Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Cross cuiltur managment (Expatriation and Culture Shock in China ) Essay

Cross cuiltur managment (Expatriation and Culture Shock in China ) - Essay Example Cardozo (2007) believes that these opportunities are being sought and preferred because of the excitement of foreign travel and the challenges presented by the new posts. It would appear, however, based on studies and recent developments on expatriation, that the figure is not altogether rosy for the expatriates. One of the undesirable effects of expatriation is culture shock, a condition defined as â€Å"coming to understand and adapt to differences in culture† by Kwintessential Ltd., a company engaged in cross cultural services. It is the objective of this paper to take an in-depth look at expatriation and culture shock in China, how expatriation leads to culture shock and how this condition is experienced by the expatriates. The choice of China is made for the simple reason that China is an interesting case for cultural study especially in its present role as the bearer of a new economic order, and for many expatriate managers, is a stimulating environment in which to live and work (Kaye and Taylor, 1997). The paper further aims to examine the causes of this undesirable state using research data gathered from secondary sources. It is hoped that the examination will add more insights into this problem and possibly contribute to a deeper understanding and resolution of the same. Extent of Failure of Expatriation According to Harzing (1995), almost every publication on the topic of expatriation defines and evaluates expatriate failure as the â€Å"percentage of expatriates returning home before their assignment contract expires.† Harzing (1995) cites Buckley and Brooke who claimed that expatriate failure would be in the range of 70 per cent for developing countries and 25-40% in developing countries. Rosalie Tung in Shilling (1993) puts a second to this claim by citing survey results among US, European and Japanese multinational corporations indicating a high percentage of failures in overseas assignments. In another report by Sharon Lobel, failed assignments were reported to have occurred in as often as 70% of the time in many developed countries (Shilling, 1993). Addler and Ghadar in Harzing (1995) attribute a range of 25-40% for failed American expatriates while Tung’s estimate of the failure rate among expatriates in Europe is 10%. It is easy to see from these percentages that the returning expatriates, known as repatriates, represent a substantial sum of money lost on their failure to adapt to the country of assignment. If the losses are substantial from the returning assignees, what is more disturbing is the finding in recent studies that showed the decreasing number of candidates now refusing foreign assignments (Rao, 2010) Other studies have shown, according to Kaye and Taylor (1997), that 16-40% of expatriates terminate their foreign assignments early because of their poor performance on the job or their inability to adjust to their new environment. Not only that, the same studies show that as many as 50% of those who stay would be functioning at low levels of effectiveness (Kaye and Taylor, 1997). It is estimated that the average cost to the parent company of a failed assignment would be in the range of $65,000 to $300,000 per failure (Mendenhall and Oddou in Kaye and Taylor, 1997). Culture Shock: A Major Cause of Failure The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology refers to culture shock as â€Å"

Monday, October 28, 2019

History Technology 20th Century Essay Example for Free

History Technology 20th Century Essay The role of technology played a huge part in developing our way of life today as we exist. The technology field developed quickly in the span of the 20th century. We had communication technology, transportation technology and the technology that contributed to the advancement of modern science. These all contributed to a better way of living and enhancing our quality of life throughout the 20th century and it continues today. Communications technology played an important part in our evolving culture in the 20th century. Radio, radar, and early sound recording were key technologies that paved the way for the development of the telephone, fax machine and the storage of data. The way we communicate with others is a great tool for our society to evolve and communicate with one another. This helped with the way we developed our relationships with our countries as well by providing a quick way to speak to someone or find someone that is a half way around the world. This technology also helped our economy by providing an important avenue for the way we can do business. We can hold conference calls with multiple parties that were not thought of before. The personal computer was developed in the 1980’s as well as cell phones. The public use Internet was introduced in the 1990’s. With these technologies it gave businesses a chance to enhance productivity and increase our economy and provide us a better quality of life. Transportation technology had a significant impact on our quality of life and the way we become mobile. The combination of the ability to travel by air and automobile allowed people to have unprecedented personal mobility that they did not have before. One of the most notable technologies in the area of transportation came with the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. This gave a peaceful outlet for political and military tensions of the Cold War. This lead to the first human spaceflight with the Soviet Union’s mission in 1961 and man’s first landing on the moon in 1969. The first space station was launched by the Soviet space program. The United States developed the first reusable spacecraft system with the Space Shuttle program. It was first launched in 1981. The technology that lead to the evolution of the space program for human space travel also allowed for orbiting space probes that have been developed to work with our communication technologies to not only protect us but provide further exploration in the future. The advancement of medicine has allowed us to live longer more productive lives. Antibiotics was developed that drastically reduced mortality from bacterial diseases. Vaccines were developed to protect us from epidemics that caused death. X-rays became a powerful tool to diagnose diseases and broken bones. Imaging was developed to help doctors find better ways to treat individuals. All of the medical advancements from the 20th century have provided our morality to increase not only in adults but young people who did not have the chance at life as they do today. Vietnam War Outcome/Results The war that I choose to discuss is the Vietnam War. This war was a prolonged struggle between nationalist’s forces that were attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government. The United States was trying to prevent the spread of communism. Many people viewed this war as a no win war. The United States leaders had lost the American public’s support for the war. What many people did not realize is that there had been fighting in Vietnam long before the Vietnam War began. The Vietnamese people had suffered under French colonial rule for over six decades. Japan had invaded many parts of Vietnam which brought the Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh back to his country after traveling around the world. He established the Viet Minh. Their goal was to get rid of the French and Japanese people that occupied their land. The French were not willing to give up their colony and fought back. Ho Chi Minh had tried for years to get the United States to support him against the French. He even supplied the United States with military intelligence about the Japanese during World War II. The United States decided to help the French for fear that the country would become a communist country. Viet Cong was established by communist sympathizers in South Vietnam to use guerilla warfare against the South Vietnamese. The United States sent advisors to South Vietnam but the North Vietnamese fired directly upon two U. S. Ships in international waters. This resulted in a resolution that the Congress issued that gave the President authority to escalate the United States involvement in Vietnam. The President’s goal was not for the United States to win but to bolster South Vietnam’s defenses until South Vietnam could take over. Because the United States entered into this war without a goal, President Johnson set the stage for the public and troop disappointment when the United States was in a stalemate with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. The U. S. troops fought the war in the jungle where the Viet Cong were very well supplied and set booby traps for the U. S. troops. This became a difficult war to fight for the Americans. The U.S. troops became frustrated at the conditions they were forced to be in that many became angry and some used drugs to cope. The surprise attack that the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong organized against the South Vietnamese cities and towns was the turning point. This proved to the Americans that the enemy was stronger and organized better than they thought. As news spread to the U. S., the American public was unhappy so the President decided that he would not escalate the war any longer. Newly appointed President Nixon wanted nothing more than to end the war. He began the process of withdrawing troops in 1969 and expanded the war to other countries. This move created protests throughout America. The President worked toward a peaceful solution and peace talks began. The cease fire did not happen until 1973 and the last U. S. troops left Vietnam in March 1973. Even though the United States had withdrawn it’s troops, the fighting continued in Vietnam. Finally, South Vietnam officially surrendered to North Vietnam on April 30, 1975. The United States was trying to prevent the spread of communism when ultimately; Vietnam was reunited as a communist country in 1976. This was a war the United States should have never been involved in but the government thought otherwise. [Insert Paper Title Here] [Insert introductory text here] Paper should be printed on 8.5 X 11 inch white paper. Entire paper should be double-spaced. The paper should be clean. The printer should produce letters that are dark enough and clear enough to be easily read. Margins should be 1 inch at the top, bottom, left, and right of every page. Do not justify the right margin, instead leave it ragged by using left justify. Use Times Roman using font size of 12. Type no more than 27 lines of text on each page (not counting the header at the top of the page). References

Saturday, October 26, 2019

America a Country Made by Africans :: essays papers

America a Country Made by Africans The development of Colonial America was based on the fundamental of slavery. Without the labor power of the first African/ Americans the existence of America would be incomprehensible. Countryman's statement, " Their story is "no exception" to what was otherwise a tale of success- it is absolutely fundamental to the history of colonial America." Countryman's statement is in fact correct. This country is was found upon the backbone of African Americans it is evident in the three essays of Countryman's book " How Did American Slavery Begin?" The three essays, which support Countryman's bold statement, are "Ancestry of Inferiority" by A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. "Gullah Roots" by Margaret Washington "Slavery and Freedom" by Edmund Morgan These essays specifically explain how the African Americans helped our founding fathers build this country physically economically and politically When the first African American set foot on this land he was here for one purpose and that was to serve someone, but that was also the same with a Caucasian American. Even though both black and white were treated the same it was obvious that being black was a disadvantage, 'sin'. Englishmen at that time believed that the color black was considered as "the handmaid of and symbol of baseness and evil†¦" (pg.88). Each servant when coming to America was to serve a master for a certain amount of years. The white servants served the masters for seven years because it was written in their contract which was made in England, but since the blacks came from Africa and had no sort of contract they were kept longer as servants (pg.88). This I believe is the bases for slavery, the more labors they had the more work could be done on plantation making more money. This is the physical part of the, which was built by Africans. The absolute economic success of this country was built on the back of an African American. Blacks were the actually labors and engineers who matched the amount of the world's demand on goods produced in America such as rice, indigo, tobacco, and cotton (pg.75). Certain blacks on the coasts of Guinea were adopted due to the fact they knew how to already ingeniously harvest rice and indigo (pg.73). This Coast became know as 'The Gold Coast'. This though was not the main reason for African Americans to be a major portion of the American labor system.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Compare and contrast the dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin Essay

Totalitarianism is when all three powers of the state (judicial, executive, and legislative) are controlled by one person. This is what happened in the twentieth century when Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin became the dictators of Germany and Russia. They were similar in many ways but had completely different fundamental ideas. Hitler was born in 1889 in Austria . He left school with no qualifications and fought in the First World War. Stalin was born in 1879 in Georgia. His original name was Iosif Dzugashvili but he changed it to Stalin (which means â€Å"man of steel†). Both Hitler and Stalin had relatively low backgrounds. Both Hitler and Stalin came to power in difficult times. After loosing the First World War, Germany was in dept. There had been a hyper-inflation and the Germans were eager for change. Russia on the other hand was in the middle of a revolution and communism was being installed. Both Hitler and Stalin were capable of using the current economical situation to help them to power; promising everything the Germans and Russians wanted. Unlike Stalin, Hitler was very good at making speeches but they were both devious and ruthless leaders. Neither Hitler or Stalin believed in democracy but they still had very different beliefs. Stalin was a member of the Russian Communist Party. He thought that a country could only progress under this regime where everything belongs to everyone and there are supposedly no rich and no poor; everyone is equal. Hitler was fascist: he believed that all Jews, homosexuals, mentally ill and gypsies should be killed and only the Aryan race should live (white Europeans who had blond hair and blue eyes). Hitler also wanted to destroy the communist party and rebuild his army to expand Germany. Both leaders wanted to rebuild their country and make it more powerful. Hitler and Stalin both used terror to keep people in line. They had a large  secret police that they would use to crush any opposition. In both countries people and children were encouraged to report on one another. People who criticized or opposed Hitler or Stalin were arrested tortured and killed or sent to gulags (in Russia) or concentration camps (in Germany) where they did forced labor. Gulags were often situated in Siberia and the prisoners were badly fed and dressed and not payed. Hitler and Stalin would not hesitate to kill or exile any political opponents or people seen as threats within or without of their party. Both dictators banned all other political parties. Hitler and Stalin were both able to control what the population though and what information it received. They controlled the cinema, education, arts, the media (newspapers and radio)†¦ They also controlled religion; in Russia belief in God was replaced by belief in communism and Stalin. Propaganda played a big roll in both their dictatorships. In Russia, paintings, films, plays and posters gave a positive image of Stalin, promoting him as the best leader. In Germany, propaganda was used to show that the Nazis were doing the best things for the Germans. Propaganda always exaggerated and promoted Nazi achievements and ideas. In both cases failures were hidden from the public. Both Hitler and Stalin changed life a lot for the people of their countries. They created a lot of jobs but the workers were very badly paid and worked for long hours. Stalin created jobs in the industry and farming and Hitler in the military and infrastructure. Stalin believed that women should work too and in 1937, forty percent of workers were women. Hitler on the other hand believed that women were to stay at home and take care of the children. When Hitler came to power he sacked most women that were already working. In both cases their were very few women in politics. Children were taught that Hitler/Stalin were heroes. Schools were used to promote communism and fascism. Girls were taught baking and childcare. Outside of school children were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth (in Germany) and the Pioneers (in Russia). Boys were shaped to become industrial workers or soldiers and girls to raise and take care of a family. Under both Hitler and Stalin’s dictatorships the lives of the Germans and Russians were changed a lot. They both controlled what information got to the people and used terror to maintain order. They were also both able to use to their advantage many things like the economical crises. Though both rulers had different goals they had similar means to achieve them.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

12 Years a Slave Themes

The pain and abuse experienced by Solomon Northrup in his 12 years of slavery, like the millions of other slaves who were kidnapped in Africa and sold across the U. S. , is a tragic example of the pain one society can inflict upon another group of people. The movie 12 Years A Slave graphically portrays the horrors of slavery in America, and demonstrates the shame of the system, using the incredible irony in the story of Solomon Northrup. Since he had a dpcument that said he was a free black man, he was treated by others as a fellow man, but after he was kidnapped he was considered property, like an animal.There was no change in Solomon himself as a person; only a corrupt system declared that he could now be owned as nothing said otherwise. Only a paper could take away your humanity. Additionally, the slave masters and traders, including Solomon Northrup’s, felt that they did not just have the right to treat their slaves however they liked, they also claimed they had the right to, even more simply, own their fellow man. And by decree of the American government, they were fully at liberty to do so.Both examples point to a major theme of the movie, and applies to the slavery system that was in existence all over the Western world: dehumanization. The black slaves who were abused and exploited by the American policy of slavery had their humanity stripped away from them, and were considered the same as any other property of the owner. In contrast, the slave owners who considered fellow humans their own property and whom they could abuse at their leisure had their ideas of justice led so astray by the permitting of slavery that they seemed to lack basic human qualities themselves, including compassion and a sense of reason.The plight of the slaves is summed up perfectly when a fellow slave tells Solomon Northrup, after throwing the body of another slave into the ocean, that â€Å"he was better off dead†. It is quite astounding that such young men and wo men felt that their best option was to die, instead of being faced with the horrors they did daily. Although, it can appear quite reasonable, as slaves were most often born on a plantation, and had no hope of dying free. They could not establish any goals for themselves, as their entire life was forced to be devoted to fulfilling the needs of their masters.This is quite like the lives of many animals, and not humans. Animals are born and try to maintain their existence, but establishing goals to accomplish anything greater is strictly a human attribute. With this basic human characteristic taken from slaves, they were only left with a few human attributes- their own physical bodies, and their spirits; although the former was often abused by the frequent lashes â€Å"awarded† by the masters, which left very prominent scars on the back. For slaves however, maintaining their spirit and dignity, was probably far more complex. Every single event in the life of a slave dehumanized them.Firstly, the auctions, where slaves were forced to strip down and dance like monkeys so prospective buyers could evaluate their abilities. Then, a price was put on their head, and white men could simply buy another human being, and then take him home and enslave him. Also, no differentiation was made between men and youth (as displayed in one scene where all slaves walk beside each other) to carry an identical workload, no matter if one was 12 or 25. Masters had the power to do as they pleased with their slaves after purchase, but only them as a slave was their own personal property.In a confrontation, a plantation supervisor instructed some others after trying to lynch Solomon that â€Å"Ford (plantation owner) holds the mortgage, and you have no hold to his life†. It is incredibly ironic that since they did not own Solomon, they could not lynch, but whoever does can do as he pleases. All this dehumanizing torture would definitely break the spirit of almost any human. B ut, Solomon tried to maintain his, and ensure others did as well, at all costs. He was willing to take vicious punishment for standing up to a supervisor.Also, after noticing another female slave crying endlessly, he told her that â€Å"You let yourself be overcome by sorrow, you will drown in it†. Clearly Northrup tried his best to maintain his dignity, but prior to the exciting conclusion of his story, there is a very telling scene. Solomon was playing violin at a dance for his master and their friends. The violin represented for him a human experience, as he was able to accomplish more than just picking cotton, and the sound of an instrument is one of the most powerful human experiences.Although, at this ball, as he plays, the sorrowful background music of the movie plays over his song, and clouds out the sound of his violin. After the ball Solomon smashed his violin into thousands of pieces. He recognized that even in a very human activity, he was still serving his master , and the music he played and everything he felt as a result of the music, all belonged to his owner. Despite the dramatization, it still vividly shows the despicable dehumanization suffered by slaves, and even those who tried to maintain their human dignity, eventually had everything stripped away.The slaves who had their humanity taken away were abused so greatly by their masters that for a viewer, it was hard to imagine these masters as human, just as they thought of their slaves. Especially further down the Mississippi, like at Northrup’s plantation in Louisiana, the masters treated their slaves so poorly it was impossible to see them as human beings. Most notably, when whipping their slaves, masters stood over their workers and lashed them, with the lack of remorse of a jockey standing over his horse. When talking about whipping his slaves, Solomon’s Louisiana master said: â€Å"Sin. There is no sin.A man does as he pleases with his property. † The master m akes no recognition of the pain he inflicts upon his â€Å"property†, and it forces the viewer to see him as almost a sociopath. The same master also singled out an individual slave, Patsy, and tormented her in a way no true human would do. He was involved sexually with her, most likely against her will. He also whipped her brutally, and even once got Solomon to whip her, in order to see both of them suffer. Other white men demonstrated similar non-human characteristics. At a slave auction, one buyer rhetorically asked a slave: â€Å"Are you a slave or nigger? †.He showed so little respect for another human that it was simply impossible to see him as one either. The extreme cruelty was probably not something the owners were born with, though. It was something engrained in them by slavery being officially permitted and promoted. With official support for slavery, and no real regulations, owners were practically encouraged to abuse their slaves. They learned nothing abou t the history of slavery or their individual slaves, so it was impossible for them to have any connection or compassion for their slaves. It could be considered the original ill-informed, American-centric principle.Truly, the masters such incredibly poor conduct and abuse of their slaves, no matter the justification dehumanized them as well, as no proper person could act in such a terrible way. It is quite impossible to understand the moral justification for slavery in the U. S. No doubt the economic prospective was immense, but the responsibility of a government established â€Å"for the people† is responsible for just that, and encouraging slavery does just the opposite.It is indicative of a society, which at times even today, is more concerned with mythical end goals, than  for the people who build and achieve them. The dream of the American South was to develop a perfect agrarian society, where man’s religion and property were his own, and were respected by the g overnment and others. However, only the plantation owners were considered in this fantasy. Yes, the quantity of labour from the slaves was essential in the development of the country as a whole, and a failure to fully employ their ample natural resources would have greatly stunted the development of the new country’s economy, but the method taken contradicted the true goals of the country when it was established.Even Thomas Jefferson decried slavery in the Missing Clause of the constitution, and said â€Å"†. However, slavery existed for nearly 100 more years in the U. S. after Jefferson, as the South still considered it the best option for developing the country. Maybe it was justified then because the 14 million slaves who built American industry weren’t even considered human, they were only considered slaves.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Main Characters in The Wars.

Main Characters in The Wars. Since man has walked on earth, he had always been in conflict with himself and other human beings. For thousands of years, there have been many furious battles fought among rival groups over different issues that seemed big at that time. The end results of each of the conflicts were always pretty much the same: the mass deaths and destruction of civilizations, and horrible physical and emotional impacts on the individuals left to live with the horrors they had faced. The propaganda to convince young men to go to war to fight for their country, the death of their friends, and the physical and emotional breakdown are all part of the modern warfare. False hopes were created for the young soldiers, who were expected to forget all the morals they have learned and go to war to kill everything they see, without a second thought. No previous war at that time had come close to what World War I did to those who fought it.Timothy Findley's star on Canada's Walk of FameAlthough the allies won th e war, their losses were massive. Through his novel, "The Wars" Timothy Findley displays the horrible consequences of World War I by showing how the war affected the young men who fought in it and their families back home. This essay will demonstrate the effect that World War I had on Eugene Taffler, Rodwell, and Mrs. Ross.As Robert Ross first hears of Taffler, he understands that Taffler is a hero even though Taffler's face was not familiar to Robert. This image of Taffler sticks with Robert until the end. During one of the battles, Taffler had his arms shot off. This unfortunate event had a profound effect on Taffler, who is no longer able to live the life he had before the summer of 1914. His injuries forced Taffler to...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Essay Sample on Alfred Lord Tennyson

Essay Sample on Alfred Lord Tennyson Today, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry is widely known and appreciated, though this was not always the case. In his early years of writing his poems were criticized for content and style of writing. This strongly impacted Tennyson and caused him once to cease writing for nine years. Tennyson’s childhood influenced his writing and this is often seen in many of his poems. He was regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. He become Poet Laureate in 1850 and was appointed by Queen Victoria and served 42 years. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry was greatly influenced by his early childhood, best friend and religious beliefs; while his rhyme scheme was traditional; his morbid style was not popular for his time. This melancholy style of writing and use of topics of moral and intellectual beliefs of his time were especially vulnerable for later critic. Tennyson’s life at home wasn’t always a happy one. His father, George, began tutoring Tennyson after four unhappy years of schooling. George tutored his sons in classical and modern languages. However, George, along with some of Tennyson’s brothers, suffered from bouts of epilepsy. One of Tennyson’s brother’s had violent quarrels with his father, one was confined to an insane asylum later in life and yet another became an opium addict. George often suffered from depression and his drinking led to him becoming violent, abusive and paranoid. â€Å"Tennyson’s grandfather appointed his uncle his heir and his father was placed in the ministry.† (The Victorian Web) This great difference in money between his own family and his aunt and uncle’s led Tennyson to worry about money the length of his life. In 1827 Tennyson left his home in hope of a better life. He followed two of his older brothers to Trinity College, Cambridge. The Tennyson brothers published â€Å"Poems by Two Brothers† in 1827 which won each of them university prizes for poetry and made the quite popular at Cambridge. Shortly after an undergraduate club, The Apostles, invited Tennyson to join. These people remained his friends throughout his life, but one member formed an unparalleled friendship with Tennyson. Arthur Henry Hallam, another brilliant Victorian, had the most influence on Tennyson. Hallam later became engaged to Emily Tennyson, which only brought the two friends closer together. Hallam died in 1833 from illness, this shocked Tennyson and this grief led to some of Tennyson’s best poetry. In Memoriam and â€Å"The Passing of Arthur are some of the poems Hallam is remembered in. This experience led Tennyson to explore his thoughts on faith, immortality, and the meaning of loss: â€Å"O life as futile, then, as frail! / O for thy voice to soothe and bless! / What hope of answer, or redress? / Behind the veil, behi nd the veil.† (Netpoets) Within other passages of the poem is a symbolic voyage ending in a ‘vision of Hallam as the poet’s muse.’ (Online Literature) Tennyson continued to look to Hallam for inspiration even after the friend had died. Throughout Tennyson’s life he fell in love with many women. One such woman was Emily Sellwood. Tennyson had met Sellwood in 1836 at her sister’s wedding and later that year became engaged to her. Tennyson soon published POEMS, which was met with bad reviews, which called his work â€Å"affected† and â€Å"obscure.† (Poets) Tennyson was hurt by the harsh reviews and discontinued writing for nine years. Once he lost his inheritance on a bad investment in 1840 Sellwood’s family called off the engagement. Later Tennyson’s POEMS in two volumes became a popular success and gained him much respect. With the publication of In Memoriam he became known as one of Britain’s most popular poets. He was selected Poet Laureate in succession to Wordsworth. (Poets) Once success had found Tennyson he married Sellwood. They had two sons, Hallam and Lionel. They remained married throughout the rest of Tennyson’s life. Tennyson’s style of writing was not widely accepted when he began writing. Most of his early poetry was said to be morbid and melancholy. This type of reaction discouraged Tennyson. Tennyson wasn’t widely praised until the release of his POEMS in two volumes. Tennyson often wrote of nature, death and regret. â€Å"Tears, Idle Tears† is an example of this. â€Å"In looking on the happy autumn-fields, And thinking of the days that are no more.† (Poets) Tennyson is in a beautiful, happy place, and yet he is only regretting not being in the past. Death is shown in â€Å"The Kraken† which is easily shown in the last line; â€Å"In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.† There are many other examples for Tennyson’s less than lively poetry. Tennyson uses luring words in his poems. If a person didn’t know anything about poetry they might think that they were reading a love poem. He uses words that almost calm the reader, although they might be reading about death, or regret. His use of language is very appealing. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry was greatly influenced by his environment. His father was a clergyman whom later in life experienced epilepsy and would fall into bouts of drinking and depression. His very close friend and brother-in-law Hallam died suddenly, leaving Tennyson stung and deeply saddened. His wife Emily Sellwood’s family cancelled their wedding when he lost his money, only to rearrange it when he became a well-known writer. In some part of each of Tennyson’s poems you will find an example of his life, or his feelings about his life and happenings. â€Å"T.S. Eliot has called him ‘the great master of metric as well as of melancholia’ and that that he possessed the finest ear of any English poet since Milton.† (Online Literature) Despite Tennyson’s family history with health problems he lived a long life and died at the 83 on October 6, 1892. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on   Alfred Lord Tennyson topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details

Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details AÂ  topic sentence contains the main idea upon which a paragraph is developed. Often it appears at (or near) the beginning of a paragraph, introducing the main idea and suggesting the direction that the paragraph will take. What follows a topic sentence are a number of supporting sentences that develop the main idea with specific details. Practice Excercise Here is an effective topic sentence for a descriptive paragraph: My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped, blond guitar- the first instrument that I ever taught myself how to play. This sentence not only identifies the prized belonging (an old, slightly warped, blond guitar) but also suggests why the writer values it (the first instrument that I ever taught myself how to play). Some of the sentences below support this topic sentence with specific descriptive details. Others, however, offer information that would be inappropriate in a unified descriptive paragraph. Read the sentences carefully, and then pick out only those that support the topic sentence with precise descriptive details. When youre done, compare your responses with the suggested answers below: It is a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed.My grandparents gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday.I think they bought it at the Music Lovers Shop in Rochester where they used to live.At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key.Although copper strings are much harder on the fingers than nylon strings, they sound much better than the nylon ones.The strings are stretched down a long slim neck.The frets on the neck are tarnished, and the wood has been worn down by years of fingers pressing chords.It was three months before I could even tune the guitar properly, and another few months before I could manage the basic chords.You have to be very patient when first learning how to play the guitar.You should set aside a certain time each day for practice.The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that has been slightly damaged in shipping.A guitar can be awkward to hold, particu larly if it seems bigger than you are, but you need to learn how to hold it properly if youre ever going to play it right. I usually play sitting down because its more comfortable that way.The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago.I have a Gibson now and hardly ever play the Madeira any more. Suggested Answers The following sentences support the topic sentence with precise descriptive details: 1. It is a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. 4. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. 6. The strings are stretched down a long slim neck. 7. The frets on the neck are tarnished, and the wood has been worn down by years of fingers pressing chords. 11. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that has been slightly damaged in shipping. 14. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Resolving the nursing shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Resolving the nursing shortage - Essay Example The author’s discussion point out to the lack of motivational support for new nursing professionals and the lack of competitive professional incentives. In such cases, many nursing graduates do not pursue the career or enrichments that are necessary to maintain and develop skills. One of the interventions proposed is in the development of effective professional and educational partnerships such as those developed by the University Health System Consortium joined with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing sponsored residence programs that allow new graduates not only a venue to practice their learning but also exposes them to the potential and rewards of the nursing profession. Based on the results of two cohort studies on the participation of nursing graduates in the year-long residence program, participants expressed greater commitment to the nursing profession due to exposure of the program and greater satisfaction in nursing as a career. One of the best indicators of the success of the program is in increasing retention rate of resident nurses to 89% from previous turnover rates ranging from 40 to 50%. Dracup and Morrish however also recognize that instituting similar comprehensive programs can prove to be challenging particularly in cases were there are existing deficiencies in professionals, resources and expertise for the programs. The conclusion was that such efforts that consider professional and personal development at the beginning of the nurses’ careers is an effective means of encouraging them to pursue their careers and competencies which are critical if demands of the profession are to be adequately met. Dracup and Morrish’s concerns and views are echoed in a significant number of researches. In independent studies done in Virginia and Nebraska, similar conclusions to support the development of programs that will encourage young

Friday, October 18, 2019

Application of Adapted Therapeutic Exercises Assignment

Application of Adapted Therapeutic Exercises - Assignment Example Application of these exercises has not been an easy thing to do and especially in the beginning. It takes a lot of willpower to go through such an experience but the results are worth all the troubles, the pain and tears throughout the course of exercise. I have been able to gain physical ability and can be able to carry out my work effectively with little or no assistance at all. The exercise provides assistance and ability that was previously thought to never exist in me again due to my condition. I can now be able to not only assist myself with the chores but also assist others more easily and with less pain than before. Describe your thoughts, feelings and attitudes experienced by being intimately involved with the client population at the centre of achievement, and/ or anything else that profoundly impacted you as a result of the exercises The exercises changed my attitude and reaction towards people with disabilities. Previously, I considered all people with disabilities are invalids and outcasts of societies who cannot be able to do anything for themselves without any form of assistance. This has however changed after witnessing firsthand the miracles the adapted therapeutic exercises can do to people. I have witnessed people completely transform from dependants to being independent in just a couple of months and this has brought joy and hope to such a population. Interaction on a daily basis with this population has changed my thoughts about them having self-pity and lack of hope in their lives. I have learnt that not all people with disabilities are wallowing in hopelessness and having pity party, many have accepted their fate and on the road towards positivity in their lives and they have therefore taken the step by engaging in the adapted therapeutic exercise which is not only good for the body but for the mind as well and especially in accepting their condition. How has your experience as the centre of achievement impacted upon your perception of how accessible and/ or inaccessible your everyday environment and environmental conditions, in general, are for people with disabilities?     Ã‚  

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 14

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example Venturing into the American market requires a workable strategy that goes in line with the current needs of the customers. This means that the organisation has to conduct a thorough market research that would enable it come up with strategies of conquering the market. Lymbersky (29) noted that marketing strategy is all about defining objectives of the way an organisation intends to join a new market and satisfy the customers. Since Chery Cars China is not the first organisation to enter into the American market, it is apparent that there are different things that the organisation needs to look at to decide on the kind of products the American market needs. It would also be critical to understand what other organisations are offering so that the organisation can come up with unique products that would meet the expectations of the customers (Adekola, Abel and Serg). Besides, the customers must be convinced that Chery Cars China has high quality cars that are different from what they are used in the local market. With the American market being flooded with strong automobile companies like general motors and ford, Chery Cars China has to first carryout a market research on the quality of cars manufactured by these companies. This is indispensable in that the organisation will understand the taste of the customers before venturing into the market (Fernandez and Shengjun 2). This would call for a thorough assessment of the weaknesses of the existing companies so that the organisation can take advantage of that ad develops models that would please the customers. For instance, one of the leading strategies employed by the ford company in the US market is provision of quality cars that make its customers loyal. With the increased debate on the need to have eco-friendly cars in the contemporary world, Chery Cars China can take advantage and decide to design

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Health care marketing - Essay Example Additionally, the health care institution should work to maintain a good brand name among the locals. The primary aim of this factor is to capture the external environment, which consists of the patients. This offers the health institution with an external insight of its brand in terms of marque image, brand personality, and brand familiarity.  Furthermore, the health facility should take into account innovation as a major factor for its marketing strategy. Innovation should take place in all departments of the hospital. This will increase the overall margins of the health facility and develop a new mindset to its patients. Secret shoppers or mystery shoppers are people hired by other rival organizations or business to spy on the progress of another business entity. The familiarity of secret shoppers is not common in many organizations since organizations set their own targets to achieve as opposed to benchmarking with other rival businesses. Mystery shoppers are popular in healthcare institutions equally to other business. This is because they aim to evaluate how healthcare is delivered in healthcare organizations and aim to correct important information and procedures that can be adapted in rival healthcare

Photosynethesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Photosynethesis - Essay Example 1). The name ‘photosynthesis’ (a chemical change process) is derived from Latin terminology, ‘formation of light’. The ‘formation of light’ process is important in the sustenance of the food chain in which â€Å"all human food energy and the food energy of many living organisms are directly or indirectly derived from the photosynthetic processes† (Gale Science, 2011, p. 1). For example, an organism (i.e. a cow) eats plants and, therefore, consumes the plant energy that was generated via photosynthesis; this is energy indirectly via photosynthesis. â€Å"Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy of light to produce carbohydrates and molecular oxygen, (O2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). 6CO2 + 6H2O – sunlight – C6H12O6 + 6O2 Virtually all ecosystems on earth depend on photosynthesis as their source of energy. Incredibly, all free oxygen on the planet, including atmospheric oxygen, originates fro m photosynthesis† (Robinson, 2009, p. 1). The following articles analyze and demonstrate current research on the topic of ‘photosynthesis’. Each is concerned with scientific research and measurable analysis of the photosynthetic processes. The test methods of certain scientific questions and studies offer unique theoretical insights, and interpretations of scientific methodologies. Article #1: â€Å"Comparing light-conversion efficiency of plants and manmade solar cells† by Durham, Sharon (2012). Agricultural Research. (60.1)7. In this scientific article written by researcher Sharon Durham (2012), the research study question is asked†¦ â€Å"When using light energy, how do manmade photo cells compare to a plant’s photosynthesis†? (Durham, 2012, p. 1). Explain what the scientist were testing During scientific inquiry, scientist from the Agricultural Research Service conducted a study in which comparisons were drawn between plant cells and photovoltaic cells – how efficiently each cell type converted sunlight into energy. The significance of purpose of the study was to find out how scientists and researchers â€Å"could improve plant photosynthesis – a critical first link in the global supply chain for food, fiber, and bioenergy production† (Durham, 2012, p. 1). Explain (briefly) how they tested it Scientists conducted detailed-oriented scientific methodology and measurement to compare plant cell and manmade solar cell photosynthetic processes. Research leader, Donald Ort, conducts scientific studies on photosynthesis from his field office – the ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit in Urbana, Illinois. According to Ort (2012), â€Å"scientists know that plants are not as efficient as manmade solar cells at converting light into energy. But there is a way of comparing the two systems more accurately. The study identified specific redesigns that hold excellent promise for impro ving efficiency† (Ort, 2012, p. 1). Researchers set comparison standards, first considering current technology then strategies for improvements. Explain what they found As noted by S. Durham (2012), â€Å"†¦comparing the two systems is a challenge. Although both processes harvest energy from sunlight, they use the energy in different ways. Plants convert the sun’s energy into chemical energy, whereas, solar cells produce electricity† (Durham, 2012, p. 1). Research scientist, Ort, points out†¦ â€Å"While, in context of our efficiency analysis, solar cells have a clear advantage compared to photosynthesis. There is a need to apply

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Health care marketing - Essay Example Additionally, the health care institution should work to maintain a good brand name among the locals. The primary aim of this factor is to capture the external environment, which consists of the patients. This offers the health institution with an external insight of its brand in terms of marque image, brand personality, and brand familiarity.  Furthermore, the health facility should take into account innovation as a major factor for its marketing strategy. Innovation should take place in all departments of the hospital. This will increase the overall margins of the health facility and develop a new mindset to its patients. Secret shoppers or mystery shoppers are people hired by other rival organizations or business to spy on the progress of another business entity. The familiarity of secret shoppers is not common in many organizations since organizations set their own targets to achieve as opposed to benchmarking with other rival businesses. Mystery shoppers are popular in healthcare institutions equally to other business. This is because they aim to evaluate how healthcare is delivered in healthcare organizations and aim to correct important information and procedures that can be adapted in rival healthcare

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Logistics 490 - Mod 5 SLP - Logistics Planning and System Design Coursework

Logistics 490 - Mod 5 SLP - Logistics Planning and System Design - Coursework Example n already be combined into one or even abolished due to duties and responsibilities that I sense are already redundant in the function of the logistics group duties. Comprehensive logistics planning will remarkably improved within the organization of my choice by first establishing proper communication and operational frameworks. These can help to ensure effectiveness and efficiency within all of the logistic operations. Removal of redundant procedures will also be a great deal of help towards more comprehensively accomplishing logistics planning. It would be advisable for the organization to utilize modern technology by integrating all the functional units within an organization under the same department. The cross functioning teams will provide cohesiveness within the organization and ensure that somehow will be held accountable for the implementation of organization

Monday, October 14, 2019

Kant and Hegel on the Foundation of the State Essay Example for Free

Kant and Hegel on the Foundation of the State Essay Kant and Hegel could not be farther from one another on the question of the state and its moral foundation. It is uncertain even if they define the term â€Å"state† in the same way. Kant remains within the Enlightenment contract tradition, while Hegel leans more towards an intellectual rendering of the romantic and nationalist approach to states and their foundations. (NB–the citations below refer to paragraphs, not pages) Kant holds that there are two major reasons why the state must exist. First, while mankind is not violently predisposed one to another prior to the development of legislation, disputes will have no competent judge prior to the development of the state (44). Hence, even a gentle disposition will render the state necessary in that public right must have a means of enforcing its claims. Here, â€Å"public right† is defined as those sum of laws that bring human beings into rational and orderly contact with one another (43). But further, regardless of the actual condition of man in the state of nature, Kant holds that, at the very least, the only real motive for action is â€Å"that which seems right† to each person, and each group of persons. But these two entities, the individual and groups of persons, both demand the creation of a state: the individual for the sake of rational laws, and the group for the sake of mutual protection against aggression. Either way, the only maxim is â€Å"that which seems right† to the entity in question. The major difference between the state of nature (in which Kant seems to lean towards the Lockeian view) and the civil world is that the laws and agreements that may well develop prior to the state are given the sanction of public law. They are given the means of enforcement. Without enforcement, the same reason that Locke gives for leaving the state of nature holds: the each is the judge in his own case, rendering there no objective and impartial standard (or agency, more accurately) of justice. Kant offers a subtle typology of the nature of civil life, far different from what will develop in Hegel. First, the sum of laws, manifesting a rightful, pre-political relation among individuals under an objective agency is the public right, and living in this state is a civil mode of life. Kant seems to overlap the definitions of constitution and civil right substantially, but at least, the concept of the â€Å"civil† is not an institution, but a state of living and a state of mind where the civil agency is considered right and just, and thus has the right to enforce public right. The state is the sum of all of these: the civil society under a constitution that manifests the proper and rational relations among citizens. There is nothing in Kant that rejects the idea that these relations will develop in a pre-political state as in Locke. Hence, it is rational to hold that Kant is a Lockeian, the state simply existing to judge disputes over property. Even more, in paragraph 47, the legislature is to be the highest form and expression of the state in that the people are fully and completely represented. Here, Rousseau is to be found, since, in this paragraph, the â€Å"people† and the â€Å"legislature† are really one in the same. Rousseau would reject the idea of representation both in Locke and Kant, but the idea is the same: the legislature is the highest organ of the state, the very objectification of the constitution and the popular will. Hence, given the above definitions, the legislature is really the manifestation of the constitution and the civil condition, and a smoothly functioning legislature would be the objectification of the state. To some extent, the legislature being the â€Å"united will of the people† (47) is the real de-ontological basis of state authority. Regardless of the social contract, the legislature can be united with Kant’s more abstract ethics by holding that the legislature is the manifesting of duty: the condition of both universality and autonomy, the latter referring to the lack of any â€Å"special interest† connected to either moral judgements/maxims or civil legislation. If the legislature is the â€Å"united will of the people† then it fits nicely into a de-ontological box, since universality is the maxim of civil legislation in this case. Hegel takes a completely different approach. The Philosophy of Right is a far more satisfying approach to the state than either Kant or Locke, since the state is not merely a sum of laws representing the population, but a synthesis of all other forms of social life and historical development. For Hegel, the development of the state (and one can be suspicious as to whether or not Kant would even define the state this way), is not merely a historical process, but a psychological one as well: the stat is the highest manifestation of human nature manifest in history. It is easy to see how the development of the three general stages in morality, the family, the free market and the state itself, all develop from a specific schema of history. Familial relations were long dominant in social life, but the Enlightenment broke these down, leading to the minds of Locke and Kant, the state is a synthesis of these two, and the completion of the development of human nature as a moral entity. While the history is simple and a little arbitrary, it follows a common Hegelian pattern of unreflective community (the family), individualism ( the market, or â€Å"civil society†), and the concrete, reflective community in the state. There is a far more complex history of European development that Hegel deals with, though it is not found in the POR, but in other writings. The family is the principle of unreflective unity (158). This is in that the family is not based on rational principles (though it does play a rational role), but is united only in love and the willingness to sacrifice. Only when the children grow and the family breaks down does reflection enter into the human person as they function in civil society, the free market where the main motivation is no longer love, but gain and â€Å"expressing oneself. † This is an abstract individualism that can not last. Dialectically, the individual in civil society realizes that a society cannot be based on the individual since social life and economic production are based on a communal approach to living: society can only function as a unit, not a collection of individuals arbitrarily doing their thing. Hence, the corporation develops (250-251), which is a largely economic entity similar to a guild, that manifests the community latent in civil society,. It is the corporations that eventually reveal the seeds of the state, or the unity of corporate bodies, and though here, the development of civil law and right. Hegel does not accept the idea of a contract. The mythology of the state of nature is something that may be found in psychology, but not in history. In the beginning of the POR, the will is seen as â€Å"purely abstract,† that is, completely free, having no restraints, but also having no purpose or end (15). The development of ends for ht will is the real foundation of the POR and Hegel’s mature social theory. The will demands content, that is, guidance and direction. History has given humanity this in the three states of family, market and state. These mentalities have all developed throughout history, but only in the first half of the 19th century have humanity been able to see how they all rationally fit together in an all inclusive unity. Previous societies merely held a one sided approach to things, where one entity was given dominance over everything else. The will seeks content, moral purpose, but it also seeks unity and balance in a rational schema of relations. None of the entities of family or civil society are swallowed in the Hegelian state, they remain, but they remain secondary elements in the broader state, having their latent potential manifest in the state itself (260). This is in that the love of the family is given its reflective basis in the state as an ethic unity, manifesting its own history and struggles, but it also completes the abstract individualism of the market, in that the unity is a reflective one, based on reason and the development of this social reason in the market itself, where communitarian ideas develop in the actual behavior of economic production and consumption which is a communal idea. This paper is far too short to do justice to these giants, but the basic outline is clear: Kant remains in the Enlightenment tradition, being a good generation before Hegel. Kant pictures a simple state of nature which requires a rational legislature, representing the concept of universality, to judge disputes. On the other hand, Hegel approaches the state as an organic unity, not a creation of contract. Ultimately, the two are irreconcilable, and the Romantic era had its rarified champion in Hegel. References: Kant, Immanuel. The Metaphysics of Morals. Trans Mary Gregor. Cambridge University Press, 1996 Hegel, GWF. The Philosophy of Right. Trans TM Knox. Oxford University Pres

Sunday, October 13, 2019

PC World: SWOT and PEST Analysis

PC World: SWOT and PEST Analysis SWOT analysis is a famous technique that has been used for decades now to analyse the four major factors of an organisation namely strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This helps in better analysing any organisation, when conducting a strategic analysis often analysts also use it as a stepping stone for their analysis. It is not only an analysis of the organisation itself but rather it is a more deep analysis of the market and all business activities related to the organisation  [1]. The SWOT analysis is known as a strategic planning tool and it has featured in business text since 1972, but no one knows who originally invented SWOT analysis. Today it can be found almost in every textbook on strategy, marketing and any other business disciplines. There have been many studies that were conducting in different business schools and some of the famous ones even conducted in Harvard are backed up by Micheal Porter, Ansoff and writers such as Philip Kotler. Their studies have lead to the conclusion that SWOT be the tool to better understand the strategic fit between an organisations strategies and the environment in which it competes. This is also a good tool to analyse such organisations which on the face have been delivering profits but are either declining or are losing market share. For example doing analysis of organisation such as Yahoo would be a good idea which is a profitable venture but is loosing its market heavily to Google (Adams, 2005). Importance of SWOT Analysis An organization can take the best advantage of the environmental opportunities if it can utilize the resources available to the organizations up to the optimum level. The person in charge of designing the strategy who is also called the strategic leader of the organisation using SWOT can keep his head right over deciding whether the opportunity that is arising is good enough with the matched weaknesses and strengths of the organisation  [2]. Keeping this in mind one needs to keep his/her head right about one thing that whenever they are analysing to pursue an opportunity always point out the related weaknesses and strengths, maybe a priority SWOT analysis can also be a very good idea. A real opportunity can only be identified if the opportunity has a strategic fit between the environmental conditions and the resources that the organization possess  [3]. SWOT might not be the only perfect tool for strategic analysis while there have been greater criticism on SWOT. The reason being that people consider it to be very easy and based on that people just do it just like that without giving proper thought on the ideas behind a strength/weakness or an opportunity/threat. While doing SWOT one tends to ignore many other factors such as the financial factors and in this case other strategic tools can be more important; But even though SWOT holds its own importance (De Witt and Meyer, 1998). The main model consists of two inherently different types of evaluations: Internal evaluation External evaluation Internal Evaluation (S)trengths Strengths are the good and the power parts of the organisations. They explain what the organisation is good at. This is not only on the organisational level but all wide. This explains the organisations strength in terms of customers, suppliers, utilisation of resources etc. Usually when conducting a strength analysis it is important to consider that strength is something at which the organisation is not only good at but also better than its competition. It provides them the competitive edge in comparison to their competition. This is one ability at which they are very good at  [4]. When describing strength companies tend to be ignorant about things such as CRM (customer relationship management), or SCM (Supply chain management) but they can also be considered as strengths if they are effective and contribute to the profit financially or non financially. (W)eaknesses A weakness is defined as a deficiency in an individual and this same fits to an organisation as well where weakness of an organisation explains something at which they arent good at. Organisational weaknesses are areas where they are not good against their competition. Now they can be areas of great strength at one time but then later lost to the competition due to not being taken care of. Its necessary that the customer point of view is brought into consideration rather than conduction the weakness analysis of only the organisation. Its hard to admit the areas where one is not good at and in this case organisations need to admit but often this doesnt happen. External Evaluation (O)pportunities Opportunity is just like a term in an individuals life similar when it comes to trhe organisation but the scope of opportunity is bigger, the opportunities that come to the organisation are everywhere in every nook and corner its just that they need to realise it and use it with the current set of resources. Opportunities are also related to trends that the organization has been seeing in the past, they can also be buying behaviours. They can also come in by identifying a particular market segment which was not being looked after before but is now being looked after very carefully  [5]. Finally some opportunities come from the external environment and acting on the right time is the most important agenda. (T)hreats Threats can be organisation relate and the ones that are not in this case the threats are being considered the ones related to the organisation. Now the threats can also be seen as the opportunities that were not grabbed and later turned onto threats. Threat is a unfavourable situation in which the organisation doesnt want to see itself. Few threats can be the entrance of new competitors, slow market growth, increased bargaining power of key buyers or suppliers, technological changes etc. PEST Analysis Macro environment comes in as the new driving force in the industry where the macro environment tends to play a major role in the entire effort of competition. The business environment is just like a moving film and it is necessary to track down any changes that are happening around the business. The organisational related factors that [play a part in the macro environment need to be brought under consideration. Its nessecary to bring in a number of key vital factors into account that can influence different areas of the organisation, these areas can be supply related demand related and even directly related to the legal issues of the firm  [6]. 1993 The radical and ongoing changes occurring in society create an uncertain environment and have an impact on the function of the whole organization (Tsiakkiros, 2002). To make a strong environmental analysis PEST has proven to be the best technique and such a technique that looks deeply into the pores of the business and extracts out inf ormation related to different areas of the macro environment. A pest analysis not only needs to identify the factors that can affect the political, technological, legal and environmental issues but it is also an analysis that is used to create a relation among things. The analysis sees and examines the impact of these factors and their affect ion one another and then the combined affect on the organisation. The results can be used to perform various tasks such as understanding the future strategy, exploring the future opportunities in the environment  [7]. Further explanation of each of the factors that count is a pest analysis is as follows: (P)olitical Political factors include legal and regulatory factors like elections, employment law, consumer protection, environmental regulations, industry-specific regulations, competitive regulations, inter-country relationships / attitudes, war, terrorism, political trends, governmental leadership, taxes, and government structures  [8]. (E)conomic Economic factor includes factors like taxation, government spending levels, disposable income, job growth/unemployment, exchange rates, tariffs, inflation, consumer confidence index, import/export ratios, and production levels  [9]. (S)ocial Social factors include factors like demographics (age, gender, race, family size, etc.), lifestyle changes, population shifts, trends, fads, diversity, Immigration laws, health, living standards, housing trends, fashion, attitudes to work, leisure activities, occupations, and earning capacity. (T)echnological Technological factors include inventions, new discoveries, research, energy uses/ sources/ fuels, communications, rates of obsolescence, health (pharmaceutical, equipment, etc.),manufacturing advancements , information technology, internet, transportation, bio-tech, genetics, waste removal/recycling etc. Selected Company (PC WORLD) Brief Introduction of Selected Company The selected company PC World is part of the electronic retailer giant DSGi Plc. DSG international is one of Europes leading specialist electrical retailing groups. It operates a multi-channel approach to electrical retailing. More than 100 million customers shop in-store and online every year with DSGi (DSGi, 2010). The business of DSGi can be divided into three major categories: PC World is Britains largest specialist chain of computing superstores. The superstores offer more than 5,000 product lines including extensive ranges of PCs, laptops, printers, software, peripherals and accessories from the major brands, as well as many PC World exclusive products. In-store PC Clinics offer on the spot advice and service. Component Centres offer a one-stop shop for customers with advanced technical knowledge, providing a vast choice of PC components and upgrade products at competitive prices. In 2007, PC World won Retail Weeks Product Innovation of the Year award, for its Data Recovery service. Every PC World store has an in-store business centre staffed by experienced business specialists. They offer local companies face-to-face help and advice with choosing the best IT solutions. There are 157 stores in the UK and 10 in the Republic of Ireland. (PC World, 2010) SWOT Analysis of PC WORLD (S)trengths Strong high street presence Multi channel approach Strong distribution channels Huge base of domestic customers (W)eaknesses Employees integrity Fewer customer focus (O)pportunities New mega stores 2012 Olympics Apples growth in European markets Growth in the IT Gadget Industry (T)hreats Slow economic growth Negative customer perception Threat of new competitors Falling market share (S)trengths DSG has a very strong high street presence. In any big retail park or high street we can easily find either a PC World , Currys or Currys Digital. Moreover it has a multi channel approach: retail stores, e-commerce and B2B. There are very strong distribution channels of PC World. Just for an example the whole of Apple products distribution is done via the distribution channels of DSGi. There is a very strong base of domestic customers in UK for PC World as a brand which serves as one of the most vital strengths of PC World. (W)eaknesses PC World has history of strong incentive based pay schemes. The employees get heavy commission based on sales. Initially it did work out to work pretty well. But the employees do take it to their advantage. The results is unsatisfied customers who are miss sold. This also leads to the next weakness which fewer focus on customer needs. The focus is more on sales and KPIs, hence the customers benefit are overshadowed by the sales KPIs. (O)pportunities The idea of new two in one Currys PC World Mega stores is very appealing. Customer get more choice in terms of products and services under one roof. The Olympics 2012 is one occasion on which almost every single business is relying as an opportunity for growth and profitability and PC World can also take advantage of this Global event. Apple products are getting global attention and likewise in Europe as well. PC World controls the entire distribution of APPLE products in UK Europe. This can serve as a very strong strategic alliance and PC World can be benefited out of this. A very recent example was the launch of IPAD. PC World was given a head start of 60 days from APPLE for selling IPADs in their stores. The IT Gadget sectors are seeing a very drastic increase and PC Worlds main offerings are these gadgets and IT products and services. (T)hreats The first and the most crucial threat is the negative perception of the customers. As highlighted in the weaknesses sales and KPIs are given preference over customers benefits due to the traditional structure of PC World. It is also evident by the comment of DSGis CEO John Brawett. The biggest challenge for us is to change the perception of our customers. In recent times PC World has seen falling shares part of the fact can be attributed to the recession but customers negative perception has also affected. There are new competitors coming into the market like BEST BUY, ARGOS and John LEWIS are offering extensive IT Solutions as well. PEST Analysis of PC WORLD (P)olitical UK has seen a very recent change in the political structure. Due to the economic downturn the investors are not very confident specially the foreign investors. The Govt. Is making the efforts to reassure the foreign investors, but the cap put on the international immigrants served as a big threat to the foreign investors. Mr David Camerons visit to India was an attempt to promote the trading relationship with India. The share price of the company reflects this fact. The company share price slumped from 36p to 21p in just 3-4 months time (DSGi, 2010). The political factors are in favour of the company. (E)conomic The UK economy is seeing a very slow growth and some experts have shown the danger of a double dip recession. The new Govt. has raised the taxes in order to boost the economy but the economy is still growing at a very slow rate. The economic factors are not in favour of the company. In 2008 the overdraft limit of the company was reduced from 4.5 million to 2.5 million. The consequences were seen as 300 employees from the head office were made redundant. (S)ocial The socio-cultural factors are a mix of both good and bad. The markets love the new innovative products: IPAD made record sales in the Apples history followed by a successful launch of IPHONE 4. PC World controls the distribution of APPLE products throughout Europe and APPLE products are becoming increasingly popular and famous in the European markets. On the other hand the negative customer perception is a big threat to the PC WORLDs growth. Hence there is a mix of social factors affecting the external environment of PC WORLD. (T)echnological PC Worlds tagline is bringing life to technology. PC World is always at the fore fronts in the process of introducing new technologies to the UK markets. PC World was the only retailer except APPLEs retail stores to stock the IPAD for 60 days after the launch. The challenge for the organization is to keep up with the rate of change in technology, because the technology changes at a very rapid rate.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Bill Gates And The Microsoft Corporation :: essays research papers

Bill Gates - you love him, you hate him, maybe you should get to know him. The founder of the Microsoft has a lot of admirers and we can tell that for sure just by looking at his fortune. There are however people who not only despise him, but dedicate entire web-sites to criticizing him and his company; if you are one of those people you can check out www.onmacon.com (access will not be granted if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer). Some have even gone as far as throwing pies in his face... It’s an irony that one of the world’s smartest people didn’t even finish college. In 1975 he dropped out of Harvard to form an informal partnership with Paul Allen, â€Å"Micro-soft†; they invested all their time in BASIC, the first computer language program written for a personal computer. It wasn’t until November 1976 that Microsoft became official, when it was registered at the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico, and only in 1977 did the partnership between Bill and Paul Allen become official. That’s also when they deliver their second language product, FORTRAN. In 1978, besides launching a third language, COBOL-80, Microsoft goes international by forming a strategic partnership with the founder of ASCII Corporation in Japan. The following year, the company also enters the European market and wins the ICP Million Dollar Award with the 8080 BASIC. This is an important indicative of the growth and acceptance of the PC industr y. Starting with the early 80s, Microsoft starts expanding the product range from languages to operating systems and its first hardware product, the SoftCard, designed for the Apple II users. The newly incorporated business signs a contract with IBM, the first version of MS-DOS being the primary result. Unfortunately, this operating system wasn’t a very good one, requiring its users a thorough knowledge of command syntax. The company moves into the realm of business with an electronic spreadsheet program, the Multiplan. Also at this time, the Microsoft Local Area Network (MILAN) becomes functional, linking all of Microsoft’s in-house development computers. 1983 is an important year toward the development of a more user-friendly computer. In May the mouse is introduced, in September the Word processing program and in November Windows is announced, an extension of the MS-DOS operating system that provides a graphical operating environment. Windows allows a user to view unrelated application programs simultaneously and it provides the capability to transfer data from one application program to another.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Argue for or Against the Electoral College Essay

The 2000 United States (U. S. ) presidential election concluded with Vice President Al Gore winning half a million more popular votes than George W. Bush (50,992,335 to 50,455,156) yet losing the White House in the Electoral College by only five votes (271 to 266). It once again raised questions about the validity of the Electoral College as the same scenario has occurred in the 1824, 1876, and 1888 presidential elections. This essay will discuss two problems of the Electoral College: the failure to accurately reflect national popular vote will and the problem of state bias. I argue that the U. S. should abolish the Electoral College and implementthe direct popular election of the president. The Electoral College fails to accurately reflect national popular vote will as it is possible to elect a minority president. As mentioned above, this â€Å"incident† has happened four times in history. The Electoral College is fundamentally unfair to voters where voting rights are grounded in the one person, one vote principle. By giving a chance for the Electoral College to elect a minority president, it shows that the Electoral College ignores the people’s choice. The Electoral College also faces the problem of state bias which favors the votes of some citizens over that of others. Firstly, it gives undue weight to the votes of citizens in the smaller states. As the constitution assigns a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and representatives, each state will at least have three electors, including the smaller states. This system gives â€Å"bonus votes† to the smaller states since the three electors they have are more than what they deserve on the basis of their population share. Therefore, this bias gives added power to citizens of small states. For example, in the 2000 election, California cast one electoral vote for every 203,071 voters while Wyoming cast one electoral vote for every 71,242. Al Gore lost because his votes were not dispersed across the states in a such manner as to prevail in the Electoral College. The race was lost in the smaller states where Bush successfully won eleven out of eighteen small states. Secondly, the Electoral College and its winner takes all system gives greater voting power to the larger states since they have more electors. It is possible that a candidate could win the presidency with only 7% of the popular vote if he or she wins all of the eleven largest states without having to capture a single popular vote in the remaining 39 states and D. C. Therefore, candidates would spend more time in the larger states. To the extent that large states are not as competitive in larger states like California and Texas (solid blue and red states), candidates will target the more competitive larger states (swing states) such as Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This system discourages voter turnout and disenfranchises people who vote for the losing candidates in the solid blue or red states. This is because in these noncompetitive states, one or the other major party is traditionally victorious. There is arguably less motivation for citizens in that state to vote, no matter which candidate they might support because they know their vote will not matter. To conclude, U. S. should switch to direct election as it is the best system that guarantees the president has the â€Å" direct popular mandate† from the people. It also ensure representativeness (â€Å"one person, one vote†) and encourages voters turnout by giving voters a direct and equal role in electing the president.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Praise of Folly

The Praise of Folly The author of â€Å"The praise of folly† Erasmus, wrote this book not with the intention of starting wide spread theological debates but with the intention of showing how pointless these debates are. The book is written in first person so that Folly herself is the one who the readers/listeners (because the book is written as if she were speaking to a crowd) are hearing and not just some man acting like he knows more or is better than anyone else. The book addresses three different classes of people and how folly affects them.The first class is the regular people and women. The second type of people she calls out is the academic and higher standing social classes. The third and final group folly talks about are Christians and religious men. Folly is not saying anyone is a bad person for having foolishness in their lives, but she is calling out the society and how she is looked down upon while everyone not only takes part in folly, but folly is a necessary pa rt of our lives. One of Folly’s points that she brings up is women and how they are in and of themselves full of foolishness. I, who am both a woman and folly herself, attribute folly to them. †(29) Folly later states that women owe it to folly for being far better off than men. Women’s beauty is a natural thing according to folly, she bring up how men grow beards, have course skin, and go gray in the hair as all signs of aging. While women have soft delicate feature which are almost eternal signs of beauty. According to folly all some men want from life is pleasure, and who can give them pleasure other than a woman who will have sex with them? No one according to folly, but the folly is not of men wanting pleasure.The point Folly makes is that a woman must have folly to have sex with a man(30) She says â€Å"Women have no other way of giving pleasure but through folly†(30). Women are not the only ones involved in folly in this first class of people; Folly also speaks of friendships, marriages, and of parental love as well. Folly states that friendship is held in a high regard in this society and this it is as necessary as air and water. She does not use clever words or parables to point out the folly in friendship but simply states how one treats a friend, wife, or child to prove that folly is involved in all of these relationships. Tell me know to wink at a friend’s faults, to be deceived , to be blinded to his vices, to imagine them away, even to love and admire certain notorious vices as if they were virtues-surely this is not far from folly. †(31) She later brings up how a man can love a mole on his wife even though it is an imperfection, or how a father can has a cross eyed son and say that he only has a light squint. Folly is not trying to say that these average people are idiots or foolish for these things, Folly simply is showing that she is everywhere even in the good things.Folly in her second class of people she mentions are the higher class people the nobles, doctors, lawyer, and the philosophers. Unlike with the first group of people folly speaks to with a light and somewhat cheery tone, her words toward this crowd become sharp and somewhat brash. These men who spend so much time with their jobs and with their peers trying to prove themselves by out doing everyone around them are full of themselves and their folly is in the fact that they are missing out on the true happiness of life that is going on around them.Unlike the people in the first section of the book Folly knows these people are too smart to be able to just enjoy the small things in life like the average people of the first class. For example she says how wise men are unable to overlook the follies and faults of their friends but instead notice them with the â€Å"eyes of an eagle† or the â€Å"nose of a bloodhound† (32). Where the normal man could overlook these faults and even accept them as part of their f riends’ personality and possibly come to adore this part of their companion, these supposedly wise men are too smart to overlook the follies of their peers.The final group that folly points out is the religious people of the time. The monks and priest are the main targets of Follies words. A time of reform and a time of questioning is beginning to appear and rules and customs that have gone on for years without question are now being put under scrutiny. Even harsher with her words to this particular group of people Folly now is calling out not only the group of people in charge of the church but also the people who think they can find their lives only through the church.Her main charge against these people is there refusal to understand that folly and foolishness is as if not more regarded than wisdom in the Christian religion. One could say Christ is the biggest fool of all for accepting man’s sin and dying for us while he had lived a perfect and sin free life. Knowle dge and wisdom are the downfall of am according to Genesis when Adam and eve eat the apple of forbidden fruit and gains the knowledge of good and evil it separates them forever from the full relationship they had with God before that.Folly is not attacking the religion of Christianity it is the opposite in fact. Folly says how peter and the disciples went around baptizing everyone but not explaining why, not because they didn’t know but because the people only need to know the basics and not the understanding of everything to be happy, in other words to keep them from overcoming their follies. She also brings up how the disciples didn’t need certain words or rules to worship, but in face they worshiped the way god intended them to in spirit through their deeds done only for him and not for some church or for others to see. 92) Folly was giving her speech with the intent of trying to explain that foolishness and folly is not bad and evil thing that need to be avoided, b ut that the opposite of that is true. Wisdom is to be put on display for others and folly is to be hidden, in the same manner do people not hide their valuables and protect them from unwanted visitors. She believes and proves her point that foolishness is essential to a happy and fulfilled life. In a quote from Folly herself â€Å"Fortune loves those who are not too bright, headstrong, and are fans of the proverb let the die be cast† (116). Taylor Shadwick

High School and Basic Education Essay

According to the K to 12 DepEd Primer (2011), â€Å"K-12 means â€Å"Kindergarten and the 12 years of elementary and secondary education. † Kindergarten points to the 5-year old child who undertakes the standardized curriculum for preschoolers. Elementary education refers to 6 years of primary school (Grades 1-6) while secondary education means four years of junior high school (Grades 7-10 or HS Year 1-4). In addition to this, two years are now allotted for senior high school (Grades 11-12 or HS Year 5-6). Prof. Lorina Calingasan of the College of Education in UP Diliman explains that â€Å"K-12 means extending basic education by two years, so instead of having a high school graduate at 16 (years old), we will have high school graduate at 18. † The DepEd discussion paper (2010) on the enhanced K-12 basic education program explains that this new setup â€Å"seeks to provide a quality 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is entitled to†. Furthermore, the purpose is not simply to add 2 more years of education â€Å"but more importantly to enhance the basic education curriculum†. What is the rationale for this program? There is an urgent need to enhance the quality of basic education in our country as seen in the education outcomes of Filipino students and the comparative disadvantage of the Philippines with regard to other countries. The following data would support this explanation: At present, the Philippines is the only country in Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that uses a 10-year basic education cycle. According to a presentation made by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH) on Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education (2010), the comparative data on duration of Basic and Pre-University Education in Asia shows that the Philippines allots 10 years not just for the basic education cycle but also for the pre-university education while all the other countries have either 11 or 12 years in their basic education cycle. Achievement scores highlight our students’ poor performance in national examinations. The National Achievement Test (NAT) results for grade 6 in SY 2009-2010 showed only a 69. 21% passing rate while the NAT results for high school is at a low 46. 38%. Moreover, international tests results in 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) show that the Philippines ranked 34th out of 38 countries in HS Math and 43rd out of 46 countries in HS II Science. Moreover, the Philippines ranked the lowest in 2008 even with only the science high schools joining the Advanced Mathematics category. Some reasons why not disagree with K- 12 education plan in the Philippines First if K- 12 will be implemented, students will be able to get sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which makes them more prepared and well- trained on that subject area. On the other hand, if we remain on the old system, Filipino students would continually get low achievement scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the tail end in the exams compared to other countries. Second reason why we should support K- 12 is that the graduates of this program will be more prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet competent and well – equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18. With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower. Finally, with K- 12, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as professionals abroad because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to qualify to their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the country’s economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses. Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming more competitive among other countries. The K- 12 education plan offers a great solution to that problem. However, it is undeniable that there seems to be problems arising as we implement the program such as lack of government budget, classrooms and school supplies as well as the teachers. But, if we focus on the long- term effect of K- 12, we can conclude that it is very beneficial to us Filipinos. Therefore, we must have the strong will in supporting K- 12 Educational Plan for the betterment of our education system and economy. Remember, if we want change in our society, we must start it with our education system. Definition of Terms Curriculum refers to the lateral integration of school-based subjects to meet the qualifications demanded by industry. South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is a chartered international organization that aims to promote cooperation among Southeast Asian nations through education, science and culture. It operates through specialized regional centers, three of which are hosted by the Philippine government and include the Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH). National Achievement Test (NAT) is an annual examination given to both Grade ninth and tenth students in the Philippines. The students’ knowledge and mastery over the subjects Mathematics, Science, Filipino, and Araling Panlipunan is measured using a multiple choice type test. The examination is administered by the Department of Education’s National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC). Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U. S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other countries. Methodology Living this modern world we gather this information by conducting research through internet. We read all the articles that describe k – 12 basic educations. By the help of this modern technology we determine how and why k – 12 basic education help Filipinos to be employed and reduces poverty in our country. Summary of Findings World of K -12 K – 12 Basic Education Program is adding 2 years from K – 10 Basic. Education Program of our country. K – 12 are divided from kindergarten, elementary education (grade 1 – 6), secondary education or junior high school (grade 7 – 10 or HS year 1 – 4 ), and additional 2 years which refers to senior high school (grade 11 – 12 or HS year 5 – 6 ). After 12 years of basic education graduates of this curriculum are prepared to belong to the labor force of the Philippines. Also K – 12 graduates are recognized as professionals abroad because we are now following to the international education standard are practice by all nation. Reference Velasco P. T. (2012). A Primer on the New K-12 Philippine Education Curriculum.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

American History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History - Assignment Example Lastly, they learned to mount heavy cannons on their ships, which was an advantage during naval battles. As a result of their expeditions, in the African coast, they found what they were looking for that gave them a bog advantage to their neighbouring countries – gold, ivory and slaves. What was the Treaty of Tordesillas? Treaty of Tordesillas is an adjustment of the lines of the two kingdoms – Spain and Portugal. Spain claimed most of the Western Hemisphere including the Philippines while Portugal claimed most of the Eastern Hemisphere including the African coast and Brazil. What was the French plan for colonizing North America? What did they hope to get by having colonies in North America? France planned colonizing North America for 2 things, expanding Catholicism and finding wealth. Though religion wars emerged during this exploration, they were able to expand the religion eventually. Joint-Stock Companies A joint-stock company is a form of business organization that resembled a modern corporation where individuals purchase shares to invest in a company. Though no Surname 2 matter how much a stockholder’s share is, only one vote can be allowed. The first permanent English colonies in the North America were established by joint-stock companies. The concept is said to have been originated in Italy and expanded northwards.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Controversy and the Paparazzi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Controversy and the Paparazzi - Research Paper Example However, in terms of privacy, the celebs get the shorter end of the stick because thanks to the paparazzi, they literary have to forfeit their right to privacy which was famously described by Thomas Cooley as the right to be left alone (Nordhaus 287). While Paparazzi are protected from the consequences of their actions by their first amendment, they should not abuse those rights at the expense of the personal privacy and safety others. People have lost their lives due to the Paparazzi, and more are suffering every day because of their behavior, therefore, a line needs to be drawn where a person’s safety is not subject to the perversions of constitutional rights. Before one is a celebrity, they usually are human beings entitled to their rights just like everyone else. In their quest to take photographs of the celebs, they often go out of control, and mostly results in danger both to themselves and the celebrities. The case that brought this to light was when England’s princess Diana was involved in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi who wanted a picture of her and her boyfriend (Johnson). However, in the attempt to protect themselves from this invasion, they crashed the car in a tunnel. While there has been no conclusive evidence to date on what exactly caused the accident, it is almost without doubt that the main contributors to this accident were the paparazzi. Moreover, they could get another photo of the person who in all likeliness is the most photographed human being in the world. Notably Diana was one of the few celebrities who had a cordial relationship with the paparazzi and often posed for them and acknowledged them unlike most celebs that rarely give them time of the day and even attack them (Julianna). They caused multiple deaths, which is a price too high to pay for any number of pictures.

Monday, October 7, 2019

A Critique of the Movie Monsieur Ibrahim Review

A Critique of the Monsieur Ibrahim - Movie Review Example Interrelated themes include an expansive view of Islam that respects other religions and other faiths, and views all men with love and respect. They also include a cosmopolitan Islam that embraces all, the prostitute, the Jew, the Orthodox, the Catholic, and the saint, with equal reverence and compassion. These themes meanwhile tie-up with the theme of the differences between formal religion, doctrine, and churches on the one hand, and a personal and lived spirituality as typified by the Sufi spirituality of Ibrahim on the other. It is about how a personal spirituality that is grounded on an authentic view of God is also an authentic way of viewing the message of the Koran (Ernst; Siddiqui; â€Å"Monsieur Ibrahim†). II. Discussion The physical context in France, in a section of Paris where prostitutes ply their trade. The main characters play out roles as a Jewish teenager about to become a man. and as an old Sufi Muslim and store owner, who from the beginning seems to have a connection with the young man. He is able seemingly to read his thoughts. Their social and religious associations hint at a deeper reality that needs probing. Being a Jew has social contexts, and so is being an â€Å"Arab† in France. Moises is Momo to Monsieur Ibrahim. The old man's name hints at his Muslim roots, and he does not hide it. We learn that he is Muslim, and he is a devout reader of the Koran, but that he is also a Sufi, a religious adept. As a Sufi, he disregards the legalistic, dogmatic side of Islam. He thus so to favor of personal spirituality. Outwardly he is friendly and calm, and certainly not at all intimidated by the young boy's Jewishness.Â