalism like other communication activities requires more attention towards these findings by the General Semanticists. The element of the objectivity has been of great concern. S. I. Hayakawa (1964) discusses three kinds of statements focusing the objectivity. Reports Inferences judgment According to him, the statement which is capable of verification is called the report. He describes the inferences as the statements made about unknown on the basis of known and finally he discussed the judgment as an expression of approval or disapproval for an occurrence, person or object. Journalists are sometimes challenged for their objectivity and unveiling the true picture of reality. For this the Hayakawa has advised to follow the report method of the statements and avoid inferences, statements and slanting. Encoding and Mass Media in Pakistan: Mass media in Pakistan has been playing active role in dissemination of the information to the audience at every newsworthy occasion. Certainly there is no scarcity of the hardworking journalists working in the whole process of the communication and the news dissemination. At the present stage there is great competition going on among various TV channels, of which most of the channels are newly emerged. Being the first in the broadcasting race some times the violation of the standards and ethics of news reporting is obvious. Some of the channels have been showing the videos of such a brutal incidents which would never be shown under the codes of ethics. Whether it is print or the electronic media, loopholes in the process of information gathering, processing and distributing stages are apparent. Government has established PEMRA to regulate the media but it too has been kept under the influence of the interests of the governing body in the past. In the print media there are a number of news stories available at the news desks which are firstly encoded by the reporters in the words on the paper, which sometimes are not written properly due to limited vocabulary of the language held with the reporter. There are gatekeepers at various stages of the news production which practice their influence on the word structure of the news. Sometimes a few newsworthy stories are left behind due to unavailability of the space in the print and the time in the electronic media and that reserved space is due to the immense influence of the advertisers, through which mass media generate the revenue. In such above mentioned conditions, the objectivity is the element of great concern in the whole process of the mass media. There have been no work done over the issue of encoding by the mass media of Pakistan and there is no research held over the audience way of the encoding in Pakistan. There are a few channels (TV, Radio) and newspapers which are never influenced by the rivalry of the circumstances and tried to provide the objective news to the audience and vied to unveil the reality. But to analyze the way the mass media in Pakistan encodes the messages and to analyze the way the audience further encode the messages, is the matter of great concern. PART IV Hypothesis To analyze the objectivity and the encoding process by the news media it is essential to set a hypothesis. Under the hypothesis we will discuss the level of objectivity and the way how mass media especially the news media (print and electronic) of Pakistan and the audience encode the news. Statement of the Hypothesis News media (print and electronic media) in Pakistan politicize the news PART V Analysis Mass media in Pakistan has diverse outlets. It is not merely confined to the print media or in the other words the newspapers. There are news agencies, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV channels, internet and the movie industry under the title of the mass media in Pakistan. Debating on the issue of the encoding we will pass through the performance of the all kinds of media in Pakistan focusing on the issue of politicizing of the news elements by the media industry. Pakistan as being one of the developing countries is passing through the process of the evolution in the field of industry, economy and the media field. Where there are various TV channels are getting approval for the start of the broadcast, there many newly born newspapers are sacrificing for there erectness and stability in the corporate culture of the present Pakistan. Besides this there is one more way of recreation, learning and information for the audience and that is radio listening. The radio Pakistan enjoys the vast area coverage with respect to other FM radio stations having a limited area for broadcast. Internet too is full of blogs and WebPages. Society in Pakistan is divided into urban and rural population. The urban population is being exposed to diverse media outlets than the rural population. The emerging news media in Pakistan has been influenced by the political economy being practiced by various corporate and the political bodies. The newly emerging media whether in the form of print or electronic have to vie for their existence and their existence can not be assured with out generation of the revenue. The struggle to generate the revenue some times put these media industries on the way other than the objectivity. The objectivity has been the great concern for the communication experts and the scholars. It would be the foremost responsibility of the mass media to provide the accurate picture of the reality and do not keep the audience away from the reality. Encoding of the news is blurred by the various key players in the media industry due to their affiliations with the corporate world and the political body. Corporate sector influences the media by using the advertisement tool and the political body cares for its interest and if the media go against, it puts the sanctions through the governmental media regulating bodies. This way, the corporate and the political bodies control the contents of the news and other media messages and make the reporters, news editors, columnists, anchor persons and the news producers to think in the way they want. As the general semanticists identified, due to the limited aspect of the language the reporter sometimes can not describe the reality of the incident in the way as it should be. The assumptions built in the language makes the key performers in the media industry to think in the way that is influenced by their culture and past experiences. As the Wendell Johnson said, the opinions of the columnists are to some extent the talks about themselves. These are basically their opinions and not necessarily the reality of something. The element of the judgment according to the Hayakawa is also visible in the opinions given in the news articles and the columns. Reports are the only the way to come up with the reality for the audience. There are the reports that can only be verified and are credible thats why the emphasis is given on the report (a type of statements according to Hayakawa). The audience as per the uses and the gratification theory gratifies their needs from the mass media in the form of the news and the entertainment. And if they gratify their needs on the basis of the news encoded by mass media under the influence of any corporate or the political body, they will live with the wrong picture of the world around them in their brain and that will effect their reaction in the social life. Agenda setting aspect of the mass media is also applicable in this regard. The influential bodies and sometimes the personal bias of any of the key performers in the mass media molds the structure of the news in a particular sense generating collection of words which causes to set a particular agenda in the public. Sometimes the political influence of the political body being the major provider of the advertisements to the mass media makes news media to make an issue over particular news in the media and bury the other news which however may cause any harm to the political body. The contents of the news in the media are also affected by the advertiser which buys large space or the time in the news media and this way controls consciously or unconsciously the news flow and its encoding. Some of the events have been given more than the due time and rests of the important events are kept at the stand by although the newsworthy incidents keep happening all the time in any of the corners of the country. The news is not merely encoded by the news media but it is further encoded by the audience and it then further travels to the rest of the audience through their opinion leaders in the public sphere. If the encoding at any stage in the news media is of that other than reality and away from the objectivity, the travel of the information at any stage will not be fruitful for the audience. PART VI Findings News media in the Pakistan are encoding the news messages for the audience. Those media that are strong are practicing better encoding of the news and focusing on the element of objectivity than those which are newly born and needs revenue from advertisements for their strength building in the media market. The threat to the objective encoding is expected in the talk shows where the anchormen conclude the discussion and give inferences and judgments. This aspect is also visible in the news articles and columns which are basically their own opinions about the reality. Audiences further encode the messages based on what kind of encoding done by the news media they come across. They remain away from the reality if they are gratifying from the inobjective encoding by the news media. Thanks With Best Regards M Bilal Bhatti MS 1 Media Communication Studies IIUI, Islamabad