Summary, findings and opinions on the reading Essay

Summary, findings and opinions on the reading - Essay Example Each website an internet user visit during his or her browsing session usually facilitate to the achievement of some objectives that are beyond mere identification of independent visitors to the site (White and Kamal, 2012).This similarity amongst all websites makes it easy for any person to note their relations to each other. When different website are complementary like search engine and content website, then internet users willingness to visit the combination of these sites depend on the rate of advertisement of each site (White and Kamal, 2012).This means that the number of visitors each site get per a specified period depends on its advertisement policy and frequency. So each website should keenly develop its advertisement strategies in an effective manner to ensure it attract higher number of visitors. In scenarios where complementary sites act independently, then their total distraction from their advertising becomes too high thus discouraging many internet users from visiting these sites. This makes it hard for these sites to maximize their total profits from advertisements. Secondly when complementary sites decide to operate independently, they end up allocating inefficient demands to attract internet user’s attention. When there are two competing companies with constant marginal cost that provides customers with perfectly complementary components, then overall business gains can be maximized only when one of the companies decides to lower it price to equal it marginal cost and the other firm freely adopt optimal price (White and Kamal, 2012).However, this fact does not apply to website owners when they opt to distract internet user from using their site in their attempt to advertise their sponsors’ product. This means that forcing one of the complementary sites not to advertise does not necessarily maximize total profits of the complementary sites. In fact, it can lead to decline in total profits of the two complementary sites due to lac k of cooperation between them. While increased competition from a multiple complementary sites solves the problem of double marginalization, the competition, also leads to increased problem of mis'-marginalization. Effect of differentiation among content website To achieve greater efficiency, when the market is in equilibrium and all firms tend to behave non-cooperatively, and content website has relatively inefficient advertising technologies, then it is socially desirable that the website owners increase the number of content websites than the internet users induces to enter (White and Kamal, 2012). This is because an increase in the number of content websites shifts advertising away from the content websites to the more efficient search engine advertising technology. Effect of competition When two or more sellers who deals with complementary products engages in double marginalization, then to ensure that they all maximize profits, then they need to increase competition in all mar kets (White and Kamal, 2012).This is because if the market of one firm becomes perfectly competitive, then the other complementary firm can successfully charge a price that implements the optimum outcome of the industry as a whole. Otherwise if, a set of complementary websites, whose

Strategic retail plan for Spinneys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic retail plan for Spinneys - Essay Example This paper will conduct a situation audit for Spinneys. The plan will involve doing an analysis of the company internal and external activities. This will mean doing a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) analysis. The plan will assist in developing the mission statement and assist in developing the core values of the business. The plan will help in developing goals and suggest ways of accomplishing those goals. Spinneys require an effective, strategic plan to continue growing and improving. The plan assists in monitoring and evaluating the company capabilities. The plan will provide crucial information required to update and improve the company in general. A situation audit for Spinneys will commence with a frame work evaluating the objectives, strategy and capabilities of the company (George, 1987). The frame work will assist the company gauge its’ strength, know its areas of improvement and how to relate with the external environment. Spinneys mission statement is to create value to customers, employees, share hol ders and all partners. This mission statement is not effective as it does not give a continued direction and focus of the supermarket chain stores (Steen & Avery, 2010). A vision statement should show hope for the company and customers. Spinneys vision statement states the desire of the company to grow in Lebanon. The statement has failed in that it does not show any hope for the customer. The value statement is equally valuable in a situation audit. It depicts the fundamental values of a company. Spinneys’ value statement which include - Respect, Integrity, Customer Satisfaction, Team Spirit, Performance and Corporate Citizenship combines the interest of all stakeholders. The external analysis of Spinneys Company is favourable. The company stake holders have a positive impression. Spinneys Company enjoys volume sales. This has

The Leisure Ability Model

The Leisure Ability Model Therapeutic Recreation seeks to promote the capacity and ability of groups and individuals to make self determined and responsible choices, in light of their needs to grow, to explore new perspectives and possibilities, and to realise their full potential. (reference) Within this assignment I am going to critically compare and evaluate the use of the following models in the Therapeutic Recreation Service: The Leisure Ability Model and the Health Promotion/ Health Protection Model. In doing so I will firstly describe the two models in detail and then critically compare and evaluate them both and their use in the therapeutic recreation service. The Leisure Ability Model: Every human being needs, wants, and deserves leisure. Leisure presents opportunities to experience mastery, learn new skills, meet new people, deepen existing relationships, and develop a clearer sense of self. Leisure provides the context in which people can learn, interact, express individualism, and self-actualize (Kelly, 1990). A large number of individuals are constrained from full and satisfying leisure experiences. It then follows that many individuals with disabilities and/or illnesses may experience more frequent, severe, or lasting barriers compared with their non-disabled counterparts, simply due to the presence of disability and/or illness. The Leisure Ability Models underlying basis stems from the concepts of: (a) learned helplessness vs. mastery or self-determination; (b) intrinsic motivation, internal locus of control, and causal attribution; (c) choice; and (d) flow. Learned Helplessness: Learned helplessness is the perception by an individual that events happening in his or her life are beyond his or her personal control, and therefore, the individual stops trying to effect changes or outcomes with his or her life (Seligman, 1975). They will eventually stop wanting to participate in activity or participate in any other way. They will learn that the rules are outside of their control and someone else is in charge of setting the rules. Their ability to take a risk will be diminished and they will learn to be helpless. Learned helplessness may present a psychological barrier to full leisure participation and it may, conversely, be unlearned with the provision of well-designed services. Intrinsic Motivation, Internal Locus of Control, and Causal Attribution: All individuals are intrinsically motivated toward behaviour in which they can experience competence and self-determination. As such, individuals seek experiences of incongruity or challenges in which they can master the situation, reduce the incongruity, and show competence. This process is continual and through skill acquisition and mastery, produces feelings of satisfaction, competence, and control. An internal locus of control implies that the individual has the orientation that he or she is responsible for the behaviour and outcomes he or she produces (Deci, 1975). Typically individuals with an internal locus of control take responsibility for their decisions and the consequences of their decisions, while an individual with an external locus of control will place responsibility, credit, and blame on other individuals. An internal locus of control is important for the individual to feel self-directed or responsible, be motivated to continue to seek challenges, and develop a sense of self-competence. http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif Attribution implies that an individual believes that he or she can affect a particular outcome (Deci, 1975; Seligman, 1975). An important aspect of the sense of accomplishment, competence, and control is the individuals interpretation of personal contribution to the outcome. Without a sense of personal causation, the likelihood of the individual developing learned helplessness increases greatly. Choice: The Leisure Ability Model also relies heavily on the concept of choice, choice implies that the individual has sufficient skills, knowledge, and attitudes to be able to have options from which to choose, and the skills and desires to make appropriate choices. Lee and Mobily (1988) stated that therapeutic recreation services should build skills and provide participants with options for participation. Flow: When skill level is high and activity challenge is low, the individual is quite likely to be bored. When the skill level is low and the activity challenge is high, the individual is most likely to be anxious. When the skill level and activity challenge are identical or nearly identical, the individual is most able to achieve a state of concentration and energy expenditure that Csikszentmihalyi (1990) has labeled flow. Treatment Services During treatment services, the client generally has less control over the intent of the programs and is dependent on the professional judgment and guidance provided by the specialist. The client experiences less freedom of choice during treatment services than any other category of therapeutic recreation service. The role of the specialist providing treatment services is that of therapist. Within treatment services, the client has minimal control and the therapist has maximum control. The specialist typically designates the clients level and type of involvement, with considerably little input from the client. In order to successfully produce client outcomes, the specialist must be able to assess accurately the clients functional deficits; create, design, and implement specific interventions to improve these deficits; and evaluate the client outcomes achieved from treatment programs. http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gifThe ultimate outcome of treatment services is to eliminate, significantly improve, or teach the client to adapt to existing functional limitations that hamper efforts to engage fully in leisure pursuits. Often these functional deficits are to the degree that the client has difficulty learning, developing his or her full potential, interacting with others, or being independent. The aim of treatment services is to reduce these barriers so further learning and involvement by the client can take place. Leisure Education: Leisure education services focus on the client acquiring leisure-related attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Participating successfully in leisure requires a diverse range of skills and abilities, and many clients of therapeutic recreation services do not possess these, have not been able to use them in their leisure time, or need to re-learn them incorporating the effects of their illness and/ or disability. Leisure education services are provided to meet a wide range of client needs related to engaging in a variety of leisure activities and experiences. (Howe, 1989, p. 207). The overall outcome sought through leisure education services is a client who has enough knowledge and skills that an informed and independent choice can be made for his or her future leisure participation. Leisure education means increased freedom of choice, increased locus of control, increased intrinsic motivation, and increased independence for the client. Recreation Participation: http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif Recreation participation programs are structured activities that allow the client to practice newly acquired skills, and/or experience enjoyment and self-expression. These programs are provided to allow the client greater freedom of choice within an organized delivery system and may, in fact, be part of the individuals leisure lifestyle. The clients role in recreation participation programs includes greater decision making and increased self-regulated behaviour. The client has increased freedom of choice and his or her motivation is largely intrinsic. In these programs, the specialist is generally no longer teaching or in charge per se. The client becomes largely responsible for his or her own experience and outcome, with the specialist moving to an organizer and/or supervisor role. As Stumbo and Peterson (1998) noted, recreation participation allows the client an opportunity to practice new skills, experience enjoyment, and achieve self-expression. From a clinical perspective, recreation participation does much more. For instance, recreation opportunities provide clients with respite from other, more arduous, therapy services. Leisure education programs may focus on: (a) self-awareness in relation to clients new status; (b) learning social skills such as assertiveness, coping, and friendship making; (c) re-learning or adapting pre-morbid leisure skills; and (d) locating leisure resources appropriate to new interests and that are accessible. Recreation participation programs may involve practicing a variety of new leisure and social skills in a safe, structured environment. In designing and implementing these programs, the specialist builds on opportunities for the individual to exercise control, mastery, intrinsic motivation, and choice. The ultimate outcome would be for each client to be able to adapt to and cope with individual disability to the extent that he or she will experience a satisfying and independent leisure lifestyle, and be able to master skills to achieve flow. Health Promotion/ Health Protection Model: The Health Protection/Health Promotion Model (Austin, 1996, 1997) stipulates that the purpose of therapeutic recreation is to assist persons to recover following threats to health, by helping them to restore themselves or regain stability. (health protection), and secondly, optimising their potentials in order that they may enjoy as high a quality of health as possible (health promotion). Within this model (Austin, 1997, p. 144) states that à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"the mission of therapeutic recreation is to use activity, recreation, and leisure to help people to deal with problems that serve as barriers to health and to assist them to grow toward their highest levels of health and wellness The health promotion, health protection model is broken up into four broad concepts which are the humanistic perspective, high level wellness, stabilisation and actualisation and health. Humanistic Perspective: Those who embrace the humanistic perspective believe that each of us has the responsibility for his or her own health and the capacity for making self-directed and wise choices regarding our health. Since individuals are responsible for their own health, it is critical to empower individuals to become involved in decision-making to the fullest extent possible (Austin, 1997). High-Level Wellness: High-level wellness deals with helping persons to achieve as high a level of wellness as they are capable of achieving (Austin, 1997). Therapeutic Recreation professionals have concern for the full range of the illness-wellness continuum (Austin, 1997). http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif Stabilization and Actualization Tendencies: The stabilizing tendency is concerned with maintaining the steady state of the individual. It is an adaptation mechanism that helps us keep stress in a manageable range. It protects us from biophysical and psychosocial harm. The stabilizing tendency is the motivational force behind health protection that focuses on efforts to move away from or avoid negatively valence states of illness and injury (Pender, 1996, p. 34). The actualization tendency drives us toward health promotion that focuses on efforts to approach or move toward a positively valence state of high-level health and well-being (Pender, 1996, p. 34). Health: King (1971) and Pender (1996) health encompasses both coping adaptively and growing and becoming. Healthy people can cope with lifes stressors. Those who enjoy optimal health have the opportunity to pursue the highest levels of personal growth and development. Under the Health Protection/Health Promotion Model, therapists* recognize that to help clients strive toward health promotion is the ultimate goal of therapeutic recreation. Further, therapists prize the right of each individual to pursue his or her highest state of well-being, or optimal health. TR practice is therefore based on a philosophy that encourages clients to attempt to achieve maximum health, rather than just recover from illness (Austin, 1997). The Component of Prescriptive Activities: When clients initially encounter illnesses or disorders, often they become self-absorbed. They have a tendency to withdraw from their usual life activities and to experience a loss of control over their lives (Flynn, 1980). Research (e.g., Langer Rodin, 1976; Seligman Maier, 1967) has shown that feelings of lack of control may bring about a sense of helplessness that can ultimately produce severe depression. At times such as this clients are encountering a significant threat to their health and are not prepared to enjoy and benefit from recreation or leisure. For these individuals, activity is a necessary prerequisite to health restoration. Activity is a means for them to begin to gain control over their situation and to overcome feelings of helplessness and depression that regularly accompany loss of control. At this point on the continuum, Therapeutic Recreation professionals provide direction and structure for prescribed activities. Once engaged in activity, clients can begin to perceive themselves as being able to successfully interact with their environments, to start to experience feelings of success and mastery, and to take steps toward regaining a sense of control. Clients come to realise that they are not passive victims but can take action to restore their health. They are then ready to partake in the recreation component of treatment. The Recreation Component: Recreation is activities that take place during leisure time (Kraus. 1971). Client need to take part in intrinsically motivated recreation experiences that produce a sense of mastery and accomplishment within a supportive and nonthreatening atmosphere. Clients have fun as they learn new skills, new behaviors, new ways to interact with others, new philosophies and values, and new cognition about themselves. In short, they learn that they can be successful in their interactions with the world. Through recreation they are able to re-create themselves, thus combating threats to health and restoring stability. http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif The Leisure Component: Whereas recreation allows people to restore themselves, leisure is growth promoting. Leisure is a means to self-actualisation because it allows people to have self-determined opportunities to expand themselves by successfully using their abilities to meet challenges. Feelings of accomplishment, confidence and pleasure result from such growth producing experiences. Thus leisure assumes an important role in assisting people to reach their potentials (Iso-Ahola, 1989). Core elements in leisure seem to be that it is freely chosen and intrinsically motivated. The Recreation and Leisure Components: Although recreation and leisure differ in that recreation is an adaptive device that allows us to restore ourselves and leisure is a phenomenon that allows growth, they share commonalities. Both recreation and leisure are free from constraint. Both involve intrinsic motivation and both provide an opportunity for people to experience a tremendous amount of control in their lives. Both permit us to suspend everyday rules and conventions in order to be ourselves and let our hair down. Both allow us to be human with all of our imperfections and frailties. It is the task of the therapeutic recreation professional to maintain an open, supportive, and nonthreatening atmosphere that encourages these positive attributes of recreation and leisure and which help to bring about therapeutic benefit (Austin, 1996). http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif According to Bandura (1986), bolstered efficacy expectations allow clients to have confidence in themselves and in their abilities to succeed in the face of frustration. Thus, clients feel more and more able to be in control of their lives and to meet adversity as they move along the continuum toward higher levels of health. It is the role of the TR professional to help each client assume increasing levels of independence as he or she moves along the illness-wellness continuum. Of course, the client with the greatest dependence on the therapist will be the individual who is in the poorest health. At this point the stabilizing tendency is paramount while the client attempts to ward off the threat to health and to return to his or her usual stable state. At this time the therapist engages the client in prescriptive activities or recreation experiences in order to assist the client with health protection. During prescriptive activities the clients control is the smallest and the therapi sts is the largest. During recreation there is more of a mutual participation by the client and therapist. With the help of the therapist, the client learns to select, and participate in, recreation experiences that promote health improvement. Approximately midway across the continuum, the stabilising tendency reduces and the actualising tendency begins to arise. Leisure begins to emerge as the paramount paradigm. As the actualisation tendency increases, the client becomes less and less dependent on the therapist and more and more responsible for self-determination. The role of the therapist continues to diminish until the client is able to function without the helper. At this point the client can function relatively independently of the TR professional and there is no need for TR service delivery (Austin, 1997). Comparison of the use of the Leisure Ability Model to the Health Promotion/ Health Protection Model in Therapeutic Recreation Services: The role of the therapeutic recreation specialist, in order to reverse the consequences of learned helplessness, is to assist the individual in: (a) increasing the sense of personal causation and internal control, (b) increasing intrinsic motivation, (c) increasing the sense of personal choice and alternatives, and (d) achieving the state of optimal experience or flow. In theory, then, therapeutic recreation is provided to affect the total leisure behaviour (leisure lifestyle) of individuals with disabilities and/or illnesses through decreasing learned helplessness, and increasing personal control, intrinsic motivation, and personal choice. This outcome is accomplished through the specific provision of treatment, leisure education, and recreation participation services which teach specific skills, knowledges, and abilities, and take into consideration the matching of client skill and activity challenge. Another strength is the Models flexibility. One level of flexibility is with the three components of service. Each component of service is selected and programmed based on client need. That is, some clients will need treatment and leisure education services, without recreation participation. Other clients will need only leisure education and recreation participation services. Clearly, services are selected based on client need. In addition, programs conceptualized within each service component are selected based on client need. flexibility allow the specialist to custom design programs to fit the needs of every and any client group served by therapeutic recreation. The ultimate goal of leisure lifestyle remains the same for every client, but since it is based on the individual, how the lifestyle will be implemented by the individual and what it contains may differ. As such, the content of the Leisure Ability Model is not specific to any one population or client group, nor is it confined to any specific service or delivery setting. Some authors, including Kinney and Shank (1989), have reported this as a strength of the Model. According to the model, intervention may occur in a wide range of settings and addresses individuals with physical, mental, social, or emotional limitations (Peterson Gunn, p. 4). The intervention model is conceptually divided into three phases along a continuum of client functioning and restrictiveness. The three phases of therapeutic recreation intervention are arranged in a sequence, from greater therapist control to lesser therapist control, and from lesser client independence to greater client independence. This arrangement is purposeful and is meant to convey that the ultimate aim of the appropriate leisure lifestyle is that it be engaged in independently and freely. Summary The Health Protection/Health Promotion Model contains three major components (i.e., prescribed activities, recreation, and leisure) that range along an illness-wellness continuum. According to their needs, clients may enter anywhere along the continuum. The model emphasizes the active role of the client who becomes less and less reliant on the TR professional as he or she moves toward higher levels of health. Initially, direction and structure are provided through prescriptive activities to help activate the client. During recreation, the client and therapist join together in a mutual effort to restore normal functioning. During leisure, the client assumes primary responsibility for his or her own health and well-being. Evaluation of both models and there use in therapeutic recreation services: The overall intended outcome of therapeutic recreation services, as defined by the Leisure Ability Model, is a satisfying, independent, and freely chosen leisure lifestyle. In order to facilitate these perceptions, therapeutic recreation specialists must be able to design, implement, and evaluate a variety of activities that increase the persons individual competence and sense of control. In relation to leisure behaviour, Peterson (1989) felt that this includes improving functional abilities, improving leisure-related attitudes, skills, knowledge, and abilities, and voluntarily engaging in self-directed leisure behaviour. Thus, the three service areas of treatment, leisure education, and recreation participation are designed to teach specific skills to improve personal competence and a sense of accomplishment. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) summed up the importance of these perceptions: In the long run optimal experiences add up to a sense of mastery-or perhaps better, a sense of participation in determining the content of life-that comes as close to what is usually meant by happiness as anything else we can conceivably imagine (p. 4). The therapeutic recreation specialist must be able to adequately assess clients skill level (through client assessment) and activity requirements (through activity analysis) in order for the two to approximate one another. Given Decis (1975) theory of intrinsic motivation which includes the concept of incongruity, therapeutic recreation specialists may provide activities slightly above the skill level of clients in order to increase the sense of mastery. When this match between the activity requirements and client skill levels occurs, clients are most able to learn and experience a higher quality leisure. To facilitate this, therapeutic recreation specialists become responsible for comprehending and incorporating the: (a) theoretical bases (including but not limited to internal locus of control, intrinsic motivation, personal causation, freedom of choice, and flow); (b) typical client characteristics, including needs and deficits; (c) aspects of quality therapeutic recreation program delivery process (e.g., client assessment, activity analysis, outcome evaluation, etc.); and (d) therapeutic recreation content (treatment, leisure education, and recreation participation). These areas of understanding are important for the therapeutic recreation specialist to be able to design a series of coherent, organized programs that meet client needs and move the client further toward an independent and satisfactory leisure lifestyle. Again, the success of that lifestyle is dependent on the client gaining a sense of control and choice over leisure options, and having an orientation toward intrinsic motivation, an internal locus of control, and a personal sense of causality. The Leisure Ability Model provides specific content that can be addressed with clients in order to facilitate their development, maintenance, and expression of a successful leisure lifestyle. Each aspect of this content applies to the future success, independence, and well-being of clients in regard to their leisure. http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif The client has reduced major functional limitations that prohibit or significantly limit leisure involvement (or at least has learned ways to overcome these barriers); understands and values the importance of leisure in the totality of life experiences; has adequate social skills for involvement with others; is able to choose between several leisure activity options on a daily basis, and make decisions for leisure participation; is able to locate and use leisure resources as necessary; and has increased perceptions of choice, motivation, freedom, responsibility, causality, and independence with regard to his or her leisure. These outcomes are targeted through the identification of client needs, the provision of programs to meet those needs, and the evaluation of outcomes during and after program delivery. A therapeutic recreation specialist designs, implements, and evaluates services aimed at these outcomes Austin (1989) objected to the Leisure Ability Model on the basis that is supporting a leisure behaviour orientation, instead of the therapy orientation. A number of authors have objected to the Leisure Ability Model, having observed that its all-encompassing approach is too broad and lacks the focus needed to direct a profession (Austin, p. 147). Austin advocated an alignment of therapeutic recreation with allied health and medical science disciplines, rather than leisure and recreation professionals The Model in Practice The Health Protection/Health Promotion Model may be applied in any setting (i.e., clinical or community) in which the goal of therapeutic recreation is holistic health and well-being. Thus, anyone who wishes to improve his or her level of health can become a TR client. TR professionals view all clients as having abilities and intact strengths, as well as possessing intrinsic worth and the potential for change. Through purposeful intervention using the TR process (i.e., assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation), therapeutic outcomes emphasize enhanced client functioning. Typical therapeutic outcomes include increasing personal awareness, improving social skills, enhancing leisure abilities, decreasing stress, improving physical functioning, and developing feelings of positive self-regard, self-efficacy and perceived control (Austin, 1996). Conclusion: In conclusion to this assignment on the critical comparison and evaluation of the use of the Leisure Ability Model and the Health Promotion/ Health Protection Model in the therapeutic recreation services I found that.. Reference Page:

Airline Safety Essay -- Essays Papers

Airline Safety Systems, Parts and Maintenance In July of 1996, a Boeing 747 carrying the designator Flight 800 took off from Kennedy Airport in New York. On board were two hundred and thirty people who were entrusting their individual safety to an aircraft that had one of the best safety records in the airline industry. The Boeing 747 has been in service for many years, and has been utilized for many different things including the one designated Air Force One. Nine miles off the coast of Long Island the aircraft exploded, killing everybody on board (Adcock 08). The wreckage was strewn over a wide area of the Atlantic Ocean and proved to be very difficult to recover. It took several months to sift through the sand on the ocean floor and recover the parts from the aircraft. Speculation that the aircraft had somehow been the victim of a terrorist act was the topic of the day. There were theories that the aircraft had exploded as a result of a bomb placed aboard (Adcock 08). There were theories that it had been the victim of a gro und to air missile or an air-to-air missile. There were investigations to find out if the Navy had inadvertently shot the aircraft down. Accusations were flung in the most unlikely places. Security at the international airports was increased and bomb squads regularly checked each departing aircraft for any explosives. People were afraid to fly because they were afraid of terrorist attacks. The Federal Aviation Administration investigated all of these possibilities and one more. They investigated the possibility that a part on the aircraft had failed and caused the explosion. This wasn't a popular theory because of the Boeing 747's excellent safety record and the fact that aircraft in general weren't in the habit of exploding in mid-air. When all of the information was in and the final report issued, it was determined that the cause of the crash was probably a wire in the fuel indicator system that had grown old and frayed. There wasn't enough direct physical evidence to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, however subsequent investigations of aircraft that were as old as the 747 on Flight 800 - twenty five years - showed wiring cracks and fraying in a manner consistent with the theories advanced about the crash of Flight 800 (Adcock 08). The Federal Aviation Agency has since initiated an aging aircraft program with t... ...e need for adequate funding and personnel by the FAA. The FAA is obviously doing everything that it can under the circumstances, however the trend toward cost cutting and compromise of maintenance programs is continuing. It is showing no signs of lessening due to the fact that the airlines are continually being squeezed between needing to lower fares and pay higher maintenance costs. WORKS CITED Dickey, Christopher. "What Went Wrong." Newsweek International. August 2000 Fed: Undercarriage collapses on Qantas jet. AAP General News (Australia). April 22, 2000 "FENA for proper maintenance of DC-10s to keep these running, The Independent". September 2000 Hinson, David. "ValuJet Airlines crash." Jet lag.(Federal Aviation Commission ( The New Republic ). 12-16-1996 â€Å"Incorrectly Reports Inspection Cycle for Part Implicated in the Alaska Flight 261 Tragedy†. Business Wire. May 2000 "Oversight of Maintenance & Repair Facility Practices Under Examination". Air Safety Week. July 1999 PG Sullivan, John. "FAA delayed telling airlines about failed cables Agency defends move, saying part not crucial for flight control†. The Dallas Morning News. June 2000 Airline Safety Essay -- Essays Papers Airline Safety Systems, Parts and Maintenance In July of 1996, a Boeing 747 carrying the designator Flight 800 took off from Kennedy Airport in New York. On board were two hundred and thirty people who were entrusting their individual safety to an aircraft that had one of the best safety records in the airline industry. The Boeing 747 has been in service for many years, and has been utilized for many different things including the one designated Air Force One. Nine miles off the coast of Long Island the aircraft exploded, killing everybody on board (Adcock 08). The wreckage was strewn over a wide area of the Atlantic Ocean and proved to be very difficult to recover. It took several months to sift through the sand on the ocean floor and recover the parts from the aircraft. Speculation that the aircraft had somehow been the victim of a terrorist act was the topic of the day. There were theories that the aircraft had exploded as a result of a bomb placed aboard (Adcock 08). There were theories that it had been the victim of a gro und to air missile or an air-to-air missile. There were investigations to find out if the Navy had inadvertently shot the aircraft down. Accusations were flung in the most unlikely places. Security at the international airports was increased and bomb squads regularly checked each departing aircraft for any explosives. People were afraid to fly because they were afraid of terrorist attacks. The Federal Aviation Administration investigated all of these possibilities and one more. They investigated the possibility that a part on the aircraft had failed and caused the explosion. This wasn't a popular theory because of the Boeing 747's excellent safety record and the fact that aircraft in general weren't in the habit of exploding in mid-air. When all of the information was in and the final report issued, it was determined that the cause of the crash was probably a wire in the fuel indicator system that had grown old and frayed. There wasn't enough direct physical evidence to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, however subsequent investigations of aircraft that were as old as the 747 on Flight 800 - twenty five years - showed wiring cracks and fraying in a manner consistent with the theories advanced about the crash of Flight 800 (Adcock 08). The Federal Aviation Agency has since initiated an aging aircraft program with t... ...e need for adequate funding and personnel by the FAA. The FAA is obviously doing everything that it can under the circumstances, however the trend toward cost cutting and compromise of maintenance programs is continuing. It is showing no signs of lessening due to the fact that the airlines are continually being squeezed between needing to lower fares and pay higher maintenance costs. WORKS CITED Dickey, Christopher. "What Went Wrong." Newsweek International. August 2000 Fed: Undercarriage collapses on Qantas jet. AAP General News (Australia). April 22, 2000 "FENA for proper maintenance of DC-10s to keep these running, The Independent". September 2000 Hinson, David. "ValuJet Airlines crash." Jet lag.(Federal Aviation Commission ( The New Republic ). 12-16-1996 â€Å"Incorrectly Reports Inspection Cycle for Part Implicated in the Alaska Flight 261 Tragedy†. Business Wire. May 2000 "Oversight of Maintenance & Repair Facility Practices Under Examination". Air Safety Week. July 1999 PG Sullivan, John. "FAA delayed telling airlines about failed cables Agency defends move, saying part not crucial for flight control†. The Dallas Morning News. June 2000

Laertes and Ophelia as Character Foils in Hamlet Essay

â€Å"The spirit that I have seen May be the devil: and the devil hath power To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses to damn me:† (2.2.58) In William Shakespeare’s classic drama, ‘Hamlet’, the titular protagonist, Hamlet, is a dynamic, round character with constantly evolving traits. The character Hamlet, himself, interestingly, is not noted for what he does, but rather, is noted for his indecisiveness and lack of taking action throughout the play. Despite Hamlet having a ulterior motive throughout the play, he is constantly seen to be deliberating as to whether or not he should act on his actions. Through his numerous soliloquys, Hamlet’s innermost reflections are seen, many of them contemplating existence, and the nature of the task which he has taken upon himself to carry out: the task of killing his uncle, the current King of Denmark. In ‘Hamlet’, there are numerous characters, many of whom belong to either one of two families focused upon in the play: there is the royal family, consisting of Hamlet, his mother Gertrude, the Queen, and his stepfather Claudius, the current King of Denmark; and there is the family of the King’s chief counselor, Polonius, which includes his daughter, Ophelia, and his son, Laertes. In both families, the parent-child relationship is heavily focused upon. Compared to the other ‘children’ of the play – Laertes and Ophelia – Hamlet’s slow, deliberate thinking is brought to the forefront, with both Laertes and Ophelia acting as character foils to Hamlet. Hamlet and Laertes may both be defined by their fathers, and how they react to them, as well as the way they are viewed by the public. Hamlet and Laertes are seen to be in similar situations: both of them are sons, and students who were studying abroad at the time of old King Hamlet’s death. Both of them appeared to have shared a relatively close relationship with their fathers. After his father’s death, Hamlet dressed in black, in grief and mourning. When the Queen asked why Hamlet seemed to be so affected by  his father’s death, he replied, ‘†Seems,† madam? Nay, it is.’ (1.2) Polonius, meanwhile, had been hesitant to let Laertes return to France, stating that Laertes had â€Å"wrung upon me my slow leave by laborsome petition, and at last upon his will I sealed my hard consent.† (1.2) Both Hamlet and Laertes are juxtaposed when their respective fathers are murdered, contrasting them – while both feel wronged by their fathers’ deaths, the means with which they take action are different. Hamlet did not consider revenge until the Ghost told him to â€Å"revenge this most foul and unnatural murder†. (1.5) Even then, Hamlet took action slowly, carefully and deliberately planning out the steps of his plan with which to get revenge. Laertes, however, upon hearing of his father’s death, returned to Denmark, smashing the doors to the Elsinore castle open, demanding that the â€Å"vile king† should â€Å"give (him his) father†. (4.5) Their moral compasses, too, are exceedingly different. Hamlet had had the opportunity to murder Claudius while Claudius was praying, but chose not to, thinking that if he killed Claudius then, he would â€Å"this same villain send to heaven†, showing that he still believes in a higher power, and demands that justice be paid. (3.3) Conversely, Laertes, when asked by Claudius what he would do to prove that he was â€Å"in deed (his) father’s son more than in words†, Laertes stated that he would â€Å"cut his throat i’ th’ church†. (4.7) Through this comparison, it may be seen that while Hamlet is uncertain about committing murder to avenge another murder, Laertes has no hesitation about it. How Hamlet and Laertes are viewed by other characters, too, shows the similarities between both of them, despite the differences in how they act. Both of them are loved by the public, and are competitors for the throne of Denmark. Claudius himself states that â€Å"the great love the general gender bear (Hamlet)† is the reason that he does not prosecute Hamlet. (4.7) Laertes, too, has the affection of the public, evidenced by their cries of â€Å"‘Laertes shall be king, Laertes king!'† (4.5) Due to this popularity, the king naturally has reason to be wary of both of them, a trait which is reflected in his chief counselor, Polonius. Polonius is seen to be spying on various characters, including Hamlet and Laertes – he requested that Reynaldo, a servant, should go to France and spy on Laertes; he himself  spied on Hamlet. This may be interpreted as meaning that neither Hamlet nor Laertes are completely trustworthy. The other member of Laertes’ family, Ophelia, however, is loved by both Laertes and Hamlet, and Ophelia’s death results in their confrontational duel, which in turn results in their respective deaths, both indirectly killed by Claudius. Ophelia herself is a foil to Hamlet. While Laertes as a foil to Hamlet was a contrast in their actions after their father’s deaths, Ophelia and Hamlet contrast in their emotional well-being, and the kind of madness that they face. Both have been disappointed by someone whom they love – Hamlet being disappointed by Gertrude’s â€Å"o’erhasty marriage†, Ophelia by Hamlet’s rough treatment of her during his supposed madness. (2.2) While it is revealed several times by Hamlet that he is faking madness, saying that he â€Å"essentially (was) not in madness but mad in craft,† Ophelia’s madness seems less forced – after Polonius’ death, she appears to have slipped right into insanity. (3.4) Hamlet, conversely, had gone through a mourning period before appearing to be mad. Interestingly, the contrast in how they act when they are mad – Hamlet being deliberate, Ophelia to have seemingly been truly mad – provides an even bigger contrast as to how each of them die, with Hamlet’s death occurring in a violent situation, while Ophelia’s death is shrouded with the calming natural imagery of flowers and trees. Hamlet dies due to a poisoned sword during his duel with Laertes, played out in front of an audience. The circumstances behind Ophelia’s death, however, is more unknown and ambiguous. It is implied that her death was accidentally. According to Gertrude, that â€Å"on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke,† (4.7) implying that Ophelia’s death was accidental. However, as Ophelia’s death is not shown, it is possible that she had decided to commit suicide instead. Should she have decided on death by her own hand, a powerful foil is brought in, contrasting against Hamlet, who, while seen to be contemplating suicide on several occasions, never kills himself, instead wishing â€Å"that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter†. (2.5) While Ophelia is commonly portrayed to be weak, her choosing to take her own life implies that she is of a stronger  will than Hamlet, who is eventually killed by Laertes. Ophelia, like Hamlet and Laertes, seeks revenge for her father’s death, but her form of revenge is not violent in the way that Hamlet and Laertes’ confrontational duel is. Rather than choosing to blame a single person for Polonius’ death, Ophelia instead passes judgement on the other characters in the play in a much more feminine way – by handing out different types of flowers, saying, â€Å"There’s fennel for you, and columbines.-There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me. We may call it â€Å"herb of grace† o’ Sundays.-Oh, you must wear your rue with a difference.-There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.† (4.5) Ophelia’s way of retribution for her father’s death contrasts strongly with Hamlet’s – his is a single-minded focus on killing Claudius, whom he holds personally responsible for his father’s death. While Ophelia could have gone down the same path as Laertes, demanding justice for Polonius, she does not – rather, she blames everyone in the play for what has happened. However, her way of doing this, too, provides a similarity with Hamlet – the flowers were deliberately chosen in the same way that Hamlet deliberately staged the play – in order to â€Å"catch the conscience† of those around them. (2.2) The flowers that Ophelia chooses to hand out raises the question of her madness – has she truly lost her mind, as some characters believe, or is she just mad in certain ways, while retaining her logic in some other ways? The flowers that she chooses to hand out each conveys its own meaning: fennel is thought to mean flattery, columbine meaning foolishness, daisies portraying innocence, violets showing faithfulness, rosemary â€Å"for remembrance†, pansies for thought, rue meaning regret. (4.5) The meanings of these flowers all seem to have some connection with the characters in the play. Rosemary may be meant for Hamlet, who, to Ophelia, may seem to have forgotten who he is in his state of madness, pansies, for thought, may be meant for Laertes, to consider his actions. Fennel may be paired with the King, a reflection of how his words are often deceiving and manipulative; columbines may be paired with Gertrude, a criticism on her actions. Daisies and violets, interestingly, do not appear to be given to anyone. Daisies, a symbol of innocence, may be a statement that Ophelia does not believe that anyone is  worthy of having the flowers. That Ophelia does not hand out violets may be a portrayal of herself, a particularly interesting note, as she leaves on the note that all violets had withered when Polonius died, perhaps showing her lack of faith to anyone left. Secondary characters in Hamlet seem to mostly be a foil of Hamlet himself – while he is slow, deliberate, and carefully plans out what he wishes to do in order to exact revenge for his father’s death, other characters reflect and contrast these traits. By choosing to place Laertes and Ophelia in similar positions as Hamlet, but making them react in different ways, Shakespeare emphasises the usage of character foils in Hamlet. All of them are the children of noblemen in court, all of them have lost a father, but all of them react in contrasting ways to each other. It may be seen that the characters of Laertes and Ophelia do increase our understanding of Hamlet, a dynamic character who is not easily understood, by providing foils against him, adding emphasis to the ways in which he acts in certain situations.

Organizational Theory Essay

1. Develop your understanding of the nature of the key organisation perspectives and their related theories; 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the key perspectives and the meta-theoretical assumptions that underpin each; 3. Demonstrate an appreciation of the relationship between perspectives and their respective theories; 4. Develop research skills and the ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various debates and arguments; 5. Gain skills in the written presentation of an argument, including the ways in which scholars incorporate and acknowledge the ideas of other writers. Criteria for assessment For this assignment your essay will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates: 1. Your ability to present a clear, compelling, well-presented and properly referenced argument. 2. Your ability to respond directly to the key issues raised by the question. 3. Your ability to engage with the work of other authors and extract relevant detail and explanation. 4. Your ability to assess the arguments and debates of and between other authors and incorporate them into your response. QUESTION: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a multi-perspective approach to understanding organisations? In answering the question you will need to engage with the nature of the various perspectives and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. In answering the essay question you must focus explicitly on the key issues identified in the question. A failure to follow this and the following instructions will result in a significant loss of marks. Presenting your answer: Please use headings with care. It is better to avoid using them in an essay but if you must, please keep them to a minimum and ensure that they enhance rather than undermine your argument. In order to construct a logical response to the question the following structure is suggested. You do not need to use the provided headings (see above comment regarding ‘headings’) and the structure itself is not mandatory. But, if you are going to use an alternative structure please ensure that it enables you to present a clear and direct response to the question asked. In answering the essay question you must focus explicitly on the key issues identified in the question. Introduction: In this section you must provide an overview of your answer to the question; provide answers to the key what and why questions of your argument/answer. These should take the form of direct responses to the key issues raised by the question. Your argument should be informed by a critical analysis of the content of the key readings. Please keep in mind that in all sections of your response you must move past description to analysis, this means providing answers to the why questions that emerge from your key statements. Exploration of your argument: In this section of the essay you need to accomplish two tasks. First, you must explore the key perspectives showing how each is underpinned by different assumptions that determine the way organisations are interpreted and understood. You must also address the theoretical implications of these various ways of seeing and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. Second, having demonstrated an understanding of the perspectives and their theoretical implications you need to evaluate the different arguments for and against a multi-perspective approach to understanding organisations. This evaluation must draw on and relate to your discussion about the individual perspectives and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. The whole response must be informed by an engagement with relevant sources, especially the textbook and the readings provided on the Blackboard. You must draw upon and evaluate academic debates and arguments. This is not to be viewed as an exercise in which you make up a response off-the-top-of-your-head. Conclusion: You must conclude with your general answer to the question. It should reiterate the key argument and answer to the question provided in the introduction and indicate to what extent it has been supported or challenged by your analysis of the debates and arguments of other authors. ADDITIONAL GUIDENCE: – This essay question has been designed to encourage you to prepare your own individual essay. There is no single ‘right’ answer. Markers will be looking for evidence that you have read broadly, including the provided material, and have synthesised the material to develop your own answer/ argument. The markers will also expect you to answer the question in your own words. The following points are to help you to understand and complete your assignment: 1. The question asks you to compare and contrast perspectives with regards to how they enable and constrain our understanding of organisations. The focus for this comparison is on the perspectives’ meta-theoretical assumptions and how these shape their respective theories. This part of the essay allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the course material covered in weeks 1-4. 2. Do not try to cover every single detail; you only have 2000 words so concentrate on the major points rather than fine details. 3. The focus in this essay is on analysis rather than description. Any description of your chosen perspectives must form part of your analysis and must contribute to the argument that you are making in your essay. This means answering why questions and providing supporting evidence. 4. This is not an essay asking you to consider management practices or styles of management. It is asking you to focus on ‘ways of seeing’ and thinking about organisations (different perspectives) and ways of understanding and theorising about organisations. Think of yourself as a researcher (rather than manager) of an organisation and you have a range of devices you can use to study organisations. Each device provides you with the ability to learn something different about the organisation. Your job is to explain how each of the devices provides you with different ways of understanding organisations. Do not use actual organisations as examples because it is the theory that you are seeking to demonstrate an understanding of. 5. You must use the sources provided to develop your answer. They have been selected because they provide the essential material required to answer the question. You will lose marks if you fail to use them. 6. Before you begin to look for additional reading you should first acquire a good understanding of the basics from the textbook and the required readings. Once you acquire this understanding you can then look for other material. 7. You can make use of the Web sources but they need to be reliable sources- Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. We encourage you to make use of journal articles which can be found via a range of library databases. I suggest you use Expanded Academic ASAP (Gale) database which is located through the Databases section of the library website because it allows you to search a range of journals using keywords. Some of the keywords you should consider are: organisational culture, power in organisations, organisational change, organisations and modernism, organisations and symbolic interpretivism, organisations and postmodernism, etc. You will find an enormous amount of relevant literature. You can also do author searches which can be helpful to locate recent articles by scholars mentioned in the textbook. We also encourage you to make use of the references and further reading suggested by the textbook at the end of each chapter. ‘Citation Linker’ found through the library website is a useful tool to locate some of the journal articles mentioned in the textbook. There is a lot of information out there regarding the topic. 8. Students are NOT allowed to use lecture notes as reference materials. 9. You should look at the assessment sheet found in the course guide. It will give you a feel for the sorts of things we will be assessing. 10. You should also look at the other part of the course guide which outlines the differences between the grades -i.e. what separates a ‘P’ from a ‘C’. A key point to remember in answering the questions is not to be overly descriptive. In answering the question you will need to develop an argument. An argument requires ‘expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidence’ (see http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/argument.html) The basic components of an argument include: * Making a claim (informed by relevant organisational theories) * Supporting your claim with evidence

I Quit How to Resign from Your Job With Professionalism

I Quit How to Resign from Your Job With Professionalism â€Å"I quit.† Seems easy, right? Like everything else in this world, not so much. You could send that very-on-the-nose note to announce your departure, but it’s really poor form. If you’re ready to move on to a new position, or you just can’t deal with your job any longer, there’s a process to sending a good and proper resignation letter. No matter how POed you are on your way out the door, you’ll be thankful later that you took the time to send a well-crafted, anger-neutral letter or email to your (soon to be former) boss.1. Why Send a Letter  2. When to Send the Letter  3. How to Send the Letter  4. What to Write  5. What Not to Write  6. The Sample Letter  Why Send a Letter?  Different  offices have many different ways to reach someone: interoffice chat, phone, email, meetings, coffee machine ambush, etc. So why go the official resignation letter route? It leaves a paper trail, in case there’s any question later abo ut timing, or your intent to leave. You can tell people you’re leaving through any channel, but you should always tell your boss first, and make sure that you follow up with an official letter. That way, he or she can forward it as necessary, and HR will have an official document and be able to start any necessary exit processes.When to Send the Letter  The timing on the letter varies according to a few different factors. First, always check your company’s HR policies. When you started, you may have signed something agreeing to give a particular amount of notice. Two weeks (10 business days) is an informal standard, but definitely double-check to make sure that this is a courtesy and not a legal requirement. If your start date at your new place is in two weeks and your current company requires three weeks’ notice, then things could get sticky. If you kept your onboarding documents at your current job, you can check those. Otherwise, a discreet email to HR shou ld be able to resolve the question for you, without advertising to everyone that you’re on your way out the door.When It’s Okay to LeakIf you have a good relationship with your boss, you should also plan to give him or her an unofficial heads-up before you send the official resignation note. Getting a formal announcement out of nowhere can feel like blindsiding, especially if you have a good working relationship.  Employees in the United States change their job once every three years on averageSo you might want to precede the whole process with a quick face-to-face meeting (as private as you can get it), and let your manager know that you’re leaving for a new job, or just leaving. You’re not obligated to go into great detail, about what your next steps are after you leave, but given that this person will likely be responsible for handling your duties in the interim and for initiating a search for You 2.0, a heads-up will likely be appreciated. Itâ€℠¢s a professional, respectful way to set the tone for your leaving.If you are genuinely worried about your manager having a bad reaction to the news, you can skip this step and go straight to the letter, or go through your HR department. Otherwise, most professional people accept this as a fact of life in the workplace, and will accept your resignation with the same level of graciousness that you put into it. Once you’ve sorted out the amount of notice you’ll be giving and have given your manager the courtesy heads-up, it’s time to hand over the letter.How to Send the Letter  If your company is one that handles everything via email, you can probably get away with emailing your resignation to your boss (after the face-to-face meeting). As a rule, though, it’s best to go the analog route and have a printed, signed version. If possible, have it printed, signed, and ready to go for your meeting with your boss. There’s no need to send it through the m ail, or recruit a singing telegram-ist to deliver the letter. If you don’t have it ready for your face-to-face meeting, make sure to hand it to your boss shortly afterward- you don’t want there to be any conflict over the amount of official notice you’re giving.What to Write  The content of a resignation letter is pretty straightforward. There’s no need to write a novel, with plotlines or long, tear-stained devotional passages about how you haven’t slept since you decided it was time to part ways with the company. The letter should have just the most straightforward information, with a little of your own voice thrown in:Greeting (addressed to your boss)I resign.My last day in the office will be†¦I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had in this role†¦I will be available to help with any transition duties, or training a replacement staff member.Thanks!RELATED:  5 Points to Hit in Your Resignation Letter Pretty simple. It’s not the place to weigh in on your replacement, or ask if you’ll get paid for unused vacation days. The purpose of the resignation letter is just to get it in writing that you are leaving in X amount of time.For a quick overview on how to handle the resignation process, Howdini has a great video:What NOT to Write (Or, Don’t Burn Bridges)  The resignation letter is also definitely not the time for axe-grinding. (That’s more of a venting-to-friends activity, not to be committed to paper.) If your boss is a jerk, or you can’t work for the company for X, Y, Z reasons, it doesn’t matter here. If you can’t quite manage a friendly tone, go for a civil one. And if you can’t find anything good to say about your time there, dig deep and†¦fib a little, if you need to.You may be about to blow this popsicle stand, but keep in mind that you’re probably not quitting to go live in a wifi-less cabin somewhere. You’ll be moving on t o other jobs, possibly even in the same industry. And people talk, especially when there’s good gossip. You want to be known as a consummate professional, especially as you’re gearing up to start somewhere new. The last thing you want is for your new boss to catch wind of a tantrum thrown on your way out of your last job. So even if the circumstances of your leaving are less than ideal, shake off the anger/annoyance/temptation and be gracious in your parting letter. If you really need to get some residual anger out of your system, funnel it all into an â€Å"I quit† movie marathon. Never forget that this letter will be part of the official record in your company. It will be seen by your boss, yes, but also HR and goodness knows who else. Please apply the same policy you should apply to all workplace communications: don’t write anything you wouldn’t want to be posted for the entire company to see.The Sample Letter  Hey Michael,I quit. I have a bet ter job offer, and honestly can’t stand the idiots in this office any longer.Bye,DwightUmm, no. Not only is this the wrong tone and unnecessarily antagonistic, it leaves out important information like an end date, and basic niceties like a â€Å"thank you.† Let’s try that again.Yo Michael, The time has come to say goodbye†¦Ã‚  So yeah, this is an official note to say I quit†¦Ã‚  It is with a heavy heart and a veil of tears that I announce I will be resigning†¦Ã‚  Dear Michael,  Please accept this note as a formal notification that I am resigning my position as Assistant (to the) Regional Manager to pursue other opportunities. My last day will be March 18, 2024.  I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here these past 12 years, and hope you know how much I’ve learned and grown in my role. I’ve learned an incredible amount about how to market and sell paper, both from our colleagues here and our clients. Over the next two weeks, I’d like to work with you on any necessary training or transition duties as I wrap up my time here.  I know the company will continue to have great success, and am so thankful to have been a part of it for so long. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s anything you’d like to discuss about my departure.Best wishes,DwightMuch better! Resignation letters are hard because you’re writing an official document, so it may sound a little stiff or formal by default. Definitely err on the side of formality, because again- you never know who will be seeing this once you release it at work. It’s okay to make it sound like your regular voice, but just make sure you’re not going too informal, and that you’re hitting all the necessary elements (gracious tone, end date, availability to help with the transition up until that date).So while it might be tempting to create a stir on your way out (possibly involving Kanye West), you will never go wrong with a thoughtful, clear, and definitive resignation letter. It may be tempting to dismiss your current job as old news, or use this as a chance to burn someone or the company on the way out, but if you resist that urge, you’ll be the better for it later on. Viral social media stardom is fleeting, but your reputation is forever.

The Horses by Ted Hughes Essays

The Horses by Ted Hughes Essays The Horses by Ted Hughes Paper The Horses by Ted Hughes Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Poems of Ted Hughes Here this is very effective because it gives the reader the impression of a totally empty place, silent, cold and where the narrator is completely alone like the way that some people can come to feel in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The theme of silence is developed in this way throughout the entire poem, mainly by using metaphors very effectively, accompanied by vivid description e. g. The curlews tear turned its edge on the silence. Slowly detail leafed from the darkness. Then the sun Orange, red, red erupted. I think that this particular quote is very beautiful, as it almost identifies a break in the silence, as if everything was gradually starting to come back to life. Also the colour erupting made me think of noise, rather than silence, giving a significant example of imagery, which I thought very important in helping the reader to understand the poem. I think that the structures and sound patterns which Hughes has used in the poem are very important in helping the reader to understand the way that the poem has been written, and the message that the poet is trying to convey. The way he has used forms of punctuation enables the reader to understand the way and speed it was intended to be read at due to the pauses used in the form of commas, full stops, colons and hyphens, i. e. Till the moorline blackening dregs of the brightening grey . . . The poem is written in couplets (stanzas of two lines) which gives the reader short bursts of almost information through the poets eyes, but as the punctuation does not always indicate that each couplet provides its own individual piece of information (i. e. t the end of the second stanza there is no full stop or comma so the sentence just runs into the third stanza). This gives the effect of the slowing down and speeding up of the poems rhythm, and is a very effective method which is easily understood when the poem is read aloud. I think that The Horses and The Thought Fox have a similar style in the way that punctuation has been used throughout both in order to set the speed of the poems, by the way lines flow into each other, or the way there are short, sharp little sentences. Also in the topics they are written about; they are both written in the form of animals but with the poet writing from the place of the animal. In The Thought Fix, the poet has put himself in the place of a fox, in a comparison about the creative process. This poem seems to start slowly, speed up in the middle stanzas, and then almost come to a standstill at the end when the job is complete in the same kind of way as in The Horses, which gave me the idea that this poem could also be about the creative process, especially considering that Ted Hughes was a poet laureate who had had great experience of the difficulties of a writer. On the other hand these two poems have many differences. They are set out differently; The Horses is written in couplets whereas The Thought Fox is set out in six stanzas of four lines each. Also there is more evident use of punctuation to change the rhythm in The Horses, whereas in The Thought Fox there is hardly any punctuation, making it quite a fast paced poem, all flowing into one.

How To Get Your Boss To Say Yes To CoSchedule (Powered By Science)

How To Get Your Boss To Say Yes To (Powered By Science) Marketing has  changed more in last few years than in the last half-century before them. And the velocity of change is only accelerating. This means there are more areas than ever we need to be competent in. Not only do we have to be awesome at being visionary leaders, sharp copywriters, email wizards, rockin conversion experts, killer project managers, Ogilvy-esque advertisers, and 48 other skills we have to build the skill of leading change. weve gotta challenge the status quo  before were stuck. even more, weve gotta convince our bosses to come along for the ride. And if youve made the decision to adopt , the worlds best marketing management platform, the task is the same. It all comes down to our ability to influence others. From our peers to the C-Suite execs. But, if youve ever read about the psychology of influence, it can be sad news. Doubly so when it comes to how to convince your boss or top brass to try new tools like . How To Get Your Boss To Say Yes To @(Powered By Science) by @jordan_loftisThe *Semi-Depressing* Reality Of Influencing Others One of the first principles of influence you come across is called the halo effect. In the 1920s, psychologist Edward Thorndike piloted a study of how military officers judge their subordinates. He found more physically attractive soldiers were were rated higher across the board on a four-point scale: intelligence, physique, leadership, and character. This means positive reactions to physical appearance were projected onto other areas of the soldiers. And as much as we hate to admit it, the rabbit hole goes deeper. This principle holds true in elections, as well. In a study called Beauty at the Ballot Box, researchers theorized that since physical attractiveness is a cue toward good health, we may be biologically programmed to esteem it. Meaning were naturally inclined to favor attractive people. However, when it comes to convincing your boss to say yes to a fresh software tool like obliterating makeshift marketing a flexible work-from-home policy that new process weve got many more science-backed levers to pull than just our faces. 4 Ways To Convince Your Boss To Say Yes To Fueled By Science 🚀 In this post, Ill share the best research on ethical approaches to convince your boss to say yes to (and just about anything else!). No makeup required. Youll learn four strategies: How to position your ask in concrete terms, How to align implementing with team objectives, Why to conduct a trial run with a mini post-mortem conversation, And how to win the conversation by starting big, then going small. One of the most powerful benefits of is its ability to crush the bug we call makeshift marketing. A major change to the marketing landscape is the sheer number of single-function software tools available. Unfortunately, most dont play well together. This means were stuck with tools not designed with marketers in mind. This makes your life more frustrating and puts a lid on your results. So, well walk through examples of leading change to combat it by getting your boss to say yes to ! Saddle up, partner! #1: Convince Your Boss To Say Yes To Through Loss Aversion Lets begin with  opportunity cost. An opportunity cost is the benefit someone loses in favor of taking a different action. When you choose between things, you lose the benefits of the alternative choice. With this first tactic, well leverage the principles of loss aversion and prospect theory. Research shows that people fear loss more than they desire benefit. And this greatly influences the way they choose between options (aka: prospects). Research shows that people fear loss more than they desire benefit.This means people will over emphasise even minor opportunities for loss. Nielsen Norman Group  says it like this: When choosing among several alternatives, people avoid losses and optimize for sure wins because the pain of losing is greater than the satisfaction of an equivalent gain. For example, you want to adopt a new marketing tool  like to replace a less effective one (or even multiple tools). The problem is theres a chance the new tool will cost more than its worth. Either in hard cash  and  in lost productivity. In turn, your boss may be instantly loss averse. This will impact her choice between the prospects of status quo and potential loss. The risk may seem falsely outsized - especially if budgets or time are already tight. To use this knowledge to your advantage, simply structure your ask in two parts: If we do [thing you want] it will add [positive value]. If we dont do [thing you want] it will cost [negative value]. In this case, it may sound like: If we [adopt ], it will give us a [55% lift in productivity per team member]. If we dont [adopt this new tool], we are actually losing [$1,255 per week in lost productivity]. To help you make that case, you can actually use the nifty Time Savings Calculator we built. After extensive research of our customers, we found the average time savings based on the above criteria. Simply enter your team size, the number of projects you complete each week, and the number of social profiles you manage. Then click Calculate Time Savings. In this case, a team of two completing four projects and managing three social media profiles per week can save over 20 hours per month! (Whats even cooler is  this actually happened for customer Florida Realtors ®) If you dollarize your time, thats an incredible amount of money. Ask your boss: What would it mean for us to have 80 hours back per month? The idea here is to highlight the gain as specifically as possible. Then showcase the loss of the alternative option - in this case changing nothing - as specifically as possible. This way, you can position the facts according to the emotional principles at play. If your boss says no to , theyre actually saying no to 80 bonus hours per month (on average)! Set the stakes,  make loss aversion your friend, and get to yes faster. Thanks science! #2: Convince Your Boss To Use By Aligning Change With Team Goals Next, marketers have #goalsfordays A recent study we conducted found that marketers who set goals are 429% more likely to be successful. Tactic number two is using this stat to your advantage. If you have goals, like driving  500 fresh leads every month make us of  alignment theory. In simple terms, it says the most successful people understand their strengths and then arrange their lives in alignment with them. This theory works for both individuals and teams. Successful organizations run like machines using this principle. And the power of alignment is possible when strategy, goals, and purpose mutually reinforce one another. To put it to work with your boss, structure your ask for change like this: Our team is trying to achieve [goal]. But we have [failed] for the past [timeframe]. I think the best way we can do this right now is by [thing you want]  [based on prior success]. In keeping with our 1,000 qualified leads example, the ask might be: Our team is trying to achieve [1,000 qualified leads every month]. But weve [only reached 70% of that goal] for the [past three months]. I think the best way we can do this right now is by [focusing exclusively on driving traffic] [to our top-performing landing pages]. The change youre after is a shifted focus: driving more traffic. However, the goal youre trying to achieve is the same: 1,000 qualified leads. Also notice this clause: based on prior success. If your team has had any related successes in the past, highlight them for leverage as proof.If your team has related successes in the past, highlight them for leverage as proof. In this example, it was top-performing landing pages. In their fantastic book, Switch, authors Chip and Dan Heath call these prior wins bright spots. Theyre powerful because they showcase that positive results  are possible, because you have achieved them in the past. Youre team is capable of knocking it outta the park. So, you align your methods accordingly. Bonus: This is also a great chance to sharpen your goal-setting strategy if it needs a little work. #3: Convince Your Boss To Say Yes To With A Post-Mortem Post-mortems sound sad but can I be real for a minute? I think theyre amazing. Post-mortems are amazing persuasion hacks.A post-mortem is an analysis held after a project, usually with the aim of answering this question: How on earth did things go so wrong?! So why do I love em? Because theyre amazing chances to learn. Theyre even beneficial to hold on the heels of successful projects. They promote healthy self-reflection and can benefit your entire team. To persuade your boss to say yes to , though, I want you to tactically use a mini post-mortem with your boss in advance of your ask. Two reasons: You can learn why similar changes, like adopting new tools, have failed in the past. You can pre-empt legitimate objections your boss will have ahead of time. Why Have Other Things Failed? By learning why other initiatives have failed, you can learn what pitfalls to avoid. For instance, if youre proposing a move from messy-as-hell spreadsheets to   - or a similar transition from an inefficient way of doing things - how helpful would it be to learn that the last tool transition to be shot down actually had the support of your manager, but got squashed by the CFO? Setup this convo like this: When was the last time we wanted to get budget for a new software tool in our department? How did it go? If the last attempt bombed, follow with, Why do you think it failed? And is there any way it could have been approved? If it succeeded, even better! Ask, Why was it successful? And how has it panned out? Overcoming Legitimate Objections Next, you can glean what legitimate objections your boss may have to your idea. Almost every boss Ive ever had loved to say, Yes! to great ideas. But so many of my attempts at leading a new change as the underling failed because I didnt understand their field of visibility. Field of visibility means their viewpoint informed by the things they know that you may not. Think of it like this. Company execs sit in meetings that you dont. They hear forecasts, plans, and upcoming constraints that you dont. They understand organizational dynamics you may have missed. They see your team from a broader perspective than you might. This means understanding their field of visibility is incredibly beneficial. With a mini post-mortem, you can dig in to why a similar change failed. This will help you position your ask to overcome your bosss legitimate (or even illegitimate) objections. Whether its data Or a project champion up the chain Or even competitive research You can gain insight beforehand to have great answers to tough questions. And these answers can fuel your case for adopting ! #4: Convince Your Boss By Asking Big, Then Small Last, lets talk about an old psychological warhorse: the rule of reciprocity. Psychologist and best-selling author Robert Cialdini explains it in his book,  Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, like this. He writes: The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us [and] by virtue of the reciprocity rulewe are  obligated to the future repayment of favors, gifts, invitations, and the like. The idea is to do something for someone else  before you ask them to do something for you. When you do so, youre far more likely to get your Yes. While this principle might be effective, its often felt too manipulative for me to entertain actually doing this. You can influence people without being conniving or manipulative.Call me a boy scout, but that seems like a pretty sketchy move. And worse, an infringement on a healthy relationship. That said, there is a version of this rule I happily endorse 😎 Cialdini also shares a specific application of this rule called bargaining, saying, Bargaining is frequently used in the negotiation process, which involves reciprocal concessions. That is, if Person A rebuffs a large request from Person B, and Person B then concedes by making a smaller request, Person A will feel obligated to reciprocate this concession with a concession of his or her own by agreeing to this lesser plea. In 1975, researchers on the Arizona State University campus cracked the code on this. In an experiment, half of the students in the test were asked, Will you chaperone juvenile-detention-center inmates on a day trip to the zoo? A measly 17% said yes. The other half of the test subjects were asked a leading question first: Will you volunteer as a juvenile-detention-center counselor for two hours per week for the next two years? Every single student said no to the new leading question but then the interesting part happened. Nearly 50% said yes to the second (original) question about chaperoning the zoo visit! The angle for our marketing purposes is pretty obvious: construct two versions of your ask.

Technology Change and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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How to Support Biligualism in Early Childhood by Victoria Rodriguez - Essay Example Finally the article answers important questions and addresses various issues that may arise with the parents or the teachers. I believe that apart from few lines where there is a hint of bias and faulty reasoning, the article is very well written. In these lines, the author makes use of faulty reasoning. One such place is when, with respect to the teachers and administrators, the author mentions ‘This cannot be done without ongoing and in-depth professional development’. I disagree with this point since professional development and experience is not the only thing that matters and it should not be the only criteria. Since this is children that are being dealt with, the criteria should be that the person should not only have an adequate command on both the languages but also be frank, responsible and dedicated no matter whether the person has any professional training or not. Apart from these lines, the whole article is very informative and pleasant to

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Predictability of Foreign Exchange Rates - Dissertation Example I am also much obliged to my supervisors who guided me with their timely advice, feedbacks and suggestions which aided me in attaining the expected standard of work and keeping me punctual as per the scheduled deliveries of dissertation chapters. Table of Contents Serial no. Topic Page no. I Introduction, Aims & objectives and Research Questions 6 I.1 Introduction 6 I.2 Aims 6 I.3 Objectives 6 I.4 Research Questions 7 II Literature Review 8 III Research Methodology 15 IV Findings Analysis and Discussion 19 V Conclusion and Recommendations for future Research 33 VI References 40 List of Tables Table no. Topic Page no. 1a Regression Results of Equation (1a) 22 1b Regression Results of Equation (1b) 23 2a Regression Results of Equation (2a) 25 2b Regression Results of Equation (2b) 26 3a Regression Results of Equation (3a) 28 3b Regression Results of Equation (3b) 29 List of Tables in Appendix Serial no. Topic Page no. ... on: The collapse of the Bretton Woods System of fixed exchange rate in 1978 ushered in the new era of flexible exchange rate that aimed for the betterment of trade relations between countries. Free and floating exchange rate were assumed to be the solution to the barriers to free trade and hence, the newly acquired ideals of globalization. What remained uncalculated was the instability and lack of predictability associated with flexible exchange rates. In the aftermath of the Global Crisis of 2007, the predictability of exchange rates has evolved as one of the most relevant issues and pleads minute scrutiny and analysis. I.2 Aims: The objective of this research is to examine the depreciations, appreciations and devaluations in the value of the US Dollar relative to other major currencies and based on this analysis; draw a general conclusion on the degree of predictability of exchange rates in recent times. Furthermore, it attempts to identify the main factors responsible for the vola tility of exchange rates following the collapse of the Bretton Woods System and thus, offer a clear insight into the various mechanisms existent in the context of exchange rate predictability. I.3 Objectives: The main objectives of the research are: To compare the differences in the stability and predictability of exchange rates before and after the collapse of the Bretton Woods System of fixed Exchange rates. To study the variations in the value of exchange rate of US, with respect to other major currencies and based on this, gauge the relative increase or decrease in the stability and predictability of exchange rates. To identify the reasons for the changing degree of predictability in exchange rates. To study the implications of the varying degrees of predictability of exchange rates, in

How to Reduce Recidivism among Ex-Convicts Essay

How to Reduce Recidivism among Ex-Convicts - Essay Example This paper argues that incarceration alone is not enough to reduce crime rates, especially re-imprisonment rates, and that the best way to reform ex-convicts is to offer them education, rehabilitation, and employment opportunities that will help them re-integrate more successfully into public life. Background For the past twenty years, the costs of maintaining prison cells have expanded more swiftly than other spending categories of state budgets, except for health care expenditures (Sedgley et al. 498). In 2006, the incarcerated reached the population of 1.57 million, and the incarceration rate grew to 1.9% for five years, from 2000 to 2005 (Sedgley et al. 498). Recidivism is a costly problem, considering that out of more than 600,000 prisoners released every year, 5% returns after six months, while 25.4% are re-imprisoned within three years after release (Sedgley et al. 498). Supporters of imprisonment argue that incarceration serves an important deterrent purpose. If this is so ef fective, however, how come these people are re-imprisoned in as short as six months after their freedom? In this paper’s opinion, they are not prepared yet to become law-abiding citizens, who can find and maintain stable jobs and homes. They need something more than imprisonment to change them; they need society to educate them and to help them deal with their substance abuse problems, if present. Arguments Ex-convicts with substance abuse problems require long-term residential therapeutic system to help them change their attitudes and practices toward illegal drugs. Drugs change how people think, so it means they also need medical and non-pharmacological treatment to wash out these toxins and their effects on their thinking and actions. In â€Å"Recidivism among High-Risk Drug Felons: A Longitudinal Analysis Following Residential Treatment,† Belenko et al. studied the effect of participating in Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program on ex-con’s rec idivism rate. They used a longitudinal quasi-experimental design that had an experimental sample of 150 offenders and a comparison sample of 130 offenders. Findings showed that diverting drug offenders to DTAP resulted to lower rates of recidivism; yearly arrest rates and the total number of months of new incarceration were considerably reduced; and the time before the first re-arrest was longer. Another study recommends the use of a drug court, so that drug offenders are not lumped with hard-core criminals through incarceration. In â€Å"Drug Court: An Effective Alternative to Incarceration,† Kalich and Evans study the effectiveness of the F.I.S.T Drug Court Program in decreasing the recidivism rates of participants, when compared to a control group. Drug courts respond to the â€Å"need for public safety by providing extensive monitoring of clients through frequent court contacts, group treatment sessions, and drug testing† (570). Findings showed that dependence on d rug court components is directly related to lower rates of recidivism (Kalich and Evans 587). The researchers also learned the importance of determining and utilizing suitable group comparisons in recidivism studies (Kalich and Evans 587). These studies provide compelling evidence that incarceration is not suitable for drug offenders. Instead, they should be coerced to take long-term residential treatment that will persist, until these offenders are fully