Great Expectations: A Synopsis Essay

â€Å"The worst prisons are those we create for ourselves. † To what extent do you agree? Set in the 19th Century Victorian England, many of the main characters in Great Expectations’ are imprisoned either virtually or metaphorically. Magwich is an actual prisoner of the English penal system, and is also a prisoner of his own desire to revenge Compeyson and the class system. Miss Havisham ad Pip create prisons for themselves out of their own fixations and obsessions. It could also be argued that Pip and Estella are both metaphorically imprisoned by Miss Havisham and Magwitch’s need to revenge. Although the description of Newgate is ghastly, and the effects of the prisons imposed upon Pip and Estella are difficult to overcome- the detrimental lite and psychological effects on Pip, Miss Havisham and Magwitch resultant of their self imposed prisons are the worst prisons of all, because they are so illusive and deceptive, that the characters often dont know of their existence until the damage is done. Through his exposure to Satis House and Estella’s taunting malice, Pip becomes aware of his social inferiority, and thus sprouts the first seeds of discontent with his class. Like a distant yet alluring star, Pip is tantalised by Estella’s wealth and beauty, and out of his exposure to her his all consuming obsession with becoming a gentelman emerges. Ironically, when this idea first emerged, Pip really had very little understanding of what a gentleman was. Although he cannot articulate whether he has this desire â€Å"to spite her or to gain her over,† this fervent urge dictates the direction of his life. He becomes imprisoned into a superficial and narrow be. cf that a gentleman is someone with wealth, status and learning, and will go to any lengths to achieve this aim, albeit rejecting Joe and Biddy. Pip gains his great expectations frorn Magwitch, and although he was metaphorically imprisoned by Magwitch’s exploitation of him to revenge the class system- Pip had already begun to laud the false values of gentilify. Pip could have used Magwitch’s money to become a member of the upper class, but still retain qualities of kindne ss and compassion (like Herbert. Instead, Pip becomes locked into the world of lavish expenditure, greed and corruption. Despite his unhappiness, shown clearly the Finch Club â€Å"there was a gay fiction that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a keleton of truth that we never did†, it takes him many years and trials to free himself from this elusive self imposed prison. Despite the guilt that he feels, he still manages to Justify his treatment of Joe because the prison he has created for himself is so difficult to break out of. Miss Havisham is the epitome of the devastating consequences of creating ones own prison. After being swindled and left at the alter, Miss Havisham is so emotionally ruined that she creates her own virtual and rnetaphorical prison. She confines herself to her mansion, which â€Å"had a great many iron confines bars to it’? and tells Pip that she had â€Å"never seen the sun since you were born. † But she also confines her and raising her purely as an instrument to â€Å"wreak havoc† in the hearts of men. Miss Havisham creates her own prison to revenge all males, and this prison envelops her existence. So consumed by hatred, Miss Havisham’s heart begins to decay, as is symbolic in her surroundings â€Å"covered in dust and mould and dropping to peices†, as well as her spider infested rotten wedding cake. Like Pip, it takes Miss Havisham many yearsand much suffering to understand that she was actually imprisoned. The urning point for her came when she realised that Estella could not lover her because â€Å"l stole her heart away and put ice in its place. Pip acknowledges that Miss Havisham’s imprisonment of Estella was a â€Å"greivous thing† but recognised that her own seclusion from the world and from the healing influcences to her mind and broken heart were infinitely worse. Conversly, Magwitch is a prisoner of the penal system. Although he committed a crime that saw him placed in a Jail, Magwitch did not create this prison because he was forced into imp risonment by the authorities, and was basically forced to commit rime in order to survive. His imprisonment was not a conscious choice, as was Pip and Miss Havisham’s, and unlike the others, Magwitch was well aware of this imprisonment. Despite his loss of freedom and years immersed in sub-human conditions, his mental imprisonment in the need to revenge Compeyson and class system, which he creates for himself, has the most damaging effect on his life. After escaping from the prison ship, Magwitch could have been free had it not been for his revenge upon Compeyson. Because of these acitons, Magwitch finds himself again imprisoned and sent for life to Australia. Again, it was his self-imposed imprisonment that caused the most damage. Magwitch spends most of his time in Australia working to convert Pip into a gentleman to revenge the class system, instead of Just forgetting his past and moving on with his life. He even goes so far as to come back to Englas to see â€Å"my gentleman†, and is consequently sentenced to death for returning. Through the stories of Pip, Miss Havisham and Magwitch, Dickens is clearly expressing that the worst prisons are those we create for ourselves, as their damage is subtle to the victim who may be unaware of their existence.

Article 6 of the European Courts of Human Rights

â€Å"The common law always contained due process principles. Article 6 of ECHR merely provides a new way of thinking about them as human rights. † Discuss.. Article 6 of the ECHR builds up a body of principles that relate to fair trial rights in regular courts. Nevertheless, an essential question which applies to both special tribunals and courts still remains whether they operate with sufficient fair trial guarantees. The term ‘due process’ refers to the legal obligation that a state must respect and provide all of the legal rights that are owed to a person.Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individuals from it. For example, when a government harms a person without following the exact course of the law, this constitutes a due process violation. The common law is a law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals as opposed to statutes adopted through the legislative process issued by the executive bench. I t does contain due process principles as well as other basic human rights but it is to a certain degree. The European Court of Human Right which is located in Strasburg was established by the European Conventions on Human rights.It hears complaints that one of the 47 member state has violated the human rights written in the convention and its rules. Complaints can be brought by an individual or other contracting state and the court can also issue advisory opinion. Article 6 of the European Courts of Human Rights focuses basically on the right to a fair trial. Section 1 of the Article states that â€Å"In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.Judgment shall be pronounced publicly but the press and public may be excluded from all or part of the trial in the interests of morals, public order or nat ional security in a democratic society, where the interests of juveniles or the protection of the private life of the parties so require, or to the extent strictly necessary in the opinion of the court in special circumstances where publicity would prejudice the interests of justice.. † The Section 2 of the same act states that â€Å"Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.Section 3 explains further that â€Å"Everyone charged with a criminal offence has the following minimum rights: (a) to be informed promptly, in a language which he understands and in detail, of the nature and cause of the accusation against him. (b) to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence. (c) to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for legal assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require. d) to examine or h ave examined witnesses against him and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on his behalf under the same conditions as witnesses against him.(e) to have the free assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand or speak the language used in court. † The reaction of the common law courts to the European Court of Human Right is seen in the response of two very important cases of H v. Belgium and James v. UK. In H v. Belgium [1987] H was a Belgian citizen who had been struck off the roll of the Antwerp Bar.H has tried unsuccessfully to be reinstated. The court held that there has been a breach of Article 6 by the tribunal that had considered H’s re-admission. The court’s reasoning was based on 2 grounds: firstly, there was no right to challenge the tribunal’s decision. And secondly, the decision was not adequately reasoned. In James v. United Kingdom [1986] the applicants were the trustees of the Duke of Westminster. The estate contained certain properties that had been let to tenants.The tenants had made use of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 to buy the properties from the estate. The trustees complained that both the compulsory transfer and the prices received for the properties amounted to a breach of, inter alia, their Article 6 rights. The courts held that there had been no breach. The courts argued that: (a)Article 6 does not require that there be a national court with competence to invalidate or override national law. It does not guarantee any particular content for ‘civil rights and obligations’ on the substantive law of contracting states. b)In so far as the applicants considered that there was non-compliance with the leasehold reform legislation they had unimpeded access to a tribunal competent to determine the issue.In cases which determine civil rights and in criminal cases, it protects the right to a public hearing in front of an independent and impartial tribunal within reasonable time, the presumption of innocence and the other minimum rights for those charges in a criminal case such as: adequate time and facilities to prepare their defense, access o legal representation, right to examine witnessed against them to have them examined, right to the free assistance of an interpreter. Mainly most of the Convention violations that the courts find are excessive delays, in the violation of the â€Å"reasonable time† requirement. Another significant set of violations concerns the â€Å"confrontational clause† of Article 6 which protects the right to examine witnessed or have them examined. In this aspect, problems of compliance with Article 6 may arise when national laws allow the use in evidence of the testimonies of absent, anonymous and vulnerable witnesses.The response of the English courts to the Article 6 of ECHR was seen in the case of Fayed v. United Kingdom [1994] where the court argued that, â€Å"A fair balance had to be struck between the demands of the general interest of the community and the requirements of the protection of the individual’s fundamental rights. It’s not always easy to trace the dividing line between procedural and substantive limitations of a given entitlement of a domestic law. And in the case of Osman v United Kingdom [2000] allegations were raised about the alleged failure of the police to protect right to life and lawfulness of restrictions on right of access to a court. The appellants argued that thru k government had deprived them of a right of action in negligence against the police. The ECHR found that the appellants had been deprived of the right of access to the court. The ECHR went on to argue that Article 6(1) embodies the ‘right to a court’, of which the right of access, or the right to institute proceedings before a court in civil matters.The Article 6 of the ECHR is merely provided for thinking deeply about the rights to a fair trial more seriously as it could be ea sily breached by the courts. If it had been kept as a common law, the full rights of the individuals to an independent and impartial tribunal would have been not granted. And as a result of that, many individuals who have been accused of a crime would have been falsely imprisoned on the basis of not enough representation or unjust representation.

Gillette Marketing

Gillette Razor corporation was founded in 1901 by King Camp Gillette as the American Safety Razor Company. In 1895, while working as a salesman for Gillette envisioned an inexpensive, double-edge blade that could be clamped over a handle and simply disposed of when the blade dulled. Gillette spent many years searching for an inventor or engineer that could help him in making the dream a reality. Many people told him it couldn’t be done but in 1901 William Nickerson, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology educated machinist, took on the task aided with the designs provided by Gillette.Production of the razor started in early 1903 and in October of the same year, the newly renamed, Gillette Safety Razor Company began advertising and selling their razor sets for $5 each. Additional blades sold for $1 for twenty As we mentioned earlier King Gillette vision was to make the shaving experience simpler, safer, inexpensive and time saving. The Gillette Company is globally focused on c onsumer products marketer that seeks competitive advantage in quality, personal care and personal use products.On their very beginnings Gillette Company was mainly focus on men’s grooming products; in 1902 they introduced the first safety razor using a disposable blade and they started advertising their product with the first ad appearing in a magazine. By 1908, Gillette Company started operating not only in U. S. but also in Canada, England, France and Germany. Around this time they introduce their second best advertising campaign which was the face of King’s Gillette on each of their razors pack.This advertising campaign was very successful on countries outside of U. S. because people recognized the face of King’s Gillette and they referred to them as â€Å"the king with the man’s face. † During the following twenty years the company kept introducing new products with new technology. By 1939, the company developed a sports advertising campaign an d they purchased the radio broadcast right to the World Series. Later on, in 1942 the company sponsored a group of sport advertising which they called â€Å"Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. This included the orange bowl, the sugar bowl, and the Kentucky Derby; which according to the company history website this â€Å"sports advertising programs, remained an important vehicle for Gillette advertising. Later on, around 1970’s the company developed a new advertising campaign to advertise their product line of Right Guard and soft & dry deodorants and Adorn and white Rain hair sprays. The company continues introducing innovation in shaving technology, and at the same time developing new ad campaigns to emphasize the more profitable shaving systems over disposable shavers.Around 1990, the company decided to change a little bit their target market so they introduce the Gillette Venus Vibrance, which is the female version of the M3 power Venus blades for man. The introduction of fema le razors was very positive for the company, but this was not the only new program development that Gillette Company will have. Around the same year Gillette’s company acquired four successful U. S. divisions, and those were the personal care division (Oral-B product care),the Toiletries Division (right guard deodorant and antiperspirant), the paper Mate Division and The Safety Razor Division.These divisions did help the company’s revenues but most of the company’s revenue was generated by the razors division. The company found sport advertising campaigns to be very successful so around the year of 2005, the company introduce a new advertising campaign featuring sports champions; such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry to announce the new Gillette’s new product line. â€Å"Fusion Gamer Saver† and the line of this campaign was â€Å"prepare to be your best today. † this advertising campaign was very successful not only in U. S. b ut also in many different countries. In addition, to this campaign the company also introduced multimedia advertising, store promotions, direct marketing, sponsorships and celebrity television commercials; for instance Jennifer Lopez, she is the celebrity that advertises the Venus Razor. Another important advertising that Gillette Company introduces is their web page. In this page the company introduces their line as â€Å"Being a G man means taking pride in grooming to help you look, feel and be your best.So here people can find their products, Gillette science (innovations of the product, from then to now), and product coach, for man and women. Product coach is a very interesting feature, because guys can play with this picture and see how they might look with certain type of beard color or hair color; and it is also available for women, so they can also choose how they want to look. One of the most recent successful advertising campaigns that Gillette introduced was the Young Gu ns, with Ray Rice, Kyle Busch, Evan Longoria, Carlos Gonzales, Matt Ryan and Denny Hamlin.This current promotions are focusing on Young man, so this shows that Gillette is not only focus on targeting older man, they are focus on personal care and personal use product for man and women of different ages. Gillette has an incredible amount of the market share of disposable razors. Gillette holds 72% of the market, while their closest competitor, Schick has a mere 18 % and the number 3 company, Bic has 6%. When compared all other brands in the world, through 2010, Gillette is ranked 13th according to Interbrand. com. They currently have a brand value of 23,298,000,000.

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Essay

The death penalty is an issue that has the United States quite divided. While there are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount of opposition. There are five different forms of execution in the United States: hanging, electrocution, lethal injection, lethal gas, and firing squad. All of these should be illegal. Capital punishment is defined as killing of someone for a crime. But also, murder is defined as killing one human being by another. Both are acts of violence. There is nothing more inhumane than tolerating the killing of another human being. According to the Abolitionists, capital punishment is nothing but an act of violence. There are 32 states with the death penalty, and they must change. These states need to abolish it on the grounds that it carries a dangerous risk of punishing the innocent, is cruel, and for religious reasons. The United States needs to abolish capital punishment in the states that allow it. To fully understand why they should abolish the death penalty, I will first analyze the reasons why they should. First reason the death penalty should be abolished is because the risk of punishing somebody innocent. â€Å"We’re only  ­human, we all make mistakes,† is a commonly used phrase, but it is tried and true. Humans, as a species, are famous for their mistakes. However, in the case of the death penalty, error becomes too dangerous a risk. The innocent lives that have been taken with the approval of our own government should be enough to abolish capital punishment. The wrongful execution of an innocent person is an injustice that can never be rectified. There’s always the chance of the innocent being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A handful of evidence from a strong lawyer could sentence someone to life in prison, and even the death penalty. One could be spending and ending his life in captivity for simply walking down the wrong street on the wrong day. That person does not deserve to serve the time that’s not rightfully his. It’s a small fault in the justice system that is not easy to overcome. In the case of the death penalty, error becomes too dangerous to risk. The innocent lives that have been taken with the approval of our own government  should be enough to abolish capital punishment. Another reason to abolish the death penalty is because it is cruel. Many people favor the death penalty because it helps families get over the wrong done to the family; however, in most cases, closure is not the result. Losing a loved one, no matter how that person is lost, is unbearable. Pain like this is shocking and the victim’s family holds onto the hope that the execution of the murderer will bring relief and closure. Nevertheless, when execution day arrives, the pain is not eased. No relief can be gained, for their pain is an unavoidable, natural process of life. They believe that they are different from those who have taken their loved ones and they demonstrate their  ­difference by refusing to sink to a murderer’s level. According to Edna Weaver, whose daughter was murdered in New Jersey, expressed relief that the defendant was spared the death penalty. She said that she did not want William Severs Jr. executed for killing Tina Lambriola in 2002 because she wanted to spare his mother the pain of losing a child. â€Å"I’m so thankful it came out the way it did. . . . I wouldn’t want another mother to feel like I do — it’s a feeling I could never put into words. . . . At least his mother will be able to write to him, she will be able to send things to him,† Weaver stated. Finally, the last reason they should abolish capital punishment is because religious reasons. Many religions, such Catholicism, follow the rules that God sent to use through the Ten Commandments. One of the most important of those ten states, â€Å"Thou shall not kill.† If you are executing an individual, that clearly violates this commandment. Murdering any person, no matter what the individual has been convicted of, is a mortal sin. In the Old Testament; the Lord said that it is okay to give a man Capital punishment if he has committed serious crime. Then in the New Testament he said we should not take the life of another man but if that man disobeys the laws of his country then he shall be punished equally according to what he had done. With the many advances that society has made, executing people for crimes the person may have or may not have committed is still practiced. It violates so many religious beliefs. It is a cruel and unusual practice that must be done away with. Society must advance and eliminate the death penalty. We need to understand that the best way to prevent any possible  murders in the future is not let the killer walk free. Nothing good comes of hate, and nothing good can ever come from capital punishment. It cannot continue to be accepted by a nation that claims to have liberty and justice for all. The death penalty is murder on the sly and it’s dead wrong.

Medical Profession Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Medical Profession - Personal Statement Example Currently, I am working with multi-disciplinary healthcare teams. This job enables me to experience the many facets of nursing care in nine different wards, including Accident & Emergency, Stroke, Respiratory and Cardiac Units. My duties revolve around holistic nursing care system which requires and allows me to: Furthermore, I am well-versed in using MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Being a computer literate, I can file and sort patients' medical records systematically. As a professional, I am deeply aware that all information is to be regarded as strictly confidential, whether it appears important or otherwise. My excellent report writing skills and experience in presenting information to others can also be tapped by your office. During my free time, I attend training programs, symposia and seminars to improve my ability to: All of these valuable tools, I believe, are instrumental in making me an effective and valuable member of any medical team and I am confident that I will continue to learn and develop my skills as a health service provider, particularly as I provide care to a diverse patient population. With the above-mentioned training and experience not to mention my innate leadership skills, I am confident that I can be a valuable member of the National Health Service. I can adjust to new environment and would be happy to work hand in hand with the best minds in the medical profession. As such, I do not see any obstacle in carrying out my duties and responsibilities that include settings priorities and scheduling work as well as attending to the care, welfare and daily routines of client groups including adults with learning disabilities in a variety of residential settings. These tasks are very similar to the hospital environment which I am familiar with especially that I had a prior experience similar to this field at Queen Mary's Hospital where I assisted on the Reeves Ward and cared for predominantly elderly people with dementia and respiratory

Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an Essay

Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with - Essay Example The data they used to defend their position was that of crime rates in the US in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Truly, the crime rates for 1970s and 1980s were high compared to 1990s. The two authors claim that the reduced crime rates in 1990s was due to the legalization of abortion in the US in 1973. To them, legalization of abortion led to reduction of unwanted babies. They based their claims on the ground that males of ages 18-24 are most likely to commit crimes. By 1990s, babies born from 1973 were 17 years and above. A reduction of crime rates in 1990s therefore meant that most of those who commit crimes are people originating from unwanted/unplanned pregnancies. I dispute the above claims. First, the rate of murder of 14-17 year in 1993 was 3.6 times that of 14-17 year olds in 1984. The first lot was born during the high-abortion period of 1975-1979 while the second lot was born during the pre-legalization period of 1966-1970. This means legalization of abortion had little impact on crime rates among those born post-legalization period. Secondly, if legalization reduces crime rates, a decline in crime should therefore have started from the youth. Contrasting to the above fact, reduction in crime was first recorded among the older people, those born pre-legalization period.

Darfur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Darfur - Essay Example c warfare between the Sudanese central government and a number of insurgent movements since February 2003; these groups are demanding rights for the local peoples and more state investment in their marginalized region†. In other words, the main reason for the appearance and the development of violence in the state has been the opposition between the government’s decisions and the willing of the major part of the population. It should be noticed that the consequences of the development of this conflict have been severe. More specifically, it is noticed in the Africa Studies Centre (2007) that â€Å"at the start of the armed conflict, Darfur, which is the size of France, had a population of about 6 million (virtually all Muslims) but the number is significantly lower today due to mass killings, disease, famine and forced expulsions akin to ethnic cleansing caused by the ‘scorched earth’ military actions of the government troops and local militias; these milit ias, known as the ‘Janjawiid’, have been largely recruited from Arabized peoples from northern and eastern Darfur†. The main reason for the continuation of the above described situation cannot be precisely described, however it could be considered that the oppositions in interests of the state and those of the rebels is more likely to have led to this result. The development of the conflict in Darfur is described on a report of BBC News (2007) according to which â€Å"The conflict began in the arid and impoverished region early in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum; the rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs; Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has faced many years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities†. In other words, it seems that the conflict in Darf ur has not begun because of a random initiative

SA4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SA4 - Essay Example ors’, Empires of images† and the â€Å"veil† by different offer critical arguments about the significance of the physical appearance in the society. From the article â€Å"Empires of Images†, the author exposes the evident obsession of women appearing more physically appealing (Bordo 2). The urge to conceal the adverse effects of age, women have relied on different products and surgical operations aimed at modifying the looks of an individual. The people choosing this path are only acting in response to root social problem that involves the criticality of physical appearance as a criterion to judge people. It introduces a competitive notion of being flawless and seeking the impossible perfection. This frenzy only occurs because the globe places extreme importance on physical appearance. In this text, only a single example of a celebrity judged according to her personality and competence, while the numerous other examples involve people judged according to their physical appearance, and hence their undying desire to attain a measure of perfection (Bordo 5). Notably, the text by Grealy titled the â€Å"Mirrors† also brings out a similar perspective, according to the experience of the author (Grealy 34). The author accepted multiple surgical operations after the adverse effects presented on the face during the removal of a cancerous tumor. The procedure served to alter the appearance of the author, deforming the face and leaving her physically unattractive. In such a state, the author faced multiple challenges because of the social stigma extended to her because of her physical appearance. It was unfortunate that the society was blind to the inside beauty that an individual had, a factor that compelled the author to accept the multiple numbers of operations in a bid to alter the face and make it more appealing (Grealy 36). In different residential areas, the author struggled with the evident rejection and isolation because of the physical appearance until she could

Nursing course reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing course reflection - Essay Example Throughout the course I have encountered intimidating as well as exciting activities; I have discovered quite a lot through my clinicals and after every session pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together clearer. Yet I recognize I still have a long way to go to consider myself a guru in the field of nursing. I have learnt that nursing changes with and is changed by technological innovations; it is in constant change and technological changes affect nursing practices. Equally, ethical issues are widespread in nursing. I came to an understanding that the ultimate object of nursing students is attaining a particular confidence level attuned to their respective skill level to permit them to safely work within their practice scope while upholding capacity to address areas requiring further knowledge/training (Idczak, 2007). Before attaining this knowledge, I used to think that only the nurse’s determination and decision making were significant in providing nursing services. And although I knew the importance of planning, I underestimated its value. Collaboration of all parties involved in patient care and particularly consideration of patient’s needs are at the heart of nursing and planning is vital for effective service provision. Thus, my stance on service provision has changed. Previously I would only focus on the carer for evaluation of quality of nursing services but from now on I will be considering the characteristics of all parties involved in service provision, and I will emphasise on planning.

Business Idea Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Idea Evaluation - Essay Example The article also brings to light the strategic benefit of aligning the innovation strategy with the ecosystem and what a successful innovation evaluation model should seek to measure. Innovation is the key to business success. In order that it reigns supreme and contributes to increasing profitability it must be managed carefully. Organizations must create and sustain a creativity supporting culture through routines, rituals as well, control systems, symbols and systems. Organizations endeavour to instil some form of entrepreneurial spirit amongst their employees [15]. Ever since the discipline of management came into being, various models and criteria have been established to evaluate business ideas and propositions. In theory, these criteria should be able to assess the idea on many different dimensions. These include; "market opportunity, competition, the marketing system, financial factors and production factors." [1] Innovation is not just the domain of R& D. It exists everywhere, at all levels and all areas of the organization. However, not many companies know how to learn from this innovation and use it to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization. Also, "Starting a business is easy. Deciding on what business to engage in is the difficult part. There are literally hundreds of ideas you might think of that could bring in extra income. How do you know which of these business ideas will bring you success" A business idea is the 1st step in setting up a business. It's the beginning of the business development process. Since the concept behind a business is to make money, a business idea should be something people will be willing to buy, hence it should satisfy the value proposition. This is the unique value that a product has that a product brings to its customers. Business ideas usually start on a broad scope. These are then narrowed down keeping market conditions, customer requirements and business resources in mind.[21] Business models have been set out to assess the viability of a new idea. These are usually focused on a certain aspect of the innovation. In practice, a host of models are put to use for a comprehensive evaluation. While certain approaches are centred around the financial feasibility of the new venture such as Return on Investment and Net Present Value, others are more qualitative in nature. However, all of them have certain drawbacks and specific advantages. There is no best approach for any idea and many ideas must be evaluated keeping in mind variables such as type of industry, type of product, type of market etc. The Buyer Utility Map The Buyer Utility Map is a comprehensive tool used to evaluate the utility of a business idea for the target consumer. It focuses on the six stages of buyer experiences; purchase, delivery, use, supplements, maintenance and disposal. These are matched with the six utility levers which include

Financial and economic comparison between Qatar and the United kingdom Research Paper

Financial and economic comparison between Qatar and the United kingdom - Research Paper Example 97,583,513,617 2,183,862,761,501 128,738,144,613 2,155,836,882,035 2010 127,322,413,671 2,256,260,000,000 113,782,317,847 2,194,805,447,471 2011 172,981,588,421 2,445,408,064,516 151,207,682,186 2,383,438,659,372 Table 1 – Comparison of Real GDP and Nominal GDP between Qatar and the UK Table 1 represents a comparison of nominal and real GDP between Qatar and the UK for the years 2000 to 2011. The nominal GDP was used in the calculation of real GDP along with the GDP Deflator. (World Bank 2013a; World Bank 2013b). According to Kumaranayake (2000) as general price level increases price and cost information needs to be adjusted when making comparisons between different years. The formula used in the calculation of real GDP is stated as follows: Real GDP = (Nominal GDP/(GDP Deflator + 100)) * 100 The Nominal GDP represents the GDP at current market price. It does not take into consideration the fact that inflation has impacted purchasing power in the different countries. In order to account for that the Nominal GDP is divided by the (GDP deflator + 100) and then multiplied by 100. Therefore, if the annual GDP deflator is 3% and the Nominal GDP is US$1,000,000 then it simply means that the purchasing power in the economy has been reduced by 3% to 97%. By dividing the Nominal GDP by 103 and multiplying by 100, the Real GDP at base year prices are calculated for the period. Table 2 shows the GDP deflator for Qatar and the UK which were used in the calculation of Real GDP. GDP Deflator/Inflation rate Year Qatar UK 2000 Â   0.7 2001 -4.4 1.6 2002 3.1 2.3 2003 17.4 2.5 2004 11.4 2.6 2005 26.3 2.4 2006 18.5 2.9 2007 11.4 2.2 2008 22.8 3 2009 -24.2 1.3 2010 11.9 2.8 2011 14.4 2.6 Table 2 – GDP Deflator for Qatar and UK 2000 to 2011 The GDP deflator for Qatar is greater than that for the UK. While Qatar shows double digits for all years except 2001 and 2002 with 2001 being negative the UK had single digits for all the years. The GDP deflator for Qatar ranged from -24.2 for 2010 to 26.3 for 2005. The lowest rate was 3.1% in 2002. The UK on the other hand ranged from 0.7% for 2000 and 2.8 in 2010. The differences in their corresponding GDP deflators explain the differences between the Nominal and Real GDP for both countries with Qatar showing greater differences than the UK. Part (b) The graph in Figure 1 shows the trends in nominal and real GDP for Qatar and the UK for the period 2000 to 2011. Figure 1 – Graph of Trends in Real and Nominal GDP Figure 1 shows the trends in both Nominal and Real GDP for the years 2000 to 2011. The graph shows mainly moderate increases in both variables for Qatar except between 2008 and 2009 when there was a decline in the Nominal GDP and from 2009 to 2010 when there was a decline the real GDP. The reason is that in 2009 the GDP deflator was a negative 24% and so the Real GDP was higher. The UK experienced a slight decline in both variables between 2000 and 2001. However, there was a steep increase b etween 2001 and 2004. The increase was moderate between 2004 and 2006 with a steep rise between 2006 and 2007. However between 2007 and

Case 9A (Middlehurst House) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 9A (Middlehurst House) - Coursework Example A few though especially those who have children in 5-6 age group do not support any increase. Both scenarios will be analyzed separately to determine the best way forward. Decreasing the size of the class and increasing tuition fee by 25% will not be the best thing to do since the business will operate at a loss. However, a decrease in class size followed by a 50% increase in tuition fee will be favored since the later generates $4,780 in profit. Both options, however, yield positive marginal profit as seen but fixed costs eat into the profits generated in the first option. From the analysis, the best increase to maintain current profit levels would probably be X-(6,970+22,150) = 500 gives 29,620 for X. This is 8,120 more than the current revenue (21,500) which translates to 8,120/21500*100 = 37.7% required increase if the partnership must maintain the current profit levels after decreasing classes. Creating of new classes will raise the cost especially by the new tutors who will be required to teach the extra students. Classes will not be functioned at their capacity, and this will lead to a loss of $261 as shown in the calculations above. It is therefore not the best decision for the daycare home. It is profitable to create new classes from the waiting list while keeping small. This will generate $5,117, which is $4,617 more than the current profits. Other factors have to be carefully analyzed apart from the current costs (Brewer, 2008). Starting an infant class will be a good thing to do if classes are decreased and new rates are in effect. The effect of adding a single infant class is evaluated below. According to Hoffjan & WÃ ¶mpener (2006), evaluation of several situations is necessary to arrive at the best. From the analysis, the management is best placed if it does two simultaneous decisions at the same time i.e. decreasing class size by increasing tuition fee by 37.7% and starting of

Critically analyse the claim of labour process theory Essay

Critically analyse the claim of labour process theory - Essay Example The project makes an analysis of the theory in depth and the views of researchers and practitioners regarding the fundamental and inherent conflicts of interests between employers and employees at the workplace. In this context, the key elements of local management systems and controls are analyzed and the way they impact on different sections of the working class which hold skills and expertise which are not reproducible through machines or unskilled labor (O’Doherty & Willmott, 2002, p.2). Labor Process Theory The Labor Process Theory considers how individuals work, which people control their work activities, skills which they use for working and the way they are paid for their services. According to the views of Braverman, who was an industrial worker for a long part of his life in America, management steals the skills of workers in capitalist societies. In this was they act in the way of reducing the pleasurable character of work and the power that workers possess. They al so reduce the wages of skilled workers to the level of wages of unskilled workers and at the same time increase the exertion on them too. The radical writers have been critical of the pluralist preoccupation with regards to the regulation of conflicts. They have focused more on how conflicts were contained and controlled, while the pluralists tried to divert attention towards the more fundamental issues of why conflicts generated at the workplace. In this regard, Hyman (1979) have believed that the existing structure of control and ownership in the industry were inevitable sources of conflict were dismissed as being external to the context of industrial relations. The radicals believed that undue emphasis was provided to the employers, trade unions and other institutions for coping with such conflicts and for identifying process which could be incorporated for maintaining industrial stability. Greater attention towards power is the main notion of radical writers as compared to the p luralist thoughts. This is not surprising as the pluralists have emphasized more on the resolution of conflicts and procedural reforms. On the other hand radicals see the power imbalance within society and also at the workplace being central to the characteristic of employment relations. At the workplace people who have ownership of the means of production enjoys power superiority over those who sell their labor in return of wages. This is highly demonstrated through the substantial inequality in the distribution of rewards at the workplace. Also the limitations of labor in the market is reinforced through the creation of social norms, beliefs and values which sustain the prevailing power distribution within the industry and inhibit the growth of political consciousness of the working class. Critical Analysis of the Labor Process Theory The Labor Process Theory is opened to broad sociological debates associated with the action structure dualism. While the orthodox school of thought tends to reassert the economic and structuralist features of Marxism, the deconstructionist or anti-realist position abandons the analysis which has been conventionally been oriented towards polarities of agencies and structures. Researchers have thrown insight into offering of instructive ways of understanding how subjectivity is implicated in the reproduction and accomplishment of the capitalist employment relati

Whale Rider. Movie and the book, which one is better Essay

Whale Rider. Movie and the book, which one is better - Essay Example Whale Rider is yet another book that has been taken by the screen industry, and morphed into a movie. Yet, there is little that can be complained about. While the book itself is powerful, the changes made to create a movie from the story bring it to life, making it a story of power and a happily ever after for those who watch it. Everything comes out right, and everyone learns a powerful lesson. While many would argue that all movies should stay loyal to the text they are inspired by, many are just that, only inspired. The story stays enough the same that people recognize the link, but the story being told is different. In those cases, it does not seem logical or reasonable for the movie to strictly follow the book. In many cases (such as Jurassic Park) it does not make sense, as the book has scenes and moments that either cannot be portrayed cinematically, or that draw from the primary plot, and damage the story. Movies are limited in both time, and in their ability to accurately portray everything that a book can get across, and the same is true in reverse. Where a movie portrays emotion, a book might share each character's innermost thoughts, which is hard to do on a large screen. So it becomes necessary to change the story enough that it will be successful cinematically, but also still follow the story.

Government 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Government 2 - Essay Example Currently, members of this court include John Robert (chief Justice), associate justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, Anthony M. Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens and Sonia Sotomayor. Part B Born in New York, Buffalo on January 27, 1955, Chief Justice John G. Roberts took office as the chief Justice of the United States judiciary on September 29, 2005 after his nomination approval by the senate. Aged 55 then, Justice Roberts is a republican confirmed in his capacity by a Republican-lead Senate vote of 78 to 22 votes of the democrats. His views have majorly been conservative. Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is yet another conservative justice appointed under the Bush administration at the age of 56. Born April 1, 1950, Justice Alito has served the country in his capacity as an associate judge of the Supreme Court since January 31, 2006. Like Roberts, he was confirmed by a Republican-lead Senate vote of 58 to 42 votes of the Democrats. ... Do you think that it is important that diversity exists in terms of race, religion, gender, and the like among justices on the Supreme Court? Does this Court represent diversity, in your opinion? Explain. The political histories as well as personal ideologies of the two Supreme Court judges indicate they subscribe to the conservative ideologies of republicanism. Though related, political philosophy and judicial philosophy are strange bed fellows. On the one hand, Political philosophies concerns outcomes guided by individual thoughts of how world and the law by extension ought to operate. On the other hand, judicial philosophy is based on articulate, rational, defensible choices meant to guide decision-making and is largely fixed on the proper interpretation of the Constitution. These two justices have been strict agents of constitutionalism. Many at times, democratic presidents selected justices have turned to conservatism, and so has been Republican appointees turning liberal in the ir judgments. Though rode on republican influences, confirmations of these two justices fell short of a unanimous vote in the senate. This was simply due to the presence of dissident voices who thought they could not deliver past partisan interests. Whatever the Ideology that propelled them to their positions, judges of the Supreme Court are expected to be neutral in their judgments with strict adherence to the law to guard against going against the spirit of the constitution. Turning to the issue of diversity, Supreme Court Justices must be cognizant of how their judgments affect all Americans.  Courts are the only last resort for the marginalized seeking justice and protection from their government. Diversity of the Supreme Court must be upheld to guard again partisan judgments, either

Financial and Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial and Management Accounting - Essay Example It helms in planning and decision making and is governed by strict international standards. Financial accounting plays crucial role in the business world today. It is through financial accounting that flow of money and resources in a business organization is monitored. This includes wages and salaries among others. Since financial accounting involves preparation of key documents like profit and loss account and balance sheet, it shows how transactions are done over a period of time. It also helps stakeholders and would be investors to make the right decision on investments. Financial accounting is governed by a number of legal requirements and principles. According to Collins and Collins (2009), the business entity principle must be observed. It states that each business establishment must be accounted separately and that personal issues should not be accounted together with the business issues. Cost principle should also be in place. It states that only costs as a result of business dealings should be included in the financial account. Objective principle, which stipulates that all information in the financial accounts should not be subjected to personal opinion, should also be observed. Finally, the going-concerned principle should also be observed. This is a legal requirement that states that business operation will go on as long as the business gains assets and discharges liabilities during its normal operations. Financial accounting has a lot of advantages. According to Daniel (2007), financial accounting helps many business establishments to comply with legal requirements which include tax returns among others. Financial statements, such as balance sheets, help the institution in communication in the organization. Financial accounting also helps in protecting business assets, since flow of money and assets is recorded periodically. Finally, it helps in appropriate decision making,

Goals in life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goals in life - Essay Example Starting with what you know involves getting to know yourself a little better without all the hang-ups and expectations of the world you were brought up in. To get to know yourself better, you have to sit down and really think about what’s important to you, what your morals are and what you feel is ethically correct. This is all about those intangible things that are meaningful to you. If you’re thinking about how impressive a 15 bedroom house would be to your friends and family, you’re on the wrong track but if you’re thinking about how it might be necessary to have 15 bedrooms in order to house all those children you want to have, you might be onto something. Follow the thought a little deeper and you might discover that what is important to you is that you have a close relationship with a number of different people. The next step after figuring out what’s really important to you is to experiment with those areas that you aren’t all that familiar with. Do you like to do things outdoors? If you’ve grown up in the inner city, this might be a very difficult question to answer. While you’re young is the time to experiment with different ways of living, different ways of looking at the world and different ideas of what you might wish to do in life. Talk with people who are from different countries, different backgrounds and different socio-economic classes. You might learn something about yourself and you will certainly gain a greater appreciation for the diversity of the world around you. You may discover that your inner city dreams of the 15 bedroom house meant that you want close relationships with people but that you also desire more personal space, meaning an office job will not make you happy. Finally, knowing what is really important to you and having had the chance to experiment with a variety of viewpoints, you are ready to begin setting your goals. Envision what your life might look like in 20 years

Why Marriages Fail Essay Example for Free

Why Marriages Fail Essay God designed oneness for marriage. He created only one Eve for Adam. Thus what is said in Genesis 2:24 is reiterated by Jesus when the Scribes and Pharisees confront him about the issue of divorce, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Matt. 19:5-6). God never intended that spouses should separate except through death. This is clearly stated in the marriage vows taken by the couple on their marriage day. â€Å"I watched my girl friend’s mother get married for the fifth time. I thought, she has said those vows to four men earlier. † S. Robert. These vows are not to be taken lightly and couples should do all in their power to salvage their marriage, for a marriage is never beyond repair. It is a wrong concept that couples fall out of love. Such a thing does not exist, for if you love someone, you will always love them. If you are certain that you no longer love your spouse, then it is clear that you never loved them in the first place. It must have infatuation, or probably you were swept off your feet by romance but never really knowing and understanding your spouse enough to love them. Then why do marriages fail? One of the main reasons is the negative pattern in a relationship. Each negative comment increases the level of anger and frustration, and soon a small disagreement blows up into a major fight with threats to end the relationship. Over time those angry words damage oneness as they are hard to take back and they drive a knife into the partners heart. Proverbs 12:18 says, Reckless words pierce like a sword. Marriages fail also because of poor communication skills, lack of commitment, failure to nurture love in its various forms, lack of spiritual unity or direction, lack of ability to cope with the changes in life and the inability to deal with skeletons of the past. Besides this negative interpretations can damage a relationship. A wife who doesn’t find her husband very eager to visit her parents may be under the delusion that he doesn’t like her parents. This may be totally untrue and he may be bogged down with the financial cost or whether he has enough vacation. Thus when the negative interpretations mount and help create an environment of hopelessness the attacked partner gives up trying to make himself or herself clear and becomes demoralized. Today divorce being so easy, couples throw in the towel too soon. Marriage takes commitment and trust, communication and faith. When two people in love say that ‘Love is blind’ they are usually correct. If the two of them are realistically going to need to work in order to provide for the household, it is equally unrealistic for her to expect to be provided for while she stays home to run the house as it is for him to insist that no wife of his is going to work. Denise, for example, wanted to pursue a career, but her husband Jeff, had a rigid, no wife of mine will ever work attitude. Denise did not confront Jeff. Instead, she became a hospital volunteer, which did not threaten his breadwinning image. Then she took some courses to help her in her volunteer work. With her improved qualifications she was hired part time and then offered a full time job. By this time Jeff could see that Denise was happier when working so he encouraged her and even boasted about his wife’s career. Denise was able to make Jeff realize her need but if one gets into a marriage believing that if you marry someone it will change them or if you love them enough things will work out, it will not, for you are demanding of you partner what you want not what he/ she requires. There are a variety of ways to help another: prayer, financial aid, an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. But do not enter a relationship where your sole purpose is to tend to the others troubles. A healthy marriage requires both husband and wife to bring 100% to the table. When one is always the giver and the other always the taker, trouble is on the horizon. Setting a good example yourself will bring in better results than demanding them. If you want to foster the quality of kindness, demonstrate your own kindness to others, if you are looking for courage, show that you can stand up to tough situations yourself. Marrying too soon is another main reason why marriages fail. People dont want to live out their lives in loneliness but it is always good to know the person before you pop the question. Lack of communication is a dreaded vampire of divorces. Your spouse is not God that he/she understands and knows what your mind is thinking about. It is always better to speak out. One wife described her marriage as empty and blamed her husband for failing to comfort her when their daughter died years ago. â€Å"I just wanted him to hold me close,† she said. She did not voice her need and though his need was the same he did not approach her.

Business Etiquette and Manners Essay Example for Free

Business Etiquette and Manners Essay Each time one makes contact with ones employees, employers or customers one leaves a certain impression of oneself and the company, service or product one represents and first impressions always do make an impact on achieving business objectives. Therefore it is very important for one to leave the right perception on people by learning how to properly conduct oneself in a business environment. Business etiquette is how one does what one does in the business world. This is true on factory assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, commercial kitchens and grocery stores. When working in an office all day, it is very important to showcase good manners and proper office etiquette. Listed below are some pointers regarding proper behavior: * Treat everyone with respect: If you want to encourage the office behavior of respect, you must start by giving it to others at all times. From the receptionist at the front desk to the CEO of the company and prospective clients, modeling respectful attitudes toward all people is the first step in fostering work professionalism. Respect must also be given to individuals who come into contact with you that are not part of the company, including delivery persons, office equipment repair persons, property managers and especially customers. Be kind and courteous to everyone. * Addressing individuals by their honorific or title: Due to informality in the workplace today, a lot of business is lost, and goodwill destroyed, because of total disregard for properly addressing clients. The proper way to address clients is to greet them using their honorific or title followed by their last name; women should be referred to as ‘Ms. ’ Regardless of their marital status. Refer to individuals frequently by their names: Take the time and make the effort to pay attention to the name of the person you are being introduced to. A persons name means everything to them. To build rapport with a client, mention their name several times during the conversation, it helps in making a connection with the client and reaching out to them on a personal level. * Introduce people with confidence: Most people hate making introductions, because they do not know how to properly make them. Introducing people with confidence is a great way to impress your customers. In business, introductions are determined by precedence. The person who holds the position of highest authority in an organization takes precedence over others who work there. For example, you introduce your companys president to a colleague. * Be on time: Punctuality is one of the key criterion’s of judging your potency as a worker. Ensure that you reach your office and corporate events you might be invited to punctually. If at all practicable try reaching ten minutes early. This may give you an opportunity to relax and unwind before you commence with your work. If you are a guest, understand that the organizer has been selective with the invitation list. Many invitations will include a brief agenda that highlights when guests may arrive for the event, typically providing a window of 15 to 30 minutes for registration and welcome reception times. * Wear proper office attire: Watch your garments. While this holds true for any one, it holds even more importance for ladies. Your office is meant to be a place for work and not some fancy dress competition. At work, you should be dressed in a straightforward yet smart fashion. Formal suits and dresses should be worn in neutral colors so that they reflect your professionalism. Make contact: There are few physical contacts that are appropriate in business; the most important and acceptable is your handshake. Your handshake is a non-verbal clue that indicates to the other person whether or not you are a take charge person. For example, a firm and strong handshake suggests that you are decisive, in control. Greet everyone with a firm, sincere handshake, a friendly smile and direct eye contact. However, when approaching a group of individuals, it’s important to note that you should always shake the hand of the highest ranking officer first. Maintain a healthy office environment: Keep the space professional and neat with appropriate personal touches! People will see the space and consider it a reflection of you. Whether it is a cubicle or office, respect others space. Dont just walk in; knock or make your presence gently known. Dont assume acknowledgement of your presence is an invitation to sit down; wait until you are invited to do so. Dont interrupt people on the phone, and dont try to communicate with them verbally or with sign language. You could damage an important phone call. Limit personal calls, especially if you work in a space that lacks a door. Learn when and where it is appropriate to use your cell phone in your office. Food consumption should generally be regulated. Smells and noise from food can be distracting to others trying to work. * While dealing with customers: Name-tumblers when we introduce ourselves or other people has become a major problem; especially on the telephone. We need to slow down and pronounce our names slowly, clearly and distinctly. At first it may feel as if you are exaggerating your name, but you are really helping the other person and improving overall communication. When dealing with angry customers, it is important to restrain your anger, remain calm, listen to them and assure them that you will solve their problems. Especially over the telephone while handling complains, speak softly. That will soothe the speaker and show him or her that you’re interested in handling the complaint in a calm, rational way. Learning the rules of business etiquette is not very hard and it is not costly as many companies offer formal training on business etiquette, including communications, attire, networking, international business etiquette and new hire etiquette training. People truly desire to do business with those that make them comfortable and know how to best handle themselves in a variety of situations. Learning to incorporate good business etiquette into the workplace will pay dividends both in employee morale and on your company’s bottom line. Customer loyalty also improves when good business etiquette is in full force as it is reflected in the atmosphere of your office or shop.

Tiger Airways Essay Example for Free

Tiger Airways Essay Tiger airways have a few critical issues which could be solved. Tiger airways did not seem to have a very good relationship with their consumers. For one, despite the attempts to connect with the consumers through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, consumers were regularly complaining about the company on these sites. Instead of clarifying matters and executing a good customer relations strategy, Tiger deleted negative comments off their official Facebook page and remained silent for 72 hours after the grounding took place. Tiger also allowed an Australian television channel to air a program documenting all the negative and dismal areas of Tiger’s operations. All these actions only served to reduce consumer confidence and trust. With consumers being the driving force behind Tiger’s profitability, the company should focus on building goodwill and trust, and in light of the grounding, to also reassure them of their values of low cost and safety. The solution is to offer complimentary flights to affected consumers and make use of this opportunity to build good relations with them. Tiger can also turn this into an opportunity for positive media coverage showing the company’s sincerity in righting the wrongs. Encourage two-way communication between tiger and its stakeholders. Start being more proactive in communicating with consumers and anticipate their grievance. Come up with a contingent communication strategy and how to deal with consumers to build goodwill and trust. Or they can improve the consumer hotline and reassure customers about their safety by hiring a third party to vouch for them (ingratiation strategy). Tiger airway is also facing issues with the investors. As soon as the grounding took place, Tiger’s SGX stock price plunged, showing a lack of confidence on the part of investors. Interesting to note was that share prices continued to plummet even after tiger resumed its flights. This would not probably be because airline capacity was still low due to consumer doubts about the airline’s safety. The only way investor’s confidence can be improved is by first gaining the support of consumers because they are the ones fuelling tiger’s profitability. With a lack of consumer support, investor confidence will be equally weak as they would not see any growth prospects or returns from their investment. Hence, this problem can only be fixed over time and is dependent on tiger’s ability to convince consumers of safety of their flights. It has to work on building strategic credibility in the long run. In the meantime, tiger should provide a short-term solution to calm investors and convince them their investments will be worthwhile. Solution to this is that communicating to all stakeholders about what exactly tiger airways us trying to do to gain consumer’s confidence and increase transparency, whether regarding tiger’s financial losses or the real reason behind the grounding. Assure investors that Australia is a profitable region worth investing in and thank them for their loyalty to the company. Another solution is capitalized on SIA’s reputation to gain investor confidence. Inform investors that SIA holds majority of the shares in tiger airways and they still have confidence that tiger airways will be able to get back on its feet soon. As CYS is taking over as CEO, tiger can capitalise on his reputation by mentioning that the company will be in good hands given that CYS is from SIA and has experience leading a world class airline. Tiger airways should also focus on building consumer confidence and assume investor confidence will improve from there. In other words, maintain status quo and remain silent. Lastly, being a budget carrier, low fares of priority to Tiger. Just like wal-mart, this drive to attain lower and lower costs results in employee neglect. Pilots became overworked and underpaid, and employees were either offered redeployment to other bases or given redundancy packages during the period of the grounding. Some employees even threatened legal action against the company when tiger did not make the payments required to them. Employees are no doubt an important group of stakeholders in any company, as can be seen from recent cases of worker strikes causing huge airlines such as Qantas to halt operations and experience significant losses. As company already in the red, anymore losses resulting from employee mistakes or strikes will not bode well for the future prospects of Tiger, especially with it being a budget carrier. There is no other option for tiger but to build up their relationship with their employees. Possible solutions is to provide greater benefits to employees such as off-days for a flight lasting for a number of days, to prevent employees from being overworked and making unnecessary and costly mistakes. Increase employee welfare by providing channels for them to air their grievances and implement a two-way communication system where their problems or difficulties can be sorted out. Apologising for their inconvenience and mistakes made in the handling of the situation and assure the employees of the steps the company is taking to clean up the crisis. Engage employees’ help to build up the reputation and trust of the company by first treating them better and allowing them more channels to communicate with management. Tiger airways are a low-cost airline whose corporate strategy is centred on cost-cutting measures. The grounding, however, serves as a reminder of the importance of the airline’s safety. Tiger’s flawed corporate strategy could also be seen when they failed to take CASA’s show cause notice in May seriously, leading to the eventual grounding of their entire fleet. Although it can be said that tiger’s reputation is derived from their low fares, it is the basic prerequisite for airlines to ensure safe operations. This is where they differ from Wal-mart, which has a similar ‘Everyday Low Price’ strategy. Improving their strategy would serve to improve tiger’s reputation in the long run. Solution to it is to increased transparency of tiger’s operations. Update stakeholders regularly with a list of actions that tiger airways will undertake in the following months to improve safety, and also prepare a crisis communication plan this is updated regularly. Tiger airways should work with CASA to come up with safety regulation guidelines that complement tiger’s low-cost strategy. Of all the critical issues being mentioned above, it is in the best interest of the company to choose to improve on the relationship with consumers. Tiger should understand that two-way communication and dialogue is pertinent in establishing mutual trust and loyalty amongst consumers. Neglecting their social media feeds in their time of crisis resulted in a missed social media opportunity for the company. Tiger should have taken advantage of the instant communication provided by these social media outlets to convey important messages to consumers during the crisis and answer all their queries and allay concerns immediately. This would definitely reduce the frustrations felt by consumers arising from the silent approach employed by the company.

Debate Of Whether Psychology Is A Science

Debate Of Whether Psychology Is A Science Empiricism and Positivism are the two major philosophical influences on psychology; the empiricists brought the concept that all ideas are derived from experience. Experience is the basis of all knowledge. And the positivists further explained that sensory experience which can be shared with others can be objectively studied by observing their overt behavior. Determinism, indeterminism and nondeterminism hold different view on whether psychology is a science. Some aspects of psychology are scientific and some are not. Behaviorist, for example, used scientific method to understand human, while humanists do not used this kind of methodology. It is clearly that psychology is not a pure science instead it scientifically studies the nature of human and animals. Introduction In trying to answer the important and complex question of whether psychology is a science, we will first take a brief look at two major philosophical influences that help to create psychology- Empiricism and Positivism. Then study the view of determinism, indeterminism and nondeterminism of different psychologists to discuss the mind and subject matter of psychology. And finally, try to compare determinism and free will and conclude writers view on this original question Is psychology a science?. Empiricism John Locke, David Hume and David Hartley etc were the British empiricists who stressed that the important of experience in the attainment of knowledge. And the only source of true knowledge about the world is sensory experience which is information that comes to our senses or our inferences between the relationships of sensory facts. The word empirical is often used with the concept of science which implies that science used observation, measurement of the world and collecting data in the environment. This view is contrast with the Rationalists who believed that knowledge is innate and inborn. Locke maintained that the mind at birth was purely nothing, but experiences color it. This idea built into the behaviorist view of learning, like children can be made into anything that environment want it to be. The implication of empiricism on psychology include, firstly, the idea of conscious mind into simple ideas or overt behavior into stimuli response behavior and secondly, provided us the theory of association for explaining how simple elements can be combined to form complex elements or compounds. Thus the empiricist provided for psychology both a theory and methodology that most behaviorists made used of and is still influence todays psychology. Positivism Comte, the positivist, claimed that the only things we can be sure of is thing that can publicly observable. That is, sense experience that can be shared with other people. The data of science is observable and therefore can be trusted and only scientific information can be considered valid. Anything that is not publicly observable is suspect and is rejected because it is not a proper object to study. He did not believe psychology could not become a science because the only way to study the mind is using unreliable method of introspection. To study individual, it can be objectively studied by observing their overt behavior or through phrenological analysis. There are two significant impact of positivism on psychology: firstly, Darwins evolution theory enabled psychology to be placed in field of biological science. Secondly, psychology can be treated experimentally under Wundts psychology laboratory. Determinism All determinists believe that all behavior is caused and there are three kinds of determinism: the first one is biological determinism which emphasizes that behavior can be caused by physiological conditions or genetic predisposition, for example, mental illness was caused because of the lack of neurotransmitter, dopamine, in the brain. And that people will suffer abnormal behavior. Most human behavior is genetically inherited. The second one is environmental determinism, stressed that the environmental stimulus as the determinants of human behavior. For example, behavior theory emphasizes that environmental stimulus determine our behavior. The third determinism is sociocultural determinism, it is a form of environmental determinism, but emphasizes on the cultural factors like rules, regulations and beliefs that govern human behavior. For example, everyone keep quite in the library automatically because the social norm of our culture is no talking in the library. So, the environment factor guides our behaviors. Freud and Skinner, who are both determinists, agreed with the view that human behavior is caused. The neo-behaviorist B. F. Skinner held the view that the person is not free. In his book Beyond freedom and Dignity (1971), he argues that behavioral freedom is an illusion. His famous concept of operant conditioning, suggested that when negative reinforcers are consider along with rewards, then almost all behavior is controlled by association of reinforcement which occur constantly in the environment. What we think that we are behaving freely is not accurate because we are merely free of negative reinforcement or its threat; our behavior is still determined by the pursuit of things that have been positively reinforcing in the past, and consists of responses that have previously been positively reinforced. When we perceive others as behaving freely we are merely unaware of their reinforcement histories and the association that govern their behavior. So, Skinner concluded that behavioral freedom is an illusion. Other determinist, Freud, also rejects the possibility of free will. Every cause of humans behavior comes from within the individuals own unconscious mind; for Skinners view, they are external. However, from the view of inductive nature of science, it is clear that total predictability is impossible. The past does not logically predict the future, if it is true for physics, does it still true for human behavior? And how much more true it is? So if the main requirement of determinism is that behavior should be completely predictable, it does not seem to bring the same reason to the free will view after all. Indeterminism Some psychologists believe that human behavior is determined but since the universe is complex, we cannot accurately measure all the cause of our behavior. As Heisnberg said, despite human behavior is determined, we cannot know at least some of causes of behavior because we change that behavior when we are attempting to observe them. Psychologists who accepted this view believing that there are some specific causes of behavior but that we cannot accurately known. For example, when studying humans thought and behavior, just like social psychologists does in their experiment; one dependent variable can be caused by many independent variables. The problem of youngsters drug abuse can be caused by peer influence, family problem, personal attitudes or others factors. The drug abuse behavior is determined, but we cannot accurately measure or discover all the causes. Determinism versus Nondeterminism (Free will) Our everyday common sense understanding is that people have the ability to choose their own course of action, to determine their lives and, to this extent, have free will. Free will could be exercised within physical, political, environmental and other sociological factors. Sometimes, when we think about the concept of free will, it is also linked to the concept of responsibility; we normally think that people are responsible for what they do since they are the cause of what they do, that is they are not driven by any outsides factors. Most humanists or existentialists, like Carl Rogers, Rollo May and George Kelly etc assume that human behaviors are freely chosen and therefore cannot be tested by scientific method. This belief in free will is contrary to the view of determinism. Therefore, these psychologists are considered nonscientific. These psychologists are strongly influenced by the concept that our nature of experience and our knowledge of the external world are determined on how we interpret and define it. The universe is occupied only by the minds, and physical objects depend on and exist in individuals mind. But the view of positivism in the nature of scientific psychology is different. They imply that behavior is determined by external events or stimuli and that people response to it passively and, to this extent, are not free. Determinism also implies that behavior is totally predictable, as they occur in a regular, orderly manner. And every human action has a cause. An important distinction can be made between compulsion on the one hand and determinism on the other hand. Free actions are free from compulsion, but this is consistent with them being determined. The view which William James proposed called soft determinism. He argued that the question of free action is depending on the type of cause our behavior has. If our actions have as their proximate cause something like conscious mind, we can see them as free, rational, voluntary, purposive actions. Is psychology a science? Is psychology science? Some aspects of psychology are scientific and some are not. The psychologist used scientific method have provided very much useful information in every major area of psychology, for example, memory, personality, learning, perception, intelligence, motivation and psychotherapy. Structuralism, behaviorism and cognitive psychology used scientific method to study the nature of human being. In structuralism, psychologists try to identify the elements of the humans conscious thoughts and feelings. Then, its work is replaced by behaviorism which its emphasis on the objective observation of the behaviors of adults, children and animals. While cognitive psychologists recognize that cognitive process can be inferred from observable behavior and be studied under experimental setting. And these three aspects have a clear definition of subject-matter, a fundamental assumption of learning, it allows prediction and control and it is a methodology, with the controlled experiment. Psychology cannot be concluded as a totally science, some even said that psychology is rather a pseudo-science or it is still in a pre-scientific stage. Since some aspects of psychology, for example the subjective mind cannot be tested scientifically as it can change from time to time. When answering the question Is psychology a science? It can be concluded that psychology is not a normal science. Whether or not we consider psychology as a science depend on which aspect of psychology we are focusing on. Clearly that not all psychologists are methodological, for example, psychoanalytic and humanistic psychologists. If we change the question to Is psychology science? It is surely answered that psychology is scientific. Conclusion

Reflection Report And Learning From An Experience Education Essay

Reflection Report And Learning From An Experience Education Essay The reflection report is a form of thinking, how to analyze based on knowledge and feeling. As a manager self analyze to think about weakness and strengths. In this report, it is need to focus on communication skills, time management, scope management, risk management, analysis, self motivation and management (self judgment, self evaluation, self reaction, and self satisfaction), problem solving, team effectiveness and project planning. The main objectives of this report are needed to discuss and focus on following element: Life long learning after this dissertation course experience Experience and Importance of group work and relationship with team members Importance to keep daily dairy for long run projects such as dissertations, research work reports or any long technical projects. Reflection is a series of step to note down for future reference and help Importance of analysis and research we did for our project- processing of running project Quality of work related to topic Tutor and group members suggestion and advises then note down in reflection dairy Basically reflective knowledge is a method to examine him/her self internally and deeply and finding out the issue of nervousness, settle down by the experience which creates the meaning of self. And learns from the same repeating experience and changed him/her self effectively by the result of experiences. Reflection practice is the form of self awareness and self appraisal and describes the result and outcomes of persons actions. Recollection of Experiences (Weekly Detailed Dairy) Week Date Activity 01 14 -06-2010 First week, we attended the introduction session of AMP Module given by Vincent Ong, and learnt how to write a report and how to follow the format etc from supportive tutor. After that Academic Liaison Librarian has give the detailed information about way to put the referencing in our report and module handbook of AMP was provided to all of us. Next day activity was about the plagiarism and turnitinUK. JBK explained us regarding paraphrasing and feature of turnitinUK. They also helped us in search of related articles from digital library. First time, I have learnt that how to put key words in advance search and get the journals and articles called rational research to identity and support our work. Rob explained us about the reflection report and how it is relevant with our report and what makes a good reflection report and what should be the structure of report. After that we have collected handbook of AMP topic. During this week we have formed a group of 10 members as we all previously worked together so we knew each other. One thing in our favor that working with known group members will reduce time taken to start performing and understanding of each frame of work. Beginning of this week we all felt excited and optimistic. As we received information about work we became more apprehensive, confused and uncertain and our topic also made us very uncertain and anxious. But after two days brain storming with group members and detailed discussion with tutor reassured us, and gave us clarification and showed right direction. In general we learnt that wide range of resources and journals are available in our library; it was analyzed that without the tutor guidance may be we would be on the wrong direction. We also understand the importance of referencing. How to comparing and contrasting the material from different authors and importance of sharing ideas as well as we understand the importance of secondary research. Learned about the importance of the time management in project and proper referencing; may be some problem will be encountered during the project like in personal planning and in managing a group. Learning solution in this week would be like how to find relevant information more effectively and learned the need to maintained records about daily activities of progress. 02 21-06-2010 . This week, I have read the handbooks and all material given by tutor. Two articles in handbook are very much helpful for understanding the topic. Today we start our project; we did research and found 5-6 articles about target market selection and difference between B2B and B2C practices. Facing much difficulty in research about the relevant topic because our topic is much tricky and confusing. After two day struggling and with different key words as suggested by tutor, we came at one point of start. Need to understand the synthesis Main Report like how to draw evidence and evaluate and present our own thoughts in Report. It was advised that the main report should be synthesis rather than descriptive. A lot of hurdles came while searching the topics. To day I got some useful articles and after reading got some useful points of my requirements. This week we had a meeting on Friday to solve the issues regarding the understanding of topics and their key wordings for search. 03 28-06-2010 This week, feeling much difficulty while reading, reviewing and comparing the articles of different authors and different sides regarding my topic and key words. Before start writing the literature review, I must needs to understand and study the Harvard System for proper referencing. So Google it and find and understand the many ways of putting referencing for article, journals and books such as articles with missing date, missing authors name , with more than one or two authors work etc. Today, I started my work on dissertation and I made a folder of my all downloaded article and took the print and read two of them then make the synthesize point from them I have been started my work from literature review which is the main body of the report in which we needs to put our ability to produce a quality of work there. I had written my synthesis point from two articles. This week we had a 2nd meeting on Friday to solve the issues regarding the understanding of topics and share some ideas as well as searched article with each other also our project manager send us some useful topic related to inviting tender of technological solutions. I have decided to divide my work chapter wise as guided us by our AMP module Coordinator. So we come the point that work should be start from literature review section. 04 05-07-2010 Today I got my result; I had passed my in all modules. Thanks to Almighty GOD. Today I also review the one more article which is presented in an international conference regarding issues related to ICT facing by SMEs companies. So extract some main point from this article and note down. In our meeting we discussed about the difference between E-business and E-commence, it found about a detailed reading that e-commence is linked to the B2B and e-business is linked with B2C. Moreover from studies one thing come out that is digital-related products and digital-unrelated product. Our project team leader explained and clearly differentiated that digitally related product i.e. software applications, mobile phones, digital cameras were more suitable for e-commerce, and more easily sold over the internet unlike digitally unrelated products like furniture where consumers must want examine physically before a purchase is made. We also discussed and studied further on the key issues and consideration regarding the tender invitation for website development solution. 05 12-07-2010 In literature review, comparison of all researchers and authors work relevant to topic is very much difficult and different nature of work for me. It is noticed that all researcher focusing the similar issue that affecting the operation while company is moving to B2C market and suggests the same requirement and key consideration. As I am having the first experience at this level of literature review and work but it is much interested and knowledgeable effort for me. It is very easy to divert from the original topic during the literature reviewing process. Felt much difficulty like diversion from my original topic in this part of work. May God help me to do this in good and best ways related to exact topic requirement. 06 19-07-2010 This week I was not able to work on my report due to my some personal engagement and some family issues so I was out of station. 07 26-07-2010 This week, I started to understand and revise some articles and documents on tendering. As I need to understand that how to invite the tender for technological and software solutions. Issues come up while writing on inviting tenders for technological solution. Because invitation of tenders for technical and non technical solution are much confusing and related work. But feel like interesting as I am having the new expertise and expertise in this new area of tendering. I dont have any experience of reading such type of documents. As I was stuck on the step of inviting tender so today I consulted with the team leader of our group so she help me out in understanding of this specific point that what are the key requirement for inviting the tenders as I was thinking on the format like that regarding tendering but she solved my issue and sent some articles for literature review related to this. She is very much helping person and nice lady and she should be a good team leader in future. 08 02-08-2010 Confusion- writing on invite tender for web development that whether it should b E-tendering or normal traditional way. Another issue that I was facing that in most of tendering article there is no proper author or researcher name. Mostly the company and organizational name are mentioned while inviting tender for the technological or software solutions. Got some article and journal on tendering and outsourcing the IT related work and technological solution. This week I have made my final schedule and divide the days till final review of report and how to close my work within the month of august. Understand and learnt about the use of indexing in table of contents in MSWord; how to use the proper referencing. 09 09-08-2010 This week I met with my one of the group member in LRC and discussed about the e-book refereeing and how many references we can use and whether mostly should be journals articles and could be from any where else? So she suggested that we should email to Peter Godwin as well as we get some information from LR guide or referring within digital library. After that we discussed about recommendations on topic. Should we need to suggest or put some recommendation related to our kind of work? This week, I got some good article but this is my targeted week in my time table to finish all the literature review and writing. And should be focus and emphasized on the synthesis, analysis and comparison of the report in last 3 week. This week, I need to scale down and windup my all review work. Today is the end of this week and I have closed my literature review writing and my next stage is to syntheses the report and exacts the key point for analysis and discussion. 10 16-08-2010 Today I have started my work on review of my work with detailed and syntheses point of view. Feel some ambiguity regarding references in analysis and discuss stage that whether we need to put the Harvard reference within the analysis and discussion portion like we did in literature review or not? To resolve this issue I put an email to our team member and waiting of there reply. 11 23-08-2010 This week is very much tough and crucial as I totally put my effort on the revision and focus on my whole work and balance the report in a proper flow and come out with corrected some mistakes After that I can better focus working on the conclusion and recommendation of the topic. Today end of this week, I wrote down my conclusion and recommendation. 12 30-08-2010 Working on reflection analysis report and syntheses my all work into final version. Recompiled daily dairy log of my all 3 month works Personal feelings and learning from the experience Research work is really very much interesting but time consuming. I spend my neat hours and hours on this report and this work should be helpful and very much supportive for my future work and learning at this level and above this. Meetings and regular Google talk and email exchange about AMP report work, experiences and discussion with group members. Some major difficulties were come in front while reviewing the literature like comparison of all researchers and authors work regarding my topic. As it is noticed that all researcher focusing the similar issue that affecting the operation while moving to B2C market and suggests the same requirement and key consideration for outsourcing processes. As I was having the first time experience at this level of literature review and work but it was much interested and knowledgeable effort for me. I enjoy a lot with my work and feel much happy at this stage and got much knowledge from last three month efforts. That how to make the comparison of other authors work and note down in own my wordings. It was very easy to divert from the original track during literature reviewing phase as well as in writing the report process. My God help me out to do this thing in good and best ways that I was linked to my topic. Issue regarding literature review and other relevant work are resolved very smoothly with the help of all my group members collective participation and efforts. We had arranged the meetings until all the members are cleared and much satisfied with the understanding of topic and data collection as we had three weekly groups meeting with team leader after the AMP week. My team was very much generous with the commitment and time punctuality. My contribution was also remarkable as well and I was linked with my group members all the time 24/7 through email, facebook and mobile. And I was much satisfied with my work and with group members response. Group Dynamics and Learning from the experience Here I must mention one thing that my current AMP group members are not fresh new members. We were having same group in all our previous course work. So we were much comfortable with each other and knew each other frame of mind and algorithm of work. And we understand the group dynamics and responsibilities. As a whole I didnt feel any problem in my work with my members. Since I was linked with my group members all the time 24/7 through email, mobile and all the group members were much satisfied with my contribution and with my quick response on any issue related to our work. I fulfill my all responsibilities that were given by our team leader. Out supervisor consultancy was very much helpful for us regarding the understanding the actual topic and how to search the relevant material from digital library. He did very level best to solve our issues. I learnt that the group work is very much effective and helpful for this type of big projects as the work is distributed and every member come up with good and different ideas and knowledge. And the project will meet the deadlines very smoothly. Lessons for the future Projects The lesson learned dairy was kept in order to bring all the lessons together that we learnt during the dissertation work, which would be the guideline for other future projects. The weekly diary was updated whenever I have learned some thing new during the project whether it was positive or negative lesson. From experience with the proper management of work start to end and all the group members cooperation; many positive and good lessons was learned for future projects. Such as weekly meetings, time management and good communication with members will push up our progress. With a good time management, now we have a lot of time for quality review and correction before the deadline. I learnt very much from group work experience as it will help me out in increasing good management skill and to achieve the objectives according to prefix quality standards within the time constrains through the planning and good control especially at initial stage. Daily log helped me out to plan and schedule the weekly tasks and overall progress of my work. Following are the key lessons I have learned for future project as a group. Good understanding and friendly work environment. meetings with group members and weekly dairy and should be maintained Time management and planning Good communication and updates sharing. Conclusion The project was managed very calmly and smoothly with help of supervisors guidelines from the first stage and good teams effective communication via (email, phone and weekly meetings) motivation, planning and time management, risk management and most important is self management and motivation. Each team members was very much delegated, punctual and showed their responsibility. The tool of weekly dairy helped me out to align and monitor my each stage and there objectives. We received the feedback and make the updates with weekly group meeting at the start. However, with good time management and understanding of work, our group members met the deadlines but we faced few issues and hurdles regarding understand of topic and search of relevant material like e-article, e-journal and books. But with effective communication between all members via meetings, email, phone all the risks and issues will be overcomes with the time beings. Finally, my project was successfully finished with the mercy of Almighty God and the equal contribution of all team members at there level best and my mothers prayer was with me all the time. At the end, I believed that good management skill and supportive project leader as well as enough support from the supervisor in AMP Week were the reasons for no major issues, hurdles, and deviations from the track. As good management and clear communication helped out greatly to avoid the likely issues and conflicts as every team members were aware of their own deadlines and their own responsibility. I must appreciate this new method of self recording of our daily work for such type of long project which kept us on right path and lesson for time management and reflection of our work for future prospects. I am much satisfied with my work at this stage and learnt a lot for future things as this whole experience of UK changes my lifestyle and it was the lifelong learning for me.